Chapter 16 - A Subtle Hint
After confirming that Xiaobing had been kidnapped by a cult, Lu Yuan immediately rushed to the Ningcheng Internal Affairs Bureau. That day, Ji Yin had made it very clear—if there were any signs of a cult, he must report to the bureau immediately.
Although Lu Yuan now had the system, he still hadn’t found any way to increase his combat strength. The growth of his true essence hadn’t increased his physical power. If he punched a wall, it still hurt like hell.
Besides, he had no idea where to find traces of the cult. The Internal Affairs Bureau had been hunting them all along—maybe the cultivators had some miraculous methods.
For example, using a single strand of Xiaobing’s hair to determine her current location.
Lu Yuan was full of confidence in the Internal Affairs Bureau, but reality disappointed him greatly—he almost couldn’t even get through the door.
Several heavily armed guards at the entrance interrogated him for a long time, verifying his identity multiple times before finally letting him in.
In the reception hall, a cold-faced woman patiently listened to Lu Yuan’s explanation. By the time he finally finished in one breath, her patience had run out.
“So, you’re saying your sister was kidnapped by a cult… based on your own speculation?”
“It’s not speculation!” Lu Yuan quickly argued. “It’s definitely the cult!”
“Heh.” The woman chuckled.
“Alright, I’ve noted it down. Go home and wait for notification.”
She scribbled a few casual lines on the paper and was about to send Lu Yuan away.
How could Lu Yuan leave? He had no idea what Xiaobing was going through—every second of delay meant more danger.
“Wait for what?! Aren’t you supposed to catch cultists?! Hurry up and help me find my sister!”
His emotions surged, and his voice rose uncontrollably.
Many staff members were in the hall, and his outburst drew everyone’s attention.
The woman’s expression changed, and she snapped:
“That’s enough!
You say it’s a cult, so it’s a cult?
You tell me to find someone, and I have to do it?
What do you think this place is?!”
Lu Yuan’s face turned pale. He knew he had spoken improperly out of agitation, but he couldn’t calm down at all.
At that moment, someone nearby sighed and spoke up to mediate:
“Xiao Zhou, he’s just a student. Be a bit gentler.”
The woman snorted, tossed the documents aside, and left. The man who had spoken picked them up and sat down across from Lu Yuan.
He was a man in his thirties, with a proper appearance and a gentle smile.
“My name is Zhang Baocheng. You can call me Brother Zhang, or Old Zhang.”
“Lu Yuan, Xiao Zhou’s attitude wasn’t great—I’ll apologize on her behalf.”
“But in principle, she wasn’t wrong. The Internal Affairs Bureau isn’t the police—we’re a military organization. Without orders, we can’t mobilize at will.”
Lu Yuan felt as if his heart were being cut apart. Since his rebirth, he had never felt such despair.
“Brother Zhang, my sister is still young—she doesn’t understand anything. Please help me, I’m begging you.”
His voice choked, his words incoherent. If anything happened to Xiaobing, he didn’t dare imagine how he would face his parents.
Seeing him like this, Zhang Baocheng felt sympathy and said:
“Student Lu Yuan, try to think positively. Maybe your sister just went out to play with friends and will be home tonight.
How about this—I have some friends at the police station. I’ll call them now and ask them to check surveillance footage.
If the footage confirms that your sister was indeed kidnapped by cultists, our bureau will act immediately. How does that sound?”
What Zhang Baocheng said made sense. Lu Yuan understood it clearly. Xiaobing was his family, not someone else’s.
Moreover, he hadn’t even known before coming that the Internal Affairs Bureau was a military unit—he had thought it was similar to the police.
At this point, this seemed like the only option. Lu Yuan nodded in agreement, while thinking whether he should later ask Jia Shengnan for help—his influence was certainly greater.
Seeing Lu Yuan agree, Zhang Baocheng picked up the landline and called the police station, explaining the situation.
At that moment, a vigorous voice came from outside the hall.
“Hahaha! Junior sister, since you’ve come all this way, at least give me a chance to show some hospitality!
It’s settled then!”
The person who entered with the voice was none other than Ji Yin, the cultivator Lu Yuan had seen once before.
This cultivator no longer had the aloof demeanor he displayed atop the school tower. Holding his phone and chatting, his expression was animated and cheerful, clearly in a very good mood.
Lu Yuan felt as though he had grabbed his last lifeline and hurried over.
“Sir Cultivator! I have clues about the cult! You said that if there were any clues, I should report to you immediately!”
He moved too quickly for the other staff to stop him.
“What’s going on?”
Ji Yin put down his phone and frowned.
The woman surnamed Zhou immediately pulled Lu Yuan away. Her strength was immense—Lu Yuan was practically thrown aside.
“This kid keeps insisting that cultists kidnapped his sister, but he didn’t actually see anything. It’s all just his imagination.”
She explained Lu Yuan’s situation angrily.
Not only had he shouted at her, he had even barged in on her superior—she had truly taken a dislike to him.
“That’s not it!” Lu Yuan shouted in defense. “I’m certain it was cultists who kidnapped my sister!”
“Still causing trouble!”
Ji Yin chuckled and stopped the woman. “If you have something to say, just say it—why use force? We’re not those blockheads from the Blood Tax Army!”
Then he walked up to Lu Yuan, stared into his eyes, and asked:
“Student, oh—you’re from No.1 High School, right… You say you’re certain it’s cultists? Are you really certain?”
“I’m certain!” Lu Yuan replied seriously. Even in front of this mysterious cultivator, he dared to meet his gaze directly.
Ji Yin burst into laughter.
“Student, how are you so certain?” Ji Yin laughed as he patted Lu Yuan’s shoulder.
“Cultists can stand in a crowd, and even I wouldn’t recognize them. How can you be so sure?
Could it be that at such a young age, your cultivation is even higher than mine?
Hahahahaha!”
Ji Yin made a joke, and everyone in the hall laughed along.
Cultists were difficult to distinguish—this was the hardest part of capturing them. Unless caught in the act, it was extremely hard to root out those pests hiding in the shadows.
Another reason people laughed was relief—Ji Yin hadn’t gotten angry, which was a very good thing.
As the head of the Ningcheng Internal Affairs Bureau, he was known for his eccentric temperament. The staff had to be extremely cautious when speaking with him.
Among everyone present, only Lu Yuan did not laugh. Not because he was angry—but because he was shocked.
No one knew that when Ji Yin had patted Lu Yuan’s shoulder, a hidden force had entered his body through the palm. He was so startled he almost cried out.
What did this mean?!
Looking at Ji Yin, who was still laughing loudly, Lu Yuan instinctively realized that this cultivator might be hinting something to him.
A realization flashed through his mind—the next few seconds might be the only chance to save Xiaobing.
His thoughts raced, countless possibilities flashing through his mind in an instant.
Was Ji Yin trying to threaten him?
Impossible!
If that were the case, he could have killed him with a single slap.
What had he just said… could it be…
Lu Yuan seemed to grasp something. His pupils shrank sharply, and the hairs on his back stood on end.
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.