Action

"Congratulations to Chen Martial Arts Academy and its head, Chen Xu, for advancing to the finals!"

Ignoring the commentator's usual endless chatter, Chen Xu easily shook off the pursuing reporters and headed to the protected person's home to wait for the mission to begin.

If he went over now, he could still mooch lunch and dinner, saving a hefty sum in Abyss Coins.

Everything in the black market cost money. How could he not be frugal?

Martial Pavilion Family Residential District.

Chen Xu walked all the way to the villa at the very end, a hint of amusement flashing through his eyes.

At least ten people were guarding the villa from the shadows. As expected of one of the Martial Pavilion's most influential figures, their protection was far beyond that of ordinary family members.

But none of that was his concern. As long as he followed them to their residence in Peace Prefecture City, the money would be his.

"Captain, he's the final line of defense for this escort mission. I could put a bullet through his head right now, and he wouldn't even know how he died. And they call that a line of defense?"

Scattered laughter came through the radio.

"It's what the employer asked for. Just do the job. The only people we're protecting are that mother and daughter anyway." Blood Rose fiddled with the map in her hands.

"Rat, is the car I told you to rent ready?"

The rat-faced man grinned. "Captain, don't worry. They're all bulletproof. If this weren't just some small prefectural city with limited materials, I'd have modified them myself."

"The employer is really generous. Once we finish this job, we can have some fun for a couple of days."

"That's all the ambition you've got."

The radio was filled with cheerful chatter.

"Mommy, there's an uncle I don't know knocking on the door." The little girl with two pigtails spotted Chen Xu through the peephole and dashed toward the kitchen.

"I'll go take a look." Nie Mengyin put down her spatula and gently rubbed her daughter's head.

Ling Youyou immediately covered her little head. "If people keep touching it, I won't grow tall! I want to be taller than Daddy someday."

"So it's Mr. Chen. Please come in. We were just about to eat, so join us."

Nie Mengyin had learned from her husband that Mr. Chen was his colleague from the Martial Pavilion and would be heading to Peace Prefecture City to handle something.

Her family also happened to be going to Peace Prefecture City to visit her parents. Since they were headed the same way, her husband had arranged for her to catch a ride with him.

She had thought Mr. Chen would arrive in the evening, but he had unexpectedly come at noon.

"Youyou, call him Uncle Chen." Nie Mengyin patted her daughter on the back, and Ling Youyou immediately called out sweetly.

"You're Mrs. Nie, right?" Chen Xu glanced at the steaming dishes on the table. So little? It wouldn't be enough.

"The driver will come for us tonight, and we'll set off then." Having received the invitation, Chen Xu naturally did not stand on ceremony and sat down at the table.

"Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Chen, taking my daughter and me along."

Chen Xu hurriedly said, "No trouble, no trouble."

He was getting so much stuff for free from one trip. Uncle Chen definitely didn't mind the trouble.

"Wow, Mom, is this uncle a monster? How can he eat so much?" Ling Youyou propped up her chin with both hands, watching with great interest as Chen Xu cleaned out the last of the food in the pot.

He must have grown so tall because he eats so much. The little girl could not help thinking.

"Children say the darndest things, Mr. Chen. Please don't mind her." Nie Mengyin lectured her daughter. "Youyou, how can you call Uncle Chen a monster?"

Yet when she looked at Chen Xu, the shock in her eyes did not lessen in the slightest. Her husband was a powerful martial artist, so she knew martial artists usually ate a little more than ordinary people.

But Mr. Chen's appetite was not merely a little larger. For some reason, she had the feeling that he was not even half full.

"I'll make some more." Nie Mengyin stood, planning to cook a few more dishes.

"I'll do it myself." Chen Xu looked around. "Do you mind if I borrow the kitchen?"

"Please." Before Nie Mengyin had even finished speaking, she realized Chen Xu was already standing in front of the refrigerator.

Chen Xu examined the ingredients in the refrigerator. He figured that before he was full, the hostess would collapse from exhaustion. He might as well do it himself and see whether his cooking skills had gotten rusty.

His solitary life as a bachelor in his previous life had honed his cooking skills.

After all, back when his studio was just getting started, he saved money wherever he could. Buying groceries at the market and cooking for himself was undoubtedly cheaper than ordering takeout.

Under the mother and daughter's watchful eyes, Chen Xu used Ling Xiangshan's largest bowl and ate more than ten more bowls before finally wiping his mouth.

Night fell, and a black sedan pulled up in front of the villa.

"Deputy Pavilion Master Chen." The driver respectfully greeted Chen Xu.

"Everyone's here? Then let's go." Chen Xu nodded to the driver and got into the sedan with Ling Xiangshan's wife and daughter.

The driver's palms were covered in calluses. He was clearly a fairly capable martial artist as well. Ling Xiangshan had gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of his wife and daughter.

"Don't follow too closely," Blood Rose instructed from the front passenger seat.

"The vehicles responsible for clearing the way, keep an eye on the surroundings at all times. Report any abnormalities immediately."

"Roger." Viper held a cigar between his teeth and said indistinctly, "This mission is a piece of cake. Great Abyss is much safer than the small countries we usually stay in. At least we don't have to worry about some stray bullet flying in from nowhere and taking our lives."

"Safe, sure, but it's so safe my bones are getting rusty." The headscarf-wearing man in the front passenger seat laughed.

"You're just asking for it. Things are easy, and you're still not happy," a driver's voice came through the radio from another vehicle.

"Stay alert."

Blood Rose cut off the chatting mercenaries, her sharp gaze sweeping across the land shrouded in night.

"The road ahead remains largely undeveloped for quite a stretch. Stay sharp!"

Hearing their captain speak, the mercenaries in the vehicles immediately quieted down.

On a hill somewhere.

"Report! Target sighted. The target vehicle is approaching. Awaiting instructions." A soldier in camouflage stood at attention and reported to the officer holding night-vision binoculars.

"How far away are they?" The officer's voice was calm, yet it carried a particular authority.

"About two kilometers. Once they enter within one kilometer, they'll be within our snipers' effective range."

"Inform the snipers to stand by. Without my orders, no one is to engage on their own."

He was far less calm inside than he appeared. He was a Great Abyss soldier, and he knew exactly what would happen to him if what he was doing came to light.

His soldiers only believed this mission was to capture an illegally entered mercenary group. They did not know there were two other targets.

But he had no choice. The Xu Family had plenty of leverage over him. If it were exposed, he would probably spend the rest of his life in prison.

Lowering the brim of his cap, he directed the soldiers into action. If this succeeded, the Xu Family would use the strength of their entire clan to help him rise through the ranks. He was only in his thirties. In the future, he might even have a chance to become the top official in charge of the prefectural city's military.

Like the Martial Pavilion, the Great Abyss Military Headquarters typically maintained branches in every prefecture and county. Their leaders held status equivalent to the highest local administrative official and possessed absolute authority.