"But they're really strong, and there are a lot of them." April hesitated, but Mu Yang could see from her eyes that she truly hated the Ophiuchus Legion. She was merely worried that they outnumbered them.
Mu Yang smiled proudly and said disdainfully, "Those guys? No matter how many there are, they're no match for your brother."
"On this planet, there aren't many people stronger than me anymore."
Mu Yang was not being arrogant; it was simply the truth. Even Master Roshi, aside from having far more experience, was not much stronger than Mu Yang in his own estimation.
April's eyes lit up as she recalled how mighty Mu Yang had been the day before. She clenched her fists and said fiercely, "Then Brother has to defeat all those bad guys."
"Of course."
Over the next few days, April formally joined Tianxin Style and began learning the fundamentals of martial arts. Once Aisafu and Mu Yang learned that her dream was to become a scientist, they began looking for a school for her and arranged for her to attend it.
At the same time, so that April could continue practicing martial arts, she was to live at Tianxin Style's Martial Arts Hall at the foot of the Da Qingshan Mountains.
It was a martial arts hall open to ordinary people, watched over by several Tianxin Style disciples who taught the locals a few basic techniques for defending themselves. It served as one of Tianxin Style's public outposts.
Meanwhile.
In the eastern mountain range of Earth, at the Ophiuchus Legion's headquarters.
Commander Huai En, his face gloomy, examined the intelligence report submitted by his subordinates and frowned slightly. It stated that Lusha, the person in charge of the southeastern region, had apparently discovered something and led a group into the Shaze Plains, never to emerge again.
According to reports sent back by the follow-up team, they had found Lusha's body and those of his men there.
Every one of his subordinates had been killed in a single blow. Their guns had not even been used, showing that they had not had the slightest chance to resist. There was also a hole in Lusha's head, punched straight through by a high-energy beam.
Slap! Commander Huai En pressed the report onto the desk, then picked up his wineglass in a foul mood and drained it in one gulp.
"Who exactly killed Lusha? Some expert who happened to pass by, or another force with the same objective—such as... people from the United Kingdom?" Huai En's expression shifted uncertainly. The first possibility would be fine, since it would not be targeted at them. But if it were the second, it meant someone else had also set their sights on that blueprint.
Yet no matter which possibility it was, the blueprint he wanted could no longer be recovered—or rather, the chance of recovering it had become exceedingly slim!
"Useless trash. He not only got himself killed, but lost the blueprint too." While inwardly cursing Lusha for his incompetence, Commander Huai En also had to consider what came next. If the blueprint had fallen into the hands of the United Kingdom or another faction, it would be extremely disadvantageous for the Ophiuchus Legion.
"Dolon, do you know of any powerful martial arts schools near the Shaze Plains?"
Commander Huai En asked his confidant.
The man named Dolon quickly searched through the information in his mind and shook his head. "The Shaze Plains are an extremely desolate place. There's barely any sign of human habitation within over a hundred kilometers."
"Wait, farther west lies an immense mountain range. Beasts run rampant there, and ordinary people simply cannot enter. Beyond that range, there is a martial arts school. But Commander, those martial arts schools keep to themselves, and their strength is no small matter. We must not provoke them lightly." Dolon tried to dissuade him, emphasizing the power of martial arts schools.
Commander Huai En waved a hand. "Enough. Let me think."
Anyone capable of becoming the commander of an armed organization naturally had some brains. Huai En knew full well how terrifying martial arts schools could be. Some powerful martial artists did not even fear firearms; against people like that, armed forces were useless. Moreover, Commander Huai En was himself a beastman-type martial artist, so he understood martial artists' abilities exceptionally well.
But times had changed, after all. As technology advanced, increasingly powerful weapons were continuously being produced, and martial artists' deterrent effect on certain organizations was declining.
Still, even the slightest suspicion was enough that Huai En would not let it go easily. Of course, he had no intention of acting personally.
"Guards!" Commander Huai En called out.
The hall doors soon opened, and a soldier in an earthy gray uniform ran inside. "Commander, what are your orders?"
"Contact the assassin Tien Shinhan immediately. Tell him I have a task to entrust to him. Ask him to find a blueprint for me. This is the specific address." Commander Huai En wrote down the address and handed it to his subordinate. Had Mu Yang been present, he would certainly have recognized that the address on the slip was none other than Tianxin Style's outpost in the Da Qingshan Mountains.
Whether there were dates or not, strike the tree three times first. Commander Huai En's intention was simple: if the blueprint truly was there, that would naturally be ideal. Even if it was not, he would merely lose some money. Anything that could be solved with money was a small matter. Commander Huai En rather hoped the blueprint was there!
The moment he heard that he had to contact the vicious assassin Tien Shinhan, the soldier's face immediately turned pale.
"What, is there a problem?" Commander Huai En shot him a cold, sinister glare.
The soldier immediately felt as though he had been targeted by a demon. He shuddered and replied tremulously, "No... I'll take care of it at once."
With that, he clutched the note and scrambled out in a panic.
Commander Huai En snorted disdainfully and reclined comfortably on his soft sofa, pretending to nap. At that moment, an intense roar rolled in from the distance. Rumble, rumble! It sounded like artillery fire. The entire castle shook, and the chandelier on the ceiling swayed from side to side as though it might fall at any moment.
"An earthquake? No, someone is attacking this place."
Commander Huai En's face darkened at once. Murderous intent covered his face as he strode outside, only to see the guards urgently mobilizing and organizing defenses.
"What happened?" Huai En demanded, killing intent blazing.
"Commander, someone has invaded headquarters. Our men are about to be unable to hold them off." A guard carrying a rifle looked deathly pale.
"What?" Commander Huai En froze for a moment, startled by the words "unable to hold them off." Then his savage face became even more vicious. "Damn it! This is the Ophiuchus Legion's headquarters. Who is bold enough to invade this place?"
"It's... it's a young man."
Before you continue