Ungrateful

One minute later.

*Boom!*

The door to the rental apartment was kicked open, sending splinters flying.

Several figures wearing gas masks filed in, their movements swift and silent, like wolves on the hunt.

On the table, the grenade was still spewing smoke.

Snake Eye’s gaze swept over the three figures lying on the floor. Without pausing for even a second, he walked straight toward the innermost bedroom.

He pushed the door open. Ning Qingcheng, lying quietly on the bed, came into view.

"Target confirmed. Secure her. Retreat." Snake Eye’s voice sounded muffled and cold through his mask.

A team member behind him glanced at Xia Zhi and the others on the floor, lowering his voice to ask, "Captain Snake, should we dispose of these three?"

"Don't look for trouble. I will only repeat the order once! Retreat!"

"Understood."

The team member said no more. Immediately, another operative stepped forward with a thick burlap sack, deftly bagging Ning Qingcheng from head to toe before hoisting her onto his shoulder.

Before leaving, Snake Eye looked back at the clay pot on the table, which was still emitting smoke, and tilted his head toward another operative.

The man understood. He drew a pair of metal tongs from his waist and carefully extracted the smoke grenade from the chicken soup, placing it into a sealed recovery box to stop the smoke from spreading further.

They didn't stop there; they also cleared away the food on the table and wiped down the glass in the kitchen and living room.

After handling everything, the group swiftly departed the rental apartment.

Time ticked by, second by second.

One hour, two hours...

It wasn't until the third hour that Shouzhen’s heavy eyelids finally cracked open.

His head felt as if it had been filled with lead, a chaotic mess. He had no strength in his limbs or bones.

Subconsciously, he tried to circulate his magical power, but the energy within his Sea of Qi felt like it was stuck in a quagmire; moving it even an inch was excruciatingly difficult.

A cold, sinister medicinal toxin was firmly entrenched in his meridians, constantly eroding his Dao Foundation.

Shouzhen frowned deeply.

*What a potent drug! To think it can even suppress a cultivator's magical power.*

Gritting his teeth, he gathered his magical power bit by bit. It was like trying to pry up a boulder with a fine needle, slowly and arduously attacking the toxin within his body.

After a long while, he managed to prop himself up against the wall and stagger to his feet.

Scanning the room, he saw the front door caved inward, the metal frame twisted like a pretzel—signs of a violent breach.

Shouzhen’s heart sank. Supporting himself against the cold wall, he rushed toward the innermost room.

At the doorway, he froze.

The room was empty, the bedding in disarray. The only thing missing was the person who was supposed to be lying there.

A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his skull.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. His fingers flew across his phone screen as he sent a short but urgent message to Lin Mo and Liu Zheng.

Only after doing this did he suddenly slap his forehead. *How could I forget about that!*

He turned and dashed into the adjacent room, pulling a yellow talisman from a cloth bag. Without hesitation, he slapped it onto his own chest.

*Hum!*

The spiritual energy within the Rejuvenation Talisman instantly transformed into a warm current that swept through his entire body.

The cold toxin entrenched in his meridians melted away like snow under a blazing sun, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

His magical power became abundant and free-flowing once more. Shouzhen exhaled a long breath of turbid air, his entire body relaxing.

He didn't dare delay. He immediately removed the Rejuvenation Talisman and slapped it onto Xia Zhi’s forehead.

Xia Zhi woke up quickly. "What happened?!"

"Something terrible has happened!"

Shouzhen’s voice was fast and urgent. "We were ambushed. Ning Qingcheng is gone! I’ve already notified Liu Zheng and Lin Mo!"

Before he even finished speaking, he had already slapped the Rejuvenation Talisman onto Ma Wenlong.

Ma Wenlong groggily came to. He stared blankly for a second, then his expression changed drastically as he roared, "Dammit!"

He leaped up and sprinted into Ning Qingcheng’s room.

The result was self-evident.

"Ning Qingcheng has been taken!"

Xia Zhi jumped to her feet as well, pounding her head in an attempt to recall what happened. "That smoke grenade... from the moment it was thrown in to when we collapsed, it was only a matter of ten seconds or so. How did we all get knocked out?"

She looked at Shouzhen. "Little Daoist Shouzhen, what did you feel before you passed out?"

Shouzhen shook his head, his expression grave. "My magical power circulation was sluggish, and my whole body felt weak. Even after waking up, there was residual toxin in my system. I tried to expel it with magical power for a while with little effect. That was when I remembered we still had the Rejuvenation Talisman."

At that moment, Ma Wenlong walked out after inspecting the room, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Forget about that for now! The enemy came prepared. We are racing against time!"

He pulled out his phone, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We must contact the Yangcheng Branch immediately and set up a city-wide blockade! They have the Sky Eye surveillance system and street patrols. That’s far better than the few of us just waiting here!"

"No!" Shouzhen immediately objected, his attitude just as unyielding. "I’ve already notified Layman Lin and Layman Liu. Who knows if there’s a mole in the Yangcheng Branch? If we report this, never mind you guys, even Layman Liu and Layman Bai will be in trouble!"

Shouzhen was clearly more worried about Liu Zheng and the others. If Liu Zheng and Old Bai got into trouble and were held accountable, then all their efforts would have been for naught.

"In trouble?! Ning Qingcheng is a critical target. Losing her is the biggest trouble of all!"

Ma Wenlong’s temper flared, his voice rising several octaves.

"Since they dared to make a move, they certainly planned how to evade tracking! Every minute we wait makes it harder to find her! We must mobilize the main force for a carpet search!"

Shouzhen met his gaze, refusing to yield an inch.

After careful consideration, Xia Zhi sided with Shouzhen.

"Old Ma, think about it! How do we explain this to the Branch? Tell them we were knocked out by some smoke that suppresses spiritual power?

And why didn't we report to the Branch earlier when we were fine?

Why report only now that Ning Qingcheng is missing?"

Ma Wenlong was choked into silence for a moment, but he stuck to his guns. "We still can't just sit here and wait! You said it yourself, Liu Zheng—that 'Bucket Hat'—is still in Pengcheng."

As he spoke, he had already taken out his phone.

Shouzhen’s figure blurred as he flashed directly in front of him, his gaze calm as still water.

"No."

"That will put Layman Liu and Layman Bai in a dangerous position."

The target was already lost; Shouzhen couldn't let Liu Zheng and Old Bai fall into danger as well.

Just the charge of failing to report information could see the two of them imprisoned by the 'Yanhuang Awakening' organization for the rest of their lives.

Xia Zhi felt the same way. She looked at Ma Wenlong.

"It’s not just Liu Zheng and Old Bai. It’s the same for you and me."

Ma Wenlong’s face was ashen. His gaze swept over Xia Zhi and Shouzhen before he let out a cold sneer.

"You’re just afraid of taking responsibility, and afraid for your own futures."

Ma Wenlong’s attitude left Xia Zhi and Shouzhen somewhat at a loss.

However, at that moment, footsteps sounded from the stairs below.

"What about you? Are you saying you don't worry about their futures and safety?"