Chapter 182: Target, The Forbidden City
Chapter 182: Target, The Forbidden City
“You seven.”
The leader of the Special Cases Division stood on the rooftop. His eyes were fixed on the drifting clouds outside, his expression serious and completely free of his usual playful grin.
“Logistics & Security Division, North China Operations, South China Operations, East China Operations, Northwest Operations, Internal Mediation Division, Traitor Elimination Division. The leaders of all seven major branches are present, correct?”
“Confirmed.”
Sister Xue’s expression also turned grave. The others hadn’t lived as long as her, so they were unaware of what it truly signified whenever the Special Cases Division called all the branch leaders out alone. But she knew. It meant the division was about to face a massive, unprecedented storm powerful enough to potentially overturn the existing order.
“You seven are the finest among the finest. Ah Xue here has been with me the longest, right?”
“Yes, thirty-seven years.” Sister Xue smiled and nodded. “I watched you grow old like this. You were once as young as Siyuan.”
“That’s right. I also joined the division when I was just as young as this kid here.” The leader turned to look at Siyuan standing at attention. “What are you so nervous for? Relax!”
“Haven’t seen a gathering this… intense before.” Siyuan scratched his head awkwardly. “Is something wrong? I’m inexperienced, I don’t really understand.”
“Experience comes with time. You’ll get there.” Surprisingly, the big boss spoke with unusual gravity. “I gathered you all here today to tell you that I won’t be able to assist you at all for the next five years.”
“What?” Chen Ming, practically raised by the old man, seemed agitated by this news. “What’s going on?”
“Why are you getting worked up?” The old man coughed twice. “I’ve got a big thing to do! Can’t tell you what it is now, but you’ll probably find out in seven or eight years. Provided, of course, you all stay alive until then. Especially you!”
He pointed at Siyuan. “I can’t divine your fate. So your future is completely unknown. Tread carefully on your own path.”
“Why?” Siyuan was baffled too. “Why can’t my fate be read?”
“Because the Myriad Spirit Cards, things that exist outside the Five Elements themselves, have completely fused with you. I can’t even think of a way to divine your destiny.” The big boss spread his hands. “Listen, kid. Don’t be timid. When I joined, I was three years younger than you are now. Made head of South China in four months, became the headquarters’ strategist in five, and landed this top position in less than a year. What the hell is there to be afraid of?”
“Stop talking about those old days. The division only had about forty people back then.” Sister Xue was blunt. “Just tell us what you need to say.”
“Make arrangements? Sounds like a damn last will and testament. I’m not dying!” The old man clicked his tongue and said slowly, “Tomorrow, seven o’clock sharp. All of you, report to the Forbidden City. Guard it. Someone will meet you there.”
“Whoa, giving us a history lesson?” Chen Ming teased.
“Stop messing around, little bastard!” The old man kicked Chen Ming, making him stumble. He then clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the sea of clouds. “Everyone knows that less than a third of the Forbidden City is actually open to the public, right? Its Feng Shui? No need for me to explain why Liu Bowen chose that spot. There’s something… something there that cannot fall into the wrong hands. Tomorrow night, someone might try to steal it. Your job is to chase the thief away.”
“You’re a joker, old man! You know that?” Chen Ming, irreverent as ever, scoffed. “If I were as green as Siyuan here, I might actually have been fooled. You’re telling me this is just some petty thief? Yet you summoned all seven of the very strongest? Who exactly are you kidding?”
“You little runts dare call yourselves the strongest? If Old Li were here, you’d be nothing but practice dummies. Out of all of you, Siyuan’s the only one I hold any real hope for. The rest of you… well, this is pretty much your peak.” He casually fished out a cigarette from Chen Ming’s pocket. “Just be careful. Only you seven know I won’t be around anymore from now on. From here on out, discuss things among yourselves. For general matters, consulting Little Dragon Maiden should suffice. She’s gentle, but in terms of experience, none of you hold a candle to her.”
Who could argue with that? Experience was the accumulation of time. Who could rival a thousand-year-old monstrous being? This deep reservoir of wisdom gained over time couldn’t just be inherited, not even by someone like Siyuan who’d received power directly.
“Seven o’clock tomorrow night. Stay here tonight. Rest up. Especially you, Siyuan. Little Dragon Maiden said you’ve been pushing yourself to the brink lately.”
“I’ve been alright, really.”
“Listen here! No matter how bad things seem, it isn’t the end of the world. Running yourself into the ground just leads to a vicious cycle. Even if your beard is catching fire, you need a good sleep! Other people… ah, right, Earthworm! Were you raised eating crap?”
Earthworm was the head of North China Operations. His real name was Qiu Yin, hence the nickname ‘Earthworm’… and he’d been catching endless flak recently. Most of the missing children were abducted from the central regions – his jurisdiction. He seemed utterly clueless about such large-scale trafficking to the point he’d already received an ultimatum: one more such incident, and he’d be demoted to feeding pigs in the kitchen supplies unit.
So, getting singled out like this, he had nothing to say.
“Imbecile! Shape the hell up next time! Alright. Off you go now. Rest. The days ahead… they’re on your shoulders now.”
Watching the old man’s figure gradually fade into the sunset, Siyuan was suddenly overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. The abrupt weight of this responsibility left him feeling bewildered. He had always walked the path steadfastly, living the dream from his childhood – the dream of transforming into a hero, defeating dangerous monsters, and saving people. He never had to overthink things. But this time… realizing he’d become a key decision-maker overnight felt suffocating.
Meanwhile, far away, in a villa within a small resort in Sanya, Hainan, Boss Zuo Mingxuan received a bizarre visitor. This person radiated a thick cloud of Deathly Energy and carried a soul-chilling stench right to Zuo Mingxuan’s doorstep.
Zuo Mingxuan answered the door wearing an apron, a kitchen knife in hand. The scent of stewed meat wafted from one burner, another source gently warmed milk, and sticks of corn steamed inside an electric rice cooker.
“You are Zuo Mingxuan?”
The person’s face seemed hidden within shadow, indistinct.
“Who are you looking for?” Zuo Mingxuan tilted his head, eyeing the individual who might as well have had “VILLAIN” written on their forehead. He couldn’t possibly take them seriously. “This is private property. And my name isn’t Zuo Mingxuan. It’s Zhang Ade.”
“You’re lying to me. Your eyes betray your heart.”
“Yeah, yeah. My eyes always betray my heart. If you don’t leave now, I’ll call the police.”
Zuo Mingxuan worked hard to mimic the reaction of any normal person in this situation, all the while silently calculating this individual’s background. The sheer foulness radiating from their Soul screamed “dangerous operator.”
Just as he was contemplating, the black-clad figure lashed out suddenly! Their left hand twisted into a claw, thrusting straight for Zuo Mingxuan’s heart! And who was Zuo Mingxuan? Someone even Fox, the powerful deity, couldn’t subdue quickly! An attack of this level barely registered. The instant before contact, his body turned into a grey-black, insubstantial shadow drifting backward, instantly re-solidifying. And before the attacker could retract their hand, Zuo Mingxuan was already behind them. Mirroring the attack, he formed his own hand into a blade and drove it straight towards the intruder’s heart.
A dull thump echoed as the person’s chest was torn open. Yet, they seemed completely unharmed. Turning their head, they looked back at Zuo Mingxuan and laughed heartily. “Zuo Mingxuan! Truly as powerful as the legends say!”
They slowly stepped forward. Zuo Mingxuan’s hand, embedded in their chest, slid out of the wound. Astonishingly, his hand was perfectly clean, unstained by any filth.
“One more step, and death is the only option.”
Zuo Mingxuan’s expression instantly froze over. “Did you really think a Rakshasa Body would work against me?”
“Of course not. But you cannot harm me either.” The figure laughed, walking past him into the room. Their eyes fell upon little Zuo Xiaoqing playing with a ball on the living room floor. “Hah… this girl is truly…”
Before the sentence finished, they were suddenly enveloped by immense Spiritual Power! Bound rigidly in place! Then, just as suddenly, they became incorporeal, dissipating and reforming to the side. Yet before they could find their footing, a black vortex inexplicably materialized above them and swallowed them whole.
“Off you go to play over there.” Zuo Mingxuan clapped his hands dismissively. “A nobody like you dares to challenge me?”
But before he could turn back to his cooking, a chill shot up his spine. Instinctively, he shifted slightly to his left. A jet-black claw grazed past his neck!
“Impressive reflexes, Zuo Mingxuan.”
This time, Zuo Mingxuan had no choice but to become serious. He turned, fixing his gaze on the figure, narrowing his eyes and lowering his voice dangerously. “Do not push me truly.”
“Naturally. We are not enemies.” The figure pulled out a shimmering orb from their robes and placed it on a table. “I need to find its pair. You know what this is.”
“The Kirin Eye? The other one is at the Forbidden City.”
“I know your ambitions. So, upon success, I’m willing to give you only one.”
“But then you still only have one? Are you insulting my intelligence?”
“If we cooperate…” The figure placed the orb down firmly. “…or perhaps I’ll give you both. I merely wish to borrow their combined power. Believe it or not, that choice is yours.”
Zuo Mingxuan now began scrutinizing this man intently. The ability to tear through space was not common. As he focused, he noticed it – countless faintly shimmering filaments of Spiritual Power crisscrossing the man’s form.
He stretched out a finger, almost imperceptibly brushing one of these nearly invisible threads. That’s when he understood. No wonder this thing could breach spatial barriers; it wasn’t a physical being at all! Just a puppet controlled from afar. Zuo Mingxuan chose not to expose this, merely smiling. “How do you propose we cooperate?”
“I anticipate that acquiring the object will not be simple. But with you… hindering the defenders outside… it should become manageable.”
“Fine.”
Zuo Mingxuan agreed without hesitation. “Tomorrow night, seven o’clock. We meet there.”
“Someone of your stature doesn’t lie. I know your weakness.”
“Good. You know.” Zuo Mingxuan spread his hands, smiling faintly. “I have many weaknesses.”
“I hope you keep to the arrangement.”
“Without fail.”
As soon as the figure vanished, Zuo Mingxuan quietly closed the door. He chuckled softly to himself. “I have no interest in cooperating with something like you. You’re not qualified.”
Finished, he pulled out his phone. Surprisingly, he pulled up Siyuan’s number and dialed it.
Siyuan was just then having dinner with the other six top members of Special Cases. Suddenly, an unknown caller ID flashed on his phone. Glancing around the table, he raised the handset to his ear. “Hello?”
“Long time no see.”
Siyuan’s eyes immediately widened, his teeth grinding. “Zuo Mingxuan!”
“Oh? Seems you still remember me quite vividly.”
“Answer me! Did you have anything to do with those missing children?”
“Me? I was the one who leaked that information. But whether I was involved? You can go ahead and blame me, sure.” Zuo Mingxuan sounded utterly nonchalant, infuriating Siyuan.
“Tell me the truth! Was it you or not?!”
“If you can’t even figure out whether it was me, you’ve proven disappointing, Qi Siyuan.” Zuo Mingxuan sighed. “Regardless, here’s the issue: tomorrow night, seven o’clock. You’d better be inside the Forbidden City. Otherwise… quite a few of your people are likely to die. Many.”
“What!?”
Siyuan was stunned. “Why?”
“You’ll know at that time. Alright, enough for now. I need to heat some milk for Xiaoqing. Tomorrow? I might drop by to enjoy the show. Try to catch me.” Zuo Mingxuan’s voice dripped with challenge. “Oh, and bring more people. That… individual… you alone wouldn’t be more than a snack for it.”
The call abruptly ended. Lowering his phone, Siyuan faced the others who had all been straining to listen. He frowned deeply. “You all heard. Tomorrow’s operation…”
“Hmm… Seems he knows something.” Little Dragon Maiden put down her bowl, leaning back in her chair. “Judging by his tone, he isn’t the one we’ll be facing tomorrow night.”
“I have a sudden feeling…” Siyuan narrowed his eyes. “This situation… it isn’t Zuo Mingxuan’s doing.”
“Regardless if it’s him or not, he’s certainly no saint.”
Siyuan felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him. So this was likely the storm the Boss had foreseen? It all made sense – the unprecedented recall of the division’s seven strongest members.
“A tough fight is brewing.”
Surprisingly, Chen Ming seemed eager as he said it. “By the way, HQ just radioed in. The entire Forbidden City is shutting down tomorrow. They’re already scrambling to move things out.”
“But then… what exactly is he trying to take? If they’re moving everything out, what’s left to guard against?” Siyuan sounded genuinely puzzled.
“How can you ask such a rookie question?” Chen Ming picked his teeth nonchalantly with a toothpick. “One answer: Dragon Veins in the Feng Shui layout. How do you move those? Pretty dense, aren’t you?”