Chapter 249: Provocation from a Kindergartner

Soon, Su Mu was led into an office. The moment he stepped inside, three distinct gazes locked onto him.

Calm, probing, and hostile.

Su Mu's expression remained unchanged as his gaze slowly swept over the three of them.

One was an old acquaintance: Mu Lingxi, the enforcement team captain from the Imperial Capital. She still wore her tight black leather outfit and high black tactical boots, a tactical belt strapped around her waist with bulging pouches.

She leaned against the desk, half-sitting on the edge, her black leather pants squeezing slightly out of shape under her weight.

The other two were men seated on the office sofa.

One was a middle-aged man with an ordinary, forgettable face. His brows were perpetually furrowed, as if something weighed heavily on his mind.

The other was a younger man with fiery red, spiked short hair. He wore a silver stud in his left ear, a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and studded combat boots. His gaze was highly aggressive, his entire being exuding a wild, unrestrained aura.

The hostile gaze came from him.

Su Mu could guess without thinking that this man was Murong Yun's former subordinate, Yan Wu. Naturally, the other was Wen Xuan.

"Mr. Su, we meet again," Mu Lingxi greeted coldly.

Su Mu smiled politely and nodded in acknowledgment.

Looking at Mu Lingxi, he felt a faint spark of curiosity.

Why wasn't she dead?

This question arose in Su Mu's mind. He hadn't paid it much thought before, but seeing her now made him genuinely curious.

When Sikong Zhen led the siege against the Seven Deadly Sins earlier, he had mobilized all the elites from every Law Enforcement Bureau in the cities around Star City. Logically, those elites should have included Mu Lingxi. To hold the position of a captain in the General Law Enforcement Bureau, her strength was naturally nothing to scoff at.

Yet Mu Lingxi hadn't participated in that siege. Otherwise, she would be dead by now.

How had she managed to dodge that disaster so precisely? Was it good luck? Was she simply not in Star City that day, or had she received the news in advance?

Rather than believing in elusive luck, Su Mu leaned toward the latter. If Mu Lingxi had avoided the disaster by learning of it beforehand, where did she get her information?

Only two parties knew the siege on the Seven Deadly Sins was a trap: the Seven Deadly Sins themselves, and... the Revolutionary Army!

Mu Lingxi was with the Revolutionary Army!

Interesting!

Working backward from that conclusion, some previously ignored details suddenly fell into place.

The Law Enforcement Bureau was a blade in the hands of the nobles, but Mu Lingxi's behavior was somewhat unconventional. During his interrogation, she hadn't given Murong Yun any special treatment despite his status as a noble. She treated commoners exactly the same, acting with complete impartiality and a clear distaste for torture.

Though she never showed a friendly face to her subordinates, she never exploited them either. Zhuang Qing was a perfect example.

Of course, one could argue that Mu Lingxi was simply kind-hearted by nature. But immersed in the dye vat of the nobles, managing to emerge from the mud without being stained while still securing a position as an enforcement captain was highly improbable on its own.

But if she had the Revolutionary Army backing her, everything made sense. Besides, her style closely matched the ideals the Revolutionary Army promoted.

When so many coincidences lined up, it was no longer a coincidence.

Mu Lingxi had no idea that during this simple, brief meeting, Su Mu had already figured out her entire background.

Just then, Yan Wu suddenly sneered from the sofa. "People from the Bronze Coffin sure are something else. Making the rest of us wait just for you."

At those words, Mu Lingxi frowned slightly, while Wen Xuan's expression didn't change at all, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Su Mu smiled faintly and said to Mu Lingxi, "Let's go, Captain Mu."

"Mhm, let's head out."

Mu Lingxi stood up, turned around, and walked out of the office. Su Mu followed her, as did Wen Xuan, who slowly rose from the sofa and left without a word.

Only Yan Wu was left behind, his expression contorted. He hadn't expected to just be ignored like that. The stifling humiliation made him exceptionally furious.

Sometimes, the best way to handle a provocation wasn't to strike back, but to ignore it entirely.

Striking back only lowered oneself, dragging one down to the opponent's level.

Yan Wu's expression darkened. Ultimately, he stood up indignantly and followed them out.

Afterward, the group boarded the Law Enforcement Bureau's private plane and flew straight to the Imperial Capital.

While boarding the plane, the enraged Yan Wu even went out of his way to step up beside Su Mu and mutter a low threat, "Kid, just you wait."

To this, Su Mu only felt amused. It felt exactly like an adult being threatened by a kindergarten bully.

...

...

Imperial Capital, General Law Enforcement Bureau.

This wasn't Su Mu's first time in the Imperial Capital, but it was his first time visiting the General Law Enforcement Bureau. This place didn't feel like a government department; it felt like a landmark!

It was a skyscraper reaching into the clouds, thrusting into the sky like a sharp sword. Its exterior was made of advanced alloy materials that gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight, exuding an aura of indestructibility.

The bureau's main gates were wide and heavy, crafted from Mithril Alloy and carved with mysterious runes that occasionally flashed with powerful energy fluctuations. Flanking the doors were two rows of fully armed soldiers equipped in Exoskeleton Armor forged from Mithril Alloy, their gazes ice-cold.

Behind the main building stretched vast sectors with clearly divided functions, covering an enormous amount of land. Rows upon rows of structures stood closely together, presenting a dazzling sight.

Led by Mu Lingxi, Su Mu and the others entered the General Law Enforcement Bureau. The first thing that greeted their eyes was a spacious, brightly lit hall. The floor was paved with smooth marble, and the walls were adorned with various display screens.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, radiating a soft, gentle light even in the daytime.

"We've arrived, so I'll take my leave now. The staff will guide you through the rest," Mu Lingxi said simply before turning and walking away.

Following that, the group was led by a staff member to an underground training ground, where hundreds of people stood densely packed together.

"This is Training Ground 27. Your tests will take place here. Please wait for a moment. Because there are simply too many nightmare apostles arriving from all over the country, we can only divide you into different training grounds for testing. We're currently a bit short on examiners; they'll come over as soon as they finish testing the nightmare apostles in the other areas."

"These are your number plates. Don't lose them."

The staff member wore an indifferent expression, giving a highly formulaic introduction. He handed out the square metal plates to the group and turned to leave.

Su Mu glanced at his plate: Number 283.

Yan Wu and Wen Xuan were Numbers 281 and 282.

Yan Wu reached out and stopped him. "What test? Nobody said anything about a test before we came here. Aren't we supposed to go straight into the Nightmare World?"