Chapter 129: The Opportunity Brought by He Dongsheng

He Dongsheng’s sudden appearance completely caught Lu Yan off guard.

Ever since Lu Yan had tricked He Dongsheng away and reversed the situation by killing the high-ranking psychic back in the Union States, he had tried several times to track down He Dongsheng afterward.

But there were hundreds of scattered underground shelters throughout the Lower City District, and with the chaos of the time, even a local tyrant like Shark struggled to locate someone who was deliberately hiding.

Even after the conquest of the Paradise Computing Center and the liberation of City No. 14, when most people emerged from the underground, there was still no sign of He Dongsheng.

The only clue came from some of the underdwellers who had mentioned a person peddling counterfeit chips—but there was no way to confirm if that person was He Dongsheng.

In Lu Yan’s mind, He Dongsheng was likely still hiding deep in some hidden cave.

But never did he expect that after vanishing from City No. 14, their next meeting would take place all the way back in the Eastern Federation—and that He Dongsheng now seemed to have ties with the Archaeology Association.

In the context of the Xianxia Version, this was the equivalent of a down-and-out rogue Qi Refining cultivator suddenly being accepted into the Taiyi Sect—one of the Ten Great Orthodox Daoist Sects. A leap straight to the heavens.

While Lu Yan was still reeling from the surprise, He Dongsheng didn’t think so much of it. Instead, he strode right up and grabbed Lu Yan’s hand with excitement written all over his face.

“Back in the Union States, when we ran into the Investigation Bureau, if it weren’t for you staying behind to cover my escape, I probably wouldn’t have made it out alive.

Once things calmed down a bit, I even returned to the scene to look for you. But not only did I not find any information, I ended up on the police wanted list—people were searching for me everywhere.

Luckily, I reacted fast enough to flee Phoenix City and eventually made it back to our home country.”

He let out a long breath as he spoke, his face still carrying traces of lingering fear. Clearly, the entire incident had left a deep impression on him.

Lu Yan’s expression shifted slightly.

Judging from He Dongsheng’s words, it seemed he had left City No. 14 before the joint forces captured the Paradise Computing Center and liberated the city.

But that raised another question—in Lu Yan’s understanding, the Cyber Version should correspond to the Western region of the world. How had He Dongsheng made it back to the Eastern Federation before the global version shift?

“Could there be something special about him?”

The thought briefly crossed Lu Yan’s mind. But given how chaotic the world’s version transitions had been, there were simply too many inexplicable anomalies. He didn’t have time to dwell on every detail.

Smiling warmly, Lu Yan reached out and patted He Dongsheng on the shoulder.

“After that incident, I asked someone to help me look for you, but there was never any news.

Knowing now that you’re safe really puts my mind at ease.”

He Dongsheng blinked in surprise. “You sent people to look for me?”

Then, as if something clicked, he suddenly wore a helpless, wry expression.

“So those people searching for me weren’t Investigation Bureau agents, but your people?

No wonder I was so spooked—I ran the moment I heard the slightest movement. That’s probably why I missed the chance to meet up with you.”

This strange twist of events made even Lu Yan shake his head in amusement.

The two fell into conversation, completely forgetting about Chu Zhuoqun and Mu Chunqiu standing nearby.

Yet Chu Zhuoqun showed no sign of annoyance. On the contrary, after hearing how Lu Yan and He Dongsheng had shared life-and-death experiences, his eyes narrowed with joy, a gleeful expression spreading across his plump face.

After catching up for a while, He Dongsheng finally remembered his master still standing awkwardly to the side and quickly introduced him to Lu Yan:

“Brother Lu, let me introduce you. This is my teacher—Master Mu Chunqiu, an archaeology grandmaster of the Federal Archaeology Association.

When I fled back from the Union States, I had nothing. I happened to run into Master while he was excavating in the wild and offered to help him for a few days just to get by.

Turns out he found me clever enough and decided to take me as a disciple, planning to teach me the arts of tomb-ro—I mean, archaeology.”

Mu Chunqiu appeared to be in his forties. His old, faded green robe was completely out of place among the café’s modern, luxurious surroundings. But Lu Yan keenly sensed a unique aura about him.

Not a supernatural aura—but more like the kind of commanding presence that came from someone who’d held authority for a long time. The kind of silent pressure that made one instinctively straighten up.

Combining that with his status as an archaeology grandmaster, Lu Yan came to a clear conclusion:

This man was a true heavyweight.

Lu Yan composed himself and respectfully rose to his feet, cupping his hands.

“Greetings, Master Mu.”

Mu Chunqiu looked surprised by Lu Yan’s respectful tone.

After all, someone who could casually invest three million to gain a spot in the Archaeology Association clearly came from great wealth and background.

By contrast, Mu Chunqiu—despite his “grandmaster” title—meant very little in front of the truly rich.

This was still the Urban Version, after all—a world ruled by money.

Lu Yan’s respectful attitude visibly softened Mu Chunqiu’s demeanor.

“I’ve heard Dongsheng mention you. He said you helped him more than once and even saved his life. There’s no need to stand on ceremony with me.”

At this point, Chu Zhuoqun saw an opportunity and hurried to chime in with a flattering smile.

“Since Master Mu and Mr. Lu are clearly fated to meet, then about Mr. Lu joining the Association…”

Mu Chunqiu turned to him with a cold sneer.

“Whether or not I have a connection with Lu Yan is my business. But your shady deals—openly selling artifact quotas and naming prices for Association membership—we still need to settle that account!”

Confronted with Mu Chunqiu’s reprimand, Chu Zhuoqun didn’t show the slightest displeasure. He just grinned.

“Master Mu, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m just following the rules passed down from the older generations.

Your main branch doesn’t produce anything—yet you travel all over the place excavating tombs, negotiating with local forces, relocating entire villages… None of that comes cheap.

If we didn’t work hard to scrape together funding, how would your so-called main branch manage to pursue its pure academic goals in peace?”

Mu Chunqiu opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refute the logic. All he could do was let out a furious snort and storm off.

“Outrageous!”

With that, Mu Chunqiu strode out of the café in indignation.

Seeing this, Lu Yan felt a wave of unease. But He Dongsheng quickly leaned over with a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Brother Lu. Master didn’t reject your membership—that means he’s already given tacit approval.

He just can’t stand the dirty side of things, so he left of his own accord.”

Only then did Lu Yan breathe a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate.

If not for He Dongsheng’s connection, even with Chu Zhuoqun’s help, Lu Yan might’ve gotten into the Archaeology Association—but at the cost of offending Mu Chunqiu.

While the Urban Version’s Mu Chunqiu might not pose a threat, given his demeanor and presence, he was undoubtedly a Golden Core-level powerhouse in the Xianxia Version.

If someone like that in the Taiyi Sect held a grudge against him, Lu Yan’s life in the sect would be far from easy.

(End of Chapter)