Chapter 374: When the Capital Trembles

“Dong! Dong! Dong!”

Rapid knocking echoed at the door.

Inside the training room on the third basement level of the Military Region, Lu Tianming—bare-chested—hesitantly retracted his right fist in confusion.

Across the twenty-meter-wide alloy wall before him, clear fist marks were imprinted all over.

On the floor, the high-speed impact had turned the alloy surface into a honeycomb of dents.

“Come in!”

With an impatient, airy huff, Lu Tianming glared at the subordinate who had rushed over.

“Didn’t I say? When I’m training, disturbing me is forbidden!”

He shuddered all over.

As spirit energy surged, Lu Tianming instantly evaporated the sweat on his torso into a fine mist, drawing back a dense sea of spirit energy into his body.

The subordinate who dashed in with his report was instantly taken aback by Lu Tianming’s overwhelming presence.

The sheer pressure was so intense that even catching a glimpse left him struggling to breathe. With strength likely just short of Peak Third-Stage, it was truly formidable.

Gazing at the deep, metallic fist marks on the wall, it was clear they were made purely by brute strength.

Committee Member Lu’s power was probably even greater than the rumors outside suggested… He rarely showed his true self; perhaps he was simply holding back.

“Committee Member Lu!”

“Yenir—Yenir suddenly left the Capital!”

“Ten minutes ago, they received word from the Second Air Force Base. They saw Yenir leaving the Capital with a group. His direction is unknown, but it appears to be heading northwest!”

He grimaced as he swallowed hard.

Knowing Lu Tianming disliked interruption, the subordinate risked incurring his anger solely because of Yenir.

Committee Member Lu had instructed them to report immediately at the first sign of any movement from that kid.

“Hmm!?”

With a slight raise of his brow and eyes clouded in a subtle blue mist, Lu Tianming’s gaze grew steely upon hearing Yenir’s news.

“That kid ran off!?”

“Northwest… What could he possibly be doing there!?”

His brow furrowed deeply.

Upon hearing that Yenir had left, Lu Tianming instinctively began to wonder what Yenir intended to do.

There was no helping it; that little bastard had nearly ruined him!

At the mere sound of the name, he was practically itching to kill him. Who knew what the kid intended to do by suddenly leaving the Capital!

But whatever it was, Lu Tianming had never anticipated Yenir leaving the Capital at such a moment.

“Did that kid say anything before he left?”

“To be able to leave the Capital before the awards ceremony begins means he’s headed somewhere important…”

He murmured under his breath.

Although he normally paid little mind to Yenir and dismissed the deadly duel in three months as trivial, the sudden departure stirred an inexplicable unease in Lu Tianming. The awards ceremony was imminent; after committing such a grave offense, the military would still parade Yenir as a hero.

Skipping such an honorary event clearly meant he had other plans!

Lu Tianming wasn’t worried about Yenir improving his own strength or acquiring equipment that might challenge him.

What he feared was the kid targeting his own subordinates.

“Committee Member Lu, the kid didn’t say a word—he didn’t even bring along more than a few people.”

“I suspect he left in a hurry because he now regrets engaging in a duel with you. Staying in the Capital would have meant three long months, and eventually, realizing he could never match you, he’d be too afraid of ridicule.”

“Once you get on the duel platform, who can predict the outcome? That kid is terribly death-shy…”

“So he decided to just run off, huh?”

The subordinate, bowing slightly with flattery, couldn’t help but voice his theory.

Indeed, his words dripped with sycophancy, yet his thoughts were honest.

Beyond Third-Stage, each level was worlds apart. It isn’t like the kid could fight from Beginner to Mid-level, or Mid-level against Advanced… Crossing such tiers was almost miraculous at the Beginner level. Beyond that, it was simply impossible.

It’s like the jump from 10 to 100 is a difference of 90, but from 100 to 1000 it’s a gap of 900!

Listening to his subordinate’s conjecture, Lu Tianming’s eyes gleamed as he quickly came to agree with the notion.

Yes, after all his boasting, Yenir would surely have an out. Once he was out, he could easily claim an injury on the duel day and avoid participation altogether.

This way, Lu Tianming could both humiliate him and save face.

Not only that, but if a mere Third-Stage Beginner like Yenir dared to provoke him, even if he later refused to face death in combat, outsiders wouldn’t dare look down on the kid. They’d think he could take on anyone!

Ha! Using Lu Tianming as a stepping stone to boost his own reputation—no wonder he ran off!

Taking a deep breath, Lu Tianming’s eyes flashed with a cold intensity as he processed this.

He couldn’t allow that little bastard to have his way.

Noticing the unbridled anger in Lu Tianming’s eyes, the hunched subordinate whispered:

“Committee Member Lu, should we investigate where that kid has gone?”

“We…”

The subordinate mimicked a slashing motion around his neck, his face hardened with murderous intent.

Among the officials killed by Yenir were some of his own partners! Under the official scrutiny, he’d already been forced to spit out most of what he had swallowed!

His face darkening, Lu Tianming felt a stirring in his heart; he admittedly had the impulse to finish off Yenir while he was away.

But…

“Just look into it.”

“With Liang Lie guarding him, it’s hard to kill that kid. If an opportunity arises, it might be doable—but”

“The chances are slim…”

With a cold snort, Lu Tianming’s thoughts turned bitter at the mention of Yenir’s affiliation with the Protector. If not for that Guardian’s presence, he had a thousand ways to wipe Yenir off the map! And to think, Yenir even had the gall to stir up trouble in the East Sea!

That little bastard—a Third-Stage Beginner acting so arrogantly—was only bold because Liang Lie backed him up!

Suppressing the murderous intent burning inside him, Lu Tianming suddenly shifted his tone as if he’d just thought of something:

“Never mind what that kid is off doing.”

“If he dares challenge me in a duel, if he dares offend me—within these three months, I’ll make sure he suffers!”

“Now, go and request spirit energy ore from the Special Operations Group under the guise of procuring supplies for Army re-equipment! Didn’t Yenir bring back a huge cache of ore? It’ll perfectly cover our shortfall!”

As he spoke, a greedy glint flashed in Lu Tianming’s eyes.

He’d heard that Yenir’s batch of spirit energy ore was not only of exceptional quality but also astoundingly numerous! How could he possibly pass up such a fat piece of meat!

Rumor had it that the kid even planned to give some commission to a small merchant to handle the deal.

Ha! What could a small merchant possibly do against him?

Hearing Lu Tianming’s orders, the subordinate—fully aware of the ore’s significance—broke into a wild grin.

“Committee Member Lu, is this your decision to meddle?”

But…

“Sir, the kid is keeping a tight grip on that batch of ore… The Special Operations Department might not supply us with enough…”

“We might not get anything at all…”

“Ha!”

He scoffed derisively.

Listening to his subordinate’s concerns, Lu Tianming folded his arms and let out a cold laugh, his expression haughty.

“Not getting it? Then just seize it!”

“What are you talking about!”

“What difference does it make if Yenir brought it back? If it’s his, then it’s the government’s! Without Military cooperation and our intel, how could he possibly haul it in!?”

“Simply request it in the name of the Army! I don’t believe Yenir would dare refuse, knowing it might delay Army re-equipment!”

“At worst, we give him some face—just take a few kilos!”