"I need to wake Master up."
Little Nine understood the gravity of the situation, but as her master's exhausted face flashed through her mind, she hesitated for quite a while. Finally, she gritted her teeth, got up, and started cleaning the room.
Just three hours.
She decided to work harder on her investigation and let him sleep a little while longer.
Meanwhile, at the command center for the East City June 13 mega-abduction case, an emergency meeting was underway.
"Are we certain? About Shen Jiayi's identity."
"Confirmed without a doubt. She is the sister of Shen Yun, the young Golden Core Cultivator from Sea City."
"Does he know about this yet?"
"Just thirty minutes ago, Shen Yun's father, Shen Xiangchen, the Vice Dean of the School of Art at East City University, informed Shen Yun about this via a messaging app. However, there has been no response yet."
"How is Shen Yun's relationship with his family?"
"..."
The meeting room was filled with noise. There were Cultivators, municipal representatives, and experienced criminal investigation experts, but the core issue of their discussion was the special circumstance that one of the victims was a direct relative of a Golden Core expert.
TAP TAP.
The sound of light tapping on the table instantly reached everyone's ears. The room fell silent as everyone looked at the person in the main seat. She was a middle-aged woman in her forties, dressed in a women's suit. Her name was Zhong Huiyun—a very ordinary name. In reality, she was already over fifty years old. However, she was the Deputy Director of the Spiritual Power Special Service Bureau and the person in charge of this case. Among everyone present, she possessed the highest cultivation level.
"Before the meeting begins, I'd like everyone to watch a video," she said, pressing a key on the computer in front of her.
The screen displayed what appeared to be a military base. A man in military uniform stood in the frame. Suddenly, he threw a punch forward. Blistering flames instantly erupted from his fist; the scorching heat could almost be felt through the screen.
Then, a deafening BOOM echoed.
A small section, tens of meters in diameter, of the mountain nearly a hundred meters in front of the man evaporated into thin air, revealing the inside of the mountain where dark red magma still flowed.
GASP.
A collective gasp filled the meeting room as everyone's face filled with shock. Such power! Such distance!
"This is the testing footage of the military's General Haideming after reaching the Golden Core Realm." Zhong Huiyun was very satisfied with their expressions. "Now, you all should understand the significance of this meeting."
The entire room fell deadly silent. The very existence of such people was a massive disruption to modern order. But this was the wave of the new era.
"In the past, Cultivators could still be surrounded and sniped using infantry weapons, but the Golden Core Realm is on a completely different level. We cannot possibly use heavy weapons like missiles within a city." Zhong Huiyun's tone suddenly grew stern. "Of course, this doesn't mean we have to give these experts whatever they want and bow down to them. It simply means I hope you will all be diligent, responsible, and devoted to your duties..."
This meeting was essentially a warning and a reminder to the personnel handling the case. Even if they truly failed to rescue the victims in the end, it absolutely could not be due to their dereliction of duty. As the person in charge, she was currently suffering in silence. Due to certain issues regarding the Otherworld, the higher-ups placed immense importance on these top-tier experts who had survived the Thunder Tribulation.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.
After sleeping for three hours, the "Golden Core bigshot" Shen Yun was woken up by Little Nine's gentle voice, who then informed him about Shen Jiayi.
"Is this true? Over a thousand people are missing? And my sister is missing too?"
Some of Shen Yun's concepts were still stuck in his previous world, where such a massive case would have absolutely shocked the globe.
"I've consolidated some information. That He Anhe likely obtained some sort of ancient inheritance," Little Nine said, sharing her deductions with Shen Yun. "Because there are indeed some people unable to cultivate who became capable of absorbing Spiritual Qi after taking medicine. Those people are essentially all on the missing persons list, so many people online are saying that He Anhe was framed."
"Information on the internet is too easily misleading." Shen Yun shook his head. "If we want to know the specifics, we'll have to ask Director Lu. Didn't he leave a business card? Grab my phone—uh."
Halfway through his sentence, Shen Yun realized that his phone was sitting right in front of him. But how was he supposed to make a call on it?
"If Master wants to make a call, I can transform back into my original shape," Little Nine smiled. Her body was suddenly covered in a blue, lightning-like glow as she gradually shrank, turning into a smartphone floating in front of Shen Yun.
The screen flashed, and Little Nine stood prettily inside the display.
She really could turn back.
Shen Yun reached out, and the phone automatically flew into his palm. On the outside, it no longer looked like his Honor 9 smartphone at all. It felt icy smooth to the touch, exquisitely crafted, and full of aesthetic appeal. Shen Yun couldn't help but gently swipe across the screen.
"Mng, Master—"
A near-moan came from the phone. In the screen, Little Nine lay at the bottom, blushing furiously while covering her chest, looking incredibly alluring.
"Sorry, sorry." Shen Yun's face contorted with oddness. He suddenly felt like he was playing a virtual girlfriend game. He really should just buy a regular phone. "Little Nine, call Director Lu."
Shen Yun placed the phone on the bed, forcing his attention onto the matter at hand. The call connected quickly, and Director Lu's slightly respectful voice came through the line. It was obvious the other party had fully expected Shen Yun to make this call; the moment Shen Yun asked, he sent over the corresponding files.
"He Anhe's strength isn't too overpowering, but he seems to possess some sort of inherited strange treasure, because even with all of East City locked down, people are still continuously disappearing. Mr. Shen, we have already invited Master Miaoyun from the Wudang Sect to assist us. She also survived her Thunder Tribulation last night."
Master Miaoyun was the other young Golden Core Cultivator from the Wudang Sect. What Director Lu didn't mention was that they had only invited Master Miaoyun after hearing about Shen Yun's sister. They were clearly a bit worried that Shen Yun would fly into a rage for his sister's sake and cause a chaotic mess.
Hearing that there was another Golden Core Cultivator involved, Shen Yun immediately hesitated. She was the real deal.
"Master, you actually don't need to worry too much," Little Nine's voice echoed in Shen Yun's mind. "The Bodhi Branch inside Master's body can mask your aura, and if I stay on you in my original form, then Master is also a 'genuine Golden Core Cultivator'."
Shen Yun curled his lip. That was easy to say, but pretending was super exhausting.
However, Jiayi...
The image of his sister flashed through Shen Yun's mind. His father was a romantic, to put it nicely, or a scumbag, to put it harshly. However, he had indeed done everything in his power to compensate Shen Yun. Not only had he fully transferred this villa to Shen Yun's name, but he also sent ten thousand yuan in living expenses every month, even going so far as to declare, "I will provide for you until the day I die."
His own life must have been rather tight financially these past few years.
Sigh...
Whatever. If he didn't want to miss out on the Otherworld, he would probably run into these Golden Core Cultivators sooner or later anyway.
"I'm setting out right now. If even a single hair on my sister's head is harmed—" Shen Yun had already made up his mind, "—even if that bastard hides at the ends of the earth, I swear I will grind his bones to dust!"
Director Lu's heart skipped a beat on the other end of the line. In this current era, no one dared to ignore the threat of a Golden Core expert.