National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Yumizakura's Charm Power was like an invisible, mysterious vortex,

ruthlessly pulling in all the security personnel, including Saito Sonosuke.

At this moment, they were like husks with their souls torn out,

each of their faces as still as a dead lake, their expressions utterly slack.

A dim light shone from their hollow pupils as they stared vacantly ahead,

completely lost in a dazed, foggy state.

Like puppets on strings, they moved slowly and mechanically, shuffling over from a distance,

and then formed a neat line at the door, their postures withdrawn,

just like a group of employees about to be harshly reprimanded.

Except their eyes held no nervousness or anxiety—only endless, vacant bewilderment,

as if lost in a bizarre dream from which they had yet to awaken,

their bodies already moving of their own accord in this utterly bizarre "sleepwalk."

After Zheng Bolan, Zheng Xuezhen, Zheng Qifeng, and Xiang Xiufang witnessed this,

they felt a bone-deep chill shoot up their spines and spread through their entire bodies,

like a cold, slick python coiling tightly around them, making their blood run cold.

The sudden scene was so bizarre and unsettling it was hard to believe.

Just moments before, those security guards had been full of life, energetically patrolling the villa grounds,

their movements agile and swift.

But in the blink of an eye, they had become like a group of mindless simpletons.

The stark contrast struck them like a bolt from the blue.

They knew with chilling certainty that

if Chu He, Xia Chengli, and Yumizakura had any malicious intent,

if they intended to harm them,

then getting rid of them would be terrifyingly easy.

They could wipe out their entire family with the lift of a finger,

and they would be utterly powerless, like lambs to the slaughter.

"Master, I'll leave the questioning to you now."

Yumizakura gracefully stepped aside, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.

Her eyes seemed to be seeking praise from Chu He,

while also looking forward to the entertaining show that was about to unfold.

Chu He gave a steady nod and strode forward,

stopping in front of the security team's captain, Saito Sonosuke.

Chu He asked in a low, firm voice, "What is your name?"

"My name is Saito Sonosuke."

Saito Sonosuke's reply was mechanical and monotone, his voice completely flat.

Even though he was still lost in a daze,

his speech was as clear as if he were perfectly normal.

This contrast only made the bizarre scene all the more chilling.

Chu He nodded again,

a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.

'He isn't lying,' he thought, then immediately pressed on, "Who sent you all?"

"We were sent by the Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce."

Saito Sonosuke answered without a moment's hesitation,

his voice like that of a pre-programmed machine, devoid of emotion or hesitation.

Controlled by some mysterious power, he could only answer questions mechanically.

"The Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce?"

Chu He frowned slightly, turning to look at Zheng Qifeng, who was standing nearby.

Zheng Qifeng's expression turned grim. "I thought the ones secretly causing trouble would be the boss of some large land development company," he said.

"After all, in this cutthroat business world,

open conflicts and secret schemes between competitors are commonplace.

But I never expected the power behind this to be the entire Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce.

They're a behemoth in this region, the kind of power that can shake the very ground with a single stomp.

A true titan.

But if the Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce is involved,

can they really be unaware of the hidden circumstances?"

Chu He shook his head slowly. "In a world where order has collapsed and chaos reigns,

for those Martial Arts Practitioners who have mastered advanced abilities, or for individuals who possess some Mysterious Power,

what does a mere chamber of commerce even matter?

Ever since the world fell into chaos and the old order began to crumble like a candle in the wind,

just look at the Empires around the globe.

Where is their former might and majesty?

In the past, during the age of peace and prosperity,

the Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce might have been a lofty, unshakeable giant.

With its vast wealth, extensive network, and massive commercial empire,

it could easily lord over the common folk, controlling the lifeblood of business as it saw fit,

and dictating the fates of countless people.

But times have changed. The present is nothing like the past.

In the eyes of powerful Martial Artists and those who wield Mysterious Power,

an entity like the Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce is nothing more than a moneybag for them to plunder at will.

They take from it whenever they want and use it however they please.

And faced with such individuals, the Chiyoda City Chamber of Commerce is completely powerless to fight back,

helplessly becoming their personal bank.

Moreover, I am now more convinced than ever,

that vast, boundless stretch of land...

is the very thing I've traveled so far to find.

That must be why any information about it is so tightly sealed, so airtight,

as if shrouded by an impenetrable iron curtain.