Chapter 223 - Striving for a Breakthrough

The next morning on June 16, in a verdant forest surrounding a small town, the crisp sounds of birds calling out to one another rang out. A cool breeze swept through, bringing with it the scent of grass and brushing droplets of dew off leaves.

At the Black Ops Agency branch, a dozen agents in gray uniforms encircled a three-story building. They patrolled around the building in four groups, leaving no corner unchecked.

On the second floor inside a small building, the white curtains were open, swaying slightly in the breeze. Near the window, a bed was bathed in sunlight, forming a warm golden patch where a girl with features so perfect and a face so flawless she resembled a sleeping beauty, lay. Her long black eyelashes curled slightly, reflecting the light.

At the foot of the bed, Ole sat peeling an apple, relaxed and free from the usual gravity he displayed in front of others. There was a faint, natural curve to his lips.

After he finished peeling the apple, Ole looked out the window. Whatever he saw prompted him to stand up and leave the room.

Half a minute later, footsteps echoed down the hallway on the second floor. Ole led the way with Cassius and the other two following, chatting as they walked. A small incident had occurred the night before when two outstanding male commissioners of the Black Ops Agency had been affected by Xiqin’s special aura.

The tension quickly escalated into a fierce fight with the second patrol squad catching them in the act. The news quickly spread, leading to a negative impact to radiate throughout the entire branch.

Ole spent a lot of time that night trying to suppress the incident. He didn't punish the two commissioners, knowing that the source of the problem lay with his daughter. One could even say she had unintentionally caused their behavior.

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Jack and Oliver had only been with the Beiliu County branch for a few years, both talented young men in their early twenties with bright futures ahead. However, after that incident, it was clear that they could no longer stay at the branch. Therefore, Ole sought help from two administrators to transfer them to other branches.

Li Wei's era was not like the future; news spread slowly and was often confined to one region. If Jack and Oliver were quietly transferred to other branches, they might avoid being too badly affected by the incident.

Ole, being ever so thoughtful, had planned to separate Jack and Oliver by sending them to different branches of the Black Ops Agency to avoid any further awkwardness.

To his surprise, despite the old butler Franz’s willingness to help, Jack and Oliver themselves were unwilling! They weren't opposed to being transferred but didn't want to be sent to separate branches. In fact, they were more than happy to leave the Beiliu County branch but insisted on being transferred to the same branch. Ole had been utterly shocked by this request!

After confirming their wishes multiple times, he finally agreed. It seemed the two young men had awakened to something significant, but it wasn't Ole's business. He was still drowning in the joy of his daughter's recovery.

Perhaps due to his all-consuming happiness, he even sought out Cassius at midnight to discuss the possibility of letting him handle the remaining parasitic dark creature in their custody. Thanks to Xiqin's success story, he believed that the other infected person could also recover. Plus, Ole thought it would be a win-win situation for both of them.

However, Cassius chose not to do it again.

The Physical Body stage of his Golem Covert Martial Arts had already reached its limit. Any further attempts to channel the vibration would have no effect, simply dissipating within his body.

In his current state of heightened awareness, Cassius was more inclined to focus on sensing the essence of martial arts—Qi of the Fist, Will of the Fist, and Dao of the Fist. He possessed the physique of a combat artist but was not yet at the realm of combat artist. It was frustrating being stuck at that stage, and he needed a breakthrough.

Covert Martial Arts wasn't just about strengthening the body. Some Secret Techniques could multiply one's strength in one explosive instant. Other combat techniques were so refined they could precisely dismantle an opponent's defenses. Strength and technique complemented each other, and neither could be neglected. Simply put, each combat artist had their own strengths. Some excelled in technique, while others dominated through sheer physical power.

That being said, all of these aspects needed to be equal in strength. A fighter with great strength and defense still needed decent speed and technique. What use was power if it couldn't hit its target?

Likewise, a master of technique needed at least average strength, for no amount of skill mattered if a punch couldn't break through an opponent's defense.

What Cassius wanted now was to spar with a master of Covert Martial Arts, ideally, a combat artist who had mastered Qi. Only by clashing with powerful opponents could he quickly break through the bottleneck in his training.

Once both his body and martial skills reached the level of a true combat artist, his strength would surge exponentially. At that point, he would be confident enough to confront the Dead Blood.

However, challenging combat artists at that level was not easy. These Covert Martial Arts masters were often elders or leaders of their sects—respected figures with reputations to protect. They wouldn't accept challenges from outsiders so easily.

The best opponents for Cassius to spar with would be reclusive masters who had retired from their leadership positions and were more likely to accept challenges from outsiders on their own terms.

Cassius understood the reasoning. However, according to Black Ops Agency's estimates, there were only about a hundred combat artists in the entire Covert Martial Arts world across the Hongli Federation. Sixty percent of them held prominent positions, while the remaining forty percent were in hiding.

These reclusive masters were hard to track down, and if Cassius tried to locate them one by one, it would take him forever. Thus, he had no choice but to rely on the assistance of the Black Ops Agency.

The Black Ops Agency, as the official organization handling supernatural forces for the Hongli Federation, was backed by the Special Service Bureau. They had extensive research and knowledge about various supernatural entities, and the vast world of Covert Martial Arts was no exception. Since the Black Ops Agency knew the whereabouts of many Class B Covert Martial Arts experts, they could provide Cassius with the information for him to track down and challenge these experts.

This formed the foundation for further collaboration between the Black Ops Agency and Cassius. His ability to eliminate near-immortal dark creatures was quite impressive, and combined with his formidable power, further cooperation—perhaps even bringing him into the Black Ops Agency—was certainly a good move. This was the old butler's cool-headed judgment.

Franz wasn't without curiosity about Cassius's abilities, but these things took time. For now, their cooperative relationship was proving effective and successful.

They halted outside of the room. Ole, who was at the front, opened the door to enter. The old butler Franz and Amos followed him inside.

Only Cassius stood quietly at the doorway. The wooden door was open, and a cool breeze blew in. The refreshing air passed through the window and curtains, carrying a faint floral fragrance that wafted past his nose.

Amos glanced back at Cassius. "Aren't you coming in?"

Cassius shook his head expressionlessly. "No."

In a flash, a shadow darted across the room and a slender figure rushed toward the doorway.

Cassius was prepared. He sidestepped slightly, letting the fragrant figure rush past him, crashing into the wall with a thud.

He glanced calmly at the girl, who was pressed against the wall. Even in her loose hospital gown, her attractive figure was still evident.

When her obsidian-like eyes met Cassius's, there wasn't a trace of confusion in them, only a deep serenity, like a calm lake. Her long, charming eyes stared unblinkingly, with a natural and serene expression.

She turned to look at Cassius as the breeze brushed past, her soft clothes outlining her curvaceous figure. Her skin was as white and smooth as snow. It was a pleasant sight that could lift anyone's spirits. Naturally, it would seem even more delightful to men.

"Hug... hug..." With her rosy lips, Xiqin murmured the same word without fail, then lunged toward Cassius again.

Unfortunately, she missed again. Cassius was fully focused now, and if he wanted to, Xiqin's speed and skill would never allow her to even touch the hem of his clothing.

"Xiqin!" Ole's fatherly shout echoed from inside the room. He rushed out and immediately saw the two figures bouncing around in the corridor, like a game of cat and mouse. One was chasing, the other evading, with their footsteps constantly scampering in the narrow hallway.

Cassius shot a calm glance at Ole in the midst of his dodging, as if to say, "Could you control your daughter, please?"

Ole's expression was complicated, unsure of what to do. So he just took a bite of the apple in his hand.

In the hallway, after repeated failed attempts to catch Cassius, Xiqin began to look like a frustrated child, her eyes welling up with tears.

Cassius sighed and finally stood still. The next second, the octopus-like figure lunged at him again. Just like before, she sniffed him like a puppy, beaming satisfactorily as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.

The next moment, Cassius expressionlessly delivered a sharp hand chop and Xiqin passed out again. He picked up her soft body, carried her back into the room, then gently laid her down on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

"Ole, I suggest you start your daughter's mental recovery soon. If anything troublesome comes up, contact Mr. Franz and he’ll notify me," Cassius said to Ole as he stood up. The latter was still calmly munching on his apple.

Cassius had achieved his goal of testing the Golem Covert Martial Arts, and it had even reached its bottleneck. Naturally, he couldn't stay at the Black Ops Agency branch any longer; he already had plans in mind.

He was going to return to his residence in Beiliu City today to deal with the two kids, Toma and Xiala. He was very likely going to have the Black Ops Agency send them to Li Wei's acquaintances. After all, Li Wei had saved many people in the past, and he had close relationships with some of them.

The things Cassius had to do were too dangerous to bring along two small burdens. It would only endanger them both.

That same morning at 8 a.m., a black sedan left the small town and drove toward Beiliu City along the same road. The cars that passed by were scant.

Only the rolling hills could be seen, with thick carpets of grass spread across them. Sometimes, they saw flowers and trees dotting the landscape, while bees and butterflies fluttered in the air.

They drove a little further where a green sparse forest gradually replaced the grassy hills. Suddenly, muffled sounds came from under the car. The vehicle continued moving for a short distance before slowly coming to a stop.

"What happened?" Cassius, who had been lost in his thoughts, immediately opened his eyes and asked the old butler driving the car, a frown on his face.

"Flat tire," Franz replied slowly.

"What crappy luck," Amos muttered, lifting his head briefly before returning to his detective novel. He was quite fond of such things.

"I'll go take a look." Cassius opened the door and stepped out. Lowering his gaze, he gave the situation a cursory inspection. Sure enough, there was a noticeable gash along the side of both front tires, apparently cut by some metal shards.

This meant the car couldn't go any further, and they would have to walk to the city. Alternatively, they could return to the nearby Black Ops Agency branch to get another car.

"Unlucky," Cassius echoed Amos’s previous words. He turned to look around. A black car sped past without any issues. On the side of the road, a man in a black shirt was staring in their direction, smoking a cigarette with a look of schadenfreude.

Their eyes met.

The man suddenly moved, walking toward them step by step, flicking his cigarette with his finger and blowing smoke from his mouth. He had a spiky crew cut, and stood about 1.85 meters tall with a strong build. He wore a cocky, thug-like smile on his face, and there seemed to be a tattoo peeking out on his neck.

In no time, he was mere steps away from Cassius. Looking Cassius up and down, he blew out a smoke ring while saying, "You guys came from Owl Town?" His expression appeared friendly, but the sharp eyes fixed on Cassius were hawk-like.

"Yeah, what about it?" Cassius stared blankly.

"What about it?" The crew-cut man chuckled, shaking his head ruefully. "Since you are, then you're all coming with me."

He patted his bulging waist and took another drag. The nicotine seemed to please him, making him squint in satisfaction.

"So, you're the one who ruined the tires?" Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone changing similarly.

The crew-cut man laughed again, puffing out two streams of smoke from his nose. "There ain't anyone else around, what do you think? Spout less crap," he said, patting his waist again.

"Hold on a sec." Cassius turned and rapped lightly on the car's door. The window rolled down from the driver's seat. "Can the Black Ops Agency kill people? Is it legal?"

Franz’s response was quick. "Black Ops Agency operatives have the right to kill. They’ll need to judge the threat level of the suspect themselves."

"Good." Cassius nodded, casually pushing up his sleeve as he sauntered toward the crew-cut man.

The crew-cut man looked at him, confused.

Bang!

For an instant, Cassius's right hand became a blur. After the loud sound, he retracted his fist and wiped the blood off the back of his hand with a handkerchief before rolling his sleeve back down.

A little release like this helps to placate the Killer Persona.

Thud.

A headless body collapsed to the ground with a burning cigarette still between its fingers, the tip glowing faintly in the breeze.