After the comedy act ended, the children joined the adults in merriment, but Ah Jun remained unusually still... He stared at the mother and daughter, sitting there in a daze—— until the Holy Maiden and the kitten intervened to interrupt Xiao Xis foolish laughter. Only when they asked what had happened to Ah Jun did he finally snap out of his trance.
Perhaps it was because of the mothers care for her child that he thought of something, perhaps some kind of connection brought by his previous fragmented memories. But after watching a good play, Ah Jun also began to understand why the staff officer and the president were so calm and cheerful.
Though it appeared the staff officers had been under surveillance and the spies were fully committed, these suspicions were easily dispelled and even became daily amusement for everyone—a rather amusing turn of events. Of course, the staff officer chuckled with playful teasing: "This is just their appearance in Wulin Town. These spies could still act so carefree even if they were back in their hometown..."
At that critical moment, the old man abruptly stopped his rambling and locked eyes with Ah Jun. Their silent understanding ——confirmed it: Imagine if Ah Juns older sister had confronted these intruders instead—would the scouts still be in such a predicament? Theyd either be scrambling to flee in panic or frozen in terror... Though there were a few stubborn ones who held their ground for a while, most ended up getting beaten so badly they lost all recognition of their own family. The outcome was all too predictable.
Furthermore, the advisor pointed out that even the most agile spies—no matter how well they hid or positioned themselves—would hardly pick up any critical information. The reason? Because there was this bodyguard on their side, who possessed a unique skill: abdominal resonance. This ability allowed him to generate sound waves through internal resonance, effectively jamming external communications.
After the gathering, everyone left the restaurant leisurely—— While Shizhan hadnt kept up, the cunning child slipped a paper ball out of the corner of his eye. Ah Jun happened to spot it. The child then tactfully warned the old man, but Shizhan chuckled and patted his shoulder, leading him out of the cafeteria while quietly explaining what had transpired.
It turned out that the advisor and the president had secretly devised an espionage scheme, with the advisor overseeing its execution. This arrangement made him seem perpetually cunning, perhaps due to his habitual approach. The advisor would periodically supply the successive waves of spies with standardized intelligence—always containing the same five-word phrase: —— Beast Administration Bureau.
The old aunt from the cafeteria will come to pick up this paper ball later, the old man said confidently. Ah Jun turned his head with a mix of doubt and curiosity——Hmm! The paper ball is really gone? He looked up and sure enough, a large figure was seen in the distance, whistling lightly and moving gracefully...
So the child looked back at the old man in doubt, a little confused, why to be so hostile to the Beast Administration, but the staff officer smiled and told the child his opinion.
After years of covert investigation and research, they found that the surge of abnormal evolution phenomena was closely related to the Beast Authority. Could it be the new director?
However, the advisor decisively corrected the childrens misunderstanding. In their eyes, the root of these issues lay elsewhere, bearing no connection whatsoever to the bureau chief——He was merely a scapegoat. Though the director appeared as an outright villain—a bizarre workaholic—few knew his genuine affection for mythical creatures. Such individuals were now exceedingly rare, which was precisely why he had been designated by his predecessor as the sole candidate.
Furthermore, the staff speculated that the true antagonist—the mastermind behind the scenes—was the deputy director in charge of exotic beast training and management. His family had served in the Beast Administration Bureau for generations. Despite being nominated year after year, this veteran official remained content with his deputy position, now wielding control over all operations in Beast Town...
After hearing Uncle Zhis words, Ah Jun couldnt help but recall the time in Yishou Town when his older sister had mentioned their top leader, the one who held the highest authority. The vividness of this memory stemmed from how he never forgot her fist-clenching gesture when mentioning him, nor the look of urgency in her eyes as she insisted on "reform"—those details were etched deeply into the childs childhood memories.
At that time, Ah Jun was thinking, the reformers have been put to death, the so-called reform has been interrupted, why bring it up again, do they want to continue?
After leaving the martial arts town that felt like home, the child remained immersed in his world of deduction throughout the journey. It was clear that Ah Juns older sister differed from the Reformer. First, she could not possibly be a remnant of that faction. Second, they were certainly not on the same side.
So what is the good older sister trying to say? What exactly is the change she is talking about?
The small team moved slowly in A-Juns rhythm, with Xiao Xi and Ning er now leading the group. They kept glancing back at him from time to time, each holding their own thoughts—— The Holy Maiden worried about A-Juns physical condition, as the previous ordeal had been too dangerous—she hadnt fully recovered yet. Xiao Xi, however, was puzzled: Why was her usually quick-moving brother acting so differently today? He seemed like a completely different person, probably from not having eaten enough for lunch.
But he could not and need not continue to ponder. He just turned his head to look at the girl beside him, and began to prepare for his special skill.
After all, Xiao Xi had known Ah Jun since childhood, understanding more details than anyone else——He knew that his second brother had a unique trait from a young age: whenever he got into something to ponder, the whole world seemed to revolve around him. Then, he would often stay lost in thought for hours until solving the puzzle or deciding to set it aside temporarily.
Jing er, though having learned much about Ah Juns past through her previous experience, couldnt see much more and couldnt help feeling anxious. Fortunately, with Xiao Xis big mouth to rely on, she gradually regained her composure and listened carefully to Ah Juns situation. Occasionally, she couldnt help but smile at Xiao Xis offhand remarks. Of course, it was just a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth—still far from the genuine smiles she used to give Ah Jun before.
As for the kitten, it must have been by her side all along... While Jun had been anxious before, she was no longer in a hurry now. The little feline had been perched on his shoulder all along, and that was how things stood. Of course, she was happy to stay with the boy, after all, theyd known each other for quite some time now.
The journey to Qinglong County took longer than usual, so the small team had to spend a night camping outdoors. This delighted Xiao Xi, as it was time to show off his skills again. After all, he was now a star chef—— though, there was still a long way to go before reaching his parents expectations of becoming a master chef or even the highest-ranked culinary expert.
However, as long as it is food, it can make the relationship better, no matter how high or low, and it can also heal the mind, a double benefit——So, with the help of love food and travel equipment, the children also had a comfortable night in the plateau woodland.
Then, early the next morning, as Xiao Xi had said, Ah Jun had completed his own research and looked normal again, so everyone began to continue their journey.
Since the beginning of Xuanwu County, the children who are far away from the gathering area of strange beasts have been safe on the way, and there is no need to worry about any noise. After all, there is the Holy Maiden with them. What are they afraid of?
Of course, there were no completely safe areas. The border proximity meant that enemy forces could frequently be spotted from a distance, and small-scale conflicts might occasionally break out. Fortunately, in addition to the natural defenses along the route, military patrols regularly maintained security for the people.
The soldiers of these patrol squads all hail from the border checkpoints of Qinglong Commandery. Ah Jun and his companions will soon pass by the Xunfeng Camp, the Huangfu clans military camp, which is renowned as the worlds strongest armory in the Guardian World.
So, children, you may not have noticed yet that something unusual is about to happen!
As the small group entered a nearby forest, Ah Jun was reflecting on his past experiences while Xiao Xi recounted his youthful valor to the Holy Maiden. Suddenly, a kitten emerged from Ah Juns baseball cap——The little feline, with its dimples and wide eyes, perked up its ears and kept a sharp watch for any signs of trouble. Almost simultaneously, both the kitten and the Holy Maiden raised alarms for their companions nearby.
Then, with a stir, several unfamiliar figures flew out from the jungle. Before Ah Jun and Xiao Xi could react, they had already surrounded them——At this moment, Ah Jun immediately abandoned his thoughts, calmed down, and observed the situation around him.
The party on the other side was fully armed, wearing a cloak similar to that of Ah Jun, but with a special emblem—— and many of them were filled with murderous intent.
But coincidentally, there was no patrol passing through the area at the moment, and it might be a long time before—— even a passer-by is found. Although it will not affect others, it is difficult to find help.
So, Ah Jun quickly looked around the landscape ——the roads were lined with tall grass and large areas of trees, and not far away were tall mountains. It was indeed a good place for an ambush. If the other side added some tactics, it might be difficult to control the situation.
However, it is not clear what their approach is, their intentions and origins are unclear, and the key is that they are still a group of masked people, all wearing various masks. Is it...
—— Well, theres no time for research. What should we do now?
So Ah Jun started brainstorming strategies. But then, the masked men suddenly turned their eyes toward him. Among them, a petite figure with piercing eyes was the first to spot Ah Jun, their gazes locking in a fierce confrontation.
—— What? Do you still know me?