Gu Jianlin blurted out "Auntie," and he immediately knew he had messed up big time.
The reason was simple—just from the expressions everyone shot him, it was clear they were suppressing some sort of reaction.
Especially Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing.
Their gazes were filled with undisguised pity and sympathy, mixed with a deep sense of frustration at his misstep.
Anyone who had worked at the Peak City District branch knew that Minister Lu's personality was extremely peculiar—a walking contradiction. Despite being in her thirties, she deliberately maintained a youthful, "loli"-like appearance; her age was a notoriously sensitive topic for her.
If you dared call her an "old lady," you would practically be signing your own death warrant.
Even her younger brother, Lu Zicheng, had suffered greatly under her whims and was wise enough to steer well clear of such issues.
The main problem was that there wasn't much you could do about it. After all, she was one of the association's thirteen district ministers, possessing peak Superdimensional Level strength and on the verge of breaking through to the Holy Land. Moreover, she was the President's student, backed by the Lu Family. In her youth, she often acted recklessly and indulgently.
To this day, she remained young, reckless, and indulgent.
"Whew…"
Lu Zijin instinctively wanted to explode, but the black-haired teenager in front of her was an unprecedented supernova in the history of the Peak City District. Not only had he joined the Omega Sequence, he was also favored by the King of Qing.
Even her father had issued strict orders regarding him.
Add to that the closer she looked at this young man, the more handsome he seemed.
For some reason, her fiery anger suddenly softened.
She blossomed into a sweet smile and said, "Be good. Next time, remember to call me 'sister,' okay?"
Gu Jianlin let out a sigh of relief, as though a great weight had lifted: "Okay, sister."
Lu Zijin smiled faintly, then sat down beside the teenager, their shoulders practically touching.
From afar, Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing were stunned.
What was going on? This was the first time in history someone had called this woman "Auntie" and hadn't been beaten senseless.
Last time, a parrot merely mimicked the word, and it almost ended tragically.
If Chen Qing hadn't acted quickly to take it away, its fate would likely have involved being turned into soup.
Even the innocent bystander Lu Zicheng had been forced to go cold turkey on smoking.
Turns out this was the benefit of being good-looking, talented, and full of potential—you get privileges wherever you go.
The investigators tactfully pretended they saw nothing, their expressions neutral.
"First of all, let me explain. Now that you're part of the Omega Sequence, as the minister, I am directly responsible for your safety. Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing are your Guardians, and you can also select a few Captain Level individuals without teams to protect you—that's your privilege."
Lu Zijin gave a dazzling smile: "The Omega Sequence is the association's highest-level genius cultivation program, dedicated to training individuals capable of confronting Ancient Gods head-on in the modern world. Of course, getting in is one thing; surviving is another. But the perks start with your enrollment."
Gu Jianlin nodded slightly, signaling his understanding.
Then, he couldn't help but shift slightly, putting more distance between them.
"Why are you moving so far away from me?"
Lu Zijin still wore her sweet smile, but her captivating eyes narrowed slightly: "Am I that scary?"
Gu Jianlin felt chills down his spine. Was she seriously asking that?
Who wouldn't freak out when someone spoke while blowing air into your ear!
"Aww, shy, are we? I heard you've never been in a relationship before?"
Lu Zijin raised her slender pinky finger, and a faint humming sound resonated in the Void.
Suddenly, Gu Jianlin found himself immobilized, pulled back to his original position by an invisible force.
In that moment, he realized he was completely under the control of some immense power—he couldn't resist.
This was the Sixth-Order Transdimensional Level's power. Truly terrifying.
His father had once been at this Level!
"This is an ability mastered by Fourth-Order Heavenly Masters, commonly known in Ancient Times within Hua Country as Beast Taming Technique. Nowadays, it's more popularly referred to as Telekinesis. Be cautious when encountering it in the future."
Lu Zijin hooked her arm through his and continued, "Anyway, back to business. As I was saying, you're part of the Omega Sequence now, so this attack shouldn't have happened. The only reason they managed to pull it off was because I allowed it."
Gu Jianlin's entire body tightened as he froze: "Allowed it?"
"The Yan family offended you. Don't you want them gone? Remember this: in the Transcendent world, once you establish an enemy, you must spare no effort to eliminate them—whether within the confines of the rules or outside them. And the Yan family isn't exactly untouchable within the system."
Lu Zijin's smile brimmed with malice: "Mrs. Yan may have strong connections, but those connections have made her both despicable and dim-witted. Still, you have to admit she's a devoted mother—she's willing to go to great lengths, even putting the survival of her family at stake, to avenge her sons."
Gu Jianlin understood—the true culprit behind this attack had just been revealed.
"We could have prevented this attack, but I made sure it happened. This way, we have dirt on the Yan family—we can wipe them out completely, not just boot them from Peak City's Transcendent world."
Lu Zijin chuckled: "Catch my drift?"
Gu Jianlin thought to himself, so that's the deal.
"Ever since the Qilin Immortal Palace emerged in the Peak City District, the Judgement Court has been incessantly meddling in my affairs. I've exercised extreme patience these past years. Li Qingsong tried to kill someone under my protection, so I had to teach them a lesson. And since the Yan family has always been the Judgement Court's lapdogs, it's a perfect chance to make an example out of them."
Lu Zijin's grin turned sinister: "Now we've got undeniable proof the Yan family has links to the Fallen."
Sinister indeed.
Since the Judgement Court's stance towards the Fallen was to eliminate them entirely...
...then why not mess with them by slapping a Fallen label on their allies first?
Gu Jianlin asked thoughtfully, "You saw everything just now?"
Lu Zijin shrugged: "Of course I did. A Fourth-Order Mad King, about on par with Zicheng's level—I'd set up an Elemental Turbulence in the sky to obliterate him, but Mr. Huai wouldn't let me intervene in your battle. To be precise, he forbade interference in any Fourth-Order and below battles, so I left it to you to handle."
She suddenly asked, "Who would've thought he'd flee so suddenly? What did you do to him?"
Gu Jianlin thought helplessly, how should I know? I hadn't even done anything, and he just started playing along.
Thankfully, Minister Lu hadn't stepped in.
The Butcher didn't seem intent on killing him.
If given the chance, he'd really like to understand why.
"Alright then, you have your secrets, and I won't press. But would you consider becoming one of my people? I won't demand you work for the Lu Family—I would only hope you'd accept our resources and support, and look out for us when you're stronger. Of course, there are plenty of unexpected benefits for you too."
Lu Zijin sidled closer to his ear, blowing gently on his earlobe: "Including me…"
Her stunning eyes shimmered with flirtation, brimming with allure.
Gu Jianlin felt a tingling numbness on his earlobe and hastily sidestepped, saying, "Sister, I'm still a kid."
"A kid? So what? Plenty of kids these days drive fancy cars, you know."
Lu Zijin rolled her eyes, glancing at the time on her phone: "Alright, the Judgement Court people are almost here. Showtime."
As soon as her words fell, over a dozen investigators immediately coughed up blood, collapsing to the ground.
Lu Zicheng even fainted on the spot.
Chen Qing slumped weakly against a nearby car, pale and exhausted.
Gu Jianlin was stunned. Did she just start the play without warning?
"If we're staging a scene, let's make it convincing. After all, you just killed twelve Second Rank enemies without a scratch or even a speck of blood or dust—that's hardly believable."
Lu Zijin glanced at him, seemingly deep in thought and ready to act at any moment.
Gu Jianlin quickly interjected, "I still have to pick up my sister from school later."
Lu Zijin cocked her head, tapping her crimson lips with a finger: "Hmm, fine. Xiao Yue, come here."
A young female secretary stepped down from the driver's seat of the Range Rover.
"Transform."
Lu Zijin raised a finger and tapped it against her forehead.
The young secretary's appearance twisted as though reflected in rippling water.
In mere moments, she transformed into a black-haired, clean-cut teenager wearing a black shirt and jeans—only covered in blood, riddled with gruesome wounds, and on the verge of death.
She collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Gu Jianlin was stunned. She looked identical to him!
Lu Zijin lowered her finger and said casually, "This is the effect of my Mythical Weapon. No special abilities—just the capacity to alter appearances temporarily."
Gu Jianlin hesitated for a moment, then shot her a deep, scrutinizing look.
In other words, this whole "loli" persona was a facade!
"You're wondering about my real appearance, aren't you?"
Lu Zijin smirked faintly: "What? You're into older sister types or something?"
Gu Jianlin hastily waved his hands: "No, not at all."
"Heh, I'll handle things here. The Merit Value for this mission will be credited to your account. Go pick up your sister. Take care of your family for now; soon enough, you'll be too busy to spare them any time. As for the Yan family, don't worry—you'll hear about their cleanup operation soon enough."
Lu Zijin suddenly leaned in close, her charming voice deliberately tinged with a coquettish tone: "Don't forget about what I said earlier, okay? I have high hopes for you."
Just as Gu Jianlin was about to respond, he heard some strange noises around him.
"Urgh…"
Lu Zicheng, who had been pretending to faint, suddenly sat up and began dry heaving into a roadside patch of grass, muttering, "That coquettish act was disgusting."
The bald parrot mimicked him: "Urgh, that coquettish act was disgusting."
Lu Zijin's alluring gaze narrowed, a chilling frost flashing deep within her eyes.