37 Cultivating the Heavenly Blade

Tang Feng looked at Zhang Lingyan, who was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, not knowing what to say. He couldn't bring himself to offer comfort, nor was it appropriate to rebuke her, so he simply looked around.

Zhang Lingyan’s mother, however, was weeping and wailing, "Our Little Yan has suffered so much! The doctor said she’s going to be scarred!"

"Mom, shut up and stop embarrassing me!" Zhang Lingyan’s mouth was the only part of her face exposed.

"The person who did this is from the Special Operations Brigade. Our team leader has already gone to demand an explanation for you today. Just focus on recovering," Monk Yuanjian said comfortingly.

Upon hearing the words "Special Operations Brigade," Zhang Lingyan felt a stir in her heart. Was it the same Special Operations Brigade as Xiaohua's?

After Tang Feng and the others left, Zhang Lingyan summoned an attendant and ordered him to bring Liu Lang to her; she had things to ask him.

On the hospital rooftop, Tang Feng lit a cigarette and said to Monk Yuanjian, "Zhang Lingyan can no longer be used. Think of a way to make her quit on her own. As long as she is on the team, she will only be a jinx to us."

Monk Yuanjian replied with difficulty, "The Zhang family just donated one hundred million in operating funds, and they have considerable power and influence..."

Tang Feng shook his head. "You’re wrong, Yuanjian. Neither money nor power should be a constraint on our Dragon Team. Those aristocratic families should be the ones fearing us."

"Sigh." Monk Yuanjian sighed. The pressure of coordination and management was far greater than that of solving cases. "Team Leader, are you planning to ambush Song Lili here? She will almost certainly come for Lingyan to avenge her daughter."

"Correct. Have everything set up before tonight."

"There are only five of us, and now with Lingyan out of commission, there are only four, including you. We are short-handed... wasn't the whole point of recruiting Zhang Lingyan to utilize the massive 'labor force' her family could provide?"

"Quality is more important than quantity. Once the organization is officially established, the higher-ups will provide me with more manpower. You and I are both A-rank, and while A-Zeng and A-Sun are F-rank, their abilities are unique. We can handle most situations." Tang Feng patted Monk Yuanjian on the shoulder.

Tang Feng looked down from the roof as Zhang Lingyan’s attendants and thugs drove away from the hospital in an aggressive manner. "Look, she’s probably going to cause trouble for Liu Lang. He is a talent the Wind King personally brought back from Min Province."

"Take advantage of the fact that the organization hasn't officially launched yet and get her out."

***

Liu Lang, with a dagger held in his mouth, sat cross-legged in his family's warehouse.

The so-called warehouse was a small storefront rented by his parents to temporarily store fruit. He breathed in the pungent scent of durian while circulating his spiritual energy along a special path within his body.

His spiritual energy was particularly compatible with the Heavenly Blade technique; they complemented each other perfectly. The Heavenly Blade cultivation method provided by the Wind King filled the gaps in his daily practice. The complete version of the technique was called the *Samsara Heaven and Earth Art*, and the Heavenly Blade was the accompanying sword art—also the one most capable of unleashing the full power of the *Samsara Heaven and Earth Art*.

Now, he could finally sit and meditate like most other immortals. After circulating his energy for several cycles, he stretched with satisfaction, his body popping and cracking.

"It’s better to cultivate within the Six Doors; you have the backing of an organization, with access to techniques and resources. It's much better than those itinerant cultivators in novels."

He examined his internal state with satisfaction, though the spiritual energy was thin, making cultivation progress slow. However, combined with the *Samsara Heaven and Earth Art*, he could continuously improve his strength through combat.

There was also the *Spirit-Deriving Art* passed down by Xiao Rong, which could increase his power by finding "furnaces," but he chose to ignore that.

"Where can I find an opportunity to fight?"

Song Lili’s direct combat strength was D-rank, making her perfect for practice. He hadn't found her yet, but Qin Chuan had mobilized more people—even calling in over a thousand police academy students—and requisitioned a gymnasium to have them monitor surveillance footage to track her.

Thinking of her naturally brought Little Bao to mind. Liu Lang sighed deeply; he was filled with mixed emotions, eventually leading only to another sigh. When he was young, he envied others for having siblings and repeatedly asked his parents to give him a brother or sister. But now, he remained an only child, and that hidden longing had long since been buried in his heart.

"That woman! I will avenge Little Bao!" He slammed his palm into a nearby durian, smashing it to pieces.

His anger caused a slight error in his energy circulation, leading to physical discomfort. For an immortal, excessive emotional fluctuation was a major taboo, as it easily disrupted the flow of spiritual energy.

The *Samsara Heaven and Earth Art* was a pure-Yang technique, which worked twice as well in places rich in Yang energy. But in Tianjing, he couldn't find such a place. He could only cultivate in his family's warehouse filled with tropical fruits, which possessed at least a bit of Yang energy.

Liu Lang felt his lower abdomen burning like a furnace, and his desires spiked. This was the side effect of a malfunction in most pure-Yang techniques.

Feier was busy with a critical experiment with Daili and hadn't replied after he contacted her twice. Xiao Rong had declared she was going into seclusion two days after arriving in Tianjing. Although he could endure it, venting would have been better. But for a young man who had just dropped out of high school, this was a cruel situation.

"I'll go for a walk. I might as well stroll to the police station and ask Qin Chuan if there are any new leads."

Passing by Yang Family Alley, the surrounding street vendors were becoming lively again, despite the police tape still being in place. Watching the steaming rice cakes, the crystal-clear candied hawthorns, and the spinning pinwheels, he thought of Little Bao again. He couldn't help but buy a skewer of candied hawthorns and stare at it in a daze.

A group of men came clamoring toward him, causing chaos wherever they went. At the lead was Zhang Lingyan’s attendant.

"That’s the punk! Catch him for me!" The attendant pointed at Liu Lang, and the thugs swarmed forward.

***

He was just worrying about having nowhere to vent his frustration; this was exactly what he needed!

After knocking down every single thug, Liu Lang walked up to the attendant step by step. He looked at the candied hawthorns in his hand, took a deep breath to tell himself to stay calm, and then looked at the attendant sprawled on the ground.

The attendant had already wet his pants and was stuttering, "If you dare touch... touch me, I am from the Zhang family of the Qianzhang Peak Group..."

Liu Lang said disdainfully, "Is the Zhang family so impressive? Didn't I just roast you into a pig's head?"

"So it’s the Zhang family of the Qianzhang Peak Group." A familiar voice appeared behind Liu Lang.

It was Song Lili.

When did she appear? Why hadn't he noticed at all? Liu Lang broke into a cold sweat; this felt similar to the elusive spatial teleportation of Tu Ning.

"I won't hurt you, little brother. I know you’re a good person," Song Lili’s voice was calm and cold. "I hope we don't meet again; I don't want to hurt you."

Liu Lang turned abruptly, his dagger already in his hand. The Song Lili before him had her face wrapped in layers of gauze, and her body