Hongshou Security

“Exploded?”

The moment Mù Qīngyǔ heard this news, her steps faltered, and she nearly tripped.

“Though I find it hard to believe someone could do such a thing right under the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s nose, it is indeed what happened.”

Féng Yè, walking ahead, could only manage an awkward smile.

He seemed wary of saying anything wrong that might anger the esteemed master.

Mù Qīngyǔ wasn’t angry; she simply felt a profound sense of helplessness and speechlessness.

The kidnapping incident should have concluded with the apprehended robbers handed over to the Heaven’s Will Bureau.

Féng Yè had even promised to relay the interrogation results to her.

Yet, barely a day later, Mù Qīngyǔ found herself invited back to a Heaven’s Will Bureau branch, only to be met with such astonishing news.

Upon arriving at Féng Yè’s office, he retrieved surveillance footage for Mù Qīngyǔ to review.

The video was short but vividly depicted the Robber Leader’s self-detonation.

One moment, he was perfectly fine; the next, an unexpected anomaly occurred.

The footage showed the leader’s body suddenly inflating like a balloon.

Then, before the staff could even react, a massive explosion erupted, transforming him into a shower of flesh and blood.

It was a sight that would certainly make one lose their appetite for dinner.

Mù Qīngyǔ frowned, repulsed by the gruesome and sickening imagery.

Noticing her expression, Féng Yè quickly interjected, “I apologize, Master Qín.”

“This is entirely our fault, and I hope you aren’t upset.”

‘He thought I was angry?’

Mù Qīngyǔ couldn’t be bothered to ponder why he held such a notion.

Instead, she seized the opportunity to inquire about the other culprits.

There had been numerous members in the robber group; the leader wasn’t the only one captured.

Even with his death, over twenty others remained.

Xǔ Tiānlí had acted with precision, ensuring that even the most severely injured among them was merely unconscious in bed.

“Uh…” Féng Yè’s expression grew even more uncomfortable at the mention of this.

“Don’t tell me all the criminals exploded?”

“You are correct.”

“…”

Mù Qīngyǔ felt an even greater sense of foreboding.

She had suspected these robbers were merely hired hands, with the true mastermind lurking elsewhere.

However, she never imagined their opponent would go to such extremes.

The individuals had been incarcerated yesterday afternoon, only to inexplicably self-detonate by evening.

‘Could the mastermind have been observing the situation from the shadows, long prepared to discard these useless pawns?’

The thought sent a shiver down Mù Qīngyǔ’s spine, leaving her feeling somewhat sweaty.

‘Could my true identity also have been exposed to this unknown enemy?’

Since arriving in Wufeng City, Mù Qīngyǔ had consistently presented herself with Qín Yuè’s appearance, except when inside the mysterious palace or her hotel room.

Her original white hair and red eyes were simply too distinctive; standing on the street would make her easily recognizable.

‘The enemy is hidden, while I am exposed.’

‘It seems I must be more cautious for a while.’

“Master Qín, we weren’t entirely without gains.”

Féng Yè’s cold sweat intensified as he watched her expression grow increasingly solemn.

“We managed to ascertain the organization these individuals belonged to: the Hongshou Security Group.”

“Not a gang?”

This genuinely surprised Mù Qīngyǔ.

Before Féng Yè revealed the answer, numerous possibilities had flashed through her mind, but she hadn’t anticipated this unexpected deviation.

The name of this organization sounded somewhat familiar.

While it couldn’t compare to top-tier powers like the Heaven’s Will Bureau or the Four Sacred Courts, it was a recognized entity within the entire Sacred Dynasty Nation, considered to be at the pinnacle of second-tier forces.

She had known it was a big fish, but she hadn’t realized just how substantial it was.

“Have you confirmed it?”

“It’s not a deliberate misdirection?”

“We also contacted Hongshou Security yesterday.”

“As expected, they completely denied having any such subordinates.”

Féng Yè replied.

“However, according to confidential intelligence received from our investigators this morning, we did indeed find familiar faces in Hongshou Security’s database.”

“But…”

“But what?”

“The records indicate those robbers were indeed once part of Hongshou Security, but they had all resigned a month ago.”

‘Such a coincidence?’

All former employees, and all resigned at the same time.

The Robber Leader had even been a middle-level manager before his resignation.

‘Had Hongshou Security fallen so far that they couldn’t even keep track of their own people?’

“I haven’t heard of them.”

“Are they very powerful?” Mù Qīngyǔ continued her act.

As a reclusive expert, she needed to feign some disconnect from external affairs.

Féng Yè finally managed a smile as he responded:

“They are quite a well-known group, though their development hasn’t been particularly good in recent years.”

Major, legitimate organizations often carried an air of arrogance, deeming it an insult to be associated with mere gangs.

Therefore, to distinguish themselves, they would expand into other business ventures.

For instance, the Tuōhǎi Agency’s main business was now ‘matchmaking,’ while the Century Star Agency thrived in the ‘idol’ industry, earning vast fortunes through this single path.

The Four Sacred Courts, to which Mù Qīngyǔ belonged, also had many business branches.

As the second-largest power in the Sacred Dynasty Nation, their jurisdiction spanned half the country.

However, Hongshou Security was an anomaly.

True to its name, this organization primarily operated in ‘security services,’ meaning customers paid, and they dispatched Spirit Wielders to ensure their personal safety.

To put it nicely, it was ‘security.’

To put it bluntly, wasn’t it just ‘mercenaries’?

Other organizations and gangs could obtain similar services, albeit for money.

Compared to gangs, Hongshou Security truly only lacked a ‘business license.’

Hongshou Security wasn’t an ancient power.

It had merely soared during its early days, riding the wave of the era and occupying a high position.

Now, it was clearly struggling to maintain its flight, showing signs of being surpassed by lower-tier forces.

‘Are they stirring up trouble because they’ve hit a slump?’

Despite the numerous suspicions surrounding Hongshou Security, since they claimed the individuals were resigned employees, the blame couldn’t be entirely placed on them.

However, it meant they needed to be more vigilant towards this force in the future.

Within Wufeng City, hidden enemies still lurked.

When Mù Qīngyǔ left the Heaven’s Will Bureau branch and returned to the orphanage, Xǔ Tiānlí had already been waiting in the courtyard for a long time.

After she finished recounting the events, Xǔ Tiānlí’s expression was quite a sight:

“Such a thing actually happened.”

“It seems this matter won’t conclude so quickly.”

Mù Qīngyǔ noticed his fists trembling slightly.

“Are you scared?”

“How could I be?”

“I just feel my blood boiling,” Xǔ Tiānlí chuckled.

“This is more interesting.”

“If my opponents were always just insignificant thugs, how would I ever grow?”

His goal was Mù Qīngyǔ, and the opponents and resources she could access were top-tier within the Sacred Dynasty Nation.

To become stronger and surpass that scoundrel, he had to challenge enemies on her level.

Even if Hongshou Security had truly orchestrated a conspiracy, Xǔ Tiānlí would not fear.

“So full of fighting spirit.”

“Aren’t you afraid of death?”

“No.”

“Even if I die, I’ll crawl out of my grave.”

“You sound like a necromancer.”

Mù Qīngyǔ was amused by him and asked him to take out his phone.

Xǔ Tiānlí, though a bit puzzled, complied and opened his payment QR code.

“Payment received.”

Upon hearing the system notification, Xǔ Tiānlí first froze, then stared at the amount, utterly stunned.

“Master, why are you giving me so much money?”

“This is your reward for helping the Heaven’s Will Bureau yesterday.”

“I brought it back for you.”

“But Master… shouldn’t we split this?”

“Do I look like I’m lacking that bit of money?”

Mù Qīngyǔ’s lips curved upward, her golden eyes glinting with amusement.

Truthfully, she was quite short on funds.

She currently lacked a legitimate source of income, and her pocket money was limited, so she had taken a ‘small cut.’

Xǔ Tiānlí would never know, anyway.

Under her gaze, Xǔ Tiānlí could only murmur “Master” again, too moved to speak further.

“Isn’t the orphanage quite short on money?”

“Use this sum to buy those little ones some delicious treats and fun toys, or perhaps renovate something else.”

“Yes, Master!”

Xǔ Tiānlí excitedly turned to run inside and share the good news with Director Wang, but Mù Qīngyǔ called him back.

“Is there anything else, Master?”

“How has your blade technique progressed?”

“Let me see the results.”

“So sudden?”

“What, can I not check if you’ve been slacking off?”

“No, I wouldn’t dare!”

Xǔ Tiānlí immediately put away his phone and went to retrieve his newly purchased wooden sword.

Even if he had been slacking, Mù Qīngyǔ didn’t believe it would significantly alter the outcome.

With his genius, he would merely grasp the key points a day or two later.

Before leaving the Heaven’s Will Bureau, Mù Qīngyǔ had sought out Qiao Yíng and thoroughly questioned her about the Return to the Void One-Strike Decapitation.

Xǔ Tiānlí’s strike at the abandoned factory had been truly earth-shattering, even startling Mù Qīngyǔ.

Such immense power couldn’t solely be attributed to Xǔ Tiānlí’s talent; the blade technique itself was full of mysteries, and its truth needed to be uncovered.

“Is Master so interested in this secret art?”

“Actually, I acquired it by chance in another city.”

“Because my talent is limited, no matter how much I practiced, I couldn’t master it, so I thought it better to give it to someone more fated to have it.”

Regarding the origins of this secret art, Qiao Yíng hadn’t provided an answer that satisfied Mù Qīngyǔ.

All she knew was that it came from Danfeng City.

‘Danfeng City, huh?’

‘Perhaps I’ll have a chance to visit.’

To catch up to Xǔ Tiānlí, Mù Qīngyǔ couldn’t stay in Wufeng City indefinitely, but it wasn’t yet time to leave.

For now, Mù Qīngyǔ intended to use Xǔ Tiānlí’s practice session to gain a more thorough understanding of the technique.

The more difficult a power was to master, the harder it would be to modify within the mysterious palace.

She certainly didn’t want to experience an untold number of ‘deaths’ again.

“Master, shall I begin now?” Xǔ Tiānlí noticed her lost in thought.

“Begin.”

Mù Qīngyǔ sharpened her focus.

Time was precious; each passing day meant one less day, and the three-year pact would soon arrive.

Everything she did was to escape her tragic fate, eliminate all dangers, and live a free and prosperous life.