The Converging Squad

Ma Wenlong looked at the strange man's face before him, his tight nerves finally relaxing for a moment.

Faces could change, but bone structure could not.

"Come on up and sit."

Xia Zhi responded with a rough voice, "Okay."

With that, Ma Wenlong opened the gate to let Xia Zhi in.

Xia Zhi stepped inside and immediately supported Ma Wenlong's teetering body with a backhand grip. Her voice was pitched low, carrying a trace of undeniable urgency, "How are you?"

Although leaning on a crutch, Ma Wenlong waved his hand, breaking free from Xia Zhi's support. "I'm fine, just a small injury. It won't kill me."

The young lady sitting at the counter looked up at the two big men pulling and pushing at each other, her eyes practically glowing.

Oh my, this cripple is a tsundere bottom! And the tall, mighty one next to him must be a domineering loyal dog top!

She was so excited she nearly swallowed a sunflower seed shell. She hurriedly pulled out her phone, fingers flying across her notepad app. She even had the title ready—"The Crippled CEO and His Bodyguard."

Xia Zhi had no time to pay attention to that burning gaze. She simply grabbed Ma Wenlong's arm again, propping him up with a force that was gentle but brooked no refusal, and the two hobbled toward the stairs.

The stairs in the youth hostel were narrow and steep, creaking with every step.

With each step up, Ma Wenlong's breathing grew heavier.

When they finally reached the third floor, Ma Wenlong opened the door.

A sour, rotten smell—a mix of greasy instant noodles, cheap tobacco, and strong Chinese medicine—rushed out, hitting them in the face.

Xia Zhi didn't even frown as she helped Ma Wenlong straight inside.

"The place is a dump, but nobody checks here." Ma Wenlong carefully leaned his crutch against the wall and sank into the tattered single sofa by the window, looking as if his bones had been removed.

The single room was pitifully small. A bed and a broken sofa took up all the space.

Instant noodle buckets were piled on the floor, and packets of oral and topical Chinese medicine were scattered on the table.

Ninety yuan a night, no private bathroom. Its only value was the door that could be locked from the inside.

"How did you get here?" Xia Zhi looked around, her gaze finally landing on his bandaged leg.

"Jumped into the sea, swam ashore with the current, and gnawed on food under a bridge for two days while squatting there to recover my strength and spirit."

Ma Wenlong twitched the corner of his mouth, as if talking about someone else's affairs. "Got lucky. Ran into a few 'sparrows', beat them up, and got some money."

"Sparrows" was a fancy name for pickpockets.

For Ma Wenlong, dealing with such lowlifes was a piece of cake.

He leaned his head back against the sofa, staring at the yellowed ceiling, the light in his eyes fading.

"I thought about it for two days and nights under that bridge. I can't figure it out. Who sold us out?"

"The other side's influence is too big. I didn't even dare go to the Yangcheng Branch Bureau. Who knows what kind of powerful figures are hiding under the surface here."

Xia Zhi didn't speak. She silently gathered the noodle buckets and trash on the floor into a plastic bag, her movements efficient and making no unnecessary noise.

Because of her actions, the whole room seemed to become a bit more orderly.

Only after finishing all this did she turn around and look at Ma Wenlong.

"Come with me."

Ma Wenlong's weary eyelids cracked open a slit, revealing eyes full of guard and scrutiny. "Where?"

"To my place. Someone is helping us."

"You still dare to trust people?" Ma Wenlong's voice turned cold.

Xia Zhi met his gaze without explaining.

After the two stared at each other for a while, Ma Wenlong finally sighed, "I understand."

There was almost nothing to pack.

After checking out and leaving, Ma Wenlong got into the Cadillac. He couldn't help but ask, "I thought you didn't get away that night. You never replied to the messages on the board either."

After thinking for a moment, Xia Zhi recounted everything that had happened in full detail, leaving nothing out, including Master Beixuan and Lin Mo.

After all, the two had been partners for more than three years and had gone through life-and-death situations more than once or twice.

So Xia Zhi trusted Ma Wenlong one hundred percent.

Knowing that a powerful Master Beixuan was helping them from the shadows, Ma Wenlong's expression relaxed considerably.

"That's really great. Once this is over, maybe I can retire early."

Ma Wenlong was already forty-nine. Even if he didn't retire completely, it was time for him to step down from the front lines.

Back at the rental, Shouzhen heard the secret signal and opened the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xia Zhi and Ma Wenlong.

"Come in, quickly."

Stepping aside to let the two in, Shouzhen immediately locked the door behind them.

Xia Zhi helped the limping Ma Wenlong to the sofa, then introduced them: "This is my teammate, Ma Wenlong. His leg is badly injured."

Seeing Ma Wenlong leaning on a crutch, Shouzhen couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you use the Rejuvenation Talisman?"

Xia Zhi fished the yellow talisman from her pocket. The vermilion runes on it still faintly shimmered. She shook her head:

"The place he was staying had a complex flow of people. I didn't know what effect the Rejuvenation Talisman would have, so I decided to wait until we got back to use it."

This was a thoughtful consideration.

She handed the Rejuvenation Talisman to Shouzhen. "You do it. The effect might be better if a little Daoist priest like you uses it."

However, she didn't know that the Quanzhen Sect focused on the dual cultivation of nature and life, but did not practice talismanic arts.

So Shouzhen simply slapped the Rejuvenation Talisman directly onto Ma Wenlong.

A stream of green energy poured from the Rejuvenation Talisman into Ma Wenlong's body.

This green energy wasn't visible to the naked eye, but those with higher spiritual power like Shouzhen and Xia Zhi could perceive it.

Ma Wenlong let out a muffled grunt, feeling a warm current surge from his chest, instantly sweeping through his limbs and bones.

He felt his body become much lighter, and his whole being relaxed significantly.

The piercing, bone-deep pain receded like a tide, replaced by an indescribable comfort.

"This Rejuvenation Talisman is amazing. I can feel my injuries are all healed."

Ma Wenlong clenched his fist. He let go of the crutch; his legs had completely recovered.

"Miraculous! This is damn miraculous!" He couldn't help but swear, the shock on his face unparalleled.

Shouzhen casually removed the Rejuvenation Talisman from Ma Wenlong's chest. Using his mana to sense it, he could clearly feel that the talisman still contained a significant amount of power.

This meant the talisman was like a power bank—reusable.

Seeing Ma Wenlong fully recovered, Xia Zhi was also very happy.

Ma Wenlong couldn't help but ask, "This talisman was given by the Master Beixuan you mentioned, right? It's truly magical."

Even Shouzhen clicked his tongue in wonder, "I'm afraid even those from the Celestial Master Sect couldn't achieve such an effect."

To heal injuries with just a single talisman—Shouzhen truly didn't think those talisman users from the Celestial Master Sect could do it either.

At this moment, Ma Wenlong turned his head to look at the room with the door ajar.

"Is the target we need to protect still sleeping?"

Shouzhen nodded. "Yes, Layman Lin said not to worry about her. She will wake up naturally once she has digested everything."

Ma Wenlong sighed.

"Is she the only one left?"

Xia Zhi also lowered his head in silence.