A New Commission

"... That's the situation. I'm really sorry, junior brother. You finally managed to capture him, but he was kidnapped from our hands."

In the Mutual Aid Society's activity room, Hu Jixian personally went to apologize to Si Ming, after all, what was lost was not only the prisoner Ji Xun, but also the bounty.

Ke Chajing glared at him fiercely and said angrily, "Isn't it all because of you? You insisted on stopping me and just handed the prisoner over to them like that? Are you a mail carrier?"

Hu Jixian: "That woman's strength is unfathomable. You saw it yourself. That greatsword weighed at least a hundred catties, but in her hands it was as light as a fire poker. Judging from this, this woman's arm strength is probably over five thousand catties. If she were to unleash her full Internal Cultivation, it wouldn't be surprising if she could deliver a punch with the destructive force of one hundred thousand catties."

Ke Chajing clicked her tongue in annoyance. "A martial arts contest isn't just about who's the strongest!"

Even so, Ke Chajing was also very clear in her heart that a person with such terrifying strength must not be too bad in other aspects either, and was definitely not someone that she and Hu Jixian could withstand.

In games, there are often strength-type characters and agility-type characters. The former are strong but slow, while the latter are fast but weak. However, in reality, there is no such thing as training one-sided abilities. Improving one attribute often leads to the improvement of other attributes. For example, if you practice Iron Sand Palm, your arm strength will increase while your stamina will also increase. When Swordsmanship, your footwork will also become more agile.

Simply put, in games, the various attributes are isolated and do not interfere with each other. However, in reality, a person is a whole, and the various attributes combine to form a system. They are closely connected and difficult to separate. The saying "pulling one hair affects the whole body" describes this principle.

Many people refute the saying "speed is the only way to break through defenses in martial arts," arguing that even if you are fast enough, what's the point if your strength is too weak to break through defenses?

This is essentially treating reality like a video game. Otherwise, just look at the physics formulas: the faster the speed, the greater the force. Kinetic energy and speed are directly proportional. As long as you are strong enough, increasing your speed will only increase the damage you inflict on your enemies.

Ke Chajing naturally didn't think that much about it, but having come from a martial arts school and been exposed to it since childhood, even if she "didn't know the reason why," she at least "knew how." Judging from the terrifying arm strength that the opponent displayed, if One Sword, she probably wouldn't even be able to dodge and would be directly smashed into a pulp.

Even though she knew Hu Jixian's judgment was correct, such a simple admission of defeat still infuriated her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, until she finally slammed her hand on the table. "I'm so angry!"

She practiced her family's secret technique, Iron Refining Hand, and with one strike, she left a charred five-finger print on the table.

"Hey, hey, your verbal tic's showing," Hu Jixian said helplessly. "Even if you're angry, there's no need to damage public property."

"I'm willing!" Ke Chajing glared at him again, then said, "I'll compensate for the items, you pay for the money."

"That's not fair."

Si Ming pursed his lips, ignoring their flirtatious banter. Recalling Hu Jixian's description of the woman, he drew a weapon on a piece of paper and asked, "Is this what the sword that woman was holding?"

Hu Jixian glanced at it and nodded, saying, "That's right, it's this shape. What, do you recognize it?"

"Yes, we've worked together before. This person used to be Mohist Knight Guard, but later betrayed them and joined the enemy. Your decision was correct. Although she's not Spirit Transformation cultivator, her strength is at the Spirit Transformation level. Be careful if you encounter her in the future."

The other party was undoubtedly Liu Qingqing's older sister, Lin Qingtong.

Nearly two years have passed since they parted ways in Russia. Si Ming guessed that she had mastered the Metal Cells. Back then, the Metal Cells, which were only half-finished, had brought Lin Qingtong infinitely close to the Spirit Transformation Realm. Now that she had achieved great success, crossing the boundary was inevitable. There is more than one path to becoming stronger, and Si Ming himself had proven this point.

"Spirit Transformation level!" Hu Jixian slightly surprised. "I knew she was strong, but I didn't expect her to be this powerful. It's best to avoid her in the future. This time she didn't intend to kill me to silence me, but who knows what will happen next time."

Knowing that the other party was a Spirit Transformation level expert, Ke Chajing's expression softened considerably. Si Ming, "In short, this matter is our responsibility. We have failed your trust. If you ever need anything in the future, just ask, and we will take care of it without hesitation."

"Speaking of which, there is indeed something I need your help with, senior. Recently, a few new claw machines have appeared on campus. Could you please keep an eye on them and prevent anyone from vandalizing them?"

The so-called "treasure claw machine" is a modified version of the claw machine. Because it offers a variety of prizes, not limited to plush toys, it was renamed "treasure claw machine."

After taking over the underworld territory in Linked Mountains City, Yu Shuying quickly extended her influence to the vicinity of Linked Mountains University, bringing with her the business model of giving away vouchers for playing claw machines.

Nowadays, shops outside Linked Mountains University have all joined Silver Alliance under duress and enticement, but the shops and supermarkets inside the university have not agreed. They have both connections and geographical advantages, and they disdain forming alliances with others.

However, compared to adults, students are the group most interested in playing games and have the most free time. These days, there aren't many internet cafes, so after class, everyone would go in groups of three or five to challenge the treasure hunt machine, partly for the free prizes and partly to pass the time as a game.

For working professionals, some look down on the meager rewards from the claw machine, while others find using vouchers inconvenient due to the long detour, and thus avoid it to save time. But students don't have these concerns; it's just a few extra steps, a mere after-dinner stroll.

As a result, business in the shops on campus deteriorated rapidly, with turnover plummeting. The shop owners were unwilling to bow down and admit defeat to the Azure Flood Dragon Gang, but they couldn't think of any other way to fight back.

There was no threat, no coercion; the Azure Flood Dragon Gang used purely legitimate business methods, without any illegality. Even if they brought in the Mohist Knight Guard, they couldn't do anything. In the end, they had no choice but to take the risk and hire someone to sabotage the treasure-hunting machine.

Yu Shuying could send her men to protect the treasure-hunting machines outside Linked Mountains University, but she was powerless against the ones inside the school. After all, the campus was an absolutely safe zone, and gangsters were strictly prohibited from entering. Otherwise, if they were beaten up, they would have no choice but to accept their fate. The campus was full of hidden talents and a large group of energetic animals who didn't know where to vent their frustrations.

"You know, those toys where you control a machine to cut rope with a joystick, right? One of my classmates has recently become obsessed with them. He spent thousands of dollars playing games and only won two prizes in the end. He's accumulated a ton of vouchers that he doesn't have time to spend, especially the restaurant vouchers, which have expiration dates, so he can only use them to treat people."

Ke Chajing smiled, then patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, leave this to me. I know a few classmates who practice at night, so I can guarantee 24/7 protection. If anyone gets hurt, you can hold me responsible."

After the two left, Si Ming pondered whether to tell Liu Qingqing about it. Logically speaking, she probably wasn't looking for his sister; they just happened to run into each other. But since they were half-blood relatives, it seemed inappropriate to say nothing. Besides, Lin Qingtong's betrayal had caused him a lot of suffering, and he had always kept that debt in mind, waiting to repay it tenfold someday. Now was the perfect opportunity.

"The Remote Heaven Society, I remember that's the name of the organization she joined. She's more interested in cultivation than entertainment, so she wouldn't make such a statement without a reason. There must be some conspiracy behind it. What exactly is her purpose in coming to Linked Mountains City?"

Si Ming thought about it, but unfortunately he had no clue. He decided to tell Yu Shuying this information. After all, he was not the only one who wanted revenge. Yu Shuying was never the kind of person who could tolerate things. It was just that the Remote Heaven Society was too mysterious and he could not find an opportunity to make a move.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, interrupting Si Ming's thoughts.

"Come in."

When the door was pushed open, an unexpected person entered.

"This is the Mutual Aid Society, right? According to the club's introduction, your services aren't limited to students, so you should also accept requests from teachers, right?" Yuezheng Yao said with a smile.

Si Ming glanced behind her and, noticing that her fifth uncle, her super bodyguard, wasn't with her, asked, "Are you alone?"

"Yes, the school is very safe. Last time, it was just because it was my first time teaching and my Lineage was unsure, so they sent my fifth uncle to observe in person. Normally, it's not necessary. As long as I wear a mask, students usually don't crowd around me for autographs."

Yuezheng Yao entered the classroom and found a seat opposite Si Ming. Today she was wearing a skirt, revealing her beautiful legs. They were flawless, perfectly proportioned, full and lustrous without being swollen, smooth and delicate without losing their luster. The front of her legs slid gently down her instep from the bottom of her calves to her five toes, and the back curved gently down to her rounded ankles. The insteps were shapely and curved, giving the impression that her feet had never walked before.

Yuezheng Yao seemed completely unconcerned about exposing herself, crossing her legs as she asked, "What, are you worried about me?"

"No, I'm just afraid you'll bring in a guy with dead fish eyes, asking him to help change his awkward and withdrawn personality, or teach him how to get along with people, and so on."

"Let this kind of person rot away in the corner of the classroom. The obligation to help students establish a correct outlook on life only ends in junior high school. In high school, they must learn to take responsibility for their own lives. Everyone has their own path. Since even the students' parents are too lazy to correct their children, teachers don't need to overstep their bounds. You think being aloof is bad, but maybe they just like to be alone and quiet. If they become a writer in the future, it doesn't matter whether they have friends or not."

Since her true colors had already been exposed and there was no one else present, Yuezheng Yao was too lazy to play the role of a gentle idol to everyone, and her words were unusually cold.

Si Ming said, "You can't say that. Maybe there's a beautiful, seemingly cold but actually warm-hearted teacher who's older and struggling to find a husband, and she'll feel sorry for the student and insist on helping her?"