Duan Jiude, as his name implied, was meant to embody the nine virtues, yet not a single one seemed to find a place in him.
He had a head of jet-black hair, slightly wavy, and his eyes lacked any semblance of profound wisdom, instead exuding a sly mischievousness. His straight nose and faintly smiling lips gave him the air of someone who'd be the prime suspect whenever a chicken went missing.
Of average height, Duan Jiude wore a plain white shirt paired with dark blue jeans, giving him an air of casual indifference. Yet, Xu Que held no disdain for him, for he knew that this man's potential was far beyond what appearances could ever suggest.
Following the crowd rushing toward the challenge rift, Duan Jiude hesitated, contemplating whether to wait for others to emerge and gather information before entering. But just as this thought crossed his mind, some brute jostled him, propelling him relentlessly toward the rift.
"Damn it! Stop pushing! I'm not going in!" Duan Jiude shouted in desperation.
His protests, however, were drowned out by the cacophony of eager voices surging toward the rift. Within moments, he was less than a hundred meters from the glowing fissure when he felt himself inexplicably lifted off the ground.
"What the hell…"
Panicking, he flailed his limbs in the air, only to realize someone was hoisting him by the collar, flying effortlessly above the crowd.
"Brother, hero… I don't have any money!" he stammered.
Hearing the familiar voice, Xu Que's lips curled into a smirk. With a burst of spiritual energy, he accelerated, swiftly carrying them both to the outskirts of the crowd.
"Relax. I'm not robbing you," Xu Que said with a grin. "And besides, in your current state, you're hardly worth the effort."
"Then… what's this about?" Duan Jiude was utterly baffled, unable to fathom why this man had pulled him out of the fray.
"My name is Xu Que. I'm with the Bombshell Hunters, and soon, I'll be your teammate," Xu Que introduced himself with calm confidence.
Duan Jiude froze, suspicion flashing through his mind. *Bombshell Hunters? Is this guy a con artist? He seems awfully bold to pull such a stunt.*
Before his internal monologue could run its course, a trade request suddenly appeared before him.
"Accept the trade," Xu Que instructed, placing several items into the exchange window. "There are things I can't explain now, but remember this—when you reach the fourth stage, choose the left-hand path."
"Huh?" Duan Jiude was utterly bewildered, both by Xu Que's cryptic advice and by the astonishing quality of the equipment being offered.
"Wait… Are you really with the Bombshell Hunters?" he asked, a trace of disbelief in his voice.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Xu Que replied, his smile unwavering. "Alright, off you go. From here on, how far you get depends on you."
"You're not going in?" Duan Jiude asked tentatively.
"I have other matters to attend to, and this challenge space isn't suitable for me," Xu Que said, patting Duan Jiude on the shoulder. "Once you're done, head to the Future International Tower in Shanghai and wait for me there."
Duan Jiude was thoroughly disoriented. Not only had this stranger somehow unearthed his secrets, but the equipment provided also seemed tailor-made for him.
*Am I the chosen one?*
After a brief pause, Duan Jiude equipped the B-grade *Mirrorwater Blade* from the items Xu Que had given him. The moment his name appeared on the *Divine Weapon Leaderboard,* he nearly jumped for joy.
Meanwhile, as Xu Que flew away from Jin Hai City, he noticed Duan Jiude's name on the leaderboard, and a satisfied smile tugged at his lips. Though he had given Duan Jiude a head start in this life, the challenges ahead would still be his own to conquer.
As Xu Que soared toward Shanghai, his phone buzzed with a message from Luo Ang.
"Xu, the head office just called. They want us back as soon as possible. If you can, I'd prefer we leave this afternoon," the message read.
Xu Que's brows furrowed slightly. Had something been uncovered?
Instead of replying, he sent messages to Shen Mengchu and Liang Jinyu. Within moments, a reply from Liang Jinyu arrived.
"Luo Ang and Bell are at Future International Tower. Their act is laughable, but Shen Mengchu has them stalled under the guise of a maintenance company. You'd better hurry back, or things might unravel."
After reading the message, Xu Que infused spiritual energy into his black longsword, accelerating his flight.
As he passed over Nanhe City, his phone rang again. Seeing Ye Gou's name on the screen, he slowed his flight to answer.
"Boss, are you sure the intel you gave me is solid?" Ye Gou asked bluntly.
"Do you think I'd lie to you?" Xu Que countered.
"Well, no. It's just that this is a big deal for my family. If it's true, I don't even know how to thank you."
Xu Que, perplexed, asked, "Huh? I just asked you to investigate two people. How does this involve your family?"
Sensing his confusion, Ye Gou explained the situation between the Ye families of Beijing and Nanjiang, finally shedding light on the connection to Ye Jingchen, the prodigious youth Xu Que had inquired about.
"Well, I'll be damned," Xu Que muttered. "What a small world."
"By the way, Boss, how long will you be in Country Y? And how did things go with the old man?" Ye Gou inquired further.
"I'm not sure about the timeline, but your task has already been arranged by Mengchu. As for your grandfather, I didn't outright reject him. However, I made it clear that external ventures are limited to the current rift. Future challenges will only grow deadlier, and everyone risks their lives for these resources."
"Understood. I'll handle the negotiations for external collaborations. Just don't forget my share," Ye Gou said with a laugh.
"Don't worry," Xu Que replied, shaking his head.
After ending the call, Xu Que glanced at the time. Though he was eager to return to Future International Tower, there was another pressing matter to address at the Operations Command Center. It was time to respond to Lacey—as Shura.