Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 299 Glory
Old Wang's Dumpling Restaurant. Second floor, private room.

The private room was very ordinary, even a bit shabby.

The square table and wooden chairs looked heavy and sturdy, indicating that they had been used for many years, and some parts of the table and chairs even had a patina on their surface.

In the center of the square table was a recessed electric cooker containing stewed vegetables such as green beans and pork ribs, emitting a steaming aroma.

Cornbreads and small steamed buns are scattered along the edge of the pot. They are the perfect match for stewed dishes that are rich in oil and salt.

Around the pot were arranged a circle of Beizhou home-style dishes, and a large plate of vegetables with dipping sauce to cut through the greasiness.

Gao Wu sat in the main seat, Song Mingyue sat in the lower seat, and Shen Ning sat in the guest of honor seat.

Even though the heating hadn't been turned on in October, the aroma from the electric cooker turned into white steam, making the room seem much warmer.

Gao Wu raised his glass to Shen Ning and said, "Aunt Shen, it's been a long time. I'd like to toast you."

Shen Ning raised her glass in acknowledgment and said with a smile, "You're too kind."

Song Mingyue didn't say anything, but raised her glass and took a sip of juice.

"Back when I was undergoing the trial in the secret realm of Dacang Mountain, I offended the Wan family. If Aunt Shen hadn't come to my aid, I would have died at the hands of Wan Canglong."

Gao Wu said sincerely, "I will always remember Aunt Shen's life-saving grace."

He raised his glass again: "The second glass is to thank Aunt Shen for saving my life."

Regardless of Shen Ning's opinion, Gao Wu downed his drink in one gulp, and Shen Ning joined him. She explained, "If something goes wrong during the Hunter Trial, I'll stand up for you whether Ming Yue is there or not. You don't need to thank me specifically."

“How can they be the same?” Gao Wu naturally understood the difference. If it weren’t for Song Mingyue, Shen Ning wouldn’t have confronted Wan Canglong so directly.

At the very least, the matter of him killing Wan Cangsong and several others cannot be so easily forgotten. He also cannot obtain the Golden Thunder Eagle and the Crimson Eye.

He knew that Shen Ning didn't value him much back then, but helping was helping, and he wanted to accept the favor.

To be honest, aside from being a bit aloof, Shen Ning is a very good person and has strong work abilities.

Bai Man, the cousin of Bai Yan, the vice president of the Hunter Association, really only has the airs of a noble family, and nothing else.

When they met earlier, Bai Man bowed and scraped, acting all respectful, which only made Gao Wu more disdainful.

If this woman were still as arrogant and conceited as before, he might have thought more highly of her. Her groveling before him proves she's a cowardly bully who preys on the weak.

Gao Wu raised his glass again and said, "Mingyue isn't very good at talking, so I'll toast you on her behalf."

Shen Ning smiled and this time clinked glasses with Gao Wu without hesitation.

Song Mingyue also raised her glass in a toast, Gao Wu's words were exactly what she wanted to hear.

Gao Wu offered three cups of wine, partly to give Shen Ning face, and partly to liven up the atmosphere at the table.

Otherwise, Shen Ning, being an elder, would be under his jurisdiction, and the two were actually quite distant from each other. This awkwardness in their status made Shen Ning feel somewhat embarrassed.

He offered the toast politely and respectfully, showing the attitude of a junior. This put Shen Ning at ease.

After a few drinks, people's emotions naturally calm down under the influence of alcohol. Even though Shen Ning is a martial arts master, the drinks they were drinking were no ordinary beverage.

The dishes were authentic Northern Zhou cuisine, which Gao Wu hadn't eaten in a long time and wanted to try. The wine, however, was brought by him; it was made with sixth-grade Fish-Dragon Golden Elixir.

Shen Ning didn't know what kind of wine it was. After three cups, her blood was boiling, her face was flushed, and she was even a little tipsy.

Gao Wu ate some home-style dishes from Beizhou, and the familiar taste made him very happy.

In order to maintain a normal lifestyle, he mostly felt at a normal level so that he could enjoy the deliciousness of food.

After all, all delicious food is meant for the majority. Those with particularly discerning palates and senses of smell will find it difficult to appreciate the best flavors.

Moreover, a person's sense of taste has memory, and so does the stomach.

Foods that are eaten over a long period of time become more adapted to by the stomach and easier to digest. The delicious foods that people eat during childhood and adolescence create strong feelings of satisfaction and leave pleasant memories, which in turn enhance the memory of taste.

The alliance covers a vast area, and due to differences in geographical environment, each region has its own unique cuisine.

Gao Wu has never believed in the existence of impartial gourmets. He believes that people are inevitably limited by their own upbringing and have certain biases when it comes to food.

He believed that there was no superior or inferior food, only personal preference. Of course, food from the Federation did not count.

Chef Wang is clearly a very good cook; he doesn't use any pre-made dishes. All the ingredients are locally sourced from the north, and the taste of the food is absolutely authentic!
Gao Wu ate heartily, while Shen Ning and Song Mingyue ate very little.

Despite their different family backgrounds and being natives of Beizhou, their impressions of food were clearly different from Gao Wu's.

After drinking two more rounds of wine, Shen Ning was really dizzy. If her niece hadn't been there, she would have almost thought that Gao Wu had drugged her wine.

Because of her dizzy state, she also let go of some of her concerns. "Gao, Wu, the situation in Yunling is very complicated. You just had a meeting this morning, so the news must have spread by now."

Gao Wu understood Shen Ning's meaning. He nodded and said, "There are countless members of the Demonic Cult hiding in Yunling right now, and no one can identify them all. We can only let them come out on their own..."

The purpose of the meeting this morning was to alarm the cultists.

In military strategy, this is roughly called "beating the grass to scare the snake."

Gao Wu added, "The personnel I brought have already monitored the mobile phones, networks, and other electronic communication devices of multiple targets in Yunling."

"There are many cult members, and their quality is low. There is absolutely no way they will follow the rules and not use their phones. If we catch one, we can catch the whole group."

Seeing Gao Wu's confident demeanor, Shen Ning hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. However, she wasn't familiar with Gao Wu, and given his current status, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to directly contradict him.

She could only nod in agreement and then gave Gao Wu a general overview of Yunling.

She felt that Zhou Qingyun of the Supervisory Bureau was a bit problematic. After all, so many things had happened, yet the Supervisory Bureau, which was specifically responsible for this, was always slow to react, which made people suspicious.

Even if Zhou Qingyun is not the problem, he must be incompetent...

The police chief has good recruitment skills, but he's aloof and doesn't like socializing. He's also very conventional and never takes risks.

The situation is deteriorating, and playing it safe is tantamount to waiting to die.

Gao Wu still trusted Shen Ning's judgment. He shook hands with everyone at the morning meeting, showing that he could distinguish between them.

Of course, his actions were meant to alarm Sima Shou; he had no intention of dealing with ordinary members of the Demonic Cult.

These believers are mostly ignorant and stubborn, but they aren't really that bad. Their ultimate fate will most likely be to become sacrifices offered to the demon god.

It's both pitiful and hateful.

Only by addressing the source of pollution can ordinary people be protected. As for these lower-level believers who have not committed any crimes, the only option is persuasion and education.

Those who are truly stubborn and unyielding will be dealt with by iron fists.

Gao Wu would never tell Shen Ning his true plan, even if he trusted Shen Ning.

Shen Ning isn't needed for this matter, and telling her would only increase the risk of leaking secrets. Besides, this matter involves the Yin God; he can only talk to Xiao Song about it at most.

After finishing their meal, while Gao Wu went to pay the bill, Shen Ning said to Song Mingyue, "I can't say anything directly with Gao Wu here. But his plan to stir up trouble will only catch a few small fish at most."

"Over the past year, I have sensed that the Demonic Cult has deeply infiltrated the upper echelons of Yunling. They must have been prepared for this kind of technical surveillance. They might even have deliberately sold out some of their lower-level followers to mislead the higher-level martial artists."

Shen Ning knew how difficult it was for Gao Wu to get to this point. He was so young and had spent almost all his time practicing martial arts, so he didn't have much practical experience.

It's normal to make mistakes based on assumptions. In fact, everyone makes many mistakes along the way.

We learn and improve from our mistakes!
Song Mingyue understood Shen Ning's good intentions, and she nodded, saying, "I will remind Gao Wu. He is very smart; he knows what to do."

Back at the Changfeng Hotel, the temporary accommodation arranged by the governor, Song Mingyue relayed Shen Ning's words.

Gao Wu smiled and said, "Aunt Shen is truly one of us."

Only someone close to him would care so much, and would offer advice without fear of offending him. It was worth it for him to send two bottles of Level 6 Gold Elixir. He patted Song Mingyue on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I can handle this little thing."

Song Mingyue nodded slightly; she naturally knew about Gao Wu's abilities.

Such a grand display is clearly not as simple as he claims on the surface.

Gao Wu arrived at the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. The 30-story building offered a panoramic view of Yunling City.

Changfeng Building is located in the northwest of Yunling, near government office buildings such as the Government Administration Office and the Supervision Bureau.

From this vantage point, you can see most of Yunling City, as well as the mountain range to the south that stretches like a dragon, which is the origin of the name Yunling.

At this time, the vibrant autumn colors have faded, winter snow has not yet arrived, the vegetation is withered, the peaks are gloomy, and the scene is desolate and bleak.

Gao Wu's gaze fell on the mountain peaks, and for some reason, he thought of his departed senior uncle, and a sense of desolation arose in his heart.

He felt even more disgusted with those who worshipped the demon god.

Except in a few extremely special cases, most people who worship demons do so for the sake of getting something for nothing.

Just like some people who always think that by eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, they can ascend to heaven after death in the next life, or be reborn into a better family.

Their so-called faith is essentially an attempt to gain great benefits from gods and Buddhas at a very low cost.

The same applies to worshipping demons and gods; people think they can gain an advantage from them. After all, faith itself isn't worth much.

No matter how many times the alliance emphasizes it, some people just think they're smart...

Song Mingyue noticed that Gao Wu was a little agitated, so she held his hand and said, "Don't feel pressured. Yunling is already a mess, and things won't get any worse even if things don't work out."

Gao Wu couldn't help but laugh. He pointed to the towering buildings ahead and said, "Believe me, the view will be beautiful at night..."

"Is Gao Wu over there? That kid's really arrogant!"

Yang Qingsong looked at the towering Changfeng Building in front of him, his eyes filled with a sinister and gloomy expression, as well as vigilance and wariness.

He had never dealt with Gao Wu, but just by watching the videos, he knew how powerful Gao Wu was.

A level six expert could sweep through Yunling single-handedly. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he would never dare to show it in front of Gao Wu.

Sitting to the side, Zhou Qingyun said in a low voice, "Gao Wu's men have already moved into the Cyber ​​Security Section of the Supervision Bureau and occupied all the equipment in the equipment room. Our people have also been kicked out."

“From now on, Gao Wu and his team will be able to monitor all mobile phones in Yunling and its seven subordinate counties, including network communication software.”

Zhou Qingyun rose through the ranks within the supervisory system, so he was well aware of the bureau's surveillance capabilities.

He patted the specially made lead box in his hand: "Only by placing the cell phone here can it be completely blocked from all signals."

Yang Qingsong thought for a moment and asked, "They'll definitely be monitoring us. If our phones don't have a signal, won't that arouse their suspicion?"

"It's nothing. We're just keeping it confidential."

Zhou Qingyun calmly said, "It's normal to have some protective measures."

“There will definitely be a lot of idiots who will be monitored. How do we deal with that?” Yang Qingsong asked.

“No problem. Let’s just leave these idiots to them for now,” Zhou Qingyun said. “I’ll go and pay my respects to the high priest tonight and see what he has to say.”

Yang Qingsong hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is it safe?"

Zhou Qingyun sneered: "The government has prepared a banquet for Gao Wu tonight. I'll go take a look first."

“Apart from Gao Wu and that Wang Tiemei, no one else has the ability to follow me.”

"Okay." Yang Qingsong also thought this method was good and sufficient to ensure safety. He then hesitated and asked, "But might this arouse their suspicion?"

Zhou Qingyun paused for a moment and then said, "It's not right that I haven't done anything since it was so easy to monitor a large number of believers."

"They must already suspect me. So I don't need to worry too much."

"I may be away for a while, please take good care of my family."

Yang Qingsong frowned slightly: "Is this necessary?"

"Always prepare in advance."

Zhou Qingyun's expression was somewhat somber. Gao Wu was too powerful, and the security headquarters behind him was even more powerful.

Don't be fooled by their seemingly omnipotent power in Yunling. In reality, even layers of protection can't stop Gao Wu from using force.

A powerhouse of this level possesses all sorts of unpredictable abilities. He should prepare an escape route in advance, lest he actually fall into the hands of a high-level martial artist!
In the evening, a banquet was held on the rooftop of the Changfeng Hotel.

Zhou Qingyun went over and saw that Gao Wu, Wang Tiemei and others were there, and even Gao Wu's female companion was there, with Zhou Zhengyi personally accompanying them.

He was immediately relieved. In this situation, Gao Wu, as the guest of honor, would have someone accompany him even if he went to the restroom, and it was impossible for him to leave early.

Zhou Qingyun quietly left the hotel, hailed a taxi outside, and headed straight for the East District.

Twenty minutes later, Zhou Qingyun arrived at the villa area of ​​Xin'an District. He knew the way well and opened the gate of a courtyard using facial recognition.

Zhou Qingyun didn't look around; the villa area was surrounded by surveillance cameras. There was only one main road leading directly to the community, so if someone came, they could be seen from a kilometer away.

Upon entering the room, Zhou Qingyun saw Sima Shou reading a book in a chair. A standing lamp beside him emitted a soft, dim light. Sima Shou, with a full head of white hair, was wearing a long black robe. His expression was peaceful, and he even looked somewhat kind.

Zhou Qingyun bowed deeply: "Chief Priest".

Sima Shou waved his hand: "Why are you here?"

"The investigation team from Zhongjing is led by that very famous young Gao Wu."

Zhou Qingyun quickly explained the situation, because no one dared to use wireless communication, and Sima Shou was unaware of what had happened that day.

"High-level martial arts..."

Sima Shou remembered this young man, who had made a name for himself in the 341 Secret Realm. At that time, he even wanted to contact Bishop Shi Potian of the White Crow Cult to use him to eliminate Gao Wu.

In just one year, I heard that Gao Wu killed several sixth-level priests of the Scorpion Cult in Nanzhou, and was extremely powerful.

Sima Shou didn't know if the rumors were true or false, but the video of Gao Wu killing the Dragon Slayer Knight Ars was there for all to see.

The video doesn't show the details, but being able to be a dragon slayer and control lightning clearly makes him a formidable character.

Sima Shou was self-aware; although he was the chief priest, he was not skilled in combat. He would likely find it difficult to win against a high-level martial artist.

However, he was in the shadows while Gao Wu was in the open. What could Gao Wu do, no matter how strong he was!

After Zhou Qingyun finished explaining the situation, Sima Shou said, "Since you've made preparations, then go for something big."

"The Second Middle School has already made arrangements. All that's needed is thirty sacrifices as a lure to attract the Phantom Slayer and kill all the thousands of students."

"Such fresh blood will surely please our Lord and bring forth divine grace..."

He wasn't in a hurry if Gao Wu hadn't come. But now that Gao Wu was here, Yunling clearly couldn't stay put any longer. He might as well pull off a big heist.

Zhou Qingyun was a little surprised. The Second Middle School actually covers nine grades from primary school to middle school. It is the best school in Yunling. There are at least three thousand students in all nine grades.

Wherever the ceremony is held, it means that these children are being sacrificed.

Sima Shou noticed Zhou Qingyun's hesitation: "What, you're not willing?"

Zhou Qingyun gritted his teeth and bowed deeply: "I dedicate my body and soul to my Lord. I am utterly loyal to the Church. It is my honor to please my Lord..."

(End of this chapter)