章 35: Mika’s Fire

編集者: AtlasStudios

The owner of the brown gem was a tall man, who wore a green hoodie to conceal the majority of his face.

“The gem belongs to you?” Lan Jue queried.

The man nodded in affirmation.

Lan Jue’s face spread in a slight smirk. “You’re aware of Skyfire Avenue’s rules,” he said, not really asking.

Again the man nodded, but said nothing.

“Then we can proceed with the deal. Mika, give the man his money.”

“Yes, sir,” Mika replied. She produced a handful of yellow notes; the highest denomination of NED available, ten thousands dollars a note. She gave the man five.

The hooded man took his money, his face hidden in shadow. Wordlessly he turned, and made to leave.

“Wait a minute,” Lan Jue called after him.

“Our business is concluded,” the man replied. His voice was strange, clearly altered by a voice modulator. “According to the rules of Skyfire Avenue, we have no further association.”

Lan Jue nodded in agreement. “Absolutely, but if I offered to pay you for information about the origin of that stone, we’d be entering in to another business arrangement.”

The hooded man seemed to sigh, and shaking his head pushed open the lightning-emblazoned door of the jewelry shop. However, he did not pass through it. In the contrary, he retreated several steps, his body rigid.

From without three men entered through the door he’d opened.

The foremost man was clad in black leather, a hooded jacket over all and a black mask. All that was revealed was a pair of shining, intelligent eyes. The two men behind him were dressed similarly, though they wore no hoods.

“Where is it, Oliver?” The resonating voice of the leader asked the man in green. Though he asked, his eyes caressing the box set before Lan Jue revealed the question as rhetorical.

Without warning, the man in green side-stepped the leather-clad intruders and threw a single punch at the leader, trying to knock him out.

Bang! The black-hooded intruder raised his arm to block the attack, and in that moment a squall of wind tore through the store.

“Enough!” Mika’s clear voice rang through the shop, and she approached them indignation clearly written on her face. “Are you not aware of the rules here?!”

The two hooded men dropped their hands. The one in black growled, “Mind your own damn business. I know you can’t fight in Skyfire Avenue. But we aren’t on the Avenue, are we.”

Lan Jue, sitting a short distance from them, sighed faintly. “It would appear our safeguards against rule-breakers have been insufficient of late. Where are all you troublemakers coming from. Mika, if you would please show them the door. Have the enforcers deal with them.”

“Absolutely, sir!”

Her right leg shot out. In her tiny skirt, the gentlemen thought they might be granted a quick peek. However, before they could have the opportunity to appreciate the view, they found the world before them engulfed in red.

All of them, including the man in green, found themselves enveloped by the flame-red light to the point where they didn’t even have room to struggle before collapsing to the floor.

Mika waved her left hand, and in response the door to Zeus’ Jewelry Shop opened of it’s own accord. One by one, she literally kicked the four prostrate men from the store.

Mika strode towards the door, hands on her hips. She shouted out in to the street. “Are the enforcers all on lunch break? Come fetch this garbage!” She turned, disregarding the host of stares earned from the Adepts wandering the street, and walked back inside slamming the door behind her.

“So fierce,” Lan Jue teased, covering his face with his hands in feigned discomfort.

Lin Guanguan giggled. “You’ve spoiled her, boss!”

Lan Jue chortled. “A little fierce is good! You have to protect yourself from bullies. I must say though, Mika, you should employ a different method next time. Kicking your legs in such a short skirt is so unbecoming of a lady.”

Mika responded with a flirtatious look. “Oh boss, they didn’t see anything… I just wanted to give you a show.”

“No thank you,” he said, standing. “I’m terrified you’ll burn me too. I’m heading out, but by the way I ran in to Chu Cheng a few days ago. You know he thinks about you all the time! Would you not give my poor older brother some consideration?”

Mika’s playful expression shifted, a bitterness crept in to her voice. “If you aren’t interested don’t throw me away to just anyone. If you force me to go with him, I might as well die right now.”

“All right! Pretend I didn’t say anything,” Lan Jue said, rubbing his forehead. He felt pity for his brother. But more, if his brother was just ‘anybody’, what did that make him? Ugh, this girl!

Lin Guanguan and Mika accompanied Lan Jue to the surface elevator. Mika spoke to her counterpart. “Look after the store, Guanguan. I’ll go to the enforcers and follow up.” For many things she was able to make the proper decisions and didn’t require Lan Jue’s direct instruction. Among Lan Jue’s four employees, she was certainly the most qualified in all aspects.

Lan Jue returned topside, the lead casing clutched in his hands. This power gem would require some careful research to verify.

The elevator went directly to Zeus’ surface shop, but didn’t stop, instead moving on until it reached the Library. He and the Keeper had made an appointment.

Despite his good disposition from obtaining the gem and Harlequin Silver, his mood darkened when he remembered what he wanted to speak with the Keeper about. More than two years he thought, two years of my life!

The Library situated on Skyfire Avenue’s upper level was very small, about the same area as Zeus’ Jewelry Store. But compared to the Winery, or the Museum, it was miniscule.

What the unaware would never suspect, however, was that what lay beneath the surface was a building dedicated to the cultivation techniques of all the Avenue’s Adepts. And it was massive.

The Keeper sat upon a recliner, rocking back and forth before the door of the Library. A rattan tea table was situated beside him, and on it sat a dark red teapot. In comparison to the pot Lan Jue’d used at the Luo Yun teahouse, this one had a thicker and smoother lacquer coating, making it clear it was used quite often.

“Come, take a seat. Now what reason would you have to come talk to an old man like me! A young fella like you, I doubt you’d come knocking for no reason.” The old man smiled amicable towards Lan Jue as he spoke. No matter the guest, the Keeper always greeting everyone with a smile.

Lan Jue offered a small smile of his own. “Originally it had been only one thing. Now I’m afraid there’s a second matter I need to ask about.”

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章 36: You don’t get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?

編集者: AtlasStudios

“Two things,” the Keeper rejoined. “Go on.”

He handed the box in his hands to the old man. “This is a power gem I’ve recently acquired. It emits a rather powerful radiation, and after some investigation I found that it’s internal power of compression is A-ranked. But this gem isn’t in any record. You are the wisest man on Skyfire Avenue. I was hoping you could offer some insight.”

The Keeper took the box in his hands and opened it without hesitation. A faint light pulsed from the box, shimmered, and then ceased completely.

The Keeper relieved the box of the gem and examined it closely. After a moment had passed, he frowned. “If you aren’t in a hurry I suggest you leave it here. I’ll examine it more closely. It’s nothing like I’ve seen before.”

“Sure,” Lan Jue responded without hesitation. After all, the Keeper didn’t simply sell books. He was also an accomplished scientists, and the stone had clearly piqued his interest.

“And the second matter,” the Keeper inquired, replacing the stone and setting the box absently upon the tea table.

Lan Jue began, “I remember you have a good relationship with the greatest schools of Three Alliances. Do you happen to be familiar with the National Eastern University?”

The Keeper shot him a glance. “What. Are you planning to get your doctorate? Don’t bother, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – and they have nothing to teach you anyway! Hehehe.”

Lan Jue’ face scrunched in exasperation. This old guy, just a few Alpacas short of a herd.

“Well you’re not wrong, I’m old hat. I was hoping to enter the University as an instructor.”

“An instructor?” The Keeper blinked in astonishment and the smirk slipping from his face. He stared at Lan Jue in amazement. “You want to be a teacher? Did I hear that right? You aren’t going there to corrupt the youth of our nation, are you?”

Lan Jue forced a wry smile. “Keeper, is that honestly what you think of my character?”

“Oh not at all,” The Keeper replied, “It’s just that not long ago I saw something about a man stealing another man’s wife. Terrible business.”

“Eh…” Lan Jue’s face grew rigid. He’d certainly blocked Skyfire’s Satellite Network at the time. Had the Keeper been there?

“I’ve some connections,” The Keeper continued nonchalantly. “Getting you a job as an instructor wouldn’t be a problem. It’s just an old man like me who’s spent his life enlightening the inquisitive, I hope the teacher I recommend doesn’t end up being a poor influence.”

Lan Jue once more smirked towards the old man. “In fact I’m really not a good teacher. I’m actually going there to act as a bodyguard, so some official post with no real responsibility would be best.”

“Then what were you looking for,” the Keeper asked.

Lan Jue, in response, leaned close to whisper in to the old man’s ear.

When Lan Jue had finished speaking, it was as though the Keeper’s craggy face had deepened. “You’re serious?”

Lan Jue rejoined with serious countenance. “It’s an area I’m skilled in, and I can promise you I wont be a bad influence or shoddy instructor. Students who learned these skills certainly wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.”

The Keeper gave him a strange look. “Interesting,” he muttered. “Very interesting. Very well, then you go ahead and give it a shot. But be assured, if you hurt my relationship with the university, I won’t forgive you.”

“Be at ease. I know the implications.” Lan Jue dare not offend the man before him. He’d heard stories about the old man from the Wine Master. He had apparently perfected science to the point of a Discipline, becoming an Adept of science. Rarely did he deign to act, but when he did it was world-shaking. A mad scientist capable of firing positron explosions from his hands while suspended in mid-air, probably not the best idea to make him mad. The Wine Master had once told Lan Jue that Skyfire Avenue had only known two synthetic Tenth-Level Adepts. The Keeper was one of them. He was also considered Skyfire Avenue’s ultimate weapon. His power was considered synthetic because it was not derived from genetic Talent, but from intense learning and cultivation. His natural Talent didn’t exceed Sixth-Level.

The second Tenth-Level was naturally the Clairvoyant. On the surface the two looked incapable of holding their own in a fight. Only the inner council members knew the truth; they weren’t bad at fighting, just bad at skirmishes. When they fought they couldn’t help but rip the heavens and drown the earth…

“Remember young man, when the time comes to show your powers don’t hold back. Sometimes, the best way to avoid trouble is letting people know exactly what you’re capable of.”

Three days later, a letter of appointment from the National Eastern University arrived at Zeus’ Jewelry Shop.

“Boss, you’re really going to be a teacher?” Ke’er’s bright eyes watched Lan Jue closely.

Lan Jue nodded his head half-heartedly. “Uh-huh.”

Ke’er sighed wistfully. “Then you’ll definitely be the most handsome teacher there! It’s just… why?”

Lan Jue smirked. “I’ve got nothing to do in my spare time.”

“Blach!” Ke’er seemed to be choking on her own saliva. “I’ll send you, okay! Oh and by the way, the gourmet wanted me to remind you that the Bluefin Tuna will be ready to eat in two days.”

“Mmhm,” Lan Jue said, his eyes lighting up. It was certainly good news. “I’m going in to the back to rest for a while. I have to prepare to report for duty.”

“Do you need me to start packing some things?” Xiuxiu’s gentle voice inquired.

Lan Jue shook his head.

Returning to his room, Lan Jue extricated his interstellar communicator and input a number.

After a moment, a pleasant voice rang through the speaker. “What are you doing?”

Softly, Lan Jue answered. “At your request, I will be reporting to your school this afternoon. Do you need protection?”

The fair-sounding voice on the other end fell silent for a moment. “Keep in touch. This afternoon I’ll take you around the campus. After you’re more familiar with the place we’ll talk more.”

“Fine,” Lan Jue torpidly responded.

“Oh right, and what’s your name?” Zhou Qianlin asked.

Lan Jue truly didn’t understand why it was so easy to upset this girl. “Didn’t I tell you, that day?”

“Did you? I forgot. I tend not to bother with unimportant things or people.”

“My name’s Lan Jue,” he growled through the receiver.

Zhou Qianlin continued. “I was thinking, it would be better if we pretended we didn’t know each other in public. You can protect me from behind the scenes. How you do that is up to you, it shouldn’t be my job to tell you how.”

Lan Jue was confounded. “Why? What’s with the sudden change of heart?”

“Because,” she said, “If my classmates discovered I knew you, they’d be bound to question my taste.”

“…”

“By the way, I wanted to ask you a legal question,” Zhou Qianlin said. “You don’t get capital punishment for annoying someone to death, right?”

“Zhou Qianlin, do you happen to know what I’ll be teaching at your university,” Lan Jue said, the indignation eating away at him suddenly dissolving and replaced with a sly grin. Annoy me to death? Sh*t, you haven’t even seen what I can do.

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