Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 51: Cataclysmic Artifact: Nightmare Crystal Bottle

Chapter 51: Cataclysmic Artifact: Nightmare Crystal Bottle

The night descended like a giant velvet curtain, cloaking the noisy world. The tranquil, mysterious blue moonlight and sparse starlight intertwined, covering the entire land.

Outside the study in the city villa, in the dim corridor, Yan Chen and Qin Heng stood side by side. The light slanted from behind them, casting their long, overlapping shadows, cutting the silent space with golden edges.

"I didn't expect the Director to have such deep insights into civil affairs. The issues you pointed out are indeed things we hadn't considered in the Civil Affairs Bureau," Qin Heng said.

"In the future, I will definitely consult with you more often. Please bear with me," he added.

Hearing this, Yan Chen chuckled twice. With his low, hoarse voice, he replied, "You're too kind, Director Qin."

"Back in the day, I was very close with Old Master Qin. Before he passed, he asked me to look after the Qin family. So if you have any issues, feel free to come to me."

They had already reached an agreement in the study earlier, so now they were just exchanging pleasantries, making the atmosphere very harmonious.

At this moment, a figure hurriedly approached from the end of the corridor. The two stopped talking and looked at the person. It was Qin Heng's assistant, a young member of the Qin family whom he had nurtured carefully.

Yan Chen nodded slightly and replied with a grunt.

The assistant then quickly approached Qin Heng, covering his mouth as he whispered something to him. Seeing this, Qin Heng brushed his hand away and frowned, saying sternly, "The Director is here. Why are you being so secretive? Just report directly."

After saying this, he paused and added with a serious face, "Whatever it is, just say it."

Qin Heng, who was naturally frail, coughed twice after speaking sternly, covering his mouth.

Despite Qin Heng's words, the assistant looked troubled. He glanced at Yan Chen and then at Qin Heng. Qin Heng understood his difficulty but also knew that his family had now fully sided with Yan Chen. Thus, he had to show his stance.

He gave the assistant a stern look. Seeing this, the assistant finally reported reluctantly, "Sir, the main residence seems to have been set on fire intentionally."

"The fire has spread, and the entire family is in chaos. Deputy Director Qin Zhengguang is organizing emergency firefighting and conducting checks."

"Since the fire started in a sparsely populated area, although the fire is large, only two people were slightly injured, with no casualties. However, Fourth Master Qin and his wife, along with his children, have all disappeared."

Hearing the assistant's report, Qin Heng's face changed dramatically. He couldn't help but look at Yan Chen.

Half of Yan Chen's body was hidden in the darkness, with no expression on his face, as if he hadn't heard the report.

Suppressing his anxiety, Qin Heng nodded slightly to Yan Chen, then said calmly, "Director, something happened at my home. Please allow me to leave first."

Yan Chen smiled lightly and said, "You're too kind, Director Qin. If there's anything you can't handle, feel free to contact me."

Then he called out, "Ji Chen."

A butler stepped out from the shadows and stood before Yan Chen, head bowed and hands at his sides.

Yan Chen instructed, "Go with Director Qin to have a look."

The butler bowed to Qin Heng, saying, "Director Qin, please."

Qin Heng did not refuse Yan Chen's kindness. He nodded to Yan Chen first, then gestured to Ji Chen, and strode out quickly. As he walked away, the deep corridor echoed with his assistant's whispered explanations.

At the study's door, Yan Chen stood with his hands behind his back, watching Qin Heng's figure disappear into the distance before turning back to the study.

Back in the dimly lit study, Yan Chen walked leisurely to the desk and picked up the telephone on the desk. He dialed a few numbers, and when a voice came through the receiver, he instructed, "Check what's going on with the Qin family."

A deep voice responded from the other end, "Yes, Director."

Meanwhile, at Old Lane Street, in Qiu Tu's house, through his clairvoyant vision, Qiu Tu watched Fourth Master Qin and Qin Shuman, escorted by several bodyguards, leave the Qin residence hurriedly. The raging flames behind them roared like a wild dragon, unable to stop their steps.

Watching Fourth Master Qin and Qin Shuman get into a car heading to the Milan Hotel, Qiu Tu ended his clairvoyant vision. The gray mist slowly faded, the lines of the material world filling in again, becoming solid walls and cold buildings.

As the bluish clairvoyant light in his pupils faded, Qiu Tu felt a wave of dizziness. Supporting himself on the window frame, he realized belatedly that he might have overextended his mental strength.

Clairvoyance, like cataclysmic abilities, couldn't be used limitlessly. Each use required a significant amount of mental energy.

According to the information etched in the world's foundation, this was because all supernatural powers in this world needed cataclysmic energy to drive them, and such energy only existed in the [Boundless Mind Sea].

To use this power in the material world, beings had to communicate with the [Boundless Mind Sea] and manifest cataclysmic energy into the material world, which consumed a large amount of mental strength.

For someone like Qiu Tu, who had just awakened his cataclysmic ability and used clairvoyance for an hour straight, this was extremely taxing.

Unless he had a potion or a cataclysmic artifact to restore his mental energy, he would need to rest for over ten hours to recover.

'A potion or artifact to restore mental energy?'

With this thought, Qiu Tu looked at the two small treasure chests still shaking in the upper left corner of his vision.

'I do have them.'

One Crisis Chest was obtained this morning when Qiu Tu testified against Fourth Master Qin in Yan Chen's office, corresponding to the crisis of [Collecting Evidence of the Qin Family's Crimes]. The other chest appeared automatically when the countdown ended at 6 PM today, corresponding to the crisis of [Making Awakening Potion].

Qiu Tu had already examined the contents of these two chests. The Crisis Chest from [Collecting Evidence of the Qin Family's Crimes] contained another piece of cataclysmic material.

"Memory Clay: A rare cataclysmic material birthed from the Night Demon Swamp, capable of recording and reproducing the memories of living beings."

"With a certain level of forging skill, it can be crafted into cataclysmic artifacts such as 'Memory Sculptures,' 'Echoing Clay Pots,' 'Letters from the Stars,' and 'Eyes that Foresee the Future.'"

It was a valuable piece of cataclysmic material, but Qiu Tu had no immediate use for it.

As for the Crisis Chest from [Making Awakening Potion], it was different because it directly produced a cataclysmic artifact.

"Artifact Name: Nightmare Crystal Bottle"

"Artifact Description: A unique container made primarily of Breath Crystal, containing maddening energy."

"Artifact Effect: Simply leave the bottle under the moonlight overnight, and it will fill with mental nourishment refined from cataclysmic energy and dream essence. Drinking it can immediately replenish depleted mental energy."

"Side Effects: Unknown."

"Note: When wandering in the Boundless Mind Sea or confronting those terrifying entities that seek to devour your mind, the Nightmare Crystal Bottle is an indispensable treasure for maintaining mental vitality and resisting mental collapse."

Because he had obtained this artifact to restore his mental energy, Qiu Tu dared to use his clairvoyance so aggressively.

With this in mind, Qiu Tu clicked on the treasure chest. Moments later, a colorful crystal bottle appeared in his hand. The bottle was small, only the size of a thumb, resembling a type of oral liquid Qiu Tu had drunk in his previous life.

He lightly shook the bottle, watching the seven-colored waves ripple inside. Qiu Tu tilted his head back and drank the mental nourishment. The seven-colored liquid flowed down his throat, illuminating every corner of his bones and internal organs, making them clearly visible.

After a moment, the light faded, and Qiu Tu felt a refreshing coolness reach his brain. His previously aching and tired thoughts became exceptionally clear.

Qiu Tu shook his head and then opened his mouth, spitting out a seven-colored bubble. He tried to stop the bubbles from coming out, but then he felt the air moving downwards.

Startled, Qiu Tu quickly let go, allowing the seven-colored bubbles to escape periodically. After a while, the side effect of the cataclysmic artifact gradually disappeared.

Feeling his mental energy restored, Qiu Tu picked up the Nightmare Crystal Bottle and shook it. It was already empty. It seemed he would have to wait until it was placed under the moonlight again to use it.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu put his first cataclysmic artifact in his pocket for safekeeping. He then got up and went to the next room, calling for Miss Xin to help look after the still-sleeping Shen Lingshuang before heading downstairs.

A play's most crucial part is not the climax but the ending.

In the first act, he had let Fourth Master Qin play his role. In the second act, he would personally bring down the curtain. After all, letting Fourth Master Qin escape the Qin family was only the first step.

Negotiating with the military, dealing with Yan Chen and the Qin family's subsequent reactions, and maximizing the benefits of this incident were the key parts of the entire play.

With these thoughts, Qiu Tu went downstairs, got into the black sedan Qin Zhengguang had given him, and headed to the Milan Hotel.

Perhaps the Nightmare Crystal Bottle had other special effects, as the bumpy roads in the planning areas did not bother Qiu Tu at all. He felt incredibly calm, and his thoughts flowed smoothly.

"Ring, ring, ring," his communicator suddenly rang halfway there.

Pulling his thoughts back, Qiu Tu picked up the communicator and saw that Jia Shu was calling.

Seeing the name displayed, Qiu Tu frowned slightly. He thought for a moment, then calmly answered the call.

"Good evening, Officer."

Jia Shu's fake laughter came through the phone, "What are you up to?"

Qiu Tu glanced at the rearview mirror and lied without changing his expression, "A friend invited me out for a drink. I'm on my way."

"Oh, really?" Jia Shu smirked on the other end, looking out the window. "Then, Agent Qiu, come to the office for some overtime. There's an urgent case."

Hearing Jia Shu's words, Qiu Tu slowly stopped the car. He pondered for two seconds before suddenly laughing, "Sure."

Jia Shu said, "I remember Director Qin gave you a car at noon today? It takes about fifteen minutes from your place to the office."

"See you in eighteen minutes?"

Qiu Tu did not refuse, "Yes, Officer."

After hanging up, Qiu Tu took a deep breath and looked at the dark, empty street outside the window, a mysterious expression appearing on his face.

'Interesting, very interesting. Never underestimate your enemies.'

'They responded immediately after I made my move?'

'But do they really suspect me, or are they just trying to lock down a suspect?'

He thought for two seconds without finding an answer, then smiled confidently.

Too bad, they wouldn't be able to lock him down.

He was determined to play out this scene.

Author's Note