Not long after returning to Tonglin County, Shen Ying received a message from the City God Temple.
“Snow Robe Ji has appeared at Holy Infant Mountain.”
Shen Ying’s expression turned peculiar. “Holy Infant Mountain showed heavenly anomalies and nearly collapsed. Snow Robe Ji slaughtered Ghost Head Infant’s subordinates to the last, then departed without a trace.”
Lu Zheng looked baffled. “What is going on? Were they not allies?”
Shen Ying nodded. “They were before.”
“And now they are not?”
Shen Ying nodded again. “Since Ghost Head Infant is dead, naturally they are not.”
Lu Zheng blinked. “Snow Robe Ji was present at the time. Could she have seen through the trap and chosen not to appear?”
“That is possible.” Shen Ying said. “But there is another possibility…”
Tu Yuya interjected from the side. “That Snow Robe Ji dug a pit for Ghost Head Infant.”
“Feigned cooperation, yet deliberately sent him to the yang world to die.” Tu Yuya curled her lip meaningfully. “I heard that after Ghost Head Infant returned heavily injured a hundred years ago, he instead broke through his limits and advanced further.”
Shen Ying immediately added. “That opportunity lies at Holy Infant Mountain, and it is still useful to Snow Robe Ji.”
“So Snow Robe Ji’s motives were impure from the start?” Lu Zheng said.
Tu Yuya shrugged. “Otherwise she would have at least tried to help.”
When Ghost Head Infant was trapped, she made no attempt to rescue him. The suspicion of deliberate betrayal was simply too great.
Lu Zheng patted his chest and exchanged a smile with Shen Ying, both breathing a sigh of relief.
Fortunately he had not revealed the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror at the battle site. Otherwise he might have been targeted by Snow Robe Ji.
As things stood, it was perfect. Since Snow Robe Ji had intentionally betrayed Ghost Head Infant, she naturally would not seek revenge for him. Even if Lu Zheng and Shen Ying had appeared before her, there would be no danger.
After some more time passed, who feared whom might become another question altogether.
…
With the Ghost Head Infant matter resolved, Lu Zheng first went to Shao Tong Mountain to inform Daoist Ming Zhang. Then, instead of returning to the county seat, he soared into the clouds and flew straight to White Cloud Mountain.
Two days later, having exchanged some decent-quality items from White Cloud Mountain’s stores, Lu Zheng flew back.
…
Three days later.
Lu Zheng laboriously extricated his hands from the tangle of two pairs of soft, powdered arms. While enjoying the silky, tender sensation, he dressed.
“A gentle homeland is a hero’s grave…” Lu Zheng sighed. “Jade Seal, upgrade!”
“Buzz!”
Dozens of strands of fortune light consumed, Lu Zheng felt his true qi and vital blood surge once more. His slightly sore waist muscles immediately stiffened.
“Perfect!”
“Lu lang~”
At that moment, the two women awoke. Liu Qingyan draped the quilt over herself, revealing only a pair of autumn-water eyes. Shen Ying exposed half her body, languid and soft.
Yesterday’s gifts had deeply moved the two women, leading to devoted indulgence and a night of revelry.
Seeing them now as yielding as water, Lu Zheng could not help feeling desire stir. With a wicked grin, he turned and pounced once more.
“Lu lang~ no~”
“Lu lang~ Qingyan still has to make house calls~”
…
Back in the modern world, Lu Zheng stretched lazily and smiled smugly.
He took out his phone and called Lin Wan. “Still at work?”
“At work, but slacking off watching TV.” Lin Wan’s voice came through. “Xiaodao’s interview programme.”
“What is there to watch in that?”
“She is talking about her experiences in Tanzania.”
“What?” Lu Zheng’s eyes widened.
“The steel plant engineers posted their group photos with Xiaodao online, along with photos from the battle. Netizens discovered them and pushed it to hot search. The matter could not be hidden.”
Lin Wan laughed. “Xiaodao did not intend to use this for hype. She played dead at first, but once videos emerged, she changed her stance and started accepting interviews, focusing on promoting the horrors of war.”
Lu Zheng could not help laughing. “Very proper worldview!”
“Of course!” Lin Wan laughed. “Otherwise she would not have reached her current position. By the way, the protagonist of that video is not Zhao Xiaodao.”
“Hmm?” Lu Zheng blinked, suddenly having a bad premonition.
“Correct, you guessed right. The video’s protagonist is you. Xiaodao only unintentionally appeared at the very end.”
“What is going on?”
Lu Zheng turned on speaker and opened his browser to search.
A video over seven minutes long sat at the top of Bilibili’s hot list.
“A steel plant manager originally wanted to film evidence of the rebels attacking the plant. Halfway through filming, you appeared.”
Lin Wan said. “One man suppressing dozens, taking out their leader with one shot, forcing surrender. You now have a nickname online.”
Lu Zheng’s mouth twitched, for he had already seen the tag.
【New Century’s Lu Xingguo #】
“I cannot compare to him. He and two others captured an artillery battalion. That was the regular army of the third brother, who once claimed to lead the third world. Not comparable to African minor country rebel natives.” Lu Zheng said.
Lu Zheng clicked the video. The footage seemed shot from a three-storey building to the left of the inner area entrance, perfectly capturing the outer scene.
The camera shook violently, very unstable, with heavy breathing beside it. Clearly the filmer was terrified.
Of course, gunfire raged in the video. Dozens at the gate besieged the steel plant. Bullets flew wildly overhead, pinning the plant security so they could not raise their heads.
Just as the inner area gate seemed about to fall, new gunfire erupted from the distant main plant gate, even more intense. Heavy machine guns and rocket explosions.
Then…
The battle intensity at the inner gate suddenly dropped. A squad was dispatched outward.
Over a minute later, a few routed soldiers fled back screaming for support, taking another squad with them.
Nearly a minute later, more routed soldiers escaped. The entire force began to waver, only suppressed by the commander.
This time, three full squads departed, even bringing RPGs.
Off-screen voices were the excited dialogue of the filmer and those beside him. “Reinforcements? Have reinforcements arrived?”
At the same time, identical four characters began drifting neatly across the top of the video.
【High Energy Ahead】
In the next moment, intense explosions and gunfire came from afar. Moments later, of the three squads just sent, only four or five panicked survivors fled back.
“Reinforcements have come!”
“We are saved!”
“Hold! Hold!”
Encouraging voices rose and fell inside the steel plant.
Then came the high-energy part. Apart from one squad continuing to suppress the plant security, all rebels turned guns outward, fully prepared, finally awaiting their enemy.
And the enemy… was only one person.
The moment this person appeared, the rebels erupted in gunfire. Countless bullets flew towards him. The commander waved frantically. Two soldiers with RPGs began aiming.
But at that instant, the man raised his gun and fired. The rebel commander, hiding behind the crowd with only half his head exposed, burst with blood from his skull and collapsed on the spot.
Then the man waved several shots. Wherever the muzzle pointed, exposed rebels fell one by one. In mere moments, gunfire thinned. The two RPG soldiers ducked swiftly, not daring to show their heads.
Then, in the video, the rebels’ enemy revealed himself openly. He strolled forward step by step, as if not on a battlefield but window-shopping in a mall. He even casually reloaded.
【What the hell! War god returns!】
【Dragon King smile, anyone?】
【This has to be an urban refresh novel protagonist. Which web film’s shooting site is this? Do not take me for a fool.】
【Official certification, Tanzania steel plant war scene】
Lu Zheng could not help scratching his head. He had gotten a bit carried away at the time, but no matter. At worst, he could say he practised martial arts, had quick reactions, and was confident in dodging when guns aimed at him.
After all, he had revealed such abilities more than once or twice, and no one had come looking for him.
The video continued. After the man reloaded, the rebels instead collapsed. One by one, they raised guns overhead, crawling out on knees while crying.
Then the man casually tossed his gun aside and pointed directions. Too cool. In one minute, he forced all rebels to surrender.
“What the hell!”
“What the hell?”
The off-screen narration was a string of swear words. Then the man turned back and beckoned. Four women ran over from outside.
Among the two women, though faces were unclear from afar, their clothes matched exactly those in photos Zhao Xiaodao posted on Weibo and in the group shots the engineers shared.
Africa, same location, same outfits, so few Chinese people. If not Zhao Xiaodao herself, who could it be?
【It really is Zhao Xiaodao!】
【Why is she in Africa?】
【Touring and encountering a gun battle. What kind of luck?】
【I just want to know who this man is?】
【Probably Zhao Xiaodao’s hired bodyguard. Going to Africa without one? With her status, she can definitely hire the best.】
【But this is too exaggerated, right?】
【Protector of Flowers in the City?】
【Definitely a web film. Virus marketing. Bet you in two months the movie releases. Never thought Zhao Xiaodao would stoop to web films. So sad.】
【First, this is not a web film. Second, web films are getting better. Goodbye to twentieth-century elders.】
As the inner area gate opened, the video ended.
Lin Wan laughed. “Finished watching?”
“Finished.” Lu Zheng nodded. “I look pretty cool.”
“Hahaha! My leader asked me to inquire if you are interested in the police academy as a shooting instructor.” Lin Wan laughed.
“Good heavens, finally noticed?” Lu Zheng asked.
“You are insanely popular now. Just no photos online, and no one knows your real identity.” Lin Wan said. “To the public, you are still mysterious. Many guess you are our country’s elite special forces, so no one dares dig deep.”
Lu Zheng clicked his tongue. “This generation of netizens is lacking!”
Lin Wan laughed. “Not everyone is Assange. Those who truly know your identity would not expose you anyway.”
Lu Zheng nodded. Deng Paopao’s family, Duan Yukai and son, Li Ying, Zhang Weili, even some full-armour fighting club management likely knew him, but they certainly would not leak his information, especially without photos.
Most importantly, apart from Zhao Xiaodao, no one knew his extraordinary aspects. In their eyes, he was at most a top special forces soldier plus urban divine doctor.
Such a person did not reach strategic level, nor attract top attention. The only one tempted was a police academy leader who knew Lin Wan.
Well… or perhaps some were already paying attention, just unbeknownst to Lu Zheng.
“You refused for me?” Lu Zheng asked.
“You really planning to go?” Lin Wan asked.
“Of course not.” Lu Zheng said matter-of-factly. “Hundreds of thousands per minute. Why teach?”
“There you go.” Lin Wan laughed. “Police academy instructors have daily classes. I told the leader you earn millions per minute, often seclude for cultivation, so no time to teach.”
Lu Zheng was speechless. “Never thought we were so in sync…”
Lin Wan giggled. “Pick me up tonight. I want Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and stir-fried wolf meat.”
“No problem!”
The two chatted a bit more before Lin Wan hurriedly hung up, saying she was continuing to watch the interview with Li Ying.
…
Time soon reached October in the ancient world. After spending a weekend with Lin Wan, Lu Zheng crossed back to ancient times.
“Remember to come to Tu Mountain for New Year!” Tu Yuya instructed.
Knowing Lu Zheng was taking Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying to Phoenix Mountain in the southern border, the three Tu sisters prepared to leave and return to Tu Mountain in the north domain.
“We must tell the old madam this.” Tu Yuqing said. “If she learns Third Ancestral Grandmother still has living bloodline, and resembles the old madam so much, she will be delighted.”
Tu Yujiao pulled Liu Qingquan. “I am taking these chocolates and orange juice. You are still young. Too many sweets bad for teeth. Rest assured, come to Tu Mountain for New Year. I will take you for snow fruit. Super delicious.”
Liu Qingquan: “…”
The Tu Mountain Scripture had been fully taught to Old Liu and the Liu Qingyan sisters. The Jade Fox Reflection Heart Method had also been transmitted. Guidance given, questions answered. Next was self-cultivation. Any further issues could be asked during New Year at Tu Mountain.
So the three Tu sisters prepared to depart.
Before leaving, Tu Yuya copied scripts and scores for Liang Zhu, Legend of the White Snake, and Song of Everlasting Sorrow to bring back for the mountain sisters to appreciate. Tu Yuqing purchased a box of picture books in nearby prefectures. Tu Yujiao scavenged all Liu Qingquan’s snacks and toys, on top of the gifts Lu Zheng had already prepared for her to take.
The three Tu sisters left no tokens, for Liu Qingyan’s four fox tail shadows were the best proof. Once they entered Tu Mountain range, someone would naturally guide them in.
“We are off!”
Tu Yuya waved to everyone. Tu Yuqing nodded slightly. Tu Yujiao winked playfully. Then the three women transformed into streaks of light, soared into the sky, and flew towards the northern horizon.
