Unfilial disciple, do not ruin your master's dream of ascension and peaceful life.

The scene, with blood splattered everywhere, had a strong vibe of a low-budget B-movie splatter film.

Anyone who saw this scene would be terrified.

But Qianjing and Lin Zhiyu remained very calm.

"It looks delicious, like spicy blood curd." Qianjing commented.

"It's more like an ant pot," Lin Zhiyu said thoughtfully.

"What is that?"

"This is a local dish from my hometown in the wasteland: minced ant-slugs and giant sandworms mixed together, sprinkled with salt, and then eaten."

"Eat it raw? Without heating it?"

"Energy is so precious, how can we waste it on food..."

The two chatted casually while carefully examining every part of the crime scene.

No murder weapon was found.

There were no traces of explosives.

The most obvious thing to think of when a human body is damaged like this is a bomb with a high explosive charge, but there is no evidence of any such thing.

Even more strangely, the furniture at the scene was almost intact; not even the tables and chairs were overturned. The bloodstains were arranged in nested circles, as if the source of the explosion was not outside, but inside the bodies of the five victims…?

"It looks like their bodies are bursting, like water balloons popping, *pop*," Qian Jing said casually.

The human body bursts open from the inside out.

"As expected, it was most likely done by an ascendant...tsk!" Lin Zhiyu could no longer laugh.

One of the key performance indicators for regional managers of the Ascended Mutual Aid Association is that "the behavior of Ascended individuals must not interfere with the safety of mortals' lives." Now, an Ascended individual of unknown origin is wreaking havoc in his territory. If this is not dealt with quickly, he may be held accountable.

Lin Zhiyu took out her phone, scrolled through her messages, and said, "I haven't received any notification recently asking me to take in outside ascendants, so it shouldn't have been sent by the authorities."

"Maybe it slipped over on its own?"

"Most likely, but there's another possibility..."

Lin Zhiyu looked at Qian Jing, her expression turning serious:

"I haven't guided any of my people from my hometown recently. In the entire Pujiang District, you and I are the only two Class A Ascended individuals, so I need to confirm—have you guided any of your own people recently?"

"Pfft—hahahahahaha!"

Qianjing couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"You don't actually think I have any attachment to those people back home, do you? Why do you think I chose to ascend back then? I have no intention of bringing anyone up here to disturb my peace and quiet."

"Indeed, you're that kind of person... Sigh, since it wasn't you or me who brought them here, it means there are ascended criminals causing trouble. If we don't deal with this quickly, neither of us will have any peace..."

"The only one who can't live in peace is you, I don't care~"

"Brother Jing~~~~~! Please help me out~~~~ Don't you still owe me a favor?"

Lin Zhiyu, the dignified principal, with tears in her eyes, clung to Qian Jing's arm and acted coquettishly. This contrast was truly captivating.

"Alright, I'll help you out. Let's get this mess over quickly. I want to go back and play the Wildlands DLC. Anyway, let's go find Xiaozhi and get some information first."

--------

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Half an hour later—

Xiaxi Road, located in the south of Pujiang District, is a popular commercial street with various trendy brands and many popular snacks, making it a favorite among young people.

Qianjing walked into the old street. Although it was only one street away from the commercial street outside, it was a completely different world. It was as if she had entered Itaewon, South Korea at night, where good boys and girls with dyed hair, piercings, and tattoos were everywhere.

He appeared to be alone, but Lin Zhiyu was actually beside him. However, it wouldn't be good for a principal to be spotted in such a place, so she concealed her presence.

"You're really something, so you only want me to be the delinquent, huh...?"

Ignoring the invitations from the street-side bars—"Handsome young man, come have a drink with us ladies~"—Qian Jing went straight to the disco at the end of the old street. Inside, the lights were dazzling, glasses clinked, and all sorts of men and women swayed to the energetic DJ music. Among them were many wealthy young men dressed in gold and silver, and burly men in sunglasses who clearly had underworld connections were keeping watch on the sidelines.

This is definitely not a place for a student like Qianjing.

He and Lin Zhiyu walked directly into the staff passage behind the bar. The passage was lined with menacing-looking security personnel in suits and sunglasses, their numbers increasing as they went further, like an elite horde of monsters heading towards the final boss's room. Even through his sunglasses, Qian Jing could feel their dangerous gazes, but he remained unmoved, simply continuing down the corridor until he reached the mahogany door at the far end.

Lin Zhiyu reappeared at this moment. The two bodyguards at the door, who were clearly skilled, carefully searched them. After confirming that there was no danger, they looked at the mahogany door and reported to the person inside:

"Boss, the guests have arrived!"

They let them through. Qian Jing didn't bother to even glance at them, and simply pushed open the door, facing the head of this place directly—

"Qianjing? Zhiyu? Welcome, welcome!"

A girl about the same age as Qianjing came running to greet them.

Her face was fair with a rosy glow, sweet and lovely. Her beautiful black hair was styled into a low ponytail that hung down in front of her chest. She wore an elegant little dress with a cute little apron over it, and was carrying a plate of steaming hot food in her hands.

The menacing uncles and aunts stood guard around her like a city wall, treating her with utmost respect.

"Long time no see, Xiaozhi."

Qianjing conjured a bouquet of flowers out of thin air and handed it to her. Lin Zhiyu stood to the side and pursed her lips, as if to say, "Is this all you're going to do with your superpowers?"

"Please sit down, please sit down. Have you eaten? I've prepared dinner for you."

In the center of this simply decorated 100-square-meter room is a dining table, laden with a sumptuous spread of home-cooked dishes, all prepared by her alone.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

"Okay, eat up, don't go hungry, you're at the age where you're growing."

The young woman—Ning Ruozhi, the current president of the local Sihehui (Four Harmonies) community in Pujiang District—enthusiastically served him rice, dividing the dishes into small portions, ensuring a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables, and even feeding him with a spoon. Qian Jing didn't refuse, although it seemed a little embarrassing, but... if you were watching, you should be able to understand, right?

Qianjing could almost hear the voice-over saying, "You shameful bastard!"

"Uh, I'm afraid of gaining weight, so I'll pass," Lin Zhiyu said with a wry smile.

"No way! You need to eat properly. Being too thin is unhealthy!"

Ning Ruozhi puffed out her cheeks, and her angry expression was incredibly cute.

"Okay, I'll eat it..."

"Mmm, eat up, eat until you're all plump and healthy~"

Tonight, the only three officially registered ascendants in the entire Pujiang District gathered together.

One type of ascendant: Lin Zhiyu, from the wasteland world, is currently the nominal administrator of Pujiang District, Haijing City.

One type of ascendant: Qian Jing, from a world of high magic and martial arts cultivation, is now an ordinary student.

Second-class ascendant: Ning Ruozhi, from a low-magic cultivation world, is currently the leader of a guild.

After finishing their meal, they explained their purpose. Ning Ruozhi had already guessed that they would come to find her, after all, the Four Directions' intelligence network was very advanced.

"I've already had the kids (referring to the underlings) investigate today's tragedy. The victims were just an ordinary nouveau riche family who had no enemies. Nothing was stolen from the crime scene, so the killer probably wasn't after money; it seems more like a random killing... How outrageous! It's causing widespread panic; they have absolutely no sense of public morality!"

“…”

"Are you really involved in organized crime?" — Qian Jing barely suppressed the urge to retort.

"It's certain that the murderer is an ascendant like us, but neither Jing-ge nor I have been guiding people from our hometown recently, and you are a second-class ascendant, so you can't pull people from the lower realm. The murderer definitely has nothing to do with the three of us," Lin Zhiyu said, getting down to business.

"Xiao Zhi, we need to ask your intelligence network for help. Have you found any suspicious people who might be ascendants in the past few days?" Qian Jing asked, continuing her question.

"I've already looked into it. There's some news you might be interested in: earlier this afternoon, at the intersection of Gaoxin Avenue and Pudian Road, a woman dressed in Hanfu went berserk on the road and even provoked the traffic police."

"...?"

This news caught the attention of Qianjing and Lin Zhiyu.

"Wearing Hanfu" and "going crazy".

Many ascendants, especially those of less experienced second-class ascendants, tend to retain the clothing of their homeland and their behavior and logic are incompatible with Earth society, making them easily mistaken for madmen by Earthlings.

Moreover, the intersection of Gaoxin Avenue and Pudian Road is very close to the villa community where the incident occurred.

"These are the suspicious reports for now. I will let you know as soon as there is any new information."

Ning Ruozhi patted her thin chest, speaking like a mother protecting her young child:

"We, the Four Triads, will fully assist you, and all evil will be brought to justice!"

"The boss is brilliant!!!" The bodyguards around him cheered.

"This must be resolved quickly. You also need to patrol regularly at night; we can't let innocent citizens suffer undeservedly!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

Qianjing was completely numb from looking at it.

An approachable and easy-going leader.

And her chivalrous and loyal followers.

Even their main source of income comes from running legitimate dance halls, game arcades, and card rooms.

"Are you guys really gangsters, or vigilantes who just cosplay?"—He had wanted to complain about this countless times.