The two were already quite familiar and very understanding of each other's behavior patterns.
Baiyu coming over without any notice definitely meant something urgent was up.
"First, remove the tracker from my phone. It should be a wide-range tracker, only with recording capability."
Baiyu placed the phone on the coffee table.
Qin Shou glanced at it and skillfully placed the phone into a mechanical device resembling a juicer.
In no time at all.
The phone disassembled into a pile of components.
"Official tracker, KS8250, only they would buy such expensive and ineffectual things."
Qin Shou removed the tracker from the parts, then reassembled the phone in the device, saying in surprise:
"Is it because of the extraordinary event in your apartment?
I called you immediately after hearing the news, but there was no answer.
But I thought you likely wouldn't die, since your room has lots of setups, right? Uncle Pang even asked me yesterday. However, he seemed to know you were fine, so he didn't come over in person."
Baiyu replied in a calm voice, "This matter is hard to explain.
Anyway, I wasn't killed by the extraordinary event, but now I'm being watched by the investigators in Linjiang City.
They haven't found the source of the extraordinary event, so they won't be satisfied.
I have some clues over here, but I need to verify them, and it's inconvenient to tell them.
The current situation is.
The item that caused the extraordinary event is in my hands. I don't know what the person who released it intends to do, so I'm preparing to test it and lure them out of hiding."
Qin Shou grinned, "Isn't there a risk of sudden death by doing that? Uncle Pang told us to have less contact with those crazies in the extraordinary field."
"I'll make contact tomorrow and then make a judgment; something might go wrong by then."
Baiyu knew the matter was risky.
Currently, there's a Scholar System in his mind.
If he handed the Demon Paper over to the authorities and they forcibly hypnotized him, the secret might very well be revealed.
"We have quite a few people available in the West District, and there's also the batch of Tier Nine mechanical armaments we jointly purchased back then, which we haven't used much in the past couple of years.
You can try it out, the risk won't be too great."
Qin Shou rotated his wrist, "Besides, the college entrance exams are coming up soon, might as well warm up early. After all, Wuda isn't an Ivory Tower, and timid martial artists won't make an impact."
"Yeah, I've got the same idea. Later, you can get me a mechanical armament, a strength type."
Baiyu put down the water cup and took out a box containing the Demon Paper from his coat:
"This is the extraordinary item.
I've already tested it; as long as you don't touch it with flesh, it remains quiet.
It seems to be a replica of Sealed Object S-23 Demon Contract."
Qin Shou's pupils shrank, "Interesting, what do you plan to do with this item? Unknown effect and side-effect sealing objects are like hot potatoes."
"That's why I'm preparing to meet the other party."
"Anyway, you deal with it. This is the Bloody Samurai, the most powerful batch among the Tier Nine mechanical armaments, with an energy level of 560 points." Qin Shou took a faintly red bracer out of the desk drawer.
When Baiyu first got involved with mechanical armament, he mocked that this thing looked like an Armored Warrior.
Mechanical armament is a high-tech product combining magic energy and technology, along with spiritual arts.
The Tier Nine ones aren't expensive.
Probably just hundreds of thousands of Imperial Coins.
Due to their parents.
Baiyu and Qin Shou naturally had access to some different channels.
The two of them collaborated to buy a batch of mechanical armaments back then.
But these things were difficult for Baiyu to store.
Qin Shou, inheriting his parents' will, successfully took over the tavern and some gray-market trading, so he was the one always storing them.
Both were not naive kids.
They naturally wouldn't naively think that the times would remain peaceful.
To ensure the heirs' rights, they had prepared many backup plans back then.
"You help me gather these herbs at the same time, I need them tonight."
Baiyu listed materials needed for Rock Form.
Tomorrow, he was scheduled to officially meet with the other party, and he had to be fully prepared.
"These materials are very common, no big deal. But let's not forget our old rule. Every visit here, we need to go up the ring and fight, don't think you can run this time.
Since my blood qi broke through 130 cards, nobody at Linjiang First Middle School could beat me in ancient martial arts."
Qin Shou clenched his fist, displaying his muscles full of confidence in his eyes.
"Is this a new blood qi tester?"
Baiyu didn't reply, he moved to a tester in a corner and delivered a punch to the striking pad.
Crack.
The numbers on the display quickly surged past 130 cards, continuing to rise.
Finally.
The number stopped at 152 cards.
Qin Shou's mouth twitched.
According to them, 160 cards were the limit for those who hadn't introduced spiritual qi into their bodies to temper them.
Normally, people's blood qi was in the range of 90-100 cards.
And those students aiming to become martial artists had to constantly raise their blood qi.
However, enhancing blood qi was a time and money-consuming endeavor.
So many students who passed the martial exam only barely managed in cultural subjects but excelled in spiritual arts and ancient martial arts, as they spent a lot of time tempering their blood qi.
Yet Baiyu not only excelled in these core martial exam subjects, but his performance in other courses was also frighteningly impressive.
Satisfied with the number, Baiyu asked, "So, are we still fighting or not?"
Qin Shou's face darkened, then quickly smiled awkwardly, "Well, I'll go prepare the materials then."
...
Qin Shou was extremely efficient.
Rock Form was an ordinary level magic elixir, and the materials needed weren't rare, so it only took Qin Shou an hour to gather everything.
Afterward, Baiyu and Qin Shou finalized the preliminary plans for the next day's action, and then at a leisurely pace, Baiyu returned to the hotel.
In front of the hotel.
Qian Xue, dressed in a black and white maid outfit, blocked the road.
"Sorry, it seems I might have to bother you again."
Qian Xue smiled charmingly.
Her eyes curving into slits, immensely pleasing to the eye.
"You already know it's inappropriate, yet you still pester me?
I know you young girls, in your youth, are always thinking about love and such frivolous things.
But there's plenty of fish in the sea.
Pestering me like this won't end well."
Baiyu's answer left Qian Xue speechless.
Who wants to talk about love with you!
"I know you have some resistance to us investigators; it seems your parents died due to an extraordinary event, but it isn't as simple as you think.
Engaging with twisted objects results in a terrible outcome.
I just wanted to remind you to be cautious."
Qian Xue unintentionally moved closer, quickly closing the distance between them.
"Do you have anything else?"
Baiyu noticed this subtle move, clenching his wrist.
"This is the phone we prepared for you, allowing you to contact me or Lin Shan anytime.
The tracker was originally installed for your safety; we hope you don't mind." Qian Xue produced a phone, forthrightly admitting to the tracking device.
"So you're going to monitor me 24/7?" Baiyu smirked.
"Yes, you can think of it that way, but we won't interfere with your private life.
We just received a mutation research report from the government, showing that the recent extraordinary event was manipulated by the Abyssal Ascetic Association.
This is a highly gruesome secret organization.
Faithful to the Evil God Abyss Lord, they engage in endless misdeeds.
They've appeared in every previous extraordinary event in Linjiang City.
However.
Unlike previous offers.
In the past three similar extraordinary events, extraordinary items related, namely Demon Paper, were found on site.
But this event had none."
As Qian Xue spoke, she moved in front of Baiyu with strong ambition: "So we must ensure your safety and monitor your actions."
"What if I refuse?"
"You won't refuse."
A white flash danced in Qian Xue's eyes as a strange presence spread from her, wrapping around Baiyu's entire being.
"To ensure your safety, we need to track your movements 24/7."
"You are happy to accept my protection."
"You fully trust me and are willing to share everything you know with me."
Qian Xue slowly approached Baiyu.
After a moment.
Noticing his increasingly vacant expression, she smiled, "He's not even a martial artist; how could he possibly resist my mind alteration.
Should've done this sooner.
Being so polite to an ordinary person, I don't know what Lin Shan is thinking."
She extended her arm, prepared to tug Baiyu's backpack down.
But a hand moved like lightning.
The iron armored hand was faster than hers, instantly clasping around her pale neck.