"What, lead the way to where?"
The bald man, still not giving up, said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Do I know you?"
Hearing this, Musi Han stepped forward, crouching in front of the man: "You should remember my face from last night."
The bald man looked around nervously: "I, I don't remember. I see so many people every day, I can't remember them all."
Musi Han silently stared at the man, then suddenly stood up, grabbing the bald man's collar in one swift motion.
Before the bald man could react, he felt a great force at his neck, his body suddenly lifted off the ground—flipping 360 degrees in the air before crashing down hard!
"Ouch!"
A heart-wrenching scream came from the bald man.
Unfortunately, he was not good at fighting and also a beta, completely powerless against the two imposing figures.
Musi Han picked up the bald man, slamming him against the wall: "Remember now?"
The bald man felt as if his tailbone was about to break, fearing another blow, he hurriedly said: "I remember, I remember!"
Only then did Musi Han let go.
The bald man completely gave up.
"Even if I take you there, with your unfamiliar faces, they will definitely be suspicious."
"You don't need to worry about that," Bai Yue said with a smile. "By the way, tell us what you know about the source crystals."
The bald man was unaware of the exact location of the source crystals. His role was merely that of an intermediary, bridging the gap between buyers and sellers.
Seeing people in military academy uniforms asking questions last night immediately set him on edge, wanting to nip the problem in the bud. However, to his dismay, when he went to take action early this morning, he found that it was his own people who had been taken down.
He didn't dare report this incident, hoping to resolve it himself. Anticipating that the military academy students would come looking for him again, he proactively set himself up as bait and enlisted more people as his bodyguards, preparing for a situation where the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Yet, under the overwhelming disparity of absolute power, all schemes and stratagems proved to be paper tigers. The bodyguards couldn't even muster their pheromones before they were defeated.
As the bald man explained, he couldn't help but lament internally. If his people had released their pheromones right from the start, they could have definitely overwhelmed these two youngsters!
Despite his repeated warnings, his men didn't listen. Seeing that they were being followed by a short-statured omega, they immediately lowered their guard.
However, these thoughts remained unspoken, only sighed over in his heart.
An hour later.
Following the informant, Bai Yue and his companion arrived at their destination.
This place was even more secluded than the long alley they had come from; without someone leading the way, one would never imagine people could be here.
The buildings around were tightly shut, seemingly abandoned for a long time. A gust of wind swept through, carrying away the flyers stuck to the walls.
"Right, right here," the bald man pointed toward a small door not far away.
The door appeared ordinary at first glance, its surface marred by rust. Bai Yue looked at the bald man skeptically. "Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm sure!" the bald man insisted. "Why would I lie to you at this point? I've already been caught, haven't I?" He rubbed his coccyx, as if frightened by the memory.
Bai Yue exchanged a glance with Mu Sihan.
Taking out his phone, Bai Yue fiddled with it briefly before nudging the bald man. "Let's go."
Hunched over, the bald man pushed open the rust-streaked iron door. With a creak, the door opened to reveal a narrow staircase descending into darkness, barely wide enough for one person to pass, flanked by dirty walls.
The bald man led the way in.
As the last person entered, the iron door slammed shut behind them due to its weight, plunging the underground into darkness. Bai Yue turned on his phone's flashlight for illumination.
Suddenly, the man leading them quickened his pace.
The bald man intended to use the darkness to put some distance between them, but his ankle was suddenly caught. He lost his balance, tumbling down with a crash against the back wall.
His coccyx screamed in pain. Lying on the ground, the bald man whimpered helplessly.
Then, a piercing light hit his eyelids.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes, barely making out a figure standing before him. The person moved the phone light away and said indifferently, "Where do you think you're running to at this time?"
Upon hearing those words, a chill ran through the bald man's spine. Suddenly, he regretted bringing the two here.
The depths were profound, yet they quickly reached the end.
At the end stood a door adorned with intricate patterns, far more luxurious than the one above.
The bald man knocked on the door rhythmically three times. Shortly after, the door opened from the inside, with blinding light pouring out.
Bai Yue squinted his eyes.
Just as the bald man was about to step forward, someone suddenly grasped the back of his neck. That chilling voice came again from behind, "Walk in front, and raise your hands."
The bald man and Mu Sihan entered first, with Bai Yue following behind.
The interior resembled a gathering place, complete with a bar and liquor cabinet, and booths lining the walls. The tables were cluttered with glasses and playing cards.
Yet, strangely, it was devoid of people.
It was as if a party had been abruptly halted, and all the guests had vanished into thin air.
Bai Yue looked behind the door but saw no one.
In this vast underground bar, only the three of them remained, isolated.
Then, a noise came from the ground. Bai Yue looked down to see an empty bottle rolling towards him, stopping steadily by his foot.
A wisp of white smoke slowly emerged from the mouth of the bottle.
Realizing something was amiss, Bai Yue swiftly grabbed the person in front of him and leaped to the side. Their bodies crashed into the back of a sofa, flipping it over.
The next second, the empty bottle exploded. Shards flew in all directions, embedding itself deeply into the floor, the walls, and the abdomen of the bald man, who screamed in agony before collapsing to the ground.
Bai Yue took cover behind the overturned sofa. The commotion was so intense that the cloth wrapped around his head had already fallen off. He tore it off completely, frowning in frustration.
These assailants clearly had no regard for the intelligence agency, striking without mercy.
More empty bottles were thrown out.
The chaotic directions of the throws, however, allowed Bai Yue to pinpoint the attackers' positions.
There was about a 5-second delay before the bottles exploded. Without hesitation, he picked up an empty bottle nearby and hurled it back.
After several consecutive explosions, heart-wrenching screams echoed from the shadows, indicating the attackers were severely injured.
Unable to hold back, some rushed out into the open. Bai Yue prepared to stand, "Let's take them down."
Mu Sihan paused for a moment before getting up as well.
In their effort to dodge the bottles, Bai Yue had grabbed him, causing them to fall together.
They were so close, Mu Sihan could almost feel the other's breath.
This might have been the first time, aside from fighting, that he was this close to someone else.
Mu Sihan cast a glance at Bai Yue, then looked away.
However, Bai Yue seemed oblivious to this closeness.
Now, his entire focus was on their opponents. Hearing Mu Sihan's movements, Bai Yue grabbed his weapon and charged forward.
The attackers, caught off guard, barely had time to react before seeing Bai Yue's figure flash behind them.
Then, a chilling sensation around their necks. A sharp pain followed, quickly spreading a numbness throughout their bodies, rendering them immobile.
Within minutes, the assailants who had launched the surprise attack were subdued by the two.
After the last person fell, Bai Yue sheathed his small knife. This was one of the military items he had purchased, a common knife but with a paralyzing effect. Since he often used such weapons during training and needed to operate covertly, he had chosen this particular weapon.
Mu Sihan was checking the faces of the downed attackers.
"Are they in here?" Bai Yue inquired.
Mu Sihan shook his head.
Suddenly, footsteps emerged from the shadows. A man, clapping his hands, stepped forward: "Worthy of a military academy student, you've easily taken down my men."
Hearing this, both men looked over simultaneously.
Mu Sihan stood up and coldly uttered the man's name: "Su Cheng."
Su Cheng? Was this the man?
Bai Yue scrutinized him.
The mastermind behind the source crystal trade.
However, it seemed this man did not recognize Mu Sihan. Hearing his name, he raised an eyebrow, "Oh? A military academy student knows me?"
After saying this, he glanced disdainfully at the bald man on the ground, who was severely injured and barely clinging to life.
Narrowing his eyes, Su Cheng then stepped directly onto the man's face, "It was this trash who told you, wasn't it?"
"Showing up before the deal, bold-faced. I was wondering what was going on, turns out it attracted two little mice."
Hearing this, Bai Yue understood. No wonder they had been on guard from the beginning; it was because the behavior of the intelligence agency was outright abnormal.
The other party had concealed this fact, probably planning to lure them in and then find an opportunity to escape. Little did they expect that Su Cheng didn't care about his own life and was ruthless in his approach.
But that was no longer important.
Bai Yue took a step forward, "Come with us. We have some questions for you."
Given that the opponent had boldly shown himself alone, he likely had a backup plan. It was not wise to stay here for long.
Su Cheng let out a cold laugh without replying. With a gesture, five or six people with laser guns appeared behind him, stepping forward.
Su Cheng said, "I've been observing you two. Young and skilled, indeed. But also too naive, thinking you could just barge in here with a couple of knives."
Mu Sihan frowned, ready to step forward, but Bai Yue held him back.
Su Cheng continued, "Seems there's at least one smart one among you. I advise you not to make any rash moves. You can still save your lives now. Otherwise, once we start shooting, bullets won't discriminate."
As if to prove his point, the gunmen advanced a few steps, encircling them.
This wasn't the first time Bai Yue had been faced with the barrel of a gun. Unfortunately, this time it was not a test.
Su Cheng was right. No matter how fast they were, they couldn't outrun bullets.
Bai Yue dropped his knife and obediently raised his hands.
"Smart," praised Su Cheng.
Mu Sihan's fists clenched and then opened again. He stared unwaveringly at the man in front of them, about to raise his hands when he heard Bai Yue whisper from behind, "Can I use pheromones?"
Mu Sihan was taken aback.
This was the agreement between him and Bai Yue. Mu Sihan could teach Bai Yue how to fight, but in return, without his permission, Bai Yue was never to use pheromones in his presence.
He hadn't expected Bai Yue to actually remember this.
Bai Yue's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for those around to hear.
Hearing this, Su Cheng couldn't help but burst into laughter: "What did you say? You want to use pheromones?"
"You think you can charm your way out of this? Haven't you considered the consequences?" he added.
Bai Yue didn't respond.
After all, he wasn't really speaking to them.
The others, holding their laser guns, couldn't help but have their minds wander upon looking at the faces of the two omegas. Despite their formidable skills, their appearances were indeed captivating—like comparing zoo monkeys to them, the prostitutes of City K stood no chance.
Now, with their lives in their hands, what did it matter if they were military academy students? They were still at their mercy!
Su Cheng saw the malicious looks in his men's eyes and knew what they were thinking.
Being older, he was no longer as passionate about such pursuits as he was in his youth. Besides, with the two of them already under their control, rewarding his subordinates wasn't out of the question.
Su Cheng turned away, "Bring them to me after you're done. I have questions for them."
The henchmen were overjoyed, exclaiming, "Alright!"
People like them lacked a sense of comradeship. Even though their comrades were unconscious on the ground, their lives hanging by a thread, they couldn't care less. They were solely focused on following their own desires.
Mu Sihan stared at the departing figure of Su Cheng. Controlling this man was key; the others would be no challenge at all. However, the firearms were indeed a thorny issue.
Under normal circumstances, even at the risk of his own life, he would have fought his way out of the encirclement.
But now, doing so could put another person in danger.
Mu Sihan was not one to consider these things. And even he himself hadn't realized this shift in thought.
Then, he heard the man continue, "Don't worry, I'll have it well under control."
...
After a moment of silence, Mu Sihan, with his back to the man, gave a slight nod.
With permission granted, Bai Yue once again looked at the people around him.
Over the past month, although most of his time was spent on combat training, he hadn't neglected the practice of controlling pheromones.
He could no longer attack indiscriminately without restraint, as he had done before.
What he needed was...
A single strike to instantly knock out these armed enemies.
Bang, bang, bang.
Hearing the dull thuds of bodies colliding behind him, Su Cheng paused in his steps.
He turned around, intending to remind his subordinates to exercise restraint, to avoid killing anyone. However, upon clearly seeing the scene before him, he involuntarily froze.
It was different from what he had imagined.
A youth with light gray hair stood at the center, surrounded by an invisible pressure that seemed to be carefully contained.
At his feet, Su Cheng's subordinates lay sprawled on the ground, faces etched with fear, as if they had witnessed something terrifying.
Su Cheng couldn't help but step back.
When events unfolded beyond his expectations, he lost his usual composure.
Suddenly, he felt the hard object press against him from behind, unyieldingly firm. Su Cheng then realized that one of the two people was missing, and a laser gun was nowhere to be seen.
His attention had been completely captured by the other person, and he had not noticed this change.
Then, he saw the gray-haired youth lift his gaze to meet his. When their eyes met, Su Cheng felt a chill spread through his body.
For he saw the massive figure standing behind the young man.
A giant scythe, dripping with fresh blood, charged straight at him with ferocity!
Su Cheng's breath hitched.
He had lived many years, yet this was the first time he felt such astonishing pressure.
He felt an unbearable heaviness on his shoulders, struggling to breathe.
Yet, he dared not close his eyes. With his eyelids wide open, he stared at the scythe aiming straight for his eyeballs.
He could almost easily imagine the moment his head would be splattered with blood.
Although, this remained just in his imagination.
Su Cheng suddenly understood why his subordinates had such expressions before they fainted.
"Bai Yue."
A cold voice sounded from behind.
The sharp edge of the blade, now inches away, suddenly disappeared at the critical moment.
Su Cheng then broke free from the grip of fear.
Standing not far away was that seemingly ordinary but handsome youth. The other had suddenly withdrawn his pheromones.
The oppressive feeling was gone, but Su Cheng was still trying to calm his shocked soul.
"Sorry, I forgot."
Whenever Bai Yue used his pheromones, he always felt as if he was not himself. Though still in possession of his self-awareness, he wasn't quite calm.
He couldn't let Su Cheng faint because there were still questions to be asked.
This time, the man finally submitted. Bai Yue found some rope to tie him up, intending to take him away, when he saw Mu Si Han hurriedly stepping out first.
Bai Yue didn't manage to call out in time.
"Hehe."
Bai Yue heard laughter beside him. He looked over to see it was Su Cheng.
The man's face looked rather unwell: "You're truly a monster. Not sparing even your comrades aside from your enemies?"
Bai Yue didn't understand what he was implying and replied, "Brainwashing doesn't work on me."
"That person is an omega, right?" Su Cheng remarked on his own, "Even if it's to defeat us, you release pheromones without considering his presence? It seems you two have a high compatibility, which could be very dangerous."
"Omegas, they're a troublesome bunch. Easily swayed and might mistake the attraction of pheromones for love." He scoffed, as if remembering something, "But if the two of you are truly in love, then consider my words nothing but hot air."
Bai Yue looked at him and smiled, "Aside from the information on the source crystals, I have no interest in your personal values. You better keep your mouth shut."
Su Cheng pursed his lips and fell silent.
As Bai Yue led Su Cheng out the door, they happened to see Cao Xun and a few others coming their way.
Originally, they were disguised and gathering information in the city as planned. However, after receiving Bai Yue's location share, they immediately rushed over.
"Are you okay?" Cao Xun asked anxiously.
Bai Yue shook his head, pushing Su Cheng forward. The man was immediately restrained by a bearded man.
"Is this the guy?" The bearded man, strong, lifted him effortlessly, "Was he trading source crystals?"
Apart from these three, many other students dressed in military school uniforms also arrived, having seen the location share in the group.
"Is this the place?"
Upon learning that there were many more underlings below, they immediately swung their arms, signaling everyone to charge down.
Although those guys weren't closely linked to the source crystals, as military reservists, they felt it was their duty to eradicate all evil!
Su Cheng watched in astonishment as people came and went.
He knew that a large number of military school students had suddenly flooded K City, inquiring about the source crystals. But their investigative methods were so disorganized that he hadn't taken them seriously.
He had only expected two people to find their hideout, planning to eradicate them and send the rest packing with some trivial information.
However, he hadn't anticipated that they would not play by the rules at all, spreading the location of his hideout so openly.
What happened to acting the lone hero?
With this thought, Su Cheng couldn't help but glance at the youth again. Noticing the gaze, the youth smiled slightly and then looked up at the bearded man, saying, "After getting the information, send him straight to the police station."
Su Cheng: "!!!"
Ruthless!
At that moment, Bai Yue was gently pulled aside by Xu Chengdong. The latter asked quietly, "Did you have a fight with Mu Si Han?"
Bai Yue was puzzled.
Xu Chengdong was confused, "He rushed out alone just now. I wanted to greet him, but he completely ignored me."
Cao Xun said, "Isn't that pretty normal?"
Xu Chengdong realized, "I suppose it is."
At least, being a cadet of the Emperor's Military Academy still proved to be somewhat useful. When the students brought in the local thugs and ruffians themselves, the K City police did not dare to take the matter lightly, assuring that they would handle it seriously.
The bearded man slumped heavily into the plush chair: "I always feel like those guys are pulling the wool over our eyes. What if they just let them go as soon as we turn our backs?"
Cao Xun commented, "It's possible."
But then again, the police station was the only place in K City with a jail. Once their mission was completed, they had to return, unable to keep the criminals with them indefinitely.
Cao Xun added, "Regardless of whether they release them or not, once we report the matter of the source crystals, the military is sure to send someone to deal with it."
The bearded man felt reassured: "That's a relief! But speaking of which..." He glanced around the room, crowded with dozens of people, "Go hang out wherever it's cooler! Why are you all crowding around here?"
Since Bai Yue and Mu Sihan had essentially resolved the incident, the chosen cadets felt a profound sense of admiration for them.
After dealing with the henchmen, they all gathered in the room.
Hearing this, someone suggested, "Then Bai Yue can come to our place; we've got plenty of space!"
"No way," the bearded man felt a sense of crisis, "Bai Yue is one of our own. I was the one with the discerning eye who picked him out; you're not allowed to take him away!"
Xu Chengdong quietly scoffed: It was clear from the start that he was just an add-on.
With the room overly crowded, Bai Yue also began to feel a bit of a headache.
He stood up.
And as soon as he did, the others also stood up.
Bai Yue sat back down, smiling at the group: "Anyway, let's all disperse for now."
The sky was darkening, and the source crystals were still some distance away. For safety's sake, Bai Yue planned to set off the next morning.
Of course, this was just his personal plan.
But upon hearing his suggestion, everyone agreed: "Alright! Then we'll depart tomorrow morning!"
Finally, the room cleared out.
Bai Yue sat quietly for a moment before stepping outside, just in time to see Mu Sihan returning.
Since the other had disappeared during the day and hadn't been in touch, this was their first encounter since.
Bai Yue said, "I found out where the source crystals are."
He briefly explained the situation to Mu Sihan.
Mu Sihan seemed uninterested in a lengthy discussion, simply nodded, and then walked into the room.
---
The next day, Bai Yue arrived downstairs at the agreed time, ready to meet with the other four before heading together to the entrance of K City.
However, after waiting for quite some time, only Mu Sihan and Cao Xun showed up. The bearded man and Xu Chengdong were nowhere to be seen.
Cao Xun frowned: "Sleeping in on the last day?"
Bai Yue suggested, "Let's go upstairs and check."
Just as they were about to move, two shadows dashed into the inn's entrance. It was the bearded man and Xu Chengdong.
They had gotten up earlier than the others and had gone somewhere early in the morning.
The bearded man was visibly panicked: "This is bad, really bad!"
Xu Chengdong announced, "Su Cheng is dead!"