Chapter 276

Chi Xiao - Shadowless!

In the narrow corridor, it seemed as if countless Ch'en Hui-chieh appeared at the same time, but they were just afterimages caused by high-speed slashes. The monsters, lifted into the air, were attacked mercilessly from all directions, each sword strike possessing the power of the previous 'drawing the sword'.

As the entire corridor was cleaved in chaos by the sword energy, with a final, heavy slash... the incredibly sturdy porcelain finally shattered in mid-air.

The black mist no longer held sway, and the other porcelain pieces that made up the body shattered on the ground like ordinary utensils.

Ch'en Hui-chieh had been holding the Chi Xiao Sword, only put the weapon back in its sheath after confirming that Nana had also nodded. If you looked closely, you could see that Chen's tactical gloves had been torn into strips by the sword energy of the Chi Xiao Sword... The same question still applies; she doesn't seem to have become the master of that sword yet.

"That's truly the end. This thing... I roughly understand what happened." (Wine)

"Hmm..." Phosphorus

Nodding in agreement, just as the Dragon Lady was about to say something, her pupils suddenly contracted as she looked at Nana, and at the same time, the heterochromatic assassin sensed the sudden gust of wind approaching from behind.

"Watch out!"

Simultaneously with Chen's reminder, Nana's weapons shifted. Her unloaded Guardian Gun vanished instantly, replaced by the Silver Dancer, a well-known figure within the Ursus Inner Guards circle, wielding dual pistols.

It's hard to say whether Nana's next move was intended to challenge Superintendent Chen. Perhaps driven by the desire to avoid being at a disadvantage in negotiations, Nana, just like the name of her weapon, donned luminous sleeves resembling the feathered robes of a celestial maiden from Yan and began a performance-like 'dance'.

Dodging the attack, she spun around, closed her eyes, and leaped, arms outstretched... A spell was cast, the trigger was pulled, flames spewed from the muzzle, and the blue bullet traced light, bouncing back and forth between the floor, walls, and the enemy.

This time, Nana didn't imbue the attack with the usual power or penetrating force. To confirm her guess that the anthropomorphic monster would automatically dissipate after a certain number of attacks, Nana chose to use defensive magic to power the bullets.

Each shot was fired at an angle that caused the bullet to bounce to the other side after hitting the enemy, and the subsequent bullets would collide with the previous bullets again. The curved surface of the Porcelain Monster, the floor and the angle of the shot, the walls and the ceiling all became usable surfaces for the bullets to bounce off... In just three seconds, a total of four magazines and thirty-two bullets were used to fire more than one hundred and twenty shots at the monster.

Just as Nana had expected, the Porcelain Monster that the two of them had barely managed to destroy was instantly reduced to a pile of fragments by the barrage of bouncing attacks.

Finally, after inserting new magazines into both pistols and resetting the slide lock, Nana gave Inspector Chen, whose eyes were twitching, a gentle smile she had learned from the big white cat:

"Hmm, just as I thought, it's the type that will collapse if the number of attacks in a short period of time exceeds the defense limit."

"... you..."

"Rest assured, no shelves or packages were hit in the attack just now... Although using live ammunition was a last resort, could you please introduce me to the colleague who used rubber bullets? I might need to prepare some non-lethal ammunition just in case."

So, is this the topic I was talking about?

With a sigh, Ch'en Hui-chieh finally understood. Although the person in front of her seemed kind and approachable, deep down he was the type who absolutely refused to be outdone. The fact that he suddenly displayed such superb Firearms Arts skills to her meant that he probably saw her Chi Xiao Sword as some kind of threat.

Ch'en Hui-chieh had to reflect on this, wondering if her constant "bad cop" attitude had made everyone feel threatened. Ch'en felt helpless about this, but it was indeed her who kept saying that Rhodes Island didn't seem like a medical company... But this also confirmed her previous statement.

You call this a 'medic'?

"In short, well done, but please don't do it again."

"... That depends on whether there are any similar enemies."

As the two chatted idly as they made their way forward, the gate at the end suddenly opened... and a short Yan, fanning himself with a large palm-leaf fan, stepped out.

"Oh? Isn't this Xiao Chen? You guys are here too~ Not bad, not bad, you actually handled everything beautifully. Wei Yenwu kept saying you weren't good enough or mature enough... It was all just bullshit. The rest is up to you Lungmen to handle~"

This is a girl with waist-length, seemingly unkempt, bright blonde hair, with slightly upturned ends, and dragon horns and Liberi ear feathers...?

Behind her filed in a group of people dressed in the official robes of the Great Yan Dynasty, their faces showing distress. Nana looked closely... and among them was a figure in emerald green. Who else could it be but Kal'tsit?

"His Majesty will naturally punish those who cause trouble for the Ministry of Ministry of Works. This time, the little ones were indeed overjoyed and didn't know their own limitations... Please understand, after all, there are urgent reports about this stuff everywhere, whether it's the Great Wilderness or Jade Gate."

"As for the compensation to Lungmen... and Rhodes Island... well, let His Majesty decide that too. Rhodes Island will get two portions... Lungmen will also give Rhodes Island some assistance. Let's handle it that way... Anyone have any objections?"

Seeing the group of people bowing repeatedly, Nana was still unaware of what was happening when she suddenly turned her head and saw the short man who had just been patting Superintendent Chen's shoulder... a man suspected to be codenamed 'Old Celestial Master', suddenly appear in front of her.

This startled the cat. How could it appear in front of it so silently?

"Oh... sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... but... you're the 'Angel'? Now I've finally met you in person..."

The blonde girl circled Nana three times as if she were looking at something extraordinary before finally turning away with a look of amazement, waving her large palm-leaf fan as she walked to the end of the corridor.

"Anyway, you're responsible for handling the aftermath yourselves. Ministry of Works, you need to apologize properly and reflect on your actions! Honestly... what a mess..."

Only after the man disappeared from sight, cursing, did Nana look at Kal'tsit in confusion. She shook her head slightly in response to Emerald Feline's slight shaking of her head. Soon, another group of people entered from outside, led by an ancient Ancients with a dragon head, puffing on a pipe and exhaling smoke.

Upon seeing Ch'en Hui-chieh's angry pointing finger at the "No Smoking" sign on the wall, the man reluctantly extinguished his seemingly luxurious pipe.

"... In short, let's deal with things one by one."

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PSS: Artifact Fiend: Hit Count and Health Bar, kid!

9th Lungmen Seafood: 312 Welcome Home

With the arrival of Governor Wei Yenwu of Lungmen, the negotiation phase officially began, with everyone sitting down at the front of the table.

The whole thing started inexplicably because Nana's equipment triggered Collapse alarm set up by the Great Yan Celestial Masters when it went through Customs. As Demons beings are the natural enemies of mankind, any encounter with them triggers a level one alarm, and none of the people present have any objections to this.

The situation spiraled out of control when the on-duty exorcist who came to check on the situation discovered that Nana's equipment was not 'carrying Pollution's but 'suppressing Pollution '.

As the departed 'Old Celestial Master' said, because the border of the Great Yan was frequently harassed by Demons, when he discovered that there was man-made equipment that could suppress the Demons, the Celestial Master on duty was overjoyed and summoned the members of the proclamation team, and then launched a series of actions that showed a lack of respect for the people of Lungmen.

Because the matter concerned a great cause, the Governor of Lungmen had no reason to criticize it. It was only because Ch'en Hui-chieh relied on his status that he dared to criticize the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Works who had come through special means.

If only Nana's equipment truly suppressed Demons through its mechanical power, things didn't turn out that way. It was Nana herself, not the equipment, that suppressed the Demons. The seeds of chaos were sown when the Ministry of Works' Celestial Master tested and activated Nana's equipment.

Fortunately, the Great Yan was not a region that encouraged subordinates to act independently. While the Ministry of Works was testing Nana's equipment, the Old Celestial Master in the Great Wilderness also received a series of reports of good news. At the same time, Kal'tsit also began to pass on messages through her personal connections.

Upon learning of the gravity of the situation, the Old Celestial Master immediately set off for Lungmen at top speed. At the same time, Nana also 'persuaded' Chen, and the group suppressed the Demons Pollution before it could spread.

Thus, a crisis caused by a flawed judgment was averted in its infancy, and the Great Yan's institutional self-correcting ability played a crucial role in this incident.

However, contrary to what the official document described as organizational cooperation and everyone working together to save the day... none of the people talking face-to-face now had a pleasant expression.

Police Superintendent Ch'en Hui-chieh and Governor Wei Yenwu of Lungmen, the mechanical master of the Ministry of Works and the on-duty master stationed in Lungmen, plus Nana and Kal'tsit from Rhodes Island... Except for Wei Yenwu's dragon face, whose expression was not very clear, the six or five people representing the group all looked like they wanted to devour the others alive.

The first to launch an attack was naturally Ch'en Hui-chieh, who had long been dissatisfied with the Ministry of Works' short-sighted approach and had completely disregarded Lungmen during the operation:

"It's obvious that this is the Ministry of Works' fault!"

The Mysterious Master also has something to say about the duties of the Lungmen Police Superintendent:

"Rhodes Island brought such dangerous Pollution into the country. Even if I truly deserve to die, what about Rhodes Island members bringing the Pollution into the country? Ultimately, the goods still belong to Rhodes Island, right?!"

Seeing that remaining silent would result in being singled out, Kal'tsit, before the cat beside her whose expression mirrored her own, calmly but resolutely voiced her protest:

"Objection! All of our operators' actions complied with Lungmen entry procedures, and even subsequent actions were under the supervision and guidance of Lungmen's senior superintendents. Are you implying that our Medic operator... someone who even requests permission from the local superintendent to use live ammunition in dangerous situations, is the culprit behind this disaster?"

In response, the duty celestial master, already somewhat resigned to his fate, said with a gloomy face, "If we really want to nitpick over the wording of the laws, shouldn't the Lungmen Guard Department have completely isolated the hazardous materials warehouse from the moment I issued the Level 1 warning?! Isn't this a case of the Guard Bureau failing in its duties and disregarding the common people...?"

Clearly, Ch'en Hui-chieh was furious upon hearing this person shift the blame. The dragon girl slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"Who on earth was so eager to summon their close friends to study this 'major matter'? And who, in the name of 'concern for the world,' stopped Lord Wei Yan... Lord Wei's actions?! Who is disregarding the safety of the common people? And who is trying to give credit for researching this 'special item' to their friend?! Be careful, or I'll accuse you of forming cliques for personal gain!!"

"Ha~ Then go ahead! Anyway, Lungmen's inaction is truly inaction, and the Emperor has already proposed to take back Lungmen's autonomy... It's also good that Lord Wei should return to the capital as soon as possible; who knows, he might even get to sit on that dragon throne!"

Clearly, the atmosphere of this three-way meeting was disastrous due to the self-deprecating and sarcastic remarks of the on-duty Daoist priest.

Ch'en Hui-chieh has a rather fiery temper, was immediately filled with anger and grabbed her standard-issue sword, ready to give the other party a piece of her mind... Fortunately, even Hoshiguma Swire another officer, Swire, couldn't stop her. It was only with the addition of Wei Yenwu that Ch'en Hui-chieh was able to sit down again.

As for the Daoist priest who was talking but then started dripping black water from his body and pulled out a spellcasting unit from his pocket, Nana quietly pressed his shoulder and forced him to sit down.

The sound of a plastic chair that the Guard Bureau had temporarily moved into the warehouse cracking startled everyone. At the same time, the duty celestial master realized the incredibly disrespectful things he had just said... Now, meeting Wei Yenwu's emotionless gaze, the duty celestial master belatedly felt as if he had a lot of relatives to blame.

"... Uh... what am I doing...?"

"It's an amplification of 'emotions'... Even though my equipment is shut down, the leaked Pollution won't dissipate easily. For newcomers who don't understand 'Demons,' it's normal for their emotions to be stirred up or their thoughts to gradually become extreme. To recover, it will definitely be a long process of self-cultivation."

After calming down the Daoist priest who was almost Collapse on the spot, Nana turned to look at Ch'en Hui-chieh, who was also affected:

"Chen, you too. The Inspector Chan I know is not the kind of person who would speak so harshly to his colleagues. Please recall how you treated the soldiers who blocked the road before... reasonable and well-founded, strict but not harsh. That is the real you."

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Wei Yenwu, who had been silent for a long time, finally looked at the equipment that still had the Security Bureau's seal on it:

"So, this is the 'Demons'... It can silently turn the originally respectful and loving Lungmen Government into a marketplace of mutual accusations... This is the 'enemy of civilization'."

As he sighed, the governor waved and smiled at the trembling Daoist priest on duty:

"I have heard about the dangers this thing poses to our Great Yan since I was a child, from the celestial masters who taught me at the academy. However, this is the first time I have directly witnessed its destruction. Rest assured, according to the experts who deal with 'Demons,' I will pretend I did not hear your outrageous remarks, but it is a fact that all the nobles have been affected."

"Demons amplify human desires, so before discussing punishment, I believe we should first clarify how this matter will be resolved... I have no right to comment on the arrangements made by the Celestial Masters' Office for everyone, but there is no doubt that the damage caused by this accident constitutes a work-related injury, and Lungmen will arrange compensation for everyone in the highest manner."

Seeing the Celestial Masters bow and acknowledge him, Wei Yenwu turned to look at Kal'tsit and Nana, who had returned to sit next to Kal'tsit.

"And Rhodes Island... While Ms. Kal'tsit's explanation was indeed true, the cause of this Demons spread was indeed that you all brought dangerous goods into the country..."

"Ah, at this point, please don't say that you are acting in accordance with the rules. After all, the Celestial Masters also act in accordance with the Great Yan Law. The cause of the accident can be said to be the Demons disturbing people's hearts, but the origin of the Demons and the starting point of the development of the matter originated from you. This is the most fundamental root."

"But considering that you all stand with Lungmen in the face of this threat, I also acknowledge that Rhodes Island did not intentionally provoke this dangerous commitment... So, how about we each take a step back in this regard?"

"Lungmen will not pursue the matter of Rhodes Island bringing dangerous Pollution into the city, which once put the city's residents on the brink of danger. However, in return, we hope to engage in deeper cooperation with Rhodes Island in dealing with Demons, an enemy of civilization."

As the Governor of Lungmen spoke eloquently, Nana tilted her head slightly... Her ears, which were usually sharp with political maneuvering, stood straight up, and even her tail curled up uncomfortably.

From the person in front of her, Nana only understood one thing: I want to steal your equipment for free!

If it were just Nana on her own, she would have no way to deal with Wei Yenwu's so-called 'mutual compromise'.

Fortunately, Kal'tsit is right beside Nana now:

"Rhodes Island is a large, comprehensive medical ship, and Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Company's primary mission is to heal the sick and save lives. Medic's equipment exists to enable unimpeded access to aid others on this land, and we will not refuse any reasonable cooperation."

"However... Medic's abilities are mostly unique to her. If Lord Wei thinks that simply copying Medic and her equipment will solve the threat of Demons, then I can only say that you may be too optimistic."

"Admittedly, Rhodes Island will not ignore something as dangerous as Demons Pollution, but as for deeper cooperation... how deep, how broad, and even the projects involved... I think we need to discuss these in more detail later."

The emerald-green Feline stared at the dragon Ancients until the latter grinned again, took out an unlit pipe, and looked away.

"Indeed, dealing with the current Pollution is the top priority, and we can discuss in-depth cooperation slowly... However, the Celestial Masters have the Celestial Masters' Office's Mansion to arrange their recuperation, while our Guard Bureau agents have never dealt with a similar situation before and lack the corresponding logistical support... So I'll trouble the people of Rhodes Island to arrange... your so-called 'self-cultivation' package for Superintendent Chen and her subordinates."

"Out of consideration for our partner's prior goodwill, we will make an exception and allow the entry of top-grade dangerous goods contaminated with Demons Pollution... However, in return, we require Rhodes Island members to undergo the highest level of security checks regarding entry procedures... This matter will also be handled by Superintendent Ch'en Hui-chieh. What does Ms. Kal'tsit think?"

"Acceptable."

After all, Rhodes Island has not issued any notice allowing entry into the city so far... although this was previously because most of Rhodes Island's members the Infected. But in the face of the Demons, the Infected problem that Lungmen has always paid close attention to seems insignificant.

The incident was considered over when Kal'tsit shook hands with Wei Yenwu and the Celestial Master Sect to say goodbye. Nana and Kal'tsit then returned to Rhodes Island, which was located in the port, in the Guard Bureau vehicle that was transporting the 'tactical equipment'.

"So... is this the end of the matter?"

Without looking at Nana, Kal'tsit even ignored the black cat's tail that was trying to get into her hand, but since Nana looked extremely anxious, Emerald Feline still decided to provide an answer:

"No, Rhodes Island has never revealed our ability to fight Demons before... This incident marks the beginning of Rhodes Island's cooperation with various countries in dealing with Demons affairs."

"Isn't Kal'tsit happy that this can enhance other countries' resistance to Demons?"

As Nana asked this question, Kal'tsit glanced at Ch'en Hui-chieh:

"... It's too early... Whether it's dealing with Demons with the current technological capabilities of various countries, or the speed at which Nana has been exposed to the eyes of major powers... it's all too early and too fast."

Clearly, Ch'en Hui-chieh, who had her arms crossed, couldn't stand Kal'tsit's reluctant expression any longer.

"Fighting Demons and protecting the people... there's no such thing as too early or too fast..."

"That's the truth, but people's hearts aren't always so. The nations of this land aren't prepared for such a calamity. The pioneers currently attempting to venture alone into the realm of Demons... are not in good shape."

"The Great Yan is slightly better off due to certain special cases, but only slightly. What you need to do is conserve your strength and resources, not try to delve into it alone."

Ursus Holy Fool insane and irrational, and the Witch King, with his excessive focus on the Warp, had caused widespread suffering and misery... Kal'tsit was now only saying what she could.

Beyond the threat posed by the Demons themselves, the vigilance of other core nations is also a problem. Kal'tsit finds it hard to imagine Ursus remaining calm Ursus the Great Yan is conducting in-depth research on Demons.

Everyone knows that in the face of disaster, humanity must unite... but everyone also understands that, to ensure their own safety, secretly possessing an advantage over other nations is the Istina of this land.

Faced with various disasters, every country wants to gain an advantage, yet fears that neighboring countries may have an even greater advantage. (Umbrella)

What's chilling is... when some people can't gain an advantage on their own, they're highly likely to try and erase the advantages of other countries.

What good is it if one person or one leadership group possesses lofty ideals or a strong sense of unity?! Let's not even talk about distant examples; just look at the name Theresa... Babel became Rhodes Island only a few years ago!

The so-called core circle of countries may seem glamorous, but for centuries, regardless of the country or organization, once the number of participants expands to the size of a single nation, all such organizations become mere makeshift operations... Kal'tsit has more authority on this than anyone else.

However, just doing nothing will definitely not work.

Great Yan has already discovered Nana's special nature, and even if Kal'tsit is passive, she still needs to respond accordingly.

"Next, Lungmen will probably open up vetting activities for Rhodes Island personnel very soon... but aside from others, Nana, your permission will probably be the fastest."

"... Because we also need to cooperate with Lungmen and help Superintendent Chan eliminate the Pollution?"

"You can think of it that way, but in reality, it might be more accurate to consider it as Lungmen's attempt to recruit you... They'll likely shower you with offers of money, emotional appeals... and all sorts of other incentives. You'll need to judge for yourself how far you should distance yourself from Lungmen... and even from the Great Yan."

"I see."

Listening to the conversation in the back seat, which treated the Guard Bureau members in the front like they were not human, Ch'en Hui-chieh crossed her arms and remained silent the whole way. She knew that Hoshiguma, who was driving, had already communicated with her with her eyes several times... But after all, they weren't talking about anything shameful, or rather, the truth was quite the opposite; perhaps it was Lungmen, who was trying to poach her, who was more shameful.

Ch'en Hui-chieh did not deny Kal'tsit's speculation about Lungmen's subsequent actions. After all, in her opinion, Medic, with its strength and uniqueness, would inevitably be a target for Wei Yenwu and even the Great Yan Celestial Masters' Office to win over... This did not need to be speculated at all, since Ch'en Hui-chieh herself wanted to recruit Medic into the Guard Bureau after cooperating with him.