The Phone Call of Fu Jinyu

“If there really are divine artifacts, do we have to turn them in as well?” Xu Mu asked.

“Most people aren’t willing to hand them over. After all, they’re divine artifacts. If you don’t say anything, there’s no way for us to know.”

Wei Jingzhi smiled. “These missions are meant to be cooperative. We provide you with information, and you go obtain the treasures.”

“So, we’re allowed not to hand them over, right?” Xu Mu asked bluntly. “This time, we did find a divine artifact.”

Since Xu Mu had already said it, Chen Xuan took the divine-artifact dagger out of the woven sack.

Wei Jingzhi looked at the white jade-colored dagger and sighed. “I never expected you to actually seize a divine artifact from those powerful experts. That’s incredible.”

“It was just luck. We found it first, hid it, and brought it out.”

Xu Mu asked again, “It won’t cause any trouble if we don’t hand it over?”

“Of course not. Let me explain the Sanitation Department’s rules. If you truly obtain a divine artifact, we’ll give you one year.”

Wei Jingzhi explained, “A divine artifact only displays its true power after recognizing its master. Otherwise, it’s no different from a high-grade weapon.”

“I understand. If this weapon recognizes me as its master, then it belongs to me, right?”

Chen Xuan looked at the dagger in his hand.

“That’s right. During that year, you can also look for your friends. If they successfully become its master, it will still belong to all of you. But if no one succeeds, you can hand it over to the Sanitation Department.”

“I agree.”

Chen Xuan gazed at the divine artifact in his hand. “If it never recognizes a master, someone else might snatch it away while I’m out gaining experience. I might as well give it to the Sanitation Department.”

After all, back in that battlefield of the gods, if Xu Mu hadn’t used his formation, Chen Xuan definitely wouldn’t have been able to bring the weapon out.

“You’re right. The Sanitation Department has had several incidents like that before. People took divine artifacts with them into the Inner Realm, only to have them stolen by other experts in the end.”

Wei Jingzhi nodded.

“What about the cultivation techniques we’re turning in? What rewards do we get?” Xu Mu pointed at the spatial rings.

“All the cultivation techniques here will be registered under your names in our records. From now on, you can study them whenever you wish.”

Wei Jingzhi paused before continuing, “Of course, your wives and descendants may study them as well. Not only that, you also have the right to refuse access to the techniques.”

“What does that mean?” Chen Xuan asked curiously.

“Although the techniques will be kept at the Sanitation Department, they’ll technically remain registered under your names. If we want to use one of these techniques as a reward for someone who has performed a great service and allow them to cultivate it, we’ll still need your consent. If you refuse, that person won’t be allowed to practice it.”

Wei Jingzhi picked up the goji-berry tea beside him and took a sip.

“That sounds pretty good.”

Xu Mu nodded inwardly.

“We have to offer good benefits. Otherwise, who would willingly turn things over to the state?”

Wei Jingzhi shook his head slightly. “Besides, this has always been voluntary. Other people wouldn’t be as honest as you two. You actually took the initiative to hand over divine artifacts and Heaven-grade cultivation techniques.”

Hearing this, Xu Mu smiled. “The Sanitation Department won’t hold them accountable?”

“No. What the Sanitation Department least wants to see is the foreign races of the Inner Realm growing stronger. Rather than letting them grow stronger, we would prefer to strengthen the descendants of Yan and Huang.”

Wei Jingzhi glanced at Xu Mu. “When the foreign races of the Inner Realm invade in the future, the descendants of Yan and Huang will most likely stand on our side.”

“You have a point.”

Xu Mu smiled. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have handed over the Heaven-grade cultivation technique.”

“You can take it back now. I’ll pretend I never knew.”

Wei Jingzhi grinned.

“I really do plan to take one thing back. Just not the Heaven-grade cultivation technique.”

Xu Mu picked up a ring and took out the Unbroken Heavenly Silk. “This is a good material. I plan to weave a few sets of clothes for my people.”

“All right.”

Wei Jingzhi agreed without hesitation. Xu Mu had already delivered more cultivation techniques than ninety percent of the people in the Sanitation Department combined.

Finally, Xu Mu and Chen Xuan followed Wei Jingzhi to a warehouse in the rear courtyard and emptied everything from the rings.

Apart from the cultivation techniques and several high-grade weapons, almost everything else consisted of spirit stones.

Xu Mu then put the spatial rings back into his storage space.

“Half of these spirit stones will also be credited to your account. If you want to withdraw them in the future, you can do so at any Sanitation Department office anywhere in the country.”

Wei Jingzhi smiled from the side.

“Understood. We’ll be going now.”

Xu Mu nodded and left together with Chen Xuan.

When they reached the courtyard, Ying Weiyang was still studying the red-flag Jin Kuihua state vehicle. She occasionally tapped on it with her hand and even pressed her face against the window to examine the vehicle’s interior structure.

“Let’s go.”

Xu Mu called out to Ying Weiyang.

“Oh.”

Ying Weiyang answered and immediately jogged over.

Once they reached the estate’s entrance, Chen Xuan took his little electric scooter out of his spatial ring.

“Brother Mu, I’m heading back first. I won’t be taking on any missions for the next few days. I want to study the divine artifact properly.”

“All right.”

Xu Mu nodded and took out his Cadillac Escalade as well, placing it on the ground.

Ying Weiyang stared at the items that kept appearing out of nowhere, her face full of curiosity.

“Get in.”

Xu Mu opened the rear door and ushered Ying Weiyang inside.

Then he sat in the driver’s seat and drove home.

Along the way, he took his phone out of his storage space and discovered that it had been vibrating nonstop. There were several notifications.

Fu Jinyu alone had called him four times.

Besides her, there were also missed calls from Nalan Shisan, Jiang Huihui, and Shi Fumeng.

As for Ye Tong, she knew he had gone out on a mission and hadn’t sent him any messages.

Through the car window, Ying Weiyang gazed at the towering buildings outside without ever closing her mouth.

“Xu Mu, is this the Outer Realm? The buildings here are so tall! What materials are they made of?”

Like a curious child, Ying Weiyang surveyed everything before her with her golden eyes, filled with a thirst for knowledge.

“Reinforced concrete,” Xu Mu explained.

“That sounds incredibly powerful. What grade of heavenly material is it?”

Ying Weiyang turned to look at Xu Mu.

“It doesn’t have a grade.”

By then, Xu Mu had already driven the car to his villa.

After getting out, he pulled Ying Weiyang from the vehicle and led her into the living room.

“Watch some television for a while. I need to make a few calls.”

Xu Mu turned on the television, then went to the refrigerator and took out several apples, placing them on the coffee table.

Ying Weiyang stared at the program on the screen, inwardly astonished. “What kind of formation is this?”

Seeing how fascinated Ying Weiyang was by everything new, Xu Mu couldn’t help laughing. To truly understand this world, she would probably need some time to adjust.

He took his phone and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window before calling Fu Jinyu.

The call was answered after a short while.

“Xu Mu, what have you been busy with lately? I called you several times, but you never answered.”

Fu Jinyu’s voice came through the phone.

Xu Mu smiled. “I recently went to the Inner Realm. Did something happen?”

“Speaking of my situation, it also concerns the Inner Realm. A few days ago, a member of the Sky Demon Clan came to our race. He said he was from the Inner Realm and wanted me to go back and acknowledge my ancestors.”

Fu Jinyu paused briefly before continuing, “His cultivation level is also at the first tier of the Boundary-Breaking Realm.”