Chương 54: A delegation from the National Martial Arts Hall headquarters arrived; Wei Chongshan, a m

"General—! Are you here?"

Anxious shouts pierced through the thick night fog.

Before long, beams of light from several powerful flashlights pierced the darkness like sharp swords, followed by a chaotic yet hurried sound of footsteps and the flickering light of torches.

Yan Tang took the lead, leading a team of fully armed soldiers to the vicinity of the cave.

"I'm here," came Chu Zhaoxue's calm and powerful voice.

Hearing that familiar voice, Yan Tang's tense nerves instantly relaxed. She quickly stepped forward and, by the firelight, saw Chu Zhaoxue's unharmed figure: "General! It's so good that you're alright!!"

Immediately afterwards, her gaze swept to the back of Chu Zhaoxue. When she saw Cang Lian, who was also in perfect condition and whose spirit was even more refined than before, Yan Tang's pupils shrank slightly, and a hint of undisguised surprise flashed in her eyes.

Along their journey, they found countless dried corpses on the outskirts of Misty Swamp Town, including many powerful martial artists and even the remains of Chu Xiao's elite troops.

In such a brutal battlefield, even a Grandmaster of Internal Energy perished. How could Cang Lian, whose martial arts cultivation was not high, survive and stay by the general's side?

"General!"

Behind them, the soldiers of Chu Xiao's camp shouted excitedly when they saw Chu Zhaoxue, their enthusiasm and trust for the return of their leader was palpable.

"Hmm." Chu Zhaoxue nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over everyone. She made a decisive decision: "This place is not safe to linger. Reorganize the team and return to camp tonight!"

On the return journey, the group moved very quickly.

Yan Tang followed beside Chu Zhaoxue and reported in a low voice, "By the way, General, there's something I must tell you. The National Martial Hall headquarters sent someone; they just arrived at the base yesterday."

At this point, Yan Tang's expression turned somewhat grim: "He's a master of internal energy cultivation. I don't know him, but he doesn't seem to have any good intentions."

"Hmph, you have a keen sense of smell, you're still up to no good." Chu Zhaoxue sneered, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, clearly having already anticipated their intentions.

……

The group traveled in military vehicles and finally arrived at the National Martial Hall base the following morning.

The heavy metal gate slowly opened, and the familiar atmosphere of the base rushed out.

Cang Lian is a nobody, unable to get involved in those big events, and doesn't want to show his face in front of those important figures.

Upon returning to the base, he did not immediately go to the mission hall to collect his merits, but instead went back to his dormitory.

Close the door to shut out the noise from the outside world.

Cang Lian sat cross-legged on the bed, his mind replaying Chu Zhaoxue's guidance from the past two days.

Those insights about exerting force and about killing are more valuable than any achievement.

He closed his eyes and began to race against time to comprehend and digest this opportunity gained from the brink of life and death.

……

The general's office is on the top floor of the command building.

The heavy mahogany door was pushed open, and Chu Zhaoxue, dressed in military uniform, strode in.

Inside the office, a middle-aged man was already seated.

He was dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, his figure as upright as a pine tree. Even just sitting there quietly, he exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

That was the sharp aura cultivated from years of holding high positions and wielding the power of life and death.

This person was none other than Wei Chongshan, a powerful expert from the headquarters of the National Martial Arts Hall.

"Zhaoxue, we meet again."

Upon seeing Chu Zhaoxue enter, Wei Chongshan's originally stern and imposing face instantly broke into a seemingly gentle smile, like that of a kind elder: "The last time we parted was at the awarding ceremony three years ago, wasn't it? I never expected that in just three years, you would have already stepped into the Gang Jin realm. You are truly a formidable young talent."

Chu Zhaoxue didn't even lift her eyelids at this set of insincere pleasantries.

She walked straight to the head seat behind the desk, sat down, took off her leather gloves, and threw them on the table with a crisp "smack".

"Wei Chongshan, skip the formalities." Chu Zhaoxue leaned back, her gaze piercing like a knife.

"You're here for the Blood God Pearl, aren't you?"

Wei Chongshan's smile froze slightly, then returned to normal. He nodded and said, "Since you guessed it, I won't hide it from you anymore. Headquarters has given me a strict order to personally escort this Blood God Pearl back."

He paused, then adopted a compassionate tone: "After all, this bead is far too evil and bizarre. If it falls into the wrong hands or is mishandled, a second or third Blood God Cult might be born, causing widespread suffering and calamity to the world."

"Don't try to intimidate me with your grand principles."

Chu Zhaoxue tapped her fingers lightly on the table and said coldly, "I can tell you clearly that you cannot take the Blood God Pearl with you. Moreover, this thing is a million times safer in my hands than in anyone else's."

Wei Chongshan frowned slightly, his tone turning serious: "Zhaoxue, you haven't forgotten the rules of the National Martial Hall, have you? All rare treasures obtained during missions must be handed over unconditionally. Could it be... you intend to keep them for yourself?"

"rule?"

Chu Zhaoxue scoffed, leaning forward, and an aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness no less powerful than Wei Chongshan's erupted instantly: "Have you forgotten one of the rules? The executor of the mission has the first priority to exchange! I killed the Blood God Cult leader, so this Blood God Pearl is my spoils of war!"

"I'm willing to exchange the Grade A merit points I earned from killing the Blood God Cult Leader for this Blood God Pearl. I'll send a telegram to headquarters shortly to inform them of this!"

Seeing that Chu Zhaoxue remained unmoved, Wei Chongshan finally dropped his pretense of kindness, his face darkening: "Chu Zhaoxue, let me be frank. This bead is something a very important person above specifically requested. Your youthful vigor is commendable, but do you really want to offend that person for something of value?"

"How could I offend you?" Chu Zhaoxue flicked her nails nonchalantly.

"I'm just following the rules. I'm very interested in this Blood God Pearl; I'm going to keep it for research. It doesn't matter who comes."

"Is there really no room for negotiation?" Wei Chongshan slowly stood up, his body surging with qi, and the air in the room seemed to freeze instantly, making it so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"What? You want to lay a hand on me?"

Chu Zhaoxue remained seated, motionless, a bloodthirsty smile playing on her lips, her eyes instantly turning extremely dangerous: "Last time, that good-for-nothing Hong Lie escaped with his life, albeit by a flash. But today, if you dare to make a move in this room..."

"I, Chu Zhaoxue, assure you, your claws will remain in this base forever!"

boom!

Two terrifying, powerful energies collided silently in the cramped office, causing documents to rustle and the windowpanes to groan under the strain.

Wei Chongshan's expression changed repeatedly, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

He stared intently into Chu Zhaoxue's fearless eyes, weighing the pros and cons for a long time before finally suppressing his surging energy.

This is Chu Zhaoxue's territory, and the area outside is full of her loyal followers. If a fight breaks out, I might not come out on top.

"Very well, very well." He said "very well" three times in a row, his tone cold.

"Truly worthy of being the once-in-a-century prodigy of our Martial Hall, you have personality and courage. But Chu Zhaoxue, you must understand, strength is easily broken. I'll go back to report this time. You'd better take care of yourself!"

After saying that, he snorted coldly and turned away.

"I won't see you out!" Chu Zhaoxue coldly uttered two words, and only after his figure completely disappeared through the door did the sharp aura emanating from him slowly dissipate.

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