Hangzhou, Xishui Town.
The land was filled with cracked mud and abandoned fields, a stark contrast to the so-called Jiangnan water town.
Inside a certain inn, Tang Yue removed the earphones from her fair ears, slightly puzzled. She hadn't even mentioned her location—how did Lu Jun know where she was? Why was he in such a rush?
Two hours later, she realized how wrong she had been. From afar, she could already see the figure of the young man waving at her.
Lu Jun, after receiving Tang Yue's call, rushed over without stopping. As soon as he entered Xishui Town, he spotted the woman sitting by the inn's window—a captivating young teacher with a stunning S-curve figure.
"Whew, good thing nothing happened."
He let out a breath of relief. After all, they had fought together before. If Tang Yue hadn't revealed her identity as an enforcer, the manpower in Bo City wouldn't have been mobilized so easily.
This time, while pursuing the Magic Association's fugitive Chao He, Tang Yue had nearly fallen into trouble. She was detected and unknowingly drugged with an aphrodisiac.
Lu Jun had warned her before he left. She always failed to learn her lesson—still showing up as a glamorous beauty, standing out wherever she went. How could she effectively track anyone? He really couldn't understand her.
But when Lu Jun saw Tang Yue's graceful figure approaching with a smile in her autumn-like eyes, his expression froze as he suddenly remembered a key issue.
The root cause of Xishui Town's water scarcity was the appearance of a fire elemental seed, Rose Flame (Meiyan), which was also the spiritual flame Mo Fan used as a mid-tier fire mage and carried through even into high-tier battles.
Now that he was here, Mo Fan clearly wouldn't have a chance to get it.
Lu Jun dismissed the thought. Since he was already here, it was only natural for him to take the seed. Besides, he urgently needed money. This seed could be exchanged by his sister for a wind elemental seed.
Then, the two of them could focus on making money and saving up one billion yuan to buy the Galaxy Vein (Xinghe Zhi Mai). After all, Lu Mei had already reached the peak of the mid-tier. Even if she took time to polish her cultivation, she'd achieve perfection and reach the high-tier in less than half a year.
Mo Fan, on the other hand, was currently penniless and couldn't afford the fire seed. Whether it was a year and a half later when he entered the Pearl Academy's Fire Institute or two years later when he ventured to Dunhuang's Scorched Plains, he could still find a suitable seed. There was no need to worry about him.
Before long, Tang Yue arrived. Having fought side by side many times, she teasingly said, "Little boy, you didn't even ask any questions and came rushing over so quickly. Were you hoping to spend time with your elder sister?"
Truthfully, Tang Yue had a favorable impression of Lu Jun. The young man was clean-cut and handsome, and his words and actions weren't sleazy. More importantly, he was talented and strong, decisive in combat, and had a sense of responsibility. The Bo City battle had left her somewhat impressed.
Sometimes, when his eyes wandered briefly to certain places and then quickly retreated, his reaction seemed shy and adorable.
"Sigh, Sister Tang, don't be so self-absorbed," Lu Jun sighed, exasperated. "Don't you realize you've already been poisoned?"
"Huh?" Tang Yue froze. "What do you mean?"
Lu Jun frowned and glanced around. "This isn't the right place to talk. Let's find somewhere private—your hotel room should do."
"Huh?" Tang Yue was briefly confused but eventually nodded.
The two of them entered the hotel. As they passed the front desk, the staff first caught sight of Tang Yue, a mature and stunning beauty, and their eyes lit up. Then, they noticed the boy beside her, his face still youthful and innocent.
The receptionist suddenly understood something, looking at Lu Jun with an expression of both envy and pity, as if they were imagining something inappropriate.
Tang Yue noticed the look and felt her cheeks heat up, a delicate blush spreading across her face, making her even more stunning. What was she thinking, privately bringing a young boy to her hotel room?
Now her reputation was ruined! She even began to wonder if Lu Jun wasn't as innocent as he seemed and had ulterior motives. Was he tricking her into the hotel room for…
She glanced at Lu Jun's side profile. Hmm… she did find his looks quite appealing.
Of course, these thoughts only flashed through her mind as they stood silently in the elevator. The confined space made Tang Yue overthink, though her outward appearance betrayed nothing.
Beside her, Lu Jun's face was equally tense. With a tall, elegant woman nearby, a faint, pleasant fragrance wafting over, and the two of them alone together, it was hard not to think of inappropriate things.
He suddenly wondered if he had been too abrupt. Meeting up and immediately suggesting going to a woman's room—what was he thinking?
Fortunately, the elevator doors opened, breaking the awkward tension. Lu Jun, having lived with his sister for so many years and occasionally encountering similar situations, quickly regained his composure.
Tang Yue, no longer a young girl, maintained her poise. She gracefully opened the door and gestured with a smile. "Come in. I've checked the room thoroughly—it's absolutely safe and private."
Inside, Lu Jun gave the room a quick scan. It was clean, with no odd personal items in sight.
Seated upright in a chair, he looked straight at Tang Yue, who had casually sat on the bed. His expression turned serious. "Were you pursuing the cursed mage Chao He, wanted by the Magic Association?"
"Yes," she replied, puzzled. "What's wrong? Chao He has killed many mages, though we've struggled to gather evidence. Right now, he happens to be connected to Xishui Town's water scarcity, so the Tribunal sent me here."
"Since the target is tricky, I needed help. The nearest enforcer was too far away, so I thought of you."
"The problem is," Lu Jun spread his hands, "you've already been exposed and poisoned. It's quite severe."
"Huh?" Tang Yue didn't immediately refute him but furrowed her brows. "I was worried about this possibility, which is why I've been taking antidotes daily. I haven't felt any discomfort so far."
Lu Jun fell silent, unsure how to explain without sounding bizarre. He hesitated before tactfully saying, "Could it be a slow-acting substance that doesn't harm the body?"
"A slow-acting, harmless poison? That doesn't sound like poison anymore…"
Tang Yue was confused for a moment before realization dawned on her. Her mature face flushed red as she stammered, "You… you mean that kind of drug? Impossible! Wait… how do you know?"
Lu Jun was stumped. He couldn't exactly say he had foreknowledge.
Thankfully, Tang Yue didn't press him, mumbling to herself instead. "Right… every female mage Chao He targeted showed signs of… violation before their bodies were found."
Her expression shifted, growing serious. If she really had been drugged, it would be incredibly troublesome. There was currently no known antidote, leaving the victim to endure it on their own.
And she didn't have any particularly trustworthy female friends nearby, let alone someone who could stay by her side while Chao He lurked nearby.
At this point, Lu Jun regained his composure and said, "Don't worry. I'll deal with Chao He. As for the issue with Xishui Town, it's caused by a fire elemental seed. The Hunter Alliance is already aware of this and has dispatched several teams."
"I've also set my sights on this seed."
"To ensure safety," he added, "you should stay with me."
Lu Jun had no choice. He possessed psychic abilities that could help suppress Tang Yue's condition, but he couldn't reveal that since, on the surface, he was known as a mage with curse and water elements. Tang Yue had likely called him here to counter Chao He's abilities.
Tang Yue felt conflicted. She didn't entirely trust staying with Lu Jun. He was a young boy in his prime, brimming with curiosity. Could he truly resist temptation?
But thinking it over, she realized she had no better options. Compared to falling into Chao He's hands or being left defenseless at the hotel, Lu Jun was undoubtedly the safer choice.
If not for the age gap, she might have even considered him back in her younger days.
[For additional chapters....
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