Safe!
Even though his lifesaver was a young boy even prettier than himself—which felt a little strange—the moment Ji Jue saw that familiar face appear in his field of vision, he couldn't help letting out a breath of relief.
Is this the sense of security the White Stag brings me?
As expected of Xiao An.
Truly reassuring!
The initial, long-prepared throw had been nothing more than a greeting. The moment Xiao An reached the high vantage point, what flew from his sleeves was a storm of steel.
Thunder rolled without end, iron fell like a torrential downpour, and the earth shook.
All Ji Jue could see were straight white lines piercing the air, pointing toward the enemy swallowed by the storm below. In an instant, the red-hot iron shards whistling through the sky sank into the body of the Swarm Celestial Chosen amidst thunderous roars.
Head, neck, heart, liver, hands, tendons, legs, groin...
A terrifying force rivaling that of anti-materiel sniper rifles detonated cloud after cloud of bloody mist. The sheer impact alone blasted away an untold amount of flesh and shattered bone.
Yet it didn't stop.
It was like flogging a corpse—
"Brother Ji Jue, be careful!"
A tense voice called out. "His matrix is the Empire's Iron Guard!"
A Swarm legacy hailing from the imperial legions, the Mountain Land Dragon Army—renowned for resilience and defensive warfare—had clashed with enemies outnumbering them several times over in bloody trench warfare more than once. In the endless months of grueling attrition, an untold number of foes had perished with bitter regrets in the meat-grinder slaughter, all because of this matrix.
With the White Stag's wild perception, Xiao An could naturally sense the blessings the opponent had just used and the aura clinging to his body.
'Preempt the Foe,' which anticipated an opponent's next move; 'Lion's Rouse,' which allowed one to ignore pain and interference to unleash one hundred percent of their strength so long as a single breath remained; 'Whirlwind Sweep,' which made offensive charges utterly unstoppable...
If he truly had the Iron Guard, then...
This level of trauma probably wasn't enough to take away his combat capability!
In that instant, within the spreading pool of blood, that mutilated body twitched once again. On the mangled face, flesh and the remnants of gums opened and closed, a severed tongue squirming with difficulty.
He offered an instinctual prayer.
"O Lord of Arms on High, I dedicate all my agony to you—"
In that fraction of a second, within the fiercely rising crimson flames, that riddled, broken corpse actually regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Flesh regrew, bones knit back together, and skin crawled as it expanded. Upon the corrupted face, demonic, twisted horns emerged, and blood-red eyes opened across his cheeks.
Then, like a dark-red scab, armor surfaced from the flames.
*Thwack!*
An iron shard hurled by Xiao An lodged into the armor!
'Bitter Battle,' 'Soulburn,' and 'Blood Drinker'—with these blessings that were as common as dirt in the Path of Swarm, one could activate the true effect of the Iron Guard matrix.
—'Rally the Ranks'!
In the blink of an eye, back to full health!
Ji Jue's entire mood soured.
I finally burned through one whole health bar, and you bastard just go right into phase two and revive at full health...
How the hell are we supposed to fight this?!
Even though such a terrifying effect definitely consumed a massive amount of spiritus, the problem was that, according to his memory, the ability granted to a Celestial Chosen in the ritual of the Iron Guard's Superior Legacy was 'Soul Conscription,' which plundered the enemy's spiritus upon killing them!
Although the plundering efficiency was at most fifty or sixty percent, and the strain and side effects on the consciousness were extremely severe, the guy on the other side was already corrupted.
He couldn't get any crazier than he already was!
Could anyone really expect two negatives to make a positive?
*Boom!*
A deafening roar tore through the air once more. If Little Niuma hadn't abruptly burned rubber and shifted positions on the spot, Ji Jue likely would have been knocked clean off the vehicle.
The opponent had simply reached down, ripped a chunk of broken curb from the street, and hurled it at him.
Even so, the bed of the trike was struck by flying gravel. Amid Little Niuma's agonized honking, it instantly dented and deformed, making Ji Jue's eyes nearly split with rage:
"I just touched up the paint two days ago!!!"
Son of a bitch. His vehicle didn't even have insurance; you couldn't find a single insurance company in all of Yacheng willing to insure a trike like Little Niuma. He'd probably have to pound out the sheet metal himself.
"Charge! Charge! Charge!!!"
The blood-drenched Swarm Celestial Chosen threw his head back, raised his long blade high, and screamed in frenzy: "Land Dragon Army, ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories! Ten thousand victories!"
Just like that, he began singing that impassioned military anthem once more, lost in the battlefield.
Laughing madly, he swung his hand.
He batted aside every single iron shard Xiao An threw, advancing step by step.
Yet suddenly, his footing stumbled.
A motorcycle parked on the roadside roared to life, accelerated without hesitation, and leaped into the air. Its heavy frame, weighing several hundred jin, flipped through the air and crashed straight toward Herbert—only to be cleanly sliced in two by his blade, erupting into a fireball!
Gasoline splashed and detonated, yet he seemed immune to the flames, not caring in the slightest.
His crimson eyes locked onto Ji Jue.
Blessing: Whirlwind Sweep gathered force once more and activated, charging through the bloody flames!
Then he collided head-on with an empty SUV. A massive crash echoed, and before he could regain his footing, Ji Jue gritted his teeth and pointed toward a nearby rusty road-maintenance truck.
*Crash him to death for me!!!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*
One vehicle after another. Ji Jue had completely abandoned all restraint. The bystanders had mostly fled anyway, so there was basically no need to worry about collateral damage.
Besides, he was doing work for an official bureau—who cared about compensating for this little bit of damage?!
The Security Bureau's footing the bill for everything today!
Amid the violent tremors, one deafening explosion followed another.
Tong Hua, watching from the side, was completely dumbstruck.
Until a resonant, blaring horn sounded from the distance, kicking up gale-force winds and a tremendous roar as its tires spun madly, barreling toward them.
She couldn't hold back a terrified shriek:
"Holy fuck—"
*Wait a minute, big bro, wait, calm down!*
*Who the hell is the one here to wreck Yacheng?!*
The grand finale was a whole tanker truck that Ji Jue had hijacked straight off the adjacent street!!!
A thread of quicksilver instantly shattered the window, yanked the terrified driver out, and tossed him aside. Ji Jue wiped the nosebleed caused by excessive spiritus consumption, feeling zero hesitation:
"Die for your grandpa!!!"
*BOOM!!!*
Amid the wreckage of countless vehicles, that figure was instantly engulfed.
In the tremendous collision, an explosion capable of shattering every window in the entire block tore through the air. Flames danced and geysered, a shockwave rippled out, and thick, billowing smoke surged into the sky.
The wild firelight vaulted upward, scorching the dusky clouds crimson.
Rolling waves of heat washed over them.
Tong Hua swallowed hard, her mouth dry. She turned back, hesitating to speak, only to see that Ji Jue hadn't stopped moving?!
He lowered his head and, without missing a beat, rummaged through the bed of Little Niuma to pull out... a six-barreled machine gun?!
Ever since the last time he'd merely stepped out the door and had a sniper rifle locked onto his head, whenever Ji Jue left the workshop, he made sure to bring along all his tools and gear.
He had Little Niuma anyway, so he didn't need to carry it himself.
After returning from the Border Realm, he'd only repaired this machine gun a few days ago, intending to drop it off with Sister Layla on his way back after helping out. He hadn't expected it to come in handy today.
Under Tong Hua's gaze, which looked as though she had seen a ghost, Ji Jue's hands moved fast enough to leave afterimages, pushing the speed of Masterwork Nature to its absolute limits in a place like this. Within just a few snaps of the fingers, he had assembled it atop a hardened quicksilver mount.
The muzzle was already raised, locking dead onto that dancing sea of flames and ruins.
"Wait, big bro, you..."
Tong Hua was flabbergasted. "What are you doing?"
Ji Jue's expression was grim. "Don't drop your guard. That's how every unlucky bastard in horror movies dies... Smoke means no damage, got it?"
Tong Hua opened and closed her mouth several times, utterly speechless.
*Goddammit, the ones who die in horror movies are a bunch of unlucky college students, not lunatics like you who blow up tanker trucks in the middle of the street!*
*What kind of decent person seamlessly transitions into a terrorist the moment they get worked up?!*
Yet immediately afterward, she heard it...
Footsteps coming from within the raging inferno.
One step, then another.
Staggering, a blurry figure that resembled a charred corpse dragged a broken, molten blade, emerging from the burning hell!
He was... still alive?!
Even though his body and blood had already been ignited.
"The voices... their... voices..."
Herbert instinctively stumbled forward, moving his eyes in dazed agony as he searched.
All the voices had vanished.
It was so quiet.
Yet when his melted eyes looked ahead, through his dazed hallucinations, he seemed to finally understand.
Fire.
It was fire.
At the end of this hellish nightmare, that magnificent tide filling the sky and covering the earth was so beautiful, like the crystallization of ruin and death.
That was the end of the road.
From his carbonized throat came a laugh that sounded like weeping.
Panting, he struggled forward, one step, then another...
Toward Ji Jue.
Yet now, Ji Jue was no longer afraid.
In that instant, someone had appeared beside him.
It was Lao Zhang.
Just like that, they watched the dying beast gradually crumble amid its mournful cries, his burning footsteps grinding to an abrupt halt halfway through.
Herbert fell backward, facing the sky.
In his dimming vision, the blood-red color across the heavens seemed to gradually fade.
The sunset was magnificent, the twilight clouds brilliant.
A severed arm lifted, clawing in vain toward the final ray of twilight.
And with that, he fell to pieces.
The never-ending war was over.
Finally, he could get a good night's sleep...
With the enemy dead, Lao Zhang glanced around the surroundings. Only after confirming there were no lingering threats did he pat Ji Jue on the shoulder.
"Not bad. I was just about to help, but you resolved it on your own?" he marveled. "Still, the scale's a bit over the top, isn't it?"
Looking at the exaggerated scene before him, he couldn't help patting his bald head.
The younger generation's capacity for causing trouble truly couldn't be underestimated. The moment he looked away, such a massive mess had been kicked up... Should he call it the waves behind pushing the waves ahead?
Back when he was young, busting his ass would only shatter a few walls at most. Yet these modern Celestial Chosen, one after another, looked like demolition crews.
It was bad enough that Wen Wen had no sense of restraint when fighting, but Ji Jue was actually starting to surpass his master.
He bared his teeth, mourning the wallet of Beishan District once again.
Times were going to be tough from here on out...
"Lao Zhang, how long have you been watching?" Ji Jue asked, snapping back to his senses.
"Just got here, just got here!"
Lao Zhang fanned his palm-leaf fan, dodging the question. "My, my, those Wild Gathering cleanup guys are truly a handful."
Right, a handful in the most literal, prickly sense, wasn't it?!
"Hey, didn't I just want to see how you'd perform? How can you grow without weathering the storm?"
*Grow? Me? Are you sure?*
Ji Jue's expression twitched, and he answered numbly, "In my experience, people who weather too many storms don't usually grow; they just get tossed around like flotsam."
With that, having recovered a sliver of spiritus, he pushed himself up, hopped down from the vehicle, and broke into a trot with his toolbox in hand.
Toward the deceased's final remains.
The corpse, the corpse—salvaging the corpse brooks no delay!!!
The moment someone drew their final breath and their spiritus dissipated, their blessings would begin to collapse. Who knew how much could still be salvaged? Seeing how crazy this guy had been, his blessings were likely top-tier ones that had undergone multiple qualitative shifts.
Besides, even if he were burned to ash, he could still be hauled back as crafting material—it had so many uses!
Every second counted.
Without Brother Ball by his side, he could only use quicksilver for emergency preservation, hoping the blessings wouldn't dissipate too quickly.
"Wait, wait, wait—"
Faster than him, surprisingly, was Tong Hua.
Suppressing her nausea and disgust, Tong Hua pinched her nose. After doing some mental preparation, she finally reached out toward the corpse.
Though a bit silly, naive, low on wits, headstrong, and not the sharpest tool in the shed, the radar cultivated in the Tong family—a clan full of Aether tricksters—still keenly picked up on something amiss.
It was just like an experienced reader whose brow would furrow at a critical plot point when the author suddenly shifted focus to a side story, a suspicion welling up inside: *Could this bastard be padding the word count?*
Eye of Aether: observe, lock on, capture.
Matrix: Yesterday Once More.
The moment Tong Hua's finger touched the severed finger of the mutilated limb, her expression changed drastically.
"Oh no!"
Lao Zhang's brow furrowed instantly. "What is it?"
"There's a problem. There's definitely a problem."
Tong Hua let go of her hand and said resolutely, "This man's corruption was artificially accelerated!"
"From the records of his physiological changes, looking back one month, he was in a manageable, stable state. He was probably undergoing treatment and using suppressants. Even though the quality was mediocre and the corruption couldn't be stopped, he was still in a stable period. As long as he took regular injections, he could maintain his condition.
"Yet today, the pace of corruption suddenly accelerated. Going from the stable phase to the acute phase took only half a day! That medicine definitely had issues. Moreover, before we arrived, there was abnormal interference and tampering in his Aether records. The gaps in his consciousness are very obvious, and he was crammed full of scrambled memories that can't be traced yet... It's Heart Pivot!"
She said, "A blessing from the Heart Pivot branch interfered with his consciousness, triggering his shell shock and throwing him into a stress reaction that directly accelerated the corruption process!"
The moment the words left her mouth, everyone fell silent.
Xiao An still seemed confused, and Ji Jue lacked the experience to react in time, but Lao Zhang's brow was already knit tight, his face gradually darkening.
A Swarm Celestial Chosen in the corruption phase, keeping his condition in check with tainted medicine and possessing a precarious mental state? At this exact juncture? Coming to Yacheng? And happening to get tangled up in the Wild Gathering's internal strife?
He was like a high-risk psychiatric patient deliberately released from an asylum into a public area. A slight provocation—a single word, a laugh, a loud bang, a signal—would demolish the final dam.
From the moment he stepped into Yacheng, he had become a ticking time bomb!!!
Or worse...
Ji Jue suddenly looked back, in disbelief: "Someone deliberately sent him to the Secur—"
"Xiao Ji—"
Lao Zhang cut him off before he could finish.
The moment Ji Jue understood, he immediately shut his mouth.
"Actually, you're mistaken."
After a brief pause, Lao Zhang said slowly, "Things aren't that complicated. We happened to run into these people fighting among themselves, presumed to be over an unfair split of the spoils. After a perilous struggle, we gunned down the fleeing Swarm mercenaries before they could become cornered beasts and cause further damage. No survivors.
"There's no need to mention unnecessary things in the report.
"Due to the severe destruction and collapses at the scene, the corpse was basically unrecoverable. Taking back two blades and a few weapons to seal as evidence will suffice.
"As for the 'other' things, if I recall, they're useful for the Path of Embers, aren't they?"
He looked meaningfully at Ji Jue. "Do me a favor and take them back with you. Handle them however you like, just do it quickly."
He clearly possessed a deep understanding of the methods of the Path of Embers. After materials underwent two or three rounds of processing, no matter how formidable an Aether user was, they wouldn't be able to read the original contents. Naturally, there would be no more need to worry.
At this point, noticing so many bizarre points and doubts, anyone who thought about it for a moment could sense that the conflict between the White Stags was no longer straightforward.
Or rather, from the very beginning, it hadn't been an accident.
The hand behind the curtain was faintly showing its trace.
But that had nothing to do with the Security Bureau.
They couldn't dig any deeper; they had to cut their losses in time.
What did the life-and-death struggle of a bunch of trash have to do with them? If the Wild Gathering blew up tomorrow, would the Security Bureau shed a single tear?
The top priority was to extricate Beishan District from this goddamn mess, wipe their hands clean, and ensure not a speck of filth clung to them.
They couldn't become the fuse, nor could they leave behind even a single spark.
Otherwise, if something else happened down the line, plenty of people would likely use Beishan District to make an issue of the Security Bureau.
The more troublesome and severe things became, the more people would want something else to divert attention and draw the spotlight. Whether it was people with hidden agendas or those wishing to resolve the trouble quickly, neither side would show mercy.
When that time came, the worst that could happen to Lao Zhang was retiring home to keep running his massage parlor. But for Wen Wen, Tong Hua, Xiao An, and even Ji Jue, who had come to help, the repercussions would be endless.
"I understand."
In that brief exchange of glances, Ji Jue caught on. "Then it just so happens I have nothing else to do. I'll help you 'retrieve' the surveillance footage."
Lao Zhang nodded.
Wordlessly, he patted Ji Jue's shoulder.
Having grasped his meaning, Tong Hua and Ji Jue immediately got to work.
Collecting physical evidence, preparing records, wrapping up the scene.
This was merely a routine mission dispatch: while investigating a vicious crime, Beishan District tracked down a squad of roaming criminals and neutralized them all.
Just like their work in the past, there was nothing unusual about it.
Everything was completely normal.
From the video recordings at the scene to the residual Aether, everything matched. It was just that the destruction caused was slightly on the larger side, leaving things somewhat incomplete, but it was still normal and beyond reproach.
As for the extra box in the bed of Little Niuma, no one cared.
After communicating the situation at the scene with the late-arriving police, directing them to set up cordons, and distributing the contact info for Beishan District's company to the insurance adjusters of those who suffered losses, Lao Zhang's work temporarily came to an end.
He unscrewed his oversized water bottle, tilted his head back, and chugged, chewing up the tea leaves that had been steeping all afternoon. Staring at the neon lights in the night, he suddenly let out a long sigh.
"Troubled times."
He reached out, ruffled Xiao An's hair, and said softly, "Head back once you're done."
"Okay."
Xiao An nodded.
Under that same night sky, on the other side of Yacheng, the commotion had only just begun.
Ten minutes earlier, Yacheng, Fanglan District, Mingyue Tower.
A bustling crowd.
Both sides of the street were decorated with lanterns and colored banners, looking full of festive joy.
"Uncle Hu, long time no see. Please come in, please."
"President Liu, we're old friends, why be so polite? Come on in."
Amid the coming and going of guests, Lei Yaoxing stood by the entrance, greeting the arriving visitors with a genial smile. Yet along both sides of the street stood emotionless, cold men, their icy gazes sweeping over every bystander who dared draw close.
After inviting the Chief Superintendent of the Fanglan District Police Station inside, someone hurried over to his side with small steps and whispered, "Over in Beishan District, it looks like there's a problem."
After listening, Lei Yaoxing nodded calmly, merely waving his hand. "Don't meddle. We'll talk after tonight."
Then, pasting the smile back on his face, he stepped forward to greet another guest.
"Big brother, this really doesn't seem like you. You're actually taking the initiative to negotiate?" Eleventh Sister, charming and coquettish, pushed past the men blocking the way and stepped up the stairs. "Did you manage to convince those uncles and elders to come back you up so quickly?"
"Dad is still in the hospital and isn't doing well. Visit him more when you have time."
Lei Yaoxing patted her hand. "We grew up together and are all family. What hurdle can't we overcome?"
"You really think you've got me in the bag?" Eleventh Sister sneered.
"What bag? Has your big brother ever mistreated you growing up?" Lei Yaoxing sighed softly, speaking with earnest sincerity. "When all is said and done, we're one family, and harmony brings prosperity. Today is very important to me. Do me this favor. Even if you want to fight to the death with Fourth and Seventh, there's no need to pick today. No matter how ugly things get, I still can't bear to see you unhappy. Have I ever touched that old house in Nanlu District?"
Eleventh Sister's expression stiffened for a moment, her eyes pitch-black, as though ready to devour someone.
Yet Lei Yaoxing merely patted her shoulder. "It's getting late. Go inside and take a seat. We'll talk about everything after dinner... Ah, Secretary Li, welcome, welcome."
He walked toward another person of his own accord, shaking hands warmly and inviting him inside.
The banquet hall was already bustling with noise. Familiar faces sat together, holding teacups and smiling at one another, though whenever they exchanged glances, there was always something unspeakable behind their eyes.
They couldn't help constantly glancing toward the entrance.
Until a black sedan pulled up outside. Stepping out was a round-faced, middle-aged man wearing stiff glasses. His build was somewhat chubby, looking practically like an enlarged version of Chen Yubo, only his skin was much darker. With a gentle smile, he waved to the surrounding crowd.
It was hard to imagine that this was the Wild Gathering tycoon who had indirectly triggered the White Stag civil war and the turmoil in Yacheng.
After four consecutive days of war, Chen Xingzhou had finally appeared in a public setting.
He looked toward the steps.
For a moment, Lei Yaoxing's gaze collided with his, yet there was neither anger nor malice; even their smiles didn't change in the slightest.
Those brief seconds made everyone hold their breath instinctively.
Until Lei Yaoxing took the initiative to walk down the steps, welcoming tonight's most important guest.
The two walked together, smiling.
Their hands clasped.
Gentle and steady, as though reflecting their former tacit cooperation.
"I didn't expect you to actually dare come,"
Lei Yaoxing sighed softly. "I underestimated you."
"The elders mediated, and you wanted to negotiate. How could I not come? I can't just sit and wait for death, can I?" Chen Xingzhou said indifferently. "Have you figured out how you're dealing with me today?"
"A guest is a guest. I'm not in the habit of laying hands on guests," Lei Yaoxing said. "Even if we can't come to an agreement, whatever happens can wait until after tonight."
With that, he extended a hand to lead the way.
Chen Xingzhou waved his hand, stopping Uncle Lin behind him from following, and walked up arm in arm with his host. The sight looked practically intimate.
Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, a soft, muffled sound rang out.
*Thump!*
Chen Xingzhou's footsteps froze in place.
Puzzled, he looked down.
He saw a trace of blood seeping from his chest. Confused, he lifted his head to look at Lei Yaoxing beside him. Instinctively, he grabbed onto him, opening his mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out.
Shock, numbness, confusion, then understanding.
Amid the surrounding chaos, his hand slipped away powerlessly, leaving behind only a crimson bloody print upon the pure white dress suit.
He fell backward.
Terrified screams rang out.
Just like those belated wails rising from pools of blood.
They had never stopped, persisting through the darkness, singing aloud in the slaughter between wolf and deer.
From beginning to end, the White Stag bore witness to it all.
The bloodstained curtain had officially been drawn...
Chapter 121