The Waters Run Deep

Small civilian flying vehicles in the Beichen Empire all had unique factory serial numbers.

When this serial number was registered with the government air traffic control department, it was linked to the owner's biometric information, generating unique "identity data" for the flying vehicle.

Once it entered Mulan City's airspace, the air traffic control department could identify both the pilot and the flying vehicle based on that identity data.

They were currently in the Land of the Far North within the Exotic Beast Forest, a hundred thousand kilometers from Mulan City. There was also extremely strong magnetic interference here, so those flying vehicles had lost contact with the Star Net system upon arriving.

For the time being, the air traffic control system did not know that this flying vehicle had changed owners.

Seeing Xia Chujian's annoyed expression, Song Mingqian smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'm best at cracking the identity systems of civilian flying vehicles—commonly known as jailbreaking. Once I wipe its factory parameters and replace them with parameters bought on the Black Market, you can register it with the government's air traffic control department."

Xia Chujian considered it carefully, then shook her head. "No need to go through all that trouble. Just erase the factory parameters. I don't plan to register it."

Song Mingqian glanced at her. "If you don't register it, you won't be able to fly it into Mulan City."

"Then I'll keep it outside the city." Xia Chujian grinned, looking utterly carefree.

Song Mingqian felt that Xia Chujian still had something she was not saying, but he did not press her further. He nodded and said, "All right. I'll erase its factory parameters and reboot the system first. If you ever want to fly it into Mulan City, just let me know. I'll handle the flying vehicle registration certificate for you."

"Thank you, Song Ge!"

After saying that, Xia Chujian sat beside him and watched intently as he cracked the flying vehicle's factory settings and parameters.

Song Mingqian truly was an expert.

It took him only half an hour to alter all the factory settings and parameters of the entire flying vehicle.

"If we have time, we'll alter its appearance too. Then even its mother won't recognize it," Song Mingqian said tactfully.

Xia Chujian blinked. "Song Ge, are you worried that the assassin's family might recognize it?"

Song Mingqian snorted. "That assassin was full of killing intent. A vicious scum like that probably only has one name in his household register! I don't believe he has any family!"

"Better safe than sorry..." Xia Chujian laughed it off.

After Song Mingqian finished altering the parameters, he had Xia Chujian take it for a test flight. Only after confirming that there was nothing wrong with the flying vehicle did he say, "Ye Dui has agreed that we should head back too. How about you return to our team's flying vehicle, and I'll pilot this one? That one is safer."

The Combat Aircraft their team had received from the Association was naturally a very high-grade model.

Moreover, once the mission was complete, they could keep the other equipment, but the flying vehicle had to be returned.

That showed just how highly the massive Dark Night Hunter Association valued the Combat Aircraft they had issued.

So in terms of safety, that Combat Aircraft was probably more secure.

Naturally, Xia Chujian would not return to that flying vehicle.

She had hidden so many good things here. Wouldn't going back expose everything? She gave a light cough, shook her head, and said, "Thank you, Song Ge, but I still want to get used to my own flying vehicle. You'll be flying ahead anyway, and I can just follow behind."

Song Mingqian inspected the flying vehicle from front to back once more, including the temperature-controlled Storage Room.

He did not open the metal cylinder where Xia Chujian had planted the Blood Kirin and Kongsang, since several cloth baskets had been placed on top of it.

But he opened several other metal cylinders. When he saw the food inside, he could not help sucking in a breath, feeling as though he understood everything.

Smiling, he curled a finger and tapped Xia Chujian on the forehead. "You don't have to go over there, but you have to give us all those Beef Buns."

"No problem. I prepared them for you in the first place." As she spoke, Xia Chujian took out the remaining dozen or so Beef Buns and let Song Mingqian take them away.

When Song Mingqian returned to the other flying vehicle and brought out the dozen or so Beef Buns, they immediately drew the attention of Li Fu and Ye Shijie.

Ye Shijie's gaze was even more fervent.

He took the basket of buns and sniffed them. "...Unicorn Cattle Meat too?"

"Mm. They're from the same batch as this morning's. Cai Jie said Little Chujian made thirty of them! Each one weighs half a jin. She's really generous!"

At the mention of "generous," Ye Shijie could not help thinking of those hundred thousand bullets again.

But This Time, he did not make any sarcastic remarks. He merely shook his head and said, "Then let's hurry back. This place is far too remote. I've been feeling uneasy the whole time, afraid something else might happen..."

Thinking of that terrifyingly powerful Mental Strength Expert, both Li Fu and Song Mingqian grew gloomy.

Li Fu muttered, "Who has such a huge grudge against us that they chased us all the way to the Land of the Far North in the Exotic Beast Forest just to kill us?"

Song Mingqian sneered. "Who knows? Maybe we've blocked someone's path..."

Ye Shijie had previously believed that perhaps he had offended someone, which was why the team had encountered that earlier interception and pursuit.

But This Time, with a Gene Evolver at Mental Strength Rank B Peak having chased them all the way here to make a move, he was no longer so sure it was still his problem.

The reason was simple.

Anyone capable of finding a Gene Evolver at Mental Strength Rank B Peak was absolutely no ordinary big shot.

Hunters like them, at the bottom rung of the Association, had no chance of offending someone like that.

He said thoughtfully, "The waters run deep in this matter. Everyone, be careful. The engine of Chujian's civilian flying vehicle isn't powered by Small-Scale Controlled Nuclear Fusion, so we'll probably have to stop several times along the way to replace the Energy Blocks."

That meant they could not make the return trip in one push as they had on the way here.

Li Fu and Song Mingqian exchanged a look, both deciding to remain extremely vigilant throughout the journey back.

The two stopped joking around and both agreed to Take Off immediately.

After discussing everything clearly with Xia Chujian, they set the departure time and planned to leave before nightfall today.

Xia Chujian had arranged everything as well and intended to set out early.

But just before Take Off, she remembered A'Diao, the Griffon Sea Eagle.

She sent Li Fu a message. "Fu Ye, release A'Diao. We're leaving, so there's no need to keep it chained up."

Li Fu agreed. He jumped out of the flying vehicle alone, came over to Xia Chujian's side, found the Griffon Sea Eagle, unlocked the Chain, and took it back.

At first, the Griffon Sea Eagle happily wagged its head and tail. But when it saw the two flying vehicles rise from the ground and vanish farther and farther into the sky, it finally understood what was happening.

"Caw—!" It cried out and abruptly took flight, chasing after Xia Chujian's flying vehicle.

It pursued them for a day and a night. Only when Xia Chujian's flying vehicle flew farther and farther south, and the temperature rose to a level the Griffon Sea Eagle could no longer endure, did it stop resentfully and give up the chase.

When Xia Chujian had come, there had only been the high-grade Combat Aircraft received from the Association. It was very fast and had reached its destination in less than a day.

But on the return journey, Xia Chujian's civilian flying vehicle lacked sufficient power energy and could not keep up. They also had to stop every day to replace Energy Blocks, so the journey took two days longer than the trip there.

It was only three days later that they reached the vicinity of Mulan City.

Seeing the long-dragon-like city wall ahead and the brilliant lights upon it, everyone could not help cheering.

"We're back! We're back!"

"I want to get on the Star Net! I want to get on the Star Net!"

"This is the first time I've been disconnected from the Star Net for a full ten days!"

"I've finally returned to the embrace of human civilization!"

Xia Chujian's civilian flying vehicle followed behind the team's Combat Aircraft ahead, flying relatively slowly.

Moreover, she had never intended to fly the vehicle into Mulan City.

So along the way, she searched the map for somewhere outside Mulan City where she could park the flying vehicle.

After searching for two days, she finally found a place northwest of Mulan City with mountains, water, and woods.

It was also part of the Exotic Beast Forest, but it belonged to the southern region rather than the Land of the Far North, so it did not have such extreme cold.

In winter, the temperature was usually no lower than minus twenty degrees, while in summer, it rose no higher than fifteen or sixteen degrees.

Xia Chujian sent a message through the team's Communication Channel. "Let's stop here first. I made some food, and I'll have Cai Jie bring it over to you."

Originally, Ye Shijie and the others had wanted to enter the city immediately.

But as soon as they heard Xia Chujian say there was food, they agreed without any backbone.

Over the past three days, Ye Shijie had eaten most of the Unicorn Cattle Meat Buns. Not only had his Mental Strength recovered to D-Rank Mid-Stage, but it was even showing signs of breaking through to D-Rank Late-Stage!

Once he reached D-Rank Late-Stage, he would have a chance to advance to Mental Strength C-Class!

Once he reached C-Class, their team would no longer be in the bottom tier of the Dark Night Hunter Association!

Ye Shijie had not told anyone about this, because he wanted to be more certain first.

The two flying vehicles slowly descended and stopped beside a small Lake.

This was a real Lake, unlike the strange one in the Land of the Far North.

At minus twenty degrees, the Lake here had frozen solid, becoming a whole lake of ice.

Xia Chujian deliberately parked the civilian flying vehicle beneath a huge Banyan Tree by the lakeside.

No one knew how many years that Banyan Tree had grown there. Roots dangled from its canopy one after another, casting thick shadows. Even in broad daylight, it was Dusk beneath the tree.

With the civilian flying vehicle parked beneath it, it truly would not be easy to spot without looking closely.

Ping Qiong carried the food Xia Chujian had made over to the team's flying vehicle to deliver their meal.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around, Xia Chujian quietly said to San Zong, the Pig-head Humanoid, "San Zong, I'll leave the flying vehicle here for you and Small Si Xi to live in. When you have time, find some thatch, branches, or something similar and cover the flying vehicle up. As long as no one can tell from the outside that it's a flying vehicle, that'll do. Don't turn on the lights at night either. Stay here for now, and I'll think of a solution later."

San Zong had not expected Xia Chujian to leave such a fine flying vehicle for him and Small Dog to live in. He was so moved that he began to cry.

Xia Chujian was not very good at dealing with situations like this.

She sighed and said nothing, waiting until San Zong had finished crying before she said, "I have something else I need to ask of you."

San Zong nodded repeatedly. "San Zong will definitely do it properly!"

Xia Chujian: "..."

She had not even said what it was yet...