Had this plump little bee, whose existence Yang Zicang suddenly realized, arrived from beneath Marlinnturret Fort?!
Inside the tent, Yang Zicang understood at once that the energy forming this third bee might have been born from the already-shattered Secret Swythe of Obscured Light.
“I’m stepping out for a moment. ” Yang Zicang abruptly withdrew his arm while the doctor was applying medication.
He grabbed the gauze from the small wooden stand and casually wiped away the salve that had been mostly spread over the wound.
“President, where are you going? ” She Liqing turned around, watching Yang Zicang run past her.
“I’ll be back in a moment. “
Bursting through the tent flap, Yang Zicang stopped, turned back, and asked the army captain, “Did you sense anything just now? “
“Sense? “
She Liqing simply scratched her head, while the army captain spoke up:
“I felt like you might have used that detection ability again just now, President. “
In order to quickly perceive the whereabouts of the distant bee, Yang Zicang hadn’t deliberately suppressed the fluctuations of “Musing Night ” to an especially low level.
“Nothing else besides that? “
“Hmm, what are you referring to, President? “
“It’s nothing. I’ll head to the square first. “
Beside the collapsed castle with its long history, several figures were conducting Stellar Yuan searches at the spot where the “Secret Envoy of Gloom ” had appeared. So far, they had not discovered a second hidden envoy.
Seeing Yang Zicang’s arrival, everyone exchanged brief greetings. Some army soldiers, whose bodies had absorbed tainted Demon Blood, quickly focused their attention on his hands.
Around his fist, subtle fluctuations resembling bullets flashing by occasionally appeared.
As Yang Zicang approached, a small bee began drifting through the air. The karmic bloodline contamination, which had gradually weakened with the demise of the Emissary, now seemed to revive, as if something was shaking it and drawing it in.
“Chairman Yang, what is this…? “
“A little trinket.” Yang Zicang looked at the small honeycomb in his hand and smiled. “How far away can you sense it?“
“It’s okay, it seems like it’s not too far from you.“
“Can it be used to purify the bloodline contamination?” a younger Soldier asked curiously.
“I’m just about to test it out, to see how much it can actually do.” Yang Zicang replied with a smile.
A few Soldier Army warriors laughed upon hearing this.
As the little energy bees shuttled back and forth, Yang Zicang perceived that these three were gradually abandoning the residual energy of the Envoys floating nearby, heading deeper into the collapsed rocks.
Sensing the trajectory, Yang Zicang held the little bees and stepped onto the piled-up, collapsed brick and rock, walking deeper into the ruined castle.
Some loose stones and bricks slid down as he passed.
“Chairman Yang, what are you going to do?“
Yang Zicang turned his head, pointed downward, and said, “Can you help me take a look? Is there anything down there?“
A few Soldier Army soldiers immediately stepped forward, using their strong arms to push aside some of the rocks.
Amid a clatter of sounds, with Yang Zicang’s command abilities assisting, a small hollow was dug out here in less than ten minutes.
At this moment, everyone also noticed the buzzing energy bees flying back and forth from below, shuttling between Chairman Yang’s hand and the ground. By now, the two Demon-Blood Warriors realized that once these little bees flew far away, their perception might become relatively low.
Thus, some people slightly expanded their Stellar Yuan to gather in the nearby air, carefully distinguishing, and discovered traces of the bees flying deep into the rocks below.
“Is there something inside there? “
“Everyone, work harder—who knows what might be hidden further inside. “
The Soldier Army soldiers quickly moved the large boulders. When they encountered ones truly unavoidable, someone’s eyes lit up with several faint halos, and a few punches shattered them.
At this moment, on the hive in Yang Zicang’s hand, a fourth, smaller bee had already appeared.
This also filled Yang Zicang, standing on the collapsed rocks, with anticipation.
Could it be that this hive in his hand was not only used to identify emotions of anger and malice, but also capable of collecting and treasure-hunting for bloodline pollution devoid of life aura?
Boom! Another rock was tossed aside.
“Found it! “
“It’s down here! ” a warrior pointed at the mottled ground that was beginning to grow damp. It was already full of pits from the fallen rocks.
Yang Zicang jumped down, his face full of vigilance, as he walked toward a slanted stone slab pressed down by several fallen rocks.
“Heave-ho! “
Several figures moved through shimmering afterimages, lifting the stone slab that had been pinning something down.Bang!In the strong wind, a cloud of dust and grime was blown away. Bees buzzed and flew towards the hollow revealed beneath the slab.
Several voices let out sounds of surprise.
Yang Zicang approached, looking at the toad in the small, damp depression, a creature with bulging eyes and coarse, scar-like skin.
“Croak~ “
The bees flitted back and forth between the toad—which emanated a faint aura of filthy bloodline energy—and the momentarily stunned Yang Zicang’s hand.
The young man’s gaze suddenly turned dark.
He looked left and right, casually picked up a small piece of gravel, flicked it with his finger, and hit the toad’s back, which seemed to flicker with a faint golden light. The creature, the size of two fists clasped together, hopped in anger, letting out an enraged “Croak! “
｛I’ve nullified 10N.｝ (Nuclear/system)
“This… ” Several warriors turned their heads to look at Yang Zicang.
Yang Zicang lowered his brow, pondering for a moment.
From when the mysterious envoy’s controlled energy blade had surrounded him, and he had in turn controlled its deceleration before its instant acceleration, he had already sensed it: this Dim Angel likely possessed a comparable ‘Ge’ level of nullification.
One of the soldiers from the Army walked forward, lifted his pant leg, crouched down, and peered at the toad before him, which was emitting wisps of energy.
“There’s no danger, is there? ” Yang Zicang asked, but his gaze fell on the lifted stone slab, upon which was etched some kind of magical rune totem.
“No, they won’t,” a Soldier said, poking the toad with a small stick. “It’s not a vessel for the Secret Emissary, but it’s part of this system. Its main purpose is to provide a life aura for the Secret Emissary.“
As he spoke, the toad gave another “croak” and hopped off somewhere else.
“Life aura?“
“Mm-hmm,” the Warrior said, standing up.
“This shows that this ‘Murklight Secret Emissary’ was, as we guessed, arranged using the castle itself long ago. Moreover, to prevent anyone from detecting its existence to the maximum extent, this Secret Emissary’s energy is not very active. It needs something to awaken it at a specific time. That’s where this toad comes in.“
“So that’s how it is.“
No wonder the little bees are so diligent.
Yang Zicang’s brows twitched slightly as he walked over to the magic-patterned stone slab. The Warriors here were already experienced enough to half-cover it with other slabs.
This thing couldn’t be casually memorized; some magic patterns contained other embedded ones designed to attack one’s spirit. Those needed to be stripped away. Therefore, they had to wait for help from experts.
After moving the stone slab and the toad out, Yang Zicang returned to the tent and saw Major General Shawn approaching with a man dressed in a Defense Office clerk’s uniform.
“Chairman Yang Buchen, regarding the pledge we made earlier—to help those hijackers complete the time sequence transaction—we can now proceed with the transfer.“
Major General Shawn raised his hand, introducing the man beside him.
The man clasped his hands in a polite greeting to Yang Zicang, then said with a smile:
“President Buchen, having a countryman like you helping our commoners truly makes a difference. I take pride in your actions myself. “
“You flatter me. “
“Then let’s begin the transfer and division of the chrono sequences. “
The man smiled briefly before investing one million chrono sequences for Yang Zicang.
Seeing this newly gained million cut from the chrono sequences, Yang Zicang finally felt some of the guilt in his heart settle.
That was another fifteen to sixteen million in amplification amps.
Just before dawn, he had over twenty million amplified chrono sequences. But now, with at least another million chrono sequences recorded, the total had reached six point five million.
If Ning Jiajia’s side goes smoothly, and once Cheng Yunze collects the story of the Glass Lamp and returns, it should bring his chrono plan to around eight to eight point five million. Yang Zicang mused, feeling the chrono flows converge into the small halo on his chest.
“Chairman, the plane that brought me here is still parked over there. Should we return together? I imagine things have been chaotic for the General today, and he could use your help. “
“Oh, not for now, ” Yang Zicang replied.
“Something else to attend to? ” The man gave a faint smile, eyeing Yang Zicang as another wavy line transmitted.
Yang Zicang was puzzled.
｛Zhang Mingyuan invested 500,000 N full-authority chrono sequences in me.｝
Yang Zicang blinked in surprise, turning to look at him.
The man, who seemed quite ordinary juxtaposed with the Major General, gave a slight nod. “Then I’ll head back first. Take care of yourself. “
“Thank you. “
“Hehe, I just want to earn some Radiance. “
The man waved two fingers in front of his forehead, smiled, turned around, and walked away.
Yang Zicang internally speculated whether this person was with the Free Forward movement. As he walked towards the tent, he thought that if Zorro or Dereiano were here, they would probably know.
“President, when are we going back? ” Xiaoqing, seeing Yang Zicang return, came out to ask. “You called me back. Didn’t you say we were going back to divide the rooms? “
She Liqing took a look around, then said to Yang Zicang in a low voice, “I’ve already earned three Radiance recently. But President, don’t you feel that hotel is getting harder and harder to control? “
“What do you mean? “
“Your friends… they’re just too powerful. To be honest, I know my limits, and I think the fact that I walked away from the hotel is the smartest move. Just like that Arlion Semis who never comes back. He just ran off as far as he could; no danger at all. “
Yang Zicang replied with a soft “Mm, ” and said, “You’re worried that because I have a residence at the hotel, I might end up in deep trouble sooner or later? “
She Liqing looked over at the castle, of which only about two-thirds of the buildings remained, and whispered,
“What if—hypothetically—I’ll write a bid sheet to compete for a room, and then rent it out! “
As she reached the end of her sentence, She Liqing was getting so excited she started rubbing her hands together. “That way, I can be the legitimate off-stage owner without worrying about anyone stealing the Key or something. “
“Hmm… ” Yang Zicang calculated his approximate Radiance internally. He could already have all the vacant rooms on Wager’s side re-submitted through Fee & Travel Vouchers and transferred to his own name.
“To be honest, if none of these rooms were under my control, I would instead be worried about the safety of anyone else who stayed here. “
Yang Zicang said to She Liqing with utmost seriousness, “Because the origins of this hotel feel very eerie to me, too. “
She Liqing recalled what had happened back when Yang Zicang first entered the hotel. She instantly became much more solemn.
“Then… should we really be investing so much Radiance into the hotel? ” she asked, puzzled.
“Someone’s already taken on the fourth floor, haven’t they? Besides, another reason I want to take control of it is to wait and see if a certain someone will show up. “
Yang Zicang smiled. After all, there was no one else on this floor. Nothing but the very existence reputed as the era’s embodiment of destiny itself — one that could seize upon the slightest opening, any day now, to plunge him into crisis.
So he lowered his brows, then lifted them again and spoke:
“After all, bringing this Divine Hotel under my control was something passed along by him masquerading as the Full Moon Angel. So, if he never appears, the hotel could easily fall right into the palm of our hand. But if he does emerge… then I want to see what his true goal really is. “
Yang Zicang folded his arms. “That’s exactly why, if I’m the only one holding the keys to all the guest rooms, it actually becomes a good thing for everyone. “
“You’d be far too much at risk, then, ” She Liqing said, but after less than two seconds, something felt off, and he furrowed his brow while rubbing his arm. He felt that the Association President before him now seemed somehow different from before.
That made sense. He hardly knew the man anyway—how could he expect someone else give him an inn room and let him simply rent it as a backup?
This was no ordinary hotel.
“Mm-hmm, President, I’ve made up my mind. If you need any help in the next couple of days, I could give it a try check in—hold a space on the rooms list. But from then on, after you all head off to the land across the sea, I’ll leave for a while to lie low in places I’d hoped settled. Make sure you blot out my name from the register. “
Apparently, She Liqing truly had not intention remaining long under the Divine Hotel’s roof.
“That’s an overstatement to your thoughts—I’ll save your proposal cut material mention when let’s match up later. “
“Hey, ” She Liqing said, scanning the soldiers bustling—some dot-distracted out more heart hustle far off in coat-strand chill. “Well, President little-by-little times to arrive maybe careful time back again towards wait staying roused for our favorite outcome—just please go collect first? No two can mess good working. “
“Ah, this… ” Yang Zicang, now channeling his Glaze Saeva Perception, faintly sensed a warm, slight-tickle curative shimmer from the inscription lining torso lability.
“At least for now, I need stick around a while. “
“Why? Because of those sheep getting shipped support? “
“Not exactly, ” Yang Zicang said. “Mm—wait just until some people return. “
……
On the sea surface.
The tall and majestic three-masted sailing ship glided slowly across the clear, azure sea under the gradually brightening sky, leaving behind two trails of white waves.
“Ah woo… “
Pushing open the door, Hong Haocheng let out a yawn, tilting his neck back and stretching his arms.
“Ah woo!! ” He shook his head vigorously, exhaling the stale air from his lungs. Then, turning around, he walked toward the next luxury single-passenger cabin.
Dong, dong.
Having knocked twice, Hong Haocheng heard footsteps approaching from inside. He pushed the door open and began, “Gui… “
“Stop right there. “
The woman’s expression looked terrible.
Feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep, Hong Haocheng snorted and hummed, promptly shut his mouth, and with a lighthearted chuckle, stepped inside to grab the breakfast the crew had already delivered to the table.
Then, he sensed something off about the atmosphere.
“What’s wrong? You look troubled. ” Noticing his own dark circles seemed to have lightened, Hong Haocheng glanced at the woman’s delicate, worried profile.
Shen Yuyue’s tone carried a hint of concern as she said, “Over at the publishers’ side… we can’t access any readings for now. “
Hong Haocheng immediately felt a sinking feeling in his chest.
“When did it start? Is it everyone? “
“Last night. ” Shen Yuyue turned around, facing Hong Haocheng. “At least, anything related to that person… none of it is accessible anymore. “
Hong Haocheng quickly raised a hand, pinching his chin as he pondered for a moment.
“So that means… mine is too… “
Hong Haocheng let out a long, deep breath from his nose.
He, feeling the birth of Silky Worries, exchanged a glance with Shen Yuyue. The woman gave a slight nod and then gently shook her head.
Hong Haocheng murmured slowly, “It seems that fellow’s actions are somewhat surprising to me.“
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