First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!
Chapter 264: You've Got Nerve, But I Wonder If Your Life’s That Big Too

.....

Reporting beyond your rank is against protocol.

And it kind of feels like tattling.

From Lu Ding’s perspective, sure, it’s the rational move.

But from a people-skills standpoint, she’s definitely going to face cold shoulders and get edged out.

She reported it higher up.

And she’s smart. Xiang’an County is under Yunhai, which itself is under Ninglong City’s jurisdiction.

So Lu Ding has to take responsibility.

You can’t just use someone when it suits you, then toss them aside.

Leaving Hua Qing here in an awkward spot, not quite on either side.

If this really turns out to be Xia Tian’s doing, then the head of Xiang’an 749 Bureau—who just recently put Xia Tian on the bureau’s external roster—

He won’t be able to dodge the blame.

And Jiang Hai, who can’t keep his mouth shut, well, his career as an Investigator is pretty much over. He might even be singing behind bars.

Because he violated regulations by leaking internal intel to outsiders.

Which led to serious consequences.

Ke Ruyu might not be directly tied to 749.

But she’s a civilian, a victim.

Once a special incident occurs, 749 has a duty to see it through.

That’s also why Investigators may follow up with her even without direct orders from Lu Ding.

The purpose of 749 is to protect civilians and law-abiding Cultivators of Qi.

Lu Ding has his own personal feelings.

But this time, everything he’s done has followed the rules.

Hearing she’d be transferred to Yunhai 749,

Hua Qing felt both happy and a bit conflicted.

Who doesn’t want to move up to a better place?

But her “promotion” kind of came from snitching.

Sigh.....

But if she had to choose again, she’d still make the same call.

You wear the uniform, eat the food, take the perks—

Then you take responsibility!

“Alright, no need to drag this out. Since you suspect Xia Tian, and he’s the only suspect for now, take us to him.”

“I’ll handle everything from here.”

Lu Ding stood up.

No need for more talk.

He’d dealt with Ke Ruyu before.

If they got there and Xia Tian had her scent on him, then he’d pin him down right then and there.

Hua Qing stood up. “I’ll change clothes.”

Soon, she came back out dressed in loose gear better suited for action.

She said, “Xia Tian’s an external member, doesn’t usually come to the Bureau. And it’s early, so he’s probably home.”

“Or out in the mountains or by the river. I’ll take you to his house first.”

Hua Qing led the way.

Yan Feifan walked beside Lu Ding, whispering, “Lu, Xia Tian’s life in the past few months has been more eventful than the past twenty years.”

“What do you mean?”

Yan Feifan summed up Xia Tian’s chaotic info with a few concise lines.

“He became a Cultivator of Qi before you did. Before that, he was just a regular guy.”

“Then a few months ago, boom—he’s a Cultivator. River fish that cost over a thousand yuan a kilo? He hauls up dozens of kilos at once, and that’s just being conservative.”

“Fish others might only see once a year, he drags in by the bucketload into town.”

“There’s an old restaurant in Xiang’an that was almost run out of business by some outside chain with better supply lines.”

“Turns out, Xia Tian single-handedly propped it up.”

“Thanks to his river catches and wild delicacies, the place became the top restaurant in Xiang’an in just a few months, back to its former glory.”

“And Xia Tian made a killing supplying them, getting to know a bunch of local rich folks.”

“Check the cash flow—tens of millions, maybe over a hundred million.”

“That’s a lot,” Lu Ding replied.

“Right? And he didn’t even put in much cost—just pure profit. And this isn’t something most Cultivators of Qi can replicate.”

Yan Feifan then changed tone, “It’s got that vibe—like one of those old NovelFires. Living off the land, eating the river’s bounty, fortune smiling down on him.”

“And his cultivation is skyrocketing. Not quite at your level, Lu—”

“—or Xiaobai’s,” he added.

“But besides you two, his rise is insane. Put him in a novel and he could be the male lead. Even the name fits—Xia Tian.”

“Really has that aura.”

“And Investigator Hua Qing’s name goes great with his. Xia Tian and Hua Qing.”

Lu Ding had to admit, Yan Feifan’s imagination was pretty wild.

He could spin anything.

But now that he mentioned it—

It kinda made sense.

Still, none of that mattered to Lu Ding.

He wasn’t some big villain.

No reason to pick a fight with Xia Tian out of nowhere.

As long as he didn’t mess with Ke Ruyu’s corpse,

They were good.

Whatever else he did, didn’t concern Lu Ding.

But the problem was—he did mess with it.

The three of them headed east.

Dawn light just beginning, the sky was a calm blue—a beautiful day.

Brushing against dewdrops on the riverbank grass.

“That courtyard up ahead is Xia Tian’s house.”

Hua Qing pointed and walked forward.

Called out, “Xia Tian.”

No reply.

Lu Ding stepped up. “No need to shout. He’s not home.”

He leapt into the courtyard.

Didn’t think much of it from outside, but inside the courtyard—

Flying Bear Slaughtering Art didn’t react, but the Sin Dragon Bone Inscription started to stir.

Details make or break a mission. Lu Ding scanned the area. “Something’s here.”

Hua Qing and Yan Feifan landed beside him.

With a stomp, Hua Qing instantly sensed the underground.

She pointed nearby. “There’s something like a cellar over there, but it’s blocked. I can’t see inside.”

Yan Feifan immediately volunteered, “I’ll check it out.”

He hadn’t slacked on swimming practice lately.

Though, whether from fear or just lack of talent, he still only knew the dog paddle.

He’d gotten more fluent, but still...

Lu Ding stopped him. “What, you going down to die?”

No idea what’s underneath—what if something happens?

Lu Ding gathered Qi in his hand, just about to tear open the ground—

When a familiar scent drifted in on the morning breeze.

A voice followed: “Sister Hua, what are you guys doing?”

They turned.

Xia Tian stood just outside the courtyard, pants rolled up, carrying two fish baskets.

He’d been fishing, when the big snake sent a message—someone had come.

Afraid of being exposed, Xia Tian rushed back.

Only to walk into this exact scene.

Lu Ding slowly turned his head, dark smoke seeping from his body.

As he fully turned, a fierce phantom dragon head flickered faintly across his face, red light glowing in his eyes.

Thanks to the serpent pill, Xia Tian’s very existence was half-serpent.

And when a snake meets a Sin Dragon, it’s like a grandson meeting his grandpa.

Terror, dread, and bloodline suppression made Xia Tian’s whole body go limp.

He watched as Lu Ding opened his mouth, white mist spewing out.

“You’ve got nerve, but I wonder if your life’s that big too.”

At that moment, Lu Ding caught Ke Ruyu’s scent on Xia Tian.

A black blur zipped forward.

Lu Ding was already in front of Xia Tian, grabbing his throat and slamming him to the ground. The immense force dragged his body across the courtyard, gouging a deep trench into the earth.