Chapter 865: Chapter 735: New Developments

It was all thanks to Claire that she voiced the question. It was clear she was the youngest among them, so asking something naive wasn’t a big deal.

If Bentley had asked this kind of question, Xiang Xue might really start wondering where these people actually came from.

Qu Jianlei roughly explained the situation.

Bentley and Xiao Qin had no particular expressions, while Flower Scorpion and Claire both had faces full of disdain, clearly not taking the City Guard seriously.

Xiang Xue wasn’t someone skilled at reading expressions, but she also noticed their indifference.

She couldn’t help but silently wonder: where did Panda find these desperados?

Because Awakened ones had privileges, there was no shortage of desperados among them, but most Awakened preferred to enjoy a comfortable life.

Gathering such a group of desperado Awakened wasn’t easy, let alone the many women among them, and the numerous mutated attributes.

While she was secretly amazed, Qu Jianlei and his group had already started planning how to deal with the Norton Family.

Since they had been adrift in space for over three months, there were less than two months left until the Imperial honors.

Official information showed that the patriarch of the Norton Family had already arrived at Capital Star, making it much harder to take action before the honors.

Moreover, it’s said that the Supreme of the Norton Family also escorted the patriarch to Capital Star.

Now, the security of the Norton Family was entirely taken over by the City Guard.

The Imperial honors are a very solemn affair. If a tragedy occurred within the Norton Family during the honors, wouldn’t that be a slap in the face for the Empire?

By then, the entire Celestial Handle Star would become a laughingstock, and the government would undoubtedly take a hit.

The City Guard’s defense was extremely rigorous because they had also heard that the Norton Family had recently stirred trouble.

The government even released a word: during the honors, there should absolutely be no incidents with the Norton Family.

Of course, this could also be interpreted another way: after the honors, we’re not involved anymore.

In short, during this period, the Celestial Handle Star government did not permit any incidents with the Norton Family.

There was secret information indicating that the government even coordinated with the Supreme to help monitor the security issues of the Norton Family.

However, Qu Jianlei’s group didn’t seem to care much about this and were analyzing the layout and defenses of the Norton Manor.

Xiang Xue listened to their enthusiastic discussion and couldn’t help but speak up, "Do you need me to help find some information?"

"That would be great," Bentley responded without hesitation,

Although eager to try the power of the Supreme, being of a certain age, he wouldn’t blindly be arrogant.

This Miss Xiang Xue had a good relationship with Jian Lei, and her father was a Supreme. Why refuse when she offered help?

Qu Jianlei also knew the Earth Scholar’s influence was extensive, but he still reminded her, "This matter is quite serious, so keep it confidential."

"Don’t worry," Xiang Xue nonchalantly replied.

Early the next morning, the group went out to play as usual, appearing carefree and leisurely.

But in reality, while playing, they occasionally mentioned the situation at Norton Manor.

In any case, the plan was in the works, and many things needed to be implemented, constantly adjusted, and changed accordingly.

Being cautious was necessary for such a big undertaking, but it didn’t affect their interest in playing.

Qu Jianlei was wandering around various parts of the city, and no one knew what he was doing.

Another day passed, and in the evening, the group gathered at their lodging. Xiang Xue brought the latest information she had found.

The Earth Scholar’s presence in the Celestial Handle Star Realm was not strong; they were more active in the Edge Star Realm.

Celestial Handle didn’t lack archaeology enthusiasts, but they were relatively scattered. Some branches of large forces also studied this.

However, Xiang Xue still used her organization’s chess pieces to contact a hobbyist connected to the Norton Family.

——Those ancient families with noble heritages had many who loved archaeology.

In fact, the Norton Family was awarded the honor this time because they presented ancient artifacts to the Empire.

The information Xiang Xue found was beyond everyone’s expectations: the Supreme of the Norton Family did not go to Capital Star; instead, he was still at Celestial Handle.

Qu Jianlei furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing this, "Are you sure Qianfeng is still here?"

Qianfeng Norton was the full title of that Supreme, but among those present, only he dared to use his name directly. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"That’s what the information shows," Xiang Xue clearly couldn’t guarantee, "The specifics, we’ll have to verify ourselves."

The information she got was that the Supreme appearing at Capital Star was just a stand-in for Qianfeng.

The real Qianfeng was currently lurking near the manor, waiting to catch any who dared to make a move against his family.

Several elite City Guard squads were stationed near Norton Manor, totaling over five hundred people.

In addition, there were also military reserves cooperating, and though not many Awakened, they were extremely well-equipped.

With such arrangements, not to mention ordinary ruffians, even a Supreme trying to forcibly attack wouldn’t succeed instantly.

As long as these squads delayed the attackers for a moment, the government’s warships would come to aid, and the pre-notified Supreme would also arrive.

In this situation, opponents wouldn’t have the time to completely destroy the Norton Family.

On the surface, this appeared to be dissuading enemies, helping to maintain the honors during this period.

However, the Norton Clan was unwilling to give in, and Qianfeng Norton made excuses to leave, while in fact ambushing around, waiting for an opportunity to attack the opponent from inside and outside.

Such a secretive message, it is generally impossible for ordinary people to know.

But an elder with a fondness for antiques inadvertently leaked a sentence, indicating that the family was thinking about more than just getting through this period.

When the patriarch returns with honors, the glory of the Norton Family will once again shine.

His words weren’t really a leak, but the problem was that he seemed quite certain when he said it.

Those who speak unintentionally are heard with intention, and someone with a keen mind picked up on this hint, analyzed other situations, and made a judgment.

Xiang Xue didn’t delve into the specifics of the logic and analysis but expressed that she didn’t quite understand it—she was not a member of the Earth Scholar.

However, based on various experiences in the past, she had confidence in the judgment ability of the Earth Scholars.

Finally, she presented the conclusions of the Earth Scholars.

"... Various signs indicate that this Supreme does not have confidence in completely annihilating the opponent. He is more eager to grasp clues to understand who the opponent is."

It’s ironic, the Norton Clan suffered such a great loss, and while the grievances were clarified, they still don’t know whom they provoked.

The only clue is that ragged 8384 warship, and the opponent possessing both Earth Attribute and Gold Attribute Supremes.

If the opponent could be figured out, whether to fight or negotiate, at least appropriate strategies could be formulated.

Qu Jianlei pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "You all rest first, I’ll go explore."

Xiang Xue heard this, blinked twice, and asked in astonishment, "In this situation, do you still want to forcibly attack?"

"Maybe it’s just a smoke bomb," Qu Jianlei wasn’t blindly trusting the intelligence from the Earth Scholar.

"If mere rumors can scare me away, wouldn’t that be too ridiculous?"

Flower Scorpion immediately volunteered, "I’ll go with you, perimeter vigilance should be manageable."

Xiang Xue frowned slightly, "Claire from the Haiyin family will return soon, why not wait for her?"

Qu Jianlei shook his head, casually replying, "Unless necessary, why incur such a favor?"

After speaking, he left with Flower Scorpion, leaving the four people in the room staring at each other.

Xiang Xue helplessly shook her head, "Him? He’s good at everything, except he can’t stand being pushed around."

The other three remained silent, then after a while, Bentley asked in a deep voice, "What attribute is the Supreme of Norton Family?"

Xiang Xue replied, "Quite challenging... it’s the Gold Attribute."

The Norton Clan is quite far from the Central City of Celestial Handle, and it took Qu Jianlei and Flower Scorpion a day and night to get there.

Upon arrival, it was nighttime, and even from a distance, they noticed that the manor was brightly lit.

Four high towers were erected around the manor, with bright lights on top and guards posted.

The surroundings were filled with surveillance equipment and roaming sentries, at a glance, large-caliber cannons were everywhere.

The weapons and equipment of the City Guard in Taikoo are ten streets behind here; these cannons are enough to defeat Supremes.

Just sensing casually, one could feel the thick tension ready to explode.

Qu Jianlei and Flower Scorpion stood silently by a large rock five or six kilometers away, observing the scene.

After watching for a while, Flower Scorpion suggested, "Boss, should we come back tomorrow daytime? It will rain tomorrow."

Qu Jianlei heard this and shook his head, "You know that rainy days are convenient for reconnaissance, and the opponent knows it too. Right now is fine."

Flower Scorpion thought for a while and replied, "In that case, I won’t be able to help you out. If you’re discovered, I can create a distraction."

Qu Jianlei nodded at this, he appreciated Flower Scorpion for being decisive yet knowing when to act prudently.

In this situation, forcing something is the least wise choice; just being able to support well is enough.

Qu Jianlei’s figure flickered and then disappeared into the night, even Flower Scorpion couldn’t sense how he vanished.

After the boss left, she didn’t idle either, setting up a few traps and explosive devices from afar, then she hid and observed quietly.

She waited like this all night, and as dawn was breaking, the air around her rippled, and Qu Jianlei reappeared.

"Those traps, you set them up? Quick, take them down before dawn breaks, and restore everything."

"Don’t worry!" Flower Scorpion moved swiftly, removing the traps one by one, and the two left gracefully.

Twenty kilometers away, there was a small town, where they chose a patch of woods to rest.

Seeing the boss’s calm demeanor, Flower Scorpion asked, "Did you gain anything?"

"Not entirely sure," Qu Jianlei shook his head, "but the southeast corner five kilometers away, there definitely is an ambush, very concealed."

"Wasn’t that place quite close to us at the time?" Flower Scorpion asked in astonishment, "That was really lucky."

Qu Jianlei shook his head, "It’s not purely luck, the people in the bunker were focused on the manor, not on the surrounding vigilance."

"So, they really wanted to ambush us," Flower Scorpion thought deeply and nodded.

Then she voiced a question, "The Norton Family’s Supreme, wouldn’t they just hide in the bunker?"

Qu Jianlei seemed indifferent as he replied, "As long as victory is assured, even hiding in a sewer would be acceptable."

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