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Chapter 403 Fang Qingyu, you son of a bitch!!!

Zhao Gang's head was ringing from the blow of the cane.

It wasn't because of the pain, but because the ingrained instinct to obey orders was ignited.

He instinctively straightened his back and hugged the cold, heavy box tightly in his arms.

His lips moved, but the words were stuck in his throat.

In the instant when command and reluctance were violently torn apart
From all directions, those things that were just moments ago closing in were relentlessly.

The agonizing roar of the demon that irritated everyone's nerves, the cracking sound of trees snapping in mid-air.
All sound came to an abrupt halt.

It was as if the sound source had been abruptly cut off by an invisible giant hand.

One second it was a noisy hell filled with murderous intent.

The next second, absolute silence fell.

The sudden silence.

It was even more chilling than the roar from before.

The soldiers, who were preparing to fight to the death, suddenly stopped in their tracks, gripped their weapons warily, stood back to back, and scanned the thick, inky darkness around them with suspicion and uncertainty.

Old man Zhang Dashan, still holding his cane high and in the same posture as when he was trying to drive Zhao Gang away, was frozen in place.

His resolute expression froze instantly on his wrinkled face.

Having served in the military, he knew.

This quiet
This is not a good thing for them.

It might still be a bad thing.

at this time.

"Don't be dazed."

A calm voice, like an ice spring melting in early spring.

It rang out without warning in this suffocating silence.

Everyone, whether soldier or old man.

They all turned to look in the direction of the sound.

About ten meters ahead of their group, in that pitch-black forest.

A tiny light appeared without warning.

The light initially resembled the morning star suddenly illuminating the cold night.

The light rapidly expanded and spread.

It spread instantly, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

The surrounding forest, spanning dozens of meters, was bathed in a cool, clear moonlight.

In the center of this suddenly descending, tranquilly flowing starlight.

A figure became clearly visible.

He was wearing an unremarkable dark gray hooded sweatshirt, the hood loosely covering his head, obscuring part of his face and revealing only his well-defined jawline.

Starlight flowed around him, rising and falling like his breath.

It made him look like a traveler who had stepped out of the Milky Way.

He stood there, casually.

However, when the soldiers saw his face...

His expression couldn't help but show a moment of surprise.

That face, especially for people in Qingjian City, particularly those in the Bureau of Justice and the military system.

It's fair to say I'm quite familiar with it.

"Walk."

Fang Qingyu's gaze calmly swept over the stunned crowd.

Finally, the sound landed on Zhao Gang's face, and he uttered another single word indifferently.

"Go! Carry them on your back! Retreat immediately!!"

Zhao Gang suddenly jolted awake, completely snapping out of his shock.

"Quick! Move fast! Follow the god!"

"Aunt Wang, hold me tight! Don't let go!"

"Uncle Zhang, hold on tight!"

The soldiers felt as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline.

The legs, which had been so heavy with despair that they could barely move, were instantly filled with strength.

They carefully carried the elderly people who were struggling to get off back onto their backs.

The elderly Zhang Dashan was also carried on the back of a tall soldier without any explanation.

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but looking at the figure in front of him slowly turning around in the starlight and walking down the mountain, he finally just pursed his lips tightly.

Holding the cold box, Zhao Gang quickly caught up with Fang Qingyu.

He deliberately lagged behind by half a step, looking at Fang Qingyu's calm profile with a complicated expression.

Unable to hold back, she asked, "Fang Shen, what... what are you doing here?"

He simply couldn't understand how this important figure could appear in front of their team, which was almost destined to be wiped out.

Fang Qingyu didn't stop walking, nor did he even turn his head. He simply replied, "I'm here to pick you up. What else could it be?"

Zhao Gang scratched his head sheepishly.

He took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and his tone became serious and heavy: "Thank you, Fang Shen! I didn't handle this mission well and almost harmed everyone. When I get back, I will definitely take the initiative to accept punishment from the bureau!"

He was referring to the delay caused by his handling of the elderly evacuation issue.

Ultimately, they were caught in a decisive miscalculation and became surrounded.

"Ah."

Fang Qingyu gave a noncommittal reply, offering neither comfort nor blame.

In the apocalypse, indecisive mercy is often more deadly than direct killing.

Zhao Gang was able to realize this.

This at least proves that he is not beyond redemption.

Sometimes, the reason why the end of the world is said to be the first thing to happen is this.

Under the starlight, the group descended quickly along the rugged and slippery mountain path.

The atmosphere was no longer as heavy and despairing as before.

The starlight that enveloped the group not only dispelled the darkness.

It also seemed to isolate the cold, desolate atmosphere that permeated the mountains and forests.

In less than ten minutes, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

The cold, rough asphalt surface of the winding mountain road came into view.

Several armored personnel carriers bearing the logo of the Sanctuary of the Nevada and flashing faint red and blue lights were parked on the side of the road.

Several soldiers stood anxiously waiting beside the vehicle.

Upon seeing the crowd emerging from the starlight, they immediately rushed forward excitedly.

"arrive."

Fang Qingyu stopped at the edge of the road, and the starlight around him rippled slightly.

It seems they are preparing to take the next step.

"Master Fang! Please wait a moment!"

Just then, Zhao Gang arrived carrying the long, mud-covered box.
He jogged up to Fang Qingyu again.
His face showed a hint of nervousness and seriousness.

Fang Qingyu turned slightly to the side, his gaze from under the brim of his hat falling on the box in his arms, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Fang Shen, this is what the old folks have guarded for many years, risking their lives to bring out."

Zhao Gang held the box up with both hands and handed it to Fang Qingyu, his tone tinged with embarrassment and uncertainty.

"But I'm just a martial artist; I really can't see what this is. The elders say it concerns the hope of humanity, but..."

He paused, looked at the box's unremarkable and even somewhat worn-out appearance, and then forced himself to continue.

"But it looks really old. Shall I give it to you to take a look? If it's really some kind of treasure that can help, that would be great! If not, it'll be good to let the old folks give up on their hopes and save them from risking their lives for it."

Fang Qingyu didn't immediately take it, her starry eyes fixed on Zhao Gang: "What's inside?"

"Reporting to God Fang, it's a knife."

Zhao Gang answered immediately.

"Knife?"

A glint flashed in Fang Qingyu's eyes, and he finally reached out his right hand to take the heavy box.

It feels cool to the touch, neither metal nor wood, and is exceptionally tough.

The box was covered with dried and hardened black sludge, obscuring its original material and texture.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Fang Qingyu lightly traced the edge of the box with his left hand.

The seemingly secure latch at the junction of the lid and the body of the box separated silently.

The lid was lifted.

A strong smell, a mixture of old rust, silt, and a faint metallic odor, wafted over.

The box was lined with a velvet pad that had long since rotted and turned black.

A knife lay quietly on the padding.

As Zhao Gang said, it is a long knife.

The design is simple and unadorned, and the scabbard appears to be made of some kind of dark wood.

However, the surface is covered with cracks and signs of decay, and the wood grain has peeled off in many places.

The dark material underneath was exposed.

It is completely unrecognizable from its original appearance.

The handle was also old and worn, and the leather cord wrapped around it had long since rotted away.

Only the mottled metal grip remains.

It was covered with dark red rust.

The original carvings are almost unrecognizable.

The entire knife, from the scabbard to the handle, exuded an air of decay.

Apart from its length being around 1.56 meters, which makes it appear quite slender, there is nothing else particularly special about it.

Let alone the hope of humanity.

Even if you dumped it in a flea market, probably no one would want it.

The soldiers and elderly people around dimmed their eyes when they saw what was in the box.

Old man Li Gou Dan subconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, his face revealing undisguised disappointment and embarrassment.

Zhang Dashan also frowned.

They seem to be questioning whether the ancestors' dying words were truly just a vague and unrealistic hope.

"Indeed, it's a bit old."

Zhao Gang scratched his head and added somewhat awkwardly.

However, Fang Qingyu's gaze remained fixed on the rusty longsword, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Then he turned to Zhao Gang and asked, "Where did you get this knife?"

The elderly Zhang Dashan immediately broke free from the soldier's support, and, leaning on his cane, walked shakily to Fang Qingyu.

Without the slightest hesitation, he straightened his hunched back.

He bowed deeply to Fang Qingyu.

"Sir!" The old man's voice was hoarse and respectful, typical of a soldier. "We old folks don't really remember the origin of this knife; it's been passed down orally from generation to generation."

He straightened up, his cloudy eyes filled with reminiscence.

He repeated to Fang Qingyu what he had said to Zhao Gang before.

He paused, looking at the rusty knife in the box in Fang Qingyu's hand, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "But we are just farmers, half buried in the ground, we don't understand what's so special about this knife."

Fang Qingyu listened in silence, his fingers gently tracing the cold scabbard.

This knife, at present, is certain.

It was indeed a rusty knife.

But when he grasped this sword, the Dragon Sparrow Slayer hanging at his waist...
But it was trembling slightly.

This means that this knife is definitely not as simple as it looks.

Otherwise, the Dragon Sparrow Slash would definitely not have any effect.

but.
Fang Qingyu currently cannot determine the origin of this knife.
He slowly put the knife back into the box and closed the lid.

His gaze swept over the deeply lined face of old man Zhang Dashan and the anxious, expectant eyes of Li Gou Dan and the others, and he asked in a deep voice:
"This knife is indeed extraordinary, but I can't figure out its purpose yet; I need time to study it. Are you sure you want to hand it over to me?"

Before the words were even finished, the old man Zhang Dashan immediately stepped forward and said resolutely, "I'm sure, sir! I, Zhang Dashan, guarantee it with my old life!"

He pounded his chest with his calloused hands, making a dull thud.

“When I was young, I didn’t believe the old man’s words and that was a mistake! Otherwise, I should have handed it over to the country long ago, to a capable person like you. I just heard Ga Wa talk about what you did in the north. We believe you. This knife is just a piece of broken iron in our hands, it’s wasted. Only by handing it over to you can it really be put to use.”

Zhao Gang nodded emphatically and looked at Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu nodded slightly as he looked at their expressions.

"it is good."

"The City of Dawn will provide you with the compensation you deserve in accordance with the rules."

Upon hearing the word "compensation," Zhang Dashan's face showed urgency: "No! Sir, you absolutely cannot accept any compensation!"

He pointed to Zhao Gang and the soldiers around him, covered in mud, their faces weary but their eyes still bright.

"As long as it can be of some use to the world and help in some way, then it's worth it! Then it won't be a waste that Ga Wa and the other kids have been protecting us old folks all this time! They almost gave their lives for us!"

Fang Qingyu couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle as he listened.

He instantly understood what the old man meant. "I understand."

Fang Qingyu said no more and steadily held the box containing the rusty knife with one hand.

With his other hand, he gently waved to everyone around him.

hum-

Starlight suddenly burst forth from Fang Qingyu, like a gentle tide, instantly enveloping hundreds of people, including all the soldiers of Zhao Gang's squad, a dozen elderly people, and the support personnel next to the armored personnel carriers.

Everyone felt a sudden lightness in their bodies, as if they were enveloped in a warm and solid bubble.

The ground beneath their feet instantly lifted away.

The surrounding scenery flashed past wildly like a streak of light and shadow.

In just one or two breaths.

The starlight bubble enveloping them trembled slightly, then silently burst like a soap bubble.

A sense of grounding comes through.

A crisp, cold wind, carrying the stench of blood and the burnt smell, suddenly rushed into my nostrils.

The deafening shouts of battle and the howls of the demons overwhelmed everyone in an instant.

We've reached the border defense line of Qingjian City.

They crossed directly through the mountains and buffer zones.

From the quiet mountain road.

They arrived at the edge of the battlefield in an instant!
"Hold on! Hold on for me! Where are the Dragon Spine Battalion men?! Where the hell is that Lin Kang?! Tell him to take his men and plug that gap on the right flank!!"

Wu Yu, the director of the Qingjian City Shenguan Bureau, roared clearly amidst the deafening sounds of battle.

He stood behind a makeshift bunker, his face covered in soot and blood.

His usually meticulously combed hair was now a mess, and his eyes were burning with anxiety as he stared intently at the bloody battlefield in front of him.

"Director!"

A nearby adjutant, equally disheveled, shouted hoarsely, his voice filled with anxiety.

"Team Leader Lin and Captain Lin Kang have gone to the Arctic to provide support, and they haven't returned yet!"

Wu Yu's arm, which was wielding the command sword, suddenly froze, and the furious and anxious expression on his face instantly solidified.

Then it turned into a sigh filled with deep helplessness and frustration: "That kid Fang Qingyu is really too unfair!"

He ground his back teeth in resentment.

"They kidnapped the most capable genius under my command, and now they're not even going to return him! I was even a little excited when I saw him appear in the sky just now, thinking he'd had a change of heart and come back to help. But what happened? He set off some fireworks, killed a few small fry, and then disappeared again. Was he just passing by and checking in?!"

Wu Yu became increasingly angry as he spoke, his spittle almost landing on his adjutant's face.

The adjutant could only wear a bitter expression and dared not respond.

at this time
Boom! ! !

A loud bang suddenly erupted from the area in front of the defensive line where the most deadly spirits were concentrated.

It was as if a meteorite had crashed into the black waves.

The shockwave, mixed with starlight, spread out suddenly in a ring like a tsunami.

The death of the ghosts within a radius of several hundred meters from the point of impact.

Regardless of body size, everyone is caught in the moment of the starlight burst.
Vanished in an instant.

A deep pit suddenly appeared.

This sudden and terrifying attack instantly wiped out a large number of the ghosts in that area.

The pressure on the right wing, which was previously on the verge of collapse, suddenly decreased significantly.

"I rely on!!"

Wu Yu was so shocked by the terrifying explosion that it was right next to him that he staggered and almost fell.

He clung to the edge of the bunker, staring in horror at the epicenter of the explosion.

A dazzling starlight suddenly rose from the huge pit.

It flew towards the direction of his command bunker.

Wherever the starlight passed, the ghosts in its path exploded as if they were thrown into a meat grinder.

They forcefully carved out a vacuum passage paved with flesh and blood amidst the densely packed army of mortals.

In just a few breaths.

The violent starlight landed on the open ground less than twenty meters in front of Wu Yu.

The light quickly receded and dissipated.

Fang Qingyu's figure was clearly visible.

He held the long, mud-covered box in one hand.

Behind him, hundreds of figures appeared as the starlight dissipated.
It was all the soldiers in Zhao Gang's squad, along with a dozen or so elderly people who were still in shock but also curious.

And the soldiers who were waiting for them by the roadside.

"This"

Wu Yu looked at the large group of people who had suddenly appeared.

The elderly people, who were clearly ordinary villagers, were completely bewildered.

Fang Qingyu said succinctly: "The evacuation mission in Qiufeng Village ran into some trouble, so I took over."

Wu Yu immediately understood.

Those stubborn old folks in Qiufeng Village refused to leave, clinging to their broken well.

He had read Zhao Gang's mission report and knew about this.

He never imagined that Fang Qingyu had been doing this during his disappearance.

Looking at those elderly people who were safe and sound.

Wu Yu's slight dissatisfaction with Fang Qingyu passing by and checking in vanished instantly.

"Good! It's good that you're back! Quickly! Medical team! Logistics team! Arrange for the villagers to move to the rear resettlement area immediately! Ensure their safety!"

Wu Yu immediately shouted to his adjutant, then personally stepped forward, reached out to the elderly Zhang Dashan who was being helped down by the soldiers, and shook his hand firmly: "Old man, thank you for your hard work! You're safe now! Don't worry, you're safe here!"

Zhang Dashan looked at the bureau chief in front of him with such fervent eyes, and his lips trembled a few times.

In the end, he simply nodded heavily.

Her eyes were filled with cloudy tears.

The elderly and some of the supporting soldiers were quickly taken away from the edge of the noisy battlefield.

However, Zhao Gang and his teammates did not move.

"Reporting to the Director! Zhao Gang, captain of the Third Mobile Squad of the Bureau of Justice, requests to return to the unit and join the battle!"

Zhao Gang, holding his battle sword, stood tall and roared at Wu Yu.

His teammates behind him also stood up straight.

This is precisely the time when we need manpower.

Wu Yu naturally had no reason to refuse.

After making arrangements for them, he rubbed his face, which was covered in soot.

Somewhat embarrassed, he glanced at Fang Qingyu, who hadn't spoken, and coughed twice: "Ahem, well, Qingyu, when did you get back? Why didn't you give us a heads-up? We could have arranged for your assistance."

A faint smile appeared on Fang Qingyu's face as he glanced at Wu Yu with his starry eyes.

He said slowly, "If I say it in advance, I won't hear the director saying bad things about me, right?"

Wu Yu blushed and awkwardly touched his nose.

I can't wait to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

This kid has incredibly sharp ears.

Fortunately, Fang Qingyu didn't seem to intend to dwell on this point.

"I'm going to clean up the battlefield now. Can you do me a favor and keep an eye on that guy named Zhao Gang? I'll send someone to pick him up later."

Done.

Fang Qingyu's figure transformed into a dazzling streak of light that tore through the night, charging fiercely towards the army of the Fate Ghosts.

"kill!"

Fang Qingyu joined.

It instantly ignited the morale of the entire battlefield.

Fang Qingyu no longer floated high in the air as before.

Instead, it charged directly into the deepest part of the horde of spirits.

With a single punch, the fist imprint formed from starlight blasted a third-tier Bone Spike Demon along with seven or eight other Life Ghosts around it into countless fragments.

With fingers extended like a knife, he casually swung his hand.

A hundred-meter-long arc of starlight blade energy plowed across the earth.

He cut dozens of charging demons in half at the waist.

Under his leadership.

The human defenses, which had been pushed back step by step, began to launch a rapid counterattack.

The warriors roared as they followed the invincible starlight.

They launched a counter-offensive!

2 hours!
Just 2 hours!
Under the terrifying onslaught of Fang Qingyu, this humanoid natural disaster.

The main force of the Ghost Army, which had been besieging the outer defenses of Qingjian City like a leech, was decisively defeated.

Scattered! Completely slaughtered!
On the battlefield, only burning wreckage and mountains of corpses of the dead remained.

And the exhausted warriors who roared with cheers!
Fang Qingyu hovered above the battlefield, the starlight around him slowly receding, and the star-shaped horn on his forehead disappearing.

Looking down at the devastating yet victorious battlefield below.

His gaze swept over the soldiers who were embracing each other excitedly, some even weeping with joy.

In the end, Fang Qingyu did not land, but simply nodded slightly in Wu Yu's direction.

He then turned around and transformed into a streak of light.

It sped off in another direction.

It disappeared into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

"call"

Wu Yu looked in the direction where Fang Qingyu had disappeared, let out a long sigh of relief, and finally relaxed his tense nerves.

He wiped the sweat and blood from his face, a relieved smile appearing on his tired face. He said to his adjutant beside him, "See? In critical moments, you can only rely on the soldiers you trained yourself. They know to come home and help. Zhao Gang is lucky to be remembered by Fang Qingyu."

Before he could finish speaking, his young assistant, who had been responsible for tallying battle damage and spoils, appeared beside him.

Holding a tablet computer, he approached with a strange expression.

The voice held a hint of hesitation: "Director."

"Huh? What's wrong? The casualty statistics are out? Tell me!"

Wu Yu was in a good mood and asked casually.

The assistant swallowed hard, pointed to the data just compiled on the tablet screen, and said with difficulty, "Well, the loot statistics show that there are seventeen Tier 3 Life Ghosts that should have been killed, but we only found seven Tier 3 Life Ghosts. We didn't find any of the remaining ten."

Wu Yu's smile froze instantly, then slowly crumbled.

He whirled around, staring intently at his assistant: "What did you say?! Ten Tier 3 Life Beads are gone?!"

Yes, yes.

The assistant's voice grew softer and softer, and he lowered his head.

"The team cleaning up the battlefield has repeatedly confirmed that they only found seven. Moreover, based on the comparison of the remaining traces, the location where the ten third-tier life ghosts killed by Colonel Fang were located had the strongest remaining starlight aura. The life beads should have been taken away at that time."

He became less and less confident as he spoke.

Wu Yu felt a surge of evil fire rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He suddenly looked up and gazed in the direction where Fang Qingyu had disappeared.

Eyes widened.

"Fang Qingyu, you son of a bitch!!"

The soldiers around them looked at each other, wanting to laugh but not daring to, and could only hold it in.

Looking in the direction where Fang Qingyu disappeared.

Wu Yu cursed once and then stopped.

In the end, all that could be uttered was a sigh filled with helplessness and heartache.

"Ugh"

He waved his hand weakly, as if all his strength had been drained.

He said to the adjutant beside him, whose face was flushed from trying not to laugh, "Forget it, forget it, just consider it feeding the dogs. This kid comes from a wealthy family, and Dawn City is starving for food; it's not easy for him."

He seemed to be convincing himself.

"Besides, he did save Zhao Gang and the others today and helped us out of a predicament, so consider the ten life beads as a reward for his hard work."

Despite this, the pained expression on Wu Yu's face did not lessen at all.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stop thinking about the ten glittering third-tier life beads.

His expression turned cold and stern again.

He shouted sternly at his assistant and the surrounding officers:

"Immediately organize manpower! Thoroughly clear the battlefield! Treat the wounded! Collect the remains of fallen comrades! And more!" His gaze swept across the smoke-filled city.

"Notify all monitoring teams and patrols in the city! Level one alert! This full-scale invasion is just the beginning! Keep a close eye on those cultists in the city, especially those fanatical, rambling types! I will not allow any chaos in the city! Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time will be killed without exception! Do you understand?!"

"Yes! Director!"

Everyone roared in unison, and a chilling atmosphere filled the air once again.

The fighting in Qingjian City has temporarily ended.

But the undercurrents have only just begun to stir.

(End of this chapter)