Cataclysm Potion Brewed

Hearing Fourth Master Qin's words, Qiu Tu knew he had swayed him and that the man was now preparing to test him. With that in mind, he moved into the final step of his plan. "Yes, I can save you." He spoke at an unhurried pace. "Fourth Master, your original plan was to use the Political Department's Internal Supervision authority to drag Qin Zhengguang down. "Yet you clearly forgot the most important factor: Qin Zhengguang is also part of the Investigation Bureau. "At such a sensitive juncture, how could Director Yan ever allow a chief within the Investigation Bureau to get dragged into a scandal? "Wouldn't that just hand the Municipal Council and the Military Department ammunition to attack him? "So even if I hadn't betrayed you, even if I had served as your pawn against Qin Zhengguang, you never could have succeeded! Director Yan would simply have suppressed everything. "I'm sure you heard this exact breakdown from your two brothers tonight... "Which is why my betrayal was truly forced upon me." Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Fourth Master Qin fell silent. Indeed, it was just as Qiu Tu had said. When he had refused to take the fall for the family and angrily demanded why Qin Zhengguang couldn't step up and shoulder the blame himself, Qin Heng had schooled him on the spot. Qin Heng had made him realize that Yan Chen and Qin Zhengguang were in the same boat, and Yan Chen would never permit Qin Zhengguang to take the fall at this critical moment. The Investigation Bureau could not be seen making a mistake! Sensing Fourth Master Qin's silence, a slight smile touched the corners of Qiu Tu's lips, and he said softly, "So, Fourth Master, would you like to switch factions?" In that instant, Fourth Master Qin stiffened. His voice came through the receiver, thick with disbelief. "Aren't you Yan Chen's confidant? You?" Qiu Tu chuckled, lying through his teeth without missing a beat. "I am indeed Director Yan's confidant. But I am certainly no confidant of Qin Zhengguang's. "You have no idea—after I went after the Qin family this time, Qin Zhengguang actually expressed profound gratitude toward me. He even gave me a car and plenty of gifts on his own initiative. "To be honest, I'm terrified." Qiu Tu sighed with deep feeling. "Fourth Master, to tell you the truth, if he had cursed me out or threatened me, I wouldn't be worried at all. After all, that would only prove Section Chief Qin is an impulsive brute without brains. "Instead, he played nice with me and even gave me gifts. That makes me worry he's harboring malice and preparing to settle scores with me down the road. "On top of that, the Qin family is about to align with the Director and be accepted as his inner circle. Tell me, in the Director's eyes, who matters more: me, or the entire Qin family? "So I don't want the Qin family to throw their weight behind the Director. Or rather, even if they do, there must be someone on the inside whom I can control. "Someone like... you." Qiu Tu's slight and veiled threat did not anger Fourth Master Qin. On the contrary, it brought him considerable peace of mind. Qiu Tu continued, "Fourth Master, I hold leverage over you. I have proof that you betrayed the Qin family. When you take the reins of the family in the future, you won't dare move against me. "And even if you can't stomach this grievance and truly try to strike at me, the worst outcome is that we go down together. "We have a solid foundation for cooperation..." Listening to Qiu Tu, Fourth Master Qin's expression shifted constantly on the other end of the line. After a long silence, he asked, "Which other faction?" The smile on Qiu Tu's face deepened. He let out two words flatly: "The Military Department." Fourth Master Qin's pupils constricted slightly, shock surging through him. The Military Department was the most low-profile of the three great powers. Even General Ye kept an intimidatingly low profile in Xinjie City. Yet... no one could ever disregard the presence of that department and that monumental figure. After all, two years ago, when he was still Colonel Ye, he had led a division into Xinjie City under the pretext of passing through. Then, after thoroughly investigating the distribution of power across the entire city, he had carried out a bloodbath, wiping out all underground factions and dozens of families great and small. Back then, blood had run like rivers across Xinjie City, and anyone opposing the sanctuary's rule had been eliminated without mercy. Afterward, Colonel Ye was promoted to Major General Ye. Retaining a core regiment from his original forces, he had recruited and expanded back into a full division in Xinjie City, remaining garrisoned there. Therefore, even though City Hall was the supreme governing authority and the Investigation Bureau was the armed agency most intimately involved with ordinary citizens, no one dared overlook General Ye and the Military Department... *If I can truly latch onto the Military Department's coattails, then...* At that thought, a shudder ran down Fourth Master Qin's spine. He suddenly realized he had nearly been blinded by the grand pie Qiu Tu was drawing. Snapping back to his senses, he couldn't help but question, "The Military Department? Why on earth would the Military Department protect me? "Besides, the Military Department has no authority to interfere in urban civil administration. How could they possibly protect me? "You aren't trying to tell me they'd openly butt heads with the Investigation Bureau just for an abandoned pawn like me, are you?" Hearing Fourth Master Qin's skepticism, Qiu Tu smiled faintly and murmured, "Fourth Master, do you know... the Military Department's Security Bureau?" Fourth Master Qin's body jolted, revelation and delight breaking across his face. Over the next ten-odd minutes, Qiu Tu painted a vivid picture of the advantages of defecting to the Security Bureau. For example, the Security Bureau would escort Fourth Master Qin to a military safehouse and wipe away all traces, ensuring the Investigation Bureau could never track him down. That was far more dependable than the Qin family's promise to see him placed comfortably in prison. For another example, acting on Fourth Master Qin's whistleblowing, the Security Bureau would apprehend Qin Zhengguang, clearing the path of succession for Fourth Master Qin and Third Master Qin. Furthermore, citing Fourth Master Qin's surrender and cooperation as an informant, the Security Bureau would grant him special amnesty, sparing him punishment and restoring his complete freedom once the matter settled... Listening to the prospects Qiu Tu laid out, Fourth Master Qin was visibly swayed, even if a sliver of hesitation lingered in his heart. Seeing this, Qiu Tu did not push or rush him. Well-versed in human nature, he knew that hooking a fish required alternating between slack and tension—impatience was fatal. So they set a final deadline. Neither too early nor too late, it was pinned exactly one hour before Qin Heng was scheduled to meet Yan Chen: seven o'clock. Once that deadline passed, their deal would be void. Before then, Fourth Master Qin had ample time to weigh his options and make his final decision. Hanging up the call, Qiu Tu looked out at the sky and found the sunset strangely beautiful. Though the appointed time had not yet arrived, he was more than ninety percent certain the fire would ignite. Over the past few days of dealing with Fourth Master Qin, Qiu Tu had already pieced together the man's personality through various intelligence reports. Perhaps because he was the youngest son born to the first wife, Fourth Master Qin had grown up domineering and eccentric. Not only was he callous by nature, but he was also a reckless gambler at heart. Qiu Tu still remembered a line the investigation cited as Fourth Master Qin's frequent mantra: *The victor takes all, and the loser accepts the bet!* Presented with the same terms, Qin Zhengguang would likely have backed off out of familial attachment or aversion to risk. Fourth Master Qin, however, would never sit idly by awaiting his demise as long as there remained a single sliver of a chance... Now that he had offered him such bright hope, all he needed to do was wait quietly for him to take the bait... With that in mind, Qiu Tu stopped dwelling on Fourth Master Qin and headed to the bedroom to check on the progress of his Cataclysm potion. Pushing open the bedroom door, a briny scent reminiscent of seawater washed over him. Immediately following that, Qiu Tu felt as if he had stepped into a vast, surging ocean. The entire room had turned an azure blue, with shimmering ripples reflecting against the ceiling like the underside of the sea. The sigh of ocean breezes and the rhythm of crashing waves sounded beside his ears. Reaching out a hand, he felt seawater roll over his body, drenching his clothes until they clung tightly to his skin... "Hey! Qiu Tu! Qiu Tu!" Just as Qiu Tu was lost in the miraculous realm of the indoor sea, Shen Lingshuang's voice suddenly called into his ear. Snapping back to his senses in a daze, Qiu Tu found himself standing in the bedroom. Yet... before his eyes, there was no ocean, no sea breeze, and no waves—only brewing equipment and medicinal ingredients scattered across the floor. *Was all of that an illusion?* Qiu Tu jumped in fright. But almost immediately, he sensed something amiss. He was genuinely soaked from head to toe, looking precisely like someone who had just been hauled out of the sea. *Drip... drip...* Qiu Tu looked down. His shirt, trousers, and shoes were drenched, dripping water onto the floor. He dabbed a drop of water with his finger and tasted it. It was salty... Lifting his head, Qiu Tu looked at the worried Shen Lingshuang and asked, "What happened to me?" Shen Lingshuang hesitated, opening her mouth only to pause. Weighing her words carefully, she said, "I'm not entirely sure either... "I've encountered similar phenomena before. But... my father once told me that this involves the truth of the Cataclysm and the fundamental nature of the world. "He said there's no need to know unless you step onto the path of the Cataclysm. So I don't know what's really going on either. I can only say this isn't an isolated case." Hearing that, Qiu Tu turned his gaze toward the bubbling blue concoction inside the apparatus... Could everything just now have been caused by this bottle of Cataclysm potion? A single potion could induce such a vivid illusion? And that illusion could turn from false to real? If so... just how miraculous was the supernatural path of this world...? With these thoughts swirling, Qiu Tu looked at Shen Lingshuang and asked, "How much longer until the potion finishes brewing?" Shen Lingshuang pondered for a brief second. "Ten minutes." Qiu Tu nodded. "I'll go change my clothes first." With that, he went to the bathroom, wiped himself dry with a towel, and found clean clothes in the living room to put on. Just like that, ten minutes slipped away in the blink of an eye. By the time Qiu Tu finished changing, Shen Lingshuang was slowly emerging from the bedroom, holding two bottles of azure potion in her hands.