Zhao Tianxiong's trusted aide was named Chen Mo. A Martial Disciple Rank 9, he was an old hand at this sort of work.
He'd spent half a day getting to the bottom of what had happened in the Wilderness the previous night.
Two pursuers had died beneath the West Cliff. One slash to the throat, then a follow-up strike to the wrist. Whoever did it was clearly experienced.
Exotic Beast corpses littered the area within a three-kilometer radius. Steel-Bristle Fierce Rhinos, Armor-Splitting Bears, Shadow Leopards—the toughest kinds of F-Class beasts—all killed with a single strike.
The Tracker's last signal point, drawn in a straight line toward the North Gate, led to the nearest dormitory—Barracks No. 12.
Its residents were Wang Tie, Li Ming, and a new recruit named Lin Feng.
Chen Mo placed the report on Zhao Tianxiong's desk, stepped back to the door, and said nothing.
Zhao Tianxiong read the paper twice, then slapped it back onto the desk.
"Lin Feng? Martial Disciple Rank 7?"
Chen Mo didn't answer.
Zhao Tianxiong picked it up again and stared at it for a while before slowly leaning back in his chair.
Could something really be this much of a coincidence?
Two incidents in a row, both pointing to the same person?
A coincidence? Too much of one.
But Lin Feng's Martial Disciple Rank 7 strength didn't seem like enough to make him the culprit.
He'd seen plenty of talents, but killing his way through three kilometers of Wilderness in one night and taking down two pursuers—could someone at Rank 7 really do that?
He didn't believe it, but that was what the report said.
"What about the items?"
"We didn't find them."
Zhao Tianxiong rubbed his temples and said nothing.
The source of those ten Body Tempering Pills couldn't be exposed. They couldn't go through public channels, so he could only investigate in private. But even the private investigation had turned up nothing.
He pulled open a drawer, folded the report and locked it inside, then leaned back in his chair again.
"Did he sign up for the F-Class Rift mission in two days?"
"All three are on the list."
"Good."
Chen Mo could tell from that single word that Zhao Tianxiong was in a good mood.
"What happens inside the Rift," Zhao Tianxiong paused, "who can say?"
Chen Mo said, "I'll arrange for two people to go in with them."
"Make it quick."
At the North Gate, the team gathered for the mission.
Seven people stood in a line, with Lin Feng in the middle, Wang Tie on his left and Li Ming on his right. Their gear had all been checked, and the three of them said nothing.
Lin Feng looked over the other four.
Two of them looked unfamiliar.
Not like new faces who'd only just been assigned here, but like people he'd never seen at the Base Camp at all. They wore standard-issue Combat Suits and stood casually, but their eyes were anything but casual. They looked straight ahead, not at anyone's face.
Lin Feng lowered his head, tightened the buckle on his sheath, then withdrew his hand.
Footsteps came from the right.
As soon as Zhao Tianxiong walked in, the two unfamiliar men straightened in unison, as if they'd been triggered by the same switch.
"Everyone's here. Good."
Zhao Tianxiong swept his gaze across the team, paused on Lin Feng for two seconds, then looked away.
"There's been some trouble in the Wilderness lately. Anyone know about it?"
Wang Tie shook his head. "Haven't noticed anything."
Li Ming shook his head too.
Zhao Tianxiong's gaze circled back to Lin Feng. "What about you?"
"I slept like a log that night. Didn't know a thing."
Lin Feng looked up and replied evenly, his expression unchanged.
The two of them stared at each other for about three seconds.
Zhao Tianxiong was the first to look away. He smiled. "Just asking. It's nothing."
He turned around and began explaining the mission procedure, his voice steady and his words concise.
Lin Feng lowered his head and touched his sheath again without a word.
The Rift lay ten kilometers north of the city, and the team walked for nearly an hour.
Before they arrived, the stench and smell of sulfur reached them. The farther they went, the stronger it became, until it seemed to clog their throats.
Li Ming covered his nose with his sleeve and slowed for half a step. Wang Tie tugged him along, and he caught up.
The Rift was larger than Lin Feng had expected.
A black gash stretched across the ground, nearly twenty meters wide at its broadest point. Inside was pitch-black, save for a few distant dark-red points that flickered and shifted. They might have been lava or the eyes of Exotic Beasts.
A low-frequency vibration came from deep within. It didn't sound like a roar; it was more like the earth itself was trembling.
Two new recruits had already stopped behind the entrance, their heels edging back.
Among the two who'd joined them, Liu Gang glanced back. "It's just F-Class, and we're with a bunch of new recruits. What are you scared of?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he himself took half a step back, putting a little more distance between himself and the edge.
Lin Feng paid them no mind. He was studying the direction of the rock strata on the cliff opposite.
This Rift had opened during the great earthquake three months ago. It was new, and nothing inside had ever been systematically cleared.
The density of beasts wouldn't be low.
Wang Tie came over and lowered his voice. "Something feels off in there."
"F-Class Rifts never have anything good in them." Li Ming tugged at his gloves, forcing a calm expression, but his hands gave him away—the strap had been wound around his fingers three times.
Zhao Tianxiong went to the front of the team and waved his hand.
"Move in."
Lin Feng followed the team, the corner of his eye sweeping over the two unfamiliar men. One walked ahead and to his left; the other trailed behind on his right.
They'd positioned themselves well.
He pushed the hilt of his knife up, loosening it half an inch in its sheath, then stepped into the Rift.
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