Chapter 86: Lending a Hand


    <span style="font-weight:400">After a long night, the people from the Bloodwave Conve finally finished their investigation of the inn where the murder had happened.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang and his crew immediately dove into their bed as soon as they were allowed to go. They discussed what had transpired while they were separated as theyzilyy on their bed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Their entire party fell silent after Li Lang had finished narrating how he got a new task foisted on him and his newfound worries.


    <span style="font-weight:400">One may have presumed they fell asleep after staying up all night, but they were still too anxious.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“And you didn’t decline right away, Li Lang? What’s the matter with you? This isn’t something we should get involved with!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“B-boss…Did you j-just want to s-study their techniques?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Come on guys, it’s not for certain there’ll be any follow-up, right? They might just catch the culprit overnight and be done with it all,” Li Lang said to lighten the mood.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“W-we’ve been here for h-how many months? They s-still haven’t caught the c-culprit yet. If they f-find out we had a p-part in hunting them down, then…” Wei Ping shook his head, afraid to continue.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe we can still find a way to decline to help somehow. We still haven’t given him an answer yet and we’re part of The Orchid Covenant. There should be some room for negotiations,” Long Yi muttered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“B-Bloodwave Conve runs this city. They have t-the most say, so if t-this Senior Tai persists on h-having your help and make a f-formal request to the c-covenant, we’ll be hard-pressed to d-decline.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t think there was a rule saying we must risk our lives anywhere. We can just im we’re too busy with our preparations to enter the pocket realm.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We’ll be burning some bridges,” Li Lang shook his head. “Let’s wait for Senior Tai to reach out again and discuss it. Maybe we can dy it until it’s almost time to enter the pocket realm. It’s not like anyone cane after us once we’re in there.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The trio soon used up their brainpower and fell asleep. But they then had to force themselves awake by the time noon came. They were all busy, so they decided to go a day with minimal sleep.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The next morning, as they had suspected, someone from the Bloodwave Conve hade to see them. However, they were wearing in clothes instead of their usual ck and red robes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He was a young man who appeared only a year or two older than Li Lang.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I am Huang Si. Senior Tai sent me to guide you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Lead the way.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang and the gang exited the inn and slowly walked down the main street of Emberglow City. It didn’t take them long to realize they were being led away from the Bloodwave Conve headquarters rather than to it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Umm, are you sure we’re going to the right ce?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The young man didn’t even bother answering them and kept walking.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The trio begrudgingly followed. They soon made it to the edge of the red-light district and entered one of the many restaurants just on the fringe.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The clientele at the ce consisted mostly of men suffering from hangovers. It was inside the private room of this restaurant that they met up with Tai Xilun once more.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry about meeting here when you’re all so young…We need to be discreet, considering it’s not easy knowing who to trust. The information you’ve provided me is not easy to act on, to say the least.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“About that…” Li Lang quickly interjected at the first opportunity. “We were thinking of only getting involved when it is almost time for us to enter the pocket realm…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang’s words had wiped the smile off Tai Xilun’s face. He closed his eyes for a moment in contemtion.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Their guide, Huang Si, worriedly alternated nces between his senior and Li Lang. The tension in the room grew as no one made a sound after Li Lang’s roundtable rejection.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Name your price. I’m willing to handsomely reward you if you agree to help. Now.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Senior Tai, it is better you find others who are more capable. We are middle-stage Energy Gatherers. There are many who are more capable than us.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, I want you to continue helping me until I catch the culprit. If you can identify the traits based on blood, then you can do it again and confirm if we have the same person from the scene of the crime, right?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No need to try to lie to me. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t underestimate me. I am Tai Xilun, the head disciple of the Bloodwave Conve. With a target to protect, I won’t allow any harm toe to you or your friends here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tai Xilin unleashed an aura of authority and power that made it hard to question his strength. Seeing Li Lang still undecided, the Bloodwave Conve’s head disciple pressed on with an enticing offer.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I will reward each of you with a Foundation Pill to assist in your eventual breakthroughs.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">At the new offer, the three kids instantly sucked in their breath.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Foundation Pills were an asset that every organization treasured because they allowed their disciples’ breakthrough process to be much safer. Without it, one could suffer fatal consequences if they failed to ascend to the next realm. That was why every proper sect ensured their top talents had ess to this pill before their breakthrough. That way, they would have another chance if they failed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Some even say it increases the chance of a breakthrough, but no one has confirmed that fact. It may be due to increasing the user’s confidence, but it was still undeniable that every sect valued their Foundation Pills.


    <span style="font-weight:400">As much as Li Lang wanted to study it, he likely wouldn’t be able to do so until he stepped into the next major realm of cultivation. That was because Foundation Pills were Earth-grade pills at the very least, which meant he needed to be in the Foundation Establishment stage for Ruby to analyze it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Still, the value of it was immense even if Li Lang was just to use it on himself.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The trio exchanged a nce before nodding in unison—Or so they thought. Instead, Li Lang pressed for more.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The Foundation Pills, plus the technique used to remove any traces. You said you know it, right?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That…is a technique only usable by those who practice our techniques. It would be useless to you even if I can share it.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s fine. I just want to study its principles, not practice it.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Wei Ping and Long Yi both red daggers at their greedypanion. They both decided then and there would be hell to pay if he ruined their opportunity at Foundation Pills. Thankfully, the other party responded positively.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Fine. We’ll have to sign a contract that says you won’t spread it, though.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No problem,” Li Lang quickly epted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...Is there anything else, or have we reached an agreement?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, we trust you. You’ll protect us until The Great Trial of Water Crest opens, right?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, that’s right. You kids managed to secure a spot.” Tai Xilun revealed a cathartic smile, as if a stone had been lifted off his chest upon hearing a positive reply. “Don’t worry, we can go ahead and set my n into motion right away. No one will be able to harm you under my protection.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“...I guess,” Li Lang nced around at his friends hesitantly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">However, due to the lure of Foundation Pills, none of them dared to decline.


    <span style="font-weight:400">For Li Lang, that was just a big cherry on top. He also wanted to investigate this technique that allowed one to cover their traces. It would be a valuable asset to add to his arsenal.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Good. My n is to investigate various members of our conve with your help. You can perform your tests to verify if the blood matches the one from the crime scene, correct?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes…but it won’t work if it’s from someone with a higher cultivation than me unless the Qi is removed again.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s fine. I can do that much.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Li Lang hesitated for a moment about whether he should reveal that he could analyze, not just blood samples. Ruby was one of his core secrets. The more capabilities he revealed, the more others got curious.


    <span style="font-weight:400">At the same time, he wanted to get this matter over with. If he let the culprit get away and his involvement was exposed, he would have to fear retaliation. Holding back now meant he maye to regret it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Actually…it doesn’t have to be blood. I should be able to do it if you can get your suspects’ hair, a piece of their fingernails, or even some saliva.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Saliva you say?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes…like from a used handkerchief or from their drinking cups.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That…is a lot easier than I had thought. If that is so, we can go ahead with our n right now.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Aren’t we being a little too hasty, Senior?” Huang Si interjected from the side.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Time is of the essence. There may be more victims if we let this serial killer go free for even one more day. Let us prevent that.” Tai Xilun then turned his gaze to Li Lang and his friends. “You three, I’ll have to trouble you to disguise yourself as our attendants.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Umm, Senior, do we really have toe along? You only need Li Lang, right?” Long Yi asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I promised to protect all three of you, and I will do just that. Quickly, we should be able to go through everyone I had in mind within two or three days. That is assuming Li Lang can actually deliver, of course.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Feeling the intense gaze of a formidable cultivator, Li Lang nodded back with confidence.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tai Xilun swiftly summoned his Skyrunner, and the group set off. Huang Si took the time to exin to the trio how to act and speak to fit their disguise as attendants. He also handed them a set of clothes to change into.


    <span style="font-weight:400">It wasn’t long before they arrived before the massive entrance merged into the cliff walls. They were familiar with the front entrance to enter the bazaar, but this time, they would be heading in from the side entrance for members of the Bloodwave Conve.


    <span style="font-weight:400">It was a lot iner, being a simple hole in the cliff walls. Li Lang didn’t doubt there were several other entrances, and the one they took was specifically for Skyrunners.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tai Xilun and Huang Si exited from the Skyrunner first. They strode up to the disciples awaiting them at the Sky Bearth theynded in.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You two, go tell Elder Yun, and Elder Nei I will being to greet them shortly.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, Senior Tai!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The two Bloodwave Conve disciples didn’t dare say no to their powerful senior and quickly went off to carry out his errands.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Seeing them gone, Huang Si called out to their newpanions.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You cane out now.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">With that, three young men awkwardly stepped out of the Skyrunner, wearing the red and ck robes that they had once been apprehensive about.