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Chapter 153 Sparring? Deal Made! (55 chapters out of 2 words, please vote!)

Late at night, inside the force field.

Beneath the massive load-bearing pillars, the temporary outpost was brightly lit.

The air was filled with the stale smell of charred insect carcasses, blood, disinfectant, and the sweet, fishy odor of biological slime, creating a nauseating yet numbing post-war atmosphere.

Qin Hui, Lao Qiao, Qi Hao, and Lü Chen, along with several members of the elite team, were working hard to clear away the mountain of insect corpses and remains.

The massive bladed cutter's carapace was incredibly heavy, and the corpse of the acid-corroding beetle was still hissing and emitting corrosive white smoke, requiring special tools to handle it carefully.

Sweat mixed with the blood and dust on their faces, leaving deep lines on their tired faces.

"Old Joe, give me a hand on the leg of that rock-crushing beetle on the left!" Qin Hui panted heavily as he used his alloy battle knife to pry open a huge piece of the beetle's armor.

"coming!"

Old Joe wiped his sweat, let out a low growl, and forcefully dragged out the insect leg, which was as thick as a tree trunk.

Qi Hao and Lü Chen were responsible for more delicate tasks.

Collect relatively intact insect tissue samples, especially the remains of several queen beetle guards, using sealed bags.

As Qi Hao carefully picked up a fragment of carapace that shimmered with a ghostly blue light, he muttered a complaint: "This thing is really hard, it feels harder to cut than alloy. Hey, Lü Chen, do you see this nerve bundle still has some activity?"

Lu Chen leaned closer and poked the slightly twitching dark purple tube with his gloved hand: "Tsk, the life force of this ghost is really tenacious. Be careful not to get electrocuted."

After working diligently for a while, the group finally cleared out the area in front of them.

Qin Hui straightened his aching back and habitually looked around to see if Fang Qingyu had any new instructions.

His gaze swept over the busy crowd, over the wounded who were temporarily placed in a corner to receive initial treatment, and over Wei Banmeng who was leaning against a pillar with her eyes closed, meditating.

Eh?
"Where's Qingzi?" Qin Hui muttered subconsciously.

Old Qiao, who was tossing a piece of insect shell into the recycling bin, looked up at the sound of the voice and looked around blankly: "Oh right, where's Qingzi? Didn't she come with Xiao Jiang just now? She said she was going to treat the corrosion damage."

Qi Hao and Lü Chen also stopped what they were doing.

They glanced at each other and saw the same confusion in each other's eyes.

"Treatment shouldn't take this long, right?" Qi Hao scratched his filthy hair. "The medical station is just behind those containers over there, only a few steps away."

"Is there something wrong with Xiao Jiang?" Lu Chen guessed.

Old Joe frowned, his bald patch reflecting the light of the searchlight: "No way, Little Jiang seems to be in pretty good spirits. Wait! Qingzi just said he was splashed with acid?" He suddenly remembered Fang Qingyu's hand on his ribs and the charred combat uniform.

"Yeah!" Qin Hui slapped his thigh. "Damn! Could he be more seriously injured than he looks, and just found a place to tough it out? That kid always loves to show off!"

The moment this thought crossed their minds, the four of them panicked.

Qin Hui immediately took out his tactical tablet, ready to call Fang Qingyu.

Just then, the tablet suddenly vibrated, and a location sharing message popped up.

Sender: Fang Qingyu.

Qin Hui then fell silent.

The others gathered around.
Looking at the shared location already outside on the screen, along with the note "Thank you for your help," I too fell silent.

The following morning, on the 28th floor of the Shenguan Bureau Building in Qingjian City.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the first rays of dawn were breaking.

Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds and spilled onto the city skyline.

In the distance, the massive force field that had enveloped half of Qingjian City for several days had completely disappeared by dawn as Lin Kang left.

The Bureau of Seminary's logistics and engineering units were incredibly efficient, working before dawn.

They then collected all the corpses of the dead ghosts.

When the force field dissipates
In the real world, nothing is different; everything is exactly the same as before.

Fang Qingyu's team stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing at the city that had returned to "peace".

Qin Hui and the others stood a little behind and to the side of Fang Qingyu.

They had all washed up and tidied themselves, but the bloodshot eyes and the lingering smell of disinfectant on their bodies showed the exhaustion of the previous night.

At this moment, none of the four of them were looking at the scenery. Instead, their gazes were all fixed on Fang Qingyu's back, filled with an extremely complex and indescribable "resentment."

That gaze was almost tangible.

Jiang Wei held a cup of hot milk, sipping it slowly. Her clear eyes glanced out the window, then at the four men behind her who seemed to be filled with resentment. Finally, she looked up at Fang Qingyu's calm profile. His face was expressionless, but a hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

The silence by the window lasted for a while, broken only by the soft sound of Jiang Wei drinking milk.

Finally, Old Joe couldn't hold back any longer. He coughed loudly, breaking the silence.

Fang Qingyu seemed to be startled and slowly turned around.

As soon as he turned around, he met four pairs of eyes that were full of accusations and demanded an explanation.

That look.

It put him under even more pressure than when he faced the swarm of insects last night.

Fang Qingyu: "."

A crack finally appeared on his calm expression, and his eyes darted around slightly, as if he were a little uneasy.

He raised his hand to touch his nose and coughed lightly: "Ahem, I had to leave early last night."

He then cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the four resentful faces, and finally sighed helplessly, a resigned smile tugging at the corners of his lips:

"Alright, stop staring at me like that. Everyone worked hard last night."

He paused after speaking, then, meeting the four people's instantly brightened, expectant gazes, he added in a low but clear voice:
"You guys choose the location, it's on me."

As soon as he finished speaking, it was as if the sunshine had instantly dispelled the gloom.

"okay!"

"Long live the captain!"

"Qingzi is so kind!"

The resentment on the four faces vanished instantly, as if the fatigue and doubts of last night had been swept away by the promise of this grand meal.

Fang Qingyu watched as the four people, whose expressions changed instantly and who had already started discussing what dishes to order with their arms around each other, shook his head helplessly, but the smile on his lips deepened slightly.

With their financial resources
They certainly didn't care about the treat. Just as the four were discussing animatedly...

A figure appeared behind the group without them noticing.

Qin Hui was the first to notice and nudged the others with his elbow.

Old Qiao, Qi Hao, and Lü Chen instantly understood, exchanged a glance, and tacitly led Jiang Wei, who was still sipping her milk with a mischievous smile in her eyes, away from the French windows, leaving the quiet space to the newcomers.

Duan Ling walked to Fang Qingyu's side and stood beside him, also looking out the window at the city that had once been shrouded in the force field and was now bathed in the morning light.

Her voice was soft, carrying a calmness that came after experiencing tremendous emotional turmoil:

“Before you officially joined the Bureau of Divine Management and even before you arrived at the Dragon Spine Camp, he had been talking about it.” Duan Ling paused, as if recalling something. “He said he had discovered a rough gem, a true genius. He told us to take good care of you and be more tolerant of you after he brought you to the team.”

She turned her head slightly, her gaze finally landing on Fang Qingyu's cold, hard profile, a hint of emotion mixed with an indescribable complexity in her eyes: "To be honest, nobody in the team took it too seriously back then. The Bureau of Divine Management has seen too many 'geniuses,' but only those who survive and grow are truly valuable. Until... you actually came."

Duan Ling's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of respect: "It wasn't until you stepped in time and time again, shattering our preconceived notions, that I understood how accurate his judgment of people had always been. He truly meant the word 'genius.'" Her gaze returned to the window, her voice lowering, filled with the relief of surviving a close call and profound gratitude.

"Qingzi, thank you so much this time. Thank you for bringing him out of that hellhole. Without you..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the unspoken meaning was incredibly heavy.

As soon as she finished speaking, Duan Ling took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and solemnly prepared to bow to Fang Qingyu.

However, just as she began to move, a steady and strong hand swiftly caught her arm, preventing her from bending over.

Fang Qingyu turned his head and looked directly into Duan Ling's eyes.

His gaze was unusually earnest, devoid of any arrogance or pride, displaying only a natural and unassuming composure.
“Sister Duan, there’s no need for that.” His voice was steady and strong. “To me, Captain Lin is more than just a captain. He is also one of the people who introduced me to martial arts. Even if you hadn’t said those things in the communications, as long as I knew he was down there, I would have done my best to bring him out.”

After speaking, Fang Qingyu paused, glanced at Qin Hui and the others who were still excitedly discussing in the distance, and then returned to Duan Ling's face: "Moreover, since I joined the third team, whether it's you, Sister Duan, or the others, they have always taken good care of me, haven't they?"

Whether it was having Qu Zhe guide her through the process from the beginning, securing divine weapons for herself, or bringing the entire Dragon Spine Camp to help her regain her honor on the top floor of the Pantheon headquarters, Duan Ling's actions were all underway.
Fang Qingyu remembered all of these little details.

After listening, Duan Ling paused for a moment, then smiled gently. Her smile was a mixture of relief, satisfaction, and a hint of barely perceptible emotion.

She didn't say anything more polite or thank you, but just looked at Fang Qingyu deeply, raised her hand, and gently patted Fang Qingyu's shoulder twice with a heavy force.

He then turned around and walked easily toward Qin Hui and the others who were having a lively discussion about the menu.

They also seem ready to join the discussion at this rare post-war feast.

Fang Qingyu's gaze followed Duan Ling's retreating figure for a moment, and he was about to walk towards the small group by the window when a clear, calm voice sounded from beside him:
"Fang Qingyu".

Fang Qingyu paused and looked in the direction of the sound.

Wei Banmeng had already silently appeared a few steps away.

She was still wearing that matte black combat uniform without any markings, her long, jet-black hair simply tied back, with a few strands falling down, outlining her perfectly sculpted profile.

The morning light streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining her figure with a soft halo, which made her appear even more upright and aloof, like a renowned blade sheathed.

Wei Banmeng stood there, without making any unnecessary movements, her gaze fixed directly and intently on Fang Qingyu, as if all the noise around her had nothing to do with her.

"Hmm?" Fang Qingyu responded, his eyes filled with a question.

There seem to be quite a few people looking for him today.
Wei Banmeng cut to the chase without any preamble, her voice as calm and even as her eyes: "Let's have a spar."

Fang Qingyu's brows furrowed almost reflexively.

A friendly exchange? At this time?
Examining Wei Banmeng's perfect yet expressionless face, deep within her cold eyes, there seemed to be only pure fighting spirit and inquiry, without any malice, but no other emotions could be discerned.

Considering her strength and possible background, a guess instantly emerged.

"A friendly spar?" Fang Qingyu's voice calmed, tinged with inquiry. "You're also from the capital?"

Visitors to the capital always seem to have some kind of purpose.

Wei Banmeng remained calm and nodded frankly: "Yes."

He directly admitted his origins.

But then she shook her head very slightly and added, "But I'm not with those two good-for-nothings."

The "trash" she was referring to was clearly the two martial artists from Beijing who were instantly killed by Fang Qingyu at the entrance of the Divine Management Bureau.

“I have no interest in divine weapons,” Wei Banmeng emphasized again, meeting Fang Qingyu’s scrutinizing gaze without flinching. Her tone was calm yet carried an undeniable purity. “I simply want to spar with you. Your sword is very strong.”

Wei Banmeng's reason was simple, even bordering on "martial arts fanaticism".

Purely for the sake of the battle itself, and to witness the opponent's swordsmanship.

This reason, when applied to a place like Beijing, seems rather unusual.

Fang Qingyu remained silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on Wei Banmeng's face for a few seconds.

He could sense the pure fighting spirit in the other person's words; it was genuine and lacked the scheming and greed typical of some people in the capital.

“Okay.” Fang Qingyu finally spoke, his voice regaining its usual composure, “but there’s a condition.”

A very subtle ripple finally crossed Wei Banmeng's cold eyes, like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake.

She seemed surprised that Fang Qingyu would make demands, but still calmly asked, "What demands?"

Fang Qingyu's gaze was cast out the window, as if piercing through the outline of the city and reaching the distant capital.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, clearly reaching Wei Banmeng's ears:

“I’m going to name all the martial arts schools in Beijing that have teamed up to challenge me.” He paused, then added, “Every single one of them—those that have been involved in the conspiracy, issued me a challenge, or are planning to do so—I’ll name them all.”

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The subtle fluctuation in Wei Banmeng's eyes instantly turned into clear surprise and understanding.

He seemed to understand Fang Qingyu's intention.

Looking at Fang Qingyu's calm yet sharp profile, he remained silent for two seconds before slowly speaking, his voice still cold but carrying a hint of confirmation:

"You want to challenge us?"

Fang Qingyu did not answer directly, but turned his head slightly to look at Wei Banmeng again. The corners of his mouth seemed to twitch upwards very slightly. The curve was very faint, but it carried a kind of disdainful sharpness.

Asked rhetorically:
"The roster changes, let's have a sparring match. Are you in?"

The morning light fell between the two, one side exuding a cold fighting spirit, the other a calm sharpness; their invisible auras collided silently in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

In the distance, the voices of Qin Hui and the others discussing the menu quieted down, and even Jiang Wei, who was holding a milk, had a glint of anticipation in her clear eyes.

Wei Banmeng stared intently at Fang Qingyu, and after a moment, nodded very slightly.

"make a deal."

(End of this chapter)