Qin Jun smiled. "My name is Mu Qing. We may meet again by fate someday."

"Oh, right—I’m giving each of you an item. When you’re near me later, I’ll know. It has amazing effects. Check them out."

He tossed five objects toward them. Then he vanished before their eyes, leaving them stunned.

The items flew straight into their hands: four arm guards and one bracelet. Naturally, the bracelet landed in Lengyan’s palm.

A Nan turned to Lai De. "Grandpa Lai De, what did he mean by that?"

Lai De was baffled too. "Who knows? Maybe he really is a wanderer, doing things on a whim."

Li Xiaotian chimed in, "Let’s see what these items actually do first."

Lin Nanze grinned. "Yeah, let’s test if the effects are as good as he claimed."

The results shocked them. Each arm guard boosted strength by fifty percent. All five were mages, so the guards were useless to them—but for warriors, they’d be god-tier gear.

Even Lai De, at his age, had never seen armor this powerful. He glanced at Lengyan. "Yan’er, yours is different. What’s its effect?"

Lengyan’s heart churned. The bracelet’s effect was shameless: speaking it aloud would make it vanish. Its power matched Fili and the others’ arm guards exactly—a super divine artifact.

She couldn’t understand why this man gave her something so special. It felt strange.

When Lai De pressed her, she lied smoothly. "Captain, it has the same effect as yours. Probably just a different design."

Lai De nodded. "Hmm, I figured."

He stared where Qin Jun disappeared, muttering, "Who exactly is that man?"

Then he faced the group. "Don’t tell anyone he appeared. Or about these armors. Understood? If others learn we have them, they’ll want us dead."

A Nan gasped. "Impossible! We’re all Imperial citizens!"

Li Xiaotian shook his head. The kid was too sheltered. He needed to see the harsh world below—feel its warmth and cruelty. Spoiling him was his own fault.

"Remember the captain’s words," Li Xiaotian ordered. "I ignore your cheek normally, but listen now."

He subtly signaled Lin Nanze. Lin Nanze caught on, laughing. "Alright, let’s forget this happened. After the mission, we’ll head back to the academy. Relax and have fun."

A Nan had wanted to argue, but Lin Nanze’s words made him forget everything. He beamed. "So I’ll see Teacher Anfei?"

Lai De chuckled. "You and your antics."

A Nan playfully stuck out his tongue. A genius with high levels, yet still eighteen—immature, needing years to temper.

Lengyan declined flatly. "I’m not going."

Li Xiaotian saw through her. "Just avoiding that clingy guy? Ignore him. I found a cozy spot—a hot spring sanctuary near the academy. Let’s go together."

Lai De lightly smacked Li Xiaotian. "No wonder A Nan’s undisciplined. You’re always chasing comfort."

A Nan groaned. "Why drag me into this again?"

Lin Nanze and Lengyan stood aside, smiling faintly in silence.

After leaving them, Qin Jun chased the sinister man. The demon was fast—Qin Jun spent a full minute catching up. They’d covered hundreds of kilometers into unknown, mist-shrouded mountains. From the air, the view was breathtaking. If Qin Jun had a phone, he’d snap a photo.

He muttered, "Gotta kill this demon instantly. Ruining this scenery would be a waste."

He appeared before the man in a flash, startling him. "How?!" the man cried.

Qin Jun grinned. "Surprised? I’ll give you one counterattack. Show me your strongest move."

No hesitation. The man transformed into a giant eagle, claws slashing like lightning. Qin Jun dodged easily, soared skyward, and stomped the eagle down, pinning it.

Terror filled the eagle’s eyes. He’d never faced such power—one strike left him helpless, like a god had struck him. Even this mighty demon begged for mercy. Qin Jun ignored him.

The man’s eyes turned into black holes, faint red light pulsing at their cores. Space tore apart. Darkness swallowed the eagle’s vision.

The demon vanished—simply, casually.

Qin Jun retracted his magic. "This Dark Demon Eye is handy. Next time, I’ll use it to clear household trash. Eco-friendly."

Such mighty magic, described so casually.

He scanned the untouched mountains. Someone lived here—a hidden expert, level 130+. Strong ones always hid in wild depths.

Not his concern. A little girl waited for him. As for that cold, mature beauty? He’d already tagged her with a tracking spell. Finding her later didn’t matter.

The bracelet had a hidden function too: it could act as a bug, letting him hear her voice anytime. But he wouldn’t use it.

(Who’d believe that?)