Chapter 1702: Chapter 981: The Big Shot (2)
"That child isn’t inherently bad; it’s just that desire and power have clouded his eyes, leading him down a path of no return. This path will not only destroy him but also the entire Japan, and my Ju Mountain Family absolutely cannot allow such a thing to happen!" Jiushan Cangxuan declared with the authority of a Family Head, his words resolute.
"I hope that Big Leader can understand your painstaking efforts soon, lest the flames of war reignite between the two countries, bringing devastation to countless lives," Yang Xiao remarked with a sense of feeling.
Over the years, Yang Xiao had learned through various channels about the Ghost Sect’s encroachment on domestic powers. They secretly nurtured their people within many forces, gathered intelligence, developed underlings, and corrupted some high-ranking members of major forces with malicious intent.
The Patrol Defense Office had restrained itself for years, but patience has its limits. Using the pretext of assisting Ru Lin Academy in eradicating the remnants of the Black Wood Society, the Patrol Defense Office simultaneously uprooted dozens of secret bases established by the Ghost Sect along the coastal areas, capturing and killing over a hundred people.
The Apostles Union and Chamber of Commerce also offered support from the shadows, eliminating the hidden traitors embedded within various forces where the Patrol Defense Office couldn’t act.
The intelligence network the Ghost Sect had built up over nearly ten years was torn apart within days under the combined action of multiple forces.
Besides the three major forces, the Ten Great Sects and many renowned forces within the world of martial arts took part, including numerous Evil Cultivation Organizations. Although they lacked unified command, they had clear division of labor, each performing their duties, assembling masters within their own territories for thorough cleansing. Under the name of Ru Lin Academy, they struck a heavy blow against the Ghost Sect, suddenly increasing the number of people dressed in Ru Lin Academy’s clothing by ten times overnight. With cooperation from various insiders, almost reversing the Ghost Sect’s deployment overnight.
During the peak of the conflict, Yang Xiao even found links to suspected Ru Lin Academy uniforms while browsing online, discovering they were frighteningly cheap, buy one get one free, with a minimum order of fifty pieces delivered the same day by evening, perfectly convenient for the brothers’ nightly operations, incredibly extravagant.
After the banquet ended, Yang Xiao and others were arranged to rest; Yang Xiao’s residence had a strong Japanese style—a wooden sliding door—and the Mu Girl sent by the General Bureau was living next door to him.
At night, Yang Xiao contemplated visiting the girl to form a closer connection and inquire about any instructions since he wanted to progress, but considering the difference between men and women, he feared misunderstanding, so he decided against it.
Yang Xiao lay flat on the tatami, unable to sleep, truthfully he wasn’t accustomed to this thing—it was hard, causing waist pain.
In the midst of half-dreaming and half-waking, Yang Xiao seemed to hear very soft footsteps, immediately alerting him to open his eyes, dispelling any trace of sleepiness.
The footsteps stopped outside his door, followed by a knock; the sound wasn’t loud but was very clear in the silent night.
"Are you asleep?" A girl’s voice came from outside the door, somewhat ethereal against the quiet night.
Yang Xiao sat up cautiously, momentarily unsure how to respond. On a business trip, a drunken female superior knocking on a male subordinate’s door late at night, a scenario he felt he’d seen somewhere before.
Opening the door might lead to some bad events, yet not opening it made Yang Xiao worry she might retaliate later, leaving him indecisive.
After considering it thoroughly, Yang Xiao decided to open the door. As he slid the door open, indeed, it was Mu Girl standing outside. Since they both had drunk much at the banquet, under the dim light at the door, her face seemed to be tinged with a blush.
After inviting the girl inside, Yang Xiao’s first reaction was to summon the Ghost Lantern, carefully examining her, wary that she might be someone disguising with ill intentions.
This wasn’t home, he was unfamiliar with Ju Mountain Family members, and many of them were spiritual power experts, easily able to impersonate another person.
After confirming her identity, Yang Xiao put away the Ghost Lantern and asked out of curiosity, "Miss Mu, do you have something to instruct me?"
Miss Mu sat by the table, took out a notebook from her bag, and gestured for Yang Xiao to sit down. "Did Jiu Shan Jinglan use her ability on you during tonight’s banquet?"
Yang Xiao was surprised; he hadn’t expected the girl to notice, so he nodded, "Yes, but this elder meant no harm; I focused too much on her. Her perception is very keen."
"Tell me about your feeling." The girl removed the pen cap, acting as if she were ready to take notes. "Jiu Shan Jinglan is arguably the most mysterious member of the Ju Mountain Family. The General Bureau has little intelligence on her, especially regarding her exact abilities."
Yang Xiao nodded in understanding and began to recall, detailing his feelings truthfully. After all, Yang Xiao possessed a Spiritual Magical Artifact, so his perception of Jiu Shan Jinglan’s method of attack was clearer.
"For a moment, I felt as though my soul was taken—not a simple Charm Technique, but the power of a Spiritual Magical Artifact. I felt... no, I’m certain my heart stopped at that moment—it ceased to beat."
"If this elder hadn’t stopped her ability, I would have soon died from sudden cardiac arrest," Yang Xiao added in conclusion.
The girl recorded Yang Xiao’s words clearly, her handwriting gracefully sharp, using a silver steel pen.
