The air was filled with a bleak coldness, imbued with a withered chill.

Yet the entire Imperial City was enveloped in a joyous atmosphere. For the Huaxia people, the most important Spring Festival had arrived, with children setting off crackling fireworks, and at night, brilliant fireworks lit up the black sky.

"It's a pity Mother can't celebrate this year."

On a pedestrian street, two figures walked side by side.

One was a young man dressed in a long black down coat, with slightly long hair tied up, a handsome face, and deep eyes that occasionally flashed with a sharp light. As he gently opened his mouth, the breath he exhaled quickly turned into a cloud of white vapor in the cold air.

"Xiao Mo, we've bought almost everything. Let's head back." Beside him, a woman in a white down coat with long, ink-like hair cascading over her shoulders, with an incredibly beautiful face and exquisite features, was enchanting no matter the angle. Particularly due to her cultivation, a trace of spiritual energy emanated from her, making her already stunning appearance all the more ethereal.

She had an otherworldly grace that transcended the mundane world.

"Okay."

Lin Mo nodded with a smile.

Xia Mengdie linked her arm with his, and the two slowly walked toward a BMW 4 parked at the entrance of a shopping mall.

Lin Mo sat in the driver's seat, inserted the key, and the car quickly drove off onto the street.

"Xiao Mo, don't worry too much about Mom. She'll get better." In the passenger seat, Xia Mengdie gazed at Lin Mo with her lively, beautiful eyes and gently comforted him.

"Mm, I just need two more materials to refine the Soul Condensing Pill. I'll definitely find them." Lin Mo's eyes held an unwavering determination as he stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Mm."

Xia Mengdie nodded, then leaned her head on Lin Mo's shoulder.

Catching a glimpse of Xia Mengdie out of the corner of his eye, Lin Mo felt a pang of guilt. He had been neglecting Meng Die due to his busyness of late, and their time together was becoming more and more scarce.

Lin Mo's schedule was packed both before and after the New Year. He had just returned from Qingzhou a few days ago.

Lin Guang stayed in the Imperial City to care for Yang Chuxue. Lin Mo visited the Lin Family to check in and offered guidance to a few juniors in martial arts before leaving again.

Back in the Imperial City, he had to accompany Xia Mengdie home. In recent years, Xia Mengdie hadn't gotten along well with Xia Kaixi and Xia Kaihe, but since they were family by blood, meeting up for a meal during the New Year was quite normal.

"Xiao Mo, Meng Die, you're here. Please, have a seat..."

Xia Kaihe hurriedly greeted them.

Over the years, Xia Kaihe seemed to have aged a bit and treated Xia Mengdie and Lin Mo much better.

However, Su Mei had never forgiven Xia Kaihe, which is why... she wasn't present at the Xia Family villa.

After the meal, Lin Mo stood in the garden outside the villa and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, the phone in his pocket began to ring incessantly.

Because he was back home, Lin Mo knew many old friends might contact him; thus, he took his phone out of the Space Ring. Without any signal inside the ring, it naturally had to be kept outside.

"Hmm, Long Mang's calling?"

Lin Mo answered the phone.

"Brother Mo, where are you?" Long Mang's voice carried a hint of urgency.

"What's going on?"

Lin Mo frowned, a vague sense of unease settling in his heart.

"Nothing much, you're in the Imperial City, right? Let's meet somewhere."

Long Mang suggested.

"Alright."

Lin Mo hung up the phone and walked back into the villa's living room.

"Meng Die, I have something I need to take care of. I have to step out for a bit." Lin Mo said his goodbyes to Xia Mengdie and then hurriedly left the Xia Family.

A sapphire blue BMW 4 sped down the street, finally stopping at the entrance of a cafe.

Lin Mo entered the cafe, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Long Mang, who was sitting by a window, dressed in a light casual outfit that barely concealed his muscular and explosive physique.

"Brother Mo." Long Mang stood up immediately upon seeing Lin Mo, a slightly awkward smile on his face.

"Have a seat."

Lin Mo smiled faintly. He had known Long Mang for a long time, and since he was Sima Zining's brother, Lin Mo also considered Long Mang a good friend.

"Uh, two Blue Mountains." Long Mang snapped his fingers to call a waiter, ordering two coffees.

"You didn't call me out just to have coffee, did you?"

Lin Mo asked with a frown, his voice deep.

"No, it's not about the coffee. It's about Zi Ning."

Long Mang looked up, his eyes tinged with a certain anger.

"What happened?"

Lin Mo's sword eyebrows knitted tightly together.

Long Mang slowly began his tale. Ever since Sima Zining graduated from the military academy, she joined the Emperor Group, not through her family's or Lin Mo's influence, but due to her own efforts and excellent performance, which led to her exception-filled recruitment.

It was well-known that the Emperor Group was an ace special forces unit, and getting in was exceedingly difficult. Historically, only twice had they ever recruited freshly graduated students from military academies.

As it turned out, Sima Zining had been sent with a small team to the border on an escort mission. They encountered an attack by a mysterious Myanmar-based organization, and Sima Zining was injured.

"She didn't want you to worry, so she asked me not to tell you. But... those bastards dared to hurt my sister. If it weren't for the military's regulations, I'd go and annihilate those scum myself."

Long Mang spoke, his fists clenching tightly, making his knuckles crack audibly.

"Zi Ning was injured during a mission?"

Lin Mo's expression shifted slightly, twin sparks of fire flaring in his eyes.

In this life, the first woman Lin Mo encountered was Sima Zining. Because of his cultivation, he had little time to be with Sima Zining, and her intense character was very strong-willed, wanting to join the Emperor Group to serve her country.

"You know her personality; she's very headstrong and doesn't want your help, nor does she want you to know." Long Mang unclenched his fists and sighed.

"I'll go to the Emperor Group to see her right away."

Lin Mo said in a deep voice, the embers in his eyes gradually extinguishing.

That same day, after a quick explanation to Xia Mengdie, Lin Mo immediately flew with the wind directly to the headquarters of the Emperor Group army.

...

By evening, as the sky had begun to darken, Lin Mo finally reached the headquarters of the Emperor Group army.

"Xiao Mo..."

"Instructor!"

"Instructor!"

Shangguan Liuyun, Jin Ya, Huang Mo, and Tang Suo were all in the Emperor Group army.

"Instructor Shangguan, Instructor Jin..." Lin Mo greeted his acquaintances and asked, "Where's Zi Ning?"

Shangguan Liuyun furrowed his brows, clearly aware of why Lin Mo had suddenly come to the Emperor Group headquarters.

"Zi Ning is resting in the unit hospital, I'll take you there."

"Mm." The two walked for about ten minutes before arriving at the hospital building of the Emperor Group army, stopping at the door of a ward on the second floor.

After comforting Sima Zining, Lin Mo quietly left the ward.

Inside an office at the Emperor Group headquarters.

"Instructor Shangguan, would you mind explaining the details? You know Zi Ning's personality; she doesn't seem to want me involved in this matter!"

Lin Mo sat on the chair opposite Shangguan Liuyun, somewhat helpless.

Sima Zining had always been reluctant to talk about her injury, and Lin Mo couldn't bring himself to ask directly.

Shangguan Liuyun said, "The situation is actually this..."

"Originally, the organization assigned Sima Zining and several members of the Emperor Group to transport some energy stones to the Myanmar border, but they were ambushed by the Double Flood Dragon Gang midway, who seized all the energy stones and also resulted in the sacrifice of two of our warriors."

At this, Shangguan Liuyun clenched his fists, his eyes filled with endless rage.

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