Chapter Eighty-Nine: Mu Ningxue

Inside a luxurious room within the Lu family's villa, Lu Bolong was conferring in low tones with the butler.
"Family head, today's results are quite promising. Shangguan Yufeng and his faction are currently holding a meeting in the City of Science!" the butler said with a smile.
"Hmph, sooner or later, that seat will be..." Lu Bolong had just reached this point when the door was pushed open, and Lu Shijie and Cheng Shiyu burst in hurriedly.
"Shijie? Shiyu?" Lu Bolong's expression tightened as he frowned and asked, "What on earth has happened for you two to rush in like this? And without even knocking?"
"Dad!"
"Uncle!"
The two spoke in unison. Then Cheng Shiyu closed her mouth, and Lu Shijie explained, "Dad, Uncle's mecha has been found!"
"The mecha has been found?" Lu Bolong and the butler were startled by the news. Ever since Mu Feng was eliminated some time ago, it was discovered that Cheng Tianyou's spacetime ring was not in his possession. Furthermore, that incident had severely wounded Shangguan Yufeng's eldest daughter, escalating the situation to a critical level, which ultimately forced them to halt the search since all leads had gone cold.
"Yes! I am certain that the reason for Uncle's disappearance is connected to him!" What concerned Lu Shijie and Cheng Shiyu, however, was Cheng Tianyou's actual fate—whether he was dead or alive.
"Who is it? Speak quickly!" Lu Bolong demanded urgently.
"Nangong Yuchen! A newly promoted elite student of Star Academy!" As Lu Shijie uttered those names, a thick, palpable murderous intent surfaced on his face.
"A student?" Lu Bolong was somewhat baffled by this. How could a student possibly be linked to this matter?
Just as he was puzzling over it, the butler suddenly leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Family head, why not let young master handle this matter first? Once we capture that brat, perhaps he really is connected to the spacetime ring, or maybe he even has it in his possession?"
A glint of realization flashed in Lu Bolong's eyes. He immediately instructed Lu Shijie and Cheng Shiyu, "You two go wait for me in the main hall. I'll be right there!"
Lu Shijie and Cheng Shiyu nodded and retreated from the room.
Once the two had walked far enough away, Lu Bolong resumed discussing the matter with the butler that had been interrupted earlier.
"Tomorrow, go notify Lord Marian Lenna Murphy to dispatch a hundred fierce beasts to wreak havoc in districts C and D. I want to force Shangguan Yufeng and his forces to gradually disperse outward!"
"Understood, family head!" the butler acknowledged with a nod.
"Very well, you may withdraw!" After saying this, Lu Bolong seemed to recall something else and added, "Send the Lu brothers to see me."
The butler accepted the order and stepped out.
A few minutes later, a knock came from the door.

"Enter!" Lu Bolong commanded.
"Squeak!" The door was pushed open, and two middle-aged men with remarkably similar features walked in side by side.
"Family head!"
"Mm!" Lu Bolong nodded and said, "Have a seat."
"Family head, are you calling us here today because there is a new mission?" asked Lu Yun, the elder of the two, taking the initiative.
"Indeed. Last time I sent you to assassinate Mu Feng, do you remember the task assigned to you?" Lu Bolong stood up from the sofa.
"Your subordinate naturally remembers. It's just that Cheng Family Head's spacetime ring was not on Mu Feng's person!" Lu Yun replied.
"Just now, Shijie mentioned that he has found Tianyou's mecha. So tonight, I want the two of you to accompany Shijie on this mission. Of course, the most important objective remains Tianyou's spacetime ring!" As Lu Bolong said this, he showed almost no concern for Cheng Tianyou's actual well-being, focusing entirely on the wall-breaking quantum stored within the spacetime ring.
If it had been a week ago, he might have needed the wall-breaking quantum inside it for use; but now, he simply wanted to retrieve it to ensure that the truth behind the events would not be exposed. After all, anyone with even a slight understanding of wall-breaking quantum would know that such an item was used to breach energy crystal barriers.
"Your subordinates understand!"
After giving a few more instructions, Lu Bolong dismissed the two, telling them to hurry to the main hall and act alongside Lu Shijie. However, Lu Shijie felt somewhat perplexed as to why his father had assigned additional men to him, as he believed that dealing with Nangong Yuchen required no such lineup—he alone was more than enough!
...
That night, before the gates of another luxurious villa, Mu Ningxue led an elderly man, hurriedly boarded a vehicle, and sped toward District D.
An hour later, the car came to a halt in a residential neighborhood.
"Grandpa Mu, hurry, let's go notify Chen right away!" Mu Ningxue's face was etched with anxiety. Two hours earlier, she had tried calling Nangong Yuchen's phone, but unfortunately, the prompt indicated it was powered off. In her distress, she had no choice but to bring the only person she could completely trust—Grandpa Mu—here!
There was no help for it; vast though the Mu family was, it had already been thoroughly infiltrated by Lu Shijie. After all, with the deterrence of her mother, a second-tier mecha warrior, gone, how could the Mu family possibly stand against the Lu family?
As for this Grandpa Mu, he was already over sixty years old. He had served by her mother's side since her mother was a little girl. Now that Mu Xiyan had sacrificed her life, he had become Mu Ningxue's sole guardian!
"Oh dear, little Ningxue, slow down. Grandpa Mu's old bones can't handle being pulled around like this!" The old man addressed as Grandpa Mu had a head of white hair. Though advanced in age, he looked remarkably vigorous and lacked the typical hunch of someone his years.
"Grandpa Mu, your health is fine! Hurry, if we're any later, Chen will be in danger!" The usually reticent Mu Ningxue acted like an anxious young girl before him.
The two stepped out of the car. Grandpa Mu stroked his beard and chuckled, "Sigh, alright, alright. They really do grow up and turn away from home, talking about that Nangong Yuchen in my ear all day long. Today I must see what kind of person he is to make my little Ningxue so thoroughly infatuated that she doesn't even deign to look at Lu Shijie!" The old man shook his head, feigning a look of sorrow.
"Grandpa Mu, stop teasing, let's hurry!" Mu Ningxue tugged at Grandpa Mu, rushing swiftly toward the direction of the abandoned buildings of the past.

Truth be told, the mere mention of the name Lu Shijie brought a wave of grief to her heart. To protect the Mu family, her father had ultimately discarded and abandoned her; and even more ridiculously, the Mu family was still gradually falling under the control of the Lu family!
*Sigh!* Thinking of this, she let out an internal sigh. She thought to herself how wonderful it would be if her mother were still alive—then she and Nangong Yuchen would certainly still be dating, and Kexin wouldn't hate her either. It would be just like half a year ago, when the three of them went to school together every day, ate together, left school together, and went to the countryside to play on weekends!
Those times were the most beautiful memories of her entire life.
If anything was missing, it would be if her mother could have just spent a little more time accompanying her—that would have been even more perfect!
Ten minutes later, the two stopped beneath the housing complex.
"Little Ningxue, are you certain this is the place?" Evidently, Grandpa Mu was somewhat displeased by the crude and shabby surroundings. This dissatisfaction stemmed from the perspective of a grandfather evaluating the man his granddaughter fancied.
"Mm, I had someone investigate it some time ago, Chen lives right here." Mu Ningxue nodded affirmatively and pulled Grandpa Mu inside.
"Clatter, clatter!"
"I haven't walked up stairs in years. Little Ningxue, what floor is it on anyway?"
"The sixth floor!" Mu Ningxue felt a tinge of embarrassment. Not only was it pitch black here, but the handrails weren't even secure; it was indeed far too rundown.
Soon, the two climbed to the sixth floor and stopped in front of a door.
"Grandpa Mu, can I go in alone for a moment? Could you wait for me here?" Mu Ningxue suddenly turned around and said.
"No way, I must see that kid today!" Grandpa Mu was dead set on seeing what the Nangong Yuchen he had been hearing about all day actually looked like.
"Grandpa Mu, next time I'll have Nangong Yuchen come to our house, and you can look at him all you want, okay?" Mu Ningxue's voice carried a hint of pleading. She was afraid that once inside, if Kexin suddenly lashed out at her, Grandpa Mu's presence might trigger a direct conflict, which was why she spoke this way.
"Fine, forget it, I won't see him then. Sooner or later, this brat will come begging to me!" Grandpa Mu wore a stern expression as he walked over to the stairwell entrance.
"Grandpa Mu is the best!" The smile on Mu Ningxue's face froze the moment she turned back around, then vanished completely!
"Will there really be a next time?"