Evil Wind Adept

Evil Wind Adept

Ji Xinghuo sat inside the cabin of an aerospace fighter.

Two Sharp Sword Bureau swordsmen sat beside him, watching him closely without relaxing for even a second.

Ji Zongbang's corpse lay on the floor before him. Min Chongwu crouched beside it, inspecting the body with great interest, clicking his tongue from time to time.

He stood up and pulled an arrow from Ji Xinghuo's bow case. Looking at its not particularly sharp arrowhead, he could not help shaking his head.

"You killed Ji Zongbang with this kind of training arrow?"

Ji Xinghuo responded with silence.

"Before seeing the surveillance footage myself, I still wouldn't have believed it." Min Chongwu sat down across from Ji Xinghuo on the other side of the cabin. "Judging only from the corpse, if you told me a Super Ranger killed him, I wouldn't have doubted it at all."

Ji Xinghuo still showed little reaction.

"When did you become an Aberrant?" Min Chongwu asked, then suddenly turned and started cursing. "What the hell are those people in Information doing? Why haven't they pulled up the file after all this time?"

One of the swordsmen replied, "They said they just received clearance and are reviewing it now."

Min Chongwu turned back. "Hey, why aren't you talking?"

"Didn't you just say I should watch my words and actions?"

"That was for other people."

Min Chongwu slapped his hand impatiently. His eyes shifted as he took out the Ability Seed sealed in a refrigerated test tube and smiled. "I know you're unhappy. But if you want your Rotating Magnetic Field back, you'd better improve your attitude. Answer whatever I ask."

Ji Xinghuo nodded faintly, but still emphasized, "Ownership of this Ability Seed belongs to me. Even if you're from the Sharp Sword Bureau, you have no reason to confiscate it."

The reason he dared say this was the Spoils Principle.

This principle had first formed in the Star Realm.

The Star Realm was extremely dangerous, yet people had to enter it to obtain all kinds of precious resources. When they were weak, or when facing targets they could not kill alone, they had to cooperate.

How to distribute the spoils after succeeding gradually became governed by a rule.

It could roughly be summarized as this: whoever contributed the most in battle had the right to distribute the spoils.

If someone made a solo kill, even if the target had already been weakened by others, it still counted as a solo kill as long as they did not know about it, and they could take all the spoils.

This principle had also been introduced on Earth.

Relations between nations had never been harmonious. Competition and hostility always existed, and activities such as infiltration, espionage, and assassination had never ceased.

When powerful Aberrants did this kind of dirty work, defense became especially difficult.

Therefore, unofficial Aberrants were needed to join in and contribute.

To encourage people to act, most countries tacitly recognized the Spoils Principle. Spies, assassins, and criminals from other nations killed within their borders were all included within its scope.

The Asia-Pacific Community was no exception.

Ji Xinghuo had killed Ji Zongbang alone. According to the Spoils Principle, he owned everything on Ji Zongbang's person, including the corpse! Of course, this was only a principle, not a law.

Principles had to yield to the law. For example, if an item was important evidence in a case, it could only be returned after the case was closed, which might take a long time.

Or if it had not originally belonged to the deceased and had been stolen or robbed, it had to be returned to its rightful owner.

Ji Xinghuo was worried about the first possibility.

As for the second, judging from Min Chongwu's reaction when he saw the Ability Seed, he had not known about the Rotating Magnetic Field beforehand either. It was most likely Ji Zongbang's own possession.

Unless someone stepped forward to claim it.

"That may be true, but rules are dead while people are alive."

Min Chongwu toyed with the refrigerated test tube. "If someone bypassed the rules and used underhanded methods to take the Ability Seed, what could you do?"

"Who would dare take it?"

Ji Xinghuo had already picked up on some clues before boarding the fighter. He deliberately provoked him. "Do you have something in mind, sir?"

"Of course not me." Min Chongwu snorted disdainfully. "I'm an Aura Fighter. No matter how strong the Rotating Magnetic Field is, it's useless to me."

All an Aura Fighter's Stellar Force was converted into Light Energy, and Light Energy possessed extremely powerful repulsive properties.

It repelled not only other forms of energy, but also the vast majority of abilities.

Thus, Aura Fighters could fuse with very few abilities. Any ability that caused changes to the body could not be fused.

The Rotating Magnetic Field belonged to that category. Aura Fighters had no use for it.

But being unable to fuse with it did not mean it could not be sold for money.

Ji Xinghuo did not know how much the Rotating Magnetic Field was worth, because this Ability Seed had never circulated on the market. Before it ever reached the stage of being sold, it had already been intercepted or privately traded.

If he had to guess at a price, it would start at fifty million at the very least! Even Super Espers would be tempted.

However, Ji Xinghuo could tell that Min Chongwu truly had no designs on the Rotating Magnetic Field. This man appeared carefree and flippant on the surface, but he actually had principles and was relatively upright.

At least, that was how he seemed from their contact so far.

"Do you want to know who might have designs on 'your' Rotating Magnetic Field?" Min Chongwu stressed the word "your," wearing an expression that said, Beg me.

Ji Xinghuo said softly, "Some Evil Wind Adept?"

Min Chongwu was stunned.

The expressions of several swordsmen in the cabin changed. At last, they no longer dared underestimate Ji Xinghuo, and a trace of wariness appeared on their faces.

Now it was Min Chongwu's turn to fall silent.

But after several minutes, he could no longer hold it in and asked, "Why would you guess that?"

Ji Xinghuo glanced at the corpse.

It was actually obvious. Before he had shot Ji Zongbang, he had already noticed the clues.

When Ji Zongbang had hidden beneath the bridge pier, he had already been severely injured. The wounds on his body were thin and long, and he had been poisoned with a toxin capable of paralyzing the nerves, causing his strength to fall drastically to less than one-third of its peak.

The blade that caused those wounds was extremely thin, and the attacks had been exceedingly dense.

Then there was the neurotoxin.

Anyone with decent eyesight could guess that there was over a ninety percent chance Ji Zongbang had encountered an Evil Wind Adept. The core ability of this Class Template was "airflow manipulation." Combined with the Green Mamba Venom Gland, one's respiratory system secreted a deadly poison that spread through the air, making it impossible to guard against.

Evil Wind Adepts were a very powerful class, but they had a terrible reputation. Especially among ordinary people, they inspired terror at the mere mention of their name.

Min Chongwu immediately looked at him in a new light.

More than ten minutes later.

The aerospace fighter flew into the Qinling Mountain Range south of Chang'an and descended toward a concealed valley.

Ji Xinghuo looked out through the porthole and scanned the mountain ridges. Within seconds, he spotted more than a dozen camouflaged Close-In Weapon Systems and gun emplacements, along with a Superconducting Shield Array composed of dozens of bases.

A stretch of open ground in the valley split apart. The gates slid open to either side, revealing a landing platform.

The fighter landed on the platform.

Boom! With a muffled sound, the broad platform sank into the ground, rapidly descending through a vertical passage. After more than ten seconds, the view suddenly opened up.

A vast, brightly lit underground space appeared before them, divided into multiple levels like the decks of a warship.

"This is only one of the Sharp Sword Bureau's sub-bases."

"Let's go."

Min Chongwu stood up and had his subordinate swordsmen pick up Ji Zongbang's corpse. As he passed Ji Xinghuo, he suddenly reminded him, "Be careful around Yan Xiao. He's not as easy to talk to as I am."

Ji Xinghuo's heart tightened.

This Yan Xiao was likely the Evil Wind Adept who had severely injured Ji Zongbang. From Min Chongwu's tone, Yan Xiao held a high rank in the Sharp Sword Bureau, at least on the same level as Min Chongwu.

And he had taken Yan Xiao's spoils.

Escorted by two swordsmen, Ji Xinghuo walked out of the cabin and looked around. There were more than a dozen aerospace fighters nearby. Outside the cabin doors, even more Aberrants dressed in black combat uniforms and wearing Sharp Sword insignias were already waiting.

He spotted the lead swordsman at once.

He was a tall, lean man wearing a pale green robe with an ancient style. His appearance was somewhat strange, especially his green eyes, whose pupils were vertical. A single glance was enough to make one's hair stand on end, as though being watched by a venomous snake.

Not only were his eyes like a snake's, but beneath his skin hid layers of scale-like green patterns. If they emerged, his entire body would resemble a giant snake standing upright.

All these physical traits revealed the man's Class Template.

An Evil Wind Adept! Many Class Templates developed corresponding physical traits once they reached a certain level, such as the bald heads of Aura Fighters.

An Evil Wind Adept gave people the feeling of a venomous snake! "Min Chongwu, you got lucky."

The Evil Wind Adept's voice carried a cold, sinister quality. His speech was unclear, every word trembling slightly with a faint hissing sound, like a snake's tongue flickering inside his mouth.

As he spoke, his green eyes stared fixedly at Min Chongwu. He extended a pale hand. "Where's the Ability Seed?"

"What Ability Seed?" Min Chongwu frowned.

"Hiss hiss..." Yan Xiao sneered. "It's one thing for your brain not to work properly normally, but you're still playing dumb with me now. Is there any point?"

Min Chongwu's expression darkened. He turned to glance at his own swordsmen.

He had not yet reported the Ability Seed, yet Yan Xiao already knew. That meant either someone in his unit had reported it over his head, or someone was Yan Xiao's informant.

"The Ability Seed has nothing to do with you." Min Chongwu ignored Yan Xiao's outstretched hand. "It belongs to Ji Xinghuo."

"Who is Ji Xinghuo?"

Yan Xiao's gaze swept over. Only then did he notice an outsider present, but after one glance, he looked away again, his tone full of disdain. "An elementary Ranger killed Ji Zongbang? You believe that? I've already reviewed his file. He only became an Aberrant three weeks ago."

"Watch the surveillance footage and you'll know who the spoils belong to." Min Chongwu did not want to waste any more words. "I'm going to report to Director Zhou."

Then he looked at a female swordsman. "Xin Feng, take Ji Xinghuo to the interview room and prepare to take his statement."

After saying that, Min Chongwu left.

Yan Xiao watched Min Chongwu's retreating back, green light flickering in his eyes. Then he led his own team after him.

From beginning to end, he had not taken Ji Xinghuo seriously.

"Mr. Ji, please come with me." The female swordsman named Xin Feng led Ji Xinghuo through a corridor. After passing several metal gates, they entered an empty room with nothing on its four sides.

This was the interview room.

But in the Sharp Sword Bureau, an interview room could sometimes also serve as an interrogation room.

After bringing him inside, Xin Feng left, leaving Ji Xinghuo seated alone at the table. He swept his gaze around the room. A camera had been installed in a corner above, and one wall was one-way glass. He could not see outside, but those behind the wall could see him.

Ji Xinghuo was not flustered. He had anticipated this situation while on the way here.

He sat calmly, lowered his head toward the tabletop, and closed his eyes.

His vision flickered, and the interface of the Myriad Stellar Eye appeared. He focused his attention on his Spirit Source Energy, whose value had changed from 0 to 137.

Ji Xinghuo thought, Now I can study what Spirit Source Energy is used for.