A Meeting of Those Unaware

"Lin Chucheng has been captured?"

Xu Ziqian looked thoughtful.

Ambushing and capturing are completely different levels of difficulty.

Especially when both sides are highly skilled, even capturing a complete corpse is much more difficult than ambushing.

Back then, the Mystic Kingdom really went to great lengths to surround and kill Xu Ziqian, even mobilizing several old fogies.

Any one of them individually was on par with Xu Ziqian, or even better. Lin Chucheng was among them at the time.

But Xu Ziqian still managed to escape.

"Brother Qiao."

Xu Ziqian said, "You said you've been spying on Lin Chucheng's recent situation, so you must know that base inside and out?"

"No. I only spied around a few times occasionally. At the time, my injuries hadn't healed, and my only comrade was even more seriously wounded. I didn't want to alert the enemy."

Qiao remained remarkably calm, handling even such a momentous matter as the elixir of immortality with composure.

"The deepest I ever peeked into their territory was when the Chang'an medical team arrived, but even from those few peeks, I could discern the entire Special Investigation Bureau's attitude."

"Because we hid well, and given Lin Chucheng's unique circumstances, their attitude was rather conservative."

"The Mystic Kingdom's culture says that if there are poisonous herbs in the mountains, there will always be an antidote within ten steps. They probably have a similar mentality, which is why they only transferred the medical team here, instead of rashly transporting Lin Chucheng to another place."

At this point, Joe couldn't help but laugh.

"The wise are always thoughtful, and this thoughtfulness gives us opportunities."

"Moreover, this country is too restrictive. Those troublesome fellows each have their own responsibilities, and the situation in the Northwest doesn't seem that urgent on the surface. According to intelligence, none of them are heading towards the Northwest for the time being."

Xu Ziqian was slightly surprised.

Despite being an outsider from the remote Northwest, Qiao managed to contact and inquire about the movements of various notable and troublesome figures within the country.

Even for a lifetime honorary scholar of the Rose Society, it would probably have taken a lot of effort to achieve these things.

Belial's voice was even lower and hoarser than when he arrived, showing that his desire had grown even stronger after confirming the existence of the elixir of immortality. He said, "Joe, too many people coming will only alert the enemy sooner or later."

"I think we should act without delay and just tell me your plan."

Qiao nodded slightly and took out a few sheets of paper.

It depicted the outline of the Northwest Branch Base, as well as some of the terrain within the city.

Several points that were relatively close together in the city were also marked and annotated.

"If the base has too many people, even if we go together, there's no guarantee that they won't become suspicious and try to escape with Lin Chucheng first."

"The annotations I've included here are characteristics of some of the Spirit Realm creatures and heretical elements that are characteristic of the local area."

Qiao Xixi said, "Have your subordinates disguise themselves and exhibit these characteristics; someone will naturally report it to the police."

"We leaders must lie in ambush around the base before your men act, and find the best time to strike."

This plan could also be considered a scare tactic, so Qiao would never have used it when he was injured and outnumbered.

Now things are different. With ample manpower and synchronized actions, we can strike with lightning speed before the enemy even realizes the deception.

Belial said unhappily, "Such an old trick?"

"Since their leader has recently run into trouble, any of their core members who are even slightly cautious will definitely stay put and not come out."

Upon hearing Xu Ziqian and Qiao exchanged a smile.

"The Special Investigation Bureau is not the Metaphysics Research Association, nor is it one of those cultivation sects you're familiar with in West Asia."

Qiao Wensheng explained, "They are not local tyrants, but guardians."

"Their past actions and reward/punishment systems have also adhered to these principles, so their thinking has become ingrained, and they will inevitably prioritize considering issues from the perspective of protecting the public."

"The base has highly skilled core members who might proactively launch an attack, attempting to quell external problems with a small number of people in a very short time and return to the base."

With the various arrangements within the base as a reference, normally speaking, a group of second-rate guards would be more comprehensive than a single expert.

Lin Chucheng had this mindset before, which is why he often wandered around outside.

Before taking action, Qiao and his team had thoroughly researched this point and discovered that it seemed to be a common characteristic, a cultural imprint, of the so-called righteous sects in the Mystic Kingdom's cultivation world.

"Furthermore, there's the matter of interfering with communication and alarm equipment after the actual infiltration. Regarding technological equipment and magical communication, I've made arrangements based on your strengths. Please take a look..."

Seeing that even Xu Ziqian, an expert, agreed, the people at the table were convinced by Qiao's confidence.

Seeing that these people were starting to contact their subordinates, Joe gave them some time, then slowly walked out, seemingly wanting to relax and enjoy the scenery.

But in reality, after he went out, he walked around more than a dozen wooden houses and went to the side door of three row of wooden houses, then pushed the door open and went in.

Inside the room stood more than a dozen men and women, dressed in common casual clothes, but they were emaciated and had sallow skin.

On the wooden bed by the window, a tall, weak-looking man leaned against something.

This person had short black hair, thin eyebrows, large eyes, a large, hooked nose, and an excessively long philtrum. The lower half of his face almost resembled that of a camel.

But just by listening to his panting, you could tell that he was far more exhausted than a camel that had been trudging through the desert for days.

Qiao asked with concern, "How is Jia Fang today?"

"He won't die."

Jia Fang said sadly, "But I won't live well either."

Of those who surrounded and killed Lin Chucheng that day, only Qiao and Jia Fang, among the top experts, survived.

Jia Fang was relatively lucky because more of his men survived, but he was also unfortunate because his injuries were far more severe than Joe's.

Offering the most precious marrow and blood from his subordinate as a sacrifice only pulled him back from the brink of death.

Lin Chucheng's Taboo inheritance, "Gongcao and Taichong Resonance Chapter", refers to Gongcao Natal Sign and Taichong Natal Sign, which are the Tiger and Rabbit in the twelve zodiac animals.

Every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) and the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), for two hours and four hours in total, Jia Fang's injuries would flare up again and worsen.

His recovery progress during the rest of the day was repeatedly worsened, causing him to return to his starting point and making him extremely uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, after we take that base, all the prisoners except Lin Chucheng will be offered to you as a sacrifice."

Qiao said, "Mystic Kingdom believes that among the twelve earthly branches, Yin and Mao belong to wood, and the God of Yellow Sand you worship is in conflict with the power of Yin and Mao."

"With enough offerings, you will definitely recover from your injuries and advance to the next level."

Qiao spoke earnestly and sincerely.

"Although I have a mithril contract with them, it has a time limit. I will definitely help you recover, so that I can guard against them when the time comes."

Jia Fang clutched his chest, coughing repeatedly, but remained silent.

"I know you've been unhappy about my recent efforts to stop you from arbitrarily arresting people for sacrifice."

Qiao laughed, "But once we break through the base, and things have already escalated, before we retreat into the distant mountains, you can arrest and kill as many people as you want in the city, and I'll help you as compensation!"

Jia Fang stared at him for a few seconds, then replied in a deep voice, "Okay!"

Qiao patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction, then got up and went out.

After Jia Fang had walked away, he murmured something almost imperceptibly.

"If everyone is just waiting for you to share the spoils, then what place do I even have?"

The voice was probably inaudible to others, but the subordinates seemed to understand Jia Fang's thoughts.

Someone stepped closer and whispered, "We've found some suitable offerings, weak in themselves, but sure to please the gods, well worth the price. Perhaps...?"

Jia Fang blinked repeatedly as he listened, tilting his head slightly as he leaned against the window.

When he sensed that Qiao's group had all gone out to prepare for the operation, Jia Fang suddenly straightened his neck, a fierce glint in his eyes.

The blanket covering him suddenly jolted awake, turning into dry sand that scattered in all directions.

Call!!

By the lake, Mo Xiaoyu, who had been busy for more than ten hours, stood up, stretched her arms, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Tang Nu pitched a tent, it seems that he was the only one who actually slept inside it in the end.

After practicing his sword last night, Chu Tianshu practiced the Kalpa Ash Sword. Taking advantage of his drowsiness, he rested on a rock by the lake.

Hearing Mo Xiaoyu's movement, he opened his eyes, stood up, and asked, "Any results?"

Mo Xiaoyu raised her right arm high, her left hand overhead, and gripped her right elbow. Upon hearing this, she nodded and said, "This secret realm space should undergo periodic movements within a certain range."

"Our current location likely corresponds to the planting base over there, and I've roughly figured out how to get in and out."

"But..."

She lowered her hands, then unleashed another burst of fire-poison sword energy at the jade figure she was studying, before continuing, "To open the secret realm, a large amount of wood-attribute power is needed."

"The minister had stumbled into this place before; using his skills would have been most appropriate, but he's not quite sure how to use them now."

"I need to teach him how to cooperate and operate according to the pattern of the Totem Patterns."

As they spoke, both of them looked at Lin Chucheng.

The child was walking carefully around the lake, seemingly trying to encircle it with his footprints.

It's a bit like a southern child who occasionally likes to walk straight along a crack in the paving stones, a kind of childlike playfulness without any reason.

Chu Tianshu was about to speak when his ears twitched slightly. He said, "Let's take the beauty into the tent."

Mo Xiaoyu reacted quickly and did as instructed.

Chu Tianshu turned around and looked up at the hillside.

The driver who brought them here yesterday was carrying some things and trudging down the slope.

"Hey, you guys actually slept by this lake all night?"

The older man waved this way and said with a smile, "Yesterday, Tang Guang brought some bread, and I was thinking of bringing you some breakfast."

Chu Tianshu took a few steps forward and accepted the large plastic bag, which contained several boxes of sweet fermented rice balls, as well as soy milk and boxed lunches.

"They're all hot."

The driver said, "We microwaved it for a bit."

Chu Tianshu took out his phone. "Thanks, how much is it? I'll transfer it to you."

"No need, it's just for breakfast."

The driver waved his hand, looked towards the lake, bent down, and stirred the water.

"It's cool here, haha, and the scenery is quite nice too. It's a different kind of beauty compared to the planting area."

He laughed, but also seemed a little embarrassed.

"Please don't laugh at us. Although we come here every year, after working on desertification control for a while, everything seems exceptionally beautiful when we come out here again."

Chu Tianshu handed the soy milk to Tang Nu, who had just come out of the tent, and struck up a conversation.

"Sand control must be incredibly tough."

"If you want to make money, what easy job is there for us?"

The driver was quite cheerful. "To be honest, I've always felt that desertification control has one advantage over other jobs."

Chu Tianshu asked curiously, "Oh?"

"Those who work in factories sell what they produce, while those who work in companies find it hard to articulate what they've created; they don't have that intuitive understanding."

The driver chuckled and said, "Those who work on construction sites, doing all that decorating, once it's all done, they themselves won't be able to get in anymore."

"And we, those of us who are fighting desertification, see the straw checkerboard we lay out and the things we plant, month by month, year by year."

"I can still go and play in the woods I planted ten years ago. That feeling makes me quite proud, and it really puts my heart into it!"

Chu Tianshu smiled knowingly.

When I was a child, some people in the village would work on construction sites, and when they had free time, they especially liked to chat with the older children.

Someone once said, "You'll never guess how many bricks I've moved over the years."

Let me put it this way: based on Ultraman's weight, I've already moved two giant Ultraman figures in the past few years.

With only mortal flesh and blood, moving two Ultramen—what a sense of accomplishment that must be!

Those who fight desertification can see their achievements at any time and can go deep into the desert at any time. Their sense of pride must be even broader than that of the uncle in the village back then.

After chatting for a while, Chu Tianshu opened a bowl of sweet fermented rice balls and started drinking from the plastic bowl.

Lin Chucheng, rummaged through the lunchboxes, took out one with mutton, sat on the grass next to him, and ate it with relish.

"By the way, our team coming to deliver the seedlings should be here soon. I'm not good with words, but some of them are much better at talking."

"Listen to what he says then. If you're interested, you can come visit us, take lots of photos, and promote our place when you get back."

While the driver was talking, he took out his phone and fiddled with it for a while, probably sending a text message to inquire. He quickly received a call back.

"Yes, it's me. Oh, are we almost in town?"

The voice on the other end of the phone was also cheerful, but with a heavier accent and a slight whistling sound.

Chu Tianshu didn't quite understand.

The driver noticed it too and quickly said, "He usually has a heavy accent, but when he speaks Mandarin, it sounds wonderful, like singing..."

Gaa!!

Suddenly, a loud, piercing, and strange noise came from the other end of the phone.

Then came panicked shouts, slamming on the brakes of the trucks, and a chaotic cacophony of horns.

Chu Tianshu's expression changed, and he suddenly pointed a finger at the driver's forehead.

Upon hearing the commotion, the driver was initially filled with panic and confusion when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, clearing his mind and becoming extremely calm.

Which route did they take?

Chu Tianshu demanded, "Tell me quickly."

Mo Xiaoyu also abruptly lifted the tent flap and stepped out.

Based on her experience, she could also tell that the strange sound at the beginning was the sound of a huge force tearing through the steel sheet.

Moreover, amidst the blaring of the loudspeakers, a deep, incantation was also interspersed.

(End of this chapter)