"While a direct confrontation might offer a chance of victory, I'm not that foolish," Han Feng readily admitted. "Therefore, we'll be operating in two groups this time." He pointed to Dongfang Wantang, "Miss Dongfang and I will enter the Nangong family under the guise of a visit, while the five of you will remain hidden on the perimeter to provide support."
Night Owl astutely grasped the key point: "Is the captain planning to outsmart us?"
"Not bad." Han Feng took out five miniature earpieces from his tactical bag. "These are the latest quantum communication devices, capable of penetrating the conventional interference of ancient martial arts families. Miss Dongfang has already calculated the weak points of the Nangong family's defensive formation; if necessary, you can break in from here."
Viper picked up the fallen coin and suddenly asked, "Captain, if... I mean, if the situation gets out of control, is there an evacuation plan?"
"Yes." Han Feng's eyes became unfathomable. "If the situation gets out of control, I will have you evacuate beforehand."
This cold response actually made the team members nervous—this task was far from as easy as they had imagined.
"One last thing," Han Feng's voice suddenly softened, "This mission is SS-level dangerous. Anyone who wants to withdraw can do so now. I guarantee it won't affect your future development."
Five seconds of silence.
The tower was the first to step forward: "Captain, I'm with you."
"Count me in," Night Owl followed.
"I'm a cultivator now, after all. I'll inevitably have to deal with these ancient martial arts families in the future, so it's better to get to them sooner rather than later." The venomous snake flicked the coin into the air and caught it again.
Yu Die smiled slightly: "My butterfly knife hasn't tasted the blood of a cultivator yet."
Chen Feng was the last to step forward, his eyes burning with fighting spirit: "Captain, give the order!"
Han Feng's lips curled into a slight smile as he took out five vials of a bluish liquid from his robes. This was the marrow essence that Ling had given him the previous night to temporarily boost his strength: "This is marrow essence. It can temporarily raise your cultivation level by one small realm. After you consume it, you can temporarily reach the Innate Realm, but it will only last for one hour. The side effect is a 24-hour period of weakness afterward."
The team members carefully took the bone marrow fluid handed over by Han Feng and put it away.
"Remember, this is just insurance," Han Feng warned sternly. "Our advantage lies in surprise, not brute force."
Dongfang Wantang stepped forward, holding the tablet Han Feng had given her: "The layout of the Nangong Family Manor is as follows..."
Just as Han Feng's team was making preparations in full swing, undercurrents were also swirling within Nangong Manor. Nangong Wentian stood in front of the ancestral hall, watching his clansmen carry boxes of medicine into a secret room. These "gifts" from Mu Xiaoxiao could grant acquired martial artists innate combat power for a short period of time, at the cost of shortening their lifespan.
"Patriarch, all defensive formations have been activated," an elder reported respectfully. "The two 'guests' sent by the Shangguan family have also been positioned in the optimal ambush locations."
Nangong Wentian nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the manor. In the morning light, this ancient house, with its centuries-old heritage, was serene and picturesque. Who could have imagined that just a few hours later, it might become a bloody battlefield?
"Han Feng..." He stroked the jade talisman in his sleeve, muttering to himself, "Let me see what you're capable of that makes Miss Mu so wary."
Three kilometers outside the villa, on a hilltop, a mechanical spider lurked silently, its eight compound eyes taking in every move of the Nangong family. The signal penetrated layers of barriers and returned to the Longyuan command center.
Lin Zhengguo stared at the Nangong family's defense map on the large screen, his brow furrowed: "Kid, don't you dare mess this up..."
---This is the dividing line---
Han Feng and Dongfang Wantang moved silently through the woods like two ghosts. Dongfang Wantang's star-patterned robes changed colors automatically as she moved, blending perfectly into the environment; Han Feng even controlled his breathing to the lightest frequency, precisely avoiding dead branches and fallen leaves with every step.
"A message came from Zhang's spies: Shangguan Ce's troops have stopped five kilometers away." Dongfang Wantang's lips barely moved, yet her voice clearly reached Han Feng's ears, "They're waiting."
Han Feng's lips curled slightly, and he also transmitted his voice secretly: "Old fox." He lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaping onto an ancient pine tree, and peered through the gaps in the branches at the mountain villa hidden in the mist. "What's the Nangong family up to?"
The jade bracelet on Dongfang Wantang's wrist glowed faintly, projecting a miniature light screen: "Outer courtyard patrols have tripled, and all array nodes are manned. Anomaly in energy readings towards the ancestral hall—it must be that batch of gene serum."
Starlight flickered in Han Feng's eyes. The 3D model of the manor that Zero had provided last night unfolded in his mind, overlapping with the reality before him. Seven red dots marked the locations of known Innate Realm experts, but his intuition told him that the real killing move was hidden elsewhere.
"Mu Xiaoxiao is not in the manor," Dongfang Wantang suddenly added, "but two unfamiliar energy fluctuations were detected, suspected to be reinforcements sent by the Shangguan family."
Han Feng took out a miniature communicator from his pocket: "Iron Tower, are you in position?"
"Three hidden sentry posts have been discovered in the drainage ditch outside the north wall." The voice from the iron tower, mixed with electrical static, said, "Marked."
"Night owl?"
"Two sentries at the southeast corner arrow tower," Night Owl's report was concise and to the point. "They can be eliminated at any time."
The other team members reported their positions in turn. Han Feng, satisfied, put away his communicator and turned to Dongfang Wantang: "Wantang, are you really coming in with me head-on?"
A hint of arrogance flashed in Dongfang Wantang's starry eyes: "I am the legitimate daughter of the Dongfang family, Nangong Wentian wouldn't dare to do anything to me." She paused, "Besides... you need a reasonable excuse to visit. With your lame reason, you probably won't even get through the door."
"Then let's go." Han Feng straightened his collar, suddenly transforming from a shrewd, murderous agent back into a debonair young man. "I'm here to demand an explanation."
Dongfang Wantang understood, and with a flick of her wrist, she produced a gold-embossed visiting card, the Dongfang family crest gleaming in the morning light. The two walked confidently along the main bluestone path toward the manor's main gate, as if they were truly distinguished guests coming for friendly exchanges.
At the gate of the manor, four guards simultaneously tensed up. The middle-aged man at the head of the group narrowed his pupils slightly—the mark of the Dongfang family, and that seemingly ordinary young man who instinctively put him on guard.
"Miss Dongfang, it's an honor to have you here. I'm so sorry I didn't greet you sooner." The guard captain bowed with clasped hands, his gaze constantly darting towards Han Feng. "And this is...?"
Before Dongfang Wantang could answer, Han Feng stepped forward and said, "Go back and tell your family head that Han Feng has come to visit."
The guards were taken aback. They recognized the visiting card in Dongfang Wantang's hand, but they couldn't understand a word of what the young man was saying.
Seeing that the guards did not react, Han Feng shouted, "Nangong Wentian! I am Han Feng, and I have come to the Nangong family to demand an explanation!"
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