One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

He even pulled a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and slowly and meticulously wiped away the dust from the badge's surface. Then, he held it up with both hands, turned solemnly to the side, and handed it to the soldier comrade behind him who stood as dignified as two iron towers.

"Comrade, please keep this safe for me for now."

The two soldiers' pupils contracted sharply, and they instinctively straightened their chests, solemnly accepting the item with the highest level of respect, as if they were being reviewed, and carefully tucked it into the innermost part of their tactical breastplates.

This scene made Lu Jin, Wang Ai, Lü Ci and the others' eyes almost pop out of their sockets!

Remove the badge?

At this critical juncture, this young imperial envoy, who wields the power of life and death, actually took the initiative to shed the symbolic identity totem representing national righteousness during a private meeting?!

What is he going to do?!

The old celestial master Zhang Zhiwei, who was facing Zhuge Liang, tensed up instantly! In his turbid eyes, which seemed to have seen through a hundred years of life and death, a faint golden light flashed intensely.

In the vast and boundless sensory realm of the old Celestial Master, the moment the badge on Zhuge Ming's chest left his body, the aura of this gentle and refined administrative leader completely changed!

The Qi Sea that had been firmly sealed within his body by the steady and composed official demeanor was now like an ancient behemoth that had opened its eyes from the deepest abyss. The surging, pure, and profound fighting spirit that even made the laws of heaven and earth tremble was transforming into an extremely sharp, invisible blade, which was aimed straight at his brow!

A fine layer of goosebumps visibly rose on the back of the old master's neck, and a bead of cold sweat even seeped from his forehead.

"This old man... could it be that he didn't sleep well last night and his eyes are playing tricks on him?" The old Celestial Master roared inwardly, "How could this kid's life cultivation have reached such an unbelievable level?! This is not the kind of Qi that a human under thirty years old could possess... Wait, that light in his eyes, could it be directed at this old man?!"

"Old Celestial Master".

Zhuge Ming straightened his jacket collar, a gentle, enigmatic smile playing on his lips, and slowly began to speak:

"What I'm about to say might seem unbelievable, or even absurd, to you. But whatever you think, please let me finish and then give me a clear answer, okay?"

Zhang Zhiwei's eye muscles twitched violently, his hands clenched tightly inside the wide sleeves of his Taoist robe, and he chuckled dryly, "Leader Zhuge... just give me your orders, I'm all ears."

"What has the world of supernatural beings believed in for thousands of years? In the end, it is nothing more than the law of the jungle: 'survival of the fittest'."

Zhuge Ming's eyes were clear, as if he were chatting casually, but every word he spoke was profound: "Your cultivation is deep, your palm techniques are powerful, so others have to listen to you."

This barbaric, uncivilized law of the jungle has been somewhat restrained in modern warfare, but it has not been eradicated from its very core.

Today, the nation, with its iron discipline and the power of modern industry, has taught the world a lesson, allowing everyone to witness the irresistible tide of the times.

This is good; it deterred the scoundrels and established order.

At this point, Zhuge Ming abruptly changed the subject, raising his hand to subtly suppress Lu Jin and the others' attempts to echo his sentiments:

"But while the system can regulate behavior, it cannot completely eliminate the totem worship of 'supreme power' in the bones of the superhumans overnight."

"Old Celestial Master, you subdued Ding Shian on the field today, upholding the dignity of the righteous leader and making a great contribution to maintaining stability for the authorities. However..."

Zhuge Ming gently tapped the empty tabletop, his gaze, like two tangible bolts of lightning, crashing into the old Celestial Master's deep pupils:

"What I just did pertained to the overall national situation and the responsibilities of the system. Now that the overall situation is settled, I have temporarily removed the badge that represents my public office."

Zhuge Ming slowly raised his chin, and a proud and fervent spirit of military valor radiated from his brows:

"Aside from my official duties, I, Zhuge Ming, am also the youngest genius of the Wuhou School in thousands of years! I have cultivated for over twenty years, diligently honing my life-sustaining skills. In terms of inherent courage and spirit, I am no different from Ding Shian—what kind of young man is he if he isn't full of vigor?!"

Zhuge Ming grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, a smile tinged with mockery, yet also radiating boundless fervor:

"Old Celestial Master, from this moment forward, there is no leader of the special task force here, nor is there Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain. There are only two pure practitioners of traditional culture, and only a pure discussion between the Zhuge Liang School and the Zhengyi School of the Celestial Master's Mansion!"

"To be honest, my every move today will be written down in detail in the reports of these two loyal guardians of the people."

"Unauthorized and irregular sparring—once I return to Beijing, I'll likely face disciplinary action from the Party and government, or even suspension and a written self-criticism! Since I'm going to be punished anyway, I can't just take the scolding for nothing, can I?"

Zhuge Ming stood up, looked down at him, and bowed with his hands clasped.

"A friendly exchange, let's stop here! Venerable Master, please enlighten me!"

Boom!

These words, though spoken lightly, sounded like a thunderbolt from the heavens to everyone present!

Lu Jin slumped abruptly from his chair, his chin nearly hitting the ground; Wang Ai's cane clanged against the blue bricks, and he stood there dumbfounded; Lü Ci's one eye bulged so wide it seemed to tear at the corner, and he gasped for breath like a bellows; Feng Zhenghao's hand, which was pushing up his glasses, froze completely, and his mind went completely blank for ten seconds!

He's gone mad...

This young leader, wielding immense military power and possessing a mind as deep as an abyss, actually blocked the door after the area was cleared, challenging Zhang Zhiwei, a top expert in the world of supernatural beings, to a one-on-one duel?!

What the hell is this magical realism?!

As the person directly involved in the storm, Zhang Zhiwei, the old master, was completely numb.

Having lived for over a hundred years, experiencing warlord conflicts, the flames of the War of Resistance against Japan, and turbulent catastrophes, what storms hadn't the old Celestial Master weathered in his life? But at this moment, looking at the energetic young official in front of him, whose eyes were full of eagerness, the old Celestial Master's mentality completely collapsed.

The old master didn't even dare to utter a word, his gaze stiff and fixed on the two fully armed special forces officers behind Zhuge Ming with an almost pleading and desperate look—

Sir! Two biological fathers!

Are you all blind?! You need to control your superiors!

That's a pillar of the nation! A man destined to become a high-ranking official upon returning to the capital! If even a single hair on his head were to fall, would this old man, Longhu Mountain, still exist?!

However, before the old master could even cry for help, Zhuge Ming, without even turning his head, instantly reverted to his cold, iron-like military command tone:

"Communicator! Execute emergency tactical orders!"

The soldier behind him's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively stood at attention: "Sir!"

"Notify the eighteen tactical squad members on standby outside the perimeter to immediately activate the 'Heavenly Evolution - Sealing Spirit Micro-Aspect' electromagnetic and Qi-phase dual shielding array, using the central training ground as the core reference point! Operate at full power to seal off all energy leakage and suppress all sound and light fluctuations! This is a top-level military order from the action group; violators will be dealt with according to military law! I, Zhuge Ming, will bear all political and disciplinary responsibility!"

Zhuge Ming whirled around, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the two men: "Execute the order!"

"...Yes! Mission accomplished!"

The two soldiers gritted their teeth, their faces showing a painful expression of extreme inner conflict yet absolute obedience.

The two exchanged a glance. One of them suddenly tore through the air and disappeared like a ghost, clearly going to convey the array's instructions. The other took ten steps back, his face solemn as he gripped the pistol at his waist, acting as the sole military witness to this absurd duel.

Dear readers, here's a chapter for now. I'll carefully consider the fight scenes later.