"Understood, understood..."

"This humble one will accomplish the Housekeeper's command at all costs. I will not fail!" Zhang Hongfa let out a huge sigh of relief.

Thank goodness I brought up my great-grandfather. Otherwise, I would've been completely finished by now. For someone like that to ask a favor of him was a tremendous honor and an even greater opportunity. Zhang Hongfa understood this very clearly.

He had been told to pick up three people, who were, of course, Wang Rui and her family.

I don't have a good impression of this family, but she is the old squad leader's wife, after all. Since I promised to get them there safely, I can't go back on my word.

Only after the helicopter was high in the air did the bald man let out a long breath and collapse onto the ground. "That was terrifying..."

"Thankfully, nothing happened. My life is spared!"

However, he had barely finished speaking when Zhang Hongfa slapped him across the face.

"Cousin, you... Why did you hit me for no reason?" the bald man asked, completely dumbfounded.

"I could kill you right now!" Zhang Hongfa snarled, his face filled with rage. He was furious because this bastard had nearly gotten him killed. After landing several more slaps, he finally managed to stop.

Meanwhile, Wang Rui and her family were walking along a dirt road. The heat was extreme and only grew more oppressive as evening approached. Wang Rui's father, whose complexion was growing paler by the second, couldn't stop coughing. He had to sit down by the side of the road to rest.

"Hey! Li Dali, you rotten scum! What the hell kind of ride did you arrange for us?"

"You call that guy a friend? He ditched us halfway and ran off! You'd better send another car right now, or you'll face the consequences!"

Wang Rui had dialed Li Dali and was now giving him a furious scolding. She even had the audacity to turn things around and pin the entire incident on Chen Zheng.

Li Dali was stunned by the tirade. He knew Chen Zheng well; abandoning them on the side of the road was completely out of character for him.

Could it be... Did he have a mission?

Li Dali had come from the military teams himself, so he naturally understood that situations like this could arise. But he didn't dwell on it. He just focused on finding another car to pick up Wang Rui's family.

At this moment, Zhang Hongfa and his men located the family of three.

"You must be Miss Wang Rui, correct?" Zhang Hongfa approached them with a smile.

"A gentleman has asked us to come for you. Please, get in the car!"

The sight of the Rolls-Royce behind Zhang Hongfa left the family utterly stunned. They assumed Li Dali had sent it so quickly. A quick call to confirm proved them wrong. Zhang Hongfa, for his part, didn't clarify who had sent him. After all, he didn't know Chen Zheng's name, and he couldn't just blab about what had happened earlier. He had no choice but to make up a plausible story.

In the end, the family of three was whisked away by Zhang Hongfa.

During the ride, Wang Rui's parents continuously tried to probe Zhang Hongfa for information. He was a man who drove a Rolls-Royce, after all. Of course, they wanted to get closer to him. Wang Rui, in particular, employed her best tactic: fawning over him relentlessly, almost to the point of draping herself across his body.

This woman is laying it on a bit thick, isn't she? Zhang Hongfa thought, feeling incredibly awkward. I have no idea what the relationship is between that powerful figure and this family, but looking at them... they can't possibly be related, can they? The difference is just too vast!

Inwardly, Zhang Hongfa looked down on this family completely. However, given the potential connection to the powerful figure, he said nothing and just silently endured it.

In Wang Rui's eyes, the fact that this big boss hadn't outright rejected her advances was as good as tacit approval. He's definitely interested in me!

So she asked for his business card and contact information, planning to stay in touch. Who knew? Maybe something more could develop.

「Meanwhile.」

Chen Zheng and his team had already reached their destination. The area, once a top-tier scenic spot, was now under martial law, with a radius of over ten kilometers completely locked down. Helicopters patrolled the skies, and on the ground, the Iron Pagodas constantly wove through the forests, searching for the Earth Demon.

"War God, the men are still searching, but we haven't found anything yet!" Zhao Feng reported, emerging quickly from the dense woods.

Chen Zheng looked at the map without a word. It was Long Tianyun who became noticeably nervous after hearing the report.

"It couldn't have broken through our blockade and escaped, could it?" Long Tianyun asked, her face full of worry. This was the last line of defense. If the creature got past them, it would reach the capital, a vital strategic area. If anything were to happen there, the consequences would be more than they could bear. As the commander, she would bear joint responsibility. Her only recourse then would be to atone with her life.

"There's no need to worry about that. We may not have found it yet, but I'm certain the creature is still in these mountains!"

"I can assure you, nothing in this world can escape the blockade of the Iron Pagodas!" Zhao Feng said with utter confidence.

"You can assure me?" Long Tianyun retorted, her anxiety making her sharp. "And what makes you so confident? Your words alone?" Their relationship was already strained.

"Long Tianyun, don't push it!" Zhao Feng's eyes hardened. How dare this woman speak to me like that? Is she trying to start a mutiny?

"What's wrong? Want to fight?"

"So you've reached the half-step Grandmaster realm? And only because someone helped you get there. If you have any guts, suppress your cultivation level, and I promise I'll beat you senseless!" Long Tianyun did not back down an inch, and the two immediately began to clash.

"Enough!" Chen Zheng slapped the table in front of him.

This is outrageous! For people of their rank to be bickering in public...

Long Tianyun snorted, turning her head to look away toward a villa. Zhao Feng also fell silent. The two pointedly ignored each other.

Chen Zheng shook his head helplessly, then rose and stepped outside the main tent alone to gaze at the distant mountain peaks. He had more confidence in the true capabilities of the Iron Pagodas than anyone else. Still, this place felt too strange. He decided to check it out himself. It was a necessary precaution.

"War God, you should take this."

"The necrotic toxins from that Earth Demon are extremely potent. It's better to be cautious." Zhao Feng personally helped Chen Zheng put on a multifunctional combat suit. This gear was impressive; not only was it incredibly tough, but it was also fireproof and poison-resistant.

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