Chapter 367: Zhou Moxuan, Ambushed (2)
Chapter 367: Chapter 195: Zhou Moxuan, Ambushed (2)
He smiled and reached out, gently tapping her little head. “Well done.”
Lan Ying let out a satisfied purr and responded in the Spirit Sea, ‘I wonder if Mother will help me get revenge.’
Yang Wenqing’s curiosity was also piqued. If Lady Shuanghua were to teach those people a lesson, Bibo Prefecture really couldn’t say a thing. They’d just have to pretend nothing had happened.
…
Meanwhile, Zhou Moxuan’s group, who had hastily left Anxiang Pavilion and boarded their Flying Shuttle, had lost all of the swagger they had when they first arrived.
The atmosphere inside the Flying Shuttle was oppressive. Zhou Moxuan had woken up and was circulating the Water Spirit Spiritual Qi he had cultivated to nourish his damaged Spiritual Veins. Shen Zui was huddled in a corner, clutching his swollen, aching cheek, while the other two disciples were as quiet as mice, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
Just as the Flying Shuttle passed over a relatively secluded residential area, a silent, pale blue pillar of Spiritual Qi shot out from the empty space to the side without any warning, striking the shuttle’s right engine nacelle with pinpoint accuracy.
“BOOM!”
The Protective Array on the engine’s exterior didn’t even last for a second. The immense Spiritual Qi contained within the pillar of light pierced the metal casing and directly invaded the engine core’s runic arrays and energy pathways, completely destroying its internal structure.
That wasn’t all.
As the pale blue pillar of light destroyed the engine, it split into several fine threads of Spiritual Qi. Ignoring the shuttle’s hull plating, they stabbed toward the Dantian and Qi Sea of everyone inside.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s expression changed first. He tried to rise and block the Spiritual Qi from interfering with his body, but the energy contained within the threads was far more powerful than he had imagined. His protective Spiritual Light was pierced in an instant.
“Urgh—”
“PFFT!”
Several muffled grunts and the sound of spitting blood rang out almost simultaneously.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator felt a sharp pain in his Qi Sea as the reservoir he had painstakingly condensed over many years of cultivation was instantly shattered by more than half. His vision went black as he spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura rapidly weakening.
Shen Zui and the other two disciples fared even worse. Their Qi Seas suffered catastrophic damage, and their cultivation foundations were almost shattered by the single blow. The intense pain caused them to black out instantly, leaving them with only a faint life force. Zhou Moxuan, who had been in the middle of healing, was not spared either.
At that moment, the Flying Shuttle’s right engine failed completely. The left engine’s output became unstable due to the interference in its energy circuits. The entire shuttle lost its balance and began to spiral, plummeting toward the dense residential area below.
At this critical moment—
A solemn golden light appeared in the night sky, arriving after the shuttle began to fall but reaching it first. In an instant, it caught up to the plummeting Flying Shuttle and transformed into a huge, translucent golden dome of light. It gently cradled the entire vessel, neutralizing all of its downward momentum and leaving it suspended in mid-air.
Immediately after, strands of golden light seeped out from the dome, entering the bodies of the severely injured people inside. The light focused particularly on protecting their damaged Qi Seas and heart meridians, preventing their injuries from worsening and their life force from fading.
Finally, the golden dome enveloped the Flying Shuttle, guiding it down to land in an empty plaza below before quietly dissipating.
An extremely faint sigh drifted through the night sky, along with a barely perceptible streak of sapphire light. Then, the two transcendent auras vanished completely into the vast night sky and the national providence barrier above the Provincial Government, as if they had never been there at all.
A moment later, the piercing wail of sirens and the sound of City Defense Bureau patrol Flying Shuttles slicing through the air approached from the distance.
「An hour later.」
「Bilan City, Provincial City Defense Hall, Third Patrol Office.」
The Patrol Chief’s assistant’s office was brightly lit. A middle-aged man in civilian clothes sat behind a large mahogany desk, his fingertips gently tapping on an investigation report that had just arrived.
His name was Zheng Xian. He was known in the Provincial Hall for his meticulousness and was a trusted subordinate of the Third Patrol Office’s chief.
The report was about the investigation into the attack on the engine of the Flying Shuttle carrying Zhou Moxuan’s group. It clearly pointed to two Blue-feathered Night Owls.
“Lian Xing… Shuanghua…” Zheng Xian murmured the two names, an indescribable expression on his face, though it was mostly one of helplessness.
When these two Spiritual Birds were involved, any official investigation, inquiry, or attempt to assign blame became meaningless. It could even invite unnecessary trouble.
After a moment of thought, Zheng Xian decisively picked up the report and walked over to a special bronze brazier in the corner of the office. There was no fire in the brazier, but when he placed the report on it, intricate golden runes immediately surfaced on the paper. Then, it silently turned into a puff of pale golden motes of light.
After dealing with the report, he returned to his desk and pressed the internal communicator. “Send in Xiaowang, who was just in charge of the scene.”
Soon, a capable-looking man in a specialist’s uniform entered, saluted, and stood at attention.
“What are the specifics of their injuries?”
Zheng Xian first asked about the condition of Zhou Moxuan and the others.
Specialist Wang reported quickly, “All five have been stabilized. The Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Cultivation dropped by nearly thirty percent, and he’ll need a long period of rest to recover. Mr. Zhou’s Qi Sea was damaged and the displacement of his Spiritual Veins has worsened. It’s estimated he’ll need at least half a year of dedicated recuperation to recover. He can forget about the upcoming tournament.”
“What else?”
Zheng Xian asked casually.
Specialist Wang hesitated for a second, observing Zheng Xian’s expression before replying, “According to the subtle implications from the staff at Anxiang Pavilion, Zhou Moxuan was the one who provoked Director Wen Qing. Not long after they left Anxiang Pavilion, the subsequent incident occurred.”
The statement was brief, but the meaning was crystal clear.
Zheng Xian didn’t pursue the topic. Zhou Moxuan’s temperament and the conflict between Bibo Prefecture and the Xuanyue Lineage were no secret in Donghai Province.
“About Yang Wenqing…” Zheng Xian leaned forward slightly. “Based on your on-site observations and a summary of previous intelligence, do you have a new assessment?”
Specialist Wang was clearly prepared for this. He immediately replied, “To answer, Assistant Zheng, based on analysis of the limited energy residue at the scene, we can confirm Director Wen Qing’s talent for rapidly refining Spiritual Qi…”
Zheng Xian listened, unconsciously tracing circles on his desk with his finger.
The Third Patrol Department oversees the Water Police, the operations division, and public security coordination. An officer like Yang Wenqing—who had solid local governance experience, a background in the Xuanyue Lineage, rapid cultivation progress, and combat strength exceeding his peers—was exactly the type of ideal, field-ready talent the Patrol Chief was always looking for.
Their Third Patrol Office had started paying attention to Yang Wenqing and created an internal observation file on him back when he first became a disciple of the Xuanyue Lineage. The original plan was to let him gain a few more years of experience in a local position and solidify his cultivation—preferably waiting until he broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm before considering a transfer.
But tonight’s incident, though an unexpected conflict, had acted as a litmus test. It revealed Yang Wenqing’s abilities, his disposition, and his network of connections much more clearly.
‘We can’t wait any longer,’ Zheng Xian thought to himself.
The competition for exceptional talent among the different Patrol Departments within the Provincial Hall never stopped, especially for someone like Yang Wenqing.
He looked up at Specialist Wang and ordered, “Update and complete Yang Wenqing’s assessment report as soon as possible. I need to be able to call it up at any time.”
“Yes, sir!” Specialist Wang replied, snapping to attention.
“Also…” Zheng Xian added, “Handle this Bibo Prefecture matter with discretion. The official story for the public will be that a puppet belonging to an unknown Taiyan Wild Cultivator caused the disturbance. I imagine the people from Bibo Prefecture will accept that explanation. After all, this is their own dirty laundry.”
“Yes, sir!”
Wang Jingbei accepted the order and left.
Meanwhile, Yang Wenqing and his two friends had already returned to the small courtyard.
They sat around the stone table in the courtyard. Tang Yuan took out a jar of hundred-year-old Bilan Spring wine and a few snacks, and they drank together under the cool moonlight.
The wine was excellent—mellow on the palate with a long, lingering aftertaste.
Lan Ying had no interest in the wine but welcomed all the snacks. She perched on a corner of the stone table, deftly grabbing pastries with her small claws and eating with delight.
“Those people from Bibo Prefecture have always been arrogant, and Zhou Moxuan is the worst of them,” Tang Yuan said, his tone filled with disdain for their disciples.
Yang Wenqing swirled the amber liquid in his cup. “He was the one who was rude first, and he was the one who challenged me. I’d be in the right no matter who judges this.”
Tang Yuan nodded. “He challenged you in front of everyone, so he deserved to lose. The Provincial Government has its rules. No matter how unruly Bibo Prefecture gets, they still have to play by them.”
Yang Wenqing smiled and raised his cup, lightly clinking it against the others’.
After a few rounds of drinks, the night had grown deep.
Sometime after two in the morning, the wine jar was empty and the snacks were nearly gone. Tang Yuan let out a hiccup and stood up. “That was fun, but it’s time to call it a night. Let’s all get some rest.”
Gao Zhen nodded silently. Yang Wenqing gently lifted Lan Ying, who was dozing on the table. The little creature mumbled, nuzzled his palm, then turned over and went back to sleep.
Yang Wenqing returned to his Quiet Chamber. He first took out Lan Ying’s small nest and settled the little one inside. Then, he sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, but he didn’t begin to cultivate. He simply regulated his breathing and sat in stillness, allowing his mind to sink into a state of clear emptiness as he sorted through the events of the day and night.