Chapter 481: I Miss You
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tang Hao blended among the crowd after he got out of the bank, lingering around for a while to see.
He left after seeing the robbers escorted into the police cars.
It was evening when he arrived home.
Tang Hao went to the nearby wet market.
The vendors at the wet market knew him very well. They greeted him warmly when they saw him. A few of them asked about Ling Wei.
“Where’s that girl, Tang boy?”
Tang Hao was at a loss for a reply whenever he was asked that.
It had been a month since the incident. He also wondered how she had been.
‘Her life must be good now!’ Tang Hao thought.
He made dinner for himself when he got back. He chatted with Qin Xiangyi over the phone as he ate, listening to her talk about her business and her everyday life.
He enjoyed the simplicity of it all.
The call lasted for more than an hour.
After dinner, Tang Hao sat down in the living room and took out the raw jade stones he bought earlier that day. He broke the rocks open and cut the jade ore into thin slices.
The night got darker.
Tang Hao sat there, making talismans with full concentration. An unknown amount of time passed before the sudden vibration of his phone broke his concentration.
He was surprised when he saw the call notification.
It was from Officer Zhao.
He held the phone in his hand for about ten seconds before answering the call.
“Hello, Officer Zhao!”
The other end of the phone was silent.
Tang Hao also fell silent. He did not know what to say.
A long while later, she spoke hesitantly, “Come down!”
“What?” Tang Hao was confused.
“I said… come down here! I’m at the entrance of your residential area!” Zhao Qingxue said. She sounded a little tipsy.
“You drank?”
She was silent for a while. “Just a little!”
“I’ll be downstairs soon!” Tang Hao said.
He ended the call and lifted his head to look at the clock. It was already eleven o’clock.
“She’s not asleep yet at this hour? And she’s been drinking too..” Tang Hao mumbled and furrowed his brows.
He left his house and went to the entrance of his residential area. He looked to his left and right and saw a car parked nearby.
He walked toward the car, opened the door, and sat inside.
Zhao Qingue was sitting in the driver’s seat. She turned her head over and looked at him.
She was not in her police uniform, but rather a red dress.
She continued staring at him.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows. It seemed that she took quite a lot of alcohol, but she was not drunk yet.
“That was you earlier, right?”
She suddenly opened her mouth. Her eyes were sparkling.
Tang Hao grimaced. “How did you know?” He asked.
“Hmph, isn’t that easy? Who else could it be other than you? You were the first person I suspected, and I confirmed my suspicions when I saw the security footage.”
Tang Hao scratched his head awkwardly. “Looks like I’ve been found!”
Zhao Qingxue burst out laughing when she saw his face. “Don’t you know? The robbers seemed to have lost their minds when they mentioned you!”
“Well, it’s their fault for robbing a bank. They’re unlucky to meet me!” Tang Hao mumbled.
The atmosphere fell silent again.
…
The next morning.
Zhao Qingxue woke up just after he made breakfast. While they were eating, Zhao Qingxue’s phone started ringing.
“It’s Captain Zhang!” Zhao Qingxue told Tang Hao after she picked up her phone.
Very soon, her expression changed drastically.
“What? Where?” She shot up from her chair abruptly. Her expression was indescribably grim.
A while later, she continued speaking. “Understood. I’ll go over as soon as I can.”
She ended the call after that.
“There’s a case?” Tang Hao asked out of curiosity.
Zhao Qingxue nodded. “It’s a troublesome one!” Her face stiffened, and her hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air.
She furrowed her brows and said with some difficulty, “They discovered another girl at a construction site in the north of town. She’s only in her mid-teens, and she’s barely alive when they found her. The doctors are trying to resuscitate her now.
“She was only a bag of skin and bones when she was discovered. There were signs that her blood was drawn over a long period of time. Fortunately, she was alive when they found her, but the other two that we found earlier were dead.”
Tang Hao was silent.
The fires of anger were silently brewing.
Who could be so cruel to a teenage girl?
“What are the chances of saving her?” Tang Hao asked seriously.
“The captain said that the chances are quite high. The girl has a strong will to live. The doctors say that it’s a miracle that she survived,” Zhao Qingxue said.
Tang Hao was silent for a while. “I’ll go with you! Maybe I can help you somehow.”
“Alright!” Zhao Qingxue nodded.
The two people abandoned their breakfast and quickly went out the door. They passed by Zhao Qingxue’s house on the way to the hospital, and she changed into her uniform.
Chapter 482: Baird
An Audi A8 sped past the front gate of Province Z’s First Public Hospital.
After Tang Hao parked the car, he and Zhao Qingxue quickly went up a building.
They met with Captain Zhang and the other police officers at a corridor on the third floor.
“You’re here, Lil Zhao!”
Captain Zhao shouted as he saw Zhao Qingxue. His gaze turned to Tang Hao and he was shocked.
“Oh, how rare! Long time no see, Comrade Tang Hao!”
Captain Zhang smiled eagerly. He walked over briskly and shook hands with Tang Hao.
He was behaving quite courteously.
He knew that Tang Hao was affiliated with the army and had extraordinary abilities. He had witnessed the extent of Comrade Tang Hao’s power.
He was a superhuman person!
After he shook hands with Tang Hao, he shot a mischievous glance at Zhao Qingxue.
Both of them had arrived together early in the morning, which made him wonder if they were doing anything the night before.
“How is it, Captain?” Zhao Qingxue asked nervously.
Captain Zhang coughed lightly and said seriously. “They stabilized her, but she’s still unconscious and very weak. The doctors say that she won’t be waking up anytime soon.
“There! She’s in that room…”
Captain Zhang pointed at the room next to him.
“The headquarters are verifying her identity in the missing persons list. We’ll be getting results soon.
“The forensics team has collected evidence at the scene. They’ve questioned the workers and the foreman at the construction site but did not find any useful information, just like the last two times.
“It’s as though the girl had appeared out of thin air.”
Captain Zhao subconsciously furrowed his brows as he spoke.
“This case is a tricky one. There are no leads, and the methods are so peculiar and cruel.
“Just who could be that depraved to do that toward a child?”
Captain Zhao roared. He punched the wall, and he seemed emotional.
He had witnessed many crime scenes as a veteran police officer, but he became emotional whenever children were victims.
“This is already the third victim. If we don’t stop the perpetrators, there will be more…”
The police officers were silent. All of them looked indignant.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows and sunk deep in thought.
Zhao Qingxue had briefed him about the details of the case while he drove to the hospital.
They found the first girl about more than twenty days ago under an overpass in the south of the city. She was emaciated and her arms were full of needle holes.
They found out from the autopsy that her cause of death was loss of blood over a long period of time.
They also found out that the girl was reported missing five months earlier.
She was not from Provincial City, but a girl from a farmer village in the next district.
The second girl was found fifteen days ago. Her body was found in the east of the city. She was also reported missing five months ago.
It meant that the girls were abducted and confined somewhere. In those five months, their blood was extracted from their still-living bodies.
After the girls died, their abductors discarded their corpses.
The girl they discovered that morning was the same, but fortunately, she was still alive.
They found out that over ten girls from the province were reported missing five months ago.
They were not sure if all the cases were related, but the possibility was very high.
It meant that more than ten girls were being tortured in such a way currently.
Tang Hao’s brows were locked tightly together, and his fists were clenched.
He could not control the anger in his heart.
Such depraved acts were unforgivable!
It did not matter if the perpetrators were mundane people or cultivators. He could not spare them.
“May I go in and take a look, Captain Zhang?” Tang Hao asked the police officer after taking several deep breaths to calm down.
He had to investigate if the crimes were done by mundane people or someone or something more sinister.
“Well…” Captain Zhang hesitated for a while but eventually nodded. “You may go in!”
Tang Hao opened the door and saw a thin and small girl on the bed. Her face was eerily skeletal.
She lay on the bed, unmoving, strapped to a ventilator.
Tang Hao walked up to the bed and looked at her for a long time.
His heart twitched when he saw her sickly face. He felt the same emotions in Hu Lingling’s case.
The sorrow and indignation cut him like a blade.
His body was trembling and his fists were clenched tightly.
He took a deep breath to calm down and started diagnosing her condition.
Soon, he discovered something. He could feel a weak trace of qi on her.
The qi was unfamiliar to him.
Upon closer inspection, the qi was similar to a werewolf’s.
‘Vampires!’
Tang Hao’s expression changed.
Vampires and werewolves were monsters from the West.
He had encountered many werewolves before, but vampires were a first.
However, according to the Taoist masters, vampires should have been rare in Huaxia. Taoist Master Chang Qing told him that some cowardly vampires might set their eyes on blood banks.
The vampires that performed those crimes were brazen and lawless!
Did they think that no one in Huaxia could stop them?
Killing intent flashed in his eyes. His body shook, and his expression sank.
“They need to die!”
He spat those words icily.
He lifted his left hand, and a compass appeared.
That was a special compass from Mao Mountain. It could track a trace of qi back to its owner.
Taoist Master Chang Qing had used it before to track down the werewolves.
The needle on the compass wobbled. Suddenly, it swirled and firmly pointed in a specific direction.
“Got it!” He narrowed his eyes.
He left the room with the compass in his hand.
“The case is out of your hands now… you can’t handle it!” Tang Hao said as he looked at Captain Zhang and the other police officers.
The police officers were shocked.
Zhao Qingxue noticed the compass in Tang Hao’s hand and thought of something.
Perhaps there was a supernatural element to the case, which meant that they would be helpless.
“Be careful!” She reminded him.
Tang Hao nodded at her and left.
As he walked down the stairs, the killing intent in him rose. His expression was ice-cold as his eyes were transfixed on the compass.
He got into his car and drove away toward the direction indicated by the compass.
Very soon, the car left the city area and went into the countryside.
He continued driving forward. He eventually reached a manor in the mountainous region next to Provincial City.
He got out of the car and looked at his compass.
The needle was pointing straight at the manor.
He lifted his head and noticed several English characters on the front gates of the manor.
Those letters spelled out “Baird”.
Chapter 483: Huaxia’s Decline
“Baird?” Tang Hao furrowed his brows.
He knew he had heard that name from somewhere.
‘Right, Baird Corporation is a famous multinational conglomerate.
‘Another multinational conglomerate!’
Just like Beck Corporation, they were also committing crimes in Huaxia.
How many more evil forces were hiding in Huaxia?
How many more of these monsters were lurking in the city, harming the innocent without any care for consequences?
Not only there were vampires and werewolves from the West, but there were also Western warlocks, Nanyang shamans, Dongying ninja cultivators…
They did not seem to care for the law or morality.
How did the great ancient country of Huaxia decline to such a sorry state?
According to the Taoist masters, most of those villains would not have dared to step into Huaxia in the past. Even if they did, they would not brazenly cause so much trouble.
However, they seem to have no regard for the law now.
That was a clear sign of Huaxia’s decline!
Tang Hao’s heart burned with the fires of anger as he stood there.
How could he, a Huaxianese, tolerate foreigners causing trouble on his land?
If he could not stop it, perhaps he could look away and do nothing. However, now that he could stop them, it was his obligation to do so.
‘All those evil-doers must die!
‘Their blood shall be an offering to the Huaxianese victims!
‘Even if they did not cause any harm, there is no place for them in Huaxia!’
Tang Hao narrowed his eyes, and his gaze turned ice-cold.
“Everything starts from here!”
Tang Hao lifted his head and looked at the manor again.
He took out his phone and gave a call to Shabby Taoist Master.
“Hey, Fellow Cultivator Tang! Is there anything?”
“Do you have any information about the name Baird?”
“Baird?”
Shabby Taoist Master thought for a while and replied, “Oh, I know, those bloodlings! They’re a prominent family among the vampires. They’re quite powerful!
“Right, they have a company in Provincial City, I think. Don’t tell me that they’ve crossed you?”
“They’re quite powerful, you say? I’m about to storm into their nest and slaughter them all!” Tang Hao said coldly.
“What?”
Shabby Taoist Master jumped out of his seat. “You’ll cause a lot of chaos if you do that. They’ll come to you for revenge.”
“Revenge? I’m not scared of that!”
Shabby Taoist Master laughed bitterly.
Knowing Tang Hao’s abilities, he would have been able to take on them all.
“Don’t you know what they did?” Tang Hao said indignantly, “They’ve abducted more than ten girls and used them as blood slaves. Two of them are already dead.”
“What?” Shabby Taoist Master’s face turned pale abruptly.
“Dammit, those bloodlings! How dare they do evil in Huaxia? I’d skin each of them alive if I have the ability!” Shabby Taoist Master cursed out loud.
“Those Western whelps are getting more and more lawless. They’ve never dared to do that. Now, all these werewolves and vampires run rampant all over Huaxia.
“Back then, with the two Perfected Persons of Mao Mountain protecting the peace, they did not dare to do anything improper. Now that they’ve gone into seclusion, they’re out causing trouble again.
“Mao Mountain wants to stop them, but we don’t have the ability to! Meanwhile, Dragon Tiger Mountain has already forgotten their ancestral tenets and they only know how to enjoy life. Mao Mountain alone would not be able to keep the peace.
“I hate to admit it, but Huaxia isn’t like what it used to be! Those people, those monsters, they don’t treat us with the respect we deserve anymore.
“Nothing like this would have happened in the past!”
Shabby Taoist Master sighed helplessly.
“Please don’t blame us, Fellow Cultivator Tang. We’ve tried our best!”
Tang Hao was silent.
Eventually, he opened his mouth. “I know! But… even if Huaxia isn’t as powerful as it used to be, we still shouldn’t allow those villains to run rampant here.
“Not only do I want to kill those vampires, but I want to kill even more monsters. I’d like to clean Provincial City of every evil monster and cultivator.
“I want to restore Huaxia to its former glory!
“Taoist Master, I’d like to ask you, will Mao Mountain be in on this?”
Tang Hao’s voice sounded patriotic.
“Restore Huaxia to its former glory?” Shabby Taoist Master mumbled, “That is a meritorious deed! Of course we’re in on it! We’re not cowards!
“Right! When are we starting?”
“Tonight!”
“That’s fast!” Shabby Taoist Master was stunned.
“The faster, the better!” Tang Hao said.
“Alright. I’ll go and inform the rest. You can wait for my call.”
Shabby Taoist Master ended the call and dashed out of his room.
“Restore glory to Huaxia? That is a righteous deed of great merit! Isn’t that one of the founding principles of Mao Mountain?
“Huaxia has been declining in the past years, while we could only helplessly watch.
“Now that we have Fellow Cultivator Tang on our side, it proves that Huaxia hasn’t fully declined yet. It’s now the time to show those Western whelps what we can do.
“Who among you are willing to come along with me to witness the rebirth of Huaxia?”
In the main hall, an elderly Taoist master shouted agitatedly while waving his arms.
“I am willing!”
“I am willing!”
The entire Mao Mountain was bustling with activity.
The Taoist masters’ fighting spirit was roused.
They had waited for this day for a long time.
“Alright, let’s pack up and move out!”
Meanwhile, Tang Hao gave a phone call to General Bai and told him about his plan.
The other end of the phone was silent for a long time.
“Your plan is very daring! Once it’s started, it will cause a lot of chaos. A big fight will be unavoidable.
“There might even be… a war!”
“It will be a war among us and Western cultivation world… and maybe even other places!”
General Bai spoke gravely.
“However, I will support you in your cause. They ought to be punished for their crimes, and we shall not watch as they trample on the dignity of Huaxia! Just wait for a while. I’ll go inform the Higher-Ups.”
General Bai returned the call very soon.
“The Higher-Ups have approved it, Comrade Tang Hao. This operation shall be named ‘Operation Witch Hunter. I will be the commander, and I’ll fly over to Province Z now to coordinate the forces.
“The special forces of the Agency shall also be mobilized. There will also be material support.
“Comrade Tang Hao, you shall be Vice Commander. Oh, right! The Higher-Ups want to promote you! Would you like to be a colonel?”
Meanwhile, at Mao Mountain, the Taoist masters drove their cars down the mountain and toward Province Z. The long line of cars was like a dragon.
At an airbase near the Capital, military jets carrying special forces of the Agency took flight toward Province Z.
It was a spectacular scene.
Chapter 484: The Return To Glory
Tang Hao put his phone down and looked at the sky.
The sky was cloudy and overcast.
“The sky… will be sunny again soon!”
Tang Hao mumbled. He looked away and narrowed his eyes, and they flashed with a shocking coldness.
“Let’s start with these fellows!”
He cast his Heaven Eye and Earth Ear spell and explored the manor.
“There are forty-five of them! Not many people are on the ground. Most of them are underground, and their breathing is weak. Right, it’s daytime now. The vampires should be sleeping in their coffins.
“Over there… are the girls. There are twelve of them.
“That means there are only thirty-three vampires!”
Tang Hao furrowed his brows. He knew that vampires needed to be killed in a certain way to ensure that they remained dead.
He thought for a while and grimaced. “Whatever. I’ll just blow them into bits. That should be easy!”
He got into the car, started the engine, floored the accelerator, and drove it toward the front gates of Baird Manor. He activated the powers of his jade talismans, and the car dashed forward.
Bang!
The iron gates were busted wide open. The car continued past the manor grounds and toward the front door.
Alarms were immediately sounded.
“Who is it?”
Several people came out of the manor. They were all Westerners with blond hair and blue eyes.
They were tall, well-built, and dressed in black suits and shades. Their faces were eerily pale.
After they got out of the door, they looked at the sky and saw that the sun was hidden behind the clouds. They continued running toward Tang Hao while cursing.
Tang Hao braked abruptly in front of the house.
He opened the door and stepped out of the car.
The Westerners were surprised when they saw him.
‘Why does that guy look weird, as though there’s a cloud of mist surrounding his face?’
They could not see his features clearly, but they could tell that he was quite young.
“Who are you? You are on private property! You are breaking the law!”
One of the Westerners spoke with halting Chinese.
Tang Hao narrowed his eyes. “I’m here to kill all of you, of course!” He said coldly.
He spoke that sentence in English.
The Westerner was baffled for a while.
He then burst into laughter. A kid wanted to kill them all? That was a big joke!
Did the kid know who they were?
“You have a death wish, you filthy kid!” One of the Westerners on the left smirked. He rubbed his fists as he walked toward Tang Hao.
As he neared his target, he suddenly dashed toward him.
His speed was unnaturally fast.
Vampires were well-known for their speed.
He grinned viciously. He would be able to beat the Huaxia kid within an inch of his life with just one punch.
How dare that scrawny kid come to look for trouble? That was nothing but a joke!
Who would dare look for trouble with the renowned Baird family? That person must be an idiot!
Tang Hao stood there and did not move an inch, allowing the fist to come close to him. The punch brought along a gust of wind which ruffled his hair and rippled his clothes.
‘What an idiot!’ The Westerner became more condescending than ever.
Tang Hao suddenly moved. He opened his eyes and they flashed with a horrific light, as dazzling and frightening as a sudden storm.
He lifted his left hand and grasped the incoming fist firmly.
Then, as fast as lightning, his hand twisted.
Crack! That was the sound of bone snapping.
“Ahhhh!”
A terrified shriek echoed in the skies.
The Western’s face was twisted. His eyes were opened wide incredulously.
He was a vampire! His physical strength had been enhanced by vampiric blood. How did the kid so easily block his attack or snap his wrist into two?
Before he could think of an answer, Tang Hao’s right hand moved. He lifted a dagger up high and plunged it into the Westerner’s head.
Splat!
The dagger went through his skull like slicing through butter.
The Westerner’s eyes bulged like a frog. His expression was contorted.
Tang Hao twisted the knife mercilessly and channeled his qi into the weapon. The vampire’s skull exploded like a watermelon.
Boom! Blood mist sprayed the immediate area. He did not attempt to dodge the blood mist and allowed the blood mist to stain his clothes.
“One!”
He shoved the headless corpse aside and glared at the other people in front of him.
They were all shocked.
‘This guy seems quite powerful! No wonder he dares to come here alone!
‘He’s still dreaming if he thinks that he can take down all of us!’
“You have a death wish, kid!” They roared.
They bared their fangs and turned into savage forms. The whites of their eyes became blood red, and their qi auras became stronger.
“Tear that kid into pieces!”
They pounced upon Tang Hao, brandishing their sharp claws.
Tang Hao continued walking forward calmly.
His body flashed like a phantom and dodged one vampire’s attack. Immediately following that, he waved his right arm and pierced the skull of another vampire.
“Two!”
Boom!
The vampire’s skull exploded.
“Three!”
“Four!”
The vampires fell one by one. Their skulls exploded into bits.
The final vampire was pinned by Tang Hao to the door. His face was twisted with extreme fear.
“Seven!”
Tang Hao mumbled and twisted the dagger.
Boom!
The vampire’s head exploded.
After that, he shot out fireballs and burned the vampires’ corpses into ashes.
In the meantime, the vampires sleeping in the basement were waking up one by one. They could sense that their compatriots were dead, and they roared out sorrowfully.
They rushed up the stairs to the ground.
“Die, Huaxia kid!”
They roared and pounced at Tang Hao with savage expressions on their faces. Their eyes were glowing with an unnerving blood-red light.
“Hmph!”
Tang Hao grunted nonchalantly. He flicked his hand, and tens of jade talismans shot out.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The exploding fire light consumed the vampires.
They were sent flying backward. When they landed on the ground, they were on the verge of death.
“Eight, nine…”
Tang Hao stepped up to them and ended their lives.
He continued into the house and massacred his way to the basement.
“Twenty, twenty-one…”
His face was impassive, except for the burning killing intent in his eyes.
He could only be appeased when all the monsters were dead and the two girls were avenged.
“Thirty-one, thirty-two! Alright, one more to go!”
Tang Hao kicked open the door in front of him.
Beyond the door was a lavishly-decorated room.
A coffin was placed slantwise in the room. The lid was open, and a young man in his twenties lay inside. He opened his eyes and glared at Tang Hao.
“How dare you cross the Baird family? You must have a death wish!”
He hissed and pounced toward Tang Hao.
His speed and qi aura put him at a higher level compared to those that Tang Hao killed earlier.
‘This guy is the real deal!’ Tang Hao thought.
However, that was still nothing in his eyes. It was all too easy to dispatch him.
Meanwhile, the young vampire became even more fearful as the fight continued.
The Huaxianese in front of him was too formidable. He was able to catch up with him no matter how fast he got.
A thought flashed in his mind and he prepared to escape.
“Thinking of running away?” Tang Hao roared.
He flicked his hand, and a jade talisman shot out.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck the vampire, which sent him flying.
“Who… who are you? Why do you want to kill me? Is it because someone paid you to do so? I can give you more money. Five times, no, ten times! I can give you twenty times the money!
“The Baird family has money. Just name your price and I can give it to you! I can give you a harem of beautiful women, too!
“You can’t kill me. I am from the Baird family!” He begged.
Tang Hao continued stepping forward. His expression was ice-cold.
“Why do I want to kill you? Have you forgotten all the evil deeds that you have done in Huaxia? Those young girls are innocent!
“So what if you’re from the Baird family? If you’re the one who killed the girls, then your blood shall pay for their lives!”
He stopped next to the vampire.
He lifted his hand and plunged the dagger into the vampire’s skull.
Chapter 485: Gathering of Forces
Tang Hao shot a fireball from his hand and burned the corpse of the vampire into ashes.
The thirty-three vampires of Baird manor were dead.
He gently exhaled, feeling a lot better.
He went around the room once and looted anything of value.
He planned to hand over the items to the Taoist masters so that they could sell them. The money would be used as compensation for the victims’ families.
After that, he went to the room that held the girls.
Just when he was about to open the door, he stopped and realized that his bloody appearance might scare the girls.
He changed into a set of clean clothes and pushed the door open.
The room was dim. The air inside was stale and carried the stench of rot.
Several big steel cages were placed in the room. In each of those cages was a thin girl with shackles on her feet, as though she was not a human but livestock.
They sat up in attention when they heard the door open, and they looked toward the door with fear.
Tang Hao felt a tug in his heartstrings when he saw the scene.
“Everything’s OK now. I’m here to save you!” Tang Hao said gently.
He walked to the first cage, tore away the lock, and opened the door.
“You’re really safe now! Here, look at my military ID. I’m here to save you… the baddies are all dead!” Tang Hao crouched in front of the girl and showed her his identity card.
The girl became less wary when she saw it.
Tears gushed out of her eyes. She could not hold it back anymore and started crying loudly.
She rushed forward and hugged Tang Hao. “Big Brother… I was so scared…”
Tang Hao hugged her frail body and patted her head. “Everything is fine now!”
He broke open the locks on each cage and released the girls. He also briefly inspected their bodies.
All twelve girls were very thin. Their arms were full of needle holes. Two of them were especially weak and would be dead in a few days.
“Let’s go outside!”
Tang Hao led the way out.
Very soon, they could hear the wail of sirens coming from afar. A squad of police cars arrived, as well as several ambulances.
After the police cars stopped, Captain Zhang, Zhao Qingxue, and the others got out of the cars. They were overjoyed when they saw the girls sitting at the entrance.
“Thank you so much, Comrade Tang Hao!”
Captain Zhang went over and shook Tang Hao’s hands firmly.
His eyes were wet when he saw the girls.
“They’re all OK. That’s great!”
He straightened his brows and displayed an expression of extreme indignation.
“Dammit, so Westerners were behind this crime. I won’t forgive them for performing such evil deeds on Huaxia soil! Where are they?” He took out a pair of handcuffs and prepared to rush inside.
“They’re gone!” Tang Hao said.
“Huh?” Captain Zhang was confused.
“They’re gone! No more! Turned into ashes!”
Captain Zhang felt a chill up his spine. He sucked in a mouthful of cold air.
“That’s the end of this case!” Tang Hao stood up, dusted his hands, and walked toward his car.
“Right, you should be prepared for what’s coming tonight.”
Tang Hao sat inside his car, started the engine, and drove off. Captain Zhang and the other police officers were still standing on the spot, confused.
“Be prepared? What does he mean?” Captain Zhang said cluelessly.
“I don’t know!” The other police officers were baffled too.
Suddenly, Captain Zhang’s phone started ringing. When he answered the call, he trembled violently and his expression changed drastically.
“What’s wrong, Captain?” A police officer behind him noticed the sudden change and asked him.
Captain Zhang froze on the spot, his hand clutching his phone, looking incredulously at the direction in which Tang Hao left.
He turned around after a long time. “The Provincial Headquarters declared a state of emergency not too long ago. From now on, all police officers are to be on standby in the police station and await further orders.”
All the police officers around him were shocked when they heard that.
“A state of emergency? Is something big going to happen?” A police officer said incredulously.
Whatever that was coming seemed to be more serious than the explosions and sniper attacks.
“I don’t know!” Captain Zhang seemed confused.
“Don’t tell me it has something to do with him?” A police officer said as he looked toward the direction in which Tang Hao left.
All the police officers felt a chill travel up their spine.
Many of them had thought of that, but they were unwilling to believe it.
“What does he want to pull off this time? What is going to happen?”
“I don’t know, but it’s going to be something major!” Captain Zhang mumbled.
…
At noon, a military jet landed on an airfield somewhere.
The door of the aircraft opened, and a group of men in military uniforms stepped out.
The leader was General Bai.
“Comrade Tang Hao!”
General Bai shook hands with Tang Hao, who had been waiting there.
“Colonel Tang!”
The other military officers also shook hands with him.
“All these people are the best in the Agency! A big fella will be coming soon, and they’ll be the ones operating it.” General Bai introduced the people to Tang Hao.
The Mao Mountain Taoist priests arrived very soon. Their cars drove into the military base.
“Fellow Cultivator Tang, General Bai! This is a good operation! We Huaxianese have been bullied by those people over these years. It’s time that we strike back.”
“This is the first step to restoring the glory of Huaxia! We’ll show them what we can do!”
“We’ll let those filthy Westerners know that Huaxia does not tolerate bullies! If they dare to do evil in Huaxia, the only consequence is death!”
The elderly Taoist masters’ faces were red with excitement.
A short while later, a fleet of military jets flew over and landed at the airfield.
Squads of soldiers came out carrying crates of supplies.
An extraordinarily huge object came out of one of the transporters. A black cloth covered it.
“This is… an amazing piece of technology! We’ll be relying on it tonight.”
“It’s a specially made radar to detect abnormal qi signatures to differentiate cultivators from mundane people. The Agency has spent a lot of money on developing this piece of equipment.
“Of course, it can also detect those monsters too. Its range can cover the entire Provincial City.
“None of the evil monsters can hide from the radar!
“Why don’t we make a few more? It’s very expensive, dammit! Do you think the Agency grows money on trees? It’s not like you don’t know that!
“Do you think everyone is as rich as you? The Agency will go broke if we make a few more.”
General Bai rambled on.
Chapter 486: A Long Night
Two o’clock in the afternoon.
A crossing in the city center was cleared of traffic, and construction signs were placed.
Many construction vehicles were also parked around the crossing.
A giant object was placed in the middle.
It was surrounded by barriers on all sides. Soldiers, dressed up as construction workers, were patrolling around it.
The combat plan was decided at three o’clock.
Preparations were ready by five o’clock.
The sky was getting darker. Night was falling.
Tang Hao stood in a room somewhere in the military base. In front of him was a military uniform.
He picked up the clothes. After hesitating for a while, he changed into it.
After fastening the last button, he lifted his head and looked at himself in the mirror. With the military uniform on, he looked entirely different from his usual self. He seemed a lot more masculine and heroic.
“Looks pretty good!” Tang Hao mumbled as he stroked his chin.
He put on the hat and left the room.
“Wow!” The Taoist masters waiting outside the room exclaimed.
“You’re handsome, Little Brother Tang!”
Taoist Master Qian Ji stepped in front of him and patted his shoulder.
The other Taoist masters were also impressed by Tang Hao’s new look.
“You look so f*cking handsome. Reminds me of my past days!” The rather scoundrelly Trendy Taoist Master said conceitedly.
“Nonsense! Your loser face isn’t half as handsome as Little Brother Tang. He looks as handsome as me when I was younger though!” The slightly plump Taoist master Qing Yun said as he stroked his double chin.
Everyone around him booed.
“You’re shameless, Senior Brother!”
“I’m gonna puke!”
The Taoist masters jeered at him.
“Dammit, you bastards! Don’t you remember what you’ve been taught, that you should always respect your senior brothers?” Taoist Master Qing Yun was red in the face.
“Pah!”
The Taoist masters booed again.
“Alright, enough fooling around! Let’s set out!” A group of elderly Taoist masters came over.
Their eyes sparkled when they saw Tang Hao.
“Wow, you’re so handsome, just like when I was younger!”
“Not bad at all, but I was more handsome when I was younger! I used to look like the reincarnation of Pan An[1]!”
The elderly Taoist masters exclaimed.
However, they started arguing about who looked the most handsome in their younger days.
Tang Hao rolled his eyes helplessly.
He already knew how those Mao Mountain Taoist masters behaved and did not find their bickering surprising.
The sky was already dark when they got out of the military base.
The exterior of the military base was crowded with people. They all stood in rows and did not make a sound. They wore the black uniform of special forces troops and full-face masks. It was a menacing sight.
Those were not the usual special forces troops, but specially trained soldiers to subdue cultivators.
They were equipped to fight against werewolves and vampires.
Tang Hao and the Mao Mountain Taoist masters would lead the operation, while the special troops provided support and cleanup.
Not only the qi radar could identify cultivators and monsters from mundane people, but it could also detect the strength of one’s cultivation base.
After the radar was set up in the afternoon, it had been operational and had been looking for targets in Provincial City.
There were a total of one thousand, two hundred and fifty-six of them.
Most of those targets were foreigners. Only a small portion of them was Huaxianese.
The targets were divided into three levels based on the strength of their cultivation base. The highest level was red, which indicated that they were in the latter period of the State of Qi Channeling. Tang Hao and the elderly Taoist masters would be taking care of those.
The second level was orange, and they were in the middle period of the State of Qi Channeling. Those would be handled by the stronger Taoist masters.
The lowest level was blue, indicating cultivators in the early period of the State of Qi Channeling. Those would be handled by the weaker Taoist masters. The ones in light blue were the weakest of them all and could be subdued by the special forces.
“Remember, we can spare the lives of those that surrender without putting up a fight. If they resist, try to escape, or threaten the safety of the public, you have the permission to kill them on sight.
“It’s time to move out! All squads, move out to your predetermined locations. Operation Witch Hunter is a go!”
General Bai gave the command. The special forces troops jogged to their trucks and got in.
The trucks started their engines and drove out of the military base like a long dragon.
“Comrade Tang and fellow Taoist masters, I will be waiting here for your victory!”
General Bai saluted at them solemnly.
Tang Hao returned the salute. He entered his car.
He started the car and caught up to the convoy of trucks heading toward the city area.
The vehicles drove along the road one by one. There seemed to be no end to them.
Tang Hao inhaled deeply as he looked at the scenery outside. He felt rather grim.
It was going to be a long night.
He looked at his wristwatch. It was seven o’clock sharp.
“Seven at night to five in the morning. Ten hours should be enough!” He mumbled as his gaze turned cold.
The vehicles scattered to their destinations as they neared the city area.
Tang Hao got out of his car at a crossing and took out a PDA. On the display was a map of his surroundings and several blinking spots.
“Operation… start!”
Tang Hao whispered to himself. His body moved and dashed forward.
…
A certain car was driving on the road.
A man dressed in a black suit and wore a felt hat sat inside. His face was thin, and his sunken eyes carried a dangerous gaze.
His eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked at the car in front of him.
His target was in that car!
His client paid him four million yuan for a hit on that person. Also, the client requested that he used the cruelest methods so that the person would die in extreme agony.
That was what he, a Nanyang shaman, was best at!
He stretched his thin lips into a cruel smile.
He lifted his left hand, which held a photograph of a charming woman in her thirties.
He licked his dry lips, and perversion flashed in his eyes.
‘Should I toy with her for a bit before ending her life? That is a form of torment too. She’ll taste heaven before she’s sent to hell!’
He became more excited after thinking of that. He almost could not control his urges.
The car in front of him slowed down and turned into a residential area.
He also slowed down and parked his car at the roadside.
He wanted to rush out of his car as soon as it stopped.
Suddenly, he heard a thump above him, as though something landed on the top of his car.
‘Dammit! Did some bastard throw garbage on top of my car?’
He was instantly furious. He stuck his head out of the window and looked up.
Just when his head was out of the window, a hand reached in and dragged him out of the car.
Someone with an icy expression appeared in front of him.
“Nanyang shaman? Die!” The person spat out those ice-cold words.
He gasped for air, already scared out of his wits. He could sense that the qi aura of that person was extremely frightening.
“Don’t…”
Before he could beg for his life, he saw something cold flash in front of him. His vision went dark, and he lost consciousness forever.
[1] Pan An is a 3rd-century Chinese poet known for his looks.
Chapter 487: The Sun Rises
In a luxury mansion, a fireplace burned and classical music played.
The mansion was furnished extravagantly in the Western style.
In the middle of the room was a long table. Exquisite Western-style tableware was placed on it.
Several Westerners with blond hair and blue eyes were eating from a plate of meat with knives and forks.
One of the younger Westerners brought a piece of meat into his mouth. He chewed it carefully and seemed satisfied.
“Mm! This must be from the thigh!”
He closed his eyes and savored the taste.
When he opened his eyes again, they momentarily flashed with the color of blood.
“The texture of the meat is… just nice. It must have come from a male in his twenties. I think he works out quite frequently, too. That’s how you get such an excellent texture.
“Delicious! Simply delicious!” He could not stop exclaiming.
A Westerner in his fifties sat at the host’s seat. He lifted his glass and sipped some red wine. “You’re still as amazing as ever, my dear George. You’re exactly right!” He said with a smile.
The young man named George smiled. “It was nothing!
“By the way, I’m surprised that Huaxianese meat is so delicious. The meat of the people back in our country is too tough and sour. I can’t stomach that.
“This meat is probably one of the finest delicacies in the world.
“Is there a problem though… eating human meat like this over here?”
He seemed worried when he said that.
The other Westerners laughed when they heard the question.
“You worry too much, George! Huaxia might have been powerful in the past, but now they’ve declined. Those stinky Taoist masters are powerless now.
“Don’t worry about what you eat, as long as you don’t go overboard. There won’t be any problems.”
The old Westerner in the host’s seat said with a smile.
His eyes flashed with condescension when he mentioned “Huaxia”.
The Huaxia in the past was very powerful, but now, anyone could come in and the Taoist masters would not even care.
Even if they cared, what could they possibly do?
“Cheers!”
He smiled and lifted the wine glass in his hand.
“Cheers!”
The other Westerners also lifted their glasses and smiled.
Suddenly, they heard a loud crash. A hole appeared in the roof, and a figure descended from above.
The Westerners were shocked and were about to stand up.
Just as the figure touched the floor, it dashed forward with incredible speed. A cold light flashed, and a qi blade appeared from his hand, decapitating the people sitting in a row.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The heads of the Westerners sitting on the left side of the table flew into the air. Blood gushed like fountains.
The other Westerners, including George, were stunned. Before they could react, the qi blade swung the other way, and their heads were separated from their bodies.
In the blink of an eye, the Westerner in the host’s seat was the only one alive.
He sat there, paralyzed with fear.
“Who… who are you?” His voice was trembling as he looked at Tang Hao.
He was shocked when he noticed Tang Hao’s military uniform.
“I… am the Huaxianese you were talking about earlier!” Tang Hao said coldly as he stepped forward, holding a dagger.
His expression was extremely gloomy and scary.
‘These people are morally depraved! How dare they eat the flesh of Huaxianese on Huaxia soil?’
“You… you dare kill me? I’m from the Sullivan family. If you dare kill me, it will be a declaration of war. Your Huaxia will be dead for sure!”
He roared viciously. His face was contorted with anger.
In his extreme rage, he bared his werewolf features.
The Sullivans were a renowned werewolf family, just like the Becks.
“Declaration of war? Let’s go to war then! We’re planning to wipe out your entire family anyway!
“Scum like you don’t deserve to live!
“Even if I kill your entire family, that still won’t be enough to pay for the crimes you have committed in Huaxia!”
Tang Hao threw out a jade talisman and sent that werewolf flying. He decapitated him with a swing of his blade and reduced the corpse to ashes by a fireball.
He walked out of the room and killed the other people in the mansion one by one.
After that, he set the profane mansion on fire.
He immediately set off toward the next destination. There was no time to waste.
The next destination was another werewolf den. Werewolves were like viruses. They could breed very fast.
The werewolves there were about the same strength as the pack who had abducted Taoist Master Chang Qing before. They were all evil criminals, which Tang Hao heartily dispatched.
He moved on to his next destination.
His next target was a warlock in his fifties who disguised as a foreign language teacher.
He surrendered without putting up a fight. Tang Hao called a squad over and brought the person away.
A few hours later, he cleared the targets that were tasked to him.
He stood at the rooftop of a skyscraper and looked down at the city.
The city at night was well-lit and lively. If he listened carefully, he could hear the sound of guns, explosions, and the occasional wolf howl.
Operation Witch Hunter was still in progress, cleansing every nook and cranny of the city.
There would be no refuge for evil cultivators and monsters.
They had many disguised identities: Expatriates, foreign language teachers, and even students. Of course, many came to Huaxia to cause trouble under the guise of tourists.
There were also many transformed Huaxianese.
The ones who cooperated and surrendered were restrained, sedated, and brought away on a truck. Those who resisted or escaped were killed on the spot.
There were small outbreaks of chaos throughout the city.
Tang Hao listened carefully and went to the places that needed his help.
The operation was wrapping up at about two o’clock. Only weaker monsters remained, and Tang Hao helped the special forces to speed up the process.
At four o’clock, the final target, a foreign student, was successfully captured in his dorm.
Tang Hao and the Taoist masters all went to capture him.
Behind them were trucks that carried the logo of the military police. The squads were gathering.
The student nearly wet his pants when he saw the spectacle. He fell on his knees.
‘Dammit! Is there a need to mobilize so many people just to capture me?’
The spectacle itself was enough to scare someone to death!
‘Didn’t they say that no one would care in Huaxia?’
He wanted to cry, but he had no tears.
After bringing him into a truck, the convoy of vehicles started their way back to the military base.
Operation Witch Hunter was successfully complete.
The sky was turning light as the vehicles arrived at the military base.
The long night was finally over.
Chapter 488: Worldwide Shock
“Hello? 110? I have an emergency!”
“I saw a werewolf! Wow, it’s so big! What? It’s fake? That can’t be! I saw it with my own eyes. What? They’re only shooting a movie? That can’t be, right? It’s too much of a coincidence. Wow, it looks too real!”
“Hello, 110? Quickly send someone over! I saw someone flying in the air! Quick, shoot him down!”
“Hello, 110? The aliens are here! They’re invading Earth! What? I’m imagining things? Are you saying that I’ve lost my mind? F*ck you, you’re the one who’s lost your mind.”
The phones in the police call center rang nonstop all night.
The operators did not know how to react to all those calls of supernatural occurrences.
“You must have been mistaken, Sir! We shouldn’t believe in superstitions!”
“Your eyes must be playing tricks on you, Sir. Should I help you schedule an appointment with the ophthalmologist?”
Captain Zhang and the other police officers repeated the same thing countless times.
When it was all done, they dragged their tired bodies and sat in their cars.
“Phew, that was too crazy!” Captain Zhang said.
It had been a crazy night indeed.
Gunfire and screams were heard at all corners of the city.
There were also rumors of werewolves and flying people.
“Sigh, that guy is just too amazing!”
Captain Zhang lit a cigarette and gave it a long drag.
He knew that all that was because of the young man named Tang Hao.
What kind of influence did he have to mobilize such a large-scale operation?
He was only nineteen years old, but he had so much power.
He heard that he was still a student, too!
‘Why am I so different from him?’ Captain Zhang lamented as he blew a cloud of smoke.
Even so, he was quite relieved.
“Those Westerners usually think that they’re lords of this city. Now, we’ll expose them as the true cowards they are!” Captain Zhang grinned and mumbled to himself.
He was still angry about the incident the day before. He finally felt vindicated.
Meanwhile, in the back seat, Zhao Qingxue furrowed her brows. She seemed worried.
‘I wonder how is he now?
‘Is everything OK?’
The question plagued her mind. She lifted her hand with her phone and put it down again. She repeated the motions tens of times before sighing and putting her phone away.
‘He should still be in the operation. I shouldn’t disturb him!’
“Let’s go! We have another call!” Captain Zhang yelled. He stubbed out his cigarette, started the police car, and drove off.
…
Back at the base, after a short rest, Tang Hao received a report.
All one thousand, two hundred, and fifty-six targets were dealt with. One thousand one hundred and thirty-two of the targets were killed on the spot. Most of them were werewolves, vampires, or other monsters. One hundred and twenty-four targets were arrested and brought into custody.
They would be interrogated by the special forces. If they were found to be guilty of a crime, they would be punished under the law. Those who were innocent would be deported from the country.
Meanwhile, thirty-two of their people were injured, though they suffered no deaths.
It could be considered a wildly successful operation.
Even so, Tang Hao and the Taoist masters were worried. The operation the night before had involved many renowned families.
Their branch families in Huaxia were wiped out, such as the Sullivan family.
“We’ll have to prepare for war!” Taoist Master Qian Ji said with furrowed brows.
“Bring it on. What are we scared of?” The Taoist masters said indignantly.
“There’s no other way. The families will be out for blood!” General Bai said.
Before the operation, he had expected a large-scale conflict between the Huaxia and Western cultivation worlds.
“We’ll save Operation Witch Hunter on the other cities for later. Instead, we should prepare to fight the families head-on. If we win, then we can clean up the other cities easily.
“If we can’t stop their invasion, then all will be for naught!” General Bai said grimly.
The Taoist masters nodded in agreement.
The sky became brighter.
The happenings in Province Z that night spread quickly around the world. It shocked many ancient forces.
“What? Has Huaxia gone crazy?”
After the shock was mockery and laughter.
Huaxia had lost its former glory. In their eyes, the current Huaxia was powerless.
How would a powerless nation do something so shocking?
It was a wipeout!
How shocking was that?
Even more shocking was, in the operation, many people from the renowned families were involved.
Baird, Sullivan…
Those names inspired fear in the Western cultivation world. No one would dare cross them in the West, but Huaxia had offended all of them at once.
That was all but crazy!
They could anticipate the magnitude of revenge that would be carried out on Huaxia soon!
When the news arrived at the Baird family, the ancient castle descended into chaos.
“They are digging their own graves!”
“Revenge, revenge! We will have to exact revenge for our fallen brethren!”
Angry howls echoed throughout the ancient castle.
In many different ornately carved extravagant-looking coffins, vampires opened their blood-red eyes.
“Sound the horns! Gather the clans!”
In a pool of blood in the deepest reaches of the ancient castle, a figure rose from the bottom and howled with anger.
A forlorn-sounding horn resounded in one corner of the ancient castle.
The sound of the horn reached every corner of Europe.
In ancient castles and dens all over Europe, coffins opened one by one, and figures stepped out of them.
“Gather… this is the signal to gather!”
Meanwhile, the same situation happened in Castle Sullivan.
“This is a declaration of war! If they want to fight, then we shall bring the fight to them!”
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! We cannot let the blood of the Sullivan family flow in vain! We will let the arrogant Huaxianese pay the heavy price!”
Angry roars and wolf howls echoed in the night sky.
“The vampires have already called to gather. We should do the same too. Sound the horn!”
An old werewolf in an ancient castle gave the command.
The werewolf horn was sounded.
“Awooo!”
In every corner of Europe, the werewolves awoke one by one. They lifted their heads toward the full moon and howled forlornly.
The evil forces of Europe were set into motion!
Chapter 489: They Are Coming
Everyone was working busily in the command center.
“There’s some unnatural movement in the south of Latinia. The Cain family is gathering.”
“Oh my god, that’s the thirteenth family!”
One had to know that there were about fifty vampire and werewolf families in the entire Europe.
Thirteen families were about a quarter of them.
They could not estimate the magnitude of the enemy forces.
“The Cain family? Those wolf cubs! Whatever. There are already so many of them anyway. Another one of them won’t make a difference.
“What? Dragon Tiger Mountain isn’t joining? They’ve all fallen sick? F*ck their mothers! Tell them if they don’t send anyone here, I’ll order a missile strike and level their mountain!
“Dammit, those cowards! They’re all afraid of death!”
General Bai kept on yelling.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao crafted jade talismans nonstop in his house.
He sat cross-legged with a piece of raw jade in his left hand. He lifted a finger on his right hand and drew some strokes in the air. The jade piece was bathed in a milky white light before several runes appeared on it. A jade talisman was complete.
He put the jade talisman away and started working on another one.
He needed more jade talismans for the upcoming battle. With that, the chances of victory would be higher.
Not only they had to win the battle, but they had to win it convincingly so that other evil forces would think twice before invading Huaxia. Otherwise, the operation would not be considered a success.
He continued crafting talismans without resting or sleeping. Soon, the pile of talismans next to him was like a small hill.
Ding dong!
Some time later, his doorbell rang.
Tang Hao stood up and opened the door. Two people came in carrying an iron crate.
“We’ve found the items that you’re looking for, Colonel Tang! But there aren’t many!”
The two people left after placing the crate on the floor.
Tang Hao crouched down and opened the crate. In the crate were many peculiar-looking medicinal herbs.
Those herbs were very rare in modern times, and he had no way of obtaining them without the help of the military.
He wanted to use those herbs to make a medicinal pill. If the pill was a success, his cultivation base would strengthen tremendously, and victory would be certain.
He sorted the medicinal herbs and found that he only had enough for four attempts. His pill-making skills might have improved by a lot, but the pill that he was making was different from all the pills he had made before. It would still be quite difficult to successfully make that pill.
“I’ll have to do it anyway!”
He gritted his teeth and took out his alchemical furnace. He took out one portion of the herbs and started the pill-making process in the living room.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Countless cars drove out of estates and manors of all corners across Europe. Tall, well-built Westerners in black suits sat in each of them.
Some of them had rugged and masculine faces. Many of them were dark-skinned.
Meanwhile, another half of them were white with unnaturally pale faces. They wore wide-brimmed old-fashioned hats, sunglasses, and carried black umbrellas.
The cars drove toward the airports of their respective countries. They got onto planes and flew toward Nanyang.
The airplanes landed in an airport somewhere in Nanyang.
The Westerners got out of the planes and gathered at the airport. There was a clear division of two different forces.
Vampires and werewolves were ancient enemies. However, they had begrudgingly joined forces for this conquest of Huaxia.
They gathered in two separate groups, led by their respective leaders, and left the airport.
Everyone at the airport turned around and looked at them. It was a spectacular scene.
After they got out of the airport, they got into cars and drove toward the port, where they got onto a big cruise ship.
The cruise ship would bring them to the location of the decisive battle.
Two old men stood at the bow of the ship and looked northward.
“Ha, those Huaxia cowards! They must be wetting their pants by now!” He smiled mockingly.
The old man looked to be in his sixties. He was tall and gaunt, and his gaze was as sharp and penetrating as an eagle.
He was dressed in a black suit and held a walking stick with a carven wolf’s head in one hand. On the middle of his left hand, he wore a gold ring with the figure of a wolf head.
He was the clan leader of the Sullivan family, and people call him Old Sullivan.
Next to him was an old man who looked to be in his sixties. He also carried a walking stick with a wolf’s head in his hand, which signified his status as a clan leader.
He was Old Cain, the leader of the Cain family.
They looked like old men in their sixties, but they had lived for far longer than that.
Old Cain scoffed. “These Huaxianese are nothing but idiots! How dare they challenge our supremacy?
“The Perfected Persons of Huaxia had kept them safe, but now they’ve either died or gone into seclusion.
“I’ll massacre them for killing our children. We shall kill all the Taoist masters, level their mountains, and wipe their names from the face of the earth.”
He narrowed his eyes, which flashed dangerously.
…
Meanwhile, in Huaxia, everyone was busy at the command center.
They knew about the situation at Nanyang.
“The first group is here! They’re from the Sullivan, Cain, and three other major families. There are even more airplanes carrying more people coming our way. Early estimates put their forces at about thirteen thousand people.”
“Oh my god, that is a shocking number!”
“They’re all from the major families in Europe. They’re no pushovers, that’s for sure!”
General Bai stood at the back of the command room with a grim expression on his face.
Thirteen thousand was a lot of people. They could only manage to mobilize about a few hundred of their own. The difference in numbers was too big.
More news came from the front lines.
The families landed at Nanyang and rode on the cruise ship.
The cruise ship started its voyage northward toward Huaxia.
Meanwhile, the Agency had gathered its forces.
The Taoist masters were prepared to move out.
Airplanes shrieked across the sky outside of the command center.
More and more airplanes landed at the airfield of the military base. Many figures got out of the planes. They were the cultivators under the Agency.
A long time later, several luxury cars arrived at the military base. They were from Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Only about a dozen people got out of the three cars. The Mao Mountain Taoist masters rolled their eyes.
“Dammit, those cowards!”
“I’m happy that any of them came. I was afraid that none of those wimps would come!”
The Taoist masters spoke mockingly.
The heavenly masters from Dragon Tiger Mountain had thick skins. They did not react to those jeers and stood in formation.
Chapter 490: Utter Bliss
The airfield was packed with people.
The Taoist masters of Mao Mountain were the majority.
They were dressed in Taoist robes, carried bulging yellow cloth sacks filled with yellow paper talismans of various types, and slung a silver sword on their backs.
Some of them wore crucifixes and strings of garlic in front of them.
Of course, they carried machine guns with them too.
Next to them were the heavenly masters from Dragon Tiger Mountain. They wore expensive, bespoke Western suits and all sorts of expensive accessories. They each carried a black briefcase.
They looked like they were dressed for a photo op rather than a war.
Next to them were about thirty people from the Agency. They were dressed in different clothes and had varied appearances.
The person in the lead was a beautiful young woman in a military uniform. She was none other than Mu Xintong.
They looked like a ragtag band of mercenaries when they stood together.
The heavenly masters from Dragon Tiger Mountain were stewing in their cold sweat as they stood there.
‘Dammit, how are we supposed to win?
‘I heard that there are more than ten thousand of those Westerners from thirteen elite families. We only have a few hundred people. Hell will freeze over if we win!’
“How about… we call it off? We can’t win like this!” One of the Dragon Tiger Mountain heavenly masters said.
He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
He would rather live for a few more years than die today. He would rather enjoy his time on Earth.
“Call it off? It’s too late! Where do you want to run away to?” An elderly Taoist master said angrily.
“I’ll drag any deserters to court-martial! After the battle, I’ll lead a squad to level Dragon Tiger Mountain!” General Bai shouted coldly.
The heavenly masters shut their mouths.
Time continued to pass, and the sky grew darker.
The people stretched their necks and looked toward the entrance. They seemed anxious.
“Why isn’t Fellow Cultivator Tang here yet? If he doesn’t come soon, things will be bad!” The Taoist masters were anxious.
“Hmph, that filthy kid? Don’t tell me he’s hiding somewhere! He betrayed all you idiots!” An elderly heavenly master mocked.
“Another word from you, Zhang guy, and I’ll pummel you!” The elderly Taoist masters yelled.
The elderly heavenly master was cowed and did not say another word.
Mu Xintong stood there silently, looking at the entrance.
Her brows were slightly fraught with worry.
She thought that the upcoming battle was difficult indeed. There were too many enemies. Even if they would win, it would have been a bloody victory.
Tang Hao was the one who suggested the operation. Perhaps he had been too rash.
Even though she was thinking about that, she did not show it on her face.
At about seven o’clock, they saw an Audi A8 drive in as fast as lightning from one end of the military base. It braked abruptly in front of them, and someone got out. He was none other than Tang Hao.
“You’re finally here, Fellow Cultivator Tang!” The Taoist masters rushed ahead to greet him.
Tang Hao smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I was delayed by a few things. Here, fellow Taoist masters, help yourself with the talismans. Grab a handful each. There’s all kinds!”
Tang Hao dragged a few hemp sacks from the car and tossed them in front of the Taoist masters.
“Wow!” The Taoist masters exclaimed. Their eyes were sparkling with anticipation.
They surrounded the sacks and opened them. Everyone was extremely excited as they grabbed handfuls of jade talismans.
Fellow Cultivator Tang’s talismans were treasures! They had immense power. One talisman was enough to make those wolf cubs and bloodlings suffer.
Meanwhile, the heavenly masters from Dragon Tiger Mountain were stunned when they saw that.
Their eyes were about to pop out from their sockets.
‘Oh my god!
‘Am I dreaming?
‘If I’m not dreaming, then why am I seeing so many jade talismans in front of my eyes? They’re all kept in hemp sacks, no less! What kind of a joke is this? Is the kid some sort of freak?
‘How would he have so many jade talismans?’
They were about to cry when they looked at their tiny briefcases.
They had talismans too, but they were paper talismans, which were nowhere near the power of jade talismans.
Each of the jade talismans was brimming with a strong flow of qi. They were items of incredible power! The heavenly masters were envious when they saw that.
They tried to sneak into the crowd and grab some talismans for themselves.
“Sorry, there’s none for you!” Tang Hao said coldly and shattered their hopes.
Meanwhile, the cultivators from the Agency were also shocked by what they saw.
Many of them had never seen jade talismans before, but they knew that they were incredibly precious.
‘How could he carry such precious items inside hemp sacks?’
That had totally overturned their understanding of value.
Even Mu Xintong’s mouth was slightly open. Her usually impassive face showed some surprise.
“Come here. There’s some for you too!” Tang Hao took a hemp sack and placed it in front of Mu Xintong. “Take some more if you want!”
Gulp!
Mu Xintong swallowed a mouthful of saliva and reached toward the hemp sack. Her eyes sparkled when she opened it up and saw the gleaming jade talismans inside.
The feeling was like a miser stumbling upon a treasure trove.
It was utter bliss!
She became more excited as she reached into the sack and grabbed a handful of talismans.
The other people from the Agency grabbed a handful of talismans each. They clutched the talismans in their hands, so happy and excited from their haul that they could faint.
Everyone was brimming with enthusiasm after they had received the talismans. They felt as though they could take on ten enemies each.
“Take down those wolf cubs!”
“Take down those bloodlings!”
The Taoist masters waved their arms and chanted.
“Take them all down! Take them all down!” The Agency cultivators also shouted.
“Yes, that’s the spirit!” General Bai nodded satisfactorily.
He walked next to Tang Hao. “So what now, Comrade Tang Hao? Are you prepared?”
Tang Hao inhaled gently. “I’m ready!”
“Let’s set out then!” General Bai said seriously.
The people boarded military jets.
Once they arrived at a naval base, they boarded a naval ship and departed toward the offshore battlefield.
The two armies met at five o’clock in the morning.
The cruise ship was packed with people in black suits. It was a spectacular sight.
“Charge!
“Everyone, charge! The fate of Huaxia hangs on this battle. If we lose, Huaxia will fall. If we win, Huaxia shall be restored to its former glory!
“As Mao Mountain Taoist masters, we shall strive for the greater good and rid the world of evil. Today, we shall fight for Huaxia. We might lose our lives, but there shall be no regrets!”
When the two ships got close enough to each other, the elderly Mao Mountain Taoist masters roared. They led the charge toward the enemy’s ship.
“Fight for Huaxia! Die with no regrets!”
The chants had riled up the fighting spirit of the Taoist masters. They repeated the chant and charged forward.
On the bow of the ship, Tang Hao tapped his foot and flew toward the cruise ship.
“The Huaxianese are here!”
“Charge! Rip them into pieces!”
On the cruise ship, the people charged forward like the incoming tide. The werewolves transformed and pounced at their enemies.
The vampires howled and bared their fangs.
The two forces met in the middle.
The intense battle had begun.