Chapter 417 - 15 in 1

Chen Xiaobei could feel his insides churning when he hung up.

This was definitely not a joke.

Xiang Yu did not come back for Duanwu festival because he was on a mission to capture the scientist, Professor Hou Sailei in America.

Hou Sailei had planted a mole with Professor Lin, who stole a classified military document from China, which had now become a massive threat to the country's security. He had to be brought to justice.

This ransom phone call confirmed that Xiang Yu's mission had failed and he had fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Somehow, the enemy found out that Xiang Yu and Chen Xiaobei shared a special relationship, and because they had also believed that Chen Xiaobei was Professor Lin's son, they made this phone call!

"I have to go save Bro Yu!"

Chen Xiaobei immediately picked up the phone and called Professor Lin.

Professor Lin was now in an underground laboratory, so no calls could get through. Chen Xiaobei had to concede and call Elder Cao instead.

After he told everything to the old man, Elder Cao wasted no time and arranged for a secret meeting.

Chen Xiaobei, Professor Lin and Elder Cao, gathered in the Cao family's most secure secret room.

"The mission has failed. It must have happened yesterday." Elder Cao said. "Yesterday at dawn, Thunder Kirin issued an order and Xiang Yu's team lost all contact last night!"

"Why is the enemy in such a hurry to make the ransom call?" Chen Xiaobei's brows furrowed. "If I were the enemy, I would have waited for Professor Lin's research to be almost done to make the threat. Wouldn't that be more beneficial?"

"My research has reached the final stage! The only thing missing is a special type of steel. Then it's going to be mission accomplished." Professor Lin said. "It must have been the mole in the lab who informed the Americans. I've already done 99% of the work. If they get their hands on the research, they might be able to complete it faster than I could!"

"Mole?" Chen Xiaobei rubbed his chin.

Xiang Yu had mentioned that the classified military information was stolen from the secret laboratory and then delivered to Hou Sailei.

This was, no doubt, an inside job.

"Yes! A mole!" Elder Cao nodded his head. "This mole is really skilled. There are hundreds of surveillance cameras in the lab but he was able to get away without being caught. He did not leave a single trail!"

"So many surveillance cameras but he's still not caught?" Chen Xiaobei had an idea. "I have an idea! I might be able to catch him!"

"Really? What is it? What's the idea?" Elder Cao exclaimed. "You should know that I hired the world's best criminal investigators to look into this, but they found nothing! I even hired a Jianghu shaman, and eliminated the possibility of unconventional inteference. Since we lost the data the last time, this mole has been like a thorn to my side. I can't sleep or eat in peace! If you really can dig him out, it would really benefit our country and our people!"

Professor Lin nodded. "Yeah! Unless we get rid of this mole, every move we make will be exposed to the enemy! I've recently resorted to slowing down the development of my research, because I really did not want my decades of research to fall into the hands of the enemy!"

"Don't worry. I have an idea. But we have to work together to wait for the enemy to take the bait!" Chen Xiaobei grinned. He already had something in mind.

The secret laboratory was built into a large mountain. There was only one entrance and exit. Those who wished to enter had to undergo a session of gruelling interrogation.

The door was equipped with the most advanced of scanning devices. Upon entering, every single thing one carried with them would be detected without fail. When one exited the building, it would then detect anything that had been illegally smuggled out.

The laboratory was just like how Elder Cao described it. There was not a corner in there which was not covered by a surveillance camera. Every move from every angle was recorded clearly.

Although they had cutting-edge scanning instruments from an army of security cameras, the mole somehow still managed to outmanoeuvre them. Even the expert criminal investigators and shaman that Elder Cao hired were unable to weed out the sneaky spy.

"Let's go! Let's discuss things in detail in my office!" Professor Lin said, as he led the way.

Elder Cao and Chen Xiaobei followed quietly behind.

While everyone was buried in their work, only one person approached them, a huge smile plastered across his face.

"Senior Lin, where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you! Hi, Elder Cao!" The man narrowed his eyes when he spotted Chen Xiaobei. "And this is?"

"You don't need to know who he is. Get back to work!" Professor Lin said. "We'll talk some other time. I have an urgent matter I need to attend to!"

"Alright, you go ahead, Senior Lin!" The person smiled and left.

Once the person had disappeared from view, Chen Xiaobei asked, "The only place without a camera is the bathroom, right?"

"Yes, how did you know that?" Professor Lin asked.

"That person entered the bathroom." Chen Xiaobei's brows were raised.

"What is it? Do you suspect Zhu Zhe?" Professor Lin shook his head. "No. He's a friend from university. He's one tier lower than me. He may be sly but we've been working together for over a decade. He's been very dependable!"

Chen Xiaobei answered, "Don't worry, uncle Lin. My face is the biggest bait to the mole. No matter how deep he's hidden his tracks, he'll take the bait today!"

"What Xiaobei said makes sense. Let's go into my office first!" Elder Cao said.

The three men entered Professor Lin's office.

"We'll follow my plan! If all goes well, the stupid mole will take the bait within three minutes!" Chen Xiaobei said.

"Alright, let's begin!" Professor Lin turned on his computer, and Elder Cao used his highest clearance to pull the CCTV footage from outside the office.

"If someone comes to eavesdrop, the camera will capture it!" Elder Cao said.

"I really hope we can capture the mole!" Professor Lin said hopefully. "Then, my future research, or Xiang Yu's rescue can go smoothly!"

"He's coming!" Chen Xiaobei pointed out.

"Coming? Where? There's no one on the screen!" Professor Lin and Elder Cao said.

"Just follow my plan. Don't screw up your script!" Chen Xiaobei said.

Elder Cao and Professor Lin were doubtful but they played along with Chen Xiaobei.

"My research is already at its final stage," Professor Lin said. "All we need to do is find a type of metal that is a hundred times tougher than ordinary steel. By fusing the metal's molecular structure into the overlay of the superconducting material from my research, and thus stabilizing it, it would ensure that the overlay won't lose its effectiveness in harsh environments!"

This was obviously scripted by Chen Xiaobei. That was not the actual research result. But since those words came from Professor Lin's own lips, it would fool the mole and the lie would be then ferried from the mole's lips into the ears of the enemy.

But Elder Cao, who had been staring at the monitor screen, did not see the mole that Chen Xiaobei had claimed would be there.

Chen Xiaobei was already putting on a show, coordinating with Professor Lin's performance. "This metal should be quite easy to find, right? There are a lot of alloys that are significantly stronger than regular steel!"

"It cannot be an alloy!" Professor Lin said. "As I've mentioned before, the metal needs to be melted down into its molecular form. If we use an alloy, once the molecular structure is disrupted, it completely loses all its stability! That's why the metal needs to be pure and its molecular structure needs to be similar to steel!"

"That is going to difficult!" Chen Xiaobei asked, "Is there such a metal on earth?"

"I cannot confirm for sure. There's no suitable option from all the metals that we've identified so far." Professor Lin said.

"If that is the case, even if I give the Americans the research results, they won't be able to complete the final step, right?" Chen Xiaobei asked again.

Professor Lin said, "Theoretically speaking, yes. The resources on earth have nearly been completely depleted, so if China cannot find the metal, then I'm sure the Americans can't either!"

"Then, there should be nothing to worry about, right?" Chen Xiaobei said. "Give me the research results so that I can go save Xiang Yu! I mean, the Americans won't be able to complete the final step anyway, right?"

"But what if they…" Professor Lin said doubtfully.

Chen Xiaobei broke him off halfway, "This is not the time to have second thoughts. The Americans have only given me three days! We don't know what they would do to my Bro Yu if we delay it!"

"Xiaobei! This is a national affair! We cannot be so rash!" Professor Lin frowned.

"National affair? Do you know how much Bro Yu has done for the country? How many tasks has he accomplished?" Chen Xiaobei was suddenly temperamental. "When he was useful to you, all you guys did was give him some shitty medals! When you're done with him, you kick him aside and couldn't care less if he's dead or alive! How could you?!"

"Xiaobei! Let's not get worked up! Xiang Yu is an outstanding soldier. We care just as much about his welfare. We wouldn't have brought you here otherwise." Elder Cao said.

"Stop talking nonesnese!" Chen Xiaobei said adamantly. "Bro Yu and I are good friends. I have to save him! If you don't agree to this, I will sever all my father and son relationship with Professor Lin! I don't have such a heartless father!"

"Don't say that!" Professor Lin panicked. "Elder Cao, please agree to Chen Xiaobei's request. Without this son, there will be no hope left for me. I won't be able to continue my research ever again…"

"Y…You…" Elder Cao looked pained. He paused for a moment before saying, "Alright! It seems I don't have any choice. I can't possibly force the both of you to fight against each other. Our country cannot afford to lose someone like Professor Lin!"

"Xiaobei, you don't have to worry anymore. Now that Elder Cao has given his consent, I'll give you the research data now!" Professor Lin turned on the computer and took out a disc.

"That's great! Then I can save Bro Yu!" Chen Xiaobei sounded very relieved, but the smile that his face carried was shifty.

Chen Xiaobei had flawlessly directed this entire show.

Chen Xiaobei was an Oscar nominated actor, but who would have known that Elder Cao and Professor Lin were both pretty actors themselves, bringing the whole act to life.

"Is he gone?" Elder Cao asked when he saw Chen Xiaobei's smile.

"Gone!" Chen Xiaobei nodded.

"But no one showed up on the surveillance camera!" Elder Cao commented.

"Do you know about the American mutants?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"Yes, I do! The American S.H.I.E.L.D agency has numerous mutants under their employment! Their combined combat power is higher than that of Thunder Kirin!" said Elder Cao. "Wait, are you saying that the mole is a mutant?"

"Exactly, an invisible man of sorts!" Chen Xaiobei said. "That is why all the cameras could not capture him. That is how he got away!"

"Invisible man?! No wonder he didn't show up on the screen!" Elder Cao and Professor Lin exclaimed.

"But, how could you see him?" Elder Cao asked.

"My eyes are a little bit more special." Chen Xiaobei said.

Elder Cao sat upright and said, "Luo Puti told me before… You have Yin Yang Eyes, right?"

"Correct." Chen Xiaobei nodded.

It was actually the Golden Gaze Fiery Eyes that allowed him to see the mole, but because it would be a huge hassle to explain it all, Chen Xiaobei did not bother to correct Elder Cao.

"Who is that person?" Professor Lin asked, an urgency in his voice.

"It's your junior!" Chen Xiaobei replied.

"Zhu Zhe? How is that possible? He's just a normal person! I've never noticed anything strange about him! It has never even crossed my mind that he is a mutant!"

"He has done very well in looking like he was just an ordinary person! If you had noticed it earlier, he would already have been dead!" Chen Xiaobei said. "If you don't believe me, you can go to the bathroom now. I can guarantee that you will find him putting on his clothes in there!"

"Wearing clothes? Why?" Elder Cao asked.

"Only Zhu Zhi's body can turn invisible. His clothes and shoes and every other external item will need to be removed. He was naked when he came out to eavesdrop just now! If I saw correctly, he has a haemorrhoid on his butt."

Chen Xiaobei shrugged.

"That…" Professor Lin stammered.

"What is it, professor?" Elder Cao asked.

"Chen Xiaobei was right! Zhu Zhi did develop haemorrhoids few days ago! I was the only one who knew about that. The fact that Chen Xiaobei knows is proof that he really did see the mole, and it really is Zhu Zhi!"

"Great! Since the truth is out, I'll send someone to catch him now!" Elder Cao said.

"No! Not yet!" Chen Xiaobei said. "The Americans have Bro Yu! I won't be just going to America to save him, I will also be bringing Hou Sailei back! I will use Zhu Zhi as my trap. And once Hou Sailei falls into it, he will be mine!"

After that, Professor Lin pretended to appear devastated and took the rest of the day off.

Elder Cao and Chen Xiaobei left the secret laboratory together.

Not long after, Chen Xiaobei received a call from Xiang Yu's number again.

The enemy had already found out that Chen Xiaobei had gotten his hands on the USB with the research findings in it, and demanded that Chen Xiaobei fly to America as soon as possible. There would be people waiting for him at the airport.

"Wow! That was quick! The mole really is efficient!" Elder Cao exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter. They only have a few days to enjoy their 'victory'. I'll go to the airport now. I will take the earliest flight to America!"

"Do you need me to send my men to go with you?"

"No, I can go on my own."

With Chen Xiaobei's current strength, bodyguards were useless to him. In fact, they might even turn out to be a nuisance to him.

"Xiaobei! You have to be very careful! Your plan is too risky! The Americans are vicious and treacherous bastards! A small mistake might cost you everything!" Professor Lin said anxiously.

"Don't worry! I've got it all figured out. I will bring Bro Yu back safely. As for those bastards, as long as they don't bother me, then it should be fine. But if they do, you can be sure I will turn them into carcasses!"

The professor and Elder Cao gasped at this bold statement. Nevertheless, they had a good idea of how strong Chen Xiaobei was, therefore did not doubt that it was something possible for Chen Xiaobei!

Chen Xiaobei took the first available flight to America.

The Somersault Cloud was way faster but Chen Xiaobei had to enter the country using the more common route in order to avoid suspicion.

The journey was long and ardous but it was a good opportunity for Chen Xiaobei to cultivate.

The 12-hour flight allowed for quite a substantial rise in cultivation. There were still an ample amount of Beast Essences stored in Chen Xiaobei's body. He would need to make the best use of his time, and as a result grow stronger each day.

Ding

[Cultivation: Middle phase of Celestial Cultivation; Lifepsan: 70 years; Health: 116,000; Combat power: 94,300]

In about 10 hours, Chen Xiaobei's health and combat power had both increased by 1,000.

Chen Xiaobei could have continued to cultivate for the next two hours but he was woken up by someone.

A fair hand tapped him on his shoulder.

When Chen Xiaobei pry his eyes opened, he saw that the hand belonged to a blonde-haired American woman. She was in a uniform; a stewardess on this flight.

Chen Xiaobei considered her as the girl-next-door type. To most people however, she was a stunning beauty.

Her facial features were delicate, and her skin fair. But what was most attractive about her was that western trademark: ample bosoms and buttocks, forming a clearly defined S-shape. Resembling a coke bottle, her body was magnificent.

She spoke in broken and choppy mandarin, "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you but you've been sleeping since take-off. And you did not move at all… So…"

"Oh," Chen Xiaobei raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I was dead?"

"No, no, no! It's not that. I was just worried that you're not comfortable." The flight attended quickly tried to explain herself.

"No, I'm alright. Thank you though!" Chen Xiaobei smiled.

"Also…" The flight attended bit her lip shyly.

"Just say whatever is on your mind. Aren't all of you American lasses very liberal?"

"Mm, I just want to ask if you're the male protagonist in Ling Yue the Heroine. Mr. Chen Xiaobei?" The flight attendant pursed her lips, her eyes hopeful and nervous at the same time.

"Yours truly." Chen Xiaobei nodded.

It seems that he had encountered an international fan.

"Wow! It really is you! I'm a big fan of yours!" The flight attendant chirped, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a little girl. "I really love your film. Your acting was amazing! I've also joined Bro Bei's fan group! I listen to all your songs whenever I get the time. My biggest dream is to travel to Green Vine City and taste First Love Peach, then buy a Jade bracelet for myself from Bei Chen jewellery store." The flight attendant rambled on, visibly excited over her surprise encounter.

It was easy to spot that she really was a die-hard fan of Chen Xiaobei.

"Thank you for your support." Chen Xiaobei smiled. "If you really get to Green Vine City one day, just tell them my name and you'll be able to eat as many First Love Peaches as you like! You'll also get a 50% discount on all items sold in the jewellery store!"

Chen Xiaobei had always been kind to his fans.

It was quite rare to be able to meet a die-hard fan outside of China, and Chen Xiaobei had to give her something good.

"Is that true? My god!" The flight attendant was so excited, she was lost for words and flushed like a lovesick teen.

"Of course."

"Bro Bei really is the Bro Bei! You are really so generous!" The stewardess took in a deep breath to calm herself. "Bro Bei, can I take a picture with you?"

"I'm sorry. I can't. I'm in some sort of trouble, and I don't want to implicate you."

"Oh, alright then." She sounded a little disappointed but because he was her idol, she did not dwell on it.

They had been chatting for a while when the chief attendant summoned her.

Chen Xiaobei took a quick glance at the nametag pinned on her breast pocket before she left. Her name was Jane. He then looked at the time, and found that they were about to land. There was no time to continue cultivating.

Seeing that he had some time left, he took out his phone and forwarded Old Leader's latest chapter to Grand Deity Zhen Yuan.

"What the hell! He only wrote 2.7 million words. When is he ever going to reach 3 million? I better rush! I gotta rush him!"

Chen Xiaobei wrote a few remarks under Old Leader's comment section asking him to haul ass and upload more on the double.

Due to Chen Xiaobei rewarding him so much that he was made Super Alliance Leader, he had earned himself quite a sizable amount of fans in the comment section. He only just posted the comment when a few people had already up voted him, some people even pouring him likes.

Chen Xiaobei spent a few minutes chatting with the fans and even encouraged them to continue prompting the Old Leader to post more chapters.

In the end, the Old Leader had no choice but to promise everyone that he would stop playing Mobile Legends for a few days, and try to write more.

Soon after, the plane landed.

Before he headed for the exit, Chen Xiaobei made sure to give a nod to Jane, and leave this cute fan a good impression of him.

As soon as he walked out of the corridor, four burly guys in black suits encircled him.

None of them said anything, as a haggard middle-aged man walked up to them and said, "Mr. Chen, follow me!"

Chen Xiaobei knew this man.

He was the America Central Intelligence Agency's Officer Zaar whom Chen Xiaobei met in Japan!

"The CIA really have earned their reputation huh. Was it when I boarded the plane that you noticed me?" Chen Xiaobei asked, looking unconcerned.

"No, of course not. It was when you booked your ticket." Zaar smiled cunningly.

"Kudos to you then!" Chen Xiaobei praised. "Let's go! We shouldn't waste any time!"

"Alright! Let's go!" Zaar nodded, and turned to give one of the brawny men a look.

The man nodded and then walked towards the plane Chen Xiaobei had just alighted.

"What is he doing? I don't have any luggage." Chen Xiaobei said.

"Oh, no. He's just going to catch a little fly!" Zaar gave him a half-hearted smile. "You should know that this matter is paramount, and we cannot risk any flies getting involved.

"Flies?"

Chen Xiaobei frowned, sensing something unpleasant about to unfold.

"Let me go! Why are you doing this? Who are you? Let me go or I'll sue you!"

A loud commotion rattled the cockpit.

Shortly after, the burly man returned with Jane locked in his arms.

"Are you guys insane? Why are you taking her?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

Zaar smiled.

"I have eyes on the plane, and I know that you have been intimate with his woman! I have reasons to believe that she is a Chinese intelligence agent!"

"Intelligence agent? What kind of bullshit is that?" Chen Xiaobei's face darkened. "She is just a regular civillian! She's just a fan of my work, a film I starred in! Shouldn't your intelligence agency already know this? Let her go and will go with you!"

"Of course, you're coming with us. But we cannot let this woman go!" Zaar shrugged. "Actually, before the plane landed, I've already done a thorough background check on her. Oh she's clean, very clean! Unfortunately, she got involved with you."

"What is there to explain? I was just having a conversation with her!"

Chen Xiaobei got really pissed.

He met a loyal fan, had an innocent interaction, and even refused to take a picture with her because he was afraid that she might have been dragged into his business.

He had not expected his enemy to be such unreasonable, relentless bullies!

"Hey, don't blame me." Zaar grinned. "The people upstairs have given me orders to investigate anyone who makes contact with you. If they don't cooperate, we are authorized to beat them to death! I've already been oh so kind to her!"

"For fucks sakes… let me go this instant! I'm not some spy or agent! You have no right to apprehend me!"

Jane struggled and struggled hard she did.

"Shut her up! This is a public area!" Zaar said impatiently.

Smack!

The burly man grabbed Jane's arm, tugged her hard and slapped her with the other.

Jane was just a regular civillian with no military training whatsoever. The slap knocked her out, and fresh blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"See, isn't that much better? Human beings are lowlifes that need to be hit into submission!" Zaar smiled. "Mr. Chen, let's go!"

Jane might have been the one who was slapped, but it was actually a warning to Chen Xiaobei that if he resisted, he would be pummelled or maybe even tortured.

That was a direct threat to Chen Xiaobei to show who was in charge.

Chen Xiaobei did not take kindly to this kind of treatment. On top of that, his cute little fan was dragged into this. How could he tolerate such inhumanity?

"Go? I don't think so!" Chen Xiaobei walked up to the brawny man who had Jane.

Every step he took, the more intense his anger grew. His face grew dark and anger radiated out of him, as if he was going to crush the brawny man into a pile of dead meat.

"What… What do you want?" The burly man inhaled sharply. His pupils contracted and he was shivering all over as if he was about to be attacked by a hungry crocodile that could swallow him alive.

Zaar and the other men experienced the same feeling, and they too began to sweat and wheeze as they felt intense pressure upon their chests. They were running out of breath.

Zaar was just a normal official, the other four men were only high-level bodyguards. How could they have possibly handled Chen Xiaobei's aura?

"Chen… Chen Xiaobei! I'm warning you! Don't do anything stupid! Have you forgotten that Xiang Yu is still with us?" Zaar said in a panic.

Smack!

Chen Xiaobei ignored Zaar, and quickly sent the brawny man who hit Jane flying with a tight slap.

Bam!

The 178kgs of flesh collided with the wall and sent cracks all over from where the impact was!

"Blarrrgh!"

The man helplessly opened his mouth and blood along with broken teeth oozed out. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell unconscious to the ground.

"Bro… Bei…" Jane's jaw fell open. She had never imagined her idol to be so strong.

"Shhh, let me take a look at your wound."

Chen Xiaobei took out a Taiyi Life Enhancement Pill from his Infinite Space Ring. He crushed it and then dabbed a little bit of it onto Jane's face.

Immediately, the swelling shrunk and the pain disappeared.

"Bro Bei, what kind of medicine is this? It's amazing!" Jane asked, intrigued.

"This is an ointment I refined. Here, keep the other half. You can use it if you get hurt next time."

"Is it expensive? I have to pay you for this! I dislike taking advantage of other people, especially not you, Bro Bei!"

"It's not expensive at all. It's only about 3 dollars," Chen Xiaobei made up a number quickly.

The truth was, back in Dragon City, Taiyi Life Enhancement Pill sold for 300 million a pop. Even if Jane starved herself and saved up all her money for a few centuries, she would have never been able to afford that item!

He had thousands and thousands of fans, but only the members of his fan group could receive such first-rate treatment.

When she heard that it only cost three dollars, Jane was relieved. But fear gripped her again.

"Bro Bei, will you be in trouble for hitting this man?"

"Hmph! He was asking for it!" Chen Xiaobei glared at Zaar and the other bodyguards. "Let me make this clear to ya'll: whoever touches my fans, I will beat him until he can't eat nor walk!"

Clearly, the slap that Chen Xiaobei landed on the brawny man was served as a warning to Zaar.

"Alright, alright." Zaar was still in shock. "We'll leave this woman alone. Can we go now?"

Zaar knew since the beginning that Jane was innocent. He simply used her in escrow, accusing her of being an intelligence agent to threaten Chen Xiaobei into submission.

Clearly, his plan backfired and blew up in his own face.

Zaar did not manage to frighten Chen Xiaobei at all, instead it was the other way around.

Chen Xiaobei had just slapped a high-level bodyguard unconscious! Zaar dared not imagine what would happen if he was the one who was struck. Could he have survived that?

"Go?" Chen Xiaobei's right brow was raised. "Come over here and apologize!"

"A… pologize?" Zaar looked at Chen Xiaobei and growled, "Chen Xiaobei! Don't even dare try! Have you forgotten why you came here in the first place?"

"I will not repeat myself thrice! I want you get your ass over here and apologize!" Chen Xiaobei said in a stern manner.

"Just forget about it, Bro Bei." Jane was worried.

Chen Xiaobei shook his head, adamant.

"I wouldn't have cared if they attacked me! But hitting my fan? That I cannot tolerate!"

"Bro Bei, you're so cool!"

Jane was deeply touched by Chen Xiaobei. Her eyes were twinkled as she stared longingly at him. This incident made her feel that becoming a fan of Bro Bei's was the best decision that she could have ever made.

"Chen Xiaobei, don't be ridiculous!" Zaar was annoyed.

Chen Xiaobei was here to save Xiangyu. This was where he should be humbling himself and begging America to release his friend.

However, not only did Chen Xiaobei not have half the mind to beg, but he was rowdy and unmanageable instead.

He obviously had no regard for Zaar or America.

Zaar was very unhappy with the predicament he had gotten himself in. If he apologized to Jane, then it would mean that he admits defeat to Chen Xiaobei.

Where would he hide his face then?

Where would the United States of America put its face then?

"It seems like someone is ignoring my orders!"

Chen Xiaobei narrowed his eyes, and walked towards Zaar.

"What… What are you doing?"

Zaar hid behind the three bodyguards like a frightened bird.

But the bodyguards were just as frightened. They eyed Chen Xiaobei cautiously, swallowing hard.

"I gave you an ultimatum in front of my fan but you turned a deaf ear! You embarrassed me in front of my fan! That's equivalent to slapping my face!" Chen Xiaobei raised a palm and said, "I am a very reasonable person. You hit my face, I'll hit yours back!"

"Don't come over here! Don't!"

Zaar was petrified, and his three bodyguards slowly stepped backwards.

They had all witnessed Chen Xiaobei slap their colleague. None of them wanted to give it a try.

"Chen Xiaobei! I said don't come here!" Zaar screamed. "Don't forget that we still have Xiangyu! Also, you are on American soil! You have no right to act so savagely!"

"Heh! Just because you say I can't then I can't? Then I won't have any face left! I'm willing to bet that even if I beat all of you to death, the American authorities would still treat me with courtesy!" Chen Xiaobei posed as if he was going to strike.

"Don't… Don't hit us… We'll apologize!"

Zaar conceded, and lead the other three bodyguards to Jane and bowed obsequiously.

"We're sorry! We're really sorry! This was all a misunderstanding. We apologize!"

The four idiots bowed profusely.

Jane was too stunned to react, she mumbled, "Forget it, since you've apologized, I won't sue you."

Chen Xiaobei chuckled at this.

He was not a flagrant boor. His display of power was not just to back his fan, but also to test the Americans' limits!

But from Zaar's reaction, it was obvious that the Americans did not want to cross swords with Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei still had Professor Lin and obtaining his research data via exploitation was not as important as uprooting the professor to America.

It was like what Chen Xiaobei had said: Even if he beat up Zaar and the others, the Americans could not do anything about it.

The government would not bat an eyelid for a bunch of trained dogs!

Zaar knew this. That was why he had to tuck his tail between his legs and apologize obediently.

He had underestimated Chen Xiaobei. If he had known how strong Chen Xiaobei was, he would not have done what he did.

That would be only incur repulsion and repugnance.

After, Jane had cooled down, she returned to the plane and continued working.

Chen Xiaobei followed Zaar to a covert base buried deep in the mountains.

There were no signs of lab equipment there, so it was definitely not where Hou Sailei worked.

However, there were shield symbols everywhere. This must be where S.H.I.E.L.D was located.

"Mr. Chen, please take a seat. The Army Chief will be here shortly!"

Zaar brought Chen Xiaobei to a meeting room and then took off, afraid to be spend another minute alone with Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei ignored him waiting for someone who really made the decisions to arrive.

Soon enough, the door to the room was pushed opened, and a general in his sixties walked in with a middle-aged man behind him, a laptop in hand.

"I'm your humble servant Stanford Morgan! The current Vice President of the United States of America! Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army!" The American general introduced himself, and sat across the table from Chen Xiaobei.

The man with the laptop said nothing, and remained standing.

"I don't care who you are, and I don't give a damn how high your position is. I just want to know where Bro Yu is, and I want to know his current condition!"

The look Chen Xiaobei gave him was cold and unwelcoming.

"It looks like Mr. Chen is a candid man!" Stanford said. "Xiangyu is in good condition. But I can't tell you where he is just yet."

"This is the thing you wanted! Take it! After you check it, release your hostage!" Chen Xiaobei tossed the flash drive over.

Stanford gave the middle-aged man a look. The man then immediately opened the laptop, and plugged in the drive.

Within it contained data of the research project based on Professor Lin's early hypothesis.

Theoretically, the hypothesis was sound, but in practice, there were actually a lot of discrepancies. As a result, it would never have worked. It was a reject, a project the professor had eliminated.

Considering the lengthy and complicated nature of the data, the discrepancies would not show up by simply analysing the data on the computer.

This was a stalling stratagem.

By the time the enemy had prepared the equipment and gathered the resources, thus beginning the experiment, Chen Xiaobei and Xiangyu would have been long gone by then.

"No problem, Mr. Stanford!"

The middle-aged man then said, "This is the core research project. A lot the data in here matches with ours!"

Zhu Zhe, the mole had already leaked some of the research data to the Americans. But the core research was still with Professor Lin.

Since this faulty research project also belonged to the professor, it concurred with the information Zhu Zhe leaked.

"Can Xiangyu be released now?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Chen. I can't do that yet," Stanford said. "You probably already know this, but Professor Lin's research has only neared the final stage. It's not actually completed yet. You and Mr. Xiang will have to stay in America until we complete everything!"

"What? That was not the deal!" Chen Xiaobei spat. "I suggest you don't go back on your words!"

"Hehe! Mr. Chen really has quite the sense of humour! America is a powerful country and we are not afraid of warring. I am going back on my words indeed. Now what are you going to do about that?"

Stanford looked at Chen Xiaobei unambiguously.

This was exactly like that old proverb that said: if one's face is thick enough, one can achieve everything in this world!

He told Chen Xiaobei in the face that he had backtracked on the deal! As if that wasn't enough, he even taunted Chen Xiaobei! It was rare that a person's face could reach such a degree of thickness!

Of course, Chen Xiaobei appeared angry on the surface, but he had already expected this to happen and he was not surprised at all.

This was about a country's dominance over the sea for the next 10 or maybe even 100 years. Had it been another country, they too would have pursued relentlessly to acheive their goals.

Most importantly, this was the United States of America!

On home ground, Stanford could do whatever he liked. He also knew that Chen Xiaobei could do nothing about it.

"I'm not pleased with your attitude!" Chen Xiaobei's face darkened. Even though he had already expected this to happen, Stanford's attitude had really rubbed him off.

"Hehe… I can point you to the right way if you want something good from it!" Stanford smiled. "If you can successfully convince Professor Lin to pledge his allegiance to America, I can personally guarantee that the both of you will reap huge benefits! Status, power, and wealth enough for a lifetime! Even the president and I would treat you with great respect. Think about it!"

"You want us to sell out our country? Dream on!" Chen Xiaobei barked.

Stanford just smiled at his response. "It's alright. We have time. Take you time to think about it, Mr. Chen. The conditions I've laid out have no expiry. If you can convince the professor, I will make sure that you get everything I've promised you!"

"Don't try to sugarcoat your words! If you don't want to release Xiangyu, at least let me see him."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that!" Stanford shook his head, and said. "I'm afraid Mr. Xiang is currently unavailable!"

"Unavailable? Didn't you say he's fine? Don't tell me you were lying too."

Chen Xiaobei furrowed his brows, his darkend eyes now red with anger.

He could tolerate Stanford revoking the deal. It was to be only expected. But he would definitely not allow Stanford to take back backtrack on Xiangyu's safety.

He had always thought that the Americans would keep Xiangyu safe in order to get their hands on the research. It had never crossed Chen Xiaobei's mind that Xiangyu's safety would be compromised even after they had gotten what they wanted!

"I must apologize. I have lied to you!" Stanford chuckled. "Xiangyu is now in a terrible condition. He may not be able to survive the night. But since you're already here in America, he is now useless, don't you think?"

Bam!!!

Chen Xiaobei's pent up anger exploded. He slammed the table and thick glass shattered.

"If anything happens to Bro Yu, I will wipe out all American Officials!"

"Heh, Hehehe. Mr. Chen! That's a really funny joke!"

Instead of getting angry, Stanford smiled, "We, the Americans have faced countless powerful enemies! Still, we stand strong! Even China has to surrender to us! Do you really think that you can threaten us?! Hehehe…"

"You have three seconds to tell me where Xiangyu is!" Chen Xiaobei barked.

"One, two, three! Time's up! Sp what are you going to do huh?" Stanford looked at Chen Xiaobei haughtily. "Take a look at where you are standing! I know you have some kind of cultivation going on for you, but this is S.H.I.E.L.D's secret base! Powerful elites are everywhere! You can't threaten me!"

"Oh, really?"

Chen Xiaobei got out from his seat and walked past the broken table.

"What are you doing? If you hurt the vice president, you will die an ugly death!" The middle-aged man shouted.

Bam!

Chen Xiaobei said nothing, before kicking him in the gut.

Thuck!

The man was thrown across the room like a cannonball, struck the wall which caved in upon impact.

"Bluerrgh!"

The man threw up a pool of blood mixed with pieces of flesh and screamed with his final breath, "Bloody murder!!!"

He was nothing but a normal man. When Chen Xiaobei kicked him, his insides exploded, which explained the pieces of flesh he regurgitated.

"You… How dare you kill…" Stanford's face was completely drained of color. His voice trembled.

"I don't dare! I really don't dare! This is S.H.I.E.L.D's secret base! I can't threaten you!" Chen Xiaobei said mockingly as he picked up the laptop, pulled out the flash drive and dropped it into his pocket.

"Yes! This is S.H.I.E.L.D's secret base! You cannot do this! Stay right there! Don't you try to threaten me!"

Stanford exhaled and he could feel that something was not right.

"I'm not going to threaten you… I'm just going to cripple you!" Chen Xiaobei roared as he hurled the laptop at Stanford's face.

Wham!

The hit sent Stanford flying sideways, his face completely destroyed.

"Argh! My face!" Stanford laid limp on the ground, the left half of his face bloody and unrecognizable. His bones were broken and his flesh was ripped. His left eyeball was literally falling out, twitching and hanging by a single nerve.

The searing pain caused him to scream.

He did not expect Chen Xiaobei to be undaunted by S.H.I.E.L.D, and even have the audacity to assault him.

"How does it feel? Is it good?" Chen Xiaobei looked down at Stanford and said, "I gave you three seconds. But you threw it away! Since you don't want to save your face, I might as well destroy it!"

"Okay… Okay… I will tell you…"

Stanford looked frantically at Chen Xiaobei like he was a monster.

"Ah, now that's much better…" Chen Xiaobei said. "Zaar was right. Only through power, would one succumb to you!"

Bam!

Suddenly, someone kicked the meeting room door open.

A large group of mutants charged in!

About a dozen mutants rushed in through the open door, all hostile and belligerent. It appeared that they had all come to fight Chen Xiaobei.

"About… About time you came!"

Stanford looked relieved. He was just about to reveal Xiangyu's whereabouts.

"You were the one who said that you could handle it. You told us not to intervene no matter what," said a mutant with fins.

"Enough bullshit." Stanford was already dispirited enough. He did not need someone else to rub salt in his wound!

He had thought that he could deal with Chen Xiaobei alone, and even put on a big show in front of his subordinates, telling them that he did not need their involvement.

Ironically enough, his plan failed and his face was now badly disfigured by Chen Xiaobei.

As if it was not humiliating enough already, his subordinate just had to go touch the sore spot. What a complete idiot!

Stanford barked through gritted teeth, trying to stifle the pain, "Hurry up and destroy this son of a bitch! He nearly killed me!"

"Hey old man! Do you want to lose the other half of your face?"

Chen Xiaobei stared daggers at Stanford.

"Hmph! Don't you try anything stupid! The mutants here, they are all S-class agents. You have no chance against them! They're going to make you suffer, cause you so much pain you'd wish you're dead!" Stanford returned the glare.

"S-class?"

Chen Xiaobei turned to look at the group of truculent mutant agents.

The three mutants he met in Japan were A-class agents which had 70,000 combat power.

With the Netherspirit Battlescouter, Chen Xiaobei could see that all the S-class agents in this room had about 90,000 combat power.

This was child's play to Chen Xiaobei, but he could not fight them on his own.

These mutants all had their own inherent Special Abilities; fighting them would not just depend on combat power.

On top of that, he could not afford to have Stanford escape while getting entangled with the mutants. It would not end well for Chen Xiaobei.

Most importantly, time was of the essence. Chen Xiaobei had to locate Xiangyu as soon as possible. He could not let anything happen to Xiangyu.

A radical course of action was the fastest way to get his answer.

"Do you think that you're the only one who knows to get reinforcements?" Chen Xiaobei retrieved a Returning Bracelet.

"You?" Stanford cocked his head, amused. "What reinforcements are you going to get? This place is a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D facility. Your people will be lost in the rocks!"

The mutants exploded into laughter at his statement.

"This kid must be scared out of his wits! No one can come close to our base!"

"Heh, so what if he could get reinforcements? All the S-class agents are here! We'll kill every single one of his backup!"

"That's right! Picking a fight here in our territory is suicide!"

Though he was being ridiculed, Chen Xiaobei wanted to laugh.

The Returning Bracelet was activated.

The marked point was in Bei Xuan Faction. As the black rift took shape, a bridge from the faction to the base was formed.

Swoosh!

A silhouette stepped through the black rift.

"What… kind of Black Technology is this…" Everyone in the room exclaimed.

Chen Xiaobei said to the person who had just walked in, "Wow… that was fast!"

"I was waiting next to the marked area, like you told me to. When the portal opened, I came immediately!" the person replied. He was a white-haired man in a long robe looking like a man of authority but spoke in a subservient manner to Chen Xiaobei as if he was his servant.

You've guessed it right!

He was Chen Xiaobei's latest addition of loyal hounds, the strongest person in Bei Xuan Faction, Yin Wuqiu!

"This group of shitheads and wankers are yours! Don't spare anyone of them!" Chen Xiaobei instructed in a most entitled manner.

The S-class mutants snapped.

"You little piece of shit! Who are you calling wankers?!"

"You motherf*cker, you! Still putting up the tough-guy front even when you're about to die, huh? Well, let us teach you a lesson!"

"Don't get in my way! Let me take care of this son of a bitch!"

These mutants were all exceptional fighters, and were highly regarded with their immense strengths and abilities. Chen Xiaobei was the only person who had ever dared patronize them like that!

The mutants looked at Chen Xiaobei like he was lunch, and they were the predators who were going to rip him apart.

"You fool! You really are so naïve! You really have no idea how powerful these S-class mutants are, don't you? Your man will die and your cultivation will be destroyed!" Stanford mocked, eager to watch Chen Xiaobei's defeat.

Chen Xiaobei did not so much as flinch. "Heh, you really don't know anything about strength!"

"What?!" Stanford was like a rabid dog. "What are you waiting for? Get him! This idiot said that you are clueless about strength! Do you need me to tell you what to do?"

"Don't worry, Mr.Vice president, sir! We know what to do!"

"We'll show him our true power. We'll let this f*cktard know who we are and how much stronger we are!"

"We'll make sure he'll regret everything he said!"

The S-class mutants' anger were fuelled to the brim with each one of them oozing aggression from every steaming pore! They were not going to rest until they put Chen Xiaobei out of action!

"Back off! This fight is mine!" The mutant with the fins stepped out before the others. "I am an Eel Mutant. The fluid on my body can defuse the enemy's attacks! Unless they use sharp weapons or martial arts, they can never touch me!"

Stanford chuckled at this. "Chen Xiaobei, the Eel Man is going to fight you himself. I'm afraid you won't be able to survive more than 10 rounds! You still have the chance get down on your knees and surrender now!"

Chen Xiaobei did not even bother to consider this option.

Bam!

As the eel guy was making his way towards Yin Wuqiu, he suddenly fell to his knees.

"Eel Man! What are you doing? Why are you kneeling before the enemy? Are you insane?" The mutants behind him asked.

Bam! Bam!

Before the Eel Man could even reply, both his knees exploded. His bones shattered and and his blood spraying all over. His scream was shrill and bitter.

"What the hell happened?" Everyone else was completely flabbergasted.

Soon enough, they all knew the answer. Whatever happened to Eel Man was also happening to them.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

All the S-class mutants dropped to their knees with a such a force that their kneecaps erupted into tiny fragments.

"What… the hell?" Stanford's body was completely paralyzed.

"That… That's a middle-phase Ethereal Cultivation super elite! His combat power has already reached 230,000! We are being subdued by the force of nature that he is channeling to us" said one of the mutants.

"Ethereal Cultivation?!" Stanford gulped. The fear in his eyes was glaringly obvious.

If one paid close attention, it was not hard to find out that Yin Wuqiu's Wind Ethereal Force was flooding the area. It crushed upon his enemies like a huge mountain. This was why Ethereal Cultivation was so different from all the other cultivations. It allowed the person to borrow the force of nature to defeat their enemies.

The S-class elites' combat power amounted to only 90,000. They could not resist his strength at all.

Their knees had buckled and exploded under the pressure. Even if they did not die from it, they would have to live the rest of their lives as a handicap.

The Ethereal Cultivation was a truly formidable force.

"Bro Bei, can I begin?" Yin Wuqiu asked.

Surprised looks were thrown at Chen Xiaobei.

Why was an Ethereal Cultivation super elite addressing Chen Xiaobei honorifically as Bro Bei?

Why was he asking for Chen Xiaobei's permission before he does anything?

How the hell was it Chen Xiaobei that he was regarded in such high esteem? What in the world was happening?

"Like I said, spare none!" Chen Xiaobei responded; his dark eyes melancholic. "Those who choose to go against the Chinese will sure end up in death!"

"Yes!"

Yin Wuqiu nodded, while raising both arms straight up to his sides. His fingers transformed into razor sharp blades, and the Wind Ethereal Force converged around them, radiant and flickering.

"What… What is he doing?" Stanford stammered.

Chen Xiaobei grinned. "He wants you to know what true strength is! You S-class mutants are just incompetent little ants!"

"Strength?" Stanford screamed. "No! Noooo!"

Zing!

Ying Quqiu only listened to one person's command – and that was Chen Xiaobei.

Stanford's shouts of protest were futile.

Ying Wuqiu swung his arms, and the Wind Ethereal Force morphed into a whetted blade. The blades spun so fast that a strong gale was generated! The gale took shape of a gigantic eagle that was ten meters tall under the bright light.

Phissh!

What happened next was something Stanford would never ever forget even when he got to hell. The Wind Ethereal Eagle came swooping across its enemies mercilessly. Every single mutant was slashed into half!

Those who stood at a certain height had their heads cut clean off; those who were taller were severed at the chest; whereas, the shorter ones had half of their heads loped off.

It was a ghastly sight!

All of the mutants massacred in one swing!

"M… My… God!" Stanford croaked.

Yin Wuqiu had struck the fear of God in him.

One strike was all that was needed to render the S-class mutants dead! This terrifying force was beyond Stanford's understanding. He found himself questioning his own beliefs.

What was more difficult for Stanford to accept was that the dozen of S-class mutant agents had the highest combat power among all the S.H.I.E.L.D's elites. And now, they were all wiped out just like that. S.H.I.E.L.D was as good as ancient history.

It would take a top-tier faction a very long and arduous amount of time to train another dozen talents of that caliber to reach 90,000 combat power.

It would take a government institution even longer to amass a group of elites like that. It might take them more than a decade to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D. This was equivalent to the Thunder Kirin Special Force being eliminated. To the American government, this was a huge loss for them.

"Hey, old man. Would you like to live or die?"

Chen Xiaobei asked, as he exorcised the Blood Chaos Sword to devour the blood essences and spirits of the dead mutants.

The blood essences and spirits of a dozen of 90,000 elites could be converted into almost 120,000 combat power, which would be stored inside the Chaos Blood Sword for future use.

"I… I…" Stanford had yet recovered from the shock.

"Let me remind you again that if anything happens to my Bro Yu, I will execute every single American official! I will wipe them all of the face of the earth!" Chen Xiaobei was glacial.

A few minutes ago, Stanford had laughed it off as a stupid joke.

But seeing his S-class agents decimated like that made it clear to him that Chen Xiaobei had come to America not to admit defeat, but to vanquish his enemies!

Whoever rubbed him off the wrong way would have to pay a harrowing price.

With S.H.I.E.L.D. completely destroyed, it would only be a matter of time before the Pentagon and the White House were completely decimated too.

Afraid to test Chen Xiaobei's patience, Stanford quickly revealed, "Xiangyu is in a Bioengineering Research Facility in Georgia!"

"Bioengineering Research Facility? Why is Bro Yu there?"

"Be… Because Georgia has the world's top human bioengineering experts!." Stanford nervously stumbled on his words. "Georgia had discovered that Xiang Yu's biological makeup was different from a normal human and therefore wanted to use him to test the latest biochemical drugs. It could turn Xiangyu into the strongest bioengineered soldier."

"Then what happens if the experiment fails?"

"Fails…?" Stanford swallowed. "If… if fails… then Xiangyu's dead."

"*^%$#@! If Xiangyu dies, America must die!"

Chen Xiaobei was so angry that he expletives came gushing out of him. Clearly, he could not keep his calm anymore.

Stanford held his breath. His was so weak, that he fell unconscious upon hearing Chen Xiaobei's outrageous burst of anger.

Chen Xiaobei did not even bother to check on him. "Yin Wuqiu! We don't need to return to Bei Xuan anymore. Let's go exterminate some assholes!"

Vrooom! Vrooom!

Just as Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu walked out of the building, they heard the sound of an engine purring.

"Block them!" Chen Xiaobei ordered.

"Yes!"

Yin Wuqiu was already charging towards the getaway car, at a speed that was faster than sound, and swiftly stood before it.

"My god!"

The person driving was Damien. He freaked out when he saw a shadow of a man flash before him.

The man was travelling at a blinding 200 kilometers per hour! How could a human travel that fast?

Zing!

Yin Wuqiu swung an arm and used his wind blade to slash the car that was coming at him.

The car was split into two halves!

"My god!" Zaar was beginning to tear up. Had the wind blades been ten centimeters closer, he would have been sliced into two as well.

To a highly skilled cultivator like Yin Wuqiu, there was no such thing as missing by ten centimeters.

Even though the car was cut into two, the cut was so clean that both parts of the car were still moving forward because of inertia.

Yin Wuqiu's approximation was flawless. The miss was deliberate. When the two halves of the car raced past him, they did not even graze the corner of his shirt. He then dipped his hand into the body of the car and picked Zaar up from the driver's seat in one swift move, with not a single beat missed.

"Heee…ro… Have mercy… Hero, have mercy!" Zaar was so freaked out his lips had turned purple. "How have I offended you, hero? Tell me and I will change! Please, please, please don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

Yin Wuqiu did not answer him, but dragged him on the ground like a sack of potatoes to Chen Xiaobei. "Bro Bei, I've got him. What should we do with him?"

"Bro Bei?" Zaar's eyesballs nearly escaped their sockets.

How did Chen Xiaobei find such an extraordinary right-hand man? How puzzling!

"Zaar, why are you in such a rush? Where were you heading?" Chen Xiaobei smirked.

"I…" Zaar seemed hesitant but when he saw Yin Wuqiu's glare, and he answered pliantly, "I heard the screams coming from the meeting room, and saw the floor littered with bodies. I didn't want to die, so I tried to run…"

"Mm, I like honest people. If you don't wish to die, I need you to bring me to a place!" Chen Xiaobei answered.

"Alright! Alright! Just say the word, Mr. Chen! I will you wherever you want to go!" Zaar nodded almost too eagerly.

Chen Xiaobei could have ended Zaar just like that; what more Chen Xiaobei's monster of a sidekick.

Even if Zaar had the balls of a lion, he would not dare refuse Chen Xiaobei anymore.

"Bro Bei, what's the point of keeping this shithead alive?" Ying Wuqiu asked.

As the former master of Penglai Faction, Yin Wuqiu was a hegemonic elite. His contempt for a piece of shit like Zaar was only natural.

"He has a very special position. He's the high official of the Central Intelligence Agency. He's knee deep in some highly classified national secrets! Most importantly, we'll need him to be our guide for our tour of all of America's top secret facilities," Chen Xiaobei explained.

Yin Wuqiu nodded and said nothing more.

Zaar looked deflated. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. In order to survive, he would have no choice but to obey Chen Xiaobei.

After that, the three of them headed for George Research Facility with Zaar at the wheel chauffeuring Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu in the passenger seats.

The journey proved to be a long one, so Chen Xiaobei took the opportunity to question Zaar. "So, tell me about the experiment."

Zaar swallowed hard before answering, "George is an expert in modifying the human body. The research is to explore the limits of human alterations. They are testing to see if biochemicals could instigate human's greatest abilities!"

"Get to the point!" Chen Xiaobei barked.

"Yes." Zaar paused for a moment before continuing, "Research required a lot of money and the biggest funding came from the military. That's why George Research Facility always prioritized the military! In order to get the fastest results to create their Bionic Soliders, George has resorted to unscrupulous methods of buying people in bulk from all over the world to be their lab rats. George doesn't care if they are men or women, young or old. George and his 'scientists' are the biggest human traffickers in the United States. He's a psychopath with no moral compass!"

Chen Xiaobei frowned. "What happened to those people?"

"Nothing good." Zaar explained. "George's experiments have yet to succeed. Nine of out of ten people who were injected with the experimental chemicals suffered an instant onset of decomposition and necrosis. If they're lucky, their death would be quick and instant. If they're not, strange growths would sprout out of their bodies, and they would die a slow, horrible death. There were however, some people who survived but only for short time. They even displayed superhuman abilities! Because of that, the American military continued to fund George's research!"

"Why weren't the cases where the people survived considered a success?"

"Those who survived had their DNA completely altered! They became like wild beasts, and were impossible to domesticate! How are Bionic Soldiers who are unable to follow orders be considered a success?"

"Animals!" Chen Xiaobei spat.

"Yes! George is an animal!" Zaar agreed. "He's inhumane, a lunatic! All these years, he has tortured and victimized at least 8,000 people! There's no one in this world more cold-blooded than he is!"

"The animal I was talking about is the American military!" Chen Xiaobei snapped. "If it were not for their funding, George would not have been so eager to succeed! He would not even have started researching Bionic Soldiers! He's might be the sword, but the people wielding the sword are the military!"

Zaar did not know what to say.

Chen Xiaobei's anger was fanned into flames.

His mind kept drifting to the thoughts of Xiangyu strapped to a laboratory table. Every fiber in Chen Xiaobei's being wanted to burst through the doors and raze the research facility to the ground.

After some time, they arrived at an area surrounded by mountains.

"Mr. Chen, George Research Facility is in here. Why don't you go in yourself?" Zaar floundered.

"Mr. Zaar. Let me make this clear, you've already boarded the ship. You can disembark, of course, but you would have to leave your life on board!"

"No! No! No! I was just kidding! I'll bring you in! I'll bring you in myself!" Zaar gulped, and quickly led the way.

The laboratory was hidden in an inconspicuous valley shielded by mountains from every corner. It would have been impossible to find.

Zaar walked to a stone wall and carved in a random pattern on the surface. A stone slab popped out and revealed a fingerprint scanning device.

He then placed his hand on it.

A thick, heavy boulder popped out and rolled to the side of the wall, revealing the entrance into the building.

"Mr. Zaar, what brings you here? We were not informed of your visit. Is this a surprise inspection?" An armed security officer at the door asked.

"Oh! It's not a surprise inspection. I just have some personal business I need to discuss with Professor George," Zaar stammered.

"Mr. Zaar! Are you kidding? This is George Research Institution! It's our countries' top-secret research facility! You cannot enter for personal business!" The officer looked at Chen Xiaobei and Ying Wuqiu. "Mr. Zaar, are you being threatened? If you are, I don't mind helping you with that!"

The security officer instinctively placed his hand on the pistol at his waist. He had the clearance to shoot intruders.

"No! No! No! These two are super VIP!" Zaar said.

"Hehe, don't worry, Mr. Zaar. This is not my first time killing. They're just two stinkbugs! One bullet for each.

Unfortunately, he met someone more merciless than him.

Chen Xiaobei walked past the security officer.

"F*ck! You're not afraid to die, eh?" The officer raised the gun and pointed it at Chen Xiaobei's head.

Bam!

A loud explosive sound echoed in the hallway.

It was not a gunshot, but the security officer hitting the wall headfirst. His skull cracked open like a watermelon and his brains were scattered everywhere.

"Oh, my god!" Zaar screamed.

Zaar did not even see if it was Chen Xiaobei or Yin Wuqiu who had struck the officer.

This security officer was nothing less than an insect in front of these elites.

Chen Xiaobei's mind was occupied with Xiangyu. He did not even look at the mutilated body as he continued forward.

"Get to the front and lead the way! If you try anything stupid, I'll kill you!" Yin Wuqiu said with an authoritative aura surrounding him.

"Huuuh… I wouldn't dare."

Zaar exhaled sharply, and hurried to the front to lead Chen Xiaobei.

The interior of the research facility was not that huge. Apart from the group of researchers in white lab coats, there was also a special force guarding the place.

Due to the fact that the surviving Bionic Soldiers were uncontrollable like wild beasts, it would be a disaster if any one of them escaped.

That was why a Special Task Force was stationed here to keep the researchers safe.

The loud commotion at the entrance alerted the unit.

A hundred men, all armed with lethal firearms, charged toward the door, and blocked Chen Xiaobei and the others.

"Mr. Zaar, what are you doing?" The commander asked.

"Commander Horn, I can't explain it to you right now. Please ask your men to give way, or all of you will die!" Zaar's face was white as sheet as he stammered away.

"Die? Who wants to kill us? These two Chinese?"

Commander Horn eyeballed Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu.

Horn did not even have issue any orders, as his 99 men were already looking down the barrels of their guns pointed directly at Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu. Hands on the trigger, they were ready to fire upon instruction.

"Don't… don't… don't shoot!"

Zaar was so afraid he nearly peed his pants. He cowardly staggered away from Chen Xiaobei and Ying Wuqiu, and stood as far away as he could.

Similarly, without needing Chen Xiaobei's orders, Ying Wuqiu stepped forward and said, "You have three seconds to leave!"

"Hmph! That's brave coming from a guy like you! Do these guns look like toys to you?" Horn barked. "Don't you elites for a second think that just because you have your True Kang Armor that you're invincible! When all one hundred guns fire, each bullet will deteriorate your True Qi! We'll only need to fire two to three rounds completely wear out your True Qi! Your True Kang Armor will be broken through and you'll die!"

"Your three seconds are up."

Yin Wuqiu did not have time for chatter. He continued to walk.

"@#$%@&! You want to die, huh? Brothers! Fire! Execute them!"

Horn was clearly not pleased. All his years as commander, this was the first time he had met someone so smug even in the face of a hundred guns.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All the guns fired simutaneously. Thousands of bullets rained down on Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu. As they were exposed, there was no place for them to hide.

Horn was right. One gun would not scare those elites. They could use their True Kang Armor to protect themselves while killing the gunman before their True Qi was used up.

But up against a hundred guns and surrounded by all that kind of firepower, it was a completely different story.

Even with his current cultivation, Chen Xiaobei would not be able to be able to tank so many guns all at once.

This was also why a country could so effectively oppress Jianghu. The government controlled the military and owned all the armor. The people of Jianghu would have to take a step back as they could not afford to be the country's enemy.

It was definitely possible to use guns to wear out True Qi, but not against Ethereal Force!

Ethereal Cultivation stressed on returning to one's true self.

And it was much more powerful than True Kang. If it were to have been 100 missiles, Yin Wuqiu might have died, but up against 100 guns, it was no worse than an itch on his back.

Yin Wuqiu leaped and his Wind Ethereal Force opened up like an umbrella, deflecting the shower of bullets.

The bullets rained down like tiny pellets of hail on the force field. Seemingly, the Ethereal Wind Force had managed to neutralize the force of the bullets. And they were all fell on the floor.

"How…." Horn stared, openmouthed. "Open fire! Continue to shoot! Don't let him advance! Or we're done for!"

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Guns were blazing, and bullets swept across the room. If they had bene shot at a common elite, the elite would have been shattered by now into a pile of flesh and blood.

Unfortunately, the person they were up against was not just any other elite, but Yin Wuqiu, an Ethereal Cultivation elite with 230,000 combat power.

"Those who stand in Bro Bei's way shall die!"

Yin Wuqiu swung his arm.

Zing!

Again, he summoned his Wind Force Eagle to slice up all the hundreds of people in front of him into half.

In a blink of an eye, all hundred men, including Horn were all dead.

"My god!"

Zaar's legs were shaking, and a wet trail trickled its way from the crotch of his pants down his legs.

Chen Xiaobei sighed , "When will I ever get cultivation like that?"

The obstacle had been eliminated!

Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu made their way further into the building. Zaar followed them from behind as he was too afraid to attempt an escape and too afraid to stay by the shredded bodies.

After they passed through a large metal door with fingerprint and retina scan, the three of them made their way to the core of the research facility.

Inside, a dozen researchers in starch-white, oversized lab coats seemed to work peacefully. With the Special Units team around, they felt so safe that even when they heard the gunshots, they continued their work as if nothing had happened.

"Hey!… You… Why are you in here? Who let you in?"

When Chen Xiaobei and the others walked in, the researchers stopped what they were doing and stood frozen at their work station. Where was the Special Task Force? Why did they allow outsiders to enter? Everything that was in the lab was not meant for the public to see!

Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu were just as shocked at the researchers.

They were looking at a very modern laboratory bench. On it were decomposed bodies and severed limbs severed all under the scrutiny of the researchers.

On some of the other benches, 'wild beasts' were chained to the top, struggling frantically – these were the Bionic Soldiers that survived the biochemical injection.

Even though their general form was human, there was nothing human about them.

Their heads were swollen, their lower jaws everted, and their skin riddled with warts like toads. Their eyes were red and bloody, and the muscles all over their body were tense with their veins pulsing and protruding from them. Their arms and legs were covered in bristles, accessorized with sharp claws in place of fingernails.

More evidently, they had completely lost all signs of human nature, and had no memories of who they were. Once they were released, they would go into a killing frenzy, unremosefully killing normal humans and even their own fellow Bionic Soldiers.

"This is sick! Inhumane!"

Chen Xiaobei furrowed his brows, anger surging to his head.

"All these creatures have completely lost all human characteristics! They're scary!" Zaar nodded.

"I meant the American military and all of these people here! These creatures were perfectly normal human beings! Here, they are sentenced to death or turned into a monster! The military is the ringleader, and these researchers are their accomplices! These are the ones who are the cold-blooded creatures!"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Mr. Chen is right!"

Zaar nodded as he passed a hand across his wet forehead. The anger that he sensed from Chen Xiaobei made him feel like he was being suffocated.

"Who the hell are you? Who let you in?" The researchers, unaware of what was happening, shouted, "Where is Commander Horn? What the hell is he doing? Why did he let these outsiders in? Get him here and tell him to round these men up! We could use three more subjects for our experiment!"

"Send them to meet Horn. Don't touch the survivors just yet." Chen Xiaobei said.

"Yes!"

Yin Wuqiu then waked out the lab.

"Oh, they're killing people again!" Zaar quickly got out of the way. He did not want to pee himself once more.

"You! Bring me to George!" Chen Xiaobei barked.

"Alright! Please come with me!"

Zaar was shaking from head to toe.

"Ah! They are killing someone!"

Zaar was just about to leave the room, when the shrill screams started. Clearly, the researchers were helpless before Yin Wuqiu.

When his feet hit the ground, the screams behind him had completely quietened down.

Yin Wuqiu caught up with them.

Zaar did not have to turn around to look to know that the researchers were dead as doornails.

Cold sweat trickled down his back, and his heart was pounding loud in his ears. He was wondering where did Chen Xiaobei find himself such a horrifying grim reaper to be his follower.

The three of them continued moving along.

This time, they had to go through three giant metal doors. Each one required retinal and fingerprint scans. Luckily for them, Zaar was a high-ranked official and he had all the clearence needed. Otherwise, they would never have been able to pass through!

Soon after that, they finally reached George's central laboratory.

"Who is it?! Even if you're the president, you have to wait outside unless I permit it!"

They had only just entered when a gray-haired old man barked at them.

He was also in one of those oversized lab coats, adorned with a pair of gold-framed glasses hanging on his nose. He looked very much like a university professor.

But his demeanor was proof that his status was much higher than simply a university professor! Seemingly, the skillset that he possessed made him a man that was powerful enough to disregard orders from the President himself.

He was obviously the owner of this place, George!

George was sitting in front of a giant supercomputer, staring at the displayed data from more than a dozen screens all laid side by side. The data contained information related to human functions, such as their heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, and brainwaves.

Hundreds of feeds of data, monitoring practically every single function of a person.

The person monitored was lying on a table nearby. That person was Xiangyu.

"Bro Yu!" Chen Xaiobei rushed to the table.

"What are you doing? Stay away from my subject! Arghhh…"

George was angry.

Before he could even finish his sentence, Yin Wuqiu appeared before him, and grabbed him by the throat, thereby suffocating him.

He was lucky that Chen Xiaobei did not order Yin Wuqiu to kill him, or his neck would have been snapped.

"Bro Yu!" Chen Xiaobei let out a booming roar!"

The Xiangyu before him was completely unrecognizable. Even though he appeared to be slightly better than the other 'wild beasts', his handsome face was completely ruined. His skin was also beginning to change.

In three to five days, Xiangyu's transformation into a beast would be complete.

Chen Xiaobei was so mad he wanted to destroy George, and smash the American military.

But it was more urgent to save Xiangyu.

He valued friendship too much to allow his Bro Yu to become a monster.

The law of reincarnation had been changed. Transferring one soul to another body was strictly forbidden by the heaven! Once he had lost his human nature, Xiangyu would be permanantly gone from this world.

"Relax! I have top-tiered Traditional Chinese Medicine skills. It won't be a problem." Chen Xiaobei then reached out to feel Xiangyu's pulse.

Chen Xiaobei's face fell. "This… What kind of poison is this? Or, is this some kind of disease? I have never felt such pulse movement before! This is new to me!"

Chen Xiaobei found himself in a panic.

Since he got his hands on the three legendary doctors' Red Envelopes, Chen Xiaobei's medical skills could be said to be unparalleled, and could cure all kinds of sickness.

But this time, Chen Xiaobei was faced with a strange illness that he could not cure.

"Oy, old man! Show me the formula you used!" Chen Xiaobei barked, his fingers digging into George's collar.

"Never! That's the pride and honor of my entire bloodline! I wouldn't even show it to god himself! Go to hell!" George protested fiercely.

Obviously one of those obsessed mad-scientists, he valued his research more than his own life.

Even though he was well aware that Chen Xiaobei and Yin Wuqiu could smite him to smithereens, he was unhesitatingly uncooperative.

"I may not be a god, but you can never hide anything that I want to see from me!" Chen Xiaobei slapped George in the face.

"Argh!" His frail body was so brittle that he vomited blood and immediately fell unconscious.

"Bro Bei!"

Yin Wuqiu frowned hard; wondering what in the world was Chen Xiaobei doing?

Next, Chen Xiaobei retrieved a Dreamcatcher Bell from the Infinite Space Ring.

'Ding Ring Ring'

The bell rang and George seized up, his body stretched out and frozen on the floor like a corpse.

"Tell me what your formula is!" Chen Xiaobei asked.

Yin Wuqiu and Zaar stared at him. Why was Chen Xiaobei interrogating an unconscious man? Had all the frustration finally caved in and drove a screw loose?

What happened next startled the both of them…

George answered the question; his tone robotic.

"It's in the computer. In the 'xxx' folder. The password is 3oihj34hd."

"Didn't he pass out? How could he answer the question?" Zaar rubbed his eyes.

"Hyp… Hypnosis?" Yin Wuqiu guessed. "Bro Bei is just too cool there's nothing he can't do!"

Chen Xiaobei ignored the both of them, and went straight to the computer.

"What… What the hell is this?"

Chen Xiaobei took a brief look at the contents in the folder and realized that he did not understand a word.

He was trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This formula, however, was recorded in the form of chemical equations. There was not a single hint of a Chinese herbal medicine formula. In fact, it could not even be considered a drug.

"It looks like this Biochemical stuff is neither a poison nor a drug, it's something that causes a type of rapid mutation of human cells!"

Chen Xiaobei buried his head in his hands.

Rapid mutation caused to cells to continously multiply out like hair and fingernails, but the things that grew out was completely deformed.

"This cannot be cured using Chinese Traditional Medicine. I'll have to consult my Sifu."

Chen Xiaobei was lucky he had the the Prime of Tongtian. He fantically sent a message to his Sifu but did not receive a reply.

"Crap! Could sifu be listening to Ancestral Lord's preaching again? I better ask the legendary doctors of the underworld. Who knows, they might have an answer!"

Chen Xiaobei quickly entered the Little Apple Playground.

Chinese Traditional Medicine was too profound. Chen Xiaobei had only learned three healing skills from three different legendary doctors.

The three of them might be able to diagnose Xiangyu's condition and might come out with a conclusion that Chen Xiaobei had never learnt before.

Chen Xiaobei: Li Shizhen, Sun Simiao, Hua Tuo, my teachers! I have a very complicated case that I cannot solve! Please enlighten me!

Li Shizhen: Huh? God Chen, you're joking right? Didn't you receive our Compendium of Materia Medica, Footnote of Medicine King, and Nine Dragons Acupuncture Skill? What in the world is it that cannot be cured?"

Hua Tuo: God Chen, tell us in detail! The people of earth always say 'Even if Hua Tuo reincarnates, he won't be able to cure it!' But they don't know me, don't they? I want to see what is it that I cannot solve!"

Sun Simiao: Yeah! Tell us, what type of curious illness is this? Every time there is a new medical condition, it excites me because it's a new challenge!"

Chen Xiaobei: Alright. I'll send the details to you now!

Chen Xiaobei then sent his pulse diagnosis, photographs of Xiangyu, and pictures of the mutated parts to the three doctors.

"I hope you know how to go about this. I don't know when my Sifu will reply me. If it's too late, Bro Yu is a goner!"

Chen Xiaobei shook his head in dismay, his eyes glued to the screen of the phone, waiting for the verdict.

Time trickled by, and Chen Xiaobei was growing more and more anxious by the minute, exuding a bitter sigh every short while. He was on the verge of exploding from all the anxiousness and anger he had amassed!

If anything happened to Xiangyu, many Americans would have to die! A hell lot of them!

Terror-struck by Chen Xiaobei's Qi Field, Zaar made himself scarce and stood as far away as he could. He held his breath, and avoided making any eye contact with Chen Xiaobei.

In Zaar's shaken mind, Chen Xiaobei was even scarier than an angry evil spirit right now.

Even Yin Wuqiu was uneasy.

He was the former master of Penglai Faction, an Ethereal Cultivation elite. If even a person as resilient as him could be affected by Chen Xiaobei's Qi Field, it would seem that Chen Xiaobei's anger had reached its peak, a point of no return!

Yin Wuqiu nodded calmly. He was ready to massacre for Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei's intense wrath; Yin Wuqiu's consuming fierceness. At the other side of the room, Zaar trembled in fear and lost control of his bladder again.

Ding!

Chen Xiaobei's phone rang.

"Finally!"

Chen Xiaobei's hand was shaking. He suddenly looked very nervous.

The reply finally came but Chen Xiaobei dared not look at the answer, afraid of that the three legendary doctors did not know what to do either. That would be like giving Xiangyu a death sentence.

Chen Xiaobei and Xiangyu's friendship could not be described in a mere sentence or two. Xiangyu became a woman for Chen Xiaobei, and Chen Xiaobei risked his life by invading the ancient tomb and thereby losing all his merit points. These were the past events that they had been through together.

It even crossed Chen Xiaobei's mind that he would swap places with Xiangyu. He would rather be the one on the table than to see Xiangyu suffer.

"Calm down. Breathe. Everything Bro Yu did in Thunder Kirin was what a noble warrior would do for the motherland and its people. Zhao Yun also said that Bro Yu had earned a lot of merit points for his good deeds. I'm pretty sure the gods would send their blessings on him!"

Chen Xiaobei took in a deep breath, and braced himself as he opened the group chat.

Li Shizhen: It's curable!

Chen Xiaobei: Really? That's great! That is amazing news! Then why are my medical skills ineffective?

Hua Tuo: There are always new diseases and illnesses, and we would always need to find new ways of curing them. Our medical knowledge dates back thousands of years, and we cannot possibly go through everything at once!

Chen Xiaobei: Yes! Yes! You're right! It looks Iike I'll still need to improve my medical knowledge and skills! Please tell me what I should do now!

Sun Simiao: It's very easy actually. You will need a Three-starred Divine Medicine; a Five-colored Magnolia to treat it.

Chen Xiaobei: A Three-starred Divine Medicine?  Do any of you happen to have it? I'm willing to buy it with merit points! I'll pay you anything for it!

Li Shizhen: God Chen, you're funny. Three-star Divine Medicines are worth a king's ransom. None of us has it.

Chen Xiaobei: Then what should I do? Is there any medication on earth that can be used in its place? I have a lot of herbal medicines in the Infinite Space Ring – what I lack is a formula!

Hua Tuo: This is a new ailment. If we're using the methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine, then we'll need time to do research. We might need a combination of a few hundred herbal medicines, and a very specific concoction to be able to recreate the effects of a Three-star Divine Medicine!

Chen Xiaobei: That's a lot of work. I don't have much time. I'll need some other ideas! Elder Shennong would probably have this medicine, right?

Sun Simiao: Of course, he does. But he's very close to Chanism and is under Shen Gongpao's watchful eyes. He may not help you.

Li Shizhen: Even if he is willing to help you, he would probably slap you with exorbitant demands!

Chen Xiaobei: I don't care. What's more important to me is that brother Xiangyu can be saved. Even if Shennong decides to take advantage of me! I will have to let him do it!

Hua Tuo: Oh, God Chen! You really are so benevolent, and I truly admire you for that!

Li Shizhen: Xiangyu is lucky to have brother like you!

Sun Simiao: Heaven helps those who are worthy. I believe the gods will bless Chen Xiaobei and Xiangyu.

Chen Xiaobei's phone rang.

'Ding'

'Master Acheron sent you a message'

"Wow! Master Acheron! He used to avoid me all the time, why is he contacting me out of the blue?

Chen Xiaobei quickly bid farewell to the three and clicked into the private chat with Acheron.

Acheron: I am sure that God Chen is an intelligent man. Now why would he feed the lamb to the tiger?

Chen Xiaobei: It's been a long while, Master Acheron! What do you mean anyway?

Acheron: Chanism is the tiger, and your merit points would be the fattened lamb. Isn't buying the medicine from Shennong akin to feeding the lamb to the tiger?

Chen Xiaobei: You were spying in the chat group again huh! 

Acheron: How is that spying? It's an open group. I'm recuperating in the Blood Sea, and I was bored so I just checked out the group chat. That's very normal isn't it?

Chen Xiaobei: Alright. Let's not talk about that then. Since you saw our conversation, and since you contacted me privately, please speak your mind!

Acheron: God Chen really is a straightforward person. Fine, then. I'll just tell you. I have a medicine that could cure Xiangyu's illness. If you want it, I'll send it to you right away! Free of charge!

Chen Xiaobei: Free of charge? There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world!

Acheron: Aren't Hundred Ghost Parade painting and Asura Divine Mirror free lunches? How did it taste?

Chen Xiaobei: It was due to blind luck that I got the Red Envelope. It's not considered free!

Acheron: Was it really pure luck?

Chen Xiaobei: Wasn't it?

Acheron: That was my first time participating in the Red Envelope Snatching Session, and I only gave out two envelopes. Why was it that out of all the thousands of people, you, God Chen, received both?

Chen Xiaobei: That… Can you control the Red Envelopes so that they reach a specific person?

Acheron: No, no, no. I don't have that kind of authority.

Chen Xiaobei: Then how did you do it? And you could exit the group without anyone noticing! You even changed the description of the item in the system!

Acheron: The Tree Realms Intranet hasn't even been set up for year. Considering it is so new, there are still some loopholes that most people haven't discovered. Only a person as bored as me can find it. That's how I did everything you said. Of course, I didn't dare use it at my whim. If it was not for all the Sanqing Saints being at the Ancestral Lord's place, I would have been caught!

Chen Xiaobei: You really know how to take advantage of loopholes don't you…

Acheron: We're way off topic here! Do you want the medicine or not?

"One who is unaccountably solicitous hides evil intentions!" Chen Xiaobei rubbed his forehead as he thought aloud. "But Sifu assured me that I should not be worried about using Acheron's stuff! Whatever, I'll take it first. With my Sifu's protection, even Acheron wouldn't dare mess with me!"

Chen Xiaobei: Yes! I want it, of course! What does Master Acheron want? Name your price!

Acheron: I told you that I don't want anything in return! God Chen, get ready to receive a private package!

'Ding'

Congratulations! You have received a Red Envelope from Acheron.

A bottle of Abyssal Golden Toad's Blood has been stored inside the Treasure Chest!

'Ding'

[Abyssal Golden Toad's Blood: Retrieved from the heart of the Golden Toad that lived in the underworld for 10,000 years. Three-star Divine Medicine. There are 100 drops in each bottle. Would you like to retrieve it?]

Chen Xiaobei: I've gotten the Red Envelope. If it works, I owe you one, Acheron! Also, I'm also sending you one merit point in case Shen Gongpao comes sniffing around for trouble!

Acheron: There's no need for that! Shen Gongpao wouldn't dare come near Blood Sea!

Chen Xiaobei: What about the Primordial Lord of Heaven? You're not afraid of him either?

Acheron: I would be lying if I said that I'm not. But I am not worried at all! The calamity is near. He won't come give me an ass-whopping for much a small matter.

Chen Xiaobei: Alright! That's it then! I have to go save Xiangyu! Talk to you some other time!

Chen Xiaobei stuffed his phone back into pocket and mumbled to himself, "He really is one of the most powerful saints. This Master Acheron is quite gallant! It would be great if he's on my side when the calamity happens.

"Ah, I've got to stop! That's for some other time! I have to save Xiangyu first!"

Chen Xiaobei retrieved the pale green jade bottle from the Infinite Space Ring.

After he uncorked it, he took a whiff. He had wanted to test the authenticity of the medicine but he suddenly grew anxious. "It smells very strongly of blood! There's even an evil presence about it. Could this stuff be used?"

"Urgh…"

Zaar, who was actually standing far away, threw up at the smell.

"Bro Bei, what is that in your hands?"

Yin Wuqiu had always been the kind of guy who acted first and talked later. His hands were stained by the blood of countless enemies. But right now, even he seemed to be affected by the smell.

"Good medicine is bitter to the taste! I don't think Acheron is pulling anything with this one!"

Chen Xiaobei decided, and then poured a drop of the Abyssal Golden Toad's Blood into Xiangyu's mouth.

The blood was green, and had a pale golden glow about it. When it fell into Xiangyu's mouth, the light spread and penetrated Xiangyu's flesh and blood, circulating all throughout his body.

Chen Xiaobei checked Xiangyu's pulse, watching the changes and not missing a single detail.

"He's better! His pulse is recovering! Acheron did not trick me! Bro Yu will be alright!"

Chen Xiaobei's shoulder slumped in relief, a smile plastered on his face. He could finally breathe now.

Yin Wuqiu and Zaar let out a sigh of relief as well and the frightening presence of Chen Xiaobei finally dissipated.

"At this rate, Bro Yu should recover completely within three days! We should just wait in here until he gets back to normal. If I bring Bro Yu out now, many people will freak out!"

Chen Xiaobei made up his mind.

"Go! Give all the victims one drop each!" Chen Xiaobei tossed the bottle of Abyssal Golden Toad's Blood to Yin Wuqiu.

Then Chen Xiaobei thought to himself, "Since I don't have anything to do now, let me go and mess with Shen Gongpao!"

Seeing that Xiangyu was getting better, Chen Xiaobei went ahead and clicked on the Red Envelope Group.

Chen Xiaobei: I want to buy Three-star Divine Medicine, a Five-colored Magnolia! I need it to save someone's life! (Urgent! Urgent! Urgent! @Shennong @Hundred-Herb God)

Hundred-Herb God: Erm… I don't have it with me…

Monkey King: F*ck you! Stop lying! You are currently taking care of the Hundred-Herb Garden! Now, when God Chen is asking you to bring him a Three-star Divine Medicine, you dare say you don't have it with you?

Hundred-Herb God: Monkey King, plese don't get angry at me… It's true that I don't have it with me!

Chen Xiaobei: Bro… It's okay… Let's not force him…

Hundred-Herb God was one of the officers in the heavenly realm. The Jade Emperor, together with the Queen Mother were under Primordial Lord of Heaven. In other words, even if he did have the Five-colored Magnolia with him, he would not sell or give it to Chen Xiaobei. Clearly, he could not afford to offend Chen XIaobei or anger Shen Gongpao. Being stuck on a fence, he chose to not side with anyone.

Monkey King: @Shennong. Come out now! I saw you reading the chat just now! Don't try to hide from us!

Shennong: Cough… Cough… I'm old… That's why my reaction is a tad bit slow… Please don't get angry at me…

Chen Xiaobei: Elder Shennong… Do you have the Five-colored Magnolia with you?

Shennong: Yes… But…

Monkey King: But what…? Just speak your mind already! Don't waste our time! Xiaobei needs it to save someone's life!

Shennong: I have it with me right now but it is extremely expensive! I'm selling it for three million merit points!

"Damn! He is clearly trying to rob all of my merit points! Not even the most cunning businessman would do something like this!" Chen Xiaobei said, clearly very shocked.

Earlier, Chen Xiaobei had already expected that Shennong would come up with a ridiculous price. Clearly, someone was trying to clean out all the merit points that Chen Xiaobei possessed.

"Luckily Acheron gave me a free antidote! If not, I would have been left penniless!"

Deep inside his heart, he was glad that someone gave him something worth a whopping three million merit points.

Monkey King: Shennong, you old man! Are you crazy?! That's just a Three-star Divine Medicine and you are selling it for three million merit points?! Why don't you go and rob a bank?! Hold on… You can't even rob that much off a bank!

At that moment, no one dared say a single word about it. On one side were Jieism's disciples and the other side were Chanism's disciples. Everyone was just minding their own business. Monkey King was the only exception in the group. With Lady Nuwo and Lord Zhunti backing him up, he could be considered as one of the bravest members in the group. No one in their right mind would criticize Shennong in front of everyone.

Shennnong: Monkey King… You misunderstood my intention… I'm not the one who set this price…

Monkey King: This is your belonging… Who else has the right to set the price for you?!

Chen Xiaobei: Bro… I think Old Shennong is telling the truth here! The total merit points that I have right now is three million! Clearly, someone has taken a peek at the merit points book before setting this price. And we all know who the person is!

Shen Gongpao: You are right! I'm the one that set the price! Are you going to say something about it?

Chen Xiaobei: It's too expensive! I'll try to figure some other ways to save my friend!

Shen Gongpao: So, you think it's expensive? Beg me then! Maybe, I'll give you a 20% discount!

Chen Xiaobei: No thanks! You can keep it for yourself!

Shen Gongpao: Aren't you going to save your friend?

Chen Xiaobei: I'll figure something out myself! I will never spend three million merit points to buy your medicine!

Shen Gongpao: There's no time for you to figure out a way to save your friend! How about… I sell it to you for two million merit points?

Chen Xiaobei: Psst! I will not buy it from you even if you reduce the price to 200,000 merit points!

Shen Gongpao: Chen Xiaobei! Are you going to buy from me or not?! I see it now! I see you are trying to make a fool out of me!

Chen Xiaobei: I was going to buy it from you just now! But, you wanted to sell it to me at a ridiculous price tag! That's why I will never buy it from you unless, you come over here and beg me! Then, I might consider buying it from you for 100,000 merit points!

Shen Gongpao: Beg you?! And only 100,000 merit points?! Who do you think you are?

Chen Xiaobei: Up to you then! Hehe!

Shen Gongpao: You!!!

Yun Zhongzi: Shen Gongpao, stop arguing here! The new candidate for the Three Realms Mission has been chosen! Go and deal with it quickly!

"Yun Zhongzi?! His position is slightly less powerful than the Primordial Lord of Heaven! And he is known as the one of the three vice sect-leaders of Chanism!"

Shen Gongpao: Yes! Let me go and deal with it immediately!

Yun Zhongzi: And! You have to take care of the Chinese Chess Competition as well! The reward which would be given out this time is more valuable than you can imagine! You. Must. Deal. With. It. Properly!

Shen Gongpao: Understood!

"Something weird is going on here! The last time, Shen Gongpao mentioned that the candidate for the Three Realms Mission would be chosen from the underworld realm! And why did Yun Zhongzi stick his nose in the Chinese Chess Competition?! Could these two matters be actually related?

Seeing that Yun Zhongzi had suddenly popped up in the group, Chen Xiaobei suspected that something nasty was going on behind the scenes. Due to the fact that he still could not find any information regarding this matter, there was no way for Chen Xiaobei to take a guess of their evil plan.

"Hold on! Sifu told me that I can go and ask Acheron about things like this if he didn't reply my message! Acheron used to be the ruler of underworld realm! I'm pretty sure that he can help me in this matter!"

Immediately, Chen Xiaobei sent a message to Acheron. Just as expected, Acheron was always available. Seconds later, he replied Chen Xiaobei's message.

Acheron: God Chen, you want to know who is being selected to complete the Three Realms Mission?

Chen Xiaobei: Yes! And I want to know their special abilities and the items that they brought with them!

Acheron: I can go check out the candidate. As for the others, you have to leave them to your luck!

Chen Xiaobei: Alright! I will wait here then…

"I feel like this Three Realms Mission is not as simple as I thought it would be… I really hope that Acheron can find out more about this matter… With that, I can be prepared to deal with any surprises! After all, I'm still not powerful enough! I wouldn't have to worry about anything if my cultivation is soaring high! I really have to figure out something to boost my cultivation!"

"Bro Bei! I have fed all those victims the antidote that you gave me… All the tumors on their bodies are slowly disappearing but their newly acquired powers are still with them!" said Yin Wuqiu while walking towards Chen Xiaobei.

"Newly acquired powesr?"

Taken aback, Chen Xiaobei shot a look at Xiangyu.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Early phase of Celestial cultivation. Lifespan: 303 years. Health: 90,000. Combat power: 70,000!]

"Eh?! Bro Yu's health has increased by 20,000! Is that caused by the biochemical drug?!"

"That should be the case… all those victims look exactly like wild beasts! Their health points are way higher than ordinary elites!"

"If that's the case… Maybe, I should transform myself into Bionic Soldier as well…" said Chen Xiaobei with a smirk on his face.