The car started, and Gu Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew his mother-in-law too well. If he didn't slip away quickly, she would definitely find a way to stuff the money back to him.

"In such a hurry?"

Nan Jin asked softly, "Why not stay a little longer... I think they all like you quite a bit."

"That's precisely why I'm in such a hurry," Gu Shen said with a smile. "Don't you understand? Matters of the heart affect my journey through the martial world!"

Nan Jin took off her black-framed glasses and rolled her eyes at Gu Shen, annoyed.

After leaving the orphanage, she was no longer the understanding older sister. Putting her sunglasses back on, she transformed back into the ruthless Nan Jin.

"The assessment is just around the corner... I'm really not in the mood. I still want to go back and train as soon as possible. Every little bit helps." Gu Shen's smile was a little bitter as he murmured, "After the assessment, I should have plenty of time to see them, right?"

"..."

Nan Jin was silent for a moment before honestly saying, "The Tribunal has a lot of daily tasks, and it's very busy. You might often be on business trips, traveling all over East Continent. But there are also some specific tasks that require the executor to stay in a city for a long time... Your time will only get shorter and shorter, but you'll never have to worry about money again. The Council's subsidies to you are definitely generous."

"That's fine too." Gu Shen smiled. "Since ancient times, money and leisure cannot be had at the same time. When Grandma knows I can earn so much money, she should praise me for being promising, right?"

"Perhaps Grandma just wants you to spend more time with her?"

Nan Jin always liked to expose the truth.

Seeing that Gu Shen wasn't talking, she changed the subject. "But now is really not the time. Do you remember the car that was parked in front of the orphanage just now?"

Gu Shen was startled, and his expression became serious.

Nan Jin also noticed it... He nodded slowly.

"There's something wrong with that car. It might be coming for you. Did you have any contact with him just now?" Nan Jin said efficiently. "I've already notified Shixiong (senior martial brother) and the others to investigate... The assessment is the day after tomorrow. You absolutely can't have any accidents these next two days."

Is she suspecting that someone will try to assassinate him?

That is indeed a reasonable first reaction and judgment. It's a pity that Nan Jin doesn't know that he has already crossed swords with that person... The danger involved was even greater than the previous assassination.

"I had brief contact in the yard, and I also thought he was quite suspicious." Gu Shen scratched his head and began his familiar act of playing dumb. "That gentleman's surname is Han. He's always smiling. He looks young but is very rich. He's generous and sponsored 100,000 yuan right away."

"Surname Han? Always smiling?"

Hearing this, Nan Jin immediately thought of Han Dang, who Zhong Shixiong had mentioned.

This is a mental-type transcendent with a high degree of danger.

Her expression became serious. "Did he say anything to you? Or did he have any physical contact with you?"

"Ah..." Gu Shen looked blank, pretending to think hard, and murmured, "I can't quite remember... Oh, oh, oh, I remember now. He seemed to have said that he would visit me in Da Teng City."

Nan Jin immediately dialed Zhong Wei's phone.

...

...

It was raining, not too heavily, in Da Teng City.

The dark clouds were thick.

A young man and woman, sharing an umbrella, stood alone on the empty tarmac. The heavy rain poured down on the ground, splashing back up, but not a single drop touched their clothes, as if there was an invisible barrier of wind, isolating the raindrops.

Holding an umbrella only made their figures seem a little less strange.

"In thirteen minutes, the assessment team will land."

Luo Er spoke softly, her expression a little complicated. Because of the rain, the assessment team's plane was arriving about an hour later than scheduled, and the two of them had been waiting in the rain for an hour.

"It's been a long time since I've been alone with Shijie (senior martial sister)."

Zhong Wei chuckled softly. "If it weren't for this special training, how long would you have continued to avoid me?"

He and Luo Er were the first two students taken in by Mister Shu. Starting from the year they entered the Tribunal, they had known each other for ten years.

"I wasn't avoiding you." Luo Er sighed. "The Tribunal's tasks are too busy. The Teacher is unable to do everything himself, and when a transcendent event exceeding Grade A occurs, I'm the only one who can handle it."

"Perhaps you can call me next time. I can help... We've been partners for so long." Zhong Wei said helplessly, "I don't have any other thoughts... I just... want to help you. I don't want to see you dealing with high-risk out-of-control events alone."

Luo Er opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

"Actually, I'm quite grateful to Gu Shen. If it weren't for this 'S' grade rookie, when would we have met next? Would we still be alive then?"

Zhong Wei held the umbrella in one hand and raised the other, inserting five fingers into the rain. He didn't retract his transcendent power.

The next moment, a sharp wind suddenly burst out, swirling and shattering a large area of rain in front of him.

"Do you remember what the Teacher said? Those who awaken transcendent powers have personally held up the crown, and have also personally sent themselves on a path of no return. Countless white bones are buried beneath Nagano Qingzhong. I don't want to meet Shijie there one day." (Note 1)

"Actually, there's something I've always wanted to tell Shijie."

He smiled. "I..."

"Di di di."

The phone always rings at the most inopportune times.

Like when someone is working up the courage.

"I'll take a call..." The silent atmosphere was shattered by the ringing. Zhong Wei smiled wryly, answered the phone, lowered his eyes, and listened quietly.

After hanging up.

"It was Nan Jin calling. Is there an emergency with Gu Shen?" Shijie Luo asked.

"...Not an emergency. They just discovered a suspicious vehicle. I'll investigate when we get back." Zhong Wei sighed softly. The courage he had finally mustered was interrupted by this phone call.

So both of them fell silent.

Shijie Luo's expression was clearly a little irritated. She looked at the rain and said, "When exactly are those guys from the assessment team arriving?"

Her task for this pickup was to receive the assessment team and, at the same time, try to extract information from them as much as possible.

Regarding the assessment team's internal evaluation of Gu Shen.

And... most importantly, the content of the assessment specially prepared for the "S grade"!

Zhong Wei took repeated deep breaths, and he mustered his courage once again. "Shijie, that..."

"Ding ling ling!"

The phone rang again.

Zhong Wei couldn't hold it in anymore.

Answering the phone again, Zhong Wei's expression gradually became serious.

After hanging up, Shijie Luo frowned. "Was it Nan Jin again?"

"Yeah."

After two interruptions, Zhong Wei had completely forgotten what he wanted to say just now. He said seriously, "The identity of the owner of that suspicious vehicle has been basically confirmed... It's Han Dang."

...

...

(Note 1: Nagano is the most developed and representative major city in northern East Continent.)