Killing Intent

"Crack!!"

A sharp blade hacked through the thicket, followed by a foot stepping into the brush. After several more slashes, a path was finally cleared through the grass ahead.

"Big Brother, let's... let's take a break!"

Xu Tong slapped a mosquito off his arm, looked up at the sun overhead, and found his clothes soaked through with sweat. The weather here was bizarre; during the day, it was as stifling and sweltering as an oven, making it hard to catch one's breath.

Yet at night, it turned bone-chillingly damp and cold, the kind of chill that no amount of bedding could warm away.

Yang Zixuan said nothing. Zhang Hu, walking at the very back, gave Yang Guanjin a fierce shove. "You damn woman, did you lead us the wrong way on purpose? This place is nothing but a desolate wilderness. Where is this so-called Ascension Bureau?"

"I don't know what an Ascension Bureau is! I only know there seems to be an ancient city deep in these mountains. That's all I know."

Yang Guanjin's eyes turned red, and she looked so aggrieved she was on the verge of tears.

Xu Tong watched from the side, casting a fleeting, mocking glance at Yang Guanjin before immediately reverting to a look of utter exhaustion. He hunched over, gasping for air as if he would vomit if he took another step.

"Let's rest."

Seeing that Xu Tong truly couldn't go on, Yang Zixuan finally spoke, allowing the group to rest in the shade of the trees.

"Big Brother, what exactly is this Ascension Bureau? Why is that old man Zhou so obsessed with finding it, dragging us into this mess?"

He sat on the ground and asked, his tone filled with complaint.

Yang Zixuan raised an eyebrow, signaling for Zhang Hu to explain.

"We don't know either, we just heard the old man mention it once. This Ascension Bureau is..."

"The Ascension Bureau, as the name implies, is related to immortals. Throughout the dynasties, from Zhang Daoling, the four great celestial masters—Ge Xuan, Xu Xun, and Sa Shoujian—to the Daoist ancestor Laozi, and the grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng, they all practiced Daoism and alchemy. Do you know what they were seeking?"

In the Forest Farm office, a bruised and battered Zhou Huasheng looked at Captain Wang and the others, feigning mystery.

"Seeking what? Isn't it just seeking immortality? It's all feudal superstition and charlatan nonsense."

The officer sitting next to Captain Wang slammed the table, his thick brows furrowed as he spoke with righteous indignation.

However, his righteous indignation was met only with Zhou Huasheng's look of utter contempt and disdain, followed by a single word: "Ignorant!"

"You!!"

Seeing that Zhou Huasheng dared to be so arrogant even after a sound beating, the young officer couldn't help but clench his fists.

Fortunately, Captain Wang reached out to hold him back and asked with forced patience, "Then tell us, why? If not for immortality, what else could they be after?"

"Heh heh~"

Zhou Huasheng tilted his head, smoothed his thick hair, and pointed at the pack of cigarettes on Captain Wang's desk.

Captain Wang nodded, signaling for the officer to give him a cigarette and stepping forward to light it for him personally.

"Hiss~~~ Pfft~~~"

The charred tip of the cigarette glowed intermittently as a cloud of smoke drifted slowly from Zhou Huasheng's mouth. Watching the flickering smoke, he gave a disdainful smile.

"In 1888, Darwin defined science, and only then was science truly born. At most, that's only one hundred and two years ago—a mere century. Yet, the knowledge passed down by our ancestors spans thousands of years. Isn't it laughable to use one hundred years to negate several millennia?"

"Hmph!"

Captain Wang snorted, sat down, and gestured for Zhou Huasheng to continue.

"They weren't seeking life; they were seeking death!!"

"Death?" The officers looked at each other, confused. What was so hard about seeking death? Did one really need to practice Daoism just to die?

"There is no such thing as eternal life, and our ancestors knew that. But they were pursuing a higher level of immortality—transcending matter, transcending life, and achieving spiritual eternity. That is what an immortal is."

Zhou Huasheng grew increasingly agitated, bringing the cigarette to his lips for a deep drag.

"Whether it was the Daoist Laozi or the founder of the Daoist religion, Zhang Daoling, they were all seeking death. But this death was not an end; it was a beginning. Whether it was 'soldier-release' or 'feathered transformation,' at the moment of death, one's lifelong essence, energy, and spirit would merge into one, breaking through the shackles of heaven and earth. That is an immortal."

Watching the ethereal smoke he exhaled, Zhou Huasheng's eyes were momentarily lost in a trance.

Then, his tone shifted. "But not everyone can reach that realm, so they devised a shortcut: the Ascension Bureau. By utilizing Bagua and Feng Shui, and borrowing the power of heaven and earth, they created a 'Bureau.' That is the Ascension Bureau. Legend has it that within this Bureau, there is a possibility of ascension."

"You've talked for ages without getting to the point. Isn't it just running into the deep mountains to find a hole in the ground? I don't have time for your nonsense. Just tell me one thing: can you lead us to them!"

Captain Wang was losing patience. He had no interest in these so-called supernatural tales. Dead or alive, he only wanted to find his gun.

Even if the chances of that group from last night having taken it were slim, he wouldn't give up on even the slightest possibility. Otherwise, he would face the cold, unyielding hand of the law.

"This..."

Zhou Huasheng lowered his head, his eyes darting around. He grinned. "I can. I understand Bagua and Feng Shui. Although I don't know the exact location, as long as we find where the Golden Dagger appeared and bring a guide who knows the way, we can set off today. We will definitely find it."

That was exactly what Captain Wang was waiting for. He slammed the table. "Call Old Bart. Isn't he looking for his daughter? We're heading into the mountains together, starting today!"

"It's just over that mountain ahead."

On the other side, Yang Guanjin pointed to the peak in front of them and said to Xu Tong and the others.

"That far??"

Looking at the distant peak, Xu Tong couldn't help but twitch his lips. He felt as if he had climbed a lifetime's worth of mountains all at once, and he instinctively clutched his forehead.

Yang Zixuan and the others were also showing signs of fatigue. They turned to look at her with suspicion. "That far? Was your farm manager bored out of his mind? He ran all this way just to find a Golden Dagger??"

Yang Guanjin sighed. "He goes deep into the mountains every year to find suitable seedlings. We often try to persuade him otherwise, but he always says that a person must leave something behind for the generations to come."

Hearing this, even Yang Zixuan couldn't help but be moved, while only Xu Tong furrowed his brows, though he said nothing.

"There is a Mountain God Temple ahead; let's rest inside. We can finish the rest of the journey tomorrow."

Yang Guanjin spoke up.

The group was indeed exhausted. The mountains were crawling with snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and the cold winds that blew throughout the night made it impossible to get any decent rest.

So, upon hearing Yang Guanjin's words, they didn't hesitate. They nodded and set off toward the Mountain God Temple she had mentioned.

It wasn't far—just a stone temple standing in an orchard within a mountain gully.

The temple had long been abandoned, surrounded by wild fruit trees.

"Let's rest here for the night." Yang Zixuan surveyed the area around the temple, and after confirming there was nothing suspicious, he finally relaxed.

The Mountain God Temple was tiny, and the stone statue inside was so weathered its original form was unrecognizable. The group found a sheltered spot, took some food out of their Prop Catalog, and began to rest.

Yang Guanjin sat in the inner corner, keeping her distance from Yang Zixuan and the others.

At this moment, Xu Tong walked over to Yang Guanjin with a compressed biscuit and handed it to her.

"Thanks!"

Yang Guanjin took it with a cold face and stuffed a few bites into her mouth. Seeing this, Xu Tong smiled and offered her a bottle of water.

She accepted it without a word, though she refused to say anything to Xu Tong.

Seeing this, Xu Tong narrowed his eyes and sat on the stone beside her. With a look of profound lament, he whispered, "Tell me, how could an old man as selfless and fearless as the old director be bewitched by a Golden Dagger?"

Hearing this, Yang Guanjin's pupils constricted. She bit down on her lip so hard that a bead of bright red blood immediately trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"This... perhaps..." She lowered her head, stammering, unable to find an answer.

Just as sweat began to bead on her forehead, Xu Tong suddenly reached out with his thumb and gently wiped the blood from the corner of her lip. With a look of contempt, as if he had already seen through the truth, he patted her forehead and stood up to leave.

Watching Xu Tong's retreating back, Yang Guanjin's expression flickered between light and shadow. She slowly lowered her head to gnaw on her biscuit, but the killing intent in her eyes was becoming impossible to hide.

"Damn it, this dump has so many mosquitoes. I should've bought more insect repellent."

In the middle of the night, Zhang Hu frantically slapped a mosquito on his body, sat up, and couldn't help but complain.

"If you want to sleep, sleep. If not, go outside and keep watch. Stop your damn whining."

Xiong Tao, eyes half-closed and lying before the campfire, spoke with a frown, though it was unclear if he was truly asleep or not.

Zhang Hu seemed to have an innate fear of Xiong Tao. After all, their leader, Yang Zixuan, was reasonable, but Xiong Tao was a reckless brute—if he said he'd beat you, he wouldn't hesitate for a second.

With a pout, Zhang Hu stood up and walked outside. Once he stepped out of the Mountain God Temple, he saw only pitch-black darkness, unable to see his own hand in front of his face.

The vast, empty wilderness gave off a sense of unknown mystery, creating the illusion that one might get lost in it forever.

A terrifying sense of emptiness washed over him, and Zhang Hu couldn't help but shiver. He shook his body, unbuckled his belt, and stood to the side to relieve himself.

"Whatever demons or ghosts are out there, Laozi will flush you out with a single piss!"

Zhang Hu muttered to himself while holding his breath, watching his yellow stream arc three zhang into the wind and hit a tree branch, looking quite pleased with himself.

However, before he could even pull up his pants, a black shadow suddenly flickered through the branches in front of him.

"What the hell!"

Zhang Hu was startled and hurriedly reached to pull up his pants. But just as he reached down, he felt a warm gust of air blow against his crotch. He looked down to see a pitch-black face baring sharp fangs at him, its mouth snapping open to bite down viciously on his family jewels.