novelAlta Chapter 944: If I Can't Beat Him Today, I'll Fight Him Again Tomorrow!
Chapter 944: If I Can't Beat Him Today, I'll Fight Him Again Tomorrow!
Right after that, they stepped into the Dragon Wall, and the scenery before their eyes shifted.
It left everyone utterly dazzled.
Until the solid feel of the ground returned beneath their feet.
In the spacious hall, figures of 749 Bureau investigators stood ramrod straight, their presence overwhelming.
Compared to when Lu Ding had first arrived, with no one around except Elder Shui—which had left enough space for the two of them to talk—this was now the proper procedure.
Secretary Qiu's voice rang out: "Welcome, everyone, to the Second Circle."
As for why he came to greet them in person...
Wasn't it because they were Lu Ding's friends? That was a no-brainer.
They were all family.
Everyone was connected somehow.So Secretary Qiu didn't bother with any messy formalities.
But just as he spoke.
The investigators, already standing straight as arrows, instantly stiffened even more.
Seeing this.
Yan Feifan immediately realized.
That the man before him held a high rank.
He promptly said, "Hello, sir."
"Sorry to trouble you, sir, for coming out to receive us. We appreciate it."
Secretary Qiu seized the moment to reply, "No trouble at all. Don't be so polite—we're all family here. I'm good friends with Lu Ding."
The moment those words left his mouth.
Everyone present instantly felt much more at ease.
Whether they were prodigies or anything else.
Arriving in a strange environment.
With everyone around them being stronger than themselves, there was always a lack of a sense of security.
And a feeling of disorientation.
But as soon as Lu Ding's name came up.
Those two words represented safety.
Brother Lu really was Brother Lu—wherever he went, he had connections and friends.
They had been shining gold in the Third Circle, but here, surrounded by splendor, no one knew if they would still shine in the future.
But Lu Ding was shining ahead.
They were still following him, still under his leadership.
So his reflected light would surely carry them forward, allowing them to emit their own brilliance.
That was their trust in Lu Ding!
Yan Feifan asked, "Sir, Brother Lu, he..."
Secretary Qiu smiled subtly: "He's on his way. He'll be here in a bit. Let's go register and file your information first."
"Alright, then we'll trouble you to lead the way, sir."
Yan Feifan remained polite.
A smiling face never draws a slap, after all.
Even if the guy had a good relationship with Brother Lu, it wasn't a good relationship with him personally. Politeness was something you couldn't slack on, not even a little.
He led the group out, past the Dragon Wall's security perimeter.
What greeted their eyes was the bustling and breathtaking Hanjing.
Compared to the Yunhai in the Third Circle, or anywhere else for that matter, it completely redefined their understanding of prosperity.
The imposing presence of the investigators they'd seen earlier seemed to have been cast aside.
Sure, they were strong now, but they wouldn't stay strong forever.
They were all young.
All full of fire and vigor.
The impact of the Second Circle investigators' strength hit them fast, but it faded just as quickly.
And so, this group of people, completely out of place with Hanjing's overall style, followed Secretary Qiu to the 749 Bureau's headquarters in Hanjing.
With their bags and bundles, they sure drew a lot of attention.
Especially since Huangfu Lingyun was leading two monsters.
And Wutian was sporting a bald head.
Wherever they passed, murmurs of discussion arose.
"Where the hell did they come from, all loaded down like they're heading to market?"
"Hahahahaha, that's hilarious. Probably some prodigies recruited from a backward place. Didn't you see Secretary Qiu is with them?"
Although nothing overly harsh was said.
Some people still cracked jokes that hit the wrong note.
"Hey! Buddy! Is it market day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays?"
At that, laughter erupted all around.
Huangfu Lingyun's toes were practically curling from the embarrassment.
But still, as the saying goes, with dry weather comes a short temper—don't provoke him when he's not smiling. Everyone present could take it lightly.
Bai Hemen even felt like answering that back in his hometown, market day was usually on even-numbered days.
Yan Feifan couldn't be bothered to respond.
Only Huangfu Lingyun whipped around and snapped back: "Do I know you?!?"
The guy was taken aback for a second, but didn't get angry.
Instead, he burst into laughter: "Hahaha, look, he's riled up, he's riled up..."
By the time Yan Feifan and the others walked inside.
Up in the sky, a dragon's roar rang out, golden light blazed, a fierce wind howled, accompanied by the rumbling sound of trampling laws and annihilating paths.
The Eight-Dragon Sandalwood Chariot came to a steady stop, hovering right in the middle of the square.
Coolness was its middle name; awe was the simplest description; flashiness was just a weak way to put it when words failed.
Everyone looked on, their eyes filled with shock.
Who was so extravagant?
Their gazes were laced with curiosity.
Only when a figure stepped down from it.
Did everyone suddenly realize.
"Ohhh~ it's him. Well, that figures. He deserves to be extravagant."
The jokester fell silent, and the surrounding noise died down too.
Lu Ding raised his hand, pointed toward the group of investigators who'd been cracking jokes, and beckoned them over.
They all came, forcing themselves.
Calling out, "Grand Duke Lu."
"Special Envoy Lu, greetings!"
Lu Ding nodded: "Enjoy cracking jokes?"
"Using a lack of boundaries as your sense of humor?"
At those words, the investigators' faces turned white instantly.
They hurriedly explained: "No, no, we didn't mean it that way. You misunderstood."
Lu Ding shot them a glance: "Misunderstood? I saw it clearly and heard it plainly. Is it my fault?"
They didn't dare say Lu Ding was wrong, so they just hung their heads, not daring to speak.
Lu Ding swept his gaze over them: "Only been eating your fill for a few days? What realm are you? What strength? And you dare to mock people for being from a small place, cracking jokes at their expense?"
"Only when everyone thinks it's funny does it count as a joke, understand? Stop mistaking your rudeness for humor."
"I'm from a small place too. Come on, ask me—is it market day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."
No one dared to speak. Talking at a time like that was just asking for trouble.
Lu Ding waved his hand: "Half of you, two rows, stand at attention, like soldiers. Good."
Then he pointed at the other half: "The other half, go grab buckets, fill them with water, get some rags, and polish my chariot by hand from top to bottom. I want to see it shine."
"If even a speck is off, I'll break your legs."
Of course, that was a threat.
But it still had them all nodding frantically, like chicks pecking at rice.
After dealing with that, Lu Ding went to stand by the exit gate, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.
"Inhale... exhale..."
He struck a cool pose and started waiting.
Like a damn statue, looking casual, but every move was calculated.
He'd even parked the Eight-Dragon Sandalwood Chariot right in the center of the big square.
Impossible to miss.
Things moved fast inside—a smooth ride with all green lights.
Not long after.
Lu Ding heard Yan Feifan's voice again.
"Hey, you better tone it down a bit. This isn't the Third Circle. Everyone here is stronger than us. If you end up getting beat up, we won't be able to just stand by and watch."
Then came Huangfu Lingyun's voice: "Tone it down? I, Huangfu Lingyun, don't even know what 'toning it down' means my whole life! Fine, I'll give Lu Ding a pass, I admit defeat to him. I'll give Bai Hemen a pass too, I half-admit defeat to him!"
"These people—who are they? I don't know them!"
"So what if I can't beat them? A man needs to fight for his pride!"
"If I can't beat him today, I'll fight him again tomorrow. If I can't beat him tomorrow, I'll fight him the day after. If I can't beat him the day after, I'll fight him every single day—keep myself in constant battle mode! I just don't believe it!"
As he spoke, his tone shifted.
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