"Are you awake?"
Chen Xu's voice rang out, instantly jolting Nie Mengyin fully awake.
She looked around. The narrow room was dimly lit, its walls peeling with paint, while faint applause drifted in from next door. She could not help but frown.
"Mr. Chen, I hope you can tell me truthfully what exactly happened, and what these matters have to do with my husband." Thinking of how her husband had occasionally seemed weighed down by worries lately, Nie Mengyin felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
Chen Xu's expression gradually turned grave. "As for this matter, those who understand, understand; those who don't need no further explanation.
After all, it's enough that you know it yourself. Savor it carefully.
And don't ask me what happened. The interests involved are too great; saying it would do neither you nor me any good. Just treat it as though you never knew.
All I can say is that the waters run deep, and many things are entangled in this. It's best not to learn the details."
Nie Mengyin had thought Chen Xu would lay everything bare and had been all ears, yet after listening for so long, she had not gotten a single useful piece of information.
"Mr. Chen!" Her tone carried a trace of anger.
"I think I have the right to know what exactly is going on." Seeing that Chen Xu had no intention of telling her more, Nie Mengyin took out her phone and contacted Ling Xiangshan.
After trying several times in a row and getting no answer each time, Nie Mengyin covered her face with both hands and began to sob quietly.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone pounded hard on the door.
"Occupants inside, we are from the Great Abyss Security Bureau. Please come out and cooperate with an inspection."
"Coming, coming." Chen Xu answered aloud, but he had already prepared to erupt at any moment, though he did not truly believe this had anything to do with him.
If they had really come for his identity as a Martial Artist, the Public Security Office would not have been the ones sent.
When he opened the door, two Great Abyss police officers stood blocking the entrance.
Just as Chen Xu had expected, they had not come for him at all.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another seven or eight officers knocking on the doors of other guest rooms in the corridor.
"Is there anyone else in the room? Please present your valid Great Abyss identification."
"Here." Chen Xu handed over a black booklet engraved with the Martial Pavilion insignia.
The moment the officer opened it, his expression changed dramatically. He raised a hand to salute, only for Chen Xu to press it down.
The image of the man before him instantly became towering and lofty in the officer's heart.
He secretly resolved to cooperate properly with the Deputy Pavilion Master. For someone of his stature to keep such a low profile, he must be carrying out some especially important mission.
Besides, if he could leave a good impression on this Deputy Pavilion Master, saving himself ten years of hard work would not be a dream.
"Please cooperate with us, Mr. Chen. We need you to come downstairs." The other officer was a newly recruited rookie. Looking at the veteran officer, whose attitude had suddenly become exceedingly warm, he showed a hint of confusion. He recognized the Martial Pavilion insignia too—could this man be some mid-level official within the Martial Pavilion?
Chen Xu gave a slight nod, returned to the room, and picked up Ling Youyou. "Ms. Nie, the Public Security Office wants us to go downstairs."
"Okay." Nie Mengyin wiped away her tears and replied softly.
Several dozen people had already gathered downstairs, surrounded in the courtyard by more than twenty officers.
Once the occupants of every guest room had been called out, a woman in leather clothing with a stone badge on her chest walked to the front of the crowd with a loudspeaker in hand.
"Quiet. Everyone, please be quiet."
The Security Bureau's reputation was extremely effective on ordinary people. The noisy crowd abruptly fell silent and turned as one to look at the woman.
"Why have you called us out? If you don't give us a reasonable explanation, I'll have a good talk with your Secretary Jin!" The speaker was covered in fat that trembled as he spoke, with a scantily dressed woman of the night in his arms.
The leather-clad woman paid his threat no mind at all. Did she not know what sort of people the guests staying here were?
"Now, please cooperate. Those whose identification has just been checked, stand on the left. Those without identification, stand on the right."
At the leather-clad woman's order, the crowd sluggishly divided into two groups.
"This area will be sealed off shortly. Those holding identification may board the buses we have prepared and head to the center of Qianshui Commandery in advance." The leather-clad woman signaled to her subordinates with her eyes.
"Sealed off?" The moment they heard those words, the crowd erupted.
"Yes, sealed off. As for the reason, it is inconvenient to disclose. Please cooperate."
"Please board. The bus will take you to the center of Qianshui Commandery." The leather-clad woman's subordinate was a tall, skinny young man. He bent down to help an elderly old woman lift her leg and step onto the bus.
"Sit beside me." Before getting on, Chen Xu quietly instructed Nie Mengyin, his gaze lingering briefly over the bus driver and the leather-clad woman.
The bus driver seemed to sense something. When he turned to look, Chen Xu had already casually withdrawn his gaze.
By Chen Xu's assessment, both of them possessed exceptionally high physical conditioning. Below the level of a Martial Artist, they were absolutely first-rate martial artists, at least ninth rank in strength.
Now that was interesting. A dignified ninth-rank martial artist was actually serving as a minor leader in the Public Security Office and as a bus driver.
With strength like that, becoming a deputy pavilion master at a county Martial Pavilion would have been more than easy.
If there had only been one, it could perhaps be understood as not coveting fame or profit. But two of them together...
Once everyone had boarded, the bus set off carrying more than twenty ordinary people and five officers responsible for protection.
"Ahh..." The fat man, who had monopolized the last row, yawned. He felt a little sleepy.
In less than three minutes, snores rose and fell throughout the bus. Aside from the driver, no one seemed to remain awake.
Chen Xu sat with his eyes closed against the seat, seemingly having fallen into a deep sleep. In truth, his senses were fully unleashed. His Martial Artist-level sense of smell had made him the first to detect the possible presence of hypnotic gas on the bus.
Colorless and odorless only meant that it was difficult for ordinary people to notice. If a Martial Artist could be put to sleep by such gas, calling him the shame of Martial Artists would not be excessive.
Playing along, Chen Xu wanted to see exactly what trick these people were up to.
"Hello?" The driver seemed to trust the effects of the hypnotic gas completely and made no effort to lower his voice while on the phone.
"The offerings have arrived?" A hoarse, dry voice came from the other end. With his Martial Artist-level hearing, Chen Xu heard their conversation with perfect clarity.
"About ten minutes away. Get ready to receive them.
Every time, you need at least fifty people, and the rituals have to be carried out on both sides at once. Is this thing of yours even reliable? Let me make this ugly truth clear first: if it fails again this time, there won't be another chance.
Those two Martial Artist lords will arrive soon and launch their attack in earnest. By then, no one will help you gather sacrificial offerings."
"Rest assured. The previous two ritual failures were not without gains. This time, we will certainly succeed and lay the foundation for the true revival of martial arts.
Heh heh heh heh... The history Great Abyss has tried its utmost to erase, the lost martial arts civilization..."
The driver put down his phone. The bus sped through winding paths before finally stopping at the foot of an unnamed mountain within Qianshui Commandery.
A group of people entirely shrouded in black robes patterned with silver lines had long been waiting at the mountain's foot. The instant the bus doors opened, they impatiently climbed aboard and began carrying down the sleeping passengers.
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