Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Cleanup Operations
While Yang Wenqing led the communications team in a race against time to repair the command center, another silent battle was unfolding within Qianjiao County Town.
Although the piercing sirens had fallen silent, the lingering smell of gunpowder, acrid smoke, and the faint scent of blood in the air spoke volumes of the recent disaster.
In the blast-stricken districts, figures in earth-yellow militia uniforms weaved through the rubble and ruins. They cleared obstacles with tools or moved shattered stones by hand, searching for any possible survivors. Their movements were deliberate and gentle, careful not to cause further harm to anyone who might be trapped beneath.
In a few open areas, hastily erected medical tents stood out conspicuously. Physicians in white coats and Cultivators with some knowledge of healing arts bustled about. Stretchers continuously carried in injured civilians, their pained moans mingling with the cries of children.
All the ’Healing Art’ Rune Paper in the city had been gathered and prioritized for stabilizing the critically injured. Those with lighter wounds could only receive simple bandages and herbal poultices.
In a more secluded corner, bodies covered in white sheets were carefully carried out and silently transported to the city’s funeral home.
Although the chaos was initially brought under control and order was painstakingly being restored, the wounds—both physical and psychological—inflicted on the county town by this sudden attack would take a long time to heal.
「Outside the city.」
The area polluted by Demonic Qi was like an ugly scar on the earth. The soil had turned an unnatural, cracked, and hardened gray-black. All vegetation had withered. The residual Demonic Qi had transformed into a viscous, oily substance that slowly writhed in low-lying areas, emitting a pungent, foul stench.
The magistrate of Qianjiao County levitated in mid-air. The official seal remained the core of his purification work, continuously emitting a purifying golden light.
The Civil Affairs Bureau Cultivators carrying out the operation around him wore sealed protective suits. Some wielded long-poled spray guns, their nozzles emitting a purifying mist of exorcism-rune water. Others operated what looked like a small, unmanned vehicle chassis topped with a rotating emitter that patrolled the polluted zone automatically. Still others were setting up large, array-style purification pylons. Once driven into the ground, these metal pylons would link together to form a temporary purification field, continuously neutralizing the Demonic Qi within its range.
They were efficient and calm, relying on their equipment and teamwork to gradually shrink the contaminated area.
Two Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Government Soldiers acted as battlefield observers. They held detection-type Magical Artifacts, maintaining a watch from high altitudes and the perimeter. They focused on energy readings and possible signs of life, keeping in constant communication with the purification team on the ground.
At this rate, they would probably have the Demonic Qi cleared out before dawn tomorrow.
「Port District.」
After the command center’s communications were restored to basic functionality, Yang Wenqing handed the remaining work over to the communications team leader, who had just regained consciousness. Then, under orders from Vice Director Gao, he piloted a backup patrol Flying Shuttle alone and headed straight for the still-chaotic Port District.
The once-bustling docks were now a complete mess. Everywhere, one could see scorched craters from explosions, scattered container fragments, and bullet holes from intense firefights. There were even cracks in the ground blasted open by magical arts.
At that moment, some local thugs and hooligans taking advantage of the chaos were still looting goods spilling from damaged warehouses in a few areas, clashing with the remaining guards and spontaneously organized dockworkers.
Yang Wenqing parked his Flying Shuttle on a high point in the Port District. After observing the entire area with a ’Sharp Eye Spell’, he issued a command through the newly restored communication channel, using the Security Department’s unique frequency. "This is Yang Wenqing. All security and militia personnel still in the Port District, assemble at Pier Three. Prioritize suppressing the riots and restoring order! I repeat, prioritize suppressing the riots!"
His command was like a boulder dropped into a chaotic mire. The security and militia forces scattered throughout the port began to converge on Pier Three from all directions, quickly forming effective combat teams.
The crackdown began immediately. The chaotic looting was gradually brought under control, replaced by the busy figures of security personnel clearing the scene, sealing off damaged warehouses, and maintaining order.
Meanwhile, the dockworkers were organized to help the security forces take inventory of the losses and tend to the wounded. As area after area was secured, preliminary reports began to flow to Yang Wenqing.
The list of casualties and missing personnel was finally confirmed. Three security officers had been killed, and two more were missing. These five were all members of the five squads Yang Wenqing had previously ordered to the Port District as reinforcements.
As for the losses from the various warehouses, those figures couldn’t be calculated in a short amount of time. Besides, that wasn’t Yang Wenqing’s job. However, one particular piece of information caught his attention.
According to the descriptions from the first security officers on the scene and the dockworkers who witnessed parts of the event, what had happened could be described as a swift and professional military operation...
Shortly after the Port District descended into chaos from the explosions, dozens of small speedboats equipped with high-speed propulsion rune devices suddenly cut into the harbor from different directions out at sea. Dozens of people then disembarked and made a beeline for several warehouses storing specific materials.
These raiders were well-trained, their movements clean and efficient. They exploited the chaos caused by the explosions and the initial gap in rescue efforts, suppressing sporadic resistance with minimal gunfire. They quickly breached the warehouse doors, swiftly loaded the materials stored inside onto their speedboats, and the entire operation took no more than a quarter of an hour.
A preliminary inventory of the stolen goods showed they were primarily various types of raw spirit ores and basic medicinal herbs. These were all essential base materials needed for crafting Magical Artifacts, constructing Arrays, and refining most types of pills.
After hearing this and connecting it with the earlier raid on the branch office, Yang Wenqing realized this could be a military operation by an enemy nation. But he quickly dismissed the idea. ’The nations bordering Wanxuan wouldn’t dare to provoke us, and they wouldn’t go to such lengths for this small amount of materials.’
’Then, only one possibility remained. Was it some Evil Cult Organization? What would they want with these materials? Were they planning something bigger?’
Yang Wenqing immediately shook his head, dispelling these thoughts. ’This isn’t my problem to consider. I can’t even investigate those speedboats. Matters on the sea are under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Hall’s Maritime Security Operations Department.’
Just as he had preliminarily stabilized the situation in the Port District and arranged for the subsequent security and cleanup work, a communication from Vice Director Gao came through his chest-worn ’Mind-Link Core’:
"Wenqing, leave the matters in the Port District to your subordinates for now. Come immediately to the alley where you were attacked earlier. I’m waiting for you here."
The order made Yang Wenqing pause for a moment. ’Vice Director Gao went to the street where I was attacked himself?’
He suddenly remembered that the previous fight had happened too quickly, and with the sudden loss of communications, he hadn’t had time to clean up the traces of the battle. He subconsciously racked his brain. ’Did I use any forbidden items? Was there anything wrong with the power I unleashed during that fight?’
"It should be fine!"
He muttered to himself. The power he had unleashed during the fight paled in comparison to those Qi Cultivation practitioners with true spiritual aptitude.
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