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Chapter 284 Young man, I heard you're having a little trouble here?
Fang Qingyu stood on the open ground of the cave.

His gaze swept over the dozens of figures huddled together on the ground.

His tattered clothes barely covered his body, and his exposed skin was covered with crisscrossing bruises, chilblains, and whip marks.

The handcuffs on his wrists, gleaming faintly, were clearly specially made with suppressive abilities.

His mouth was stuffed with a dirty rag.

It could only emit a desperate and suppressed "woo-woo" sound.

Most of those eyes were empty and numb, like shells whose souls had been ripped out. Only a few people had a faint trace of fear and a nearly crushed will to survive left in their eyes.

Second-tier Grandmaster.

In the outside world, he has always been a high and mighty figure.

In small cities, they are the heroes who save the city.

Like Master Chen from Qingjian City, who worked diligently and guarded the city for a long time.

Or rather, those at the second tier are, in fact, heroic figures in every city.

Fang Qingyu did not stay in Qingjian City for very long.

However, he encountered countless ghosts and demons.

One can only imagine how many ghosts they killed and how many people they saved, those second-tier warriors who guarded a city for decades.
And now.

The second order is here.
But they became like commodities, destined to be given to the Ghost of Fate.
An indescribable rage erupted from Fang Qingyu's coccyx, shooting straight up his spine to the top of his head.

The nausea almost suffocated him.

Fang Qingyu took a deep breath, said nothing, and did not question the stiff-standing beasts.

He didn't even glance at them again.

He simply and slowly raised his right hand.

Raise your arms overhead, spread your fingers, and face your palms toward the sky.

next moment!
"boom--!!!"

A golden divine thunderbolt, condensed to its extreme and piercing through all the gloom, erupted violently from his palm without warning!

The light was so intense that it instantly illuminated the entire dark cave as if it were daytime.

It even obscured the terrified, wide-eyed prisoners on the ground and the pale, horrified look on the kidnappers illuminated by the electric light!

The golden pillar of light contained the majestic power of heaven.

With an aura of destruction that seemed to tear everything apart, it ignored the thick rock layers above and charged upwards with reckless force!

"Crack! Boom—!!!"

The hard rock was like fragile tofu in front of Shenxiao, and was instantly pierced.

The immense impact, carrying along fragments of rock and ice, carved a huge hole several meters in diameter into the top of the cave.

The golden lightning was like an indomitable sword.

It penetrated through a mountain tens of meters thick.

Finally, it suddenly erupted in the leaden-gray snowy night sky above the Shattered Skull Ice Valley!
The icy battlefield outside the entrance to the Shattered Skull Valley.

The battle cries shook the heavens as the main force of the garrison, like an iron torrent, was crushing the demoralized remnants of the Destiny Ghost army, which had lost its core and whose morale had collapsed, with overwhelming force, under the guidance and assistance of Wei Banmeng's four sharp knives.

The scales of victory have tipped completely.

The gray-black waves were split and crushed, and the surviving ghosts let out desperate howls.

The "Anvil" commander stood on a slightly elevated ice rock.

He calmly coordinated his troops via communicator to carry out the final encirclement and annihilation.

The staff officer kept his eyes glued to the tactical tablet on his wrist, analyzing the battlefield data stream.

suddenly!

A dazzling golden light pierced the snowy night sky and shot up from the depths of the Ice Valley, towards the direction of the Ghost Camp, without warning.

The light was so dazzling that it instantly attracted the attention of everyone on the entire battlefield.

"what is that?!"

"In the Ice Valley! Towards the Ghost Camp!"

"Such a strong energy fluctuation! Is it a new ghost? Or...?"

"No! This aura... is majestic and righteous, carrying the might of heaven! It doesn't seem like a Fate Ghost!"

The soldiers stared in astonishment at the golden beam of light that tore through the night, and began to murmur amongst themselves.

At the edge of the battlefield, Wei Banmeng and his three companions, who had just joined forces to shatter a stubbornly resisting Frostbone Heavy Armored Beast, all changed their expressions the moment they saw the golden light.

"team leader!"

"Over there with Fang Shen!"

"The direction of the Blackrock Golem!"

The four of them barely exchanged a glance, but instantly reached a consensus.

With a shout, Wei Banmengqing unleashed a chilling aura from his twin Xuanchi blades, instantly freezing and shattering the two bone-corroding hounds that lunged at him.

Chu Kuanglan swept his giant sword horizontally, creating an opening.

Lu Jiuyuan's sword flashed like lightning, striking with pinpoint accuracy.

Jiang Wei's palm erupted with crimson flames, clearing a path.

Without the slightest hesitation, the four of them, like arrows released from a bow, broke away from the battle that was drawing to a close and sped towards the source of the soaring golden light deep within the icy valley.

It moved with ghostly speed, leaving afterimages in the wind and snow.

"Dagger calling Fang Qingyu! Respond if you hear me! What's going on?"

As Wei Banmeng ran, he urgently called out in the encrypted team channel.

A few seconds later.

Fang Qingyu's calm, almost icy, and completely emotionless voice rang out in the channel, clearly reaching the ears of the four people:

"Come in. Chu Kuanglan, stay outside the crevice and don't let the army in."

The voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable will.

And a chill that was suppressed to the extreme.

Wei Banmeng and the other two felt a chill run down their spines and immediately replied, "Understood!"

Although Chu Kuanglan didn't understand why, he didn't hesitate to obey his captain's order: "Understood!"

……

At the entrance of the crack.

The wind and snow continued to rage.

Chu Kuanglan stood like a gatekeeper, slamming the massive, door-like sword into the frozen ground before him, his imposing figure blocking the narrow crack.

His face showed a hint of anxiety, his eyes fixed on the all-consuming darkness deep within the crack.

The sound of hurried footsteps came with the wind and snow.

The commander of "Iron Anvil" arrived quickly, accompanied by his staff and a small team of elite guards, braving the wind and snow.

"Lieutenant Colonel Chu!" The commander looked at the entrance to the crack, then at the lingering trace of the golden beam of light, his expression grave. "What's the situation inside? Do they need our support?"

Chu Kuanglan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to rush in, and said in a deep voice, "Sorry, Commander! The captain ordered that no one is allowed to enter!"

The staff officer adjusted his glasses, hesitating to speak: "But what about that golden light?"

The commander's sharp gaze swept across Chu Kuanglan's resolute face, then took another deep look at the deep crack.

He raised his hand to stop the staff officer from speaking, and without any hesitation, nodded decisively: "Understood!"

He then turned to the troops behind him, his voice resolute and authoritative: "Order! Halt the advance into the core area of ​​the Ice Valley! Clear out any remaining enemy forces on the spot! Seal off the entrance to the Ice Valley! No one is allowed to approach this crevice without permission! Anyone who disobeys will be court-martialed!"

"Yes!" the messenger replied immediately.

The commander looked at Chu Kuanglan again and said solemnly, "We're right outside! Notify us immediately if we need anything! We trust the brothers of Yuan Shou!"

……

Inside the crack.

Without pausing, Wei Banmeng and the other two vanished silently into the deep crevice passage like three wisps of smoke.

The passageway was filled with the smell of burnt food and dust, along with a faint trace of blood and an indescribable stench of filth.

As they rushed out of the tunnel.

Upon entering the artificially widened ice cave, the sight before them instantly froze the three of them in their tracks.

In the center of the cave, dozens of ragged, wounded people with terrified and numb eyes had been freed from their restraints and were huddled together, supporting each other.

Broken ropes and handcuffs lay scattered on the ground.

On the other side of the cave, a dozen men dressed in mixed clothes, yet exuding a powerful aura, were frozen in various stiff poses as if under a spell. Fine golden arcs of electricity crackled around them, emitting faint buzzing sounds, and their faces were frozen in extreme fear and bewilderment.

The air was thick with intense humiliation and despair, as well as a chilling killing intent that seemed to solidify into reality!
Fang Qingyu stood quietly in the center of the cave, his back to the imprisoned people, his dark blue combat jacket draped over the body of an almost naked female victim.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around.

When Wei Banmeng, Lu Jiuyuan, and Jiang Wei's gazes fell upon his expressionless face, yet his golden eyes were chillingly cold, all three of them felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.

Fang Qingyu got angry.

And she was really angry.

No explanation is needed.

The scene before them and the information permeating the air were enough for the three of them to instantly understand what had happened.

His molars were clenched tightly.

A similarly chilling rage instantly rose in the hearts of the three.

They silently walked to Fang Qingyu's side, without saying a word, only silently asking for the next instructions with their eyes.

Anger builds up in silence.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over his team members, finally calmly pointing to the dozen or so kidnappers imprisoned by Shenxiao, who were like lambs to the slaughter:

“I’ll take them back. You,” he looked at Wei Banmeng, “take them,” pointing to the dozens of victims, “back safely to the Great Wall. Find an absolutely quiet, secret place to settle them down, stay by their side at all times, and guard them. Wait for my news. Remember, do not hand them over to anyone, and do not reveal this to any department.”

Fang Qingyu's voice remained calm.

The pupils of Wei Banmeng and the other two contracted slightly.

They instantly understood what Fang Qingyu's order meant.

Without any hesitation, his eyes instantly turned extremely serious, and he nodded emphatically: "Understood! Mission accomplished!"

Fang Qingyu then turned his gaze to the dozens of victims who were still in shock and had blank stares.

He pulled down the windproof visor of his combat uniform.

His young face, which had gained some fame on the Arctic front for killing Jiang Taixuan, was revealed.

"You now," Fang Qingyu's voice was low and clear.

"Don't think about anything, don't say anything. Just follow them."

Fang Qingyu pointed to Wei Banmeng and the other two, "They will protect you and take you to a safe place. Trust me,"

His gaze swept over each fearful and uneasy face. "I will give you an explanation."

Among the crowd, a woman who was relatively well-dressed and in slightly better spirits looked at Fang Qingyu's face, a look of disbelief and hesitation flashing in her eyes. She tentatively asked in a low voice, "Are you Fang Qingyu? The Fang Qingyu who killed Jiang Taixuan?"

Fang Qingyu looked at her and nodded: "It's me."

"It's really him!"

"Captain Fang Qingyu?"

A few suppressed gasps and whispers rose from the crowd, as if they had grabbed a piece of driftwood in a deep pool of despair.

Fang Qingyu's name and his feat of slaying the Fallen Martial Saint.

It carries special weight and credibility on the Arctic front.

The appearance of this name was like a faint but real ray of light, piercing through the darkness and numbness in their hearts.

The leaders exchanged glances, a flicker of hope finally igniting in their eyes. They said in low but firm voices, "Alright! We'll go with your people!"

Seeing this, Fang Qingyu felt somewhat reassured and said to Wei Banmeng and the other two in a deep voice, "Begin the operation."

……

Outside the crack.

Chu Kuanglan remained as steadfast as a rock at the entrance, his giant sword planted deep in the ground, as he warily surveyed the surrounding icy valley shrouded in wind and snow.

There were footsteps behind me.

Lu Jiuyuan's figure was the first to emerge from the dark crack.

Where are the soldiers?

Lu Jiuyuan quickly scanned his surroundings and, finding only Chu Kuanglan, immediately asked.

"They came, and then they left."

Chu Kuanglan gestured towards the entrance of the Ice Valley with his lip, "The commander said they won't search the camp for now, they'll wait until we're done. They told us to call them anytime if we need anything."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiuyuan's eyes flashed with understanding and seriousness, and he nodded: "I understand."

He then looked at Chu Kuanglan and said in a serious tone, "The captain has ordered that you come with us later to escort them back."

"Escort people? Escort?"

Before Chu Kuanglan could finish his question, his eyes widened instantly.

From the crack, one figure after another emerged, supporting each other and staggering out.

They were all emaciated, their clothes tattered, their bodies bearing obvious wounds and frostbite, their faces a mixture of post-traumatic bewilderment, lingering fear, and a faint rekindling of life. What made Chu Kuanglan's heart clench even more was...

Without exception, these people all retained traces of the fluctuations characteristic of a second-tier transcendent being—weak but absolutely impossible to fake.

"So many people?! And all of them are at the second tier?!"

Chu Kuanglan's voice even changed tone.

I stared in disbelief at this group of "masters" and "chosen ones" who looked like refugees.

Lu Jiuyuan walked to his side, his teeth grinding together, and he practically forced out a few words, which carried a chilling intent:
"Human traffickers. 'Goods' sold to the dead!"

He quickly and quietly informed Chu Kuanglan of Fang Qingyu's orders and what he had seen inside the cave.

"brute!!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Kuanglan's forehead veins bulged.

His huge fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he let out a beast-like growl. His eyes instantly became bloodshot.

A violent killing intent almost burst forth from his body!

Just then, Wei Banmeng was the last to emerge from the crevice. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he said in a deep voice, "Everyone's here. Follow the captain's instructions, detour around the rear of the camp, avoid the main battle, and return to the city immediately!"

The group of several dozen people, escorted by Wei Banmeng and her three companions, silently and swiftly disappeared into the swirling snow, retreating towards the rear of the Ice Valley camp.

The main force of the garrison at the front was not alerted.

Almost at the same time.

Deep within the icy valley, at the breach in the ice wall pierced by Shenxiao.

Fang Qingyu appeared silently.

Looking down, he saw a dozen or so "human-shaped sculptures" suspended several meters above the ground, completely enveloped by the thick darkness of the Eternal Night Domain.

Thoughts moved slightly.

hum!
The dark sphere formed by the Eternal Night Territory suddenly contracted, becoming more condensed, imprisoning the dozen or so desperados inside and cutting them off from all light and sound.

Then his body shot into the sky!

Fang Qingyu did not return along the ground route. Instead, he carried the silent, floating dark sphere, like a silent black meteor, tearing through the fierce wind and snow, and sped towards the majestic outline of the Great Wall of the North Pole!

……

The edge of the battlefield at the entrance to the Ice Valley.

"Reporting, Commander! Special Team Lieutenant Colonel Wei has communicated; they have completed the task and we can now enter the Ice Valley camp to begin our search!"

The staff officer put down his communicator and quickly reported the news.

The commander of "Iron Anvil" nodded without hesitation and immediately ordered: "First Battalion, Second Battalion, enter the Ice Valley immediately and conduct a full search! Maintain vigilance!"

"Yes!"

Watching the troops advance swiftly and orderly into the icy valley, the staff officer finally couldn't help but look at the slowly dissipating golden pillar of light deep within the valley and whispered, "Commander, that golden light just now... and the special team's actions... I have a feeling..."

The commander abruptly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the staff officer's face, interrupting him.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an iron will and an unquestionable trust:

"Remember who you are! And remember who they are!"

"No one in the Abyss Hunting Department would ever betray humanity, even if it meant death!"

"So don't ask questions you shouldn't ask! Execute orders!"

The staff officer flinched, a fleeting look of sullen crossed his face, but he straightened his back and said, "Yes! Understood!"

……

The journey home is shrouded in wind and snow.

A group of several dozen people trudged across the ice field.

Having escaped the suffocating environment of the den of the dead and breathed the cold, free air once again, some victims' minds began to slowly recover from extreme fear and numbness.

The robust physique and willpower of a second-tier transcendent being.

Driven by the instinct for survival, it began to faintly regain its luster.

The energy within the body is flowing slowly.

It dispels the biting cold and repairs some surface frostbite and bruises.

Although still weak and unsteady on his feet, the empty, lifeless look in his eyes was being replaced by a more complex and heavy emotion.
Fear, humiliation, anger, and uncertainty about the future.

Wei Banmeng slowed her pace.
I walked side by side with a woman who was in relatively good spirits and was walking in the middle of the group.

"My name is Wei Banmeng, a member of Fang Qingyu's team from the Jia Chen class of the Hidden Dragon Project."

Wei Banmeng spoke very softly, with a hint of barely perceptible caution, as if afraid of disturbing the other party's emotions that had just calmed down.

Lin Yu wrapped herself tightly in a thick coat that someone had given her, trying to ward off the cold wind.

His face was still pale, but his eyes had become much clearer.

She glanced at Wei Banmeng, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke in a low, hoarse voice: "Lin Yu, Icebound Fortress, second-tier martial arts grandmaster, formerly in the 'Cold Edge' mercenary group."

"Can you tell me? What happened to you?"

Wei Banmeng carefully chose her words, not directly mentioning the unbearable experience, but the meaning was already very clear.

Lin Yu's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and her steps faltered slightly.

The air around them seemed to freeze for a moment, and the other victims who were walking silently also slowed down and lowered their heads, making the atmosphere oppressive and heavy.

Chu Kuanglan and the others held their breath, their eyes fixed on Lin Yu.

Lin Yu took a deep breath of the cold air, forcibly suppressing the bone-chilling cold and fear.

Her gaze was fixed on the snow-covered horizon.

The eyes are empty.

"Most of us are lone wolves," Lin Yu's voice carried a weariness born of experience.

"With no background, I relied on the martial arts school to build a foundation, and on the merchant guild to take on missions. I accumulated resources little by little, and honed my skills step by step. It was not easy that I finally reached the threshold of the second tier."

She gave a self-deprecating smile, revealing a bitter expression.

"At this point, the Chamber of Commerce has given us the best it can offer. If we want to go further and see the view from a higher vantage point, the Arctic front is the only option."

"Being a mercenary, taking on military missions, killing people, earning merits, and exchanging them for resources—it's a life-or-death path, we all know that."

Many people in the line nodded silently.

This is their shared trajectory.

"We're in trouble."

Lin Yu's voice suddenly became hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor of fear, "All of this happened during federal missions."

"Some are patrol missions to clear out small outlying lairs of the dead."

"Some of them are escort missions for supply convoys to the front lines."

"Some are reconnaissance missions that penetrate deep into the ice fields."

Lin Yu's gaze swept over several familiar yet unfamiliar faces in the group.

"The specific times and locations are different, but the experiences are exactly the same!"

“During our mission, all of us encountered a group of people wearing black cloaks.”

"The one in the lead is at the third tier, so strong it's despair-inducing."

"Moreover, he has more than a dozen extremely powerful second-tier fighters by his side."

"We had no ability to resist at all; we couldn't even send out a complete distress signal."

Lin Yu's body trembled violently, as if she had returned to that moment of despair.

"After being captured, their eyes were blindfolded, their mouths were sealed, and they were thrown into transport vehicles and moved around constantly, from one cave to another."

"Finally, there's that ice cave from today."

"More and more people are gathering."

"As for the rest, we don't know. They rarely talk about other things in front of us. The only thing we know is that group of men in black robes."

boom--!
Wei Banmeng felt a chill rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

Arrested while on a federal mission!?
Moreover, they were a group of black-robed men led by a third-tier leader.

Premeditated ambush, arrest, relocation, and stockpiling!
These are hardly the scattered human traffickers we know.

This is clearly a criminal network, deeply hidden in the shadows of the Arctic front, precisely operated, with a clear objective, and wielding the knife against its own people.

And yet, they were able to ambush second-tier superhumans carrying out their missions with such precision, and they were also able to move, stockpile, and even nearly deliver people to the jaws of death without anyone noticing.
A chilling sensation instantly swept over Wei Banmeng's entire body.

The cold sweat on her back instantly soaked through her inner combat uniform.

Thinking hard!
……

The wind and snow howled high in the sky.

Fang Qingyu was enveloped in a faint dark golden divine light, resisting the cold and air currents of the high altitude.

Below, the massive black sphere of the Eternal Night Territory floated silently, enveloping the dozen or so solidified "cargoes".

The height was lowered slightly.

Fang Qingyu took out his phone.

Fingers tapped rapidly on the cold screen, sending a message to that familiar number:

I need someone who can extract information from you with absolute certainty, and someone you can trust completely. Immediately, right now.

The message was sent, and then the phone went silent.

Fang Qingyu's gaze pierced through the wind and snow, landing on the outline of the Great Wall, which stretched across the end of the ice field like a steel mountain range.

His eyes were cold and resolute.

The story of Jiang Taixuan showed him the depths of human evil.

Fang Qingyu did not intend to seek help from Jiang Ying regarding this matter.

Although the other party could not possibly be involved in this matter, it can be seen from Jiang Taixuan's case.
If the matter Fang Qingyu encountered today is quite significant, the other party will definitely have reservations.
Moreover, 99% of people would definitely have reservations.

This is how a normal person would react.

After all, this is an entire front-line battlefield!
Fang Qingyu's decision to directly approach Hong Qitian was a gamble—a gamble that Hong Qitian was one of those 1% who wouldn't hesitate to take action.
This time.

Fang Qingyu didn't want to be like Jiang Ying, hesitant and indecisive.

All he wants now is to find out the truth.

Regardless of who is involved in this matter.
Then kill them!

Soon, the phone screen lit up.

Hong Qitian's reply was simple and direct:
【? 】

【address. 】

Fang Qingyu's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he quickly sent over the coordinates of the courtyard.

Bet right.

The old man is that one percent.

……

The Great Wall of the Arctic, the ridge wall, inside a small courtyard.

The underground training ground was brightly lit.

Those dozen or so desperados, imprisoned by Shenxiao and standing like statues, were carelessly tossed onto the cold alloy floor.

The Eternal Night Territory has been withdrawn.

But the golden arcs of electricity remained like the strongest chains, binding them all around and stripping them of all ability to move or resist.

They could only roll their eyes in vain.

His eyes were filled with extreme fear and despair.

Fang Qingyu stood in the center of the training field, waiting.

The phone lit up quickly.

It was a message from Wei Banmeng.

The above is Lin Yu and others' account of their arrest and the details therein.

Fang Qingyu quickly scanned the text on the screen.

His gaze grew increasingly icy.

really!

Every word confirmed his worst suspicions.

soon.

The doorbell rang.

Fang Qingyu walked through the quiet living room and opened the main door of the small building.

An elderly man, wearing a faded old cotton-padded jacket, with a slightly hunched posture and a cheerful smile on his face, strolled slowly to the gate of the courtyard with his hands behind his back, as if taking a leisurely walk.

It seemed like I was just taking a stroll after dinner and happened to pass by.

He looked up, and there was still that ordinary old soldier's face, covered with deep wrinkles.

The three bright red question marks above remained unchanged.

The old man looked at Fang Qingyu, who stood expressionless at the door, and grinned, revealing a smile exactly the same as the one he had shown at the veteran's tavern before:
"Hey, young man, we meet again."

"I heard you're having a little trouble here, and you need this old man to lend a hand?"

(End of this chapter)