There's a Traitor Among Us!

Several days later.

Miao Territory.

Deep in a mountain forest, a large number of Everywhere Access employees had gathered in secret.

The flow of energy around them made it clear that they were all extraordinary practitioners, and their ranks were neat and orderly.

A burly, middle-aged man stood at the front. He had unkempt stubble and rugged features, with several stitched scars on his face standing out starkly in the dim light.

"Those Medicine Immortal Society bastards have crawled out again! Leaving a cult like that alive is just asking for trouble! This year, we're fucking cleaning out their whole nest in one fell swoop! Dead or alive, I don't care-not a single breathing bastard gets away!"

The scarred man swore freely and carried himself with savage confidence. When he grinned, he revealed two distinctive gold teeth. He had the air of a street tough, yet he appeared to be one of the company's higher-ups.

"The boss is right! Let's just do it! Kill the bastards!"

At the edge of the crowd, a young employee with long, pinkish-gray hair bristled with righteous indignation. A rather dreamlike bead bearing the Three-Tomoe Sharingan on his belt slowly gave off light. Though his clothing looked entirely out of place among these Everywhere Access employees, his aura blended in perfectly.

"Yeah! What a badass boss! Let's just do it!" The employees roared their agreement. Their unhesitating response made it clear that, despite his fierce looks and coarse language, the scarred man had thoroughly won their hearts. His unpretentious, rough-and-ready manner had clearly made him one of the frontline crew, earning him considerable respect.

This man was none other than Liao Zhong, head of the South China Region, one of Everywhere Access's seven nationwide regions.

After finishing his rallying speech, Liao Zhong couldn't help glancing at the pink-haired young man at the edge of the crowd and scratching his head.

Why did I feel like I'd never seen this guy before? And what's with that flashy outfit? Even the company employees hanging around him seem a little unruly.

He gave off the same feeling as a temporary operative-perhaps even more of one than the actual temporary operatives.

Waving away the mosquitoes around him, Liao Zhong didn't give it much thought. Since the young man had made it here, he was most likely someone sent by another region to assist, perhaps a reserve temporary operative or someone of that caliber. The Medicine Immortal Society rising from the ashes was a serious matter. Aside from the people he had personally invited, the neighboring regions would also take the initiative to send capable hands.

To be fair, he didn't really know nearly a fifth of the people gathered before him. That was normal enough. Once they had fought this battle together, they would all know each other anyway.

If any of them proved particularly capable, he could invite them to become a temporary operative after the battle. At that thought, Liao Zhong glanced once more at Ma Xianhong at the edge of the crowd.

The young man hadn't done anything yet, but Liao Zhong trusted his eye for people. This fellow was definitely no ordinary character.

He patted his deputy on the shoulder and told him to build some rapport with the employees who had come from other regions to help, exchange information about their capabilities, and discuss tactics.

Then Liao Zhong strode over to a short, middle-aged man who looked rather shy and reserved. With a hearty laugh and an enthusiasm that matched his rugged appearance, he threw an arm around him. "Old Meng, thanks for coming all the way from the northwest!" Old Meng swayed slightly under his embrace and hurriedly waved his hands, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Not at all, not at all. It's only right," Old Meng said sincerely, waving his hands. "If you hadn't recommended me back then, I probably wouldn't even have been able to feed my two children. Now that my ability can be of use, I ought to come and contribute what little I can. I only hope I won't let you down."

Liao Zhong burst out laughing and slapped Old Meng hard on the back without the slightest concern for appearances. "Old Meng, Old Meng, you're still as modest as ever! How about I have a word with Hua Feng and get you working for me instead? Honestly, I really regret introducing you to him back then. My temporary operative happens to be under the weather, too. Let that guy find someone else himself!" With that, he laughed heartily again.

Old Meng rubbed the hem of his clothing between his hands, seemingly a little socially anxious. He merely smiled good-naturedly without responding. Liao Zhong didn't mind at all. He knew this old friend well: an honest man, just a little socially anxious. He naturally steered the conversation toward Old Meng's children.

The two walked side by side, chatting about family life while discussing tactics for the coming operation.

Old Meng's bacteria-controlling Biologist ability would be the ultimate counter in this battle, shutting down the Medicine Immortal Society outright. With him alone present, most of those bizarre gu poisons the society relied on would be rendered useless.

Tsk, tsk. You've got to admit, modern technology really does give a lot of disciplines a leap forward.

While joking around with the other temporary operatives who had also come from elsewhere to help, Ma Xianhong cast a sidelong glance at Old Meng.

Abilities involving biological entities, those dual-ability practitioners, or even his own Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements could indeed receive a considerable boost from advances in modern technology.

Unfortunately, none of the other worlds were technology-oriented. Otherwise, he would actually have liked to pilot a Gundam.

Ma Xianhong glanced down at his belt and chuckled. Even without a technology-oriented world, this was plenty. In all honesty, what Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements needed most was its user's creativity and inspiration. After all, it could simplify every cumbersome process to an extreme degree. In the end, it came down purely to skill and creativity. Ma Xianhong's own talent for artifact refining was already exceptional, and paired with those marvelous methods from other worlds, it was simply a perfect fit.

As he chatted idly with the people beside him, Ma Xianhong cheerfully surveyed the large crowd gathered here.

How could he miss out on something as lively as taking down the Medicine Immortal Society?

No one present was particularly skilled in the mental realm. Coupled with the current circumstances, they had practically no guard up against unfamiliar faces. All he had to do was activate his artifact, and he slipped right in.

He could sense a few capable people in the crowd, but in his eyes, Old Meng still had the most formidable ability. Although his personal combat strength was weak-practically useless in a one-on-one fight against anyone who was prepared-he was a genuine strategic weapon.

If someone truly pushed Old Meng to the brink and forced him to turn dark, the damage he could inflict on ordinary people would be nothing short of catastrophic.

Given Old Meng's temperament, though, that was almost certainly never going to happen.

Shaking his head slightly, Ma Xianhong reached out to take the talisman-bearing protective suit handed over by the logistics staff. He analyzed the thing completely in almost an instant.

It wasn't worth a damn to him.

"Thanks, but I won't need it. My ability lets me summon a special suit of armor for combat. It has all the basic protective functions." Smiling, Ma Xianhong waved a hand, passed the protective suit to the person beside him, and showed off his belt.

"Hahaha, all right, Brother Duanmu Yan. Be careful out there." The fat man who had previously tracked Zhao Guizhen patted Ma Xianhong on the shoulder.

When roaming the world, you certainly needed an alias. And with the countless magical treasures he carried, he could have just about as many alternate identities as he wanted.

Qu Tong counted as his older sister, after all. Given her relationship with Duanmu Ying, it was perfectly reasonable for him to use Duanmu as his assumed surname, wasn't it? And since he was here to carry out heaven's justice and eradicate evil down to its roots, borrowing General Duanmu's name was surely perfectly reasonable too.

Absolutely.

"Attention, all units! The operation begins in half an hour! Get out there and fuck them up! Other than the little kids listed in the intel, don't hold back against those cultists! Dead or alive, it doesn't matter!" After finishing his discussion with Old Meng, Liao Zhong leaped onto a raised platform, clapped his hands, and bellowed at the top of his lungs.