Who's the Big Brain?

The first floor of the Deep Sky Technology Building was a reception hall.

Gu Jianlin sat on a sofa, holding a tablet as he read up on squad operations.

"Here's the iced Coke you wanted."

Chen Qing walked over gracefully, bent down, and set a can of iced Coke in front of him. Her expressionless face turned to him. "Sometimes I really get the feeling I've somehow wound up with another young master."

"Thanks."

For once, Gu Jianlin was curious. "Sister Chen Qing, why do you call him 'young master'?"

It was a rather strange form of address in today's society.

Chen Qing sat beside him and said coolly, "I was an orphan when I was little. He found me and took me in. The Lu Family didn't approve back then, so he raised me outside the family, using his allowance to bring me up."

Gu Jianlin was taken aback. "He raised you on his allowance? No wonder Ascender families are so rich."

By comparison, his family was also an Ascender family, but now he was the only one left.

"That's right."

Chen Qing ran a hand through her hair and checked her makeup on her phone screen.

"Were you childhood friends... or lovers?"

Gu Jianlin asked.

Chen Qing shook her head. "We don't have that kind of relationship. He loved someone, but she's no longer here."

Gu Jianlin hadn't expected to hear something like that, and fell silent.

Investigators and researchers came and went through the hall, along with plenty of staff handling business matters.

"Hey, look at that guy. Is he the one who killed the Joker?"

"A first-tier killing a second-tier mutated Fallen one-on-one? I heard those two Mythic Armaments are on him, too."

"Come on, he really is handsome. Have you seen that photo of him sitting in the ruins? I heard he's also a rare natural awakener. Should I go ask for his WeChat?"

"That's a Fallen's son. If you go, I won't stop you."

"So what if he's a Fallen's son? He's handsome, and that's all that matters!"

Gu Jianlin heard them whispering, but said nothing.

Ever since he'd come to Deep Sky Tower and people had recognized him, conversations like that had been the norm.

He'd realized that Fallen was a very sensitive word in the Ether Association.

People cared a lot about it.

Even though he wasn't a Fallen himself, people still talked about him because of his father.

"The Tribunal believes that Fallens fall because they can't resist the temptation of power. Some of them have also been betrayed by Fallens, or had family members killed by them."

Chen Qing put it tactfully. "Of course, the Tribunal and some local families in Feng City target you because your father's loss of control severely damaged their interests. They still believe he left you what he found in the Immortal Palace."

She hesitated, then added, "So don't pay them any mind."

"I understand."

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly. "I have a question about Fallens. Isn't everyone at risk of being contaminated?"

"Most people can resist contamination, unless they become obsessed with power and willingly accept it."

Chen Qing spoke calmly. "The Tribunal believes Fallens are too likely to lose control. Even those who remain rational in the early stages of infection can suddenly descend into severe madness at any moment and become extremely aggressive."

She paused. "So they just kill them all. Anyone who's been contaminated either kills themselves or gets killed. Even taking medicine to temporarily suppress it won't help."

So that was how it worked, Gu Jianlin thought.

"Of course, that's easy to say. If you're contaminated, just kill yourself..."

Chen Qing scoffed. "Whether anyone can actually do that is another matter. But the Tribunal has dominated the Association for years. They have the final say in a lot of things, and there's not much anyone can do about it."

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Lu Zicheng stepped out with a dark expression.

He plopped down on a sofa, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and gulped it down.

The bald parrot on his shoulder squawked, "This is so annoying! So annoying!"

Gu Jianlin asked suspiciously, "What happened?"

Lu Zicheng finished his water and said irritably, "Unless something unexpected happens, you might end up being the only member of our squad."

Chen Qing furrowed her brows. "Too late to recruit?"

Lu Zicheng nodded. "This operation is dangerous, so there weren't many investigators who signed up in the first place. Their squads were decided long ago, and there aren't any unattached people left."

Chen Qing frowned. "That's a bit of a problem."

"Yeah."

Lu Zicheng hesitated. "So we won't be able to recruit anyone else for our squad anytime soon. And the operation includes a faction of Tribunal loyalists who might target Little Gu."

Gu Jianlin quietly drank his Coke without saying anything.

That was actually good news.

He didn't need teammates in the first place.

"I wanted to get you promoted to the first tier as soon as possible."

Lu Zicheng sighed. "Without an Alchemist or a Priest, it's a real pain. Exchanging merit points for what you need won't work, either."

Gu Jianlin frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lu Zicheng said gloomily, "It's all been snapped up."

Gu Jianlin took out his phone, logged in to the Deep Sky Network, and opened the resource exchange catalog.

Then he grinned.

"Heaven Spring: out of stock."

"Graphite Blood: out of stock."

"Crimson Wine: out of stock."

Almost every Spirit Potion was listed as out of stock. These resources were so sought after that there was nothing available at any price.

That was why it was so important to have an Alchemist on the team.

With that Pharmacist, Gu Jianlin didn't lack any of these things. For now, he could use his merit points to exchange for some Alchemy Armaments.

He could also hire the security team.

The most common service was protecting one's home.

"Low-tier resources like these are in high demand in the Ether Association. The real benefit is that when the Kirin Immortal Palace opens for exploration, you can use the Association as a shield and search for ancient hidden treasures inside. Anything you find is yours."

Lu Zicheng explained, "A lot of the Association's higher-ups rose to prominence thanks to those treasures. That's the biggest draw the Association has for Ascenders."

"As for those other services, they're a waste of money. I've already spoken to my family."

He thought for a moment. "The Lu Family will personally take care of your family's safety from now on. My sister will keep an eye on them, too."

"Thank you," Gu Jianlin said.

Lu Zicheng reminded him, "I've signed us up for this purge operation under the squad's name. But because of the nature of the mission, we squad leaders won't be accompanying you. Of course, you've got the Joker's two Mythic Armaments, so you should be able to protect yourself."

"But whether you can compete with the other squads for merit points... that's up to you."

He paused. "If you can advance to the Transcendent tier soon—that is, reach the fourth tier or above—my sister's resources and connections will come in handy. You need to hurry."

Gu Jianlin thought, That's great.

He had too many secrets.

Neither the two Mythic Armaments nor his Ancient God Transformation were something he could let teammates witness.

Besides, he was already first-tier, and there was an Alchemist in the Kirin Immortal Palace.

He had no shortage of the resources he needed to advance.

As for a Priest's healing, it was even more useless to him.

First, the Divine Priest Path could draw on the Divine Sacrifice Fire to absorb life force and heal him.

And when it came to resources, there was a fourth-tier Alchemist in the ancient tomb.

Suddenly, a notification sounded on Gu Jianlin's phone from the Deep Sky Network.

"Hello, respected D-rank investigator Gu Jianlin. Your squad has joined this large-scale hunting mission. Please bring your equipment and supplies and report to the lobby of the Deep Sky Technology Building immediately."

It was Taixu's voice.

"It's about time we went. There are seven squads in total. Meet in the lobby."

Lu Zicheng spoke calmly. "They're all elites this time."

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly. Then he remembered that he hadn't tested his abilities since advancing to Life Controller.

He'd heard that a first-tier Divine Priest could expand Life Perception's range to twenty-five meters.

That was just right. He could test it now.

He cleared his mind, leaving it utterly blank, and activated his seventh sense.

For a brief moment, the chaotic, clashing melodies of life rang in his ears. It was like being surrounded by a tide of static!

Gu Jianlin's hand jerked, and he nearly spilled his Coke all over himself.

Because, in that instant, he seemed to hear the melodies of life throughout the entire building!

The atmosphere in the spacious elevator was oppressive.

Lin Wanqiu had her hands in the pockets of her white coat. Her lovely, alluring face was expressionless.

The other squad leaders were just as serious.

A middle-aged man glanced at his watch and said coldly, "Stay sharp during this operation. If we have another incident like last time, you can all get out. Understood?"

Cheng Youyu stood in the corner, hunched over. "Uncle... I mean, Captain. Don't worry. Last time was beyond our control. Who could've known the Joker had something like the Necro-Gu? This time there's no way anything can go wrong."

"Just shut up," someone muttered. "You said the same thing last time, and then we crashed and burned."

"Bro, please stop cursing us. Don't jinx it again."

Another person chimed in, "We'd all be dead if we hadn't gotten lucky last time."

Cheng Youyu scowled. "How was that my fault? The Joker was just too much to handle!"

Nie Xiangsi stood timidly at the back of the corner, clutching a tablet in her hands.

The screen showed a photo. Amid a collapsed ruin, a chair stood completely intact.

A blood-soaked boy sat in it, with a corpse at his feet, its eyes still open in death.

"Brother Youyu," Nie Xiangsi said softly. "He's the one who saved us, right?"

Cheng Youyu turned and smiled ingratiatingly. "Yeah, Xiangsi. That's him. Gu Jianlin. We went to Fengcheng No. 2 High School together. I even copied his answers on a test once. We're good friends."

Nie Xiangsi fell silent for a moment. "So he's an Ascender, too."

"I didn't know it was him before."

Cheng Youyu asked, "What's wrong?"

Nie Xiangsi minimized the picture and opened the roster for this mission.

"He seems to be on this operation, too."

She hesitated. "And he's the only one in his squad."

Cheng Youyu froze when he saw the familiar name standing all by itself on the roster.

"Holy crap, it really is that badass guy!"

In the dark laboratory, liquid bubbled and foamed.

Blood-red liquid churned inside a copper cauldron wreathed in flames, surging like molten lava.

An elderly, hunched-over Alchemist watched, his eyes burning with excitement.

"Mentor."

A young man stood beside him and swallowed. "With this, can we survive?"

"Though one drop isn't enough to transform us into Divine Servants, it'll at least extend our lives."

The Alchemist licked his lips. "This is a divine blessing."

The young man was silent for a moment, then asked, "Mentor, there's one problem. If we really drink the Ancient God Blood and transform into Divine Servants, won't we become that Supreme One's servants? We're too weak. If He weren't trapped, He'd never have chosen us. We'd gain life, but lose our freedom."

He paused. "He could even kill us with a single thought."

"My student, how can you be so foolish?"

The Alchemist smiled. "We have plenty of secret potions in stock, including a good number of Transcendent-tier Spirit Potions. So why are we risking His wrath by giving Him only a dozen or so low-tier potions?"

Book Elder was stunned.

"If I gave Him too much spiritual energy all at once, I wouldn't know when He might escape. But if we offer Him Spirit Potions bit by bit, we'll stay in control forever. He may be Supreme, but the even more powerful Candle Dragon Venerable imprisoned Him. To keep us on His side, He has no choice but to trade His Ancient God Blood with us, again and again. Understand?"

The Alchemist explained, "Quantity is the key! You're my nephew. As long as we survive, that's enough. The Sea Siren Butcher and Moon Maiden don't matter. The Kirin Venerable is trapped inside the Immortal Palace. Even if we become Divine Servants, He can't cross between two worlds to control us. As long as we never go back after becoming Divine Servants, we'll be safe."

Book Elder asked, "But once the dimensional gate to the Kirin Immortal Palace stabilizes, aren't we giving up all those ancient treasures and opportunities? If we never return to the Immortal Palace, we'll be abandoning its vast resources."

The Alchemist smiled. "I'm an Alchemist. If I make secret potions valuable enough, will there be any shortage of people willing to enter the Immortal Palace for us?"

Book Elder was stunned. "I see!"

"That's the wisdom of your mentor. You still have a long way to go."

The Alchemist smiled. "What do you think will happen when the seal on the Kirin Immortal Palace vanishes completely and people from the Ether Association enter?"

Book Elder suddenly understood. "Mentor, you really are a genius! As long as He can't descend into the real world, we'll be safe!"