Beihe City, Heavenly River Martial Arts Hall.
Chu Dongyang and the others kept their mouths shut about the Great Ape King outside the city.
The Military Department also issued compensation for Old Jia's death.
Yuan Tianhe was a smart man, so he did not ask any further questions.
"Jiang Li, the martial arts hall is currently offering 890,000 for Beast Core materials. If you want to sell them for a higher price, you can also look around Beihe City." Yuan Tianhe smiled. "Trade is free. The martial arts hall will not interfere too much."
This harvest was much greater than before. Jiang Li alone had hunted nearly twenty Eighth Grade Mutant Beasts.
His results alone were comparable to those of three or four hunting teams.
Even after witnessing Jiang Li's monstrous strength and Blood Qi Value, Yuan Tianhe could not help clicking his tongue in secret.
After all, hunting Mutant Beasts required mastery of martial arts, as well as experience fighting them to the death. Clearly, judging from his results, Jiang Li was not a martial artist who only buried his head in bitter cultivation.
"Let the martial arts hall buy them back," Jiang Li said with a smile. "By the way, Hall Master, I want to ask you about someone."
"Oh? Who do you want to ask about?" Yuan Tianhe smiled. "I know quite a few people in Beihe City. I should be able to help you."
"Luo Family Real Estate. Luo Wenhao." Jiang Li slowly spoke the name.
Yet when Jiang Li left the office, his brows could not help knitting tightly.
It was not because Luo Wenhao's strength or influence was particularly formidable, but because yesterday, while Jiang Li had been outside the city hunting Mutant Beasts, all thirteen members of Luo Wenhao's family had died.
One legal wife, five lovers, one illegitimate son, plus the nanny, gardener, and driver—a total of thirteen people.
All thirteen had died neatly within the Luo family villa.
It was said that Beihe City had already been stirred up, and the police had begun locking down the entire city.
Jiang Li had returned with Lin Jinwei, so he had not been questioned.
Just as he was about to leave Heavenly River Martial Arts Hall, people from the police had already approached him.
"Seventeenth High School, Class 3, Grade 3, Jiang Li?"
"Yes." Jiang Li nodded.
"There are some matters that require your cooperation. Please come with us." Jiang Li naturally cooperated.
Very soon, at the Beihe City police station, Jiang Li recounted everything about his trip outside the city to hunt exotic beasts.
This included the fact that he had returned with Lin Jinwei.
Not long after, Jiang Li was escorted out of the police station with great courtesy. Without even thinking, he knew he had borrowed Lin Jinwei's influence.
Outside the police station, Yun Fei was waiting for him in a blue Jaguar.
"The one who wiped out Luo Wenhao's family was the B-Class Fugitive Lu Dajun. He had already been active in Beihe City before this."
"It was only because Luo Wenhao was a businessman in Beihe City that it caused such a huge commotion."
Yun Fei glanced at Jiang Li from the corner of her eye. If she had not heard it from Vice Principal Lin, even she might have thought Jiang Li had done it.
After all, Luo Tianji had just died at Jiang Li's hands, and Luo Wenhao's family had been completely silenced as well.
If Jiang Li had done it, then no matter how talented he was, no one would protect him.
Everyone practiced martial arts. Likewise, it was not rare for some martial artists to commit evil deeds. Great Xia dealt with such matters harshly and had never shown mercy.
"I just feel that it's too much of a coincidence." Jiang Li frowned.
"Indeed. According to Vice Principal Lin's assessment, this Lu Dajun is very likely a Seventh Grade Peak martial artist. Jiang Li, you need to be careful." A trace of worry appeared on Yun Fei's face as well. "For a tiny place like Beihe City to be this chaotic, it seems the situation is getting worse and worse."
"I heard Vice Principal Lin signed you up for a training camp. That is also a good thing, but you must be careful."
Jiang Li nodded. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'm still waiting to attend Nanfang University."
Yun Fei's brows relaxed. With one hand on the steering wheel, she patted Jiang Li's shoulder with the other.
"Don't worry. Once you get to Nanfang University, your big sister will cover for you!"
"Cover for me?" A teasing smile appeared on Jiang Li's face.
Beihe City, old district, Anhe Residential Area.
Jiang Li looked at the already dilapidated apartment building and let out a soft sigh.
No matter what, he could not escape the original owner's identity.
"Isn't this the eldest son of the Jiang family? What, you finally decided to come back?"
At that moment, a man walked out of the stairwell with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Upon seeing Jiang Li, he could not help teasing him.
What Jiang Li had done before had already spread throughout the neighborhood.
So young, yet he refused to learn properly and borrowed usury loans. His life was probably ruined.
Jiang Li merely glanced at the man, ignored him, and headed toward the home from his memories.
When he reached the door, Jiang Li looked at the shoeprints on it and the traces where spray paint pasted on both sides of the door had been wiped away.
He could imagine his younger sister, Jiang Qi, wiping those things away with tears in her eyes.
"What a bastard."
Jiang Li could not help sighing, and a little more guilt rose in his heart.
He hesitated for a moment before slowly knocking on the door.
He knocked about four times before faint footsteps finally came from within.
As the door opened, a faint scent of alcohol drifted out.
The man was around forty-five years old. Wrinkles lined his face, and fresh white hairs were mixed among his black hair.
His eyes were dull, even bloodshot.
His features bore four or five parts resemblance to Jiang Li's. One look was enough to tell they were father and son.
"You brat, you still know how to come home."
When he saw Jiang Li, Jiang Yurong froze for a moment. He stared fixedly at Jiang Li for several seconds before turning away.
At that moment, Jiang Li felt bitterness and regret welling up in his heart.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Li suppressed his complicated emotions and walked inside.
"Dad, I came back this time because my teacher signed me up for a training camp."
"I may be leaving Beihe City for a while, but I'll return before the martial arts entrance exam."
As Jiang Li spoke, his gaze swept over the room and landed on a cup of baijiu, a bowl of cold noodles, and a small dish of vegetables on the table.
"A training camp? How much does it cost?"
Jiang Yurong did not turn around. Instead, he opened a drawer and took out a bank card.
"There's 260,000 in here. Your dad has saved it over the years for you and Jiang Qi to attend university."
"Take it and use it first."
Jiang Yurong sat back down at the dining table and silently took a sip of liquor.
Jiang Li naturally understood what Jiang Yurong meant. He thought Jiang Li was once again trying to ask for money in a roundabout way, so Jiang Li smiled. "Dad, I don't need money."
"I've already paid back the money I owed before."
"Besides, my martial arts cultivation has already broken through to Eighth Grade, and I've awakened a talent ability."
When Jiang Yurong heard that, the wine cup in his hand paused.
Then he could not help looking up at Jiang Li, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You brat, you're lying to me again!"
He abruptly stood up, seeming somewhat angry.
"How am I lying to you, Dad? If you don't believe me, look!"
As he spoke, Jiang Li moved his hand, and a Command Flag appeared in it.
"This is my talent ability, the Command Flag. Though it's only D-Class, I'm no longer an ordinary martial artist." Jiang Li walked over and placed the bank card into Jiang Yurong's hand. "Don't worry. I'm hunting Mutant Beasts now and have earned quite a bit of money. I've paid off all my debts too."
"If you don't believe me, Dad, you can ask around at the school."
Jiang Yurong felt as though he were dreaming. Jiang Li casually took a bottle of pills from his pocket.
"These are Ninth Grade Qi and Blood Pills. I bought them for Jiang Qi. Make sure she takes them on time."
"She'll be taking the martial arts entrance exam next year too. She can't be delayed."
"Also, I'm now a specially appointed instructor at Heavenly River Martial Arts Hall. I also got Jiang Qi a membership there, so have her train at Heavenly River Martial Arts Hall whenever she has time."
Jiang Li sat down and talked to Jiang Yurong about many things.
Jiang Yurong did not interrupt. He simply listened to every sentence.
He seemed to realize that Jiang Li truly was different now, as though he had become another person.
When he heard Jiang Li describe those Mutant Beasts, Jiang Yurong even revealed a nervous expression, as though he were there himself.
"You're already... Eighth Grade?"
Upon hearing this news, Jiang Yurong's hands trembled slightly.
"I'm Eighth Grade now, the genuine article. So I'm planning to go to the training camp and try to contend for the top scorer of Beihe City, or even the provincial top scorer." Jiang Li smiled.
After chatting about a few more household matters, Jiang Li did not plan to stay the night. Instead, he used cultivation as an excuse to leave home.
Although he could sense Jiang Yurong's genuine feelings through his words and actions, he still could not quite adapt to it for the moment.
As Jiang Li went downstairs, an elderly man was tremblingly making his way down toward him.
The old man greeted Jiang Yurong. "Little Jiang, who is this young man?"
Jiang Li looked up at the man, only to discover that there was no image of him in his memories.
Moreover, the man's hair was completely silver, and he seemed to have difficulty even walking.
"Yes, this is my son, Jiang Li. He came back from school."
"So he's Jiang Li!" The old man suddenly understood and said with a smile, "I've long heard others talking about him, but he doesn't look like it."
Jiang Yurong frowned slightly. "They're just wagging their tongues. My Jiang Li is doing just fine."
Jiang Li had no interest in their conversation. After greeting his father, Jiang Yurong, he went downstairs.
The old man spoke a few more words with Jiang Yurong, then waved and left as well.
Once downstairs, the old man watched Jiang Li's retreating back.
"An Eighth Grade martial artist at eighteen. Tsk, tsk."
"And he's even going to a training camp. Looks like I need to hurry."
"Kid, debts of gratitude must be repaid. I saved your family's life, so giving your life back to me isn't too much to ask, is it?"
The white-haired old man clasped his hands behind his back, revealing a cold and sinister expression.
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