Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Purple Fire Ice Polar Bear Paws, which were chopped off from high-level demon beasts, soaked carefully in Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and boasted the function of facilitating the growth of brain cells, tasted nothing more than sawdust for everyone.
Guo Chunfeng was holding a lunch box in his hands, but he did not move his chopsticks. Staring at the ever-changing light beam with his bloodshot eyes, he issued commands as if he were shooting a gun.
“Vulture Li Yao is now in Green Plateau City, which is only two hundred and fifty kilometers away from the capital city. He will be here in time either on foot or in a shuttle.
“All the traffic lines between Green Plateau City and the capital city, those in the river, on the ground, and in the sky, must be strictly watched over. This is the highest alert!
“If he comes on foot and doesn’t resort to his techniques, the journey will have to take him one to two days. Then, he will have to sleep at night. He will be either sleeping in the wilderness or checking in at a hotel. Investigate that!
“Walking is too risky and must be his secondary plan. It is more likely that he will travel in a shuttle. Therefore, investigate the rental companies and the lost shuttle cases in Green Plateau City.”
All the Secret Sword Agents fell silent.
Green Plateau City was a large city with a population of millions. It was also a famous manufacturing base of shuttles. Looking for a missing shuttle in such a place?
That would be really like fishing for a needle in an ocean!
However, it could not be helped. The intelligence work was never as cool as outsiders imagined. Leads would not jump out themselves.
One valuable lead was often filtered out from billions of useless pieces information.
It was a time-consuming job that even a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator needed to finish dutifully without shirking.
As tremendous resources and the Secret Sword Agents of the few cities nearby flooded into Green Plateau City, endless new data was soon sent to the light beam in the command center.
One of the flashing messages made everyone’s heart skipped a beat.
The middle-aged woman in heavy makeup, Li Yao’s third false identity, rented a shuttle in Green Plateau City!
“We’ve got him!” Mosquito exclaimed excitedly.
“Investigate, but not with too much manpower.” Guo Chunfeng sat cross-legged on the chair like an old monk. “Li Yao wouldn’t be so stupid. Buying a ticket and renting a car with the same ID card? Is he scared that he won’t be found out quickly enough?
“The rental is probably another smoke grenade. We should still focus on the lost shuttles in the past two days.”
As he expected, news came over from Green Plateau City soon.
The ‘Flying Pigeon’ shuttle, whose localizer had been hidden, was found in the countryside a hundred and fifty kilometers away from Green Plateau City.
However, it was not Li Yao who was racing in the shuttle but two local scavengers of Green Plateau City.
The two of them lived in the magical equipment graveyard and made a living by collecting the scraps. When given the chance, they would not mind stealing, either.
They had stolen the shuttle half a day ago, which they thought was a huge windfall.
However, they did not expect that what came along with their windfall would be hundreds of fully-armed, highly-vigilant Secret Sword Agents.
When the ‘Flying Pigeon’ was surrounded by hundreds of flying swords, both thieves peed themselves.
The result made the command center even more depressed. Many people were cursing in a low voice.
But Guo Chunfeng was as peaceful as before. He calmly ordered his subordinates to defend every major traffic line from Green Plateau City to the capital city. He even planned to expand the range of search and investigate the entire capital ring!
It was a last resort when they did not have other choices. Countless Secret Sword Agents would be exhausted, and a lot of resources would be wasted. Still, their endeavors might prove to be in vain.
But right now, they did not have a better option except to defend passively and wait for the investigation of the missing shuttles.
If I were Li Yao …
The soft chair was like a swamp that slowly swallowed Guo Chunfeng, who was pondering in a trance.
He did not like the feeling of being attacked passively.
If things remained unchanged, they would always be one step behind Li Yao.
He had to find a way to predict Li Yao’s next step!
Suddenly, Guo Chunfeng trembled, his blanket falling to the ground. He mumbled to himself, “If I were Li Yao, would I only prepare three fake identities for myself?”
Mosquito and his other subordinates were all used to their boss’s habit. They quickly replied, “What do you mean, boss? You suspect that he has more fake identities?”
“Exactly.” Guo Chunfeng slowly sat up straight, as if he had crawled out of the swamp in his mind. He said quickly, “Think about it. Li Yao’s three fake identities were not delicately made. We would’ve found them out in several days no matter what!
“Then, even if he successfully sneaks into the capital city, under whose identity will he be taking action?
“Right now, the alert in the capital city is higher than ever. Sentries and surveillance cameras are everywhere. The faces of the passers-by will be scanned randomly to confirm their identity.
“Without a legal identity, he can barely walk on the street! If he resorts to the three fake identities, he will be essentially surrendering himself to us!”
Mosquito’s eyes suddenly shone, but she was confused. “But that’s still not right. We have investigated all the lost ID card cases in North Tranquility City. There are no new discoveries.”
“This time,” Guo Chunfeng said casually, “he doesn’t need an ID card, nor will he pretend to be a citizen of North Tranquility City anymore.
“The defense system of the capital city is connected to the network. If the face of a citizen of North Tranquility City is detected but there is no record of him entering the capital city, won’t it be super strange? He can’t appear out of thin air.
“Therefore, he should pretend to be a resident of the capital city.”
Mosquito frowned. “He can barely sneak into the capital city now. How can he pretend to be a resident of the capital city?”
“Very simple,” Guo Chunfeng replied quickly. “When he was in North Tranquility City, as long as he waited for the trains or carriers from the capital city in places such as the railway stations or the ports, it would’ve been easy for him to lock onto a few residents of the capital city and retrieve their identity information.
“As long as the few residents planned to return to the capital city in a few days, it would be perfectly reasonable that they showed up in the capital city now. Not just the scanning of mystic rays, there won’t be a loophole even if a policeman questions him in person!”
Mosquito beamed with joy and nodded. “Exactly. If Vulture Li Yao pretends to be a regular resident of the capital city, it will be explainable even if he is roaming on the street without an ID card. It’s not like we can arrest all citizens who don’t carry their ID cards with them!”
Guo Chunfeng smiled. “You know what to do now, don’t you?”
Mosquito smashed her fist hard. “I do. We will go through the list of the passengers who left from the capital city for North Tranquility City recently, especially those who are returning in a day or two!”
Guo Chunfeng grinned in delight. He was finally in the mood for a bite of the bear paw now.
The bear paw had long turned cold, but he could not have enjoyed it more.
He had a feeling that he would certainly find Li Yao’s new identity by investigating from such a direction.
This time, he was finally one step faster than his opponent!
…
In the railway station in Wicker River City, Li Yao lurked in the darkness like a shining scorpion.
The security check had been upgraded. Several Cultivators who were suspected to be the Secret Sword Agents had appeared in such a small railway station in such a remote city, too.
However, the focus of their attention was on the trains to the capital city. As for the trains to the opposite direction of the capital city, they were not interested at all.
Am I really going to do this?
Li Yao knew that sneaking into the capital city stealthily was as difficult to explain as the dirty mud on one’s underwear.
He would never do it if he had a more effective approach.
Li Yao closed his eyes and reviewed the few plans that he had vetoed earlier.
Plan A, turn on the crystal processor without bothering anything, contact Ding Lingdang with the old number more than ten years ago, and tell her everything.
Ding Lingdang will believe me!
Even if everyone in the entire universe doesn’t, Ding Lingdang will certainly believe me!
However, his relationship with Ding Lingdang was not a big secret. If Abyss was really a high official in the Secret Sword Bureau, he must be monitoring Ding Lingdang right now.
No, not just Ding Lingdang. Professor Mo Xuan, the Cultivators from the Flying Star Sector… Everybody that Li Yao could trust was probably on their radar.
As soon as I send a message to Ding Lingdang, I will certainly be locked onto in half a minute. Chances are that I will be surrounded by the Secret Sword Agents before we finish the small talk!
Also, it will be very dangerous for Ding Lingdang!
As tough as Ding Lingdang might be, she was a young Core Formation Stage Cultivator after all. Li Yao believed that the Children of the Nether World, who had operated in secret for decades, certainly had ways to deal with her.
Li Yao could never put Ding Lingdang in such jeopardy. Plan A, vetoed!
Plan B, find a random crystal processor and explain his experience to the public on the Spiritual Nexus?
It would be less likely for him to be found out in such a way.
But how should he phrase his experience exactly?
“Fellow netizens, greetings. Let me tell you a secret. In fact, Li Yao, the Ultra-Level Federal Hero, did not die, and he saved the federation on his own yet another time!
“Your guess is correct. Actually, I am the legendary Vulture Li Yao myself. Now, please read my story…”
Li Yao sighed. Fine. His experience in the Blood Demon Sector had truly been too staggering and extraordinary. Who would believe it when it was published on the Spiritual Nexus?
Moreover, even if they bought his words, how could they reach out to him? Should he leave his contact information and his address in the thread, too?
Plan B, vetoed!
Plan C, run back to the square at the center of Green Plateau city right now and shout, “I am Vulture Li Yao. I am still alive! I have shed blood for the federation! I have made contributions to the Heaven’s Origin Sector! I demand a meeting with the Iron Commander and the Speaker!”
The real problem was, who would arrive at the location first? The journalists, the psychiatric doctors, or the Secret Sword Agents?
Li Yao had a feeling that the Secret Sword Agents would be fastest.
The most important thing was that he did not who the evil guys among the Secret Sword Agents were.
Chances were that ninety-nine out of a hundred Secret Sword Agents were anonymous heroes loyal to the federation, and only one of them was a Child of the Nether World.
Then, when their flying swords and iron fists hit his face mercilessly, could he just kill them all?
Even if he were in the superlative height of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, it would be practically impossible for him to paralyze hundreds of Cultivators without killing them.
Besides, the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit now was brimming with demonic energy. When he was on a rampage, he appeared to be an out-and-out great demon!
If he was engaged in a fierce battle with the Secret Sword Agents, surrounded by intense demonic energy and wearing the Mystic Skeleton Battlesuit, and he killed a few good guys by accident, he would not be able to explain himself even if he had grown tongues all over his body!
But then, he could just surrender the moment the Secret Sword Agents arrived and say to them solemnly, “I’ve been wronged. There’s a great plot in all this. Listen to my explanation…”
However, would the Children of the Nether World among the Secret Sword Agents give him the chance to explain?
Would Guo Chunfeng, who was most likely Abyss, give him the chance to explain?
Therefore, he could not be captured by the Secret Sword Agents, at least not now.
If he had to be captured, it could only happen right in front of the Speaker, the Iron Commander, the leaders of the major sects, and millions of spectators.
Only by doing so could the Children of the Nether World and Abyss lurking in the Secret Sword Bureau play no tricks on him. His words could be heard by the leadership of the federation.
Plan C, vetoed!
Alright. All the impractical plans were vetoed. He only had one solution now.
Li Yao narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the crystal train not far away leaving for the East Seagull Port soon.
