High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Two Grandmasters

"Just hire a cleaning service," Xu Wuyi said. "The Qiao Family will arrange it."

"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble..." Mrs. Xu said.

"Mom, don’t overthink it." Xu Wuyi smiled. "I’m a member of the Dongjiang Battle Group now. Think of these as perks of the job."

He wasn’t lying. Although it wasn’t explicitly stated at the time, it was a matter of course for the relatives of an Innate Martial Artist invited into a Battle Group to be well taken care of.

It wasn’t just small matters like this; the Qiao Family could even help arrange jobs, secure interest-free loans, and send dedicated personnel to deliver gifts during holidays.

However, Xu Wuyi had refused all of this from the start. He didn’t want anyone to disturb his parents too much.

After settling his parents in, Xu Wuyi decided to stay in Linjiang for the time being.

For one, he wanted to make sure his parents were adjusting to their new environment. For another, he had indeed received a message from the military.

The provinces were establishing wartime command headquarters, and Dongjiang Province’s headquarters was set up right here in Linjiang. All registered Martial Artists at the Martial Master Level and above could be conscripted for joint defense.

On May 3rd, Xu Wuyi received a call from Qiao Zhiyao.

"Senior Brother, you’re in Linjiang?" Qiao Zhiyao asked.

"Yeah, I came with my parents."

"Perfect timing," Qiao Zhiyao said. "The provincial command headquarters has been fully established, with two Grandmasters presiding. Have you received your conscription notice?"

"Not an official notice yet, but there was an alert in the military system," Xu Wuyi said.

"It should be coming soon." Qiao Zhiyao paused. "By the way, are you really not coming to watch the Youth Martial Arts Tournament this year? My first match is on May 6th."

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment. "If I don’t have a mission by then, I’ll go."

’In truth, he was thinking that if the Federation’s mainland came under attack, it was uncertain whether the youth tournament could even be held as scheduled.’

"It’s a deal, then!" Qiao Zhiyao’s voice grew a little more cheerful. "Oh, right, Grandmaster Ren Bai is at the command headquarters too. You know him, right?"

"I do," Xu Wuyi said. "He’s the one who guards the Star Realm Rift over in Red River City."

The Lin Family had previously taken Xu Wuyi’s spot precisely to curry favor with this Grandmaster.

While he was certainly displeased with the Lin Family, he still held great respect for Grandmaster Ren Bai. The incident hadn’t really had much to do with Grandmaster Ren in the first place.

Besides, he had guarded the Star Realm Rift for many years and made immense contributions to the Federation. A figure like that deserved his respect.

After the call ended, Xu Wuyi brought up the military system.

Sure enough, there was a pending notification on the interface. The title read: "Dongjiang Province Wartime Command Headquarters Conscription Order (Preliminary)."

The content was simple, requiring all Martial Artists at the Martial Master Level and above within Dongjiang Province to keep their communication lines open and be ready for deployment at a moment’s notice.

Xu Wuyi clicked "Confirm," and the system displayed "Read."

...

「May 4th, early morning.」

Xu Wuyi was doing his morning exercises in the courtyard of his Yunhai Prefecture residence when his personal terminal suddenly began to vibrate violently.

It wasn’t a communication request, but an emergency alert from the military system.

He immediately opened it. A line of scarlet text popped up on the light screen:

[ALERT: The Celestial Wolf Civilization has launched a suicide attack. Seventeen cities on the Federation mainland have been hit simultaneously. Dongjiang Province is not listed as a target but has been placed on full alert. All registered Martial Artists are to report to their local command headquarters immediately.]

Below it were the coordinates and contact information for the Linjiang command headquarters.

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath and relaxed his fighting stance.

’What was bound to happen has happened.’

He went back inside and briefly explained the situation to his parents, telling them he had to report to the command headquarters and might be gone for a few days.

Although Mrs. Xu was worried, she didn’t say much, only reminding him to be careful.

Xu Wuyi changed into his combat suit, slung the Meteor Iron Long Spear over his back, and walked out the door.

A military vehicle, arranged by the Qiao Family, was already waiting at the entrance of Yunhai Prefecture. The driver was a veteran in his forties. Upon seeing Xu Wuyi, he immediately saluted.

"Mr. Xu, the command headquarters has already been notified. I’ll take you there."

"Thank you."

The vehicle pulled out of the residential complex and onto the main road.

The atmosphere on the streets had clearly grown tense. Police cars and military vehicles drove by frequently, and soldiers were stationed at the intersections. Pedestrians hurried along, many with worried expressions.

"I heard three places were bombed over in Xingjing."

"A lot of people died."

"Those wolf pups have gone crazy. They’re using War Generals as human bombs, sneaking them into cities to detonate. Most were stopped, but some always slip through the cracks."

"..."

The discussions reached his ears, and Xu Wuyi remained silent.

Most of the people living in this community weren’t ordinary; they all had their own sources of information.

This was war. No bottom line, no rules. To achieve an objective, any and all means could be employed.

Twenty minutes later, the vehicle stopped in front of a gray building.

This was originally the office building for the Dongjiang Province Martial Arts Hall, now temporarily converted into the wartime command headquarters.

Four fully armed soldiers stood at the entrance, their auras all indicating they were above Level 30.

Xu Wuyi presented his identification code and was allowed to enter after it was scanned.

The interior of the building was a hive of activity.

People in military uniforms and civilian clothes rushed back and forth. The beeping of communicators, the clacking of keyboards, and the sound of urgent conversations mingled together, filling the air with palpable tension.

Following the signs, Xu Wuyi arrived at the third-floor registration area.

A dozen or so people were already lined up in the room, all of them Martial Artists of various ages. Xu Wuyi took his place at the end of the line and waited quietly.

When it was his turn, the person in charge of registration was a young female officer. She looked to be in her early twenties, her military uniform worn impeccably.

"Name, level, and affiliated Battle Group," she asked without looking up.

"Xu Wuyi, Innate Martial Artist, Dongjiang Battle Group."

The female officer’s hands paused on the keyboard. She looked up at him. "Xu Wuyi? The one from the Black Stone mine in the West Seventh District?"

"Yes."

A hint of respect entered the female officer’s eyes. "Please wait a moment while I verify your information."

After a few quick keystrokes, she stood up. "Mr. Xu, with your rank, you need to report directly on the fourth floor. This way, please."

Xu Wuyi followed her out of the room and took the elevator to the fourth floor.

The atmosphere on the fourth floor was even more solemn.

Several Martial Artists with profound auras stood in the corridor, all of them Innate Martial Artists above Level 40. When they saw Xu Wuyi, their gazes swept over him, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

The female officer stopped in front of a set of double wooden doors and knocked.

"Enter," came a steady male voice from within.

The female officer pushed the door open, turned sideways, and said to Xu Wuyi, "The two Grandmasters are inside. You can go right in."

Xu Wuyi nodded and stepped into the room.

It was a large room, set up like a conference hall. Seven or eight people, a mix of soldiers and Martial Artists, were seated on either side of a long table.

Two middle-aged men sat at the head of the table.

The one on the left, Xu Wuyi had seen in files—Qiao Tongyu, the Grandmaster of the Qiao Family and Qiao Zhiyao’s father.

He appeared to be around fifty, with a refined and scholarly face, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.

The one on the right wore a simple white robe and possessed an otherworldly air. It was none other than Grandmaster Ren Bai.