Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Taking Precautions
"It’s been a while. Sorry to impose, Mr. Yan. You’re looking well these days! Unlike me—I’ve gotten so tan from running around for days on end!"
Han Qiubai offered the polite pleasantry, but it seemed she had picked the wrong person to say it to.
Yan Sea glanced at Han Qiubai and said seriously, "You’re still much fairer than I am. We’re in the northwest here. The altitude is higher, and the UV radiation is intense. You should take proper precautions."
The words Han Qiubai had prepared caught in her throat. ’What does he mean I’m much fairer than him? Is there even a comparison between us, teacher? Doesn’t he understand politeness at all?’ she grumbled internally.
Yu Fei stood to the side, his head lowered and his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. He didn’t laugh often, but Yan Sea’s dead serious explanation about how his senior was fairer than him was just...
Han Qiubai said, "Haha... Anyway, Mr. Yu, is your training going well? Your Sword Intent was truly impressive the last time we met."
"You flatter me, Senior. It’s just a few insignificant little tricks. By the way, how is the fight against the Illuminati going?"
At the mention of this, Han Qiubai’s expression visibly darkened.
Her voice dropped. "Actually, we’ve run into some trouble. I have a junior who took on the mission to clear Y-City with me. We were supposed to operate separately, but a couple of days ago, he was severely injured and called for my help..."
As Han Qiubai continued her story, Yan Sea’s eyes narrowed, and a grim, murderous aura inexplicably filled the air.
Yu Fei’s expression also turned grave. This was his hometown; his friends and family were all here. He couldn’t bear the thought of a group of cultists running rampant.
Han Qiubai then turned to Yan Sea. "Mr. Yan, that brief glimpse I got of your strength last time was astonishing. I came here today hoping to discuss how to deal with the situation. With an Apostle-level cultist leading them, we’re going to be at a severe disadvantage."
Yan Sea thought for a moment before speaking with great seriousness. "According to your original plan, you were supposed to sweep through Y-City with lightning speed, like herding sheep, and use the cultists’ own deceitful and suspicious nature to pick them off one by one."
"But that process was stopped by the Apostle. This means those panicked rats now have a chance to regroup. With an Apostle holding the line, the situation has become extremely dangerous."
Han Qiubai nodded. Mr. Yan’s analysis hit the nail on the head, perfectly matching the conclusions she and Tao Lang had reached.
"That’s why we’ve sent out a request for reinforcements on one hand, while on the other, we’re trying to find any local experts who might be around. If we can all band together, we might be able to hold them off for a bit if they attack."
Han Qiubai stated the purpose of her visit.
But Yan Sea shook his head. "Your idea is good, but it’s not comprehensive enough."
Han Qiubai’s expression turned serious. "Please, enlighten me."
"You’ve overlooked a crucial department: the outpost!"
"The outpost?" She was a little confused.
"By regulation, a county-level outpost is equipped with at least seven tier-one and one tier-two super-powered weapons. If they deploy in advance and set up sniper positions, they can kill as many cultists at the third realm and below as show up. As for enemies at the Inner Qi Realm, only a tier-two super-powered weapon can inflict effective damage, making it a huge threat to them as well."
"No one can fight at their full capacity in a head-on battle while also having to constantly watch out for a hidden sniper."
Han Qiubai was overjoyed to hear this. She hadn’t known the outposts had super-powered weapons. In fact, universities offered training in related subjects, but since she wasn’t from a military academy, she was only allowed a Class-C weapons permit—for cold weapons. She wasn’t permitted to have a Class-B or higher permit, which would allow her to carry super-powered weapons.
Yu Fei currently held a Class-C weapons permit, which was why he could wander around with his Cyan Lotus Sword.
Super-powered weapons were incredibly destructive, so unless one had a professional license, individuals were generally not allowed to possess them.
The Yu Kingdom’s regulations on super-powered weapons were extremely strict. Despite the many illegal organizations operating within its borders, very few possessed such weapons.
Realization dawned on Han Qiubai.
The outpost’s configuration was clearly that of a standard combat squad. Even if they were a second-line unit stationed locally, with weaker training intensity and strength, their basic combat proficiency would still be up to par.
She looked at the composed Yan Sea and marveled internally. ’This teacher must have a remarkable past. To be so familiar with local military systems, he most likely served in the army, and at a high rank, too.’
Just then, Yan Sea continued, "The situation is urgent. You can report this information to the city. And with your status as an investigator for the Security Bureau, you can go through the Martial Arts Administration Bureau to issue a coordinated combat directive to the outposts in each county. That way, you can hold your defenses until reinforcements arrive."
Han Qiubai listened intently. She realized Yan Sea had an extremely high level of tactical knowledge and clearly had experience commanding troops.
’I’ve really hit the jackpot this time...’ she thought, overjoyed. When danger loomed, having a reliable teammate was incredibly reassuring.
Yan Sea went on, "The rats from the Illuminati will definitely launch an attack soon. You must be prepared to defend."
...
"Furthermore, the Illuminati is highly skilled at manipulating people’s hearts and minds. You need to be careful about potential traitors in your ranks. You can leak some false information to vet your personnel. At the same time, arrange for surveillance, stay vigilant, and so on..."
Yan Sea concluded his summary. His expression was resolute and composed, giving him the air of a great general. Han Qiubai stood beside him, her back ramrod straight, constantly murmuring things like "Okay" and "Yes, sir," like a green recruit.
Yan Sea meticulously detailed the potential moves the enemy might make based on current intelligence, along with corresponding countermeasures. Yu Fei and Han Qiubai listened attentively.
He discovered that his teacher, when arranging these matters, displayed an unprecedented air of confidence and composure, his insights hitting the nail on the head every time.
Han Qiubai, who had arrived fraught with worry, now looked as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She didn’t even have time to get better acquainted with Yu Fei, hastily adding both Yan Sea and Yu Fei’s contact information before rushing off to make arrangements.
"Mr. Yan, thank you so much! I’ll inform you immediately if there’s any news. Please continue to guide me."
She was in a hurry. Every day saved in making these arrangements would increase everyone’s chances of survival.
Watching Han Qiubai’s departing figure, Yu Fei asked curiously, "Teacher, did you used to serve in the army?"
"Mm."
"Then why did you become a teacher?"
Su Yue had told him a little about Yan Sea’s past—that he was once a Gang Qi Realm Martial Artist whose Dantian had been injured—but had never revealed any details about his identity.
Yan Sea let out a long sigh, the commanding presence on his face vanishing.
"I’ll tell you about it later."
The news about the Illuminati cultists weighed on everyone’s hearts like a heavy stone.
After Han Qiubai left, Su Yue gathered Yan Sea and Yu Fei together. They needed to come up with their own plan.
"Mr. Yan, if your Dantian injury were healed, how long could you last?"
Yan Sea thought for a moment. "Without using my Qi Blood, I can hold out for a week."
Su Yue continued, "Yu Fei, what about you? How long until your Qi Blood reaches its peak?"
"At my current rate, about two weeks. I’ve already found the catalyst for achieving Sword Intent Perfection, so it shouldn’t take long."
Yu Fei was quite confident about this. With twenty-year-old Enlightenment Tea and the sevenfold neural reaction speed from his [Super Speed Reaction], the effect of a single sword-nurturing session was more effective than hundreds of sessions for an ordinary person.
