National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

"If this intel is real, its value is beyond what money can buy."

Chu He handed the envelope to Yu Qianqian, who hurriedly reached out to take it.

As she took the envelope, their fingers inevitably brushed, and her youthful cheeks instantly flushed as red as a ripe apple.

The sight made Qu Chengping’s eyes turn bloodshot, the veins on his temples nearly bulging.

However, there was nothing he could do. He could only turn his head to the window and pretend to admire the passing scenery.

He alone could feel the sharp, twisting pain in his heart.

"Deep in the Black Continent Grassland, there’s an orphanage? And it’s supposedly related to the origin of the Evil Spirits?"

After reading the contents of the letter, Shang Yifei was shocked beyond belief.

"Is this for real?" she cried out.

"How could there be an orphanage in the Black Continent Grassland? Could this be a trap, just waiting for us to walk into it?"

Uncle Dog, who was driving, asked doubtfully.

"He’s got a point!"

Qu Chengping quickly chimed in, "I don’t recommend we go.

We barely made it out of that White Bone Grass canyon alive, and now you want to go to a place that’s obviously a trap? I strongly object!

Right now, all I want is to hurry back to the Xingzhou Empire, lie down in my luxurious mansion on my soft bed, and watch a movie after a hot bath.

Getting a massage from a servant... now that’s the life!"

The Black Continent Grassland was famous across all of Blue Star as an extremely undeveloped region.

Before the strange invasion, there were even uncontacted tribes living here.

The first time Yu Qianqian had ever heard of the Black Continent Grassland was from watching nature documentaries on TV.

’An orphanage in a place like this?’

’Could another Empire have sent people to build it?’

’But what would be the purpose of having an orphanage here?’

Yu Qianqian also felt it defied common sense.

"I’m definitely going. Whether the intel on this paper is real or fake, that place will be even more dangerous than the White Bone Grass canyon."

Chu He said calmly, "The rest of you should leave. You cannot follow me on the path ahead."

"Yes, yes!"

Qu Chengping quickly tried to persuade them, "Yu Qianqian, Shang Yifei, let’s hurry back to the Xingzhou Empire! We can’t get involved in something like this."

He was afraid Shang Yifei and Yu Qianqian would get curious and, in a moment of rashness, actually follow Chu He to explore that so-called orphanage.

"Mr. Chu is right. If we continue to follow him on the next leg of his journey, we’ll only be a burden."

Shang Yifei looked at Yu Qianqian as she said this,

because she knew that with Yu Qianqian’s lovestruck mind, she would, nine times out of ten, choose to go with Chu He to the orphanage.

"Alright."

This time, seeing that both Shang Yifei and Qu Chengping were against it, Yu Qianqian had no choice but to reluctantly give up.

In truth, deep down, she really wanted to go on an adventure with Chu He.

She felt she could even accept dying there.

However, she wasn’t alone on this trip.

If she chose to go, Uncle Dog’s loyalty to her family meant he would surely follow.

And then, she might end up getting Uncle Dog into trouble, too.

Uncle Dog was the head of the security team on this trip, his main duty being to protect Yu Qianqian.

If they were to encounter a life-or-death crisis they couldn’t handle or resist, Uncle Dog would choose to protect Yu Qianqian and ensure her escape first.

Yu Qianqian was well aware of this. She asked Mr. Chu, "Will we have a chance to meet again?"

"Who can know the answer to that?"

Chu He smiled faintly and replied, "If fate wills it, we will meet again."

Before his voice had even faded, Chu He’s figure vanished from inside the speeding off-road vehicle.

This scene made Uncle Dog exclaim in awe, "Truly worthy of being the strongest person on Blue Star! Even his casual movements are completely baffling to me.

I often wonder, above the Emperor Realm, is there another world that humanity has yet to reach?"

Uncle Dog’s awe-filled words were met with silence from Yu Qianqian, Qu Chengping, and Shang Yifei.

The three of them sat in the car, each silently lost in their own thoughts.

Seeing this, Uncle Dog didn’t say any more. Instead, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said a few words to the security personnel in the vehicles ahead and behind them.

Then he turned the steering wheel, heading down the road leading out of the Black Continent Grassland.

The other off-road vehicles followed suit, turning around.

The depths of the Black Continent Grassland’s dangers had far exceeded their imagination.

If they wanted to stay alive, leaving now was undoubtedly the wisest choice.

After leaving the off-road vehicle, Chu He put away the letter containing the intel. Then, like a cannonball, he shot off into the distance.

He left a long sonic boom in his wake across the plains of the Black Continent Grassland.

"It feels great to run wild in such an open space!"

Chu He laughed, and the circulation of True Qi around his body shifted, his high-speed movement becoming completely silent.

Less than two seconds later, Chu He stopped and said softly, "Xiao Cangqing has run into trouble."

...

「Great Jing Empire.」

At 8:00 AM,

the Royal City suddenly issued a letter of apology to the Lighthouse Empire regarding the Martial Artist Base,

and it even bore the royal seal of Queen Ji Shengyue.

As soon as the news broke, it caused a massive uproar both at home and abroad.

The international reaction was tolerable. Although there was plenty of ridicule and sarcasm,

at least for foreigners, it was none of their business, and they remained indifferent.

Within the Great Jing Empire, however, all hell broke loose.

"I used to be proud to be a citizen of the Great Jing Empire. Because out of the entire Blue Star, only the Great Jing Empire hadn’t been invaded by Evil Spirits."

"But ever since Chu He left, everything has changed."

"And it’s all because of that woman, Ji Shengyue."

"That bitch should have been removed from the throne long ago! I can’t believe she’s so shameless, still clinging to her position!"

"What happened in Fujiang City needs no further explanation."

"The Lighthouse Empire established a Martial Artist Base in Fujiang City, and those so-called Guard members strutted around every day, looking down on us from the Great Jing Empire."

"They defiled women, committed murder and arson, robbed, extorted, drove drunk... their list of crimes is endless."

"With such a long and vicious record, after all the harm they’ve done to the people of our Great Jing Empire, our own Empire is apologizing to the Lighthouse Empire instead?!"

Across every online platform in the Great Jing Empire, big and small, there was a uniform torrent of curses aimed at Ji Shengyue and the high-ranking officials of Great Jing.

Someone angrily demanded, "Does Ji Shengyue think with her lower body? Or has she just lost her damn mind?"