The old master had been counterattacked by a rookie?
A brief lull.
When Ye Xiaojing moved forward again, Lan Junxian called her to a halt.
Lan Junxian set down his coffee cup and wiped his hands with a wet wipe, exclaiming sincerely, "Haha, that was brilliant! Look at our high-and-mighty combat expert—she actually lost to a rookie in the First State!"
Hey, there was no need to make her hate me, Teacher Lan. You're so gleeful about this, it makes me wonder if she's beaten you up too... Jiang Qian couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
"I just put what I learned into practice." Jiang Qian replied with modest composure.
Ye Xiaojing stayed silent.
Everything had happened in a flash. Beyond surprise, she felt curious.
That final slash had been her finishing move in the First State. With all her strength behind it, she could cleave a person in two.
But Jiang Qian had first stood his ground without dodging, then suddenly charged into the blade... Had he chosen such an unconventional response because he was certain she wouldn't go all out?
If he'd won through luck and opportunism alone, then the victory meant nothing.
A real enemy wouldn't hold back like this, much less know him so well.
As his teacher, she had to point that out.
"You were sure I wouldn't kill you, weren't you?" Ye Xiaojing picked up the wooden saber and returned it to its slot.
Jiang Qian put the wooden sword away too. "I'd say I saw it coming."
"Saw it coming?"
A puzzled expression crossed Ye Xiaojing's icy face, while Lan Junxian smiled knowingly.
Ever since Jiang Qian had undergone open-chest surgery and absorbed the Spider Cocoon by using poison to fight poison, his Spirit Vision had been fully developed.
It had progressed from a single, broad field of vision to a microscopic view that could see from the surface into the body.
After two days of inhuman torment, he had now developed a dynamic view that shifted between the macro and the micro, with Ye Xiaojing as its focal point.
By reading his opponent's breathing rhythm, exertion, and movement patterns, he could predict her next move, including the point of impact, whether her movements were feints, and how much force she would use.
On top of that, Ye Xiaojing had spent the past two days feeding him an endless stream of moves. The clueless rookie Jiang Qian had picked up plenty of practical techniques.
In summary, Ye Xiaojing's style was fast, precise, and ruthless.
Her fondness for attacking the head, her near-obsessive precision when targeting vital spots, and the occasional innocence and curiosity in her eyes as she brutalized her opponents had all left Jiang Qian with a valuable education.
If absorbing the Spider Cocoon had upgraded his Spirit Vision and Poison Resistance, then this grueling training had honed his enhanced Spirit Vision and Snake Shadow Stealth.
If only he could secretly learn from her for a few more days... Jiang Qian thought casually.
"Oh, right. I forgot your eyesight is extraordinary."
Ye Xiaojing seemed to have figured it out. She stopped dwelling on it, as if she didn't care that a rookie in the First State had managed to get the better of her.
That wasn't like her.
Jiang Qian quickly seized the opportunity to back down. "Thank you, Teacher Ye, for getting a complete beginner like me, who'd never been in a fight, on the right track. I only got the upper hand in that last lesson by luck. Please don't hold it against me."
He was about to be released from his sentence, and he had to leave his teacher with a good impression.
"Jiang Qian, you're being too modest. Not many people can trade blows with Xiao Jing and hold their own."
Lan Junxian chimed in at just the right moment. "Besides, who said today was your last lesson?"
"?"
"Until the Peacock Spider case is closed, Xiao Jing will secretly keep you safe. You can practice together whenever you like." Lan Junxian cheerfully announced this brilliant decision.
Jiang Qian fell silent on the spot, memories of his shattered bones flooding back.
Ye Xiaojing tucked her hair beneath her beret, stepped forward, and patted Jiang Qian on the shoulder. The corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. "It's all right. I hope you'll be just as tough next time, rookie."
"..."
Lan Junxian put an arm around their shoulders. "All right! Let's have a drink to celebrate your freedom, Jiang Qian!"
That evening, hotpot bubbled away in the Safe House.
Lan Junxian, Ye Xiaojing, and Team Bear threw Jiang Qian a small farewell dinner.
Everyone had a little to drink except Ye Xiaojing.
As they clinked glasses, Jiang Qian quietly observed the few official License Holders he'd spent so much time with lately.
Lan Junxian was refined and witty, always the gentleman. He drank in moderation, but always knew just what to say.
Team Bear was a typical northerner, with a good tolerance for alcohol. His personality was as warm and easygoing as his build, and he often made people feel right at home.
"Jiang Qian, we've already arranged things for you to join the Wanzhong Group. You can get familiar with the place in my younger brother's department first."
Team Bear kindly filled Jiang Qian in on what would happen next.
"Within the group, License Holders have their own circle and use a separate communication app called Card Player, or CP for short. HR will show you how to download and use it tomorrow..."
As Team Bear rambled on, Jiang Qian asked casually, "Can you see the License Holders' IDs within the group?"
"You can look them up in the CP system. Your Security Department is dedicated to serving the company's License Holders. Everyone likes to contact the Security Department when they run into trouble. Oh, haha, if you join, the Security Department's workload will probably increase quite a bit..."
Our Security Department...
My joining will increase the workload?
"Why?"
"Because you're handsome." Ye Xiaojing replied without expression as she sipped her drink.
So you beat me up so badly because you're jealous of my good looks... Jiang Qian stared at her in disbelief. "Teacher Ye, can we make a deal?"
"Go on."
"Don't hit me in the face next time."
"Oh, are you sure?" Ye Xiaojing's gaze shifted over him, as if searching for a new target.
"Forget it. Do whatever you like." Jiang Qian gave up struggling at once.
"Come to think of it, once Jiang Qian becomes a full member, he'll be Ji Ming's subordinate..." Lan Junxian suddenly sighed.
The name Ji Ming immediately caught Team Bear's and Ye Xiaojing's attention.
Jiang Qian quietly ate and observed them.
"I haven't seen Ji Ming these past few days. Has he not come back yet?" Lan Junxian looked at Team Bear.
"Oh, it's like this. After the minister received his appointment from Headquarters, he went to visit the major northern families. He's currently in Jingcheng and will be returning to Jinping soon. I expect you'll still be here then."
"He's in Jingcheng?"
Lan Junxian furrowed his brows slightly, sensing there was more to it than he ought to pursue.
"Yes. It's the last stop on his introductory tour: the Beijing Headquarters. You'd just arrived in Jinping, and he specifically told us to do everything we could to support your work."
At that, Team Bear suddenly froze. "Teacher Lan, you two haven't been in touch?"
"He hasn't contacted me on his own." Lan Junxian's expression turned cold. "He must have done something to wrong his teacher and doesn't have the nerve to face me."
By now, Ye Xiaojing had caught on too. "Boss, do you think Ji Ming was the one who poached him?"
"It has to be him! Ah, so this was the Predator Family's doing... They sent Jiang Qian to the grassroots under the pretense of protecting a promising talent, when really they wanted to keep him in Ji Ming's jurisdiction!"
Lan Junxian had had a little to drink, and his cheeks were flushed. It took him a while to tamp down his anger.
Then, looking half confused and half sober, he turned to Ye Xiaojing. "What do you mean by 'poached'?"
"Boss, don't you play mahjong?"
"Mahjong again..."
"Poaching means you and the player before you both win off the same tile." Ye Xiaojing paused, then pointed at Jiang Qian. "This should be the tile you both won off."
Three days earlier, in Jingcheng.
The Black Diamond room at an upscale private club.
A young man with a red suit draped over his shoulders and platinum-blond hair sat on a leather sofa, listening to a call on his phone.
He had fair, handsome features, and a silver eyepatch engraved with a lion's head covered his left eye, lending him a fierce, rebellious air.
After a moment, the man's lips curled into a sneer. "The quality of License Holders these days is like gold sifted from shit. What kind of talent has you making such a fuss?"
He fell silent for a little while.
"All right. Mr. Lan will think I stole his man."
The call ended.
The man rose and walked to the window. As he gazed at Jingcheng's glittering nightscape, his right eye beneath the blond hair was dull and lifeless.
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