Chapter 126: The Unforgettable Floral Trunks!

That night, inside the Jiuhua Taoist Temple, Duan Qingyang finally received some useful information.

"So, the equipment of my Jiuhua Sect is now in the hands of two Anqing Martial Arts Academy students, Zhang Ze and Zhang Yue?" Duan Qingyang asked in a deep voice while on the phone.

Wei Can’s voice came from the other end. "It was indeed Zhang Ze and Zhang Yue who made the move, but Master Duan..." After a brief pause, Wei Can added, "I’m afraid there is no point in going after them now. They have likely already transferred the equipment to the logistics department of the Anqing Martial Arts Academy."

Duan Qingyang ignored the advice and immediately retorted, "Whether the items are still in Zhang Ze's hands or not, I will not give up!"

Knowing the man's temper, Wei Can did not try to persuade him further, only saying in a low voice, "Manager Zhu Wu has already taken his men and is preparing to leave. I am departing for your Jiuhua Sect now. If you take any action, I will support you with everything I have."

"Thank you."

...

Zhang Ze defeated Shi Jin! This was something even Wu Di had not expected. Although she had spoken those words to Zhang Ze, deep down, she never truly believed he could pull it off.

That night, she called Zhang Ze to her dormitory. It was the first time Zhang Ze had ever visited. The room was so clean and tidy that it was hard to find a place to stand.

"What are you looking at?" Wu Di asked softly as she saw Zhang Ze glancing around. She continued, "You beating Shi Jin was beyond my expectations, but that is only because he is even more useless than I thought. There is nothing to be proud of!"

Zhang Ze replied quickly, "I think you're right! He’s just Shi Jin, just a guy at the peak of the Third Grade. Nothing to be proud of."

His words sounded somewhat sarcastic to Wu Di. Deciding not to argue, she asked, "Did your injuries affect you?"

"No," Zhang Ze said, seemingly unaware of the concept of modesty. "As for that guy Shi Jin, he could—"

"Are you asking for a beating?" Wu Di chided him gently. Zhang Ze fell silent.

"Are you still planning to go out on missions with Zhang Yue?"

Zhang Ze was confused by the question. "Why wouldn't I? Missions are the fastest way to earn points. Besides, the Weaponry Company recently released information about a lot of cultists..."

Wu Di cut him off. "You don't need to fish for information from me. Some things are not for you to ask." After a pause, she added, "Then you two can continue going out on missions." With that, she dismissed him.

The conversation had been entirely devoid of substance, leaving Zhang Ze feeling rather helpless regarding his mentor.

...

As soon as Zhang Ze left, Wu Di dialed Zhao Jinghong’s number.

"I won't be participating in your operations for the time being."

"Really?" Zhao Jinghong sounded quite excited on the other end.

"Hmph," Wu Di asked coldly, "What? Are you that excited that I can't participate?"

"Not at all, not at all," Zhao Jinghong asked, "Did some emergency come up to delay you?"

Wu Di replied in a low voice, "Not exactly. It’s just that those two kids are still going out on missions, and with some people acting quite restless lately, I have to follow them just in case."

"Understood."

...

Back at the dormitory, Zhang Ze saw Leng Bingbing standing outside his door. "What’s wrong with you?"

Leng Bingbing looked worried, as if she had something on her mind. "Nothing... it's nothing." Her voice was hesitant. Zhang Ze wanted to press her, but seeing her turn and head back to her own room, he shrugged and let it go.

He spent the rest of the night in meditation.

...

Early the next morning, when Leng Bingbing knocked on his door and received no response, Zhang Ze was already in Zhang Yue’s car. The two were driving toward Nanye City.

Inside the car, the young girl smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to actually beat Shi Jin! He even defeated Senior Lu Mingyu!"

Zhang Ze scoffed at her words and couldn't help but tease, "Is this 'Lu Mingyu' guy really that strong?" Before Zhang Yue could reply, he muttered to himself in the passenger seat, "Why did he have to come at me with a blade, anyway?"

...

Puzzled, Zhang Ze arrived in Nanye. After gathering intelligence from an old acquaintance, Zhuang Ning, they drove straight toward the destination of their mission.

*Li Ming: Second Grade Martial Artist, Cult member...*

Zhang Ze stared at the file and grumbled, "This guy has a pretty decent-sounding name."

Zhang Yue, whose mind was elsewhere, asked, "Captain Zhuang said you didn't play fair earlier. What did you do in Nanye City before?"

Zhang Ze felt speechless. *I robbed people in Nanye! Can I tell you that?*

As they spoke, the car pulled into the parking lot of a high-end club in Nanye. After reviewing Li Ming’s information one last time, Zhang Ze and Zhang Yue set off.

...

At the same time, on the road to Nanye City, Duan Hong looked angry. "Can we confirm the location of those two now?"

Duan Qingkuang was driving, while Wei Can, sitting in the back seat, said in a deep voice, "Manager Zhu sent word. They are hunting a cultist named Li Ming."

Hearing this, Duan Hong frowned. "I have always been curious, what is it that you cultists—I mean, your 'Holy Sect'—actually want? Surely, ordinary matters wouldn't lead to being hunted by all these mainstream forces, would they?"

If anyone had heard Duan Hong’s words, their jaws would have dropped. His Jiuhua Sect knew perfectly well that Wei Can was a cultist, yet they were so close with him!

Wei Can smiled at Duan Hong’s confusion. "Humanity is currently being eyed by all sides, yet there are still fools who want to protect the entire human race. They don't even look at their own cultivation level! Only through baptism can there be rebirth!" Wei Can grew quite agitated as he spoke.

Duan Qingkuang, who was driving, said coldly, "That’s just talk. Does your organization truly share the same philosophy? If that were the case, there wouldn't be so many First and Second Grade cultists acting as whetstones for the Martial Arts Academy students."

Wei Can fell silent at this.

...

When Zhang Ze and Zhang Yue kicked the door open, Li Ming was wrapped in a bath towel, drying his wet hair.

*Bang!*

The door to the room was smashed open. Li Ming didn't react for a long moment. Zhang Ze and Zhang Yue were just about to move when they heard a woman’s voice from inside.

"Honey, are you done washing? I can't wait for our morning exercise!"

Seeing the stance Zhang Ze and Zhang Yue took, the middle-aged man realized what was happening and lost all interest in answering the woman.

Zhang Ze was stunned for a split second, but in an instant, he charged forward.

*Boom!*

Li Ming was kicked and sent flying into the bathroom. The constant training and fighting over the past few days had clearly improved Zhang Ze. *If you're going to beat someone, don't waste time talking!* This was one of the mottos Zhang Ze lived by, and he executed it thoroughly.

...

*Bang! Thud!*

Zhang Ze rushed into the bathroom. The floor was slippery, and with his flurry of punches and kicks, Li Ming was sliding all over the place. The latter had been wrapped in a towel, but after Zhang Ze's beating, he was left completely naked.

When Zhang Yue entered, she saw Li Ming in such a state and didn't bother to intervene, instead rushing into the bedroom to secure the woman who had been speaking.

"Ah!" The woman had been waiting for her "honey" for some morning exercise, but upon seeing Zhang Yue and Zhang Ze, she turned deathly pale with fear. "I... I'm Li Ming's girlfriend... really... I'm not a... I'm not a prostitute..."

Realizing the woman was not a martial artist, Zhang Yue had no intention of hurting her. She stood quietly to the side, waiting for Zhang Ze to finish.

...

It took less than three minutes in total. That was only because Zhang Ze wanted to vent some frustration; dealing with a Second Grade Li Ming should have been simple.

When Zhang Ze signaled to Zhang Yue, his peripheral vision caught sight of the woman on the bed, and he froze for a moment.

"Hmph!"

He was snapped back to reality by Zhang Yue’s cold snort. Zhang Ze hurriedly dragged Li Ming out of the bathroom and followed Zhang Yue as they quickly left the club.

It wasn't until they delivered Li Ming to the Investigation Bureau that they realized—the guy was still wearing his lace underwear.

...

"Shall we continue taking Second Grade missions?"

Back in the car, Zhang Yue’s face was still slightly flushed. Zhang Ze acted as if nothing had happened and said, "Whatever works. Let's start with a few more Second Grade missions; the efficiency is better."

"Alright."

As they chatted and drove away, neither Zhang Ze nor Zhang Yue noticed the van nearby starting up to follow them.

In the van, Duan Hong could no longer suppress his anger. He said in a deep voice to Duan Qingkuang, "Let me and Wen Qing make the first move later, Uncle Qingkuang?"

Wen Qing had been with them throughout the operation, but had not said a word from the very beginning.