When Yu Xian found Gong Qian, she was squatting behind a tree outside the military encampment, a petite figure weeping softly.
Though the two of them had known each other for less than a day, Yu Xian knew very well that despite her outwardly tough demeanor, Gong Qian possessed a soft and gentle heart. To her, the members of the Crime-Purging Squad were not merely teammates; they were family—her older brothers and sisters.
From the information provided by the Wickedness-Cleaving Squad, the members of the Crime-Purging Squad had indeed doted on Gong Qian like a younger sister, especially the women, who were always finding excuses to kiss and hug her.
Although Yu Xian was very worried about Jin Sheng, Zhang Shou was treating him, so there shouldn't be any mortal danger. Thus, after a moment's hesitation, he had decided to come look for Gong Qian.
Right now, Gong Qian needed someone by her side even more.
He squatted down beside Gong Qian, quietly keeping her company.
"I clearly told them to retreat... I told them not to look back..." Gong Qian buried her face between her knees, shielding her forehead with her hands as she choked out through tears.
Yet when the members of the Crime-Purging Squad saw her swatted away by Deimos's blow, every single one of them had changed direction, intending to circle around Deimos to find her. In the end, they were wiped out in an instant by a pillar of fire erupting from the ground halfway there. Only one girl, whose leg had been crushed by falling rock, was pushed clear of the fire pillar by the teammate supporting her, miraculously surviving.
Yu Xian listened in silence. He had no comforting words to offer, nor did he wish to offer platitudes. He simply listened quietly, staying by her side.
After an hour passed, Gong Qian stood up, sniffled, and whispered, "Thank you. I'm going to see Sister Fenfen."
With that, she walked off.
Yu Xian waited for a while after she departed before getting up. A bubble appeared in his palm. He stepped into the bubble, and a second later, emerged at the field hospital. Stepping out of the bubble, he sat down on a chair outside the operating room, waiting quietly.
That afternoon, Zhang Shou emerged from Jin Sheng's operating room and sat down wearily next to Yu Xian, without the slightest trace of a smile on his aged face.
"Is the captain's injury very severe?" Yu Xian asked upon seeing him.
Zhang Shou nodded. "Not just severe—critically severe. Even worse than Captain Gong Qian's poisoning. According to Doctor Wang, the demonic power inside the captain is exceptionally advanced, and it's completely incompatible with the captain's own energy, like fire and water. Because of that, they're locked in a fight to the death. I can only treat his external injuries. This fragile balance can only be managed by the captain himself; otherwise, once the balance breaks, he'll die even faster."
His Touch of Healing could indeed slowly purge the demonic power within Jin Sheng, but doing so would disrupt that delicate equilibrium, and Jin Sheng could drop dead in a matter of minutes.
Consequently, he could only treat some external wounds, spending the rest of the time following Doctor Wang to learn how to handle such situations.
"Right, Salty Fish, is Zhou Tai dead?" Zhang Shou suddenly recalled the true objective of this operation and immediately asked.
Yu Xian shook his head. "I don't know. Didn't the minister say external forces intervened?"
The two Zhou Tais he captured had already been handed over to relevant personnel yesterday. Where they were now, he had no idea, but he had a feeling that Zhou Tai probably hadn't been thoroughly wiped out.
"I better not find out who it was, or I'll definitely kill them!" Zhang Shou clenched his fists and said grimly. If external forces hadn't intervened, Yu Bo wouldn't have died, and the captain wouldn't be critically injured.
Yu Xian gave an affirmative hum, committing the matter to memory in silence.
He knew very well that any entity capable of breaching heavy cordons and an array barrier to enter the lockdown zone had to possess formidable strength or backing. Right now, he was certainly no match for them, but once he had time to grow stronger, that wouldn't necessarily remain true.
Around four o'clock, Doctor Wang asked Zhang Shou to treat Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.
Though their injuries were considerable, there was no foreign energy interfering, making them relatively easy to heal. After Zhang Shou cast four skills in succession, the two had made a full recovery.
Since Silver City was unable to treat Jin Sheng's injuries, a military transport picked him up at dusk to fly him to Yanjing for treatment. Picked up alongside him was Tianshu, captain of the Monster-Slaying Squad.
Tianshu was also severely injured; back then, his own teammates had carried him away on their shoulders.
However, his condition was the aftereffect of burning his vital essence, exhausting his potential and lifespan. Silver City simply lacked adequate medical resources; once in Yanjing, there would be plenty of ways to replenish those losses.
Come nightfall.
Zhang Shou and Yu Xian took a car back to Silver City. Both felt a heavy weight in their hearts, yet their minds had matured through the experience.
As the car entered Silver City and they looked upon the countless glowing windows, Zhang Shou couldn't help pulling over. Looking at the lights of the distant apartment buildings, he hadn't thought much of it in the past, but now he saw it in a new light.
For everyone to enjoy a peaceful life in Silver City, countless people behind the scenes were laying down their lives to protect it.
"Salty Fish, to think we could grow up safe and sound all these years... how many people bore the heavy burden in our place, and how many gave their lives like Brother Bo?" Zhang Shou said to Yu Xian, gazing at the silhouettes cast against window curtains by the lights nearby.
Yu Xian shook his head. "I don't know. But surely many, many, many."
"I can't sleep. How about we grab a midnight snack together?" Zhang Shou wiped his eyes and said to Yu Xian.
Yu Xian smiled faintly. "I actually know a good spot. Let's roll!"
At night, other districts were shut down; only the streets in the east of the city where Transcendents gathered had shops open. The two drove to the eastern district and pulled up at an open-air food stall.
They ordered an assortment of stir-fries and skewers, and even made sure to order spicy blood stew suitable for vampires. As they ate, soaking in the bustling warmth of ordinary life around them, they gradually felt grounded in the mortal world again, as if everything from the past two days were suddenly distant and far away.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, they decided to take a drive around Silver City.
With Zhang Shou at the wheel and Yu Xian cracking the window to catch the cool breeze, neither spoke, quietly enjoying the fleeting peace.
Suddenly, Yu Xian glanced toward the bushes. A bubble shot out instantly and returned carrying the carcass of a weasel. After that, he casually eliminated every transcendent creature he spotted along the way, gathering a large bubble full of them before he even realized it.
"Seems like there are quite a few transcendent creatures tonight," Zhang Shou couldn't help remarking as he looked at the various transcendent creature carcasses inside the bubble.
Yu Xian surmised, "It might be related to the lockdown zone. A disturbance that massive was bound to affect many creatures."
"But where did they get in from?" Zhang Shou complained.
Yu Xian guessed, "Probably some kind of spatial ability. For example, I could easily enter and leave Silver City right now using bubbles."
Before returning to the city, he had placed bubbles in quite a few places, and with the battalion commander's permission, he had also left three bubbles in the military encampment. So now he didn't need to pass through the city gate inspections; he could leave the city anytime, anywhere.
Just then, an SUV bearing a combat police insignia drove toward them, and both vehicles pulled up alongside each other.
Zhang Kai, the team leader of the tactical police unit, stuck his head out the car window and beamed upon spotting Yu Xian. "Student Yu Xian, Student Zhang Shou! So it's you two. I was wondering who was cruising this road in the middle of the night—thought I'd hooked a big fish."
"Good evening, Captain Zhang. We just couldn't sleep, so we came out for some fresh air. Oh, by the way, we hunted these transcendent creatures on the way. Add them to the menu for the older brothers and sisters in the unit!" Yu Xian smiled, sending the transcendent creatures out from the car.
Zhang Kai's eyes lit up. Rolling down the rear window to take in the transcendent creatures, he chuckled, "Whoa, that many? You're far too kind. I couldn't possibly!"
*If you're embarrassed, then don't take them!*
Yu Xian and Zhang Shou watched Zhang Kai's performance with amusement.
After chatting for a bit, they said their goodbyes, and the two vehicles drove past each other.
"Captain Zhang and his folks don't have it easy either."
Zhang Shou watched the police vehicle leave in the rearview mirror and sighed with feeling.
For Silver City's peace, the tactical police unit had sacrificed a great deal as well. Across the country, countless combat police died in the line of duty every year. In the past, he had merely admired them; only now could he truly appreciate just how difficult it was.
They were no longer distant news stories or cold statistics, but living, breathing human beings of flesh and blood.
Chapter 51