Chapter 525: San Zang (1)

The two warriors didn’t immediately trust the identity of the mysterious man. But the phrase, ‘To die for one’s country in its hour of need is an honor’, ignited a spark in their hearts in this dire situation.

Especially in the hell-like Jiepeng Empire, hearing a phrase in the language of Great Xia was akin to hearing the voice of heaven.

Poison Wolf’s first instinct, as he came to his senses, was to rush toward the strange metal apparatus. He guarded the transparent casing as if it were his own life.

The man stepped aside gracefully. He was, of course, Li Xiaofei. It was only thanks to the timely intelligence delivered by Tsukiha Yaiba that he had managed to arrive at the last moment. After confirming that the two were indeed members of Great Xia’s Dragon Group, Li Xiaofei turned his attention to the convulsing Bloodhound on the ground.

He temporarily halted the effects of the Life and Death Talisman. Then, he squatted and slapped Bloodhound twice across the face. It wasn’t necessary. But it felt satisfying.

"How does this machine work?" asked Li Xiaofei as he pointed at the metallic device sustaining Chong Chong’s brain.

Bloodhound was drenched in sweat. The torment of the Life and Death Talisman had left him teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. He swore he had never experienced such unimaginable pain in his entire life. It was a form of suffering that cut straight to the soul.

But even in his state of utter exhaustion, Bloodhound maintained the defiance befitting a lead tracker of the Realm of Traces.

"Do you think I’ll tell you anything, you foolish Great Xia monkey?" He sneered.

"Well, well," Li Xiaofei remarked with a smirk. "Your whole body is limp, yet your mouth still manages to stay hard."

Bloodhound retorted, "So what if you’ve subdued me? There are still sixteen elite operatives of the Realm of Traces outside, along with three power armor combat squads. You—"

He stopped mid-sentence, realization dawning upon him. The torment of the Life and Death Talisman had occupied his thoughts, but now it struck him that there was no noise from outside.

"It seems you’ve figured it out," Li Xiaofei said, his mocking smile visible through the eye slits of his mask. "Give up, Ah Zou. Outside, it’s all Jackie Chans now."[1]

Bloodhound’s throat went dry. He didn’t fully understand the reference, but one thing was clear: his backup had been completely neutralized. A chill crept up his body. He knew all too well how strong his team was. Even a Divine Realm expert shouldn’t have been able to silently eliminate them all.

When did the Dragon Group produce such a terrifying operative?

"So, you still don’t want to talk?" Li Xiaofei asked casually. His voice was calm yet laced with menace.

His eyes began to glow with a faint, eerie blue light. His pupils transformed into polished sapphires that shimmered with a strange brilliance.

Bloodhound froze as he sensed something terribly wrong. But before he could react, his consciousness was swept into a vortex that pulled him deeper and deeper into an abyss.

Mental manipulation technique! It was effortless for someone like Li Xiaofei to use a mental manipulation technique on someone like Bloodhound, who was only at the Dao Union Realm and already weakened by both physical and psychological torment.

It didn’t take him long to extract all the necessary information. The device sustaining Chong Chong’s brain was called Life No. 1. What an utterly ridiculous, knock-off ad-sounding name. Fortunately, operating the device was not complicated. Aside from supplementing it with the appropriate nutrients, a specific type of energy needed to be added.

This was manageable for Poison Wolf. But equipping Chong Chong with a new body was an entirely different matter. This process required cutting-edge New Martial Arts surgery technology; technology that had long been locked away on the international stage.

Even many powerful conglomerates couldn’t obtain it. Only the Redshirt Group’s Distillation Research Institute, renowned for its advanced New Martial Arts mechanical augmentation, possessed the requisite technology and materials within the Jiepeng Empire.

Moreover, if a new mechanical body couldn’t be grafted within thirty days, Chong Chong’s brain would completely perish. Life No. 1 wasn’t capable of indefinitely sustaining a severed head.

The doctor glanced at Poison Wolf. The news struck him like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. Obtaining the latest mechanical body from the heavily guarded Distillation Research Institute was nearly impossible while he had a massive bounty on his head.

It meant Chong Chong had only thirty days left to live. She was in a vegetative state for now, and she might even be able to sense the world around her. But she couldn’t respond to Poison Wolf in any way.

Poison Wolf lowered his head, biting his lip. He remained silent.

"Don’t lose hope. There might still be a way," Li Xiaofei reassured.

He didn’t make any grand promises.

"This time, I truly owe you my thanks." The doctor said, bowing slightly to Li Xiaofei. Then, he casually asked, "Are you also a member of Great Xia’s Dragon Group? What’s your codename?"

Li Xiaofei paused for a moment and made one up. "My codename is... Pangu."

His real codename, Jade Emperor, was now among the top ten in the Star Council’s blacklist. Revealing it would mean losing everything he had worked for. The doctor appeared pensive at the response. He had already aborted the nanomachines’ self-destruct process and had already gotten started on extracting data.

However, the name Pangu didn’t ring any bells. He had never heard of a Dragon Group operative with such a codename, nor had he known of any super-agent sent to operate within the Jiepeng Empire. Since communication with the main network was currently cut off, verifying this claim instantly was impossible.

Years of underground experience had taught the doctor to remain cautious, and he stayed slightly suspicious of Li Xiaofei. Li Xiaofei, fully aware of the doctor’s doubts, chose not to linger.

"This is my emergency contact. If you need help, reach out anytime, and I’ll come immediately," Li Xiaofei said, leaving behind a light core account number before disappearing through the door.

The doctor exhaled deeply as he relaxed. His instincts told him to trust the man in the monkey mask. Yet, organizational discipline and caution compelled him to maintain a safe distance from this apparent savior.

"What do you think... is he really a member of the Dragon Group?" Poison Wolf asked, lifting his head.

The doctor shook his head. "I can’t say for sure. He has a similar aura, and he undoubtedly turned the tide. If nothing else, the fact that he killed Bloodhound and so many Realm of Traces operatives outside shows a level of sincerity."

"But we still need to be cautious," Poison Wolf said as he grew calmer.

In a soft voice, he added, "The Inquisition has used deception many times before. If one of their agents infiltrates the Dragon Group, all our efforts within Jiepeng will be for nothing. No matter what, we need to contact the organization immediately to verify his identity."

The doctor said, "It seems we must reach out to Lord San Zang. But verifying his identity isn’t urgent right now. The priority is getting this intelligence out. We must let Lord San Zang find a way to acquire detailed plans. The information that Jiepeng is collaborating with the Yiggs Union to retaliate against Great Xia and has already finalized their strategies must be delivered back home as soon as possible."

A look of reverence involuntarily appeared on the doctor’s face at the mention of San Zang. The name carried immense weight among the Great Xia Dragon Group operatives currently undercover in Jiepeng. He was a living legend.

Poison Wolf nodded silently. His gaze shifted toward the machine holding the severed head of his lover. A shadow of grief flashed across his eyes.

1. A reference to a line in the movie: New Police Story. ☜