Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 87: Chapter 79: Firepower Requirement, Unexpected Encounter

Edit: Blink distance increased to 60 cm (instant activation, meaning by the time you actually start moving, Wan Ze has already finished blinking; can be further upgraded. Don’t argue—if you argue, you win. This paragraph is free.)

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...

”The ultimate goal of blazing a new path did indeed fail. The man behind it later died in a great fire, and a great deal of the original data and early samples were lost in the flames along with him.

”But his ’cell apotheosis’ theory showed many people a chance to become stronger... To be fair, this academic theory wasn’t entirely without merit. Of course, I oppose hunting down ordinary people for human experimentation under any pretext, but purely from a perspective of academic inquiry, it did, to a certain extent, advance the development of the modern Martial Dao.”

Zhai Jia quickly stated his position before continuing, ”Including the current Secret Medicines and Secret Pills... they were all more or less influenced by his theoretical system. Or, to be more precise, they are the relatively safe and controllable parts extracted from that insane theory...”

”You mean using the medicinal properties of drugs to stimulate human cells?” Wan Ze interjected.

Zhai Jia nodded. ”Correct. Secret Medicines and Secret Pills are both products of the last few decades. As for the Miraculous Elixirs recorded in ancient texts, we can only treat those as myths. But these two things were genuinely and concretely perfected through that system... After all that, what I’m trying to say is that this theory once influenced a generation, but it was later rejected by the public. Too many people went missing back then, and they were all young... under thirty, both men and women, were their targets.”

Even though Wan Ze had prepared himself, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath upon hearing this. ”That... insane?”

”Yes, it was an insane era. Everyone lived in fear.” Zhai Jia recalled the contents of those documents, a wave of emotion washing over him. ”If it had just been normal research, no one would have stopped it. But they had become so utterly deranged that they dared to kill anyone. That was no longer scientific exploration; it was a crime... So, the Martial Dao Realm later joined forces to crack down on this pathological environment, and then, through propaganda, gradually erased this period from history.”

Wan Ze mused, ’So, that means someone is still secretly conducting these experiments? Or, to be more precise, Zhao Qilong must have discovered something, which led to him being hunted down? And Brother Lei was just collateral damage?’

”Exactly,” Zhai Jia nodded. ”If I’m not mistaken, the Secret Palace is the umbrella protecting this research institute. Otherwise, given their usual way of doing things, they wouldn’t have gotten involved. Of course, it’s possible that the Secret Palace isn’t the only Power involved.”

Wan Ze fell silent.

He understood.

Dragon Eagle was powerful, but it couldn’t stand alone.

Faced with these allied dark forces, the strength of a single martial arts school was indeed not enough. It might even bring disaster upon itself.

These days, pure passion and a sense of justice often meant you wouldn’t live to see tomorrow.

”Let’s not talk about this anymore. How about eight tomorrow morning? I’ll come pick you up, and we’ll take the train from the East Station. It’s about a two-hour ride. Let me tell you, the air and the scenery on the mountain are top-notch. I guarantee you’ll never want to leave,” Zhai Jia said with a smile.

”Eight o’clock is fine with me. Alright, I’m heading off. Drive safe,” Wan Ze nodded, getting out of the car and waving from the roadside.

Zhai Jia quickly drove away.

The streetlights were dim, and the night wind was a bit chilly. A few withered leaves by the roadside were swept up, rustling.

Wan Ze, wearing just a short-sleeved shirt, slowly walked back toward his brightly lit home.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Far away in An City, inside a private club, a magnificent, opulent room held a single, out-of-place slot machine.

A figure in a duck-billed cap sat in front of the machine.

On a sofa not far away sat a man in a red suit, unhurriedly clipping the tip of his cigar. His tone, however, was impatient. ”I told you Holy City wasn’t safe, but nobody listened... Now look. Liu Chong went down too... The Police Headquarters is already involved. That whole line might be completely exposed... Damn it, serves them right for getting themselves killed! Zhan Tao, are you even listening to me?”

”Mhm,” the man in the cap replied perfunctorily, his eyes glued to the slot machine’s screen.

A vein throbbed on the suited man’s temple. He seemed to know this guy’s personality, so he decided to just get it over with. ”What exactly did the higher-ups send you here to do this time?”

”Mhm.”

”The research institute thing? Clean-up?”

”Mhm.”

”I’ve already completely cut ties with the Holy City side. Even if the authorities investigate, they won’t be able to trace it back to us. There’s no need to send you here specifically for this, is there?”

”Mhm.”

”I! Said! Are you fucking listening to me at all?!”

”Mhm.”

”...”

The man in the suit completely lost it. He violently flipped the table and snatched the ashtray in front of him, hurling it at Zhan Tao.

But Zhan Tao just tilted his head slightly and casually raised his right hand... and the ashtray, which had been flying with incredible force, landed steadily in his palm as if by magic.

Zhan Tao’s tone was as nonchalant as ever. ”Don’t litter, okay?”

The suited man’s chest heaved violently. He looked like he wanted to strangle the bastard. After staring daggers at him for a long moment, he said, word by word, ”Are you done playing? When you’re done, get the hell out!”

Zhan Tao ignored him. Only when the game announced it was over did he unhurriedly stand up and say matter-of-factly, ”Give me some money.”

”How much?”

”A hundred. Should be enough.”

”You fucking...!” The man in the suit was furious but still suppressed his anger. ”Just a hundred? Tell me, what do you need money for?!”

”Travel expenses.”

...You’re a captain-level figure, for god’s sake. You don’t even have that much?”

The man in the suit was stunned, his face a mask of disbelief.

Zhan Tao just blinked at him.

”I give up.” The suited man irritably pulled out his wallet and tossed it over without looking. ”Take it all.”

Zhan Tao grinned, pulled out a single bill, placed the wallet on the slot machine, and turned to leave.

But he suddenly stopped.

”Oh, right. Do me another favor.”

”Spit it out!” the man in the suit snapped.

”I’ll call you in a couple of days. Get me a squad of gunmen. Some heavy firepower would be even better.”

Before Zhan Tao could finish, the man in the suit cut him off. ”What the fuck are you planning? A jailbreak?”

Zhan Tao just looked at him, still not speaking.

The man in the suit gave in with a helpless shrug. ”If you have specific firepower requirements, I’ll need some time... The authorities have been cracking down hard lately for some reason.”

”Wait for my call.”

”Fuck you! I’m the same rank as you!”

”Mhm, mhm, mhm.”

”...” The man in the suit was livid. ”Fuck!”

...

...

The early morning sky was a brilliant blue.

The wind was gentle.

When it blew past, the trees nearby only swayed slightly.

”What perfect weather for a trip.”

Zhai Jia sat in the back, the window rolled all the way down. He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, a look of pure contentment on his face.

Zhai Yu was driving. He looked like he had pulled an all-nighter, his eyes bloodshot. He shot his brother an irritated glance in the rearview mirror. ”You’re going to Laojun Mountain with Junior Brother to relax, not to cause trouble. Rein it in, and don’t do anything stupid!”

”Are you kidding me? I’m a law-abiding citizen, you know?” Zhai Jia immediately protested.

Zhai Yu couldn’t be bothered with him and looked at Wan Ze, his tone softening considerably. ”Junior Brother, there’s a Senior Gu on Laojun Mountain. He’s an old friend of Master’s. You two should take the time to pay him a visit. If you really run into trouble, you can go to him for help... Of course, it would be best if there’s no trouble at all.”

”I understand, Third Senior Brother. Don’t worry,” Wan Ze nodded in acknowledgement.

Zhai Yu smiled at him. He had a lot of faith in his Junior Brother, Wan Ze, but he knew Zhai Jia’s true colors all too well. ”It’s a shame I have a pile of cases on my desk,” he said regretfully, ”otherwise I’d definitely go with you.”

”The Jie Zhengyang case isn’t over yet?” Zhai Jia suddenly asked, his playful expression gone.

”It’s stuck in the handover phase. Once the procedures are complete, it’ll go straight to sentencing,” Zhai Yu replied.

”Resistance?” Zhai Jia seemed surprised.

Zhai Yu nodded. ”Chaos used diplomatic channels. They’ve proposed a trade for several of our intelligence officers they’re holding in exchange for getting Jie Zhengyang back.”

Zhai Jia sneered at the news. ”Damn it, a traitorous dog like that who bites the hand that feeds him should just be put down with a single bullet! The higher-ups aren’t actually considering letting him go, are they?”

”No way. We’ve lost a lot of strategic materials these past few years, and he’s definitely connected to it... But I reckon the higher-ups want to use Jie Zhengyang as bait, see if they can follow the trail to the source,” Zhai Yu said.

But after hearing this, Zhai Jia just leaned back in his seat and became lazy again. ”Well, that’s for you guys to worry about. I’m just a subordinate, hehe.”

Zhai Yu shot him an irritated glare. ”Don’t give me that crap! It’s my turn for paid leave next!”

”Next time for sure!”

”...”

Wan Ze couldn’t help but smile watching his two senior brothers bicker.

The car soon arrived at the station. Zhai Yu didn’t linger; after getting the tickets for them, he took a call and rushed back to the Police Headquarters.

”Senior Brother, are you guys always this busy?” Wan Ze couldn’t help but ask.

”How should I put it... It’s a lot of trivial stuff... But mainly, there have been a lot of intelligence leaks over the past two years, so there are more intense investigations... And it’s all Chaos’s fault. Instead of figuring out how to develop their economy, all they think about day in and day out is destroying this person or that person! They’re like madmen!”

Hearing the name Chaos, Wan Ze’s thoughts drifted to the ancient ruins in the Slavic Kingdom that had once drawn widespread attention. The two of them, senior and junior, talked as they walked, eventually reaching the waiting hall.

Zhai Jia must have seen someone he knew. He told Wan Ze he’d be right back, and then vanished.

Wan Ze leaned back in his seat, bored, and stared blankly at the clock in the waiting hall.

But while he appeared to be spacing out, he was actually Concentrating the Spirit, cultivating whenever and wherever he could.

”Wan Ze? Is that you?”

A sudden call snapped Wan Ze out of his state.

He turned to look.

A figure was holding a cup of water, wearing a stylish duck-billed cap and a pink jacket. Her two large eyes were sparkling and full of life.

Liu Yu...

The class president?

Wan Ze had almost forgotten she even existed.

Then again...

For a guy who could take three days off in a five-day school week, the only reason he hadn’t been expelled was because of his family’s support and his homeroom teacher’s backing.

”What a coincidence.”

”Yeah, what a coincidence! Are you alone? Are you... going on a trip?” Although Liu Yu was only sixteen, she had a poised and elegant appearance. Combined with her height of around 1.7 meters, she had a radiant kind of beauty that made her stand out in a crowd.

”No, I’m with my brother,” Wan Ze replied casually, without elaborating. ”Are you going on vacation?”

”Yeah, I’m going to Yu Yang with my family,” Liu Yu replied.

”Yu Yang?” Wan Ze looked down at his ticket in surprise. ”What a coincidence. Me too.”

Liu Yu’s eyes lit up. ”The 8:52 train?”

”Yep.” Wan Ze smiled back.

Liu Yu leaned in to look, overjoyed. ”We’re in the same car! What a coincidence!”

”Yeah, it is.”

The two chatted for a bit before someone walked over.

It was a young woman in a long, beige trench coat, with exquisite makeup and a mature air.

She looked at Wan Ze curiously. After her gaze swept over his clothes, she seemed to understand something. She didn’t let it show on her face, however, and asked in a gentle tone, ”Xiao Yu, did you run into a classmate?”

”Yes, this is my classmate, Wan Ze. Wan Ze, this is my sister-in-law,” Liu Yu introduced them enthusiastically.

Wan Ze and the young woman met each other’s eyes and nodded in greeting. He could feel the social assessment in her gaze but didn’t care.

Liu Yu said to the young woman, ”Wan Ze is going to Yu Yang too, and we’re even in the same car. What a coincidence.”

The young woman paused for a moment, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes that was hard to detect. Her gaze fell on Wan Ze again, but seeing his frank expression, she figured it might really be a coincidence. She smiled and said, ”What a coincidence. Are you alone? Would you like to join us in the lounge for a bit? We still have to wait a while for the train.”

”No, thank you. I’m waiting for my brother,” Wan Ze politely declined.

Seeing this, the young woman didn’t insist. She turned to Liu Yu and said softly, ”Your aunt just called, she was asking about you. Let’s head back now.”

”Okay, sure. Well then, Wan Ze... I’ll see you in the train car later.”

”See you.”

Liu Yu obediently left with the young woman.

Wan Ze didn’t give the matter much thought. However, when he noticed that about a dozen more security personnel had suddenly appeared nearby, looking as if they were facing a major threat, he frowned slightly.

’Something’s not about to happen, is it?’

As he thought this, his expression suddenly turned sour.

’Fucking hell!’

’I really need to go burn some incense and pray!’

’How can I be this unlucky even when I’m just trying to have some fun!’