Chapter 47: The Real Mission

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Real Mission

"..."

Jixiang Hall was deathly quiet; no one uttered a word. The patrons were frozen in shock, their chopsticks suspended in mid-air. Everything had unfolded far too quickly. The extreme reversal of the situation was completely contrary to what they had expected. Jia Kaihu had been reduced to a pitiful wretch in an instant, while the pale-faced youth had suddenly transformed into a Cannibal Flood Dragon.

"Holy shit, he’s a true Overseas Dragon!"

"He doesn’t look that old. Is he even eighteen? How is he this powerful?"

"Jia Kaihu is already at the Middle Tier Eighth Grade. Could this youth be at the High Tier Eighth Grade, or even the Eighth Grade Peak?"

"Such a young Eighth Grade Peak Martial Artist must have an extraordinary background."

"Jia Kaihu really messed with the wrong guy."

"Why do I feel like this youth is in danger? Jia Kaihu’s older brother, Jia Chenglong, is a Seventh Grade expert and is fiercely protective of his own..."

Moments later, the restaurant erupted into feverish discussion. The crowd speculated about the youth’s origins and whether Jia Chenglong would come to avenge his younger brother—and what the outcome would be if he did. Regardless of what happened next, it was bound to be a spectacular show.

"Hmph!" Mu Lingche wiped his shoes on Jia Kaihu’s clothes, stepped out of Jixiang Hall, and stood right by the entrance.

"The youth hasn’t left. What is he planning to do?"

"Is he waiting for Jia Chenglong to arrive?"

"Does he have powerful backing, or is he just hopelessly arrogant and overestimating himself?"

The diners inside the restaurant began to guess once more.

On the second floor.

Jiang Hongfei’s pupils contracted slightly before he couldn’t help but tease, "Young Master Su is truly violent. His strikes were ruthless and merciless."

"Su the Ninth’s" strength was even greater than he had imagined. In truth, he completely agreed with how "Su the Ninth" handled the situation; if it were him, he would have done the same. It was just that his own strength fell far short, so he would have had to resort to a different method.

"Young Master Su is incredibly strong," Liu Zhi marvelled. With such power, he likely had few rivals below the Seventh Grade. As expected of someone from the Grand General’s Mansion.

Yu Qiuyang remained silent, but he had truly witnessed Mu Lingche’s capabilities and the vast gap between them. Being from a top Noble Family wasn’t just empty talk. The differences in their bloodlines, innate talents, Cultivation Techniques, and resources were simply too immense.

Lu Yuan was the calmest among them. He had already expected as much, using the little freak Lin Siheng as a reference and having previously exchanged blows with Mu Lingche’s older sister, Mu Lingyan. Although Mu Lingyan hadn’t used a single ounce of Inner Strength at the time, he could still gauge her level of power. Mu Lingche was his target to surpass before reaching the Seventh Grade. He planned to defeat him within two months...

"Hurry up and eat. We need full stomachs to get to work," Chen Qiang urged.

There was absolutely no need to worry about the trouble that young lord caused. Besides...

"The Jia Brothers, Jia Kaihu and Jia Chenglong, are the targets of our operation tonight. We’ll take the guy away later."

"Ah? This..." Liu Zhi was astonished.

The others’ expressions shifted as well. Did this mean Chen Qiang’s choice to eat here had been premeditated? Looking at it from another angle, if they had been the ones to go downstairs, wouldn’t they have been the ones facing Jia Kaihu? Just because Mu Lingche could handle him easily didn’t mean they could. Chen Qiang looked completely loyal and simple-minded, but he actually possessed quite a bit of cunning...

The five of them quickly finished their meal and headed downstairs.

Even now, Jia Chenglong hadn’t shown up. Jia Kaihu was still lying on the ground, completely immobilized. Had it not been for the robust Life Force of an Eighth-Grade Martial Artist, he likely would have died already.

"You, carry him," Chen Qiang said, pointing a finger at Yu Qiuyang.

Yu Qiuyang frowned, wondering why it had to be him. Was he the weakest, or just the easiest to bully? However, Chen Qiang’s earlier revelation had already shown that he was not a simple man and could not be easily defied. Therefore, Yu Qiuyang had no choice but to obediently comply.

"These people..."

"Which Sect are they from?"

"Every single one of them looks extraordinary..."

"Are the Jia Brothers the target of a vendetta?"

The attitudes of the patrons in Jixiang Hall shifted once more. It turned out it wasn’t just one youth, but five, and none of them looked simple. The Jia Brothers had truly hit a brick wall this time. With such an impressive lineup, they could only be from a Sect or the internal academy of a great Noble Family.

Mu Lingche was still standing at the entrance. The sky outside had already darkened, and curfew was fast approaching. Nevertheless, several young women nearby could be seen stealing glances at Mu Lingche and whispering among themselves.

This made Mu Lingche rather uncomfortable. In the past, he had only interacted with Young Ladies of Noble Families, who were relatively reserved and well-behaved. Now, he had truly experienced the unbridled enthusiasm of the common folk.

"Let’s get out of here quickly!" Mu Lingche urged as soon as he saw the five approaching.

"Yeah," Chen Qiang nodded. "Bringing you five along is a real hassle. Each one of you is more handsome and eye-catching than the last. Will you all have to wear masks for future missions, or will we only be able to operate at night?"

The five youths grimaced. It was true; they stood out far too much. However, when they went on missions, it mostly involved direct combat. They wouldn’t have the leisure to sit down in a shop and eat meat, so their appearances wouldn’t matter that much. Besides, wasn’t Chen Qiang the one trying to scheme against them just now?

"I’ll wear a mask next time," Lu Yuan said with a quick laugh.

"I’ll mask up too," Liu Zhi chimed in.

"Tch." Jiang Hongfei cast a disdainful glance at the two of them. They might be handsome, but their looks were only average.

The six of them swiftly departed.

The curfew only restricted ordinary citizens; it didn’t affect the Demon Suppression Bureau in the slightest. In fact, the Demon Suppression Bureau specialized in catching people or demonic entities who dared to roam freely after curfew.

"There’s a syndicate in the Jade Capital that traffics outsiders into the city and abducts children from the Fourth Ring of the Jade Capital to sell outside. They are incredibly brazen and their crimes are heinous," Chen Qiang began, outlining their mission. "Our objective tonight is to capture and eradicate this group. The Jia Brothers, Jia Chenglong and Jia Kaihu, are part of this syndicate. Our squad’s target is Jia Chenglong’s freight station. There will likely be a fierce battle later, so all of you need to be careful..."

Human trafficking.

Everyone’s expressions changed. There was a slave trade in Daqian. With the abundance of powerful nobles and wealthy clans in the Jade Capital, there was a high demand for servants, and they were frequently purchased. But those were legal slaves—mostly prisoners of war or the descendants of criminal families. Those sold into the Jade Capital from the outside were mostly adult laborers, Martial Artists, or exceptionally good-looking and talented children.

However, kidnapping children from Jade Capital City to sell outside was simply lawless and deranged. This implied that the people they trafficked into the city were likely kidnapped as well. Therefore, this syndicate was absolutely unforgivable and deserved nothing less than the death penalty.

"Boss, whatever you say, we’ll do it!" Liu Zhi said through gritted teeth.

"Agreed. Give the orders," Lu Yuan nodded.

"Alright. The freight station has a total of..." Chen Qiang pulled out a rough map and immediately began to strategize.

...

Meanwhile, at the Longyun Escort Agency, in a secret room beneath the warehouse.

CRACK!

CRACK!

CRACK!

A middle-aged man of average build—with a simian face, slanted eyes, and a predatory, wolf-like gaze—was relentlessly lashing a child tied to a wooden frame with a leather whip. Every strike drew blood, tearing the flesh open. The child didn’t struggle and had long since stopped reacting.

"This is what you get for trying to run! Trying to escape! Wasting my time! Delaying my business!"

He shifted his gaze to the side, where over a dozen other children, ranging from three to eight years old, were huddled together, trembling in sheer terror.

"Do you see this? From now on, anyone who dares to run away will meet the same fate!" Jia Chenglong spat viciously. "Drag him out and feed him to the dogs!"

"Yes, Chief Escort!" Someone immediately went to carry out the order.

Jia Chenglong wiped the blood from his hands and stepped out of the underground secret room.

"Boss, the Second Master hasn’t returned yet."