83: Chapter 83 Guard this place well, I'll be right back.

Linhai Investigation Bureau. Top-floor command room.

The air conditioning temperature was kept constant at twenty-two degrees.

The edges of the documents on the desk were perfectly aligned.

Executive Jiang Xu put down his black fountain pen, keeping it at an angle perfectly parallel to the edge of the desk.

He looked up and out the window.

Thick rain clouds swirled over Linhai City.

Ye Zhiwei was curled up in the leather sofa opposite him.

She wore a baggy white hoodie, and a black ribbon covered her eyes seamlessly.

She held a potato chip in her hand, about to pop it into her mouth.

Her movements froze without warning.

"Crack."

The potato chip was crushed between her fingertips.

Crumbs fell onto the carpet.

Ye Zhiwei did not pay attention to the crumbs.

She turned her head sharply, facing the eastern part of the city.

She pulled down the collar of her hoodie, revealing the lower half of her pale face.

"Captain Jiang."

Her voice was soft, with a noticeable tremor, and she spoke extremely fast.

"Something has come in."

Su Yao was sitting at the conference table, flipping through the defense map.

Upon hearing this, she looked up immediately.

"What is it?" Su Yao asked.

Ye Zhiwei shrank further into the corner of the sofa, hugging her knees with both hands.

"Very strong."

"Five S-class entities." She swallowed hard, "No, six."

The command room instantly fell into a terrifying silence.

Su Yao's pupils constricted.

"Six S-class entities?" Su Yao stood up abruptly, her chair sliding back and hitting the wall.

She knew exactly what this meant.

Linhai City already harbored an unfathomable forbidden monster.

Currently, there was the S-class wanted criminal Bai Cang, the suspected S-class Night Owl, and the soon-to-arrive Queen of Great Britain in the city.

And now, six unknown S-class entities had just dropped in?

Was Linhai City turning into a meat grinder for global high-level Strange Tales?

"Did you see where they came from?" Executive Jiang Xu sat in his original seat, his back straight, his long white windbreaker without a single wrinkle.

His voice was steady, without any emotional fluctuations.

Ye Zhiwei hugged her knees tighter and shook her head repeatedly.

"I can't see clearly. Their auras are shielded."

"But I can see the flow of spiritual energy."

"Five are extremely violent. They are all cores of Strange Tales sequences."

"The last one..." Ye Zhiwei gasped, her body trembling even more violently, "That core is pure black. Bottomless. I only took one look, and my Omni-dimensional Vision sent out a stinging warning. The pressure he gives me... is not inferior to yours, Captain Jiang."

Su Yao's expression was extremely ugly.

"Five S-class Strange Tales sequences, plus one existence that can rival you." She said, enunciating every word, "They might also be here for that monster at the reservoir."

Ye Zhiwei nodded repeatedly.

"W-what should we do? Linhai City cannot withstand the collision of so many powerhouses. Many people will die."

She suggested in a low voice, "Captain Jiang, should we contact the Sanctuary? They are also hosting the Queen of Great Britain, plus the Judgement Legion, perhaps they could stabilize the situation."

She was afraid of death. She was also afraid of the things in the dark.

Since she couldn't see through them, she instinctively wanted to pull in more shining powerhouses to block the disaster.

Executive Jiang Xu extended his slender fingers and pushed the top-secret document, which had shifted by half a centimeter, back into alignment.

The edges of the document were perfectly parallel to the edge of the desk.

He looked up and shook his head.

"No." Executive Jiang Xu's voice was steady. "This is a matter for our Investigation Bureau."

Su Yao's brows knitted into a tight knot. "Jiang Xu, now is not the time to play the hero. You have just fused with the Abyss core, and your physical condition is not stable. This is not the time to gamble with the lives of the entire city just because of your personal grudge with Saintess Lin Xinglan."

"You misunderstood." Executive Jiang Xu's tone was without ripples.

"I do not reject the Sanctuary. But in the current situation, they are the worst partners. Faced with unknown high-level Strange Tales, the Sanctuary's doctrines and style will only lead them to fight to the death blindly. If six S-class entities break out into a chaotic battle in the city, how many people in Linhai City will die?"

Su Yao was stumped. "Then what do we do?"

"I am not trying to be a hero." Executive Jiang Xu leaned back in his chair, "It is because we have a better option now."

Su Yao didn't understand. "A better option? Did High Command send reinforcements?"

Executive Jiang Xu crossed his fingers and placed them in front of him. "Let Night Owl and Bai Cang handle it."

The command room fell into a dead silence for five seconds.

Ye Zhiwei stopped eating her potato chips.

Su Yao took a deep breath, doubting her hearing.

"Are you crazy?" Su Yao slammed the table, "Night Owl is an S-class defector, and Bai Cang is the leader of the Salvation Society! They are wanted criminals across the entire territory! You are actually counting on these two traitors to help the authorities resist foreign enemies?"

Executive Jiang Xu looked at Su Yao and spoke unhurriedly. "They are indeed wanted criminals. But you have overlooked the most important piece of intelligence today."

Executive Jiang Xu tapped the desktop. A holographic projection lit up, revealing the diplomatic note interface from the Queen of Great Britain.

"The Queen of Great Britain suddenly endorsed a Great Xia wanted criminal. Yesterday, Bai Cang even appeared at the port to save Night Owl."

Executive Jiang Xu analyzed clearly. "There must be some complex interest binding between these three people. The Queen arrives tomorrow, and six unknown S-class entities just happened to infiltrate Linhai at this juncture. Do you think Night Owl and Bai Cang will sit idly by?"

Su Yao was stunned. "If these six S-class entities are here for the Queen, they will definitely make a move. If they are here for that monster at the reservoir, they will definitely pass through Linhai's urban area. And this place is Night Owl's base, and Bai Cang hasn't left yet either."

Executive Jiang Xu's eyes were deep and cold. "We just need to muddy the waters. Let them hold the front line. The Investigation Bureau will close the net from the rear."

Su Yao's eye twitched. Gambling on two traitors.

This logic sounded extremely absurd, but in the current situation, it was impeccable.

Executive Jiang Xu was that kind of person. Extreme rationality brought extreme madness.

Ye Zhiwei raised her hand weakly. "Captain Jiang, but what if Night Owl and Bai Cang can't beat those six S-class entities?"

Executive Jiang Xu suddenly smiled. This kind of smile rarely appeared on his face.

"Isn't there already a backup plan?" Executive Jiang Xu's gaze did not look at the documents on the table, but landed straight on Su Yao. "As expected of a Rebirth."

Su Yao's pupils constricted. Her muscles tightened instinctively, entering Level 1 combat readiness.

Ye Zhiwei turned her head left and right, confused.

Executive Jiang Xu's tone was steady: "When Ye Zhiwei reported the invasion of the six S-class entities just now, your emotional fluctuations were too great, and your aura leaked."

Su Yao was silent.

Executive Jiang Xu continued. "Your registered identity has always been a Psionic Martial Artist. Psionic Martial Artists rely on accumulating years of polishing their physical bodies and condensing spiritual energy. This path is extremely difficult; reaching A-class is already rare, and S-class is legendary."

Executive Jiang Xu paused and stared into Su Yao's eyes. "But the aura you leaked just now was not martial energy. It was an extremely pure, extremely violent spiritual energy mutation. This is the mark of an Awakened."

Awakened. A spiritual energy mutation that occurs after the mind is stimulated or after contacting the rules of Strange Tales. The upper limit is very high, and the lower limit is very low.

Executive Jiang Xu's voice slowed down, but carried a powerful sense of oppression. "It is impossible for a Martial Artist to become an Awakened overnight. It is even more impossible to be S-class right upon Awakening."

The command room fell silent again.

Ye Zhiwei exclaimed: "Sister Su Yao, you are S-class?"

Su Yao did not deny it. She slowly relaxed her body. A circle of pale golden flame patterns lit up along the skin of her neck, extending down to below her collarbone.

The temperature in the air rose instantly. This was not ordinary fire. This was an S-class Awakened ability, combined with a certain qualitative change brought about by memories of a past life.

Executive Jiang Xu nodded. "It seems that after your Rebirth, you made some preparations that others cannot understand. You have mastered some kind of path to directly acquire S-class Awakened power."

"This is my secret." Su Yao said coldly. "I need to protect my family. If I don't have enough power, what can I use to fight the Abyss?"

Executive Jiang Xu did not pry further. "Everyone has secrets. As long as you are still fighting for the Human Race, High Command will not question the source of your power."

Su Yao looked at Executive Jiang Xu. "Since you have seen through my strength, you still want to execute that plan from earlier?"

Executive Jiang Xu inserted the black fountain pen back into the pen holder. "Yes."

"Specialist Su. You are now S-class. Plus me, we have two open cards."

"Night Owl and Bai Cang are two hole cards."

"The Queen of Great Britain is a guest card."

Executive Jiang Xu stood up, walked to the holographic map, and tapped his knuckles on the boundary line between the eastern and northern parts of Linhai City. "The six unknown S-class Strange Tales are our prey."

"Regardless of their purpose, I will ensure they cannot even take a complete corpse out of Linhai City."

Su Yao looked at the map, deep in thought.

"So, what is the next step?" Su Yao asked.

Executive Jiang Xu smoothed out the non-existent creases on his long white trench coat and spoke in a calm tone.

"Since Ye Zhiwei has already captured their location, as the host, it is only natural that I should go and greet them first."

"You are going to test six unknown S-rank individuals by yourself?"

Su Yao's brows furrowed. "I will go with you. Having one more S-rank will increase our chances."

"No need." Executive Jiang Xu's voice was devoid of ripples. "Testing them is only one reason. More importantly, this fish pond is too calm; someone needs to throw a stone into it first."

He raised his eyes. "Since we want to bring the two hidden cards, Night Owl and Bai Cang, into the game, we must first create some commotion. We need to let them know that several 'guests' who might be detrimental to them have arrived in Linhai City. If no one knocks on the door, how will they come out to welcome the guests?"

Su Yao wanted to argue further: "But..."

"There are no 'buts'. No one knows yet that you possess S-rank power; it shouldn't be wasted on blind probing." Executive Jiang Xu's tone was unquestionable. He glanced at Ye Zhiwei in the corner. "Omni-dimensional Vision is the eye of this game. The command room cannot be empty, and her safety must be guaranteed. You stay here and manage the overall situation with her."

Hearing her name, Ye Zhiwei immediately shrank deeper into the sofa. Her soft, sweet voice trembled, and she spoke at a rapid pace.

"C-Captain Jiang is right! Sister Su Yao, please don't go. I'm afraid of the dark and afraid of dying. What if those monsters sneak into the command room and eat me..."

Executive Jiang Xu ignored her and turned to walk toward the door.

His long white trench coat swept a cold arc through the air.

"Guard this place. I will be back shortly."

...

Linhai Sanctuary base. Third underground floor.

The white stone door slowly closed, cutting off all external communication signals.

Saintess Lin Xinglan stood before the circular altar.

She had changed out of her yesterday's Saintess robes and was wearing a silver-white battle suit, with a Saint's Judgment short sword hanging at her waist.

In the center of the altar, a fist-sized golden crystal core was floating.

There was light within the crystal core. The light seemed to lock away an inverted sky.

Lin Wanqing stood behind her, her fingers resting on an intelligence dossier.

She did not look at the crystal core. She was looking at the map of Linhai City.

The Northern Reservoir was circled in red. Linhai No. 2 High School was also circled.

Lin Wanqing did not circle the old Su family district. She pressed her finger on that location.

Saintess Lin Xinglan turned around. "Master."

Lin Wanqing looked up. "Has Night Owl's identity been found?"

Saintess Lin Xinglan shook her head. "No."

Lin Wanqing asked again: "What about Bai Cang?"

Saintess Lin Xinglan was silent for a moment. "Neither."

Only silence remained in the air.

Lin Wanqing chuckled. "Has the Sanctuary's intelligence System been taken by someone to sift flour?"

Saintess Lin Xinglan's expression stiffened. The words were not heavy, but they stung.

"Night Owl uses the Abyss Black Flame, and Bai Cang uses water-type rules. Both possess extremely strong anti-reconnaissance capabilities," Saintess Lin Xinglan said. "The port battlefield was interfered with by Executive Jiang Xu's gravity field and the fluctuations from the Northern Reservoir, leaving the residual traces chaotic."

Lin Wanqing opened the dossier. "So, an S-rank wanted criminal, Night Owl."

"A Salvation Society leader, Bai Cang."

"A taboo monster at the Northern Reservoir."

"A Queen of Great Britain."

She finished reading and closed the dossier. "Linhai City really has potential."

Saintess Lin Xinglan did not respond. She knew Lin Wanqing was suppressing her anger.

The temper of the former Saintess of the Sanctuary was never judged by the volume of her voice. The calmer she was, the more dangerous she became.

Saintess Lin Xinglan turned and looked at the golden crystal core in the center of the altar. "That monster at the Northern Reservoir cannot be left alive."

Lin Wanqing looked at her. Saintess Lin Xinglan enunciated every word.

"It devours Half-step King Level entities."

"It alters the five senses."

"It seals the abyss rift."

"And it treats humans as a pasture."

She gripped the hilt of her short sword. "For an existence like this, once it takes that final step, civilization will have no right to negotiate."

Lin Wanqing said: "You cannot defeat it."

Saintess Lin Xinglan nodded. "I know."

"Executive Jiang Xu cannot defeat it either."

"Even if I join forces with you, it is not enough."

She did not try to act tough. Saintess Lin Xinglan had read the report on the Northern Reservoir scene seven times.

Executive Jiang Xu was not weak. Ye Zhiwei's Omni-dimensional Vision was not for show, either.

But they hadn't even figured out the main body of that thing. This was a gap in status. It could not be filled by numbers.

Lin Wanqing asked: "So you are prepared to use the Sanctuary's Foundation?"

Saintess Lin Xinglan looked at the crystal core. "Holy Source."

As the two words fell, the twelve stone pillars surrounding the altar lit up with patterns simultaneously.

Lin Wanqing's gaze darkened. Holy Source. The true Foundation of the Sanctuary.

Legend has it that it is neither a Spiritual Qi mineral vein nor a taboo object. It is a fragment of rule debris that fell from the 'Heavenly Divine Kingdom.'

The source of all the Sanctuary's God-gifted individuals comes from it.

Saintess Lin Xinglan was able to become the current Saintess and obtain S-rank God-gifted power because she was acknowledged by the Holy Source when she was seventeen.

In other words, the Holy Source is not a weapon. It is the Sanctuary's ancestral grave, granary, and throne. A trinity.

Lin Wanqing looked at her. "You know what activating the Holy Source means."

Saintess Lin Xinglan said: "I do."

"The Sanctuary headquarters will be weakened."

"External God-gifted individuals will lose a portion of their protection."

"If the Holy Source is damaged, the Sanctuary's Foundation will be shaken."

Lin Wanqing continued: "It may also awaken something deep within the Holy Source."

Saintess Lin Xinglan's fingers paused. "Master knows about that too?"

Lin Wanqing said indifferently: "I didn't leave the Sanctuary back then because I thought the robes didn't look good."

Saintess Lin Xinglan: "..."

This reason had indeed circulated within the Sanctuary. There were quite a few versions.

Some said the former Saintess defected for love. Some said she was tired of power. Others said she complained the Sanctuary's food was too vegetarian.

Now it seems the last one is the most absurd. And the most likely to be true.

Lin Wanqing looked back at the map. "The Investigation Bureau won't just sit around and do nothing."

"Executive Jiang Xu has been transformed by the abyss rules, and his thinking is colder than before."

"He doesn't necessarily want to kill that monster."

Saintess Lin Xinglan frowned. "He wants to use it?"

"Not just wants to," Lin Wanqing said, "he is already finding a way."

She pointed her finger at Linhai No. 2 High School. "Gu Lang."

Saintess Lin Xinglan's eyes changed. "That Strange Talk Sequence adapter?"

"Sequence 033, Corpse-eating Dog," Lin Wanqing said. "The aura on him has an inducing effect on high-level Strange Tales."

Saintess Lin Xinglan immediately asked: "Will he threaten Little Yun's safety?"

After saying this, she herself paused. It was too fast. It barely passed through her brain.

Lin Wanqing glanced at her. Saintess Lin Xinglan looked away.

"I mean, Little Yun is Master's son and holds my Saintess token. The Sanctuary has a responsibility to protect him."

Lin Wanqing smiled. "Mm. A very good explanation."

Saintess Lin Xinglan's ears felt a bit hot.

Lin Wanqing didn't continue teasing her. "Gu Lang won't touch Little Yun."

"Although he is of the Strange Talk Sequence, he is a person of the Investigation Bureau."

"No matter how crazy Executive Jiang Xu is, he won't let Gu Lang harm civilians at the school."

She paused. "Moreover, if Gu Lang really were to harm Little Yun..."

Lin Wanqing did not finish. Saintess Lin Xinglan looked at her.

Lin Wanqing had already lowered her head to organize the map.

Saintess Lin Xinglan inexplicably felt that the second half of that sentence probably shouldn't be written into the Sanctuary meeting minutes.

Lin Wanqing suddenly snorted coldly. "That woman, on the other hand."

Saintess Lin Xinglan knew who she was talking about. "Queen of Great Britain."

Lin Wanqing closed the map. "Why come to Linhai at this time?"

"The reservoir monster hasn't been dealt with. Night Owl and Bai Cang's identities are a mystery. Yet she insists on bringing the princess and the Royal Guard."

Lin Wanqing tossed the dossier onto the table. "Neglecting her proper duties."

Saintess Lin Xinglan was silent. She actually wanted to say that the Queen issued the diplomatic note for Night Owl, and Night Owl is suspected to be related to Bai Cang. The more this matter is investigated, the more it resembles a chaotic stew.

Lin Wanqing looked up. "Prepare the Holy Source projection. If that monster appears, erase it directly."

She turned and left the altar. "The Sanctuary will not be a pawn. Either we don't enter the game, or we flip the table."