Inspection Results

“Here, take this.”

“Hmm?”

Before leaving the branch base, Féng Yè quietly approached Xǔ Tiānlí and slipped him a badge emblazoned with the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s emblem.

“Does this mean I’m a full-time employee now?”

“Of course not.” Féng Yè shook his head.

“This is a specialized communication device.”

“Press the emblem on its surface to activate it.”

“Once you’ve finished speaking and release it, your message will be sent to all nearby badges.”

While it sounded convenient, Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t appear particularly pleased; instead, he subtly furrowed his brow.

“Are you giving me this because you still don’t trust Master Qín?”

“I have great faith in Master Qín’s combat prowess, but no one is perfect.”

“There are always things people aren’t skilled at.”

Féng Yè’s expression turned bitter.

“If she gets entangled with the enemy and inadvertently affects Qiao Yíng, that wouldn’t be good.”

“If we discover anything, we’ll also notify you through this badge.”

“It’s always better to concentrate our forces when handling matters.”

Having said his piece, Féng Yè hastily hurried away.

Xǔ Tiānlí, clutching the badge in his hand, turned his gaze towards the entrance.

He saw Qín Yuè standing outside, her dark, long hair swaying in the wind.

The more he looked, the more she exuded the aura of a true master.

‘Just how terrifying must an enemy be to keep even Master Qín preoccupied?’ Xǔ Tiānlí tucked the badge into his pocket.

‘Am I underestimating those kidnappers, or is Branch Head Féng underestimating Master Qín’s strength?’

‘When will I be as reliable and powerful as Master Qín?’

Whenever such a question arose in his mind, Xǔ Tiānlí would envision an endless, arduous path ahead.

His talent was simply too poor, demanding far more effort from him than from others.

“Xǔ Tiānlí, are you ready yet?”

“Coming now.”

However, as long as his master was by his side, Xǔ Tiānlí felt he still held hope.

He quickly ran to her side.

Without exchanging many words, the two set off ahead.

Féng Yè and the Heaven’s Will Bureau agents would need more time before they could mobilize.

They had a larger team and specialized divisions, unlike Mù Qīngyǔ and Xǔ Tiānlí, who were just two people.

More importantly, Mù Qīngyǔ had explicitly told them not to disturb her, immediately rejecting Féng Yè’s offer to send additional support.

She merely wanted to find a place to slack off.

How could she possibly allow Heaven’s Will Bureau agents to monitor her?

Simply pointing to a random spot and claiming Qiao Yíng might be hidden there—how could such a coincidence exist?

It would be disastrous if her true intentions were discovered.

As for Xǔ Tiānlí, with his naive mind, Mù Qīngyǔ could easily spin him in circles with a few casual words.

Keeping him by her side wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Of course, it would be even better if she could send him away.

Mù Qīngyǔ would then save herself the trip to that location, find a comfortable spot to lie down and sleep, and simply await news from the Heaven’s Will Bureau.

They boarded the car Féng Yè had prepared for them, driving through the bustling city until they reached the relatively quiet old district.

Upon stepping out of the car, Mù Qīngyǔ immediately caught an indescribable scent, almost making her cough.

“Master, are you also very familiar with the old district?” Xǔ Tiānlí asked suddenly, noticing her reaction.

“Ah, yes, of course,” Mù Qīngyǔ replied, straightening her expression.

“Let me give you an impromptu test: how well do you know your hometown?”

“Not very well, I suppose.”

“I’m only eighteen, after all.”

Xǔ Tiānlí gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Many things about the old district I heard from my father.”

Reportedly, Xǔ Tiānlí’s father grew up in this old district.

Back then, there was no Wufeng City, only Wufeng Town.

Here, far from the towering skyscrapers, one could still see many aged, low-rise bungalows.

Buildings of five or six stories were considered skyscrapers in this area.

There were also many abandoned factories here.

It was said that the initial plan was to catch the tail end of industrial development and transform this place into an industrial hub.

However, the pace of development couldn’t keep up.

Instead, more and more factories polluted the surrounding environment, even making headlines in major news.

Following a reshuffle of municipal government personnel, the new leadership abandoned the original development path.

They cast aside this polluted land, continuously shifting the focus of development eastward.

This strategy proved highly effective.

The former Wufeng Town had transformed into Wufeng City, boasting skyscrapers and a booming economy.

“But so much time has passed, and the municipal government hasn’t planned to redevelop this area.”

“I feel like they’ve forgotten such a place even exists.”

The city’s eastward expansion never ceased, yet it never once looked back at the west.

“You seem to find that quite regrettable?”

“Yes, after all, it’s where my father grew up.”

“That’s a good sentiment; keep it up.”

“Eh?”

Mù Qīngyǔ deliberately showed a satisfied smile.

“No matter how successful you become in the future, never forget the hardships you’ve endured and the help you’ve received now, understand?”

“Understood, Master!”

‘You can forget the hardships you’ve endured, but never forget how I’m helping you now.’

Mù Qīngyǔ was still hoping that the future Xǔ Tiānlí would remember their old ties and go easy on her.

The two left the street and plunged into the forest.

The place Mù Qīngyǔ had randomly chosen was one of the many abandoned factories in the old district.

There used to be a road leading to it, but after so many years of neglect, overgrown weeds had completely submerged the asphalt.

They hadn’t walked far before the silhouette of the abandoned factory became visible.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s heart was still thumping with anxiety.

‘Soon, Xǔ Tiānlí will surely be astonished to see an empty factory.’

‘That will be the crucial moment to test my acting skills.’

‘The more convincing I am, the longer he will believe me.’

As for whether to support the Heaven’s Will Bureau agents, Mù Qīngyǔ felt that any time she could stall here was a bonus.

In short, she didn’t want to get involved in the struggles of major powers.

She was destined to leave the Four Sacred Courts and had to grow from scratch.

“Master, should we enter through the main gate?”

A tense Xǔ Tiānlí tightened his grip on the long blade he held, asking.

This was the weapon the Heaven’s Will Bureau agents had given him before they departed.

The most distinctive feature of this standard long blade was its lack of distinction; it looked like a curved strip of steel.

It wasn’t particularly attractive, but it was certainly sturdier than the wooden sword he used for practice.

“Are you scared?” Mù Qīngyǔ glanced at him, her tone playful.

“With Master here, of course I’m not scared.”

“It’s just… I’m worried about alerting the enemy.”

The primary goal of the plan was to rescue the person.

If the kidnappers knew Qín Yuè had personally arrived and, realizing they were outmatched, decided to kill the hostage, things would become difficult.

Xǔ Tiānlí had almost no impression of Qiao Yíng, but he didn’t want his first mission with his master to end in such a tragic outcome.

However, if Master Qín were to act, perhaps such a problem wouldn’t even arise?

Xǔ Tiānlí could imagine Qín Yuè transforming into a force of nature, crushing everything in her path and directly rescuing the hostage.

It sounded incredibly cool, and he eagerly anticipated it.

Unlike her worried student, Mù Qīngyǔ appeared much more relaxed, even contemplating teasing him with this opportunity.

“If we encounter danger later, I won’t intervene.”

“Ah?”

“If I handle everything, then what would be the point of having you, my student?”

“That’s true.”

‘This is my first mission with Master, and also a trial she’s giving me.’

Xǔ Tiānlí roughly understood Qín Yuè’s intention.

However, one thing still puzzled him: why would his master say she definitely wouldn’t intervene, as if she knew what was going to happen next?

Arriving at the factory gate, Mù Qīngyǔ gestured with her eyes towards Xǔ Tiānlí, who then pushed open the rusty iron door.

With a ear-splitting screech of the opening gate, they officially entered the factory.

Xǔ Tiānlí, on high alert, surveyed his surroundings as if facing a formidable enemy.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s pace didn’t slow; in fact, she quickened it, heading directly towards the factory building.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sound of wind rustling through weeds.

By all appearances, it seemed utterly deserted.

“Master?” Xǔ Tiānlí grew even more perplexed.

‘I told you there was no one here.’

‘How could she randomly point to a location and expect to find kidnappers?’

Mù Qīngyǔ cleared her throat twice, preparing to begin her performance.

However, at that very moment, Xǔ Tiānlí suddenly spoke.

“Master, something’s wrong.”

“Someone’s here.”

“Ah?” Mù Qīngyǔ froze for a moment.

“Get out here!”

As Xǔ Tiānlí drew his long blade and let out a shout, the previously quiet factory suddenly burst into activity.

The figures who had been concealing themselves emerged from all directions, each wearing an extremely arrogant expression.

‘Ah?’

Mù Qīngyǔ gasped, utterly bewildered by where these people had come from.

“Your Heaven’s Will Bureau only sent two people?”

“And it’s just a kid and a woman.”

“Perhaps they knew the hostage couldn’t be touched, so they specifically sent these two for our enjoyment?”

‘Indeed, we’ve come to the right place!’

Xǔ Tiānlí’s face was practically overflowing with joy.

“Master, I completely understand what you meant now.”

“……”

Xǔ Tiānlí had finally figured it out.

Qín Yuè had known all along that the kidnappers and hostage would be hidden here, which was why she had pointed to this location.

She had intentionally kept the Heaven’s Will Bureau from participating and only brought him along.

‘No wonder Master said those things earlier.’

‘No wonder she won’t intervene.’

Xǔ Tiānlí laughed to himself in sudden realization, marveling at his master’s profound intentions.

‘It makes sense.’

‘After half a month of training by Master’s side, it’s time to test the results of my learning, isn’t it?’

‘Simply training in isolation won’t suffice.’

‘True powerhouses should temper themselves through practical combat; otherwise, how can they contend with those geniuses?’

‘Sending the Heaven’s Will Bureau agents away was to let me fight these kidnappers and assess my progress over the past half-month.’

Xǔ Tiānlí took a deep breath, gripping his long blade tightly.

“Master, don’t worry, I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’ll get a high score this time.”

There was no response.

‘Of course,’ he thought, ‘Master probably doesn’t want to hear my nonsense right now.’

Even as Xǔ Tiānlí chuckled self-deprecatingly, Mù Qīngyǔ still hadn’t recovered from her bewilderment.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Why did so many enemies suddenly appear?’

‘They even mentioned a hostage.’

‘Could they be referring to Qiao Yíng?’

‘This is bad.’

‘I just randomly pointed to a place to slack off.’

‘How did I end up at their stronghold?’