A Grandmaster Blocks the Road

Qin Heng had nothing to say. He immediately led the way, taking Fu Yuntai to the place that had previously been set ablaze.

Calling it leading the way was not quite right. He merely pointed out the direction while Fu Yuntai carried him by the arm and sped onward the entire time.

A Great Martial Master was simply too fast, practically flying close to the ground. Before long, they arrived at the place blanketed in ashes.

Qin Heng pointed at where Wang Peng's remains had been. "That one."

"My heavens... he's been burned to ashes." Fu Yuntai nearly fainted.

Blood-Sucking Vines had been there before, so Qin Heng and the others had piled an especially large amount of firewood over that spot.

Once the blaze rose, the two corpses, already mummified, had been reduced directly to cinders. Mixed with charcoal, they were almost impossible to recognize.

"Take at least a handful back, so we can give Old Wang an explanation."

Fu Yuntai sighed. Stepping forward, he scooped up the stuff on the ground—whether it was bone ash or charcoal dust, he could not tell—and put it into the empty backpack he had specifically brought along.

Qin Heng watched from the side. The situation was obviously serious, but for some reason, the sight of that pile of ashes made him want to laugh.

"Sir, how do you plan to handle this?" he asked.

Fu Yuntai snapped, "What right do I have to talk about handling it? I'm just an ordinary clerk. Calling my superiors and reporting it immediately is the only thing I can do."

After a while, he added, "I had originally wanted to tell you that after I reported your aptitude to my superiors, they took it quite seriously. They were planning to personally appoint you as the City's Young Martial Warrior Representative, so you could get an early taste of power and influence. But now, whether you can even keep your life is the question."

Qin Heng said helplessly, "Maybe this is fate."

Fu Yuntai filled a backpack with ashes. His anger had mostly dissipated, leaving only melancholy behind.

He dusted the powder from his hands and said to Qin Heng, "Young man, contact every connection you can reach as soon as possible. I have to report this to my superiors immediately. Once the convoy returns, Wang Jianming will definitely appear, and he may very well attack you on the spot. If you cannot find someone strong enough to stop him, then even if you have every reason to prove it was self-defense, you won't live long enough to explain."

It was a piece of advice.

Qin Heng was grateful. "Thank you for the reminder, sir."

But... it seemed he had no one left to contact.

Zhong Wanshan was the only person from the upper echelons he knew. Ever since their call yesterday, there had been no response. The hope was probably slim.

"Let's go back."

Fu Yuntai took him and raced back, returning to the convoy in no time.

By then, the wilderness practical examination had also completely concluded.

Fu Yuntai checked the examination statistics and announced in a grave voice, "This month, 174 people took the examination. Eighty-nine passed, nineteen failed, and sixty-six died."

Those who passed deserved congratulations, while those who died were deeply regrettable.

As the captain of the Supervising Examiner Team, Fu Yuntai felt heavy-hearted.

He said nothing more. After making the announcement, he gave the order: "Everyone, get in the vehicles! We're heading back!"

Then, the 108 surviving Quasi-Martial Warriors and new Martial Warriors returned to the vehicles one after another and set off toward the Base City.

The moment Qin Heng got on, his teammates immediately surrounded him and asked, "Qin Heng, how did it go? What did the chief examiner say to you?"

Qin Heng shook his head and sat by the window without answering. He merely stared blankly at the distant outlines of the mountains.

The vehicles crossed the wasteland, gradually leaving the Wuping Mountain Range behind.

Many people in the vehicles discussed him in low voices. Qin Heng heard them, but could not be bothered to respond.

Huang Jiancheng and the others came over in turns to comfort and console him, but he barely responded to any of them.

The return journey would take three hours. They should arrive at the Base City by dusk.

Qin Heng did not know whether he would receive the Martial Warrior Identification Card jointly issued by the Martial Warrior Alliance and the government, or be killed on the spot by Wang Jianming.

The journey was bumpy as the vehicles moved steadily onward.

Memories from more than ten years replayed in Qin Heng's mind.

He thought of the poor yet fulfilling days of his childhood, of his parents' care and affection for him, and then of their haggard appearance after they were injured.

Naturally, he also relived the little moments he had spent with Fang Lingxue, the many small romantic moments from when they were together...

Thinking about it, he really was reluctant to leave it all behind.

It felt as though a century had passed, yet also as though only a moment had gone by.

The outline of the Border Wall appeared ahead.

Night was drawing near.

Qin Heng's heartbeat involuntarily accelerated.

Teacher Zhong still hasn't called. It seems...

He looked at his phone. There were no missed calls and no unread messages.

Zhong Wanshan seemed to have vanished. After going to report the news, there had not been the slightest movement from him.

"Ah..."

Qin Heng let out a faint sigh. Thinking that his parents might have no one to care for them in the future, and that no one would protect Fang Lingxue if she were bullied, his heart ached terribly.

At that moment, the convoy suddenly began to slow down.

The driver muttered, "Damn it, the Grandmaster really came."

Qin Heng's heart trembled.

Looking through the window toward the Border Wall, he saw that above it...

Yes, above it!

In the sky!

A white-haired old man floated a hundred meters above the ground, motionless and majestic as a god descending from heaven.

Yet the aura radiating from him was so dazzling, more brilliant than the sun on the horizon, that it instinctively inspired terror and reverence.

"It's Wang Jianming... Wang Jianming in a state of rage!"

The same thought flashed through everyone's mind in the convoy.

The Wang Jianming they saw on television had been kind and approachable, one of Nansha Base City's guardian deities. He had once hunted countless powerful Monsters and repeatedly saved the Base City from fire and flood.

But now, he was like a treasured sword drawn from its sheath, radiating endless sharpness and thirsting for blood!

After suffering the blow of losing his only close relative, this Old Hero had been driven beyond all bounds of fury!

"Stop the vehicles! Everyone stop!"

Fu Yuntai's voice came from ahead.

At this time, the convoy was still five kilometers from the Border Wall checkpoint.

Fu Yuntai got out, holding the box containing Wang Peng's ashes. He walked several steps forward and called toward the sky above the Border Wall, "Old Wang, this happened suddenly, and our alliance is deeply sorry. But you hold a high position, and countless eyes are watching you. Before all these witnesses, could you please calm down for now and deal with this after we return?"

Though they were separated by several kilometers, communication between them was no problem at all.

Wang Jianming stood in the air. His words were crisp and decisive, revealing neither joy nor anger. There were only five words: "Tell Qin Heng to come out."

Three hours earlier, Fu Yuntai had already reported everything he knew to the Martial Warrior Alliance.

The Martial Warrior Alliance did not dare omit a single word and relayed it all to Wang Jianming.

At this very moment, Wang Jianming knew everything. He had come here in person to settle the matter.

He had not even been willing to wait for the convoy to return inside the Base City, directly intercepting it outside the Border Wall.

Although his tone was not enraged, Fu Yuntai knew that once Qin Heng got out of the vehicle, he would likely die in an instant.

To a Grandmaster, five kilometers was no more than the blink of an eye.

Wang Jianming did not even need to come over himself. A single finger pointed through the air, and his force could tear Qin Heng apart.

That was the terror of a Grandmaster!

"Old Wang, this..."

Fu Yuntai wanted to say more, but Wang Jianming's eyes narrowed.

Those aged eyes seemed to fire two rays of sharp light that pierced through the air into Fu Yuntai's Sea of Consciousness, instantly cowing him. Cold sweat poured down Fu Yuntai's back, and he could not utter another word.

"Qin Heng..."

Inside the vehicles, everyone's gaze fell upon Qin Heng.

Some were worried, while others took pleasure in his misfortune.

Qin Heng sighed and slowly rose to his feet. "Looks like there's no escaping this calamity."

Wang Jianming had appeared in person. Judging by this posture, he had no intention of caring about any laws or regulations and was determined to kill Qin Heng on the spot.

Before a Grandmaster, hiding in the vehicle was meaningless. It might even drag the others down and get them killed as well.

Qin Heng handed his phone and backpack to Huang Jiancheng and said, "Remember what you promised me."