National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

After that, he was completely cut off from returning to the Great Xia Empire.

Of course, the common rumor was that Xu Fu had perished at sea, leaving no trace behind.

But more esoteric accounts pointed to his final destination

being the White-Red Empire.

It was highly likely that this land concealed a world-shattering secret left behind by Xu Fu.

In the age of peace before the invasion of the Evil Spirits,

humanity had unwavering faith in the technological power upon which they depended.

A claim so mystical and steeped in mythology

would have surely been dismissed as absurd nonsense. If anyone had dared to proclaim it publicly,

they would have become a public laughingstock.

But now, in this unique era where Evil Spirits run rampant and danger lurks everywhere,

people all over the world have experienced far too many things that defy logic.

They likely no longer place their blind faith solely in technology.

Instead, they have developed a greater reverence and belief in matters of Deities and specters.

Legends once considered mere fantasy now hold some value worth investigating."

'Qin Shi Huang… Xu Fu…

Why do those names sound so familiar? It's like I've seen or heard them somewhere in the recesses of my memory.'

Zheng Qifeng frowned slightly, his thick eyebrows knitting together like a twisted rope.

A hint of confusion and bewilderment flickered in his eyes.

He mentally sifted through the vast archives of his memory, desperately searching for any relevant clue,

but couldn't quite grasp a clear recollection.

Seeing this, Zheng Bolan's interest was immediately piqued, his eyes flashing with excitement.

In his father's eyes, he had always been a cynical, idle good-for-nothing.

A classic case of a lost cause, considered the black sheep of the family.

Now that a golden opportunity to showcase his abilities and prove himself had finally arrived,

he was just about to open his mouth and hold forth,

ready to unleash the profound knowledge and unique insights he had accumulated from his historical studies,

when his mother, Xiang Xiufang, broke the silence first.

"Qifeng, things have come to this. In my opinion,

we should just abandon this project right now

and return home with the money we've made.

Money is important, but you have to be alive to enjoy it.

But look at this situation. I suspect that even if we kill ourselves to bring that project to Perfection,

we'll still have trouble staying alive amidst all these conspiracies and dangers."

Xiang Xiufang's face was pale, and her voice held an undisguised tremor of fear.

The terror in her eyes was as plain to see as a spreading gloom.

"You think that by giving up the project now,

you can just walk away with the money and return safely to the Great Xia Empire?

That's just wishful thinking."

Chu He slowly rose to his feet, his posture as straight and imposing as a pine tree.

He spoke with a firm, indisputable tone. "The White-Red Empire is convinced that a great secret is hidden beneath this land—

perhaps a rare treasure that could elevate the entire White-Red Empire to a new level of glory.

This is why they were willing to let you take on the project,

while simultaneously turning a blind eye as you were harassed and obstructed by other local land development companies from the White-Red Empire.

It's the real reason they've remained tight-lipped through it all.

Recently, the Lighthouse Empire has been in turmoil,

bogged down in a mire of chaos.

As its loyal vassal, the White-Red Empire

has finally found a little breathing room.

They will undoubtedly do whatever it takes during this fleeting window of opportunity

to unearth the secret hidden deep within that land.

Otherwise, once the Lighthouse Empire resolves its internal chaos

and turns its sharp gaze back to the White-Red Empire,

continuing to develop that land will become next to impossible for them.

It would just be forcibly taken over by the tyrannical and greedy Lighthouse Empire, all their hard work benefiting another."

Chu He began to pace steadily as he spoke. "The wisest move right now

is to take me to that mysterious land to investigate.

It's the only way to find a solution to this complex mess."

"Mr. Chu, you are absolutely right. We'll be counting on you for what comes next.

I'm just not sure how I can properly compensate you."

Zheng Qifeng rose slowly, his posture a little stiff. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes

as he carefully ventured the question.

Having clawed his way through the business world for many years, he was well aware that human nature is driven by self-interest.

In his experience, people never did anything without a motive; there was no such thing as a free lunch.

'This Mr. Chu,'

'is willingly diving into such a complex and perilous vortex of trouble,'

'even putting his own life on the line.'

'There has to be some ulterior motive. It can't possibly be just for the sake of chivalry.'

"Don't worry about it. You'll understand everything soon enough."

Chu He waved his hand dismissively.

'This is absolutely not the time to reveal my identity.'

'Every region has its own unique customs and inscrutable methods.'

'If my identity were to be revealed to Zheng Qifeng,'

'there's no guarantee the people of the White-Red Empire wouldn't be able to extract key information from him'

'and follow the trail right back to me.'

'If that happened, the whole situation would spiral out of control like a runaway chess game,'

'plunging into even greater chaos where every step could be a trap.'

'Only by investigating covertly can I find the path to the truth through this dense fog.'

"Yumizakura, I'll have to trouble you to interrogate those security guards."

Chu He turned to look at Yumizakura, who was sitting there leisurely.

Her slender fingers, like nimble Elves, were intertwined and playing with one another.