Facing the Challenge

Qinghu's request truly took Qu Jianlei by surprise.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered taking her with him. When a friend was in trouble, it was only right to lend a hand.

But he really hadn't thought that a Supreme cultivated within the Empire's system would willingly follow a wanted fugitive like him.

If Hongjingtian's crime was killing Baron and wiping out an Imperial fleet, it was, at most, the work of a "vicious bandit."

However, Ran Bingluan's involvement with "tribulation lightning" carried the suspicion of shaking the very foundations of the Empire's cultivation system.

The former appeared utterly unforgivable, but in truth, even if Hongjingtian were caught, he would most likely only have to make restitution.

The latter's charge seemed far lighter, yet the interests and management structure involved would have a far greater impact.

If Ran Bingluan were captured, the minimum punishment would be life imprisonment. If he surrendered all his knowledge, there was a high chance they would arrange his death.

In other words, staying with the latter would only be more dangerous.

Qu Jianlei wasn't sure how the Empire saw things. He had simply reached that conclusion from his own perspective.

So he hadn't thought Qinghu would be interested in getting dragged into this Vortex, and hadn't even asked.

Now that she had actually made the request herself, he hesitated before asking, "Leave Tianbing... where do you want to go?"

"Find somewhere to hide, I suppose," Qinghu answered casually. "Or you could consider hiring me."

Qu Jianlei was speechless again. This time, he remained silent for a full ten seconds before telling Xiao Hu to display a line of text.

"Accept my employment... do you know how sensitive Ran Bingluan's identity is?"

"Of course," Qinghu answered without hesitation. "Ran Bingluan alone is already sensitive enough, not