Chapter 166: Departure

"Jinlin City? Dongting Lake in the Yangtze River Basin?"

Inside the room, Lu Mei was surprised. "I remember that area being occupied by demons. What's going on?"

Lu Jun didn't say much and simply replied, "I need to kill a scumbag and take something from him. I need to set up an ambush in advance."

His sister nodded, trusting him. "Alright, I'll go ahead and prepare."

"Mm." Lu Jun thought for a moment before adding, "There might be Commander-level demons interfering. Why don't you ask Tang Yue to come with you?"

"She's in Hangzhou, which isn't far from Dongting Lake, and it happens to be within the Hangzhou Tribunal's jurisdiction."

Hearing this, Lu Mei gave him a sly look and said teasingly, "Oh? So you want to call that 'dry sister' of yours?"

Lu Jun's face flushed red. He waved his hand hastily. "Cough, cough, cough! It's a misunderstanding it's all business."

"Oh~" Lu Mei, who had been lying on the bed, deliberately dragged out the sound, then suddenly sat up. She stood tall before him, her beautiful eyes staring down at him, her gaze sharp and playful. With a smirk, she said, "And then?"

At that moment, Lu Jun broke out in a cold sweat. He had a strong feeling that if he didn't give a reasonable explanation, he wouldn't be walking out of this room alive today.

"W-Wait! Let's talk this through!"

Facing Lu Mei's aggressive stance, Lu Jun struggled to resist. In the end, he was completely overwhelmed by her presence, unable to fight back.

Just as he was preparing to close his eyes and accept his fate, expecting a merciless beating, something unexpected happened.

Instead of pain, he suddenly heard a mischievous laugh, followed by Lu Mei reaching out and ruthlessly tickling his sensitive spots.

Within moments, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, desperately begging for mercy. Only then did Lu Mei finally let go, chuckling as she patted his shoulder and said gently, "Alright, I'll let you off for now."

Lu Jun quickly scrambled to his feet, knowing that if this went on any longer, something truly dangerous might happen. He still had to lead a team tomorrow!

Behind him, Lu Mei, still sitting on the bed, let out a playful, fairy-like laugh as she watched her younger brother flee in panic. This little rascal was just too fun to mess with.

That night passed without further incident.

The next morning, Lu Jun woke up early. He scratched his head. Ever since that drinking incident, his sister had loved teasing him like this. He could feel their relationship growing closer and closer at an alarming pace.

Fortunately, Lu Mei had agreed yesterday and had already called Tang Yue.

After washing his face and clearing his mind of any lingering inappropriate thoughts, Lu Jun went downstairs and had Qingyu drive him to the Pearl Institute's research building.

Soon, Lu Jun found Professor Yuan.

It had been a while since he last saw him. The professor's hair was a complete mess, and his dark circles were extremely noticeable.

However, after more than half a year of research, the White River Dolphin domestication project had shown excellent results, producing over a hundred new small demons.

"You haven't been back to the Imperial Capital for quite some time, have you?"

Lu Jun didn't waste time and got straight to the point. "Pearl Institute is heading to the Imperial Capital for an exchange match soon. Why not return with us?"

"I'll be leading a training mission. I'd like to ask for your help come along with me."

Hearing this, Professor Yuan, still somewhat dazed, suddenly snapped back to reality. He realized that he had already been at Pearl Institute for a full year, and the Imperial Capital had been constantly urging him to return, worried that he might be poached.

After some thought, Professor Yuan nodded. "Alright, I need to take care of some things there anyway."

Lu Jun let out a breath of relief.

Now, looking at his team's lineup Tang Yue had already reached the peak of the Intermediate Tier back in Bo City. Now, with the full support of the Tribunal, she should have at least two or three High-Tier elements.

Adding himself, Lu Mei, and Professor Yuan, that made four upper-high-tier combatants. Taking care of Lu Nian would be a piece of cake.

Oh, right there was one more person he could call.

Zhan Kong, the Chief Instructor of Bo City.

Lu Jun immediately called Zhang Xiaohou, asking him to get in touch with Zhan Kong and inform him that one of his students was being targeted.

Knowing Zhan Kong, he wouldn't take long to arrive after hearing this.

Lu Nian, a vanguard of that faction, would be better off handed over to Zhan Kong for disposal.

Hmm… five High-Tier experts they could even take on two or three Commander-level demons without an issue.

Lu Jun sighed in satisfaction at his growing network of powerful connections. Without realizing it, he had already built strong ties with people from the Tribunal, the military, the academy, and various other fields.

Finally, after Professor Yuan finished organizing his research lab and delegating tasks to his assistants, he packed up his luggage, and the group set off together.

Meanwhile, at the Pearl Institute Gate

A few students had gathered in small groups, chatting amongst themselves.

Mo Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes darting around mischievously as he checked out the beauties in the team.

Among them, Song Xia, Mu Nujiao, and Bai Tingting each had their own unique charm and grace.

On the boys' side, there were Zhao Manting, Zheng Bingxiao, Luo Song, and Shen Xiaoming, making a total of eight people in the group.

Luo Song, who considered himself the core of the team, couldn't help but grumble impatiently. "Where is our team leader? If we miss the flight, we're screwed! Doesn't he have any sense of time?"

"Hmm? I'm the team leader. Got a problem with that?"

At that moment, Lu Jun and Professor Yuan arrived, fashionably late. Lu Jun had overheard Luo Song's complaint and responded in a calm yet indifferent tone.

"You…?"

Luo Song, still fuming, turned around, ready to voice his discontent, but as soon as he saw Lu Jun standing there in a black and gold windbreaker, looking cold and imposing, he froze.

"Y-Y-You… Lu Butcher?!"

Though Luo Song was a freshman, Lu Jun's reputation in Pearl Institute was like the blazing sun undeniable and untouchable.

His arrogance vanished instantly, and he hurriedly apologized, bowing his head. "S-Sorry! I was just running my mouth! Please don't take it seriously!"

Still, a doubt lingered in his mind Lu Jun might be the top student of the Water Institute, but was he really qualified to be a team leader?

Mo Fan, on the other hand, was completely stunned.

He jumped to his feet, his face full of disbelief. "Old Lu, you're the team leader?!"

Lu Jun ignored Luo Song and raised an eyebrow at Mo Fan, his tone casual yet firm. "What? You got a problem? I'm High-Tier now."

After six months of keeping a low profile, Dean Xiao had finally allowed him to reveal his advancement. His progress was within the range of a normal genius, so it wouldn't cause too much of a stir.

Mo Fan gritted his teeth in frustration. He had suspected this yesterday, and now it was confirmed.

This guy was a freak of nature!

Nearby, Song Xia, Shen Xiaoming, and the others stepped forward and addressed him as "Chief Lu."

When they heard his words, their eyes widened in shock.

They were all the same age, yet while they were still struggling at Intermediate-Tier, Lu Jun had already reached High-Tier a level comparable to a military officer, vice tribunal judge, or even a renowned university professor.

Mu Nujiao had already sensed something last night, but hearing Lu Jun admit it himself still left her shocked.

She approached him gently and congratulated him, "Lu Jun, congratulations."

Lu Jun waved his hand dismissively, his expression indifferent. "It's nothing special. I've heard that there are some young talents in the military who are around my age and already at High-Tier. I'm not that impressive."

Then, he glanced at the group and said decisively, "Let's go."

Without wasting time, he led the team onto the plane, heading straight for Imperial University.

After half a day of travel, the group finally arrived at their destination, where they were warmly welcomed by the Imperial University faculty and settled into their apartments.

Over the next few days, they were taken on a tour of various sights under the guidance of Imperial University's teachers, including a visit to the Great Wall.

However, Lu Jun wasn't in a hurry to find Pang Lai. He planned to deal with the current situation first before seeking him out.

Meanwhile, Professor Yuan immediately went to the department head's office to report on some matters.

Not long after, one of the Imperial University teachers who was in charge of welcoming them smiled and turned to Lu Jun.

"Lu… uh, Teacher Lu, once all six academies have arrived this afternoon, how about we have a friendly magic sparring match?"