Chapter 108: Chapter 107: Disposal
WAIL! WAIL! WAIL!
A deafening alarm blared throughout the City Defense Army’s garrison. Every sleeping soldier was jolted awake, swarming out of their barracks like ants to assemble for an emergency.
Feng Zheng struggled to his feet from a pile of collapsed rubble. He took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling Qi and Blood in his body, and wiped away the blood that was steadily flowing from his nose and mouth. He then gazed in the direction where Zhao Xuanqi’s figure had vanished.
The words the man had spoken before leaving still echoed in his mind.
’Hundred Beasts Fist?!’
He had never heard of any record of this Secret Transmission in the Martial History of the Divine Land. And judging by the power Zhao Xuanqi had displayed, this technique was certainly no ordinary legacy.
A Secret Technique that could alter the human body and stimulate the Spirit to such a degree... he had truly never seen anything like it in his life.
If his opponent hadn’t retreated just now and had fought him to the death, he would most likely have been the one to die.
And to think, that man hadn’t even truly stepped into the realm of Inner Cultivation.
THUD! THUD! THUD!!
Just then, a series of rapid, heavy footsteps approached. The trusted subordinates Feng Zheng had brought with him arrived swiftly with a large contingent of the City Defense Army. They were struck speechless by the scene before them.
Hou Rong’s residence was almost completely demolished. An entire wall had collapsed, and the wall on the other side had several huge gaps. The ground was a complete mess—not a single spot was level. The entire house was riddled with cracks. It was clear that without major repairs, it would be uninhabitable.
What shocked the subordinates most was that Feng Zheng was actually injured, and it didn’t look minor. Moreover, the target was nowhere to be found.
’The mission failed?! The great "Earth Spirit" Feng Zheng was actually defeated by a Cross-Training Martial Artist?!’
"Sir..."
A subordinate stepped forward and asked Feng Zheng in a low voice.
"Hou Rong is dead. His body is inside. Have someone retrieve it. As for the target, he’s escaped. This operation is a failure."
Feng Zheng’s expression had returned to its previous cold indifference as he spoke flatly to his subordinate.
"What should we do now? Should we first take command of the Celestial Sea Prefecture’s City Defense Army and then immediately dispatch men to hunt him down throughout the city?" the subordinate asked quietly.
"It’s useless. You won’t be able to catch him. Besides, he isn’t acting alone; he has the backing of an entire organization."
"Let this matter drop for now. As for the death of the Celestial Sea Military Officer, report it through the proper channels and let the Celestial Sea Prefecture City Defense Army handle it themselves. I must return to Guangdong immediately to report to the Military Commander in person," Feng Zheng said, his eyes narrowed.
...
...
「Meanwhile.」
After leaving the City Defense Army garrison and shaking off his pursuers, Zhao Xuanqi crossed several streets and went directly to a safe house set up by the National Salvation Association.
Inside the safe house’s living room, Sun Yunyong was pacing back and forth, a look of anxiety on his face.
He had sensed that something was wrong. Given Zhao Xuanqi’s usual efficiency, the operation should have been over quickly. Yet tonight, with dawn approaching, there was still no word. This was highly unusual.
Logically, a mere City Defense Army Military Officer should have been an easy target. Could something have gone wrong?
SWISH!!
Suddenly, a massive shadow flickered. Sun Yunyong whipped his head around to see an incredibly tall figure—one that seemed less human and more like the incarnation of some Exotic Beast—dart into the room through the window.
For a moment, Sun Yunyong’s pupils contracted and his muscles tensed, but he quickly recognized Zhao Xuanqi’s face, a shock running through him.
’Zhao Xuanqi?! How did he end up looking like this? Is it some kind of Secret Technique?!’
CRACK! CRACK!
Once inside, Zhao Xuanqi finally deactivated the Dragon Gate Secret Technique, withdrawing his Qi Surge and Blood Essence. The terrifying muscles, skin, and even bones all over his body rapidly contracted, returning him to his original appearance.
This time, however, his complexion was poor. A significant amount of blood began to seep from the pores of his skin, and the muscles all over his body twitched instinctively. The skin on his face was also trembling, as if he were enduring immense pain.
The backlash from the Dragon Gate Secret Technique had manifested. Large areas of muscle inside his body were torn and bleeding, and his fascia, ligaments, bones, and even internal organs had all sustained varying degrees of damage.
Despite it all, his expression remained calm from beginning to end.
These injuries might seem horrifying, but he had already experienced them countless times. He was long used to it.
"What happened to you?!"
Sun Yunyong stared at Zhao Xuanqi in shock. What kind of opponent could he have possibly encountered to end up in such a wretched state, given his strength?!
"It’s just a minor injury. Get ready to leave the city. We can talk in the car."
As he spoke, Zhao Xuanqi stripped off his bloody clothes, picked up a towel that had been prepared in the room, and began to simply wipe the blood from his body.
"Alright."
Seeing Zhao Xuanqi’s calm demeanor, Sun Yunyong relaxed slightly. He nodded and immediately went to start the car.
Soon, the two left the safe house and drove toward the outskirts of the city.
"Hou Rong is dead, but I ran into a master from the Giant Spirit Sect. He was extremely strong and must have anticipated my actions and laid an ambush. I couldn’t kill him, so I had to settle for injuring him before escaping. On that note, I was hoping you might know who he is."
In the car, Zhao Xuanqi briefly recounted the night’s events to Sun Yunyong, paying special attention to details about Feng Zheng’s abilities. He was curious about what rank such a person held within the Giant Spirit Army.
"He can align himself with the Earth Vein, stimulate his heart and liver to provoke rage, and then use that human fury to shake the earth itself, unleashing a force like a fiery dragon erupting from the ground to extinguish all life?! That’s a master of deep Inner Cultivation, someone who has reached Five Qi Tongxuan! Even in the Giant Spirit Army, he would be a core member. In a regional post, he’d be at least a Garrison Envoy in charge of the soldiers of several prefectures. I do know of one person in the Giant Spirit Sect like that—’Earth Spirit’ Feng Zheng!"
Hearing Zhao Xuanqi’s description, Sun Yunyong couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. If he had encountered a master of that caliber, he would have met a bitter end with no chance of escape. And yet, Zhao Xuanqi not only escaped from such an opponent, but he even managed to injure him?
"’Earth Spirit’ Feng Zheng, you say?"
Zhao Xuanqi nodded slightly. ’So a mere Garrison Envoy in charge of a few prefectures has this kind of power? It seems the Giant Spirit Army has no shortage of capable people. There must be at least several dozen individuals at this level.’
"By the way, there’s something I need to tell you. It’s intelligence we received a short while ago," Sun Yunyong said, calming his turbulent emotions.
"What is it?" Zhao Xuanqi asked.
"This afternoon, the Luo Family used their connections to claim Liu Changfeng’s body from the City Defense Army. Because of what happened with the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall, they couldn’t hold a large funeral, so Luo Moyou presided over the burial this afternoon. The grave is not far from the West Suburb. Do you want to go see it?" Sun Yunyong said.
"Luo Moyou? He’s a loyal one, then."
Zhao Xuanqi was slightly taken aback. The Luo Family and the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall were, in reality, partners. For them to go this far in a time of crisis was already quite commendable.
After all, in a chaotic world, things like loyalty and morality were cheap, and upholding them often came at a great cost.
Memories of the past year with Liu Changfeng flashed through his mind. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his expression calm. "He’s dead, and I’ve already taken revenge for him. It’s just a corpse and a grave. There’s nothing to see. Let’s go. We’ll meet up with the people from the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall outside the city."
That was the kind of person he was. Once something was truly over, there was no need to dwell on it.
He didn’t believe in ghosts or gods. He fought only for this life and only ever looked forward.
