As night fell, Chi Chen, Lin Bai, and Qing Sheng slumped listlessly on the sofa in the shop. On the table in front of them were dozens of empty milk bottles.
Beside him stood Zhang Rong, his brows furrowed and his face slightly flushed.
How could he have put ghost peppers in like regular peppers?
"jingle!"
The sound of wind chimes at the entrance broke the long silence inside the shop.
"Captain? You're back?"
At the entrance, three figures stepped into the store simultaneously.
Chi Chen breathed out a puff of air and looked up, only to see three completely unfamiliar faces.
Of the three, the one on the right is tall and rather thin, the one in the middle is slightly chubby with a kind-looking face, and the one on the left is rather delicate-looking, though he is dressed as a man but has the appearance of a woman.
"These are our two new recruits, right? They're both quite handsome. Zhou Yan, your looks are going to drop down again. Oh, right, it doesn't really matter, you've always been at the bottom of our team anyway!"
The tall man on the right nudged the middle man named Zhou Yan with his elbow and said in a teasing tone.
"Go away, how are you any better than me?"
Zhou Yan rolled his eyes, not wanting to argue with that tall guy; he was just a chatterbox.
"Come on, Chi Chen, Lin Bai, let me introduce you to the last three members of our Green Face Squad!"
Seeing this, Qingsheng picked up another bottle of milk, took a big gulp, and came over to the three of them.
"This tall guy is called Xiao Feng. His defining characteristic is that he's a chatterbox and annoying. The one in the middle, as you just heard, is called Zhou Yan. He's a kind-hearted guy who always helps old ladies cross the street. As for this guy who looks like a girl, his name is Ye Bo. He has a similar personality to Li Yun, and he's also the introverted type!"
Qingsheng briefly introduced the three of them to the two men from left to right, and then pointed to Chi Chen and Lin Bai and gave them a brief introduction.
"What's there to introduce? You've been nagging us about it so much these past two months while they were gone!"
Xiao Feng looked at Chi Chen and Lin Bai, and said with a smile:
Welcome home!
After exchanging a glance with Qing Sheng, Zhou Yan and Ye Bo also gave Chi Chen and Lin Bai a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chi Chen and Lin Bai were stunned. Although they had never met these three people before, they could clearly feel from the smiles on their faces that they were absolutely sincere.
There were three of them, with warm smiles on their faces.
"Welcome home?"
These few simple words left Chi Chen and Lin Bai somewhat dazed; they had thought they had long since lost their home.
"Thanks!"
Chi Chen and Lin Bai exchanged a smile and sincerely thanked each other.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng and the other two smiled even more broadly. In the past two months, they had already heard about what had happened to Chi Chen and Lin Bai from Qing Sheng. Especially Chi Chen, even just from Qing Sheng, they found it hard to imagine how a boy of only twelve or thirteen years old had endured that painful time.
Therefore, they had already discussed it and decided that when Chi Chen and Lin Bai returned, they should give them a warm feeling of returning home.
Standing behind the bar, Zhang Rong looked at the scene before him and smiled. This was the feeling he liked.
Under the eerie red moon, inside the fried chicken shop, the dim lights seemed to radiate boundless warmth, and the sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air, as if the fried chicken shop was completely isolated from the strange world outside.
...
The next morning, Chi Chen and Lin Bai got up early and went to the fried chicken shop.
"Hehe, Chi Chen and Lin Bai are back? Let your sister see them, they both seem to have become even more handsome!"
Inside the fried chicken shop, Xiang Qing, who had just entered while yawning, immediately lit up when she saw Chi Chen and Lin Bai. She went up to them and grabbed one of their faces to examine them closely.
This made Chi Chen and Lin Bai blush, and they were somewhat at a loss for words.
Behind Xiang Qing, Chen Sheng and Li Yun, their faces also showing some fatigue, gave the two of them a smile.
Chi Chen and Lin Bai cast a pleading look at Qing Sheng, who was standing to the side, but this time, Qing Sheng just shrugged, indicating that he was powerless to help.
"Alright, stop fooling around. You've all worked hard all night, go and get some rest. Chi Chen and Qing Sheng still have to go out on patrol!"
Finally, after Chi Chen and Lin Bai's prayers, Zhang Rong came out of the kitchen. Looking at the scene before him, he rubbed his temples helplessly and spoke up to help Chi Chen and Lin Bai out of the predicament.
"So fast? Didn't they just get back?"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Qing frowned and looked at Zhang Rong.
"They're not as weak as you think. These two kids combined are no weaker than either of you."
Zhang Rong smiled and spoke, but didn't finish his sentence. He knew about Chi Chen's performance in the new recruit training camp. He had single-handedly killed four mysterious beings at the Solid Realm level and even one at the Ascension Realm. This combat power was no weaker than Xiang Qing and the others, and might even be stronger. However, in order not to hurt Qing Sheng and the others' self-esteem, Zhang Rong didn't tell them everything.
However, at Zhang Rong's request, Xiao Rulai did not inquire about the nature of the 'hope' within Chi Chen.
In Zhang Rong's view, since 'Hope' had chosen Chi Chen, they didn't need to interfere too much. They only needed to provide Chi Chen with the necessary protection so that he could grow up smoothly, and let everything take its course.
"Oh? You've improved that much in just one training camp? You must have performed quite well during the camp, right?"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Qing narrowed her long, narrow eyes into crescent moons and smiled at the two of them.
Inside the fried chicken shop, everyone's expressions turned somewhat strange upon hearing this, especially Qing Sheng, whose hands unconsciously clenched into fists again.
Chi Chen and Lin Bai exchanged a glance, just about to make a move.
"Hurry, hurry! Get on patrol!"
Upon seeing this, Qingsheng quickly pushed the two out the door, as if driving away some plague.
Upon seeing this, Xiang Qing, Chen Sheng, and Li Yun all wore extremely puzzled expressions. What was going on?
Chi Chen and Lin Bai stood outside the door, carrying long boxes, looking slightly aggrieved. It was just that Xiao Feng had casually asked them a question last night, and they had just casually put on their medals and casually mentioned their rings.
What, I can't even say anything if I do well?
Where is the warmth of home we were promised? Not only do we not reward our child for good behavior outside, but we also complain about it.
Chi Chen and Lin Bai turned and left, their figures appearing slightly desolate in the chilly wind.
Inside the door, Qingsheng's lips twitched again as he watched the two acting like drama queens. Then, under the puzzled gazes of Xiang Qing and the other two, he recounted what had happened yesterday with a face full of black lines.
"Hehehehe..."
Soon, Xiang Qing's clear laughter echoed from inside the fried chicken shop, and even Chen Sheng and Li Yun couldn't help but laugh out loud.
...
In the western part of Luan Ning District, Chi Chen and Lin Bai, cloaked and carrying long boxes, walked through a small alley. Today was their first patrol mission. The two of them released their spiritual power, constantly sensing whether there were any mysterious auras around them.
"Chi Chen, just how strong is the captain? That battle fluctuation outside the mountains that day, was it the captain who caused it? Even from that distance, that battle fluctuation still made my heart tremble."
Lin Bai recalled the events of that day and asked Chi Chen with an excited expression.
Upon hearing this, Chi Chen recalled the scene that had unfolded outside the mountains that day. The area where Zhang Rong was located was constantly filled with thunder and the occasional roar of a beast that made them tremble. It was like an apocalyptic scene, but in the end, it was Zhang Rong who came to their side, which showed just how terrifying Zhang Rong's strength was.
Now, when Chi Chen thinks back to his sparring sessions with Zhang Rong, he realizes he was a bit too arrogant. He fears that if Zhang Rong were to use even a little bit of his true skill, he would be instantly brought down.
"Keep working hard, we'll be just like our captain someday!"
Chi Chen looked up at the sky. He was confident that he would eventually reach a level comparable to Zhang Rong, or even surpass Zhang Rong. Otherwise, how could he live up to the taboo of the 001 sequence?
"Um!"
Lin Bai was also full of fighting spirit. With his annihilation ability, he believed that he was no worse than others.
"Ring ring!"
Just as the two were dreaming about the future, Chi Chen's phone suddenly rang.
"Okay? Got it, we'll head over right away!"
Chi Chen answered the phone, gave a somewhat serious reply, and then quickly hung up.
"A mysterious creature, possibly at the Solid Mirror Realm, has appeared over Qinghua Park. The Public Security Bureau has cordoned off the area. Let's go there quickly!"
Chi Chen and Lin Bai moved quickly through the alley. The western part of Luan Ning District was the place they were most familiar with, and the two chose the shortest road to head towards Qinghua Park.
Ten minutes later, Chi Chen and Lin Bai arrived at the perimeter of Qinghua Park, which had been cordoned off. The Public Security Bureau personnel were still carrying out evacuation work.
"Two tigers have appeared in the park. Unauthorized personnel should leave immediately to avoid accidental injury. Please move aside, we will handle the situation as soon as possible. Again, unauthorized personnel should not gather and should leave immediately!"
Outside the cordon, personnel from the Public Security Bureau were constantly using loudspeakers to evacuate residents.
"Are you members of the Green-Faced Squad sent to deal with the mysterious person?"
As soon as Chi Chen and Lin Bai arrived, a member of the Public Security Bureau stepped forward to inquire. However, there was still a clear look of doubt on his face. Judging from their attire, the two were obviously from the Secret Bureau, but they were two completely new faces that he had never seen before.
"Hello, we are new members of the Green Face Squad. What's the current situation?"
Chi Chen spoke, dispelling the man's doubts.
Upon hearing this, the man stopped hesitating and spoke:
"At first, we only had one mysterious creature at the Radiant Realm, so we dispatched two eight-man special forces teams to surround and kill it. However, out of the sixteen special forces team members, only one person escaped with serious injuries. According to him, the mysterious creature resembled a tiger, was very fast, and possessed a strange ability. They were almost completely wiped out within minutes of encountering the mysterious creature! Therefore, we deduce that it was very likely a mysterious creature at the peak of the Solid Mirror Realm, or even possibly at the Ascension Realm!"
The man, looking rather grim, explained the situation. Looking at Chi Chen and Lin Bai's still somewhat immature faces, he couldn't help but doubt whether the two could handle the mystery in Qinghua Park.
In various regions of Great Xia, in addition to the special Mystery-Slaying Squads that handle mysteries, the Public Security Bureau also has special teams to deal with mysteries below the Solid Mirror level. This is because mysteries below the Solid Mirror level are not usually fatally injured, and special teams can handle them with modern firearms. Moreover, each Mystery-Slaying Squad has a limited number of personnel, and some members are often out on missions, making it impossible to cover every mysterious event. Therefore, the Public Security Bureau's special teams are indispensable.
"Okay, thank you!"
Upon hearing this, Chi Chen and Lin Bai exchanged a glance, then left the crowd and quietly set up a cordon in the park, choosing a spot with the fewest people.
Seeing this, the man breathed a slight sigh of relief, because when he mentioned earlier that the mysterious creature might be a creature at the Ascension Realm, he had not seen the slightest bit of panic on the faces of the two boys.
However, the moment Chi Chen and Lin Bai stepped into the forest, the only surviving special forces member in the ambulance next to them slightly raised his head and looked at their backs through the crack in the door. A strange light seemed to flash in his eyes.
Qinghua Park is the largest park in the western part of Luanning District. Inside the park, there is a well-preserved grove of trees, which is now the mysterious hiding place of that creature.
As soon as Chi Chen and Lin Bai entered the forest, a stench of blood wafted into their nostrils on the cold wind.
Chi Chen and Lin Bai exchanged a glance, opened the long box, and took out a long sword and held it in their hands.
Chi Chen touched the ring on his hand, and several transparent, almost invisible threads emanated from the ring, extending in all directions under Chi Chen's control.
"Is this the purpose of this ring?"
Lin Bai looked at the ring in Chi Chen's hand with some curiosity.
"Hmm, this third-tier forbidden artifact is called the Thread Domain. It can extend into a maximum of ten transparent threads. Under the control of my mental power, I can freely control the softness and hardness of the threads. Using it to explore will give us a slightly wider range than our mental power!"
Chi Chen carefully sensed the movements coming from the silk threads. After a short while, the movements coming from one of the silk threads were noticeably more pronounced than those from the other directions.
"Over there!"
Chi Chen withdrew the rest of the silk threads, leaving only one for better control, and instantly headed in that direction, with Lin Bai quickly following.
A few minutes later, Chi Chen and Lin Bai saw the mysterious tiger-shaped figure, but what it was doing made Chi Chen and Lin Bai furious.
The mysterious tiger-shaped mouth was slowly chewing on half a body, with the sound of bones cracking constantly coming from its mouth. That half body belonged to a special forces member who had entered earlier.
Damn it!
Chi Chen's face was gloomy. He instantly activated his Battle Domain and Battle Saint Armor, and drew his sword. Lin Bai's face was also grim. He put his fingers together, and an Annihilation Star exploded around the tiger-shaped mystery.
Following the flames, an angry roar of a beast rang out, and a mysterious tiger-shaped body leaped out from behind the flames, revealing a charred wound on its body.
"Not yet at the Ascension Realm!"
Seeing this, Chi Chen felt a slight sense of relief. He then moved in front of the mysterious tiger, his long sword flashing with a cold light as he swung it down fiercely.
"roar!"
The tiger-shaped mystery roared again, and a giant claw instantly rose and slammed down, its massive body crushing towards Chi Chen.
bite--!
As if the sound of metal clashing together could be heard, the longsword in Chi Chen's hand collided with the mysterious tiger-shaped claws.
With a swing of the longsword, under the full power of Chi Chen's Battle Saint Intent and the enhancement of the special longsword, the tiger-shaped mystery's incredibly hard claws were instantly severed by Chi Chen at the root. A stream of bloody green spurted from its claws. Chi Chen dodged the pool of blood and quickly moved to the side of the tiger-shaped mystery.
"Roar!"
The tiger-shaped mystery was injured again, letting out an angry and painful roar. It couldn't understand why these two humans, whose mental strength was lower than its own, could so easily break through its defenses and injure it.
The tiger-shaped creature tried to twist its body and strike Chi Chen again, but it suddenly felt as if its body had become incredibly heavy, and its speed was greatly reduced.
A disdainful smile appeared on Chi Chen's lips. This was something he had learned from the monkey. Last time, when the monkey controlled his body, Chi Chen had memorized the use of the Battle Domain.
But the Tiger Form's mystical realm was undeniable, and driven by powerful spiritual energy, its speed gradually increased. Just as it was about to raise its other paw, two gunshots rang out from not far away, and two bullets whistled towards its head.
At that moment, Tiger-shaped Mystery seemed to be facing certain death, but the next second, to the surprise of Chi Chen and Lin Bai, Tiger-shaped Mystery's figure vanished in front of them, and two bullets whizzed past Chi Chen.
"Lin Bai, watch out behind you!"
Chi Chen winced in pain and shouted loudly.
Lin Bai's reaction was also strong. As soon as Chi Chen shouted, he noticed the abnormality behind him and instantly turned around and held his long sword horizontally behind him.
"Bang!"
The giant claw collided with the longsword, and Lin Bai's body flew forward. He tasted a sweetness in his mouth, and a trace of blood flowed out. Chi Chen flashed and caught Lin Bai's body.
"This cloak is truly amazing!"
Chi Chen glanced at Lin Bai's back. Despite the mysterious tiger-shaped claw strike, Lin Bai's cloak remained completely undamaged.
The two steadied themselves and looked at the mysterious tiger-shaped creature that was eyeing them menacingly.
It actually has the ability to teleport!
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