Translator: CinderTL
Whoosh!
That morning, at ten o'clock, a small, gray private jet sliced through the sky, leaving the Red Nation's final high-altitude border defenses behind.
"What's the current situation?" Chen Feng asked mentally, sitting on a leather sofa by the window, seemingly gazing out at the passing landscape.
Several hours had passed since Yang Wudi and the others sent their last message, but despite Chen Feng's repeated attempts to contact them, they remained unreachable, as if they had vanished into thin air.
Given the clues related to the Fragment of Divinity and the suspected disappearance of his comrades, Chen Feng decided to investigate personally.
"Electromagnetic signals are still blocked by intense interference, making it impossible to pinpoint their exact location," Star Spirit replied telepathically, aiding in tracking and analyzing the traces. "The only certainty is that they last disappeared in eastern Luoyue Nation."
Chen Feng nodded. A cup of coffee was handed to him.
"The situation in Luoyue Nation has become quite complex recently," Lin Hao said with a smile, dressed in a light gray suit and holding a glass of orange juice. "Armed aircraft are prohibited, and traffic control is extremely strict. We should reach the agreed-upon private airfield by four o'clock this afternoon. But why the sudden trip to Luoyue Nation?"
Behind him stood familiar figures: Liu Bo and Yuan Yueshan.
Liu Bo, dressed in a black suit and shirt with white gloves, exuded his usual gentlemanly air.
As for Yuan Yueshan, the burly man in a dark trench coat, Chen Feng sensed that his concealed electromagnetic energy field had reached the Fifth-Tier level.
"Yang Wudi has gone missing in Luoyue," Chen Feng said, withdrawing his gaze and accepting the coffee.
Lin Hao's eyes widened, while Liu Bo and Yuan Yueshan, who were accompanying them as guards, exchanged startled glances.
"Didn't he already achieve Transcendence? Could someone in Luoyue Nation actually harm him?" Lin Hao asked, snapping out of his shock and sitting beside Chen Feng.
If he didn't know Chen Feng's personality so well, he would have thought he was joking. After all, Luoyue was just a small nation southwest of the Red Nation, long plagued by warlordism and even weaker than Niduo overall. Sixth-Tier Flying Generals were exceedingly rare there, making Yang Wudi's power more than enough to dominate the region. How could he suddenly vanish?
"The reason is unclear, which is why we need to investigate," Chen Feng replied, shaking his head and taking a sip of the coffee. Finding it too bitter, he immediately set it down.
"I see..." Lin Hao murmured. "I heard Luoyue has been experiencing internal strife recently, with several high-ranking officials assassinated. Could he have gotten caught up in that?"
Lin Hao automatically filled in many details, also recalling the recent news of the turmoil in Luoyue.
Chen Feng shook his head, offering no direct answer, and merely glanced silently at the somewhat gloomy sky outside the window.
The assassination of key political figures by members of the Evil God Cult and the outbreak of armed conflicts between warlords had created a highly volatile situation in Luoyue, making the nation fiercely resistant to foreign armed forces.
Initially, Chen Feng had planned to enter the country through his connections in the Luoyue Military. However, considering the unique nature of the Fragment of Divinity—its difficulty to detect—and the tense domestic situation, he changed his strategy to avoid further provoking the locals and attracting unwanted attention.
As for Lin Hao, his reasons for accompanying Chen Feng were simple.
"Once we reach the airport, I'll talk to the people from Tonghe Corporation and ask them to help us investigate."
Lin Hao didn't press further, instead offering his own ideas.
Jadeite Biotech, after all, was a mega-corporation with a significant presence beyond the Red Nation, particularly in the southwestern region of the Eastern Continent, where it had numerous business partners.
One such partner was Tonghe Corporation, a local Luoyue company.
This connection had led Chen Feng to seek their assistance.
"Thanks," Chen Feng said, knowing this favor carried some risk.
"It's nothing," Lin Hao replied.
"If it weren't for your help back then, I would never have been able to reclaim what was mine," Lin Hao said frankly, waving his hand. He still remembered how Chen Feng had enlisted the White Giant's assistance.
Without that support, he would never have inherited his father's legacy and become a Director at Jadeite Biotech.
They exchanged a knowing smile.
Having supported each other through thick and thin, their bond far surpassed that of ordinary acquaintances.
Without dwelling on the past, they quickly moved on to the main topic, casually discussing and refining their plans.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the eastern part of Luoyue Nation, a vast desert stretched endlessly.
Pale gray mountain ranges undulated across the horizon, with vegetation scarce, only scattered green patches dotting the landscape.
Gusts of wind swept through, stirring up sandstorms that raged until they reached a Gobi canyon at the desert's edge.
Footprints were quickly buried by the shifting sands, a testament to the canyon's imposing scale and steep cliffs, which plunged hundreds of meters deep.
The canyon stretched endlessly in both directions, its sandy floor carved with rocky gullies resembling dried-up riverbeds.
Looking up, the canyon's rocky walls were riddled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of labyrinthine cave entrances.
The cave was dark and deep, seemingly bottomless, as if connected to some unknown realm. Even the sunlight streaming from above was swallowed whole.
Occasionally, figures would emerge from the cave, clad in tattered jackets, their lips cracked and dry, like scavengers seeking refuge. They would venture into the depths, only to silently perish.
"Are you certain those two entered as well?"
Silent observers watched from the canyon's rim, their figures cloaked in black robes.
The only visible eyes were vertically slit, inhuman and radiating a chilling aura.
"Lord Envoy, it's true!"
"The man and woman were vicious. They slaughtered several members of our Church and forced their way inside."
A man in a worn trench coat stood behind them, speaking urgently.
Crimson markings, resembling either tattoos or bulging veins, crisscrossed his face. The back of his coat bulged unnaturally, as if wings or fleshy growths were hidden beneath.
"Is that so? Heh, very well."
"Since they seek death, let us begin the Plan."
Without another word, the black-robed figure known as the Apostle flicked his sleeve, vanishing instantly.
Several subordinates followed behind him, their figures dissolving into afterimages as they vanished without a trace.
Seeing this, the man who had reported the situation earlier knelt in fervent worship for several breaths.
Only when the wind and sand returned did he retreat to begin arranging the next steps.
Boom!!
Later that day, at precisely 4:00 PM.
A droning surge of air erupted into a fierce wind as a small, gray-white private jet touched down on the airport runway, its black wheels sparking against the tarmac.
This was a small, private airfield enclosed by a wire fence that separated the interior from the outside world.
The smooth, paved concrete ground stretched out, giving way to a grassy field in the distance.
Several black Feichi-brand flying cars were parked near the adjacent runway, surrounded by a dozen or so tall, muscular bodyguards with tanned skin. Wearing earpieces and with bulges at their waists, they vigilantly watched the private jet as it decelerated and gradually came to a stop.
"Everyone, stay sharp!" the Security Captain shouted from within the black car convoy, his voice amplified through his sunglasses. "This is a major client! Chests out, heads high, maintain proper posture!"
He reminded the team to line up on either side of the runway to perform the welcoming ceremony.
As he finished speaking, the car door beside him was pulled open, and a middle-aged man in a dark blue suit stepped out.
"Boss, I've already alerted everyone," the Security Captain said urgently. "Is there anything else you'd like to instruct?"
"Tell them to be more flexible and use their judgment," the man replied.
The middle-aged man, who bore the physical features of the Red Nation, was somewhat overweight, with a prominent belly and a receding hairline in a Mediterranean pattern.
He tightened the button on his suit jacket over his abdomen and led the group toward the neatly parked private jet, whispering, "This time, it's a Director from Jadeite Biotech."
"We've worked so hard to establish our business in the Red Nation. We can't afford to be careless."
After these instructions, the Security Captain, who also had Red Nation features, nodded repeatedly.
Click!
At that moment, the private jet's cabin door opened, and a folding staircase automatically extended to the smooth concrete ground.
The Mediterranean-haired man's expression immediately straightened, and a warm smile spread across his face as he turned toward the cabin door.
Tap, tap!
Footsteps echoed as Yuan Yueshan, clad in a dark trench coat and wearing an earpiece, emerged first.
The fleeting blue arc in his eyes sent a chill through the air, and his heavy strides caused the waiting bodyguards in suits to stiffen, their earlier complacency vanishing.
"He's a Fifth-Tier Cyborg," the Security Captain murmured, his expression grave. Beside him, the mediterranean-looking man's smile grew even more enthusiastic.
Tap, tap!
The footsteps resumed, and Lin Hao and his group, all in gray suits, followed Yuan Yueshan out.
Without hesitation, the Security Captain led his team forward.
"Welcome, Mr. Lin Hao, to Luoyue! We're honored to have you here to guide our work!"
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
As his words landed, the Security Captain and his team immediately began applauding, deliberately using the Red Nation Language.
The warm reception brought a smile to Lin Hao's face. As he shook hands with the mediterranean man, he lightly patted the back of his hand.
"Boss Wang, you're too kind."
"Not at all, not at all."
"I must say, Director Lin looks even younger than in the photos. Truly a young prodigy—admirable indeed."
The mediterranean man, addressed as Boss Wang, showered Lin Hao with compliments in fluent Red Nation Language.
Lin Hao maintained his smile, exchanging brief pleasantries before stepping aside to introduce Chen Feng, who stood behind him.
"This is my friend. You can call him Mr. Chen."
"Ah, Mr. Chen himself! My deepest respects."
Boss Wang froze momentarily, then quickly recovered and shook hands with Chen Feng.
Images and information he had gathered flashed through his mind. He felt a strange sense of familiarity, yet upon closer inspection, the man seemed different.
Could this be the legendary figure, the one comparable to the Legendary Flying General? he wondered. Surely someone of that stature wouldn't have such an ordinary appearance?
As doubt lingered, Chen Feng merely nodded slightly and offered a brief handshake.
His once sharp, masculine features had been subtly altered, transforming him into an ordinary-looking man in his thirties.
Yang Wudi and Celine had vanished abruptly, their disappearance shrouded in mystery.
In contrast, Chen Feng's current fame made him a target for scrutiny. Every move he made risked attracting unwanted attention from the Luoyue Military and other potentially hostile forces.
To avoid alerting the Luoyue Military and other hostile factions, he had deliberately disguised himself and suppressed his life magnetic field, which normally radiated like a volcanic eruption.
Unsuspecting, the Security Captain's eyes flickered as his scanning device registered normal readings, detecting no anomalous energy field fluctuations.
Satisfied with the confirmation, Boss Wang dismissed his doubts and moved on.
"If you're Mr. Lin's friend, then you're a friend of Boss Wang and the Tonghe Corporation."
"Welcome to Luoyue! This way, please!"
He gestured toward the motorcade, where a stretched Feichi sedan stood at the center, its interior adorned with silk accents and genuine leather sofas.
Lin Hao and his group nodded in agreement and entered the vehicle one by one, settling into the seats on one side.
Boss Wang sat across from Director Lin with the Security Captain. The convoy departed from the private jet terminal, gliding along the smooth concrete road through the barbed wire fence.
"Director Lin, rest assured, I've already dispatched men to gather information on the two individuals you're seeking. We should have results soon."
"As for the location you wish to inspect, it's about thirty kilometers outside Doma City. However, it's getting late. Would you prefer to rest at the hotel first?"
He instructed his men to retrieve cigars from the car's cabinet and personally trimmed one for Director Lin.
"No need. Let's head straight there."
Lin Hao waved his hand, accepting the cigar but declining the offer. Their mission was to find Yang Wudi, and every moment wasted meant delaying the discovery of crucial leads.
Boss Wang didn't press the matter, nodding with a smile.
"No wonder Director Lin has achieved so much at such a young age. Your decisiveness is truly admirable."
"Very well, the location isn't too far anyway. We can leave the city now."
As he spoke, he offered a cigar to Chen Feng, who gently declined with a wave of his hand.
"Mr. Chen doesn't care for cigars?"
"No."
Chen Feng nodded calmly, showing little interest in such things.
Boss Wang looked slightly surprised, then his gaze shifted. He instructed his men to open the car's icebox and retrieve a bottle of rare Philbrand red wine.
"Mr. Chen, would you care for a glass?"
"No need," Chen Feng said, shaking his head.
Their deep gazes met for only an instant, yet Boss Wang felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart and dared not press the matter further.
Seeing this, Chen Feng silently shook his head, choosing not to expose Boss Wang's probing intentions.
Even before arriving in Luoyue, Lin Hao had provided him with intelligence on Boss Wang.
His full name was Wang Dehai, and his ancestors hailed from Jiangcheng in the Red Nation. Fifty years ago, his family had settled in Luoyue, making them part of the Red Nation diaspora.
While the Tonghe Corporation was founded by his father, it was under Wang Dehai's leadership that it truly flourished.
By now, the corporation had grown into a substantial enterprise with considerable influence in eastern Luoyue. Wang Dehai himself served as a director of the Overseas Chinese Chamber of Commerce in eastern Luoyue, making him a prominent figure in the region.
TL/N: The author here write Chinese, I think it should be Red Nation.
To have risen to such prominence in a land fragmented by warlords and plagued by frequent internal conflicts, such a man could not possibly be as ordinary as he appeared, nor could he be a simple, benevolent old man.
Though Chen Feng's disguise was simple, it had undoubtedly aroused Boss Wang's suspicions.
Still, Chen Feng remained seated, his gaze unwavering.
He paid no heed to these minor probes.
For the time being, he needed local power brokers like Boss Wang to guide them in their search for Yang Wudi.
Whoosh!
Without another word, the cabin fell into silence.
The ventilation system quietly activated, a faint breeze circulating through the cabin as the window gradually revealed a cityscape.
Most of the buildings were tightly packed concrete and tile structures, their facades weathered by time.
Power lines crisscrossed overhead, while the streets below were barely passable, with gray trams lumbering along their tracks.
As Chen Feng surveyed the surroundings, the incessant beeping of motorcycle horns and the jingling of bicycle bells filled the air.
Pedestrians crowded the sidewalks, most dressed in oversized suits and long-sleeved shirts and trousers, giving the scene a distinctly Red Nation feel from twenty years ago.
"Luoyue is deeply influenced by the Red Nation," Wang Dehai remarked, putting down his cigar and taking the initiative to explain the local culture. "From food and clothing to housing and transportation, many aspects of daily life here could easily make you think you've stumbled into some remote Red Nation town."
Chen Feng silently scanned the streets, acutely aware of the envious and awestruck gazes following the black motorcade as it cut through the crowded streets, forcing pedestrians to scramble out of the way.
Luoyue Nation was even more backward than he had imagined.
Yet this very backwardness only deepened his confusion.
How could such a small, insignificant place have swallowed both Yang Wudi, a warrior comparable to the legendary Flying General, and Celine, a Pseudo Sixth-Tier expert, without a trace?
The thought had barely formed when, in the next instant—
Boom!!
A shell slammed into a building at the street corner ahead, detonating with a deafening roar. Flames erupted skyward, sending shards of concrete and glass raining down in a fiery hail.
Several figures were flung backward, bleeding profusely, their limbs shattered or consumed by the inferno.
In that instant, the dazed pedestrians who had been standing frozen along the street transformed into a panicked mob, scattering in terror.
The convoy, too, was forced to slam on its brakes, coming to a halt in the middle of the street, blocked by the panicked crowd.
"What's happening?!"
Wang Dehai's body lurched violently forward from the sudden stop. His face paled slightly as he stared out the window at the chaos unfolding.
A utility pole and a concrete building had collapsed, severed cables sparking and hissing.
The panicked crowd obscured most of his view. The Security Captain beside him maintained a grim expression, simultaneously reassuring Wang Dehai and ordering his bodyguards to remain vigilant. He was about to push open the door and investigate when—
Whoosh!!
Several more shells tore through the air, exploding across the area.
One of them, trailing a fiery tail and a shockwave, hurtled straight toward the convoy.
(End of the Chapter)
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