"I'd like to invite you to join us at Flying Leopard."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fei was taken aback. He genuinely hadn't expected to be sought out for such a matter.

Join Flying Leopard? He had no such intention, and besides, his personality wasn't suited for it. He was the type to start throwing punches at the drop of a hat—organizations and orders would have a hard time keeping him in check. So, wouldn't joining Flying Leopard just be asking for trouble?

No way, absolutely not. He shook his head firmly in his mind as his lips began to craft a response. "Elder Luo, don't you think it's a bit inappropriate to ask someone with my hot temper to join Flying Leopard?"

Although he hadn't refused outright, the meaning behind his words was already clear. Join Flying Leopard? I'd better not. It's just not suitable.

"Don't be so hasty to reject me. Let's just chat. You can ask about things you want to know, and I'll ask about some things I'm curious about. You can give me your answer after that. How about it?" Chief Luo said with a smile, unfazed.

Give you an answer later? The problem is, my answer will still be the same! Chen Fei thought helplessly, then shook his head and replied, "Alright then. I do have some questions."

"Oh? Go ahead," Chief Luo said, his eyes lighting up.

Chen Fei got straight to the point. "It's about that incident in Northern Mountain City. Elder Luo, you must be aware of it, right? Someone killed the patient who was subjected to human experimentation, and the weapon was a silver throwing knife. If I'm not mistaken, it was the work of those guys from Tiger Leopard Hall, wasn't it?"

"...Yes, it was indeed their doing." Chief Luo fell silent for a long while before slowly adding, "And I know what you want to ask. Yes, I was the one who gave the order for everyone involved to forget about it."

"Why? Why would you do that?" Chen Fei frowned deeply, unable to understand why he would issue such an order. On what grounds?

"Because our investigation suggests the murderer is a Half-Step Innate Powerhouse from that organization. Moreover, this person is the servant and representative of one of the organization's leaders. So, whether we consider that person's Cultivation Realm..." Elder Luo trailed off, his brow furrowed.

"Just a Half-Step Innate. Nothing special in my eyes," Chen Fei suddenly interrupted.

Just a Half-Step Innate, nothing special in my eyes... Hearing this, Chief Luo couldn't hide his shock. He hadn't expected Chen Fei to speak with such audacity, showing no regard for any Half-Step Innate Powerhouse. Being able to defeat a Half-Step Innate was one thing, but completely disregarding all of them was a different concept entirely. Could this kid really be an Innate Expert?

But even so, the shock couldn't mask his deep-seated concerns. He continued slowly, "You may not fear a Half-Step Innate, but what about the Tiger Leopard Hall leader behind him? It's said that he holds the sixth of the organization's ten seats. More importantly, his master is Luo Zun!"

"Luo Zun?"

Hearing this name again, Chen Fei couldn't help but frown. He vividly remembered how Zhao Xin had described the old man. Deranged, a mass murderer, a true madman... All these terrifying descriptions were attached to one person, leaving an unforgettable impression on Chen Fei. He never expected to get entangled with him.

I just wonder what Luo Zun's Cultivation Realm is. Is he a Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artist, or a Late Innate Ancient Martial Artist? Or perhaps... even stronger?

"Yes, that's right. Luo Zun. I'll be honest with you—Flying Leopard was originally established to eradicate Tiger Leopard Hall, the very organization he founded. But now, Flying Leopard is growing weaker while his Tiger Leopard Hall grows stronger. It makes one feel truly powerless..." Chief Luo sighed and shook his head.

He remembered when he was young and had just joined the army. Even back then, Luo Zun was a notorious cult leader in a chaotic era. He committed many inhumane crimes but, with his terrifying strength and mysterious methods, managed to evade the various forces sent to apprehend him time and again, his personality and tactics growing ever more cruel and merciless.

Furthermore, his method of cultivation was utterly inhuman, rumored to involve some kind of brutal, living blood sacrifice.

In those years, many of his comrades had died at Luo Zun's hands, sacrificed alive with not even a body left behind. This filled him with boundless rage. It was the very reason he later resigned his post as Commander of the Lingnan Military District, moving from a public role into the shadows to create Flying Leopard with the sole aim of destroying his nemesis.

The problem now was that Tiger Leopard Hall, founded by that cult leader Luo Zun, was growing ever stronger, while the special department he created to counter them—Flying Leopard—was growing weaker. It was a truly demoralizing and exhausting situation.

"Getting weaker? Why?" Chen Fei asked, confused. "Flying Leopard is a government agency. Why would it be weakening?"

Chief Luo gave a bitter smile. "In fact, Tiger Leopard Hall and Flying Leopard were established around the same time, one after the other. Back then, both organizations had an Innate Expert at their helm. They had Luo Zun himself, and we had a senior Ancient Martial Artist from a government agency. The power between the two sides should have been evenly matched, but..."

"But what?" Chen Fei asked, his expression turning somewhat odd.

"But the senior Ancient Martial Artist presiding over Flying Leopard died suddenly a few years ago. No one could find the cause. He was just... poisoned," Chief Luo said with helpless bitterness.

"Poisoning?" Chen Fei was startled, an unusual glint in his eyes. Based on what I know, if it was poison, then it's highly likely...

"That's right, poison. Although there's no evidence, we all know that our senior expert was killed by Luo Zun. He's the one most skilled in using poison," Chief Luo said, nodding with certainty.

"If you know that, why aren't the higher-ups handling it? Why not send an expert to eliminate him?" Chen Fei grew even more puzzled. If they knew, why didn't they act?

"Because there's no evidence! There is no proof that he, Luo Zun, was the killer." Chief Luo's mouth twisted in a bitter smile as he shook his head. "You should know about the treaty the higher-ups signed with the entire Ancient Martial Artist circle. Without evidence, the government can't act rashly. Otherwise, it could provoke a backlash from the entire community! The situation would become even more complex, and the consequences far more severe."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Besides, he can now stealthily poison an Innate Expert to death. Not to mention, in recent years, two other Innate Experts have joined Tiger Leopard Hall."

"To destroy a force of this caliber is exceedingly difficult. Even the state would need to deliberate and plan meticulously," he finally said.

This was clearly the source of his worries for so many years. No one at the top was willing to give the order, not with such an enormous risk. It meant that Flying Leopard, and he himself, were essentially fighting alone. Without the support of the nation's true peak forces, he had the will but not the strength.

"Three Innate Ancient Martial Artists... that is indeed troublesome," Chen Fei murmured, his eyes flickering.

One had to remember that even a behemoth like the Hong Kong Black Market, infamous throughout Southeast Asia, only had three deputy leaders who were Innate Ancient Martial Artists or S Level Ability Users—on par with Tiger Leopard Hall. To move against a power of that level required immense consideration. It was a delicate situation where one wrong move could have massive repercussions.

Suddenly, Elder Luo stared at Chen Fei. "Alright," he said slowly. "Now that you know such confidential matters, you have to join Flying Leopard. You should be aware that matters of national security aren't something you can just learn about casually. The more you know, the more responsibility you have to bear."

"Elder Luo, I feel like you're setting a trap for me," Chen Fei said, dumbfounded, not expecting such a maneuver.

"Nonsense! What trap? I didn't volunteer this information; you're the one who asked, remember?" Chief Luo retorted irritably, rolling his eyes.

"But... but my personality really isn't suited for this! I hate things like organizational discipline and taking orders the most," Chen Fei said helplessly, scratching his head.

He could have refused firmly and decisively, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out. He felt something strange in his heart... Is it admiration? Or respect?

To think someone would actually be willing to give up a high position like Commander of a Military District just to avenge his former comrades-in-arms. Saying something like that is easy, but actually doing it... that's incredibly difficult.

"Give me a break," Elder Luo scoffed. "With your current strength, who in Flying Leopard would dare give you orders? Are they tired of living? Didn't you see how scared Ma Dong was of you?" Even an old hand like Ma Dong was as obedient as a grandson in front of this kid. Who else would dare to act presumptuously? What a joke.

"But still..." Chen Fei was still conflicted. He truly found the idea bothersome and was reluctant to agree.

"Alright, no more 'buts'," Elder Luo interrupted in a tone that brooked no argument. "I'll make a concession. You can join Flying Leopard nominally, in an honorary position. You'll still be free to do as you please, and no orders can be forced on you. That should be acceptable, right?" I've already conceded so much; he has to be satisfied now. An honorary position in Flying Leopard comes with incredible privileges, like a license to kill and a high-level government rank. This is a blessing from the heavens. Refusing again would just be unreasonable.

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