Looking at the corpses of the Japanese ninjas on the ground, Zhang Shaozhong felt no emotion whatsoever.
Having experienced the events involving the Ghost King and the Blood Demon Ancestor, this kind of conflict involving low-level minions hardly stirred any emotion within him.
All he wanted to do now was get back to his little nest as soon as possible, to properly process what he had learned from his trip to Qingcheng Mountain, and, incidentally... to think about how to deal with the increasingly complicated situation.
Su Lan directed her team to handle the scene, collect the body, and gather evidence, keeping them extremely busy.
The look in her eyes as she gazed at Zhang Shaozhong and the other two was more complex than before, filled with gratitude and even more awe.
"Mr. Zhang, Fairy Ling, Ms. Ye, we really owe you a lot this time."
Su Lan walked over, her tone sincere, "We will complete the follow-up investigation and report as soon as possible. Regarding the remuneration and points..."
"Those aren't urgent."
Zhang Shaozhong interrupted her, as he was more concerned with something else. "Captain Su, your official sources are well-informed. Have any similar...abnormal events occurred in other places besides Qingcheng Mountain recently? Or, have there been any unusual movements by cultivators from Japan...um, like these ninjas?"
Upon hearing this, Su Lan's expression also turned serious: "To be honest, Mr. Zhang, reports of unusual events worldwide have indeed been on the rise in recent months. In addition to China, some phenomena and creatures that cannot be explained by science have appeared in Southeast Asia, Europe, and even the Americas. As for Japan... we have indeed detected some abnormal energy fluctuations, but we are still collecting specific information. The infiltration of Yagyu Kametarou and his group this time is a signal."
She paused, then lowered her voice and said, "Based on some ancient records and scattered intelligence within our organization, it is possible that... the entire world is entering a 'period of activity,' or rather, that something that was originally isolated is re-emerging."
Zhang Shaozhong's heart sank. This coincided with Ling Qingxue's speculation about the barrier between the two worlds!
It seems the troubles are not limited to one place.
"I understand, thank you."
Zhang Shao nodded emphatically, "Please contact me anytime if there are any new developments."
He didn't linger any longer and, together with Ling Qingxue and Ye Meier, boarded the official car and began their return journey.
On the way back, the atmosphere inside the car was even more somber than on the way there.
Zhang Shaozhong stared at the scenery rushing past the window, his mind a jumbled mess.
The shadow of the Blood Demon Ancestor, the harassment from the Japanese ninjas, and the global anomalies mentioned by the authorities... all of this points to one fact—the world they live in is becoming no longer "ordinary" for some reason.
"Damn it, why is it so hard to live a peaceful life..." he couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.
Hearing this, Ye Meier, who was sitting next to him, scoffed and poked his head with her slender finger: "Peaceful life? Kid, from the moment you were tied to the two of us, you can forget about having a peaceful life! This is fate, understand?"
Ling Qingxue, sitting in the front row, spoke calmly: "Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune. Although the spiritual energy in this realm is thin, the entanglements of cause and effect are no simpler than in the upper realm. Only by increasing our strength can we cope with all changes."
Zhang Shaozhong sighed. He understood the reasoning, but the troubles that followed were really making it hard to breathe.
The car finally returned to the familiar courtyard on the outskirts of the city.
As soon as he got out of the car, looking at the peaceful and serene courtyard shrouded in the modified Yin-Yang Micro Dust Array, Zhang Shaozhong's tense nerves relaxed a little.
No matter how strong the wind and rain are outside, this place is always a safe haven.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, the courtyard was exactly the same as when he left. The spirit-gathering array was slowly operating, bringing a meager amount of spiritual energy.
Zhang Shaozhong took a deep breath and felt completely at ease.
"Finally back! Home is the most comfortable place!"
He stretched, feeling even more tired than if he had fought the Ghost King.
As soon as Ye Meier entered the door, she kicked off her shoes and collapsed onto the living room sofa without any regard for her image, yelling, "I'm exhausted! Head of household, hurry up and get something good to eat! Meat! Big chunks of meat!"
Ling Qingxue went straight to the core of the spirit-gathering array where she often meditated, sat down cross-legged, and began to regulate her breathing. Clearly, she had also experienced some exhaustion and insights during this trip to Qingcheng Mountain.
Zhang Shaozhong resignedly tied on his apron and went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator; there was still quite a bit of food inside.
He quickly started washing vegetables and cutting meat, preparing to make a simple hot pot, which was convenient and easy.
Just as he was busy preparing the broth, Ye Meier strolled in, hugged him from behind, rested her chin on his shoulder, and looked at the bubbling red oil in the pot, clicking her tongue and saying, "Oh, hot pot? Not bad, not bad! Put more chili!"
Zhang Shaozhong stiffened and said helplessly, "Big sister, I'm cooking, don't mess around."
"Who's causing trouble?"
Ye Meier pinched him in annoyance, "I'm just cheering you on!"
As she spoke, she suddenly leaned close to his ear, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of ambiguity, "You did a good job today, so tonight... I'll give you a 'special reward'?"
Zhang Shao's hand trembled, almost spilling the entire can of chili peppers into the pot. His ears instantly turned red: "You...you're talking nonsense!"
"Who's talking nonsense?"
Ye Meier laughed like a little fox, "Look at this hypocrite, meditating as soon as he gets back, how boring! I'm much better to you than your older sister, right?"
Just then, Ling Qingxue's cold voice came from the living room: "Mei'er, don't disturb Shao Zhong."
Ye Meier pouted, made a face towards the living room, but still let go of Zhang Shaozhong and swayed her hips as she left.
Zhang Shaozhong breathed a sigh of relief and quickly focused on cooking.
By the time he had brought the hot pot and side dishes to the table, Ling Qingxue had finished her meditation and came over.
The three of them sat around the dining table again, the steaming hot pot dispelling some of their fatigue and the gloom brought by the outside world.
While eating hot pot, Zhang Shaozhong couldn't help but bring up his experiences and worries from the day: "Fairy, eldest sister, do you think that Blood Demon Ancestor's clone or something else might already be lurking somewhere else? And those Japanese ninjas, I don't think they're easy to deal with either."
Ling Qingxue picked up a piece of green vegetable and said calmly, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. The most urgent task is to improve our strength. I have just achieved Golden Core and need to stabilize my realm and try to refine higher-level pills. Shaozhong, you are in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage and your use of Chaos Qi is still shallow, so you need to practice more. Mei'er, you are in the mid-Body Forging stage, and you can also try to break through to the late stage."
Ye Meier, sipping a piece of tripe, said nonchalantly, "I know, I know! Let's cultivate! But before that..."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Zhang Shaozhong, licking her red lips. "Let's deliver the 'reward' first!"
Zhang Shaozhong: "..." He felt immense pressure being the "head of household"!
The hotpot meal ended amidst Ye Meier's "eager gaze" and Zhang Shaozhong's restlessness.
After clearing away the dishes, Zhang Shaozhong looked out at the deep night sky and then at his companions, one as aloof as the moon and the other as alluring as fire. The anxiety he felt due to the turmoil in the outside world seemed to have lessened considerably.
Regardless of the raging floods outside, let's protect our own little corner of the world first!
He took a deep breath, and his eyes hardened.
"Cultivation!"
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