Conflict

After returning to the base, Gao Zheng headed straight to the medical room.

During the examination, the doctor found that Gao Zheng's wound seemed different from an ordinary bite. The area around it had begun to ulcerate, and tests revealed toxins in the wound that accelerated its spread.

After testing and comparing the teeth of the Black Leopard, they discovered that the toxins had come from its pair of saber teeth.

The base had no effective treatment for this toxin. At Gao Zheng's insistence, the doctor repeatedly scraped away the flesh around the wound.

After this battle, Xingyan Group's base had temporarily lost one of its key members. The operation in Chuilong Town shifted from reclaiming the town to focusing on exploration.

The base's plans for future development and exploration once again turned toward Hehe County.

In fact, the base had already made several expeditions in the direction of Hehe County. But along a key route, they had discovered a high-level Beast General, with several low-level Beast Generals nearby, and had been forced to suspend their efforts.

This route passed through Ming Township, a large township near a county seat. The monster group had taken over the whole township as its lair.

Now, although the base had turned its attention back in that direction, it could only avoid the area and continue exploring elsewhere, searching for smaller roads that might lead to the county seat.

Xi Qing had volunteered to lead this expedition, but events at the base had forced her to stay behind.

Although Gao Zheng was recovering from his injuries, construction at the base continued without pause under his direction.

However, the effects of the recent improvements to Martial Artist benefits had finally brought a serious conflict to a head.

As Martial Artists' benefits improved, their families also received better conditions, enjoying treatment close to that of Martial Artists themselves. Their attitudes had begun to grow somewhat arrogant.

One day, a Martial Artist from an Exploration Team got into a fight with someone over a minor disagreement. He injured a slight, small boy and threatened to have his brother cripple the boy if he ever showed up in front of him again.

Clearly, though, this overbearing Martial Artist's family member hadn't looked into the boy's background. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so bold.

The boy's father was the captain of an Exploration Team and had reached the rank of Advanced Warrior. The man was relying on his brother, who was only an Intermediate Warrior. It was obvious who was stronger.

But the boy didn't tell his father about what had happened. He simply avoided the man in silence and resolved to start training.

The boy's father was pleased to see him change his mischievous ways. He also secured more resources to help his son grow stronger and gathered his team members to train the boy every day.

More than half a month passed. One day, following the guidance of one of his father's team members, the boy went to the base's Underground Training Ground. He wanted to use the equipment for more challenging training and test his current strength.

To his surprise, the man was there too.

The man happened to spot the boy and went over to taunt him. He also gathered several family members of Martial Artists who served on the same team as his brother, and they began pushing the boy around.

If the boy had still been the same as before, nothing would have happened. But after half a month of training, he had gained the ability to fight back. He swung a fist at the man and sent him flying with a single punch.

The man lay on the ground, his head spinning, staring at the boy in bewilderment.

The boy looked at his own fist too, astonished that his strength had improved so much.

Growing more and more excited, the boy pounced on the man, straddled him, and rained punches down on him, trying to vent all the resentment he had bottled up.

When the people nearby saw the man's bruised and swollen face, they immediately pulled the boy away.

Just then, the man's older brother came out of a private training room. It turned out the man had come there with him.

Seeing his younger brother beaten up like this, the Martial Artist flew into a rage. He rushed forward and punched the boy in the stomach, sending him flying.

The boy couldn't withstand a punch from an Intermediate Warrior. He spat out blood and collapsed unconscious.

The incident quickly spiraled out of control. The team member who had brought the boy here arrived late, pushed open the door, and saw what had happened. His eyes immediately reddened. Over the past few days, the boy had diligently followed their lessons, and they had come to enjoy the satisfaction of being his mentors.

The team member rushed to the boy's side, picked him up, and carried him to the training ground's medical room. Along the way, he repeatedly glared at the Martial Artist who had hurt him.

The Martial Artist had sobered up by then. When he noticed another Martial Artist had rescued the boy, he realized this matter wouldn't just blow over.

Sure enough, the next day the boy's father showed up with all his team members. The two teams began fighting right there inside the base.

The destruction they caused naturally drew the Law Enforcement Team. Faced with their overwhelming strength, everyone was taken into custody.

The matter should have ended there. The Law Enforcement Team ought to have been able to handle the feud between the two teams, and the facts should have been easy to establish. Unfortunately, both sides stuck to their own versions of events, and neither was willing to let the other off.

But the captain of the Martial Artist's team was no ordinary man. This was already the second time the Law Enforcement Team had taken him into custody. The first time, he had been a member of the Rescue Team.

After he contacted his former colleagues in the Rescue Team, they sent people to the Law Enforcement Team, claiming they were there to oversee the proceedings. But their every move made it obvious they had come to help their comrade.

Relations between the two sides had never been particularly good, and now they had fallen out all over again.

The Law Enforcement Team began punishing the Rescue Team for its improper conduct, while the Rescue Team started smearing the Law Enforcement Team over its handling of the case. The base descended into chaos once more.

With Gao Zheng's wound ulcerating again, he shared He Qishun's idea of letting the matter continue to escalate. He wanted to step in at the last moment and settle the whole affair, using it to determine who would hold the power going forward.

During one clash, a Rescue Team member insulted the Law Enforcement Team and brought up Lin Chenxing, saying the Law Enforcement Team was abusing its power in the base by relying on Gao Zheng and Lin Chenxing. Now Gao Zheng was crippled, and Lin Chenxing was lying in bed, practically a vegetable and wasting the base's resources. He'd be better off dead.

The Law Enforcement Team members couldn't let the Rescue Team insult their leader like that, so they attacked at once.

The Rescue Team had been waiting for this moment. As the two sides exchanged blows, its members kept taunting the opposition. They even threatened to send someone to kill Lin Chenxing so he wouldn't keep using up so much of the group's resources on treatment. Even if he woke up, he'd never catch up with their progress. They might as well put those resources to use themselves, so they could explore more places and save more people for the group.

Afterward, although Gao Zheng knew the Rescue Team members wouldn't actually do such a thing, he couldn't afford to take any chances. He sent Xi Qing to guard Lin Chenxing's room.