C5 I Went down the Mountain
The number was instantly recognizable—it belonged to Yang Jin, his comrade-in-arms, bound by life and death.
As Xu Renli listened to the familiar voice on the other end of the line, his heart skipped a beat, and a flood of memories from their formidable past washed over him.
They had ventured far from the safety of human settlements, daring to penetrate deep into the heart of enemy territory, where they had to trust each other with their very lives.
A year ago, upon his return to his hometown, he had entrusted Yang Jin with a critical task: to investigate a mysterious assassination.
"I'm alright."
In that moment, Xu Renli had a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to voice them. Instead, he offered a simple greeting.
"How are you holding up? Any progress on the investigation?"
Yang Jin was silent for a long ten seconds before responding, his voice heavy with the weight of unspoken burdens.
"Everyone is under suspicion, except for the Faywyvern Commander... particularly three individuals: Wong Hai, the second vice commander; Lu Yang, the military's general; and Li Zheng, the head of the Special Affairs Bureau."
"Oh?"
"Those three..."
Twenty minutes later, Xu Renli ended the call, his weathered face dark as storm clouds, his eyes narrowed, a seething rage simmering within.
A year prior, he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of three Martial Ancestor-level Evil Demons at a place known as Hunchback Ridge, not far from Faywyvern.
Just half a month before the attack, Wong Hai had led a team thirty miles from Hunchback Ridge on a mission to eradicate an Evil Demon lair.
Lu Yang, a man of significant influence and power, comparable to the Faywyvern Commander, had also been spotted in the vicinity of Hunchback Ridge.
And Li Zheng, the elusive head of the Special Affairs Bureau, was a master of movement, often found in the wilderness hunting down otherworldly beings.
In essence, all three harbored potential motives for betraying Xu Renli.
"Could the informant be one of these three? Are my suspicions grounded in reality?"
With a furrowed brow, Xu Renli paced restlessly within his room.
Faywyvern City, positioned at the southernmost edge of the Wellice Base, served as one of the protective barriers, nestled close to the Mist River.
The Mist River meanders for hundreds of miles, providing a pathway to one of the Sea Clan's nests, an area known as the South Mansion Sea. This means that Faywyvern's location is even more strategically critical compared to other Acropolises.
"They've set me up, diminishing Faywyvern City's elite combat forces, potentially exposing vulnerabilities in our defense line, and even risking the security of Wellice's main base. This could jeopardize the lives of two to three hundred million people... If that's their intention, it's utterly nefarious!" Xu Renli's face contorted with fear, the gravity of the situation igniting a sense of urgency within him.
No, this couldn't wait.
He had to root out the mole in Faywyvern City immediately, whatever the cost.
Earlier, he had arranged over the phone to meet with one of Yang Jin's subordinates at a Faywyvern City café the next day, where he would collect the detailed findings of Yang Jin's covert investigation.
The following morning, Xu Renli descended the mountain in haste, intending to travel alone and inconspicuously.
Regrettably, he had attracted a string of persistent followers.
Mu Yueqi, donning a jade-green dress, exuded charm and playfulness as she giggled. "Master, don't give me that sharp look. Your eyes are as piercing as daggers, and it's quite intimidating! We're just sharing part of the journey. I want to visit my parents; living out in the wild has made me miss them terribly..."
Miss them?
He chuckled inwardly. She had been on the mountain for several days, spending her nights video chatting with friends, complaining about her master, and even coveting his Divine Weapon and other treasures. She hadn't once called her parents, taking him for a senile old man.
Xu Renli chose to keep his insights to himself. His time with Mu Yueqi had rejuvenated his spirit, and he found a certain joy in feigning obliviousness.
Eventually, the master and disciple reached the town and boarded a bus. An hour and a half later, they arrived at the Faywyvern Bus Station.
"Okay, Master, I'm heading home now. I'll return to the mountain tomorrow," Mu Yueqi said as she hopped off the bus, waved to Xu Renli, and then vanished into the bustling crowd.
Xu Renli strolled out of the bus station, hands clasped behind his back, and made his way onto the bustling main street, alive with the vibrant hustle of commerce.
Minutes later, he found himself crossing a lively plaza. It was Saturday, and the square teemed with people practicing their foundational martial arts—fist, leg, and palm techniques—accompanied by the rhythmic chorus of their exertions.
In the Human Alliance, martial arts knowledge was widespread; reverence for the warrior's path was universal. Even those who didn't ascend to the ranks of Martial Cultivators still benefited from the arts' health-enhancing virtues.
High schoolers with the requisite Qi and blood strength could enroll in specialized Martial Cultivator academies to systematically master combat skills. Upon graduation, they could choose to become Martial Cultivators, start their own businesses, or join the Human Alliance's noble fight for humanity.
Along the plaza's edge stood a series of testers, designed to measure Qi and blood as well as combat prowess. Xu Renli approached, curious to gauge his current combat strength and measure the gap from his peak a year prior.
As he did, a grandfather and his grandson approached, deep in conversation.
"My boy, by the second half of the year, you'll be a senior. If your Qi and blood strength hits 90, you're a shoo-in for Faywyvern Martial University. The whole family will share in your success, haha."
"Grandpa, I'm on it. I reckon I'm at 80cal now. Give it a semester, and I'll hit that 90cal mark."
"Let's put it to the test. There's a Qi and blood tester right over there."
"Sure thing."
They reached the tester, and the young man pressed his palm against it. His Qi and blood strength surged, crystallizing into a single number on the display.
81!
The young man's face lit up with pride as he turned to share his triumph.
"Grandpa, look at this... Grandpa? Grandpa!"
The old man, gaunt with a hooked nose and a balding pate, was fixated on a figure nearby—a man in a black short coat and gray cloth shoes.
What was this scoundrel doing here?
Whispers had circulated that he'd sustained grave injuries, that his Martial Dao Stage had plummeted. Hadn't he withdrawn from the world?
"Xu Renli, the esteemed former First Vice Governor of Faywyvern... Haha, what a beautiful, sunny day we have! And here we find you, a man of such stature, leisurely strolling through the streets?"
The old man with the crooked nose approached, arms folded, his eyes cold and mocking as he regarded Xu Renli.
He had once made a minor error, and this bastard had pounced on the chance to send him on a suicide mission. He'd nearly met his end at a Barbarian Tribe stronghold!
Today was the day he'd reclaim the dignity that had been stripped from him.
"Boss Xu, do you not remember how you nearly sent me to my grave? I've heard recently about your ailing right leg. Come now, I'm quite adept at massage therapy; let me offer you some relief."
With a grin plastered across his face, the old man with the crooked nose advanced toward Xu Renli, his large hands throbbing with veins, exuding a formidable presence that eclipsed that of an ordinary Martial Cultivator.
He was a Low Level Martial Master!
Xu Renli remained unflinching, his composure undisturbed as if deaf to the world around him.
In the periphery of his vision, he caught sight of a black SUV pulling up to the curb. The window lowered to reveal a face he knew all too well.
With a swift motion, the old man with the crooked nose extended his right arm, his fingers transforming into talons as deadly as a swooping hawk, their might rivaling that of a grade C alloy.
