《Rebellious Rulu》


 Chapter 1: The Crisis of the Qiao Family

    In the Huaxia Nation, at the Governor''s Office of the Sanctuary Concession District in Blue Sea City¡ª


    In a spacious office, a middle-aged man with a proud demeanor and a robust physique lounged in his chair, carelessly resting his legs on the desk in front of him. He squinted his eyes, staring at a frail middle-aged man standing on the other side of the desk.


    The frail man appeared anxious, bending over and lowering his head, too afraid to meet the gaze of the man sitting in the chair. It seemed the conversation had reached a stalemate, and the two remained silent in the otherwise quiet office.


    Suddenly, the robust man lowered his legs from the desk and abruptly swung his right hand, slamming it down on the desk with a loud "bang." The sturdy wooden table shook violently, nearly collapsing under the force of his blow.


    The frail man seemed startled, his body trembling violently as he buried his head lower. He spoke in a submissive and ingratiating tone, "Governor... Governor, please give me a few more months. I will definitely complete the tasks you assigned to me."


    The man referred to as the Governor became enraged. He stood up sharply from his seat, pointing a finger at the frail man¡¯s face and shouting, "You worthless fool, are you trying to play me for a fool?! You said the same thing six months ago, you said it three months ago, and now you''re saying it again. How did you become mayor if you can''t even handle this? My patience is running out. Do I need to give you a lesson?!"


    "Governor, please calm down and listen to my explanation. The situation is... it''s like this." The mayor, sweating profusely, tried to maintain his composure as he spoke:


    "I have prepared most of the supplies you requested, but I really cannot gather the ten tons of gold you wanted. I have increased efforts and opened many mines as per your request, but since the workers have been working day and night to extract gold, many have fallen seriously ill due to exhaustion, resulting in diminishing efficiency in gold extraction. So..."


    "These are all your problems. I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses!" The Governor snorted coldly, interrupting the mayor:


    "You must understand that if I fail to complete the task assigned to me by His Majesty the Emperor this year, I will be removed from my position as governor. I don¡¯t care what methods you use, you must gather ten tons of gold for me within a month. Bring your entire family here tomorrow. Without my permission, they are not allowed to leave. If you fail to complete the task within a month, I will have your entire family taken away to do hard labor until they die. Do you understand?!"


    The mayor''s face turned pale, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he replied in a low voice, "Yes... yes."


    The Governor shouted, "If you understand, why are you still standing here? Get out!"


    Trembling, the mayor lowered his head and exited the office. He appeared dazed, his eyes unfocused, as if in a trance, leaving the Governor''s office and driving back to his home in the concession area.


    "Dad, you''re back?!"


    As soon as the mayor stepped through the door, a soft and clear female voice rang out from the room, and a young woman, about twenty years old, walked out from another room to stand before the mayor.


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    The young woman had an oval face, fair skin, and a delicate appearance. Her figure was slender, and she had smooth, shoulder-length, grayish-brown hair. With a gentle smile on her face, she quickly approached the mayor.


    However, the mayor seemed oblivious to his daughter''s presence, showing no reaction to her words. He hung his head low, looking bewildered and lost, as if he had seen a ghost.


    Noticing her father''s silence, the young woman scrutinized his face. Upon seeing his anxious and restless expression, she seemed to realize something was wrong. Her gentle smile vanished, replaced by a look of concern.


    "What¡¯s wrong, Dad? What happened?" she asked nervously, reaching out to grasp the mayor''s shoulders and shaking him gently.


    The mayor snapped out of his daze, lifting his eyelids to meet his daughter''s gaze. He sighed deeply and said, "No, Nana, nothing happened. You don¡¯t need to worry."


    The girl named Nana looked very serious. Sensing her father''s lie, she pressed on, "What exactly happened? Can you tell me? Maybe I can help."


    The mayor shook his head, feeling very dejected as he replied, "Don''t say anything more. It''s useless. You can''t help me. Just let me be alone for a while. If nothing''s wrong, don''t disturb me."


    After saying this, the mayor ignored Nana and left the living room, retreating to his bedroom, shutting the door, and locking himself inside.


    Although Nana sensed that something bad had happened to her father, she didn¡¯t know what it was, so she didn¡¯t know how to help him. She left the living room and entered another room, where a boy, about seventeen or eighteen years old, was sitting on the bed reading.


    The boy was tall, with black hair, fair skin, and bright, expressive eyes. His appearance was quite handsome. Upon noticing Nana''s presence, he put down the book and looked at her, speaking in an elegant and clear male voice, "Did Uncle Qiao just come back?"


    "Yes, my dad just returned." Nana replied absentmindedly as she sat down beside the boy.


    Seeing Nana''s demeanor, the boy looked a bit puzzled and asked, "Why do you look so worried, Nana? You seem like an old woman."


    Nana was taken aback and then showed a reproachful expression, complaining to the boy, "Rulu, how many times have I told you to call me ''sister''! And don¡¯t make jokes about it."


    "Is it really necessary?" The boy named Rulu smiled faintly. "Nana, you¡¯re not much older than me. Do you need to act so high and mighty? Besides, you''re not my real sister."


    Nana sighed and pinched Rulu''s nose, complaining, "Honestly, Rulu, you used to be so cute and listened to me. Now that you''ve grown up, you¡¯ve become rebellious and bully your sister. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have brought you back from outside. I would have let you wander and suffer forever."


    "Hmph, it¡¯s too late to realize now." Rulu smirked, grabbing Nana''s hand to prevent her from pinching his nose further. "Now you can¡¯t shake me off, Nana. Wherever you go, I will follow you. I will always be with you."


    Although he was teasing Nana, Rulu''s expression was exceptionally gentle, as if he were gazing at his beloved.


    Nana was taken aback again, feeling a bit shy as she withdrew her hand and turned her face away to avoid Rulu''s gaze, murmuring, "If only that were true."


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Rulu''s smile faded. He frowned slightly, looking steadily at Nana''s face.


    Nana whispered, "It''s just that after my dad came back, he has been frowning and looking distressed, as if the sky has fallen. When I asked him what was wrong, he wouldn¡¯t say anything and locked himself in his room, not letting anyone disturb him."


    "I see." Rulu blinked, pondering, and said slowly, "If I remember correctly, Uncle Qiao just went to the Governor''s Office to meet that governor, right?"


    "Yes." Nana affirmed.


    "In that case, things might be a bit troublesome." Rulu rested his chin on his hand, his expression darkening as he spoke almost to himself:


    "As far as I know, this governor has significant power, responsible for managing all of Blue Sea City and the surrounding areas. Although Uncle Qiao is the mayor, he must fully obey the governor''s orders. Most importantly, this governor is from the Sanctuary; you could say he is a lackey of the Sanctuary, responsible for helping the Sanctuary plunder resources from other countries. I think Uncle Qiao must have been bullied by that bastard governor."


    Nana replied, "I think so too. I heard that the previous mayors of Blue Sea City were severely punished for failing to complete the tasks assigned by the governor, and their families mysteriously disappeared. Because of this, Blue Sea City has had countless mayors, and I worry that something similar might happen to my dad."

 Chapter 2: A Turbulent Night

    "If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s bad news! We need to find Uncle Qiao and figure things out!" Rulu realized the seriousness of the situation and stood up, quickly walking towards the door of the room.


    Although Nana didn¡¯t want to disturb her father, she didn¡¯t stop Rulu and followed him out of the room, arriving at the door of Mayor Qiao''s bedroom.


    "Uncle Qiao, are you in there? Can you open the door?" Rulu knocked hard on the bedroom door, calling out loudly.


    There was no response from inside the room, as if no one was there.


    "Dad, what¡¯s going on? Please come out and say something!" Nana also called out, banging on the door with urgency.


    The situation remained unchanged; there was still no response. Rulu and Nana waited outside for quite a while, but the door didn¡¯t open. They exchanged glances, seeing panic and unease reflected in each other''s eyes.


    "Uncle Qiao, are you in there? If not, we¡¯re coming in!" Rulu felt they could not delay any longer and prepared to force the door open.


    Just then, the door creaked open, and Mayor Qiao''s figure appeared before Rulu and Nana.


    Seeing her father, Nana rushed over and grabbed his hand, anxiously asking, "Dad, what¡¯s going on? Can you tell us?!"


    Mayor Qiao looked gloomy and haggard. He glanced tiredly at Nana and Rulu and spoke in a low voice, "It¡¯s you, Nana and Rulu. Has your mother come back yet?"


    "Mom hasn¡¯t returned, but she should be home soon," Nana replied.


    "I see. Then you both need to prepare your things. We¡¯re leaving here tonight as a family."


    At this news, both Nana and Rulu were taken aback. Rulu exclaimed, "Does that mean the governor really intends to harm us?!"


    Mayor Qiao was also surprised, "You both know already?!"


    Rulu and Nana nodded slowly. Mayor Qiao sighed, his expression sorrowful as he said, "I was afraid you would worry, so I didn¡¯t want to tell you. But since you already know, I¡¯ll tell you¡ªthe governor wants to control our family, and if we don¡¯t leave the concession area by tomorrow, we¡¯ll be finished."


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    Nana exclaimed, "How can this be? Dad, you¡¯re the mayor! How can he treat you like this? Isn¡¯t there any law?"


    Mayor Qiao shook his head, "This is the concession area, and the people from the Sanctuary have the highest privileges here. Although I¡¯m the mayor, I¡¯m not one of them. They can erase us at will without facing any consequences. The previous mayors are the best examples. Now, our only option is to escape."


    Rulu said, "But can we really escape? The concession area is heavily guarded by the Sanctuary¡¯s military, completely under their control. If the governor discovers us on the way, things will be even worse."


    A glimmer of cunning flashed in Mayor Qiao¡¯s eyes as he replied, "Actually, I anticipated this situation long ago and prepared in advance. I¡¯ve contacted others to help us, so it should be fine."


    Rulu said, "If that¡¯s the case, then that would be great."


    Nana added, "I hope our family can safely get through this crisis."


    Afterward, the Qiao family quickly sprang into action. They packed their belongings, placing valuable items into suitcases and bags. Late that night, when it was quiet, Mayor Qiao, his wife Mrs. Qiao, and Rulu and Nana quietly left their home, taking their luggage to a secluded street.


    With a whoosh, a large black van suddenly appeared from nowhere, stopping with a screech in front of Mayor Qiao¡¯s home. A tall, burly middle-aged man, along with five strong young men, got out and quickly approached the Qiao family.


    Upon seeing these men, Mayor Qiao¡¯s expression changed instantly because the leading burly middle-aged man was the governor he had met earlier that day.


    "Mayor Qiao, what a late hour! Where is your family headed?" The governor wore a sinister smile, squinting his eyes as he stared at the Qiao family.


    Though Mayor Qiao was extremely panicked, he feigned surprise and smiled, "Ah, what a coincidence! It¡¯s you, Governor! You see, it¡¯s my daughter''s birthday today, and we are just about to go out for dinner to celebrate."


    "Hehe, dinner? Out at midnight for dinner, and carrying so much stuff? I thought you were moving!" the governor said sarcastically.


    "Uh, well..." Mayor Qiao¡¯s smile became stiff as he struggled to explain, "You see, after dinner, we¡¯re going to a friend¡¯s house. These are things we need to bring to him..."


    "Oh, I see! Off to a friend''s house, huh?!" The governor said with a strange laugh, but then his expression darkened as he shouted, "You old fool! Not only did you fail to do what I ordered, but you also think you can run away? Do you really think you can escape?!"


    "No, I¡¯m not trying to run away! Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Governor!" Mayor Qiao exclaimed in panic.


    The governor glared menacingly, "Still trying to be dishonest? You think you can fool me, old man? I think it¡¯s time for you to be dealt with!"


    After saying this, the governor raised his right foot and kicked Mayor Qiao hard in the abdomen. Pain flashed across Mayor Qiao¡¯s face, and he curled up, collapsing to the ground with a thud.


    "Please, sir, spare us! I will definitely do what you asked!" Mayor Qiao pleaded, kneeling on the ground and clutching the governor¡¯s foot.


    "Take this old fool away!" The governor kicked Mayor Qiao aside. The two strong men beside him stepped forward, seized Mayor Qiao''s arms, and, ignoring his struggles, forcibly dragged him toward the black van parked by the roadside.

 Chapter 3: The Rebellious Rulu

    "Let Uncle Qiao go!" Suddenly, an angry young male voice rang out, catching the attention of the governor and his men. They turned to see a boy filled with righteous indignation, and that boy was Rulu.


    "Was that you speaking, kid?" The governor scrutinized Rulu. When he realized that Rulu was just a frail seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, he felt quite surprised. In all his time as governor, he had never encountered anyone who dared to speak to him like this, especially a young and weak boy.


    "Are you deaf or just stupid?!" Rulu said with a grim face, speaking again, "I''ll say it one more time, let Uncle Qiao go, you bunch of dog scum!" His voice was not only filled with anger but also laced with strong hatred.


    A sinister smile appeared on the governor''s face as he stared at Rulu and said, "What¡¯s your name, kid? You¡¯ve got some guts to talk to me like that. Do you want to die?"


    "You¡¯re not even qualified to ask me questions." Rulu lifted his face, glaring at the governor. The governor noticed that Rulu''s gaze held not only hatred and anger but also a deep contempt. For some reason, the governor felt a chill run down his spine under Rulu''s stare, and an inexplicable sense of fear arose within him.


    "You¡¯re an ignorant little fool." The governor was somewhat provoked by Rulu. He turned to his subordinates and shouted, "What are you standing around for? Go teach this kid a lesson! I want that mouth of his to never speak again."


    Aside from the two men holding Mayor Qiao, the other three strong men quickly approached Rulu, cracking their knuckles. The look in their eyes suggested they wanted to tear Rulu apart. It seemed they wouldn¡¯t rest until they made Rulu pay dearly.


    "Run, Rulu!" Nana realized Rulu was in serious trouble. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back, but Rulu shook off Nana''s hand, his face darkened as he said, "No, they are the ones who should run¡ª"


    Before he finished speaking, a fierce whirlwind suddenly appeared, encircling Rulu, Nana, and Mrs. Qiao. The howling wind swept over the three strong men, causing them to stumble and throwing them outward. With several loud thuds, the three men fell to the ground in a disheveled state and lay there for a while, unable to get up.


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    This scene took the governor by surprise. He looked at Rulu with suspicion and said, "How is this possible? Where did this wind come from? Could it be¡­ you summoned this wind? You¡¯re an Ultra-capable?"


    "You look like a pig but have some brains after all," Rulu replied with a mocking smile, fixing his gaze on the governor as he slowly said, "If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll release Uncle Qiao and leave here. Otherwise, I will make you pay a heavy price!"


    "Don¡¯t get too cocky, kid!" the governor shouted, quickly drawing a pistol from his side and aiming it at Rulu, intending to shoot. But just then, there was a loud bang, and the governor''s pistol exploded violently in his hand.


    The governor screamed, staggering back a few steps, clutching his bloodied hand in pain. He looked at Rulu in panic and said, "Where did you come from? Ordinary people don¡¯t possess such strong Psionic power. Could it be¡­ you¡¯re from the Sanctuary?"


    "From the Sanctuary?" Rulu replied with a disgusted smile, speaking in a low voice, "No, I¡¯m not from the Sanctuary; I¡¯m here to destroy the Sanctuary."


    "Destroy the Sanctuary?!" The governor was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Are you crazy? You want to destroy the Sanctuary? Do you know the Sanctuary is eternal? Even if the world perishes, the Sanctuary will not be destroyed, because the Sanctuary is the world of gods. Everyone living in the Sanctuary is a god, and the Emperor of the Sanctuary is the sole ruler of this world. Only the Emperor can grant us supreme happiness and eternal life!"


    As the governor spoke, deep reverence appeared on his face, and influenced by him, the other five strong men began to chant, "Long live the Sanctuary! Long live the Emperor!"


    "You people think you deserve happiness and eternal life?" Rulu said with a look of disgust. As he spoke, he took out a watermelon-sized water bottle from his backpack and opened the cap.


    "In my eyes, you are nothing but a bunch of filthy maggots. You should suffer for eternity, dying in endless pain and despair. That is what you truly deserve!"


    "I¡¯ll kill you!" One of the strong men was enraged by Rulu¡¯s words. He shouted and pulled out his pistol, aiming to shoot Rulu.


    Unfazed, Rulu swung his arm, throwing the water from the bottle. At that moment, something strange happened: the water that spilled from the bottle didn¡¯t fall to the ground but instead floated in the air, rapidly coalescing into a one-meter-long, crystal-clear ice sword.


    With a whoosh, the ice sword shot through the air, speeding toward the man who was about to shoot Rulu. It sliced across the man''s neck, cutting a long gash as blood gushed out. The man screamed, clutching his neck, and collapsed to the ground, struggling a few times before going still.

 Chapter 4: The Battle of the Ultra-capable

    The empty street was silent, and everyone was stunned. Before anyone could react, Rulu waved his hand, and the ice sword that had just killed the strong man flew up again, hovering in mid-air, its tip pointing at the governor.


    "Die," Rulu said coldly, and the ice sword shot toward the governor at incredible speed, piercing his chest.


    At that moment, something strange happened. Instead of penetrating the governor''s body, the ice sword simply bounced off with a thud. The governor''s chest was only slightly torn, and no blood flowed; it appeared he was hardly injured at all.


    "To think you could reinforce your body to withstand my attack; are you also an Ultra-capable?" Rulu said, astonished, as he looked at the governor.


    The governor casually patted his chest where he had been struck, proudly declaring, "Didn¡¯t expect that, did you? My body is as hard as stone; your broken sword can''t hurt me."


    "Is that so?" Rulu raised an eyebrow and waved his hand, pouring out the remaining water from his bottle. The water transformed into another ice sword, and along with the previous one, the two ice swords flew rapidly toward the governor.


    "Hmph, it makes no difference how many you send," the governor said, showing no fear. He raised his arms to block the incoming swords. With two loud clangs, the ice swords collided with the governor''s arms and were directly deflected. The governor''s arms were only slightly scratched, while the ice sword tips broke under the powerful impact.


    "You fool, your tricks are useless against me," the governor laughed triumphantly. His subordinates cheered for him, shouting:


    "Our governor is a Level Three Ultra-capable! Not only is he immensely strong, but he also has a body of iron; no weapon can harm him."


    "This kid has some tricks, but he¡¯s no match for our governor. The governor could easily take him down with just a few moves."


    "Kid, you¡¯d better surrender quickly; otherwise, you¡¯ll die a very ugly death. If you surrender, at least you¡¯ll have a whole corpse, hahahaha!"


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    "A bunch of barking dogs," Rulu said with a look of disgust. Although the governor had blocked his ice sword attack, he was not worried. He slowly raised his right hand.


    A howling wind roared, and a white vortex storm appeared about a meter above Rulu''s head. The storm was filled with numerous tiny ice shards, which collided with each other at high speed, producing sharp "tinkling" sounds.


    "What kind of spell is this?" The governor stared at the white vortex above Rulu, feeling a chill emanating from the storm. His intuition told him that something strange was happening, and unsure of Rulu''s intentions, he dared not act rashly. He stood at a distance, watching the white vortex intently.


    Rulu remained motionless in his position, maintaining the stance he had taken earlier. The white vortex above his head continued to change. As time passed, the vortex grew larger; it started with a diameter of about twenty centimeters, then expanded to over fifty centimeters in about ten seconds, and after another ten seconds, it reached more than eighty centimeters. After a minute, the diameter of the white vortex had exceeded two meters.


    "Strange, why isn¡¯t he acting? Could it be¡­" the governor thought to himself. As he noticed the white vortex storm growing larger, he suddenly realized.


    "Not good, he¡¯s gathering power! Quickly stop him! Don¡¯t let him continue casting his spell!" The governor ordered his subordinates.


    The governor''s men all pulled out their pistols and aimed them at Rulu, trying to attack him. Rulu shot them a glare, and with a series of loud bangs, all the pistols exploded automatically, causing the gunmen to drop their weapons in fear.


    "You fools, this kid is a magical Ultra-capable and can control objects from a distance! Guns are useless against him; attack him up close!" the governor shouted again. His four subordinates charged at Rulu, unarmed and ready to fight.


    "Come on, let¡¯s settle this once and for all!" Rulu smiled, feeling that the power of the storm he had summoned was strong enough. He waved his hand, and the white vortex storm spun rapidly toward the four strong men, colliding with them.


    The four strong men suddenly showed terror on their faces. They widened their eyes and opened their mouths, as if trying to scream, but for some reason, no sound came out. A sharp hissing sound followed as ice began to visibly form on their bodies.


    "This... is a freezing vortex?!" the governor exclaimed in shock. The temperature inside the white storm vortex was terrifying, and as the four men came into contact with it, their limbs went numb, and their bodies became rigid, unable to move. They stood frozen in place, maintaining their previous stances, allowing the icy whirlwind to sweep over them.


    After about ten seconds, ice covered the bodies of the four strong men. With a series of crisp sounds, they had turned into four ice sculptures, collapsing to the ground and no longer able to stand. At that moment, the white freezing vortex exhausted all its power and slowly dissipated into the air.

 Chapter 5: Uninvited Guests

    "Alright, now there¡¯s just one left." After dealing with the governor''s subordinates, Rulu turned his attention to the governor, who was standing alone in the distance. He waved his hand, and a gust of wind suddenly appeared, lifting a pristine handgun that had fallen to the ground and bringing it to Rulu''s side, where he caught it.


    "Don¡¯t blame me; you brought this on yourselves," Rulu muttered to himself as he raised the gun and aimed it at the governor, then pulled the trigger.


    With a bang, flames erupted from the gun''s muzzle, and the bullet whizzed past the governor''s shoulder, missing him completely. The powerful recoil of the handgun caused Rulu to stumble back a step.


    "While the gun is powerful, its accuracy doesn¡¯t match that of a spell, but it¡¯s still more effective against an Ultra-capable who can enhance their body," Rulu thought, rubbing his wrist that had gone numb from the recoil. He slowly approached the governor, intending to get closer before shooting again.


    "This isn¡¯t good; I¡¯m going to get killed at this rate. I need to think of a way out." The governor felt panic rising as Rulu approached. He quickly scanned the area and suddenly spotted Mayor Qiao, bound and lying on the ground not far away. He rushed over to Mayor Qiao and lifted him off the ground.


    "What do you think you¡¯re doing? Get away from him!" Rulu shouted, aiming the gun at the governor again, but in the end, he didn¡¯t pull the trigger and lowered the gun instead.


    "Why aren¡¯t you shooting? Weren¡¯t you just so bold? Shoot already!" the governor yelled, standing behind Mayor Qiao and using him as a shield. If Rulu fired, he would hit Mayor Qiao, while the governor would remain unharmed.


    "You despicable scum," Rulu spat angrily. Although he was furious, he felt helpless. With Mayor Qiao in the governor''s hands, it was difficult to attack without harming him.


    "Hahaha, kid, you can¡¯t win against me. Just wait; our Sanctuary''s army is on the way, and then you¡¯re finished," the governor continued to taunt. Rulu¡¯s mind raced as he tried to find a way to rescue Mayor Qiao, but after thinking for a while, he came up empty, and the situation remained at a stalemate.


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    Suddenly, the sound of roaring engines approached from a distance. Three gray-black armored vehicles appeared on the street, speeding toward them. With a screech, the three vehicles stopped not far from Rulu and the governor.


    "Haha, our people have arrived, and you¡¯re done for," the governor said, thinking it was the army, and he grew even more pleased.


    Rulu''s expression turned serious as he stared intently at the three armored vehicles, thinking that if these really were soldiers, he would have to give up rescuing Mayor Qiao and escape with Nana and Mrs. Qiao instead, or none of them would make it out.


    Once the armored vehicles stopped, more than twenty young men and women with red ribbons tied around their heads jumped out. They were dressed in various outfits¡ªsome wore short sleeves, others tank tops, some wore shorts, and even a few were in flip-flops. They looked no different from ordinary civilians, but they were all armed with black assault rifles, shotguns, and handguns.


    "Hey, they don¡¯t look like Sanctuary soldiers. Could it be¡­ they are rebels?!" The governor''s smile suddenly froze. As the governor of the Blue Sea City concession area, he knew that the slums outside the concession were filled with underground armed organizations that resisted the Sanctuary. These groups harbored deep hatred for the Sanctuary and often launched attacks within the concession to oppose its rule.


    "Who are you people, and what are you doing here?!" the governor shouted, trying to maintain his composure as he addressed the group with red ribbons.


    "Quiet! Everyone put your hands up," a stern-looking man with black curly hair, around thirty years old, commanded. He seemed to be the leader of this group. As he spoke, the others raised their guns, aiming them at the governor, Rulu, and Nana.


    "Captain Guan, save me!" Mayor Qiao suddenly shouted, "This bastard governor has captured me, and the others are my family. Don¡¯t hurt them!"


    Upon hearing this, the curly-haired man looked closely at Mayor Qiao, and when he recognized him, he shouted back, "I know! Mayor Qiao, don¡¯t worry; I will rescue you!"


    "So it¡¯s you old fool causing trouble for me," the governor glared viciously at Mayor Qiao and said to Captain Guan, "You damned rebels have the audacity to come to the concession area. You¡¯re living on borrowed time! When the Sanctuary¡¯s army arrives, you¡¯ll all die here!"


    "Who are you calling damned? Do you think I won¡¯t kill you right now?" a young man with a thin face shouted sharply, raising his gun at the governor, seemingly ready to shoot.


    "Put the gun down, A-Bing! Otherwise, you¡¯ll hurt Mayor Qiao!" Captain Guan quickly intervened, worried about Mayor Qiao''s safety. Though A-Bing was furious, he reluctantly lowered his weapon as Captain Guan ordered.

 Chapter 6: The Turn of Events

    At this moment, a young woman with long hair beside Captain Guan whispered, "Brother Guan, we¡¯ve already alerted the Sanctuary¡¯s army by coming here. They could arrive at any moment, and we need to leave the concession area quickly, or things will get worse."


    "I understand," Captain Guan nodded and looked at the governor. "You¡¯re the governor of this concession area, right? My surname is Guan, and I¡¯m their leader. If you release Mayor Qiao, we won¡¯t harm you and will let you leave safely. What do you think?"


    The governor''s eyes darted around, and he replied, "That sounds like a decent plan. Alright, you all put your weapons on the ground, then back away twenty steps."


    Captain Guan felt this proposal was extremely unreasonable and immediately rejected it, "No, you release him first. If you let him go, I promise not to make things difficult for you and will let you leave safely."


    The governor sneered, "How do I know you won¡¯t double-cross me? If I let him go and you all shoot at me, I¡¯ll be finished."


    Captain Guan replied, "What do you want then? Don¡¯t try to stall for time. If we can¡¯t leave, you won¡¯t escape either."


    The governor thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Let me get back to my vehicle. Once I¡¯m in the car, I¡¯ll immediately release this old man."


    "Your vehicle? Which one?"


    "That black one over there." The governor pointed to a black van parked by the roadside.


    Captain Guan pondered this. He worried that once the governor got in the car, he would immediately drive away with Mayor Qiao and was hesitant to agree to his proposal.


    Seeing Captain Guan hesitate, the governor added, "If you don¡¯t agree, you can forget about saving this old man. We can all die together!"


    As he spoke, the governor tightened his grip around Mayor Qiao''s neck. Under the governor''s immense strength, Mayor Qiao suddenly found it hard to breathe, his face contorted in pain as he let out a weak groan.


    "Don¡¯t do anything reckless!" Captain Guan shouted at the governor. He thought that if the situation dragged on, they would all be trapped. It was time to take a risk, so he said, "Fine, I agree to your terms."


    "Very good." The governor dragged Mayor Qiao slowly toward the black van, threatening, "You all stay right where you are and don¡¯t move. Otherwise, I can kill him at any moment."


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    "Everyone, don¡¯t act on your own," Captain Guan ordered his men, concerned for Mayor Qiao''s safety. Rulu also remained still, as he had no confidence in saving Mayor Qiao. He thought that if the governor kept his word and let Mayor Qiao go after getting to the vehicle, it would be fine even if he escaped, as long as Mayor Qiao was safe.


    The governor brought Mayor Qiao to the side of the black van and opened the door, stepping one foot inside. At that moment, Captain Guan shouted, "Let him go, or we¡¯ll shoot up your car and make it impossible for you to escape."


    "Don¡¯t rush me; I¡¯ll release him soon¡­" A cold smile appeared on the governor¡¯s face. He tightened his left hand around Mayor Qiao''s throat, silencing him, while his right hand stealthily pulled out a dagger from behind. He suddenly stabbed the dagger into Mayor Qiao''s lower back, then quickly pulled it out and concealed it before pushing Mayor Qiao''s body out of the van.


    With a thud, Mayor Qiao fell to the ground, motionless. Since the governor had completed his actions behind Mayor Qiao, and he fell on his back, everyone present failed to notice that Mayor Qiao had been stabbed.


    "Mayor Qiao, are you alright? Can you get up by yourself?" Captain Guan called out to Mayor Qiao, but there was no response. He lay on the ground, completely still and silent. At this point, the governor had already gotten into the van and closed the door.


    "Uncle Qiao was just fine a moment ago; why isn¡¯t he moving now?" Rulu sensed something was wrong. He summoned a strong wind to blow over Mayor Qiao, pushing his body several centimeters to the side. At that moment, everyone noticed a large pool of bright red blood on the ground beside Mayor Qiao.


    "Not good, Mayor Qiao has been harmed!" Captain Guan realized the governor had deceived him and quickly rushed toward Mayor Qiao.


    Suddenly, a grenade was thrown from the black van''s window, flying toward Captain Guan. He and his companions quickly dove to the ground. With a bang, the grenade exploded not far from Captain Guan, and several members of the rebel group who couldn¡¯t dodge in time were hit by shrapnel and fell to the ground.


    "Open fire! Shoot with all you¡¯ve got!" Captain Guan shouted angrily, and the members of the rebel group raised their weapons, firing at the black van. A barrage of bullets struck the van, creating a clattering noise.


    However, the van was bulletproof. Despite the rebels¡¯ powerful fire, the bullets struggled to penetrate the vehicle''s exterior and glass in a short time, causing no harm to those inside.


    With a whoosh, the black van started up, speeding toward Rulu and Nana through the hail of bullets. Captain Guan worried that stray bullets might hurt Mayor Qiao''s family and quickly ordered everyone to cease fire.


    "Nana, you all need to run!" Rulu suddenly pushed Nana, hoping to draw the governor''s attention away and cover Nana and Mrs. Qiao''s escape. After hesitating for a moment, Nana ran away with her mother.


    "Go down and keep that old man company!" the governor sneered, slamming the accelerator and driving the vehicle toward Rulu.


    Rulu seemed either unresponsive or for some other reason stood still, and the van sped toward him. It looked like he was about to be hit.


    "Run, Rulu!" Nana yelled, seeing Rulu''s life in danger. Unable to hold back, she shouted. Just then, Rulu pushed off the ground with both feet, and a howling gale formed around him, propelling him downward.


    With the force of the wind, Rulu soared into the air, effortlessly rising four to five meters above the ground, easily clearing the black van and avoiding the collision.

 Chapter 7: Mayor Qiaos Last Wish

    "Damn it, he got away." The governor, furious that he had missed Rulu, slammed the steering wheel and drove the car toward Nana and Mrs. Qiao. They screamed in panic and tried to escape, but they couldn¡¯t outrun the vehicle.


    "Nana, you have to survive," Mrs. Qiao looked deeply at her daughter, thinking that rather than both of them dying together, it would be better to let Nana live. She pushed Nana away with all her might just as the black van arrived¡ª


    With a loud thud, a figure was thrown out, landing on the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop.


    Gunshots rang out in the distance as Captain Guan ordered his men to fire at the black van again. Bullets rained down like raindrops, piercing the vehicle''s exterior and glass with sharp sounds.


    "This car can''t take much more. Let''s retreat for now and deal with them later," the governor said, turning his head to glare fiercely at Rulu and the rebels before speeding away down the street, quickly disappearing from sight.


    "Dad, Mom¡­"


    Nana stared at her parents lying in a pool of blood, crying her heart out. Mrs. Qiao had died instantly from the violent impact of the car, while Mayor Qiao had been stabbed, injuring his internal organs and losing too much blood. Although he still had a breath left, he was close to death.


    "Captain Guan¡­ from now on¡­ I leave my family to you," Mayor Qiao said weakly, gasping as he looked at Captain Guan standing beside him.


    Captain Guan slapped himself hard, filled with deep regret. "I''m so sorry. If I had come sooner, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. It¡¯s all my fault."


    Mayor Qiao shook his head, looking at Rulu not far away with exhausted eyes. He struggled to say, "Rulu¡­"


    "I''m here." Rulu hurried over and squatted down beside Mayor Qiao, his brow furrowed and his expression dark with worry.


    Mayor Qiao trembled as he reached out and grabbed Rulu''s foot. "Rulu, even though you''re not my blood, I¡¯ve always treated you like my son. I even sent you to the best school. Shouldn''t you repay me?"


    Rulu nodded slowly, his expression solemn. "I will never forget Uncle Qiao''s kindness."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Mayor Qiao continued, "Now, I only have Nana left as my daughter. If you want to repay me, you must always be with her, protect her, and not let her be bullied¡­"


    "Rest assured, Nana is also my family," Rulu said firmly, gripping Mayor Qiao''s hand tightly. "I will ensure her happiness and protect her from any harm."


    "That''s great¡­ then I can rest easy¡­" A smile appeared on Mayor Qiao''s face as he slowly closed his eyes. Not long after, he breathed his last breath and never woke up again.


    "Damn it, that governor is so despicable! I want to kill him and avenge Mayor Qiao!" A thin man named A-Bing raised his gun and shouted angrily.


    His words were echoed by others:


    "Mayor Qiao has always treated us well and secretly supported us. Without him, we wouldn¡¯t be here today. This cannot go unpunished; we must avenge Mayor Qiao."


    "Let¡¯s go to the governor''s mansion and fight them!"


    Voices of outrage filled the air, and while the others were consumed by anger, Captain Guan remained calm. He raised his hands and said loudly, "Everyone, please calm down. I understand your feelings, but what we need to do now is not to seek revenge for Mayor Qiao, but to leave here."


    "How can we do that? Doesn¡¯t that mean Mayor Qiao died for nothing?" someone questioned.


    "Captain Guan is right; we need to leave here as soon as possible," Rulu interjected. "Because that governor is likely to return, and he will bring the Sanctuary''s army with him."


    Hearing Rulu''s words, A-Bing grew displeased. "You just know how to run away. What a shame for someone raised by Mayor Qiao. They died, and you didn¡¯t shed a single tear. Mayor Qiao wasted his efforts raising you."


    Rulu snorted coldly and glanced at A-Bing. "I will settle the score with that bastard governor eventually, but staying here now won¡¯t allow us to take revenge; it will only lead to our deaths. Do you really think you can fight against the Sanctuary''s army with just your group?"


    A-Bing was taken aback. Although he felt Rulu had a point, he was embarrassed to be scolded by this young boy and persisted in his stance.


    "Kid, speak to me respectfully. We rebels may not be heroes, but we are not cowards either. If the Sanctuary''s army comes, we will fight them to the death. Even if we die, we will take a hundred or eighty of them with us!"


    "That¡¯s foolish," Rulu said disdainfully. "No wonder you¡¯ll never win against the Sanctuary; you¡¯ll always be oppressed by them."


    "What did you say?!" A-Bing was enraged by Rulu''s words. He rushed over and grabbed Rulu by the collar, raising his fist as if he wanted to hit him.


    "Stop it, A-Bing!" Captain Guan shouted sternly. A-Bing glanced at Captain Guan and then reluctantly lowered his fist, stepping aside.


    "Sorry, Rulu. A-Bing¡¯s personality is like that, but he means well. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart," Captain Guan said as he walked over and patted Rulu on the shoulder, his face filled with apology.


    Rulu waved his hand. "It¡¯s fine; I was a bit harsh too. I should apologize as well."


    Captain Guan nodded, thinking that although Rulu was young, his maturity and calmness surpassed that of most people. He surveyed the crowd and said, "Alright, we should leave. Although we couldn''t save Mayor Qiao, we can still save his family, which is a way to repay him for all the help he has given us over the years."

 Chapter 8: The Battle That Is Not Yet Over

    "Brother Guan is right; we can''t make unnecessary sacrifices. Even if we want revenge, we must wait for the right opportunity," the young woman with long hair chimed in to support Captain Guan.


    "Alright then, let''s follow Captain Guan''s lead."


    "Yes, this is Sanctuary territory. Fighting here would put us at a disadvantage; we should retreat for now."


    Once the others calmed down, they no longer insisted on staying. They loaded the bodies of Mayor Qiao and his wife into the vehicle, and the three armored vehicles formed a line and sped away into the night.


    "Rulu, Nana, what are your plans for the future?" Captain Guan asked gently as he sat in the same vehicle with Rulu and Nana. He turned to look at the two in the back seat.


    "I... I don''t know what to do next..." Nana lowered her head, looking very dejected. She tightly grasped Rulu''s hand, clearly still struggling to cope with the loss of her parents.


    Rulu, however, appeared calm. He said, "That governor will definitely do everything he can to capture Nana and me. I think we should leave the concession area together and find a place to hide."


    "That is indeed the best plan," Captain Guan nodded. "Don''t worry; while the area outside the concession is a bit poor and chaotic, I still have some influence there. I will take good care of you and Nana in honor of Mayor Qiao."


    "Thank you," Rulu replied. At this moment, he recalled something and asked Captain Guan, "By the way, Captain Guan, the main roads in and out of the concession area are heavily guarded by the Sanctuary''s army. Normally, it''s impossible to enter or exit. How did you manage to get in from outside, and how will we leave the concession area?"


    Captain Guan paused for a moment, chuckling softly. "You don''t need to worry about that, Rulu. Since we were able to come in, we naturally have a way to leave. In any case, I will ensure you and Nana leave the concession area safely."


    Seeing that Captain Guan didn''t want to answer his question, Rulu decided not to press further. Suddenly, he had a thought and muttered to himself, "If I''m not mistaken, you must have entered the concession area through underground tunnels, right?"


    "How did you know that?" Captain Guan asked, surprised.


    Rulu explained, "During the total war, in order to resist the Sanctuary''s attacks, Huaxia Nation built a large number of underground tunnels in Blue Sea City. These tunnels connect throughout the city. If we want to leave the concession area without attracting the attention of the Sanctuary''s army, the only way is to go through the underground tunnels."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Captain Guan secretly admired Rulu''s cleverness. "You¡¯re right; we are heading to the nearest underground tunnel entrance."


    "But those tunnels were all sealed off by the Sanctuary long ago. We need a pass to navigate through them," Rulu added.


    "Don''t worry about that. We obtained a pass with Mayor Qiao''s help a long time ago. By the way, Rulu, I want to ask you a question, if that''s alright."


    "What question, Captain Guan? Go ahead."


    "During the fight with that governor, I noticed you seemed to have a very special ability. You jumped so high, almost like you could fly. And those people who were frozen were quite strange too. So I want to ask, are you¡­?"


    Captain Guan paused, carefully scrutinizing Rulu''s face, observing his expressions. Rulu guessed what Captain Guan wanted to say and answered directly, "You''re right; I am an Ultra-capable."


    "So it is true," Captain Guan said, enlightened. "Ultra-capables are quite rare here; they can be considered treasures. The Sanctuary is currently trying to recruit Ultra-capables. Rulu, you are so young and talented; why don¡¯t you join the Sanctuary?"


    Rulu sensed that Captain Guan had an underlying intention in his words and didn¡¯t respond directly. Instead, he countered, "Captain Guan, do you suspect that I am with the Sanctuary?"


    Realizing that Rulu had seen through his thoughts, Captain Guan awkwardly smiled and said, "No, I¡¯m just a bit curious."


    Rulu''s expression turned serious. He spoke in a deep voice, "I know your rebel group has been fighting against the Sanctuary. It is understandable that you would suspect my identity for your safety. However, I am definitely not with the Sanctuary. I have a deep-seated hatred for them. You may choose not to believe me, but I will prove my words through my actions."


    "Rulu, don¡¯t say that. You are Mayor Qiao''s family; how could I not believe you?" Captain Guan felt a bit guilty seeing Rulu so serious and decided not to pursue the topic further. He turned to the long-haired woman sitting in the front passenger seat and asked, "Fox, how much longer until we reach our destination?"


    The woman, wearing headphones, glanced at her watch and then at the vehicle''s map. In a calm tone, she replied, "We should arrive in about ten minutes, but¡­"


    "What do you mean, but?" Captain Guan asked.


    Fox did not answer immediately. She fiddled with the vehicle''s equipment, carefully listening to the sounds in her headphones. After about half a minute, she spoke again, "According to the intelligence we have gathered, several teams from the Sanctuary''s army are currently heading our way and may encounter us before we reach our destination."


    Captain Guan frowned. "Is there a way to avoid them?"


    Fox shook her head. "They know our location; it should be impossible."


    "It seems we can''t escape," Captain Guan sighed heavily. He took out a square communicator and held it to his mouth, speaking loudly: "Attention everyone, the Sanctuary''s army is approaching us and may appear within a few minutes. Everyone prepare yourselves and get ready to fight."


    As soon as he finished speaking, there was silence inside the three armored vehicles. After a few seconds, the people inside suddenly showed expressions of excitement and joy, shouting loudly:


    "Let them come!"


    "Let them taste our power; we¡¯ll wipe them out!"


    "This time we¡¯re ready for a fight; the rebel army is not that easy to deal with!"


    As they shouted, they pulled out machine guns, grenades, and other weapons, nervously scanning the surroundings through the vehicle windows, ready for battle.

 Chapter 9: The Sanctuarys Special Forces

    A strange rumbling sound echoed from the distance behind them. At that moment, someone in the last armored vehicle shouted, "It''s the Sanctuary''s army! The Sanctuary''s army is chasing us from behind!"


    "Are they here?" Captain Guan was startled and quickly leaned out of the window to look back. Indeed, he saw four black police patrol cars emerging from the road behind, rapidly pursuing the convoy.


    "Change formation and initiate an attack!" Captain Guan decisively commanded. The three armored vehicles, which were originally in a single file, quickly reformed into a line. The gunners on the armored vehicles leaned out of the hatches and began to fire their machine guns wildly at the four police cars chasing them from behind.


    With a series of "rat-a-tat-tat" sounds, one police car was hit and started to smoke. With a loud "boom," it exploded and burst into flames. These police patrol cars were not equipped with long-range offensive weapons and could not deal with the rebel armored vehicles. They slowed down and gradually distanced themselves from the rebel convoy.


    "Hahaha, these guys have nothing to fear," A Bing, who was next to Captain Guan, laughed heartily. He had just destroyed a police car with the machine gun and was feeling quite proud.


    "Attention, rebels ahead! Surrender immediately or face annihilation!" Suddenly, a voice that sounded like it was coming from a loudspeaker echoed from behind the rebel convoy. The three police cars moved to the side of the road, and three purple metallic humanoid figures appeared in the distance, rapidly closing in on the rebel convoy.


    "This is bad! It''s the humanoid armored soldiers from the Sanctuary!" Captain Guan''s face changed, and the expressions of the others clearly showed panic.


    The humanoid figures were over two meters tall. Although they had a human shape, their bodies were entirely covered in purple metal, resembling humans clad in heavy, fully enclosed metal armor. Beneath these armored figures were special devices that looked like wheels, spinning at high speed, providing propulsion and allowing the humanoid armored soldiers to move quickly along the city streets, closely pursuing the rebel vehicles.


    "Attack! Focus all firepower on those armored soldiers!" Captain Guan quickly ordered.


    The rebels seemed to be very afraid of these humanoid armored soldiers; almost everyone drew their weapons, aiming guns out of the windows and throwing grenades at the three purple humanoid armored soldiers.


    "Clang! Clang!" The crisp sounds rang out as bullets hit the armored soldiers, causing sparks to fly. Several grenades exploded violently around the armored soldiers, but their tough exterior was impervious to the bullets. After a round of machine-gun fire and grenade blasts, the three humanoid armored soldiers remained unscathed, still closely following the rebel convoy. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Damn it! These things are too tough to break!" A Bing said in frustration, completely losing his earlier pride.


    Captain Guan furrowed his brow and muttered to himself, "This won''t do. The shells of these armored soldiers are made from super alloys; bullets simply can''t penetrate. Moreover, the pilots of the armored soldiers are Refining body Ultra-capables. They are incredibly strong and can enhance their bodies, making their bones as hard as iron, able to withstand tremendous impacts and vibrations. Even just three of them are extremely difficult to deal with."


    "I refuse to believe we can''t take them down," A Bing said fiercely, pulling out a rocket launcher, hoisting it onto his shoulder, and aiming at the three humanoid armored soldiers. He fired the rocket, and with a "boom," it exploded on the ground less than ten meters from the armored soldiers, sending them flying several meters away, crashing heavily to the ground.


    "Ha! What armored soldiers? I knocked them down!" A Bing''s face broke into a proud smile again, but it lasted less than a few seconds before it vanished. The three armored soldiers, having fallen, quickly got back up and resumed their pursuit along the city streets.


    "Captain, what do we do now?" A Bing could no longer smile; he pulled back into the vehicle and nervously asked Captain Guan.


    Captain Guan pondered and said, "The humanoid armored soldiers are the most advanced and powerful strategic weapons of the Sanctuary. They can take on a hundred opponents and rarely face defeat. We might not be able to handle them. Their speed doesn¡¯t seem very fast; if it comes down to speed, we should be a bit faster..."


    As he spoke, Captain Guan took out a communicator and shouted, "Everyone, cease fire and move at full speed to shake them off!"


    Following Captain Guan''s command, the three armored vehicles reformed into a line, with Captain Guan''s vehicle in the middle. They all revved their engines and sped forward.


    Suddenly, there was a series of "bang! bang!" sounds as six grappling hooks shot out from the chests of the three humanoid armored soldiers, four of which latched onto the rear armored vehicle, securing tightly.


    The grappling hooks automatically retracted, pulling the armored vehicle backward. The two armored soldiers significantly increased their speed, darting towards the vehicle that had been hooked, while the hooked armored vehicle''s speed drastically decreased, its wheels spinning as if stuck in a quagmire.


    "This is bad! They''re in danger!" Captain Guan realized the situation was dire and quickly ordered an attack on the two armored soldiers. A barrage of bullets rained down on them, but just like before, the bullets were deflected and failed to penetrate the armored soldiers'' exterior.


    Using the force of the retracting steel cables, the two armored soldiers quickly caught up to the last vehicle. One of them grabbed the armored vehicle''s body with one hand, while raising the other arm high.


    A flash of white light appeared as two long, flat silver short swords emerged from the ends of the armored soldiers'' arms. Each sword was about half a meter long, with no physical substance, completely composed of blue and white light.


    With a swish, the two armored soldiers swung their silver short swords, stabbing them into the armored vehicle''s body. The armored vehicle''s shell seemed to be made of wood, easily pierced by the silver short swords. The swords slid quickly over the vehicle''s body, creating dazzling sparks, and the armored vehicle was sliced open as if it were tofu. The roof was ripped off, leaving all the occupants exposed to the outside.

 Chapter 10: The Red Mechanical Shadow

    "Stop the car, we have to save them," Captain Guan shouted anxiously as he saw the urgent situation behind the vehicle. The two armored vehicles in front immediately screeched to a halt. "Captain Guan, we can''t stop; we can''t save them!" Rulu said urgently. Captain Guan glanced at Rulu, his eyes showing hesitation.


    At that moment, the two armored soldiers jumped into the vehicle and swung their short swords towards the rebel members inside. The light swords were incredibly sharp, and once they struck a rebel, the body was instantly severed, either dead or maimed, creating an exceptionally bloody and brutal scene. The rebels appeared as weak as ants before these two armored soldiers, unable to fight back at all. In less than ten seconds, over half of the people in the vehicle had been killed or injured, and the remaining ones screamed in terror, abandoning the vehicle and fleeing for their lives.


    The three armored soldiers continued their cruel slaughter of the fleeing rebels, while Captain Guan and the others could only sit in the vehicle, watching helplessly as they were killed. They dared not shoot back, fearing they might hit their own people, and these armored soldiers were impervious to bullets; shooting would be futile. "Hurry up, if we don''t leave now, it will be too late!" Rulu shouted again. Captain Guan, as if awakening from a dream, quickly shouted, "Drive, get out of here!"


    The two armored vehicles resumed their advance along the road, while the three armored soldiers eliminated all the rebels and chased after the armored vehicles again. "Bang! Bang!" A series of clear sounds rang out as six barbed steel cables shot out from the chest armor of the three humanoid armored soldiers. Two of the hooks struck Captain Guan''s vehicle, firmly latching onto it.


    "Oh no..." Captain Guan''s face turned ashen, his mind blank, unable to think of any way to counter the armored soldiers'' attack. The hooks quickly retracted, pulling the armored vehicle backward, while one of the armored soldiers rapidly lunged forward, taking advantage of the retracting force.


    "I''m going to fight you!" A-Bing shouted frantically, leaning out of the sunroof and firing his machine gun at the armored soldiers. The bullets hit the armor but bounced off harmlessly, and one bullet ricocheted back, hitting A-Bing''s left arm. A-Bing let out a cry of pain, collapsing onto the sunroof. Captain Guan hurriedly pulled him back inside and tightly shut the sunroof.


    "This is really the end..." Rulu sighed, shaking his head, tightly gripping Nana''s hand. He thought to himself that with his own strength, it would be difficult to contend with the armored soldiers from the Sanctuary. If things reached the worst point, he would have to abandon everyone else and escape with Nana, though whether they could escape was still uncertain.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    As the armored soldiers approached the vehicle, they swung their silver short swords, slicing into the armored vehicle''s body, sparks flying. In no time, the vehicle was cut open, the roof forcibly removed, exposing everyone inside to the open air.


    "I don''t want to die! I haven''t even married my wife!" A-Bing looked despairingly at the armored soldiers, letting out a wailing cry. However, the armored soldiers ignored his anguished cries and raised their light swords, preparing to strike down at the people inside the vehicle.


    "Get away from them!" A clear female voice rang out from the front of the road. A red figure flashed as a humanoid object over two meters tall darted out at incredible speed, colliding with the armored soldier about to attack the vehicle and sending it flying four to five meters away, crashing heavily to the ground.


    The people inside the vehicle were stunned, turning to look at the red humanoid object. They saw that it was a figure covered in red metal armor, equipped with special rollers on its feet for swift movement on the road. Clearly, this was a red humanoid armored soldier, although its color and shape differed slightly from that of the Sanctuary''s armored soldiers.


    "Great, our savior has arrived! We''re saved!" "I thought we were dead!" The rebels cheered upon seeing the red armored soldier, and Captain Guan also breathed a sigh of relief. He shouted loudly to the red armored soldier, "Is that Kallen?"


    The red armored soldier turned to face Captain Guan, and a bright young woman''s voice came from her facial armor: "Yes, I received your distress signal and rushed over immediately, luckily I made it in time."


    "What do you mean ''just in time''? If you had come sooner, our people wouldn''t have had to die!" A-Bing shouted, tears in his eyes, covering his injured left arm.


    "What?" The red armored soldier paused, then realized something, looking around and asking, "Why is one vehicle missing? Where are the people from that vehicle?"


    "They''re all dead, killed by the people from the Sanctuary," Captain Guan said dejectedly, pointing to the three purple armored soldiers not far away. These three purple armored soldiers seemed a bit surprised by the appearance of the red armored soldier and temporarily stopped, not taking further action.


    "I see, it seems I still came too late," the red armored soldier said with a tone of disappointment. She clenched her fists and said in a low voice, "You all get back; let me deal with these Sanctuary bastards."


    Captain Guan nodded, instructing the armored vehicle driver to steer clear of the Sanctuary armored soldiers, while asking the red armored soldier, "Kallen, can you defeat them?"


    "I''m here for that!" Kallen, the red armored soldier, said in a deep, angry voice. The rollers beneath her feet spun rapidly, and with a whoosh, she charged straight towards the three purple armored soldiers.

 Chapter 11: The Battle of Mechas

    The purple armored soldiers noticed Kallen approaching and all advanced toward her. One armored soldier swung its right arm, wielding a silver short sword, directly aiming to slash at Kallen. "Too slow," Kallen coldly snorted, swiftly extending her left arm to block the purple armored soldier''s right arm, preventing the short sword from descending to harm her. Then, she extended her right arm to grab the purple armored soldier''s wrist, and with her shoulder, she charged violently into the soldier''s chest.


    With a dull thud, the purple armored soldier was knocked into the air by Kallen''s charge. Kallen grasped the purple soldier''s wrist and forcefully threw it away, sending the soldier flying four to five meters before crashing heavily to the ground, unable to get up for a while.


    Next, the attacks from the other two purple armored soldiers came in. They swung their short swords toward Kallen''s waist, but she pushed off the ground, leaping over a meter into the air to evade the sword strikes. She quickly kicked out both feet, striking the heads of the two purple armored soldiers. With a loud crash, both soldiers fell backward and hit the ground hard.


    Seeing this scene from a distance, Rulu couldn''t help but exclaim, "I didn''t expect there to be Ultra-capables among the rebels. Look at her skills; she seems quite powerful!"


    Captain Guan, hearing Rulu''s words, explained, "Kallen''s father was a member of the Sanctuary, and her mother is from Huaxia. Due to her father''s genetics, she was born with Psionic power. However, a long time ago, her father abandoned her and her mother for his own future, which is why Kallen joined our rebellion."


    Rulu frowned and indignantly said, "These Sanctuary people are truly scum. If they don''t love their children, why bring them into the world? They''re nothing but beasts!"


    Captain Guan looked at Rulu in surprise, wondering if Rulu had similar experiences; otherwise, why would he harbor such hatred for the Sanctuary? He continued, "Kallen is a Level 4 Refining body Ultra-capable. Although she is about the same age as you, Rulu, she has received extensive combat training since childhood and is very strong. Even the Sanctuary members find it hard to defeat her."


    Rulu nodded in agreement, "That''s true; Level 4 Ultra-capables are quite rare even within the Sanctuary. Maybe she really can defeat these people." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Prepare yourselves. You killed my comrades, and I will show you no mercy," Kallen said coldly, looking at the three purple armored soldiers struggling to get up from the ground.


    She extended her right hand, and with a click, a metallic claw about thirty to forty centimeters long, resembling five-fingered steel claws, popped out from the armor on her right arm. This claw was connected to Kallen''s wrist and was closely integrated with her palm.


    When Kallen clenched her right hand, the five-fingered claw also closed in. When she opened her palm, the claw opened as well, appearing to be directly controlled by her hand, and in the center of the claw''s palm was a red circle.


    "Use the cables to trap her!" one of the purple armored soldiers shouted. Suddenly, six grappling hooks shot out from the chest of the three armored soldiers, speeding toward Kallen. Caught off guard, Kallen was struck by the three hooks, which wrapped around her legs and waist.


    "Pull her away," the purple armored soldier who spoke earlier commanded again. Two of the purple armored soldiers grabbed the cables and quickly moved in the same direction, dragging Kallen down to the ground, making it difficult for her to stand up as she was pulled along.


    "Take advantage of this moment and finish her off!" the purple armored soldier continued to issue orders. The third purple armored soldier quickly caught up to Kallen, who was sliding on the ground, raised its right arm, and swung the silver short sword down at Kallen''s chest.


    With a clang, sparks flew as the sword struck Kallen''s chest armor, creating a three-centimeter deep gash. The purple armored soldier leaned down, pressing its left hand on Kallen''s shoulder while aiming the right hand''s silver short sword at the gash in her chest, preparing to stab.


    "Don''t go too far!" At that moment, Kallen suddenly stretched out her left hand, grabbing the wrist of the purple armored soldier''s right hand, preventing the soldier from stabbing her. Her right hand''s five-fingered claw rapidly extended, gripping the heart area of the purple armored soldier''s left chest.


    "Goodbye, Sanctuary bastard¡ª" Kallen said coldly. The red circle on her right hand''s claw emitted a dazzling red light, and a sphere bursting with red electricity appeared in the palm of her claw.


    Kallen pushed the red sphere against the purple armored soldier''s left chest area, and it penetrated through the armor, causing the soldier''s left chest to glow red and light up. Suddenly, the purple armored soldier''s entire body began to shake violently while a painful scream escaped from its mouth.


    With a loud bang, the armored soldier collapsed to the ground, motionless. The armor at the spot where the red sphere struck was indented as if it had melted, continuously emitting white smoke and radiating heat.

 Chapter 12: A Brief Peace

    After Kallen eliminated one purple armored soldier, she turned her attention to the other two soldiers. With a bang, two grappling hooks shot out from the armor on her chest, striking one purple armored soldier and wrapping around its right arm and shoulder. The hooks quickly retracted, pulling Kallen closer to the armored soldier.


    "Not good." The armored soldier sensed something was wrong and hurriedly swung its short sword toward Kallen. Kallen leaped up, evading the sword attack, and kicked the armored soldier in the chest, knocking it to the ground. She pinned the soldier''s right wrist down with her left hand, preventing it from using the short sword, while her right hand''s claw gripped tightly onto the left side of the soldier''s chest.


    "Please, spare me," came a fearful voice from the faceplate of the purple armored soldier. Having witnessed the death of its comrade at Kallen''s hands, the soldier knew it was no match for her and could only plead for mercy.


    "Say that to my comrades who were killed!" Kallen remained unmoved. The claw on her right hand emitted a dazzling red light, and a red sphere bursting with electricity slowly penetrated the purple armored soldier''s heart area.


    The purple armored soldier let out a desperate scream, its body shaking violently. About ten seconds later, it stopped struggling and fell to the ground, motionless.


    "Oh no..." The last purple armored soldier, seeing its comrades being killed one after another, realized it was no match for Kallen. It abandoned its comrades and fled into the distance. When Kallen saw that the soldier had escaped far away, she gave up the chase and returned to Captain Guan''s side.


    "Well done, Kallen! You really helped me get some revenge; that felt great, haha! Ouch, that hurts..." A-Bing shouted joyfully, wanting to raise his hands in celebration but grimacing in pain due to his injured left arm.


    "Ugh, it''s suffocating," Kallen complained, grabbing her helmet and removing it. As she shook out her hair and took deep breaths of fresh air, a sun-kissed young girl''s face appeared beneath the helmet. She had clear, bright, and determined eyes, with red hair that fell to her neck.


    Captain Guan said, "Kallen, these two are Rulu and Nana; they are family members of Mayor Qiao. Unfortunately, we couldn''t save Mayor Qiao... he and his wife have tragically perished." Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "I see..." Kallen''s expression darkened as she felt sad for the mayor and his wife''s fate. She turned her face to carefully examine Rulu and Nana. She seemed to find Rulu quite handsome, as she visibly paused for a moment upon seeing him, her gaze lingering on his face for several seconds without moving away.


    With a whoosh, Rulu leaped out of the vehicle and approached Kallen. Wearing a polite smile, he looked at Kallen and said, "Hello, I''m Rulu. Thank you for saving me and Nana just now."


    "Ah, it''s nothing, just a small matter," Kallen replied nonchalantly, then continued in a serious tone, "I''m sorry about Mayor Qiao. I was nearby gathering intelligence to ensure the safety of the area, so..."


    "It¡¯s not your fault; I really appreciate it," Rulu said, gazing earnestly at Kallen. Under Rulu''s intense and warm gaze, Kallen''s face involuntarily flushed, and she shyly turned her head away, breaking eye contact.


    The moment hung for several seconds until Kallen suddenly thought of something and asked curiously, "Hey, we''re more than four meters away from the vehicle. How did you jump that far in one go?"


    Rulu smiled slightly and replied, "There''s nothing strange about that; you should be able to do it too."


    "Of course! That distance is nothing for me," Kallen said confidently, but then she realized something was off and exclaimed, "Wait a minute! I''m me, and you''re you; there''s no way we can be compared! Quickly tell me, how did you jump that far?"


    Seeing Kallen''s seriousness, Rulu couldn''t help but joke, "It''s simple! Just bring your feet together, squat down, push hard downwards, then use the wind to boost yourself upward, and keep your hands flat for balance. That''s all!"


    Kallen paused for a moment, realizing Rulu was teasing her, and said somewhat unhappily, "You think I''m a fool? Even if you didn''t say anything, I know you''re an Ultra-capable."


    "Yes, that''s right; I''m a Level 4 magical Ultra-capable," Rulu replied, maintaining his composure and seriously answering Kallen.


    "Oh, a Level 4 magical Ultra-capable! That''s impressive. By the way, you..." Kallen couldn''t help but feel a surge of respect for Rulu. She wanted to say more, but at that moment, Rulu turned and walked toward the vehicle, saying, "Alright, we need to go. The Sanctuary''s forces will likely come again. The longer we stay here, the more danger we''re in."


    Captain Guan added, "Exactly. We can talk more once we leave the concession area."


    Kallen nodded, readjusted her helmet, and the two armored vehicles along with the red armored soldier began moving down the road. In the following minutes, nothing happened, and the group was approaching the entrance of the underground tunnel at their target location.


    Ahead lay a vast, open area dominated by a large stone structure resembling a small mountain. Atop this building was a dark, semi-circular large opening, and Rulu, Captain Guan, and the others were heading toward this dark opening.

 Chapter 13: The Governors Ambush

    "Hey, it seems like there''s something ahead?" Suddenly, someone spotted something and shouted loudly.


    "Let me take a look." Captain Guan took out his binoculars to look towards the entrance of the tunnel in the distance. His expression changed immediately, and he shouted, "Stop, quickly stop!"


    The two armored vehicles and the red armored soldiers came to a halt. A Bing, confused, asked, "We''re almost there, why stop now?"


    While observing with the binoculars, Captain Guan said with a serious expression, "There are Sanctuary troops ahead. They are guarding the entrance to the underground tunnel and have blocked the way to enter it."


    "No way, how could these guys appear here?" A Bing said in surprise.


    Rulu said, "It seems they must have known we were going to escape through the underground tunnel and have set up here in advance. How many of them are there?"


    Captain Guan replied, "There are probably six vehicles, thirty to forty ordinary soldiers, four humanoid armored soldiers, and one of the armored soldiers is black."


    Rulu pondered, "That many doesn''t sound easy to deal with. Are there other entrances to the underground tunnels nearby?"


    "No, the nearest entrance is at least an hour away. We probably won''t make it."


    A Bing swung his right hand and slammed it against the armored vehicle, shouting, "Damn it, what do we do now? We can''t possibly fight against so many!"


    "It''s okay," Kallen said confidently, "Let me deal with them. There''s nothing to worry about except for those four armored soldiers."


    Captain Guan asked, "Do you need our help?"


    "No need. If they attack you, I still have to take care of you."


    "That''s true. Well then, Kallen, be careful by yourself." Captain Guan said. Although he didn''t want Kallen to take risks alone, he also knew that even if they went together, they wouldn''t be able to help much and would only drag Kallen down.


    Suddenly, a rough male voice came from the direction of the underground tunnel entrance: "You rebel scum have finally arrived, come over and die!"


    Hearing this voice, Captain Guan, Rulu, and the others were startled. They recognized that the voice belonged to the governor who had killed Mayor Qiao earlier.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Rulu''s expression suddenly turned fierce, and with a grim face, he said, "That guy, that bastard is there too?!"


    Captain Guan said, "It should be him. It looks like he wants to personally deal with us."


    The anger on Rulu''s face disappeared, replaced by a sinister smile: "Very good, perfect. I didn''t go looking for him, but he came to me instead. Hahaha..."


    As Rulu laughed, he stood up from the vehicle. Just then, a gentle hand grasped his. He turned to see Nana looking at him with a worried expression.


    "Rulu, what do you want to do? Don''t leave me. I can''t lose you again," Nana said, gazing affectionately at Rulu.


    Rulu was taken aback. He had planned to personally kill the governor to avenge Mayor Qiao and his wife, but now, after Nana''s words, he didn''t know what to do.


    Captain Guan understood Rulu''s thoughts and quickly said, "Leave that governor to Kallen. You don''t need to go over personally."


    Kallen added, "Don''t worry, that guy caused Mayor Qiao''s death. I won''t let him go."


    "Alright then." Rulu wasn''t foolish; he knew it would be difficult to fight against the humanoid armored soldiers of the Sanctuary with his own power, so he abandoned his previous idea and said, "If Kallen can''t deal with him, I''ll step in personally."


    "Don''t worry, you won''t have a chance to step in," Kallen said as she drove the red armored soldier towards the tunnel ahead.


    In a short while, she arrived about thirty meters from the entrance of the underground tunnel. Just as Captain Guan had said, four humanoid armored soldiers and other Sanctuary troops guarded the entrance, blocking the way.


    "Why are you alone? Where are the others? Afraid to come?" The black humanoid armored soldier advanced a few meters towards Kallen, and a rough male voice came from the helmet.


    Kallen recognized this voice as the one that spoke earlier and questioned the black armored soldier, "Are you the governor who killed Mayor Qiao?"


    The black humanoid armored soldier laughed, saying, "That old man not only defied my orders but also colluded with you rebels. He deserves to die."


    "And what about you?" Kallen said angrily, "You forcibly occupy our homeland, compel us to work for you, causing so many of us to become displaced. Isn''t your behavior criminal?"


    The governor scoffed and responded arrogantly, "It is only natural for the strong to dominate the weak. You should feel honored to serve us."


    Hearing this, Kallen laughed instead of getting angry: "So, if I were stronger than you, I could just kill all of you at will?"


    The governor replied, "Do you think you have that capability?"


    At that moment, a purple armored soldier came beside the governor and whispered, "Governor, be careful. Just now, this red mech took out two of our armored soldiers. Her movements are quick, and her weapons are powerful. She''s hard to deal with."


    "Hmph, useless trash, get out of the way and let me show you how to handle her!" The governor scolded harshly. He approached a nearby truck and pulled out a five to six-meter-long brass spear from the cargo area, looking at Kallen and saying:


    "I see you seem to have some skill, so I''ll give you a special opportunity. As long as you surrender to us and capture all the rebel members for me, I will grant you amnesty and allow you to join our Sanctuary. What do you think?"


    "Don''t waste your breath," Kallen said as she readied the steel claws on her right hand. "Do you want to come at me all together, or one at a time?"


    "Unaware of your own mortality, I alone am enough to deal with you." The governor said as he raised the brass spear and charged rapidly towards Kallen.

 Chapter 14: The Power of a Level Four Ultra-capable

    "Let''s test his strength first." Kallen observed the governor approaching and quickly moved into an open area that resembled a square. The governor followed closely behind, relentlessly attacking Kallen with his spear.


    However, Kallen''s movements were exceptionally agile. As soon as the governor closed in, she abruptly stopped and changed direction, quickly creating distance. The governor launched several rounds of attacks but couldn''t even touch Kallen.


    "It seems this guy''s strength is about the same as the other armored soldiers; I should be able to handle him." After a round of probing, Kallen gained a preliminary understanding of the governor''s abilities. She stopped fleeing and made a sudden turn to charge toward the governor.


    The governor thrust his spear at Kallen, but she did not evade. Instead, she extended her right-hand steel claws, and with a "crack," she firmly grasped the shaft of the spear, preventing it from piercing her.


    "First, I''ll destroy his weapon." Kallen thought to herself, as red light burst from the center of her steel claws.


    At that moment, a sharp hissing sound erupted. Intense electrical sparks shot out from the shaft of the spear, and Kallen, encased in red armor, felt a powerful electric shock.


    "This spear has electricity!?" Kallen jolted, quickly releasing her claws and retreating to distance herself from the governor.


    "Heh heh, trying to escape? Not so easy!" The governor laughed coldly as four grappling hooks shot out from his chest armor towards Kallen. The hooks struck her directly, ensnaring her body tightly. As the hooks quickly retracted, the governor swiftly closed in on Kallen, thrusting the spear into her chest.


    The spear''s tip erupted with dazzling blue-white electric light, and a powerful current surged through the spear, striking Kallen''s chest with a sharp hissing sound.


    Under the assault of the powerful current, Kallen''s limbs became stiff, and her body was paralyzed. She wanted to escape from the governor, but with her body entangled by the grappling hooks, she couldn''t break free and could only endure the relentless electric shocks. Gradually, her consciousness began to blur, her hands and head drooping weakly. With a "thud," Kallen collapsed to the ground, motionless.


    "Hmph, no one has ever escaped after falling for my trick," the governor said confidently, still pressing the spear against Kallen, using electric shocks to attack her. Kallen seemed to have lost consciousness, lying on the ground as the governor continued to shock her for nearly a minute.


    "That should be enough. Even a cow would die after being electrocuted for this long." The governor thought to himself as he removed the spear from Kallen. He didn''t bother to look at her lying on the ground but turned to the front of the army, smugly declaring, "Heh heh, these rebel scum are utterly weak. Taking care of them is a piece of cake."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Upon hearing the governor''s words, the crowd immediately chimed in:


    "The governor personally taking action is impressive; he subdued this one with just a few moves."


    "This red armored soldier has some skills, but compared to the governor, she''s still far behind."


    "Of course! I''ve followed the governor for so many years and have never seen anyone defeat him."


    Standing there, the governor basked in the praise of the crowd. Once they finished, he addressed the three purple armored soldiers, saying, "Alright, you three go capture the others. Kill anyone who dares to resist, and remember, not a single one can escape."


    "Yes," the three purple humanoid armored soldiers replied in unison and moved forward. However, just then, a young woman''s voice rang out, "Where do you think you''re going?!"


    "What?!" The governor was taken aback and quickly turned to look in the direction of the voice. The three armored soldiers also stopped, seeing Kallen, who had just been knocked down, slowly rising from the ground.


    The governor couldn''t hide his astonishment, staring at Kallen in shock, "Impossible! After taking such a strong attack, you shouldn''t even be able to stand again. How can you still move?!"


    Kallen snorted coldly, "Sorry, I''ve endured much worse injuries countless times. If you think this level of attack can take me down, you''re too naive."


    Suddenly, the governor realized something and said, "Could it be... are you a Level Four Refining Body Ultra-capable? It''s said that Level Four Refining Body Ultra-capables possess extremely strong physical recovery abilities, able to repair bodily injuries in a very short time. Even if they suffer fatal damage, as long as they don¡¯t die on the spot, they can recover quickly."


    "You¡¯re right. I won¡¯t die before taking you down." Kallen said as her roller skates spun rapidly, propelling her toward the governor.


    The governor quickly thrust his spear toward Kallen. Having learned from her previous mistake, Kallen knew not to come into direct contact with the spear. She leaped high into the air, dodging the spear''s attack, and delivered a powerful kick to the governor¡¯s head. With a "bang," the governor was sent flying several meters away, crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud.


    "Get her trapped!" The governor quickly scrambled to his feet and shouted. Realizing he couldn''t handle Kallen alone, he planned to launch a group attack against her.


    With several loud "bangs," the other three purple armored soldiers fired grappling hooks at Kallen. The hooks struck her, ensnaring her legs and body, while the three purple armored soldiers pulled the cables taut, making it difficult for Kallen to move.


    "Let''s see how you dodge now!" The governor thrust his spear toward Kallen again. With her movements restricted by the cables, Kallen found it hard to evade and could only use her claws to grab at the spear. With a "crack," her steel claws firmly grasped the shaft of the spear.


    "You fool, using that trick again." The governor thought with delight and immediately activated the spear¡¯s high-voltage discharge function. However, at that moment, Kallen extended her left hand and grabbed the governor''s head, while the spear also released a powerful electrical current.


    A sharp hissing sound erupted as dazzling sparks flew from both Kallen and the governor. The powerful current struck Kallen and then surged through Kallen''s left hand to hit the governor''s head, causing both to suffer from the intense electric shock simultaneously.


    The powerful current coursed through their bodies, injuring them. Kallen and the governor both became stiff and unable to move. After about twenty seconds, they both collapsed stiffly to the ground, landing heavily, while the spear slipped from the governor''s hand, clanging as it fell.

 Chapter 15: The Tenacious Kallen

    A few seconds after collapsing, Kallen got back on her feet, while the governor seemed to have fallen into a coma, still lying motionless on the ground.


    Kallen extended her right-hand steel claws towards the governor, but the other three purple armored soldiers, seeing the governor in danger, quickly pulled the grappling hooks to drag Kallen away from him, keeping her far enough to prevent her from attacking.


    "These guys are really getting in the way," Kallen turned to face one of the purple armored soldiers, firing a grappling hook that struck him. The hook retracted, bringing Kallen closer to the armored soldier. With her right-hand steel claws, she directly grabbed the soldier''s neck.


    "If you continue to oppose me, you''ll end up like him," Kallen said threateningly, releasing a red sphere from the palm of her steel claw, which seeped into the purple armored soldier''s neck. The soldier let out a painful wail as his neck began to melt, emitting white smoke, and he died on the spot.


    Seeing Kallen''s formidable power, the remaining two purple armored soldiers felt fear and involuntarily took a few steps back. One of them shouted, "Don''t panic! She''s only one person. Open fire, attack her with everything you''ve got!"


    Following this command, the other thirty to forty Sanctuary soldiers raised their guns and began shooting at Kallen, with bullets ricocheting off her armor with a "ding-ding" sound.


    At the same time, two armored vehicles equipped with rocket launchers locked onto Kallen. With a "whoosh," the rockets were launched, exploding around Kallen in a series of powerful blasts that sent her flying and tumbling to the ground.


    This intense saturation attack lasted for several minutes before stopping. The scene was a mess, with dust and smoke everywhere, and several large craters in the ground. After a while, the smoke slowly dissipated, and a red humanoid figure slowly stood up.


    "It''s... not over yet. Where''s that bastard governor? Show yourself!" Kallen''s voice, tinged with fatigue and anger, echoed as she scanned her surroundings for the governor.


    "She... she can still stand?"


    "She''s unharmed after all that? Is she a monster?!"Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Sanctuary soldiers were astonished to see Kallen rise again. Despite the intense artillery fire, many parts of her armor had deformed and been damaged, and even the super-hard alloy had been compromised. Yet, the pilot inside remained unharmed, an unbelievable occurrence.


    Meanwhile, the governor had been rescued by two purple armored soldiers, who vigorously slapped his head to try and wake the still-unconscious governor.


    "What''s going on...?" The governor shook his head, his voice unclear as he regained consciousness. He felt an excruciating headache, his mind in chaos, making it difficult for him to stand.


    At the same time, Kallen spotted the governor and began moving towards him.


    "Quick, you two, stop her!" The governor, seeing Kallen approach, hastily ordered the purple armored soldiers beside him.


    The two purple armored soldiers glanced at each other, seemingly afraid of Kallen, and remained motionless.


    "Get over there right now, or I''ll kill you! Go!" The governor roared, giving the two purple armored soldiers a hard shove, forcing them to reluctantly move towards Kallen.


    "Don''t get in my way; anyone who stands against me dies!" Kallen bellowed, suddenly accelerating towards the two purple armored soldiers.


    "No, don''t come near me," one of the purple armored soldiers, apparently frightened by Kallen, turned and fled.


    "Don''t run, you fool!" The other purple armored soldier, seeing his companion flee, couldn''t help but curse at the fleeing soldier. At that moment, a red figure charged over, knocking the purple armored soldier to the ground. A steel claw grabbed his head, and the next second, a red glow appeared on his head, and the purple armored soldier let out a despairing scream.


    "Alright... it''s just you now," Kallen muttered, looking at the governor. Two of the three purple armored soldiers had been killed by her, and the other had fled, leaving only the governor''s black armored soldier.


    "You... don''t be too arrogant. If you leave now, I... I might consider letting you live," the governor stammered, knowing he was no match for Kallen and sounding somewhat timid.


    Kallen didn''t respond but charged towards the governor at high speed. The governor mustered his courage, picked up the fallen spear, and thrust it at Kallen with all his might. Kallen extended her right-hand steel claws, firmly grasping the spear, while her left hand grabbed the governor''s neck, preventing him from using electric attacks.


    "This is the end," Kallen''s steel claws glowed red, melting the spear. Just as she was about to continue attacking the governor, she heard a "click," and a black barrel-like object popped out from the governor''s right shoulder, aiming at Kallen.


    "Yes, it''s over," the governor said sinisterly. A flash of light emitted, and hundreds of silver-white laser beams, as thin as needles, shot out from the governor''s shoulder cannon, forming a conical laser rain that enveloped Kallen.


    Some of the silver-white lasers were deflected by Kallen''s armor, while others penetrated the gaps in her armor and the damaged areas, piercing into Kallen''s body.


    Kallen let out a painful cry, her body swaying before collapsing heavily to the ground.

 Chapter 16: The Flame Strike

    "Hehehe, didn''t see this coming, did you? You thought you could kill me? You''re still too inexperienced." The governor laughed triumphantly as he stomped heavily on Kallen''s right arm, grabbing her steel claws and forcibly removing them before tossing them aside. He then aimed the laser cannon mounted on his shoulder at the discarded claws and fired.


    The needle-thin blue-white laser struck the claws, leaving numerous holes in them. With a loud "bang," the claws exploded under the laser''s attack, turning into metal fragments.


    "With that, even if she can still stand, I have nothing to fear," the governor thought to himself. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire echoed from a distance, and a few bullets struck the governor, producing a "ding" sound. He turned to see an intact armored vehicle approaching him, with a gunner firing at him.


    "Are those rebel scum coming? Good, since you¡¯re so eager to die, I¡¯ll send you on your way." The governor paid no heed to the armored vehicle, enduring the gunfire as he sped towards it.


    "The black guy is coming! What do we do now?" someone in the armored vehicle shouted.


    "Don''t panic, let me handle him," Rulu said, leaning out of the hatch. With a wave of his hand, the ground in front of the governor quickly froze. Once the governor stepped onto the ice, he lost his balance and fell hard to the ground, tumbling over.


    "Alright, let''s crash into him!" Captain Guan commanded. The armored vehicle slammed into the fallen governor, knocking him aside, and then came to a stop beside Kallen, who was still on the ground.


    "Kallen, are you okay? Can you stand up?!" Captain Guan quickly got out to check on her.


    Kallen pushed herself up from the ground, trembling as she stood. In a weak voice, she said, "I''m... I''m fine. I can still hold on, but my weapon was destroyed."


    Captain Guan''s expression changed. "This is bad! Without a weapon, how are you going to fight that black armored soldier?"


    Kallen sighed, feeling a bit defeated. "As much as I don''t want to say it, we may have to escape now."


    "What are you saying?!" Rulu, having just gotten out of the vehicle, shouted at Kallen and Captain Guan. "This is the best chance to take down the governor, and you want to run away?!"Stolen story; please report.


    Kallen retorted, "I don''t want to escape, but without a weapon, I can''t damage his armor. There''s no way to win."


    "You can''t, but I can! Have you forgotten that I''m a magic Ultra-capable?" Rulu replied confidently.


    "Don''t get too cocky," Kallen questioned. "Even if you''re a Level Four magic Ultra-capable, you still can''t take him on."


    Rulu said, "I can''t do it alone, but if we all cooperate, we still have a chance. And at this point, do you really think you can escape?"


    "Rulu is right," Captain Guan agreed. "Our escape route has already been blocked by the Sanctuary. The only way out is to defeat their forces, so we have to trust Rulu."


    Hearing Captain Guan''s words, Kallen reluctantly conceded, "Alright, I''ll trust you this once. Rulu, what do you want to do?"


    Rulu replied, "Take out the things we prepared earlier."


    Captain Guan called into the vehicle, "Bring out the supplies."


    Several people emerged from the vehicle, carrying two large cylindrical oil drums and opening the lids.


    With a wave of his hand, Rulu made the gasoline inside the barrels transform into a column of liquid that floated in the air, taking the form of a pale yellow mist.


    "We magic Ultra-capables are not as resilient as those with refining body abilities, so you must protect me while I cast my spell," Rulu instructed.


    Captain Guan nodded and directed the driver to position the armored vehicle between Rulu and the Sanctuary forces, using its body to shield Rulu.


    The governor observed the rebels standing still, neither fleeing nor attacking, and felt puzzled. While he was somewhat wary of the red armored soldier, he thought that since he had destroyed her weapon, he had nothing to fear. He cautiously approached the rebels.


    "Coming over, are you?" Rulu noticed the black armored soldier closing in and waved his hand. The floating mist of gasoline shot towards the governor, transforming into a pale yellow serpent that flew at him.


    With a loud "bang," the serpent ignited mid-flight, becoming a massive tongue of yellow-red flames that lunged at the governor, engulfing his entire body in fire.


    "Playing with fire? Do you think this trick will work on me?" The governor''s relaxed voice came from within the flames. The black armored soldier did not dodge or flee; instead, he braved the flames, pushing through the fiery tongue as he continued to approach the rebels, seemingly unharmed by the flames.


    "Kallen, you need to block him and prevent him from getting close to me, but don''t let him get too far either. Can you do that?" Rulu instructed.


    "If it''s just to hold him off, that shouldn''t be a problem," Kallen replied, charging towards the governor.


    "You''ve come? Then I''ll take you down first!" The governor aimed the cannon on his right shoulder at Kallen and fired a barrage of laser beams.


    "My armor is already pretty damaged; I can''t let those lasers hit me directly," Kallen thought, quickly altering her course to move in a wide arc while maintaining a safe distance from the governor.


    Most of the lasers fired by the governor missed Kallen, as their long-range power was not very strong. The few that struck her armor were mostly deflected, causing little to no damage.

 Chapter 17: The Final Whisper

    "This guy is surprisingly agile. Forget it; I won''t deal with her for now." The governor, feeling unable to contend with Kallen, stopped using laser attacks against her and turned his attention to Rulu beside the armored vehicle, intending to take care of him first.


    "Don''t rush off; come play with me a little longer," Kallen taunted the governor. With a loud "bang," a grappling hook shot out from her chest armor, hitting the governor and wrapping around his feet. Kallen pulled hard on the cable, causing the governor to stumble and fall heavily to the ground.


    "You annoying brat..." The governor was infuriated by Kallen. He struggled to shake off the grappling hook, stood up, and charged at Kallen again. Kallen quickly moved away, dodging his attacks. When the governor saw Kallen escape, he turned to attack Rulu, but Kallen charged at him once more.


    "She wants to deliberately entangle me." The governor realized Kallen''s intention but couldn''t shake her off. He shouted towards the Sanctuary troops, "Attack! Go after the rebels!"


    At his command, dozens of Sanctuary soldiers armed with guns advanced towards the rebel armored vehicle.


    "Don''t let them get close! Open fire!" Captain Guan shouted, and the rebels quickly raised their weapons, shooting at the Sanctuary soldiers. Unlike the armored soldiers, the Sanctuary troops couldn''t withstand bullets and were quickly suppressed by the rebel firepower, preventing them from getting close in a short time.


    "Good, keep it up," Rulu said, continually controlling the gasoline in the barrels to shoot out as fiery tongues towards the governor, burning his body. The governor, entangled by Kallen, couldn''t approach Rulu or escape, enduring the flames for five to six minutes.


    "Alright, that should be enough." With a wave of his hand, the massive fiery tongue instantly dissipated into the air.


    "I... I thought you were going to do something more. Turns out this is all you''ve got," the governor panted, his black armor glowing red and smoking after being burned for several minutes. Although it had strong insulation properties, he still felt quite uncomfortable inside, but for now, his life was not in immediate danger.


    "Hahaha, after being burned for so long, you must feel awful. I''ll make sure you cool off," Rulu said with a hearty laugh. He waved his hand, and a white vortex, swirling with small ice shards and about two meters wide, shot towards the governor, colliding with him.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "What?!" The governor was startled. His overheated body felt an icy chill as the temperature of the white vortex was extremely low. The previously heated black armor began to frost over upon contact with the vortex.


    The hot armor rapidly cooled, and the black armor started to warp dramatically. There were continuous cracking sounds as fissures appeared on the armor, which was made of high-hardness alloy, showing signs of damage due to the impact of the icy vortex.


    "This is bad!" The governor sensed the dire situation and hurriedly tried to flee, but Kallen charged in and delivered a powerful punch to his head.


    The governor fell, his head hitting the ground heavily. Kallen leaped high and stomped down hard on the governor''s head. With a crisp "crack," the governor''s head armor shattered under the relentless impact, exposing the governor''s head completely.


    "Die!" Rulu shouted, and with a flash of red light, the massive fiery tongue reappeared, engulfing the governor whole.


    The governor''s pained screams echoed in the flames. With no armor protecting his head, he was directly subjected to the flames. Struggling to rise from the ground, he tried to escape, but Kallen bound his feet with her grappling hook, preventing him from standing and forcing him to continue enduring the flames'' torment.


    "Please, spare me! I know I was wrong; I''ll leave right now!" The governor cried, horrified, as he looked towards Rulu, letting out a pained wail.


    Rulu remained unmoved, coldly watching the fallen governor while continuing to control the fiery tongue to burn his body.


    As time passed, the governor''s hair turned to ash, and the skin on his ears, nose, and face melted like cream, dripping oily liquid onto the ground. White bones began to show through his facial features. Both the Sanctuary soldiers and the rebels watching felt chills down their spines; it was like a living hell, a true purgatory on earth.


    "Ah~ ah~ you demon! I curse you! You will not die a good death! I will haunt you as a ghost!" The governor, unable to beg for mercy, shouted angrily, cursing Rulu loudly.


    "You... people like you deserve to suffer in the flames and die. Die! This is what you deserve; this is the best retribution for you! Ah hahahaha¡ª" Rulu gritted his teeth, his face twisted in fury as he glared at the governor, shouting. After saying this, he let out a laugh reminiscent of a demon, sending fear through Captain Guan and Kallen.


    "Please, please..." After being burned for five to six minutes, the governor''s voice gradually weakened. His head''s skin, eyes, mouth, and tongue had burned black and rotten, leaving only his teeth and white skull exposed. After a few more minutes, the governor''s white skull drooped, hitting the ground with a thud, and he fell silent.


    "Uncle Qiao, Nana''s mother, may you rest in peace..." Seeing the governor dead, Rulu''s face fell, his expression vacant and sorrowful, as if he had sunk into an endless void.


    "Rulu, you did well. You''re a true man," Captain Guan said, patting Rulu''s back with genuine admiration.


    "Yes, Rulu, you shouldn''t feel sad. You should be happy," Kallen said as she approached Rulu, wanting to comfort him upon seeing his low spirits.


    "Hmph, I''m not sad at all. You should be thanking me; I saved you," Rulu replied, lifting his face, frowning, and pretending to be proud.


    "Alright, alright, I know, thank you. I''ll remember your great kindness," Kallen said in a teasing tone.

 Chapter 18: Shadows in the Cave

    At this moment, Rulu remembered something and asked, "Captain Guan, how is the situation with the Sanctuary army?"


    "The Sanctuary army? It seems they are planning to retreat," Captain Guan said, looking towards the entrance of the underground tunnel. He saw six vehicles and ordinary soldiers from the Sanctuary retreating along the road away from the rebel forces.


    "That''s good; otherwise, my hands would be stained with more blood," Rulu murmured. He had initially wanted to set the Sanctuary army ablaze, but now that they were leaving on their own, he wouldn¡¯t have to continue killing.


    Afterward, Captain Guan used a communicator to contact others. A little while later, another armored vehicle without a roof arrived. Everyone was very happy to hear that the governor was dead and the Sanctuary army was retreating. When they learned that it was Rulu who killed the governor, they were all surprised and looked at Rulu with admiration.


    "Rulu, you truly are my good brother; I did not misjudge you. I am proud of you!" A Bing warmly put his arm around Rulu''s neck and said with a grin.


    "But A Bing, didn¡¯t you just say that this person called Rulu is very self-righteous and annoying? Why have you changed your tune now?" teased a long-haired woman named Fox.


    A Bing''s face stiffened, and he defended himself, "No, I didn''t say that. In fact, I admire people who are both smart and capable, just like Rulu. From now on, we are all on the same side. Rulu, if you have any difficulties, we will definitely help you. Isn¡¯t that right, everyone?"


    "Yes, Rulu is indeed a magical Ultra-capable, truly impressive. With him here, those guys from the Sanctuary are no match for us."


    "Why don¡¯t we have Rulu join our rebel forces? We can fight side by side against the Sanctuary in the future."


    The other rebels also praised Rulu, expressing their closeness to him.


    Faced with everyone''s words, Rulu simply smiled and said, "Thank you all for your kindness. Let''s save these discussions for later. Right now, what we need to do first is to leave the concession area as soon as possible."


    Captain Guan shouted, "Alright, everyone stop talking. Get ready; we are leaving soon."


    Everyone agreed, and then the two armored vehicles, along with Kallen''s red armored troops, set off together into the dark entrance of the underground tunnel.


    The underground tunnel was quite spacious; even with two large trucks driving side by side, it didn¡¯t feel crowded. The tunnel branched off in many directions, resembling a maze.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Captain Guan was very familiar with the environment in this underground tunnel; he clearly knew which direction each branch went. As they traveled a certain distance in the tunnel, they encountered a steel gate blocking their path.


    At this point, Captain Guan got out of the vehicle and used a special card to swipe an electronic device next to the gate. The gate opened automatically, allowing them to continue forward.


    The two armored vehicles drove with their headlights on, progressing steadily through the underground tunnel.


    Captain Guan said, "Now we can be at ease. There are no Sanctuary troops stationed in this underground tunnel, and the environment here is very complex. Even if the Sanctuary army comes in from outside to chase us, it would be difficult for them to find us. In just over an hour, we will be able to leave the concession area."


    Rulu squeezed Nana''s hand beside him and softly said, "Nana, did you hear? We are safe now; you don¡¯t have to worry or be afraid anymore."


    Nana nodded and softly replied, "No matter what happens, as long as you are by my side, Rulu, I won¡¯t be afraid."


    Rulu felt warmth in his heart, thinking that he was now Nana''s only support. He must not let her down, so he gently said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will always stay by your side and will never leave you."


    Nana softly hummed in agreement, resting her head on Rulu''s shoulder, a smile of reassurance appearing on her face.


    Kallen, who was nearby, was quite surprised to see this. She thought to herself that just a moment ago, Rulu had been so fierce, like a demon, burning the governor alive with flames. Now, he was so gentle; she truly couldn¡¯t understand him.


    The group continued to move through the underground tunnel, and nothing happened during this time. Unbeknownst to them, an hour had passed, and they were very close to the tunnel¡¯s exit. Just then, an unexpected situation occurred as they noticed a faint light coming from the distance in the tunnel ahead.


    "There¡¯s light ahead! It seems something is coming?!" someone shouted, pointing towards the front of the tunnel.


    Both armored vehicles stopped. Captain Guan said with confusion, "What¡¯s going on? This underground tunnel is supposed to be sealed off, and ordinarily, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone here. Could it be the Sanctuary army?"


    A Bing said, "No way! How could the Sanctuary army be here? Even if they were chasing us from outside, they shouldn¡¯t have arrived so quickly!"


    Kallen asked, "Should we continue to advance? Are there any other exits nearby?"


    Captain Guan shook his head and said, "No, this route is the only way out of the concession area; we can¡¯t detour."


    A Bing suggested, "What if we charge straight ahead and take them by surprise before they can react?"


    Captain Guan said, "No, we cannot confirm whether they are enemies yet. Besides, if there are Sanctuary humanoid armored troops ahead, that would be a disaster."


    "What should we do then?"


    "Let¡¯s stay alert for now and figure out the situation first."


    Captain Guan and his group stopped in place, staring intently at the lights ahead. The others tightened their grips on their weapons, standing on guard.


    The light grew brighter and closer. When it was about thirty meters in front of the rebel forces, they finally saw what it was.


    A civilian pickup truck with its lights on appeared ahead. Besides this small truck, there was nothing else in sight. With a screech, the small truck stopped about twenty meters in front of the rebel forces.


    "That scared me; it turns out it¡¯s not the Sanctuary army." A Bing wiped the sweat from his forehead. The truck had only two people in long robes sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, and behind the truck was a sealed white rectangular compartment. From their appearance, they looked nothing like the Sanctuary army

 Chapter 19: The Emperors Secret Order

    "They shouldn''t be from the Sanctuary Army. Everyone, hold your fire for now; let me communicate with them," Captain Guan said as he got out of the vehicle and shouted at the people in the small truck, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"


    The two individuals in white from the small truck did not respond but began to whisper to each other. After a moment, one of the white-clad individuals opened the truck door and got out. The crowd turned to look, revealing a middle-aged man of slightly stout build, around forty to fifty years old.


    The middle-aged man wore a stern expression, his head held high, exuding an air of authority. He was dressed in a long white robe and held a silver staff nearly as tall as himself.


    After stepping out of the truck, the man first sized up Captain Guan and the people in the armored vehicle, then questioned, "Who are you? Are you military personnel?"


    Captain Guan was taken aback. Uncertain of the man''s identity, he hesitated to answer directly and replied vaguely, "We are just passersby. Are you... are you from the Sanctuary Army?"


    The middle-aged man slowly shook his head. Seeing him deny this, Captain Guan couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Since you are not military personnel, how about this? Let''s just part ways peacefully, and you may leave."


    The middle-aged man did not respond but glanced at another individual in white inside the truck. The other white-clad person nodded slowly in response. Then the middle-aged man turned to Captain Guan and said, "Alright." He then returned to the truck.


    "Everyone, put away your weapons and let them pass," Captain Guan instructed the others, not wanting to escalate the situation with the white-clad individuals. The small truck slowly moved forward, brushing past the two armored vehicles and continuing on its way.


    At that moment, a strange "thump thump" sound came from the back of the small truck, accompanied by a faint female voice from inside the truck, "Open the door, let me out, please let me go!"


    In the quiet underground tunnel, the echo made the voice, though weak, clear enough for everyone to hear.


    "Did you hear that? It seems like there''s a woman trapped in the truck," A Bing said.


    "Yes, I heard it too. That woman seems to be forcibly confined in there. Could these two be kidnappers?" Captain Guan replied.


    "It could also be a case of abduction; they might be planning to assault her," said an unnamed rebel member.


    Kallen, upon hearing this, immediately became furious, "What?! These two guys actually kidnapped a woman? I''m going to stop them!"You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Suddenly, Rulu, who had been silent, spoke up, "Wait, Kallen, it''s best if we don''t get involved with these two."


    "Why?" Captain Guan asked, looking at Rulu with confusion.


    "Look at their attire; they should be locals from the Sanctuary, directly serving the royal family," Rulu said, his expression serious as he stared at the two individuals in white on the truck.


    Captain Guan was even more puzzled, "How could locals from the Sanctuary be here? How do you know their identities, Rulu?"


    Rulu replied, "I can''t explain the details right now, but we should avoid getting involved with them; otherwise, we''ll attract serious trouble."


    "I understand." After the previous encounter with the Sanctuary Army, Captain Guan trusted Rulu''s words and instructed everyone not to obstruct the small truck, allowing it to continue on its way.


    After the small truck had traveled about twenty to thirty meters, it suddenly came to a stop with a screech, and the truck''s door opened. The two individuals in white got out.


    "Hey, they''re coming this way!" A Bing exclaimed, and the others turned to look back.


    The two white-clad individuals slowly approached the direction of the rebels. The crowd could clearly see their appearances; besides the middle-aged man with the silver staff, the other individual was an elderly man, thin and frail, around sixty to seventy years old.


    The old man had long white hair and a long white beard, wearing a faint smile that made him seem very amiable. He also held a golden staff made of metal.


    Captain Guan cautiously leaned forward and asked the two elders, "May I ask if you need anything?"


    The two white-clad individuals did not respond to Captain Guan''s question. The white-haired old man seemed to be talking to himself, saying, "Ah, as I get older, I can''t seem to remember things. How did His Majesty the Emperor instruct us to handle this matter back then?"


    The other middle-aged white-clad man replied, "According to the Great Mage, His Majesty the Emperor ordered us that this matter must not be disclosed to anyone. Our identities cannot be revealed; if even a hint of it leaks, we will face severe punishment and can never return to the Sanctuary."


    "Ah, I remember now; it was indeed like that," the white-haired old man suddenly exclaimed as if recalling something. "His Majesty the Emperor did say so, but... now it seems these people already know our identities. What should we do?"


    The middle-aged white-clad man maintained a stern expression and calmly said, "That''s easy. Dead men tell no tales. As long as they disappear from this world, no information will leak out."


    "Yes, yes, that''s right; that''s how it should be," the white-haired old man smiled joyfully, but a chilling light flashed in his eyes.


    Hearing the conversation between the two, the rebels felt a chill run down their spines. A Bing shouted angrily at them, "What are you two old geezers talking about? Are you looking to die?"


    "Don''t mind them; drive, let''s get out of here!" Rulu suddenly showed a look of panic on his face and urged urgently.


    Captain Guan was very surprised. During the previous battle with the Sanctuary Army, Rulu had never shown such fear. Now, he was in a panic over two frail old men, which was quite strange.


    Though he didn''t understand why Rulu was so terrified of these two, Captain Guan still said, "Drive, let''s go!"


    The two armored vehicles immediately started up and moved forward.


    "Hehe, you think you can leave?!" The white-haired old man chuckled. He waved the golden staff in his hand, and suddenly, the two armored vehicles lifted off the ground with a whoosh, hovering two meters in the air. With the wheels off the ground, the armored vehicles spun in mid-air, unable to move at all.

 Chapter 20: Choice

    "How is this possible?!"


    "The car is actually flying by itself!"


    The people in the vehicle were shocked. Knowing that these two armored vehicles weighed at least ten tons combined, witnessing them hovering in the air was unbelievable unless seen with their own eyes.


    "Split open." The old man with white hair murmured as he waved his golden staff again. The two armored vehicles suspended in mid-air began to tremble violently, and a sharp metallic sound echoed. Huge cracks appeared on the bodies of the armored vehicles, which seemed to break like wooden sticks, splitting directly in the middle into four broken sections.


    With a loud "thud" and "thud," the four segments of the armored vehicles crashed heavily to the ground, and the personnel inside were thrown out, landing awkwardly.


    "You guys are going too far!" Kallen saw that the man in white had acted and quickly rushed towards the two white-clad individuals, intending to attack them.


    "Go back." The old man with white hair glanced at Kallen indifferently. A giant stone, nearly four meters in diameter, floated nearby. With a whoosh, the stone flew towards Kallen at high speed.


    With a muffled thud, Kallen was struck in the chest by the giant stone, flying backward seven to eight meters before crashing heavily to the ground. Her already tattered armor burst open upon impact, and Kallen lay on the ground, gasping in pain, unable to get up.


    "What on earth are these two old guys? How can they be this powerful?!"


    "Even Kallen has been defeated by them. Are the locals from the Sanctuary really this strong?"


    The rebels were stunned by the scene. Captain Guan shouted loudly, "Shoot! Quickly, shoot at them!"


    Everyone raised their guns, aiming to shoot at the two white-clad individuals. The middle-aged man in white waved his silver staff, and the guns in the rebels'' hands made strange sounds of "bang" and "bang," all exploding automatically, causing them to drop their weapons in fear.


    The middle-aged man spoke, "Your Excellency the Grand Magus, these people seem to be rebels against our Sanctuary. We should have no concerns and simply eliminate them all."


    "So that''s how it is." The old man with white hair smiled kindly, speaking softly to the rebels, "Although you are rebels, all beings are equal. I will maintain compassion towards you. You need not panic; I will try to make your deaths painless and instantaneous."


    Although the old man''s voice sounded very friendly, it sent chills down the spines of the listeners. One of the rebels shouted, "No, I want to live! I don¡¯t want to die!" He yelled as he fled into the distance.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Poor mortals," the old man with white hair sighed and shook his head. He waved his golden staff, and the giant stone that had just struck Kallen flew swiftly towards the fleeing man, crashing heavily into his back. The man let out a "wow" and spat blood, collapsing to the ground, dead in an instant.


    "This is hopeless; we have no chance at all." Captain Guan realized that he could hardly escape this disaster today. He tried to remain calm and shouted at the old man with white hair, "We have no grievances or grudges against you. Can''t you let us go?"


    "In order to fulfill His Majesty the Emperor''s long-held wish, I can only make you suffer a little," the old man with white hair muttered, waving his golden staff again. A giant stone flew up and struck another person, killing them instantly.


    "It''s over; we will all be killed by him..." Captain Guan''s body trembled involuntarily, feeling a deep-seated fear. He felt like a newborn baby in front of these two old men, utterly powerless to resist. It was then that he understood why Rulu had been so eager to get them to escape.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Two sharp whistling sounds pierced the air. Two ice swords, about a meter long, appeared from a dark corner, flying towards the chest and neck of the old man with white hair. Caught off guard, the old man quickly raised his golden staff to his chest and retreated swiftly.


    The ice sword aimed at the old man''s chest clanged against the golden staff, being deflected, while the one aimed at his neck grazed his face, leaving a shallow cut.


    "Who is it? Who dares to sneak attack? Come out!" The old man with white hair, seemingly startled, instantly transformed from a kind demeanor to one of fury. He stopped controlling the giant stone to attack the rebels and instead looked around cautiously, trying to identify who had just ambushed him.


    "Captain Guan, you all go! I''ll find a way to hold them off," Rulu said, pulling Nana''s hand and whispering next to Captain Guan.


    "What do you want to do, Rulu? They will kill you!" Captain Guan looked at Rulu in surprise, lowering his voice.


    "Don''t talk! While they haven''t noticed me, you all quickly leave. If I''m discovered, we won''t be able to escape," Rulu urged.


    Captain Guan hesitated. Weighing the pros and cons, he finally said, "Alright, Rulu, just be careful."


    Rulu turned to Nana beside her, saying, "Nana, you go with Captain Guan and the others first. I will come back to find you later."


    "No, if we''re leaving, we leave together. I can''t..." Nana realized Rulu wanted to sacrifice herself to save her and tried to refuse. But Rulu covered her mouth with her hand, silencing her.


    "Captain Guan, take Nana and leave. No matter what happens, don¡¯t look back. Once I shake them off, I¡¯ll come find you," Rulu said earnestly, looking at Captain Guan.


    "I understand." Captain Guan grabbed Nana''s hand, covered her mouth, and forcibly pulled her away from Rulu, quickly saying, "I¡¯ll wait for you in a village near the tunnel exit. Rulu, you must survive!"


    After saying this, Captain Guan took Nana towards the tunnel exit while telling the other rebels, "Everyone follow me! All of you, come with me!"


    The other rebels helped the fallen Kallen and quickly retreated towards the underground tunnel exit alongside Captain Guan.


    Seeing the rebels attempting to escape, the old man with white hair waved his golden staff, intending to control the giant stone to kill them. But at that moment, a red light flashed, and four basketball-sized yellow-red fireballs appeared from nowhere, flying towards the old man with white hair and the middle-aged man in white.


    "Despicable scoundrels, always resorting to sneak attacks!" the old man in white scolded. He did not attack the rebels but instead focused on the four fireballs. A gust of wind suddenly appeared, blowing towards the fireballs, pushing them against the rock wall. Upon impact, the fireballs exploded, dissipating into the air and vanishing without a trace.

 Chapter 21: Three Mages

    ¡°Come out, you despicable guy, I have already seen you.¡± The old man in white shouted loudly as he focused his attention on the surroundings, trying to locate the person who had just attacked him. However, the light in the tunnel was not very good, and after looking for a while, he still couldn''t find the attacker.


    ¡°Your Excellency the Great Mage, those people have escaped far away, what should we do now?¡± The middle-aged man in white became anxious as he saw the rebels getting further away.


    After a brief thought, the old man in white said, ¡°These people already know our identities; we cannot let them go. You go and stop them.¡±


    The middle-aged man in white agreed and immediately rushed towards the direction of the rebels, holding a silver staff.


    The wind howled, and a fierce whirlwind suddenly formed, lifting a large amount of rubble from the ground and sweeping towards the middle-aged man in white as he chased after the rebels.


    The middle-aged man was caught in the whirlwind, his body being constantly struck by the flying debris. His clothes and skin were torn by the rubble, leaving bloody marks on his body and face. He crouched down, hugging himself and letting out screams of agony, completely unable to pursue the rebels.


    ¡°It seems we must first deal with another magic Ultra-capable besides ourselves; otherwise, we really can''t chase after these people,¡± the old man with white hair said. He waved his hand, and another whirlwind appeared out of nowhere, colliding with the one that had ensnared the middle-aged man. The two whirlwinds spun in completely opposite directions and dissipated simultaneously in the air.


    ¡°Under normal circumstances, the casting range of magic Ultra-capables is only about thirty or forty meters. That guy should be nearby,¡± the old man in white murmured to himself, carefully observing the area around the middle-aged man within that distance.


    Suddenly, the old man''s gaze stopped on a broken armored vehicle. He waved his golden staff, causing the armored vehicle to rise into the air, hovering three or four meters above the ground, and behind the vehicle, a thin figure appeared.


    ¡°Hahaha, finally found you,¡± the old man in white said with joy on his face, directly controlling the floating broken armored vehicle to smash towards the thin figure.


    The wind howled, and a fierce gust generated beside the thin figure. With the help of the wind''s force, the figure''s feet left the ground, quickly flying toward the darkness of the cave and disappearing into the shadows. The half-armored vehicle crashed heavily to the ground, missing the figure.


    ¡°Oh? He can actually fly with the wind; that''s quite impressive. But escaping from me won''t be so easy,¡± the old man with white hair said, a hint of surprise appearing on his face. He waved his hand, and a glowing white sphere appeared where the figure had vanished, illuminating the surrounding environment.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Under the light of the white sphere, a black-haired young man in black clothing leaned against the rock wall, coming into the old man''s view. This young man was Rulu.


    ¡°I didn''t expect someone so young. What¡¯s your name? Are you from the Sanctuary?¡± the old man with white hair asked Rulu, trying to ascertain his identity.


    ¡°Hmph, what Sanctuary? I''ve never heard of it,¡± Rulu replied coldly.


    ¡°What a pity, it''s rare for you to have such good abilities. If you joined the Sanctuary, your future would be limitless. Alas, what a shame¡­¡± The old man with white hair shook his head repeatedly, looking very regretful.


    Rulu snapped, ¡°Stop pretending. Just say what you want.¡±


    ¡°Since you are not from the Sanctuary, I have no reservations. Come, child, let me send you on your way,¡± the old man with white hair said calmly. He waved his golden staff, and the previously floating boulder with a diameter of nearly four meters rushed towards Rulu.


    Rulu summoned a whirlwind, using its thrust to lift himself off the ground and quickly flying through the spacious underground cave, dodging the boulder''s attack.


    The old man in white controlled the boulder to closely pursue Rulu. Although the boulder''s power was tremendous and its speed fast, it was far less agile than Rulu. The boulder continuously crashed into the ground and surrounding rock walls near Rulu, but despite the old man''s efforts, he could not hit Rulu.


    ¡°Good, good, you''re doing quite well. It seems I must take this seriously now,¡± the old man in white praised, his expression gradually becoming serious.


    With a whoosh, another boulder, about two meters in diameter, also took flight in the cave, heading towards Rulu. The two boulders advanced simultaneously, one following Rulu closely while the other circled in front of him to block his escape route.


    ¡°Tsk, what a hassle,¡± Rulu frowned, concentrating more on flying with the wind. With a whoosh, a boulder grazed past Rulu''s shoulder, lightly brushing against his left shoulder. Although it only made slight contact, Rulu felt as if he had been hit by a vehicle. His body was knocked back over two meters, and a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder.


    ¡°This won''t do; I must escape from them.¡± Rulu''s forehead was covered in cold sweat, feeling like his bones were about to break. He wanted to flee far from these two men in white but feared it would endanger Captain Guan and Nana.


    ¡°Got it! I''ll escape in another direction. Even if they catch up, it won''t matter.¡± Rulu thought, suppressing the pain in his left shoulder, guiding the whirlwind to sweep over the heads of the two white-clad men and rapidly flying in the opposite direction of the tunnel''s exit.


    ¡°He wants to escape! Stop him!¡± The old man with white hair noticed Rulu''s intention and shouted loudly. The other middle-aged man in white raised his silver staff.


    A violent gust appeared out of nowhere, whipping towards Rulu. The flying Rulu was caught off guard by the wind, causing him to lose control of his flight direction and veer off towards another path.


    With a bang, Rulu crashed into the side of a small truck, coming to a stop. A boulder followed closely behind, crashing down towards Rulu. He quickly dodged to the side, and with a loud thud, the boulder smashed into the truck, creating a large hole in the cargo area.


    ¡°This is not good. We need to deal with him quickly; otherwise, things will get troublesome,¡± the old man with white hair said, a look of panic appearing on his face. He sternly ordered the middle-aged man beside him, ¡°Control him! Don¡¯t give him any chance to escape!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency the Great Mage!¡± The middle-aged man replied, his expression grim. He raised his hands towards Rulu, and a fierce wind howled, a strong gust appearing above Rulu, pressing down from above.


    In an instant, Rulu felt an overwhelming force of wind pressing down on him from above. Under the tremendous wind pressure, his waist bent down, and he fell heavily to the ground, feeling as if he were carrying a thousand-pound burden on his back, unable to move or fly with the wind any longer.

 Chapter 22: The Witch

    "Now let''s see how you escape?" The white-haired elder displayed a sinister smile on his face, controlling the giant rock to smash down towards Rulu.


    Rulu was taken aback, as he was being suppressed by strong winds and unable to fly or move quickly, making it hard to evade the crushing rock. In his panic, Rulu''s gaze fell upon the large hole in the carriage created by the falling boulder.


    Summoning all his strength, Rulu called forth a fierce wind, pushing it in front of him. At the same time, he pushed off the ground with his feet, and with a whoosh, Rulu darted into the large hole in the carriage, narrowly avoiding the impact of the boulder.


    "That was close..." Rulu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling fortunate to have escaped disaster. He began to survey his surroundings, observing the environment inside the carriage.


    The carriage was brightly lit, empty of any objects, and in one corner sat a green-haired girl dressed in a white robe. Her hands were bound behind her back with ropes, and a cloth was tied over her mouth, preventing her from speaking normally.


    "This woman... Is she the one that the Emperor of the Sanctuary wants?" Rulu thought to himself as he slowly approached the girl, scrutinizing her features.


    The girl had snow-white skin and a slender figure, appearing to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. She had long, teal hair that reached her waist, and at that moment, she looked at Rulu with a sorrowful expression in her eyes.


    As their gazes met, an indescribable emotion surged within Rulu. His mind became foggy, and strange, indescribable illusions began to fill his consciousness.


    Rulu seemed to see countless shining stars spinning around him in the darkness, and he witnessed the birth and death of countless lives throughout history. His spirit was greatly impacted and shaken, trapped in those strange illusions, standing there as if he had lost his soul, fixating on the sorrowful eyes of the green-haired girl.


    "Eh, you can see me?" The green-haired girl raised her eyebrows, her face showing a look of surprise. Although her mouth was not moving, Rulu seemed to hear her speak.


    With a loud bang, the small truck''s carriage exploded automatically, and the truck tilted to one side, throwing both Rulu and the green-haired girl out onto the ground beside it.


    Before Rulu could regain his senses, a powerful airflow appeared above him, pressing down on his entire body. Rulu felt as if he was carrying a thousand-pound boulder, crushed to the ground by the strong wind, unable to move at all.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "For the Emperor, please die," the white-haired elder smiled faintly, realizing Rulu could no longer escape. He controlled the two-meter-wide boulder to smash down on Rulu, who was lying on the ground.


    Suddenly, a white figure darted out, blocking the path between Rulu and the boulder.


    "Not good..." The white-haired elder was taken aback, hurriedly waving his golden staff in an attempt to stop the stone from hitting the white figure. However, the boulder was too heavy and moving too fast to stop in time.


    With a dull thud, the boulder collided with the figure, sending it flying six or seven meters away, landing next to Rulu.


    "Why? Why would you sacrifice yourself to save me?!" Rulu looked at the green-haired girl beside him with panic, filled with confusion. The girl appeared pale, blood streaming from her mouth, clearly on the verge of death.


    "Finally... finally found you..." The green-haired girl¡¯s lips moved, mumbling indistinct words as she lay on the ground, gazing at Rulu with a dreamy, sorrowful expression, as if she wanted to speak.


    "What... what do you want to say?" Rulu reached out his trembling hands to untie the cloth from her mouth.


    "Hold... hold me..." the girl said in a faint voice, struggling to shift her body towards Rulu.


    Rulu was stunned for a moment, and after a while, a look of relief appeared on his face. He softly said, "Although I don''t know you or why you want to save me, having someone accompany me on the road to the underworld is much better than dying alone."


    As Rulu said this, he extended his arms and embraced the green-haired girl, pulling her into his embrace. At that moment, the girl opened her mouth and kissed Rulu on the lips.


    "What?!" Rulu''s pupils dilated, and in that instant, strange illusions flooded his mind once more. This time, the illusions were clearer and more vivid than before. Rulu seemed to enter a peculiar space, where a strange voice began to speak to him:


    "Do you want to live? Do you want to gain powerful strength? Even if this power brings you endless suffering and plunges you into the depths of darkness..."


    "Who... who are you? What do you want from me?" Rulu shouted at the voice within the illusion.


    "If you are willing to accept this power, respond to me," the voice said again.


    "From now on, your fate will be intertwined with mine. My wishes will be your wishes. I will grant you immense power that surpasses all others. This power may save you and change your life, or it may bring destruction, plunging you into an irreversible abyss. If you have the resolve to bear this power, then respond to me..."


    "Hehe, this is interesting," Rulu laughed within the illusion. "I don''t know who you are or why you chose me, but if you can truly give me such powerful strength, I would welcome it. To achieve my goals, I am willing to pay any price, even if it means becoming a devil and falling into an irreversible hell."


    "Is that so? Wonderful..." the voice murmured before disappearing.


    Rulu felt a sharp pain in his head, as if something had burrowed into his brain, leaving new memories and knowledge in his mind. He became entranced by this new knowledge and memories, unable to extricate himself. He lost all sense of time; although this moment lasted only an instant, it felt like hundreds of years to Rulu.

 Chapter 23: Spiritual Power

    ¡°It¡¯s bad, I can¡¯t let her come into contact with others.¡± The old man with white hair saw the green-haired girl and Rulu embracing and kissing on the ground, and quickly summoned a strong wind to separate the two on the ground.


    ¡°I hope she¡¯s not dead. If the Emperor finds out, I¡¯m finished.¡± The old man thought to himself as he cautiously approached the green-haired girl. Just then, Rulu pushed himself up with his palm and slowly stood up.


    ¡°Control him, don¡¯t let him stand up.¡± The old man shouted loudly. The middle-aged man in white behind him raised his silver staff, intending to summon the wind again to control Rulu.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Rulu¡¯s eyes glinted with a strange light as he fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man in white, shouting sternly.


    The middle-aged man froze for a moment, lowering the silver staff he had just lifted, refraining from summoning the wind to attack Rulu.


    ¡°What are you still standing there for? Quickly make him lie down.¡± The old man noticed that the middle-aged man did not attack Rulu and shouted again.


    ¡°The one who should lie down is you, Great Mage.¡± A peculiar smile appeared on Rulu''s face as he said in a strange tone.


    ¡°As you command.¡± The middle-aged man replied softly, quickly approaching the old man from behind. He raised his silver staff and struck it forcefully against the back of the old man''s head.


    With a dull thud, the silver staff accurately hit the old man''s head, causing him to scream in agony and collapse to the ground.


    ¡°Have you gone mad? Stop it!!!¡± The old man turned around, glaring with terror in his eyes, and shouted hoarsely at the middle-aged man.


    ¡°You should lie down, Great Mage.¡± The middle-aged man said blankly, swinging the silver staff again and striking heavily at the old man''s head.


    The staff hit the old man''s forehead, causing him to see stars and blood to flow from his head. The old man fell to the ground, convulsing and letting out a painful moan, completely losing the strength to resist.


    ¡°Calm him down; he must not make a sound.¡± Rulu said with a smile as he walked over to the fallen old man in white.


    ¡°Understood.¡± The middle-aged man replied, continuously swinging the silver staff to strike the old man''s head, smashing it into a bloody mess, until the old man struggled for a while before finally lying still and no longer making any sounds.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Ha ha... ah ha ha ha...¡± Rulu laughed happily, saying as he laughed, ¡°This power... this power is truly amazing, beyond my imagination. With this power, my wishes can finally come true.¡±


    After saying this, Rulu looked at the middle-aged man who stood dumbfounded in place and said in a commanding tone, ¡°Well done, now you can die too.¡±


    ¡°Die?¡± The middle-aged man murmured, a look of struggle appearing in his eyes as his previously murky gaze became clear.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Great Mage? Why are you lying on the ground? Why is there so much blood on me? What happened? Did... did I kill you?!¡± The middle-aged man trembled, fearfully looking at the old man in white on the ground, falling into great confusion.


    ¡°Hmm, it seems this power isn¡¯t as strong as I thought; it can¡¯t completely control a person¡¯s mind, but it¡¯s enough.¡± Rulu mumbled to himself. Taking advantage of the middle-aged man¡¯s confusion, he pulled out a pistol and pulled the trigger at the middle-aged man.


    With a clear bang, the middle-aged man fell into a pool of blood, confusion and fear in his eyes. The bullet struck his left chest, piercing his heart and killing him instantly.


    ¡°Hmph, this is what you brought upon yourselves; you can¡¯t blame anyone else.¡± Rulu coldly glanced at the two men in white lying on the ground. He then walked over to the green-haired girl lying on the ground, noticing that her eyes were tightly closed, and her body was completely still.


    ¡°You can¡¯t die; I have so many things I want to ask you.¡± Rulu thought, his expression becoming extremely tense. He crouched down and carefully placed his hand on the girl¡¯s neck¡ªfeeling no pulse, he then placed his hand on her nose¡ªsensing no breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s over...¡± Rulu looked as if he had lost his soul, his face showing a dazed expression. Still unwilling to give up, he leaned down, pressing his ear against her chest for nearly a minute.


    ¡°Although there¡¯s still body heat, the heart has completely stopped beating. So, she... she really is dead.¡± Rulu¡¯s face turned pale, his hands weakly falling to his sides, feeling as if all his strength had drained away.


    ¡°Who exactly are you? You gave me this strange power and then died so easily in front of me. Why? What is the reason for this?!¡± Rulu stared blankly at the girl¡¯s beautiful face, pondering this question. However, after a long time, he still couldn¡¯t find the answer.


    ¡°No matter what, I should still take her body out and find a good place to bury her. This is the only thing I can do for her.¡± After a long while, Rulu finally came back to his senses. He carried the green-haired girl¡¯s body on his back and walked toward the exit of the underground tunnel.


    However, Rulu was thin and had been injured in the earlier fight. Although the girl¡¯s body wasn¡¯t very heavy, it felt quite burdensome to him. After only ten minutes of walking, he started to struggle. In a moment of distraction, he stepped on a small stone and ¡°thud,¡± fell heavily to the ground, nearly breaking his waist.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this; I¡¯m not a Refining Body Ultra-capable, physical labor is not my strong suit.¡± Rulu covered his lower back, lying on the ground and panting heavily. After resting for a while, he finally stood up again.


    ¡°Though I really want to take you with me, I truly am powerless. Please forgive me; you can rest here.¡± Rulu said to the girl with a guilty heart. He found a secluded and clean spot in the cave, laid the girl¡¯s body down, then took off his outer coat and covered her with it, before walking alone toward the exit of the underground tunnel.


    Half an hour later, Rulu emerged from the underground tunnel, arriving in a suburban area. The sky was filled with twinkling stars, and the surroundings were empty and dark.

 Chapter 24: Escape

    Rulu remembered that Captain Guan had mentioned waiting for him at a nearby village, so he continued to walk under the night sky, searching for the village Captain Guan had mentioned.


    It was late at night, and since Rulu was unfamiliar with the area, it took him almost two hours to find the village Captain Guan referred to, arriving at the village entrance.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Suddenly, someone questioned from the darkness. Rulu felt the voice was somewhat familiar, sounding like Abing from the rebel army, so he responded, ¡°It¡¯s me, Rulu. Are you from the rebel army?¡±


    ¡°Is that you, Rulu? You¡¯re safe?!¡± A male voice that sounded very much like Captain Guan¡¯s came from the darkness, and with that voice, light began to appear around him.


    Looking towards the light, Rulu saw about ten to fifteen people sitting in a field at the village entrance. Although the light was dim, he guessed that this group was Captain Guan and his team who had escaped from the underground tunnel.


    ¡°Rulu, I thought I would never see you again¡­¡± An excited female voice came from the field, and Rulu turned to see a woman crawling out from the field, stumbling as she ran towards him.


    ¡°Nana!¡± Rulu immediately recognized the woman as Nana, and he called out joyfully, rushing towards her.


    As they met, Nana opened her arms to hug Rulu, but suddenly remembered something, her face flushed, and instead of hugging him, she reached out and tightly grasped Rulu¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Rulu, I waited so long and didn¡¯t see you. I thought you were going to leave me behind, thinking I would never see you again,¡± Nana said with a sad expression on her face.


    ¡°How could I? I¡¯ve come back, haven¡¯t I?¡± Rulu smiled and replied.


    Nana looked at Rulu, and when she saw his dirty face and the bruises on it, she couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch his face, asking with concern, ¡°Rulu, you¡¯re hurt. Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just some superficial wounds. Nana, you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Rulu said with a smile, pretending to be very relaxed. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying! Where else are you hurt? Is it your shoulder, or your back? Let me take a look,¡± Nana said nervously, reaching out to feel Rulu¡¯s body. Rulu didn¡¯t want Nana to worry too much, so he didn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°Hey, Rulu, you¡¯re really amazing! I couldn¡¯t even defeat those two annoying old guys, and you¡¯re completely fine?!¡± A cheerful young female voice rang out, and a young woman with red hair appeared nearby, smiling as she quickly walked to Rulu¡¯s side.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kallen,¡± Rulu said, holding Nana''s hand and turning towards the red-haired girl.


    At this moment, Kallen had already taken off her red armor and was wearing a red bodysuit. Perhaps due to her regular exercise, her figure looked very toned, giving her the beauty of a fitness athlete.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t realize Kallen, your figure is quite good! At first, I thought you were all muscle, but you actually have a feminine charm. You¡¯ve really changed my perspective,¡± Rulu said after sizing up Kallen for a moment.


    ¡°What¡­ what are you talking about? Seriously, how ridiculous,¡± Kallen said, stunned, her face turning slightly red as she awkwardly placed her hand on her chest and turned sideways to Rulu.


    ¡°Hahaha, so Kallen, you can be shy too! Seeing you usually so carefree, you do have a womanly side,¡± Abing teased, along with Captain Guan and other rebels who walked over to Rulu.


    ¡°Shut up! Or I¡¯ll make you regret it,¡± Kallen said fiercely to Abing, who promptly closed his mouth and stopped talking.


    ¡°Kallen, how¡¯s your injury?¡± Rulu remembered that Kallen had been hit by a large rock thrown by the white-haired old man and asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m much better now. It was really dangerous back then. If that big rock had hit me again, I might have really died there. I owe it all to you, Rulu,¡± Kallen sighed in relief, showing a look of lingering fear.


    ¡°No need to mention it. That white-haired old man is probably a level five magic Ultra-capable, capable of controlling the gravity of other objects to attack others. He¡¯s very strong and indeed hard to deal with,¡± Rulu said, recalling how he almost died at the hands of that white-haired old man, feeling a bit fearful himself.


    At this moment, Captain Guan approached Rulu and said, ¡°Rulu, how did you escape from those two old men?¡±


    Rulu was taken aback. He remembered the green-haired girl he encountered in the underground cave and the strange power she had given him. Since it was too bizarre, Rulu felt it was hard to explain, so he vaguely replied, ¡°This is quite a complicated story. I was lucky to escape from there. Let¡¯s talk about the details later.¡±


    Captain Guan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s fine. What matters is that you¡¯re okay. Although we¡¯ve left the concession area, the Sanctuary¡¯s army might still come to chase us outside the concession area. We should quickly move to a safer place. There¡¯s a secret base of our rebel army nearby; it¡¯s remote and hard to find. Rulu, Nana, you should come with us there.¡±


    Rulu felt that Captain Guan¡¯s words were reasonable and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do as Captain Guan says.¡±


    Captain Guan said, ¡°I¡¯ve already found two vehicles again. If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll set off now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you, Captain Guan.¡±

 Chapter 25: Nanas Melancholy

    A group of people boarded the vehicle, heading towards the secret base mentioned by Captain Guan. After about three hours, they arrived in a remote mountainous area and stopped.


    As night faded and day broke, Rulu surveyed the mountainous area in the dim morning light. She noticed that the mountains were tall and steep, mostly consisting of bare stone peaks. The area appeared desolate, with no signs of human activity, and even trees and wildlife were scarce.


    Seeing this, Rulu couldn''t help but question, "Isn''t this place too desolate? Is this really the secret base you mentioned, Captain Guan?"


    Captain Guan explained, "It''s precisely because of the harsh environment that those guys from the Sanctuary won''t come looking for us here. Don''t be fooled by the emptiness; there are many man-made caves in these mountains. These caves store water and food, allowing us to stay here for a long time."


    Rulu nodded, "I see, then let''s head up the mountain."


    Captain Guan agreed and led Rulu and the others along the steep mountain path. Along the way, he explained that under normal circumstances, their rebel forces wouldn''t live here but would operate in nearby villages and towns. However, in times of crisis, such as being besieged by the Sanctuary''s army, they would hide in this secret base for extended periods.


    After a considerable effort, they finally reached a steep peak. Captain Guan brought Rulu and Nana to a concealed stone wall halfway up the mountain. He grabbed a stone protrusion on the wall and pushed it hard.


    With a grinding sound, a crack suddenly appeared in the stone wall, widening into a dark opening. Captain Guan instructed the others to stay outside while he took Nana and Rulu into the cave.


    "Oh, this mountain has a mechanism; it really is quite hidden," Rulu remarked, walking around inside the cave and looking around.


    Inside, the cave was spacious, and despite being underground, it was well-lit. The cave connected to several smaller chambers, some of which contained water and food, while others had simple beds and furniture, resembling a rock house.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Captain Guan said, "This cave is the best one here. Rulu, you and Nana can stay here. If you get hungry, you can take food from the storeroom, and if you''re tired, just rest on the bed. I¡¯ll step outside. If you need anything, you can use the communication device here to contact me."


    Rulu replied, "Okay, thank you, Captain Guan."


    With that, Captain Guan left the cave, leaving Nana and Rulu alone inside.


    "Nana, are you satisfied with the environment here?" Rulu gently asked, sitting on the bed in the cave with Nana.


    Nana looked a bit forlorn and softly said, "What¡¯s there to be dissatisfied with? My parents are gone; I¡¯m lucky to be alive. What more can I ask for?"


    Seeing Nana''s gloomy mood, Rulu comforted her, "Don''t dwell on sad thoughts, Nana. How about this? Once this is over, I¡¯ll take you away from here to live in a better city, okay?"


    Nana responded with a quiet "Hmm," saying, "Although I know it¡¯s selfish, I can only rely on you now, Rulu."


    Rulu quickly replied, "It¡¯s okay. I''m happy to be someone you can rely on."


    Nana lifted her face, hesitantly looking at Rulu, "But won¡¯t you find me useless and annoying?"


    "Of course not! Why would you think that?"


    "You don¡¯t now, but what about later? To you, I¡¯m just a burden. If I continue to stay by your side, one day, you¡¯ll tire of me and find me annoying." Nana became agitated for some reason, her voice rising.


    "I will never abandon you, Nana," Rulu said firmly.


    "But..." Nana wanted to say more, but Rulu opened her arms and hugged Nana tightly.


    "I swear, I will bring you happiness," Rulu said with deep sincerity, holding onto Nana tightly.


    Nana stopped speaking, returning the embrace, her eyes shining with joy and happiness.


    After that, Rulu and Nana settled in the cave in the mountains. They spent their days in the cave, rarely going outside. Although the living conditions were a bit harsh, life was relatively peaceful, with no sign of the Sanctuary''s army coming to chase them down.


    Five days passed in the blink of an eye. One day, for some reason, Nana developed a high fever. She lay on the worn grass bed in the cave, appearing dazed, occasionally mumbling in her sleep. Rulu sat on a stool beside the bed, listening to the radio broadcast while watching Nana with worried eyes.


    Suddenly, the stone door of the cave opened, and Captain Guan, along with Ah Bing and Kallen, entered the cave. Seeing the three, Rulu quickly stood up and anxiously asked, "Captain Guan, did you bring the medicine for Nana?"


    Captain Guan scratched his face, feeling a bit awkward, "Well... Rulu, why don''t you give this to Nana? It might help."


    As he spoke, Captain Guan handed Rulu a medicine bottle.


    Rulu took the bottle and looked at it closely, suddenly furrowing her brow, and angrily said, "This... isn''t this medicine for animals? How can Nana take this? Captain Guan, how could you treat us like this?!"

 Chapter 26: Rulus Plan

    "It really can''t be done, can it..." Captain Guan looked embarrassed, lowering his head and unconsciously rubbing his palms together, unsure of what to say.


    At this moment, Kallen spoke up, "Rulu, don''t be angry. This isn''t Captain Guan''s fault. You know that our area is full of rugged mountains, surrounded by poor towns and villages. It''s not like the resource-rich concession area, and the Sanctuary''s army is searching for us everywhere. These medicines were brought back by Captain Guan after risking a lot and visiting several villages and towns."


    A-Bing also said, "Yeah, if anyone''s to blame, it''s that damn Sanctuary. What does it have to do with our captain?"


    "That''s true. I''m sorry..." Rulu, being a sensible person, immediately calmed down. He turned his gaze to Nana and softly said, "But if this continues, I''m afraid Nana won''t be able to hold on."


    Captain Guan said, "How about I find a way to sneak into the concession area and see if I can buy some medicine there?"


    This suggestion was immediately opposed by Kallen: "No way. I heard that because of the former governor''s assassination, the entire concession area is in chaos. The security there is much stricter than before. Going into the concession area now is like seeking death."


    Captain Guan replied, "Then what should we do? Should we just watch Nana''s condition worsen? She can''t compare to us who are used to this kind of poor life. If her illness continues like this, it could endanger her life."


    Kallen said, "Let''s think of other ways. Anyway, we can''t go to the concession area."


    Captain Guan sighed deeply and said with regret, "I never expected I couldn''t save Mayor Qiao, and now I can''t even save his daughter. I truly feel unworthy of the kindness Mayor Qiao has shown us over the years."


    At this moment, Rulu spoke up: "Captain Guan, you don''t need to blame yourself. I''ll find a way to solve Nana''s situation."


    "Rulu, do you have a plan?!" Captain Guan looked at Rulu with hopeful eyes. He knew Rulu was clever and capable, so if he said he had a plan, it must be true.


    Rulu nodded, "Could you help me prepare a set of clean clothes for me and Nana? Also, some hats and masks, and it would be best to have some decorative glasses. Additionally, could you get me a decent little vehicle? Can you manage to find these things?"


    After thinking for a moment, Captain Guan said, "There shouldn''t be any problem, but Rulu, why do you need these things?"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Captain Guan, just help me prepare them first, and I''ll explain later."


    "Okay, I understand. You all wait here for me; I''ll be back soon." Captain Guan said hurriedly as he left the cave to take care of what Rulu asked for, while A-Bing and Kallen stayed in the cave, chatting and waiting for Captain Guan to return.


    At that moment, a special news report came through the radio:


    "Recently, a terrorist attack occurred in the urban area of Blue Sea City. In this incident, the special governor of the Sanctuary and several military members unfortunately lost their lives. The mayor and his wife also died in this terrorist attack, while the mayor''s daughter and adopted son are missing.


    According to the Sanctuary, this terrorist attack was carried out by external rebel organizations. The purpose of the attack is still unclear. The Sanctuary has increased security in the concession area to prevent similar incidents from happening again. We will continue to follow up on this situation..."


    Upon hearing this, A-Bing couldn''t help but speak up: "These bastards from the Sanctuary really know how to deceive people. Mayor Qiao was clearly killed by that governor, yet they shift the blame onto us. How shameless!"


    Kallen, looking unfazed, replied, "Of course. They can''t admit their people killed Mayor Qiao. If they did, it would incite public outrage. To maintain order in Blue Sea City, they would never admit to this."


    A-Bing said, "So are we stuck taking the blame?"


    Kallen responded, "What can we do? Besides, haven''t we taken enough blame over the years?"


    A-Bing cursed, "No, we can''t let their conspiracy succeed. I¡¯ll call Fox and issue a statement to reveal the truth and expose their lies."


    Rulu suddenly said, "No, don''t do that. Actually, their report is beneficial for us."


    "Huh? Taking the blame is beneficial?" A-Bing looked at Rulu in confusion.


    Rulu explained, "That''s right. They don''t dare to publicly admit they killed Mayor Qiao, so they also won''t dare to openly hunt me and Nana. This is advantageous for us. Even if Nana and I return to the concession area, it shouldn''t pose too much of a problem."


    Upon hearing this, Kallen was taken aback. She said, "You want to return to the concession area with Nana? You can''t do that! Even if they don''t publicly hunt you, the military will secretly pursue you. Going there is like walking into a trap."


    Rulu smiled and said, "It''s fine. I have my own ways to deal with this, and Nana''s illness can only be treated there."


    Kallen asked, "Is the way you mentioned to save Nana really to go back to the concession area?!"


    "That''s about it. When I escaped from the concession area last time, Uncle Qiao told me he secretly purchased a house in the concession area. The location of this house is very discreet, so it should be fine for Nana and me to stay there."


    Kallen questioned, "But the security in the concession area is stricter than before, and the underground tunnel has been completely sealed off by the Sanctuary. How will you avoid being discovered and infiltrate the concession area?"


    Rulu didn''t answer Kallen''s question. He glanced at Kallen and A-Bing, his eyes shining with a strange light, and said in a commanding tone, "You two, come and give me a back massage."


    A-Bing was taken aback, sitting on the stool without moving, and said irritably, "What did you say? Who do you think you are, asking me to massage you?!"


    "I''ll do it." Kallen, however, agreed to Rulu''s request. She quickly stood up, walked behind Rulu, and placed her hands on his shoulders to massage him.

 Chapter 27: Secrets of the Sanctuary

    "Hey, Kallen, you really followed his instructions? Aren''t you usually very competitive? Where did your pride go?" A-Bing mocked as he saw Kallen actually giving Rulu a back massage. Kallen seemed not to hear A-Bing''s words and continued to focus on massaging Rulu.


    "It seems this power works on Kallen, but why doesn''t it work on A-Bing?" Rulu thought to himself. Just now, he had used the Spiritual-power obtained from the green-haired woman to try to control both Kallen and A-Bing.


    "I''ll give it another try." Rulu concentrated more, focusing most of his attention on A-Bing. He stared into A-Bing''s eyes and said in a commanding tone, "Go get me a glass of water!"


    A-Bing was taken aback, murmuring, "Got it." He walked over to a nearby wooden table, picked up the water jug, poured a glass of water, and walked back to Rulu, handing it to him.


    "Hey, A-Bing, what are you doing? Does Rulu really need your help to pour water?!" Kallen looked at A-Bing curiously. Since Rulu had focused his attention on A-Bing, she stopped massaging Rulu and seemed to forget that she was just giving him a shoulder massage.


    "This time I can control A-Bing, but I can''t control Kallen. But I clearly could control her just now; this is strange. Could it be... this power can only control one person at a time?" Rulu thought to himself. He stopped using the Spiritual-power to control A-Bing, who shook his head, looked at the glass of water in his hand with confusion, and then drank it himself.


    "No, I need to try again. If I want to return to the concession area with Nana, I must rely on this power. If I can''t figure this power out, it will be troublesome." After a short while, Rulu looked at Kallen again and said, "Kallen, my legs are a bit sore; can you help me massage them?"


    "Ah? Rulu, are you... serious?" Kallen blinked, looking at Rulu with a strange expression as if seeing him for the first time.


    "This time it didn''t work on Kallen again, but I was only controlling her!" Rulu was becoming increasingly confused. He turned to A-Bing and said, "Then A-Bing, you help me massage my feet."


    A-Bing glared at Rulu and said angrily, "What did you say? You want me to massage your feet? Do you think I''m your servant? If you keep talking nonsense, even if you are an Ultra-capable, I''ll still beat you up."


    "This time it didn''t work on A-Bing either, but just now this power was effective on both of them. Could it be... this power can only be used on the same person once?" Rulu thought, turning to A-Bing and Kallen, "Forget what I just said. I was just joking, but it seems like a bad joke."This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A-Bing retorted, "Your joke is really bad; don''t make such jokes anymore, or I will really get angry."


    Kallen sighed in relief and patted her chest, saying, "I knew it! Rulu, why would you want me to help you with that? After all, our relationship isn''t that close yet. Let''s not say things that could easily be misunderstood in the future."


    "Alright, I understand." Rulu casually replied, while continuously pondering the use of this Spiritual-power.


    Since Captain Guan had not returned yet, the three continued to wait in the cave. After a while, a piece of news broadcasted on the radio caught their attention:


    "Next, we have a special news report. This news is also related to the recent terrorist attack in Blue Sea City, as the former governor of Blue Sea City unfortunately passed away in the attack. The Sanctuary has decided to send the 536th prince of the Sanctuary¡ªPrince Su Wen¡ªto become the new governor of Blue Sea City.


    According to relevant news, Prince Su Wen is over eighty years old, which is quite a great age among ordinary people, but still relatively young in the Sanctuary, as many of the Emperor''s children are over a hundred years old, and some have even surpassed two hundred. The Emperor himself is even older than the Sanctuary Empire. In a few days, Prince Su Wen will officially arrive in Blue Sea City to take up the position of governor..."


    Upon hearing this, A-Bing couldn''t help but speak up, "Wow, are those guys from the Sanctuary monsters? They can live for hundreds of years at a time?!"


    Kallen scoffed, "Hmph, I don''t believe they can live that long. They must be lying to make others think they are impressive."


    A-Bing said, "But I''ve heard many people say that those from the Sanctuary are immortal, and Kallen, you have no evidence to prove they are lying."


    Kallen was at a loss for words in response to A-Bing''s statement when suddenly she thought of something and looked at Rulu: "By the way, Rulu, you seem to know a lot about the Sanctuary. Can you tell me, are people from the Sanctuary really immortal?"


    "Uh, actually, I''m not too sure about that either..." Rulu was a bit reluctant to discuss the topic and replied dismissively.


    "You must know! Please tell me, okay? Are you feeling a bit tired? Let me massage you!" Kallen pleaded, moving a stool next to Rulu and grabbing his thigh, squeezing it hard.


    "Don''t squeeze so hard! Ouch... it hurts! Stop¡ªstop, I''ll tell you." Rulu, unable to escape Kallen''s clutches, finally spoke up: "Immortality is not quite accurate, but in the Sanctuary, there are indeed some special methods to prolong life. Even people who are a hundred or two hundred years old can look no different from those in their thirties or forties, or even younger."


    "Ah, is that really true?" Kallen was greatly surprised. She leaned closer to Rulu, staring into his eyes and said, "Those guys from the Sanctuary are really that amazing, able to achieve immortality and eternal youth? Then... then aren''t they gods?!"


    "Kallen, don''t get so close! And you''re drooling."


    "Stop changing the subject, just tell me!" Kallen wiped the corner of her mouth and kept shaking Rulu''s shoulders.


    "Well... saying they are gods is a bit excessive. Actually, the people of the Sanctuary are just Ultra-capable like you, Kallen. They are not much different from you and me. Most of their abilities are not as strong as mine or Kallen''s. The reason they can live long is simply due to the special environment of the Sanctuary. Once they leave the Sanctuary, their lifespans are no different from ordinary people. After a few decades, they will age and die rapidly."

 Chapter 28: On the Way Back

    Kallen said, "So Rulu, according to what you''re saying, once Prince Su Wen comes here to be the governor, he can no longer have the ability to live forever like he does in the Sanctuary?"


    "That''s right," Rulu replied with an evil smile on his face. "Generally, it''s quite rare for a prince from the Sanctuary to take on the role of a governor. Perhaps that emperor has some important tasks he needs that guy to handle. If that guy fails to accomplish what the emperor has entrusted him with, he won''t be able to return to the Sanctuary. He will have to age continuously like an ordinary person and eventually die here, hahaha..."


    A-Bing clapped his hands happily and exclaimed, "Hahaha, so this Prince Su Wen is really unlucky to come here as a governor; it¡¯s equivalent to being exiled from the Sanctuary."


    Rulu said, "Well, the land area of the Sanctuary is limited, and the lifespan of the people living there is extremely long. To maintain the survival of the local inhabitants of the Sanctuary, it is necessary to clear out another portion of the people. The struggles within the Sanctuary can be very brutal; even royal family members can face exclusion, oppression, persecution, or even assassination."


    At this point, Rulu seemed to recall something unpleasant, furrowing his brow, his eyes shining with hatred, and his expression turned cold.


    Kallen, surprised, said, "This is the first time I''ve heard about these things. Rulu, you seem to know a lot about them, as if you used to live in the Sanctuary. By the way, how do you know all this? Could it be that you were once a person from the Sanctuary?!"


    "No... there''s no such thing," Rulu''s expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly explained, "Actually, I have been studying at a school established by the Sanctuary. That school was specifically created to train talents for the Sanctuary, and they taught many things about the Sanctuary, so that''s why I know a lot about these matters."


    "Oh, I see." Kallen didn''t doubt Rulu''s words. She wanted to ask Rulu more about the Sanctuary, but Rulu mentioned that Nana was still sick and he needed to focus on Nana, so Kallen didn''t want to disturb Nana''s condition and stopped pressing Rulu for more questions.


    After a while, Captain Guan returned and informed Rulu that the items he needed were ready. Rulu then talked to Captain Guan about wanting to take Nana back to the concession area for treatment.


    Captain Guan immediately opposed, saying it was too dangerous, but Rulu insisted that it was the only way to save Nana and stated that he had the ability to protect both himself and Nana. Although Captain Guan felt that Rulu''s suggestion was too risky, he couldn''t help Nana, and he also knew that Rulu was very smart and capable. Since Rulu was so confident, he agreed to let him try.


    Afterward, Rulu changed into a different set of clothes, and Kallen helped Nana change into a new outfit. Rulu and Nana put on hats and decorative glasses, and then used special cosmetics to paint their faces gray. After the disguise, the two looked very different from before, as if they had aged ten years in an instant.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Nana, just hang in there a bit longer; your illness will get better soon," Rulu said softly, sitting in the driver''s seat of the white small car that Captain Guan had prepared for him, looking at Nana, who had now woken up beside him.


    Nana struggled to open her eyes, nodded at Rulu, and weakly said, "I know; I will try my best not to trouble you, Rulu."


    Rulu then looked at Captain Guan and the others outside the car and said, "That''s it then, Captain Guan. Nana and I will leave first; you don''t need to see us off."


    Captain Guan stood by the car window, bent down, and looked at Rulu and Nana with concern, saying, "Take care. If you run into trouble, use the contact information I left for you to find me, and I will do my best to help you."


    Rulu replied, "Thank you. After I return to the concession area, I will come to visit you again if I have the chance."


    "Then you can go; I won''t delay you any longer. Wish you a safe journey."


    Rulu nodded to Captain Guan, started the car, and drove along the dilapidated road toward the concession area.


    As Rulu drove, he glanced at the sides of the road. He saw that the roads were lined with rundown houses, and scattered along the roadside were people in ragged clothing. Some were lying on the street sleeping, some women dressed provocatively were trying to attract customers, and there were people drunkenly fighting in the streets. There were even individuals wielding metal knives robbing people in broad daylight.


    As Rulu had imagined, the area outside the concession was chaotic, with no legal constraints. After all, the system of the Huaxia Nation had collapsed during the war with the Sanctuary, and many places were in an anarchic state. Now, the only place where the Huaxia Nation was relatively stable and prosperous was the concession area under the control of the Sanctuary.


    As they approached the concession area, the nearby buildings became denser, and the number of pedestrians increased. At the same time, Sanctuary''s armored soldiers and ordinary soldiers appeared in Rulu''s line of sight, which immediately alerted him. Rulu quickly lowered the brim of his hat and adjusted his decorative glasses to avoid being recognized by the military of the Sanctuary.


    Suddenly, a purple armored soldier stopped in front of Rulu''s white small car, blocking the moving vehicle, while a middle-aged male soldier in gray military uniform approached the car window.


    "Where are you two coming from, and where are you going?!" The soldier scrutinized Rulu and Nana in the car with a vigilant gaze, as their disguises looked quite strange to him.


    "Brother soldier, here''s the thing," Rulu said with a friendly smile, addressing the soldier. "My sister and I went to the countryside to visit relatives a few days ago, and my sister suddenly fell ill midway. We need to hurry back to the concession area now."


    "Visiting relatives at a time like this? Don''t you know that there have been rebel organizations active in this area in the past few days?" The soldier''s face showed a skeptical expression, emphasizing his words.


    Rulu replied, "I have heard about it, but we are just ordinary citizens. The rebels shouldn''t do anything to us, right?"


    "Alright, stop talking nonsense," the soldier pulled out his handgun and said in an authoritative tone, "You two, get out of the car immediately. Take off your hats and glasses, and show me your identification documents. If you don''t cooperate, I will treat you as rebels. Do you understand?!"

 Chapter 29: New Residence

    "Of course, we should cooperate with you, Soldier Brother. However, my sister is very ill and cannot get out of the car. So, I kindly ask you to let us pass," Rulu said calmly, his eyes showing an unusual glimmer as he looked at the soldier.


    "Your sister is sick, huh? Well... then there¡¯s nothing we can do¡ª" The soldier''s stern expression softened immediately when he met Rulu''s gaze. He put away his handgun and waved to the armored soldier blocking the vehicle, saying, "No problem, let them through."


    Upon hearing this, the armored soldier moved aside, clearing the way.


    "Thank you," Rulu said with a peculiar smile as he drove the small vehicle forward.


    To be safe, Rulu kept his Spiritual-power focused on the soldier, maintaining mental control over him. It wasn''t until they had traveled a considerable distance that he released the soldier from his control.


    Once he felt completely safe, Rulu sighed in relief, thinking to himself that he was fortunate to have acquired such strange Spiritual-power. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to safely return to the concession area with Nana. He had to thank that green-haired woman whose name he did not know.


    As Rulu continued on, he encountered checkpoints set up by the Sanctuary army. Each time, he used his Spiritual-power to control the soldiers and pass through smoothly. After successfully navigating four checkpoints, he and Nana finally entered the concession area, where they bought medicine for Nana at a pharmacy and administered it to her.


    Rulu continued to drive with Nana through the concession area. During their journey, they encountered several more inspections by the Sanctuary army, all of which Rulu managed to resolve using his Spiritual-power.


    About an hour later, Rulu drove into an uninhabited open area, where he noticed numerous white stone tablets standing on the ground.


    "This... this is the cemetery area of Blue Sea City. Is the secret house that Dad mentioned located here?" After taking the medicine, Nana felt much better than before. She gazed out the car window, surveying the vast area as she spoke.


    Rulu replied, "Yes, this cemetery was established a long time ago during the war. It contains the remains of many soldiers who died in battle. After the war, the citizens of Blue Sea City became superstitious about this place and rarely came here. This area is the least populated in the concession zone. Uncle Qiao told me that the secret house he purchased is in the woods to the east. Let''s go check it out."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Rulu drove towards the eastern part of the cemetery. Shortly after, he found the woods and drove deeper into them. Suddenly, he discovered a black, single-story low house standing in a clearing deep within the woods.


    "This should be it. Let''s get out," Rulu said, finding a concealed spot to park the vehicle. He helped Nana out of the car, and they approached the low house together.


    Rulu took out a set of keys from his bag. These keys had been left by Mayor Qiao during their escape, and now that Mayor Qiao was no longer around, Rulu was responsible for his belongings.


    After trying several keys, Rulu finally opened the door to the house. He and Nana entered, finding the house empty and covered in dust, clearly having been uninhabited for years. However, the house had running water and electricity, and all the appliances worked normally.


    "Uncle Qiao mentioned that there is another house below this one. It would be safer for us to stay there. The entrance to the basement seems to be in the wardrobe of the bedroom..."


    As Rulu spoke, he led Nana to the bedroom and began searching the wardrobe. After some time, he finally found a locked metal secret door hidden behind a concealed wall in the wardrobe.


    Using the key that Mayor Qiao had given him, Rulu unlocked the metal door. Behind it was a staircase leading downwards. He turned on the light switch next to the stairs, helped Nana enter the secret door, and they descended the staircase into the basement.


    The basement was quite spacious, with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, all larger than the house above. There was also a secret passage in the basement, which Rulu speculated was another exit for emergencies.


    In the basement, there was a monitoring room where they could clearly see the surroundings outside the low house through a large screen.


    After inspecting the basement together, Rulu sighed and said, "It seems Uncle Qiao anticipated that he might encounter trouble long ago, which is why he prepared this house in advance. It''s unfortunate that he couldn''t live here himself, but now we can."


    Mentioning Mayor Qiao made Nana feel sad again. "Dad worried so much for us, and now he¡¯s gone. I really don¡¯t know how to repay him."


    Rulu replied, "As long as you live well, Nana, that will be the best way to repay Uncle Qiao. By the way, it''s best if you don''t leave this house from now on and avoid contact with anyone outside. Don¡¯t trust anyone, not even your old friends. Keep the existence of this house a secret, even from Captain Guan and the others. Understand?"


    Nana was taken aback for a moment and said, "Are you saying that we will live completely isolated from the outside world from now on?"


    Rulu moved closer to Nana, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and softly saying, "I know it will be lonely for you to stay here alone, but you also know that the Sanctuary is hunting us. To survive, we have no choice but to do this."


    Nana nodded, resting her head on Rulu''s shoulder and smiling as she said, "It''s okay, I can handle this little hardship. Besides, I have you here with me, right? There''s also internet access, so I won''t get bored no matter how long we stay."


    Seeing Nana smile, Rulu felt relieved. "Alright then, since you haven¡¯t fully recovered yet, you should rest for now. I''ll take care of everything else."

 Chapter 30: The New Governor

    After that, Rulu and Nana settled into this secret house. Under Rulu''s careful care, after a week, Nana gradually regained her health. One day, the two were idly sitting in the basement living room watching television when suddenly a news report caught Rulu''s attention:


    "Breaking news! Great news! The new governor of the Sanctuary, His Highness Prince Suwen, the 536th prince, has arrived in Blue Sea City. To welcome His Highness Prince Suwen, a grand welcome party will be held tonight at the central square of Blue Sea City. His Highness will also be present to deliver an important speech. Citizens who wish to witness the charm of His Highness Prince Suwen should not miss this great opportunity..."


    "That guy is here?" Rulu''s eyes sparkled with a strange light, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he began to devise a plan. After a moment, he turned to Nana, who was sitting beside him, and said, "Nana, can you cook for yourself tonight?"


    Nana looked at Rulu and smiled gently, "Of course! My health is completely restored now. Whatever dish you want, I can make it for you."


    Rulu blinked awkwardly and replied, "I won''t be eating at home. You just need to make your own meal."


    Nana''s face showed surprise, "What''s wrong? Are you going out, Rulu?"


    "Yeah, I have something to do tonight, and I might be back late."


    "What is it? Is it related to the Sanctuary?" Nana suddenly became tense, staring into Rulu''s eyes and asking in a low voice.


    "Don''t worry, Nana, it''s not anything important," Rulu said with a smile, trying to appear casual.


    Nana was taken aback for a moment. She turned her gaze away from Rulu, lowered her head, and said softly, "If I wanted you to stay home and accompany me, would you be willing?"


    Rulu replied somewhat coldly, "Nana, you¡¯re already well, and you¡¯re not a child. You don¡¯t necessarily need me to accompany you."


    Nana''s face showed a look of disappointment, "So you mean you really have to go out?"


    "What''s wrong, Nana? Are you unhappy?"


    Nana shook her head and said softly, "No."


    Seeing that Nana was in a bad mood, Rulu also became melancholic. He frowned and fell into silence, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere between them.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Suddenly, Nana lifted her face and forced a smile, "I''m sorry, I was too willful just now. I shouldn''t have interfered too much in your matters, Rulu."


    "Does that mean you agree to let me go out?" Rulu asked.


    "Yes, I understand what you want to do, and no matter how I persuade you, it won''t change your mind. But you must promise me that whatever you plan to do, you must come back safely."


    "Of course, Nana, you can rest assured," Rulu said with a relaxed smile. However, after seeing that relaxed expression on Rulu''s face, Nana felt even more worried.


    As evening approached, Rulu quickly disguised himself and left the house, driving to the vicinity of Blue Sea City''s central square. He saw that the vast square was filled with dense crowds, with at least tens of thousands of people.


    Tall metal fences had been erected around the square to separate the crowd outside, leaving a few entrances as personnel passages. Next to the metal fences, many Sanctuary soldiers armed with guns stood guard, maintaining order in the square. There were also Sanctuary mecha soldiers patrolling the area, searching for illegal elements and suspicious individuals.


    "The military has even been mobilized? With this setup, that Prince Suwen will really show up tonight. Well, let me see what tricks you have up your sleeve," Rulu thought to himself as he walked toward the entrance of the venue.


    When Rulu reached the entrance, a uniformed guard immediately approached him and said in an uncompromising tone, "Only official residents of this city can enter the venue. To get in, you must present your identification."


    Rulu smiled slightly, pulled out a card from his pocket, and handed it to the guard, saying, "Here you go."


    The guard took the card and found that it was a store discount membership card. He couldn''t help but feel a bit angry, "I told you to show me your ID, and look at what you brought?!"


    "No, this is my ID!" Rulu said, feigning surprise as he stared into the guard''s eyes.


    The guard was taken aback for a moment, then looked closely at the card again. He finally said, "Oh... oh, I must have been seeing things. Your identification is fine; you can go in." After saying that, he returned the card to Rulu.


    Rulu successfully entered the venue and found a good spot with a clear view. After a while, the party began. On the central stage of the square, performances started, but Rulu wasn''t there for the performances. He watched the shows with boredom while patiently waiting. He didn''t know how much time had passed¡ª


    Suddenly, the venue erupted with excitement, and the crowd shouted in screams: "Look, His Highness Prince Suwen is coming out!"


    "Prince, look over here! Quick, look this way!"


    "Prince, I love you! Let me be your wife!"


    As the crowd shouted frantically, they surged towards the central stage, and the guards had to exert a lot of effort to hold back the crowd and prevent a safety incident.


    Amid the cheers of the crowd, a man dressed in a purple-gold robe, of shorter stature, and appearing to be in his forties, slowly walked out from backstage, accompanied by several guards.


    Rulu observed this man closely. Although he wore an extravagant purple-gold robe, his appearance was extremely ordinary, the kind that one would forget after a glance. The man''s mood seemed to be quite poor; he kept a stern face with a lifeless expression, and there was a hint of hostility in his eyes, evoking a sense of disgust in those who looked at him.

 Chapter 31: The Princes Speech

    Although the prince of the Sanctuary was not handsome and could even be described as repulsive, the audience below looked at him with admiration and respect. The female host on the platform even directly knelt down in front of Prince Suwen.


    The host knelt on the ground, her face full of flattery as she said to Prince Suwen, "It is truly my honor to see Your Highness. Your presence in our Blue Sea City is a great honor for all the citizens of Blue Sea City. On behalf of all the citizens, I welcome your arrival."


    "Get up." The muscles on Prince Suwen''s face twitched, revealing a disdainful smile. He spoke in a dry, emotionless tone, never once looking directly at the host, instead glancing at her from the corner of his eye as she knelt before him.


    "Thank you, Your Highness." The host felt blessed, slowly rising from the ground. With her hands on her chest, her eyes sparkled as if she were mesmerized, staring at Prince Suwen''s distasteful face.


    "Move aside, you fool." One of the guards beside Prince Suwen saw the host dazedly standing there and pushed her hard, causing her to stumble back several steps, nearly falling to the ground.


    Prince Suwen didn''t even glance at the host. Accompanied by the guards, he stepped up to the microphone on the platform, wearing a fake, stiff smile. Holding the microphone, he looked at the nearby sign with prompt text and began reading the speech in a tone devoid of any emotion:


    "Dear citizens of Blue Sea City, I am very pleased to be here today, taking on the role of governor of Blue Sea City. I hope to have a pleasant interaction with all of you during my term and I hope that you will support me in creating a prosperous and strong Blue Sea City together.


    I believe everyone already knows that the former governor of Blue Sea City unfortunately passed away in a terrorist attack. In light of the unfortunate events that befell the former governor, I hope that all citizens will refrain from participating in any activities related to terrorist organizations and will not provide any assistance to terrorists. If you have any information about terrorists, please provide it to us immediately to help us eliminate these elements that bring instability to society.


    For those citizens who assist our Sanctuary and contribute to our Sanctuary, we will reward them. For those who make significant contributions to the Sanctuary, we will give them even greater rewards. As long as you are willing to work hard, you will have the opportunity to become citizens of the Sanctuary Empire, and even have the chance to meet His Majesty the Emperor in person.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    You will have the opportunity to live in my hometown, the Sanctuary Empire, which is a beautiful world full of happiness. Once you get there, you will gain the power of immortality. You will no longer live as mere mortals, but as divine beings. From then on, the whole world will be at your feet, and you will be immortal, living as long as the heavens, never having to face pain or death..."


    Prince Suwen''s speech lasted about ten to twenty minutes. Although his tone during the speech was completely flat and he merely read from the script, the audience was deeply moved after he finished speaking. Many people were in tears after listening to Prince Suwen''s speech. It was unclear who started it first, but soon someone began to shout emotionally:


    "Long live the Sanctuary! Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live the Sanctuary! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"


    "I love you, Sanctuary! I am willing to serve you for a lifetime, to be your servant!"


    "I want immortality! Take me to the Sanctuary! I don''t want to be a mortal; I want to become a divine being!"


    After that, others began to shout along. People turned red in the face, filled with passion, as if they had gone mad, constantly shouting at the top of their lungs. The entire venue was filled with deafening cries, and the crowd''s emotions reached a peak.


    After Prince Suwen finished his speech, he retreated backstage under the escort of his guards. The crowd seemed to go crazy, pushing and shoving each other towards the platform, wanting to get closer to Prince Suwen.


    Many people fell to the ground in the pushing and shoving, and the surging crowd completely ignored those who had fallen, trampling over them as they squeezed toward the platform.


    The entire square was in chaos, and the scene was completely out of control. More and more people fell and were injured in the crowd, even dying, while Prince Suwen paid no attention to the chaos. He left the venue through the staff passage with the guards accompanying him.


    "How ignorant and foolish these people are, to worship the powerful to this extent," Rulu said with disgust as he looked at the frenzied crowd around him. Seeing that Prince Suwen had already left the venue, he also exited through the staff passage and went to the exit near the staff area to see where Prince Suwen had gone.


    A nearby guard noticed Rulu''s suspicious behavior and immediately approached him, sternly questioning, "What are you doing sneaking around here? Show me your identification!"


    "Just in time..." Rulu smiled slightly, turning his gaze to the guard and asking, "May I ask if you know where Prince Suwen is now?"


    "Why do you want to know about Prince Suwen?" The guard glared at Rulu, his demeanor very cautious.


    "I have something very important to discuss with Prince Suwen. Please help me," Rulu said, his eyes glowing with an unusual light as he inquired again.


    Upon seeing Rulu''s eyes, the guard''s previously tense expression immediately softened. He said, "Oh, Prince Suwen has already left here. If you want to find him, you can go over there; I saw him go into that house over there just now."


    As the guard spoke, he pointed to a two-story house in the distance.


    "Thank you so much! I''m all set now; you can go back to your duties," Rulu replied. After hearing this, the guard left Rulu, and Rulu quietly walked towards the two-story house pointed out by the guard.

 Chapter 32: Infiltration

    Rulu arrived near the large mansion and hid in a dark corner, surveying the building. He noticed that there were many soldiers armed with guns standing guard around the mansion, and several humanoid armored soldiers patrolling nearby.


    "There are so many guards around this house; Prince Suwen must be inside. I need to find a way to sneak in," Rulu thought to himself. He spotted a courtyard behind the mansion, where a large tree with lush leaves stood, and an idea formed in his mind.


    Rulu took out a black sphere from his pocket and threw it toward a garbage pile fifty meters away in front of the mansion. With a loud "bang," the black sphere transformed into an orange-red fireball, flying into the garbage pile, which instantly erupted into a crackling blaze.


    "What¡¯s happening? Why is there a fire over there?!"


    "I think I just saw a fireball fly in."


    "Quick, go put it out! His Highness the Prince is resting; we mustn''t disturb him."


    The burning garbage pile attracted the attention of the guards surrounding the mansion, and many rushed toward the fire. Seizing this opportunity, Rulu flew up on the wind, rising twenty meters above the ground, bypassing the guards surrounding the house, and headed toward the courtyard behind the mansion, landing on the large tree inside.


    Hiding in the tree, Rulu cautiously examined the dark courtyard. After confirming that no one was inside, he flew down and approached the back door of the mansion, entering the interior of the building.


    Inside the mansion, it was dark and silent, seemingly devoid of people. Rulu made no sound as he carefully navigated through the dark interior and arrived at the reception hall on the first floor.


    Suddenly, voices emerged from a slightly ajar door. Rulu quietly approached the room, pressing his eye against the crack to look inside.


    The room was brightly lit, resembling a study. There were two people inside; the man sitting in a chair was none other than Prince Suwen, whom Rulu had seen earlier. The other was a burly, bald man in a purple uniform, standing about three meters away from Prince Suwen and conversing with him.


    "This disgusting place makes me sick; I feel uncomfortable all over, as if I''ve aged ten years. Having to see these lowly scum every day, I just want to kill them all," Prince Suwen said, his facial muscles twitching nervously, his eyes filled with hostility.


    The bald man wore a flattering smile and spoke softly, "Your Highness, there''s no need to be too angry. Earlier, you mentioned coming to our Blue Sea City as the governor because His Majesty the Emperor has important tasks for you. If you can successfully complete what His Majesty has assigned, perhaps you can return to the Sanctuary soon."


    "Hmph, it¡¯s not that easy," Prince Suwen replied darkly, coldly saying, "This task was originally supposed to be handled by the court mages, but recently, they were found dead in the underground tunnels nearby, forcing the Emperor to send someone else to handle it."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The bald man said, "I¡¯ve heard about this; it seems those two court mages encountered rebels in the underground tunnels and were unfortunately killed in battle."


    Prince Suwen nodded, "Yes, at that time, the court mages had already located the person the Emperor was looking for and were about to bring her back to the Sanctuary when something went wrong. Now, the person the Emperor wants has gone missing, and because of this, the Emperor is furious and nearly decided to dismiss all the military leaders in Blue Sea City."


    The bald man was sweating and cautiously said, "Although I am responsible for the military in Blue Sea City, the situation arose suddenly, and I couldn¡¯t mobilize a large force in a short time, which allowed the rebels to succeed. May I ask, Your Highness, who exactly is the person the Emperor is looking for? If you tell me, I will do everything in my power to help you find her and make up for my past mistakes."


    Prince Suwen looked at the bald man with great caution and said, "This matter is highly confidential. After you learn about it, do not let anyone else know. If even a hint of this leaks, not only will your life be in danger, but I will also be held accountable."


    The bald man was taken aback and quickly replied, "I will keep my mouth shut and ensure that not a single word of this gets out."


    Prince Suwen replied with a soft "Hmm," saying quietly, "It¡¯s a woman; the person the Emperor is looking for is a young woman with green hair."


    "A young woman with green hair?!" Upon hearing this, the bald man was stunned, and Rulu, who was eavesdropping outside the door, was equally astonished, as it was clear that the woman Prince Suwen mentioned was the one he had encountered in the underground tunnel.


    Prince Suwen continued, "This woman escaped from our Sanctuary not long ago and came to this area. The Emperor said she is extremely important; not only does she possess strange powers, but she also knows all the secrets of our Sanctuary Empire, which concerns the very survival of our entire Sanctuary. Therefore, we must find her at any cost."


    "So that''s how it is," the bald man solemnly nodded. Suddenly, he thought of something and said, "In my humble opinion, since the court mages have been killed by the rebels, it¡¯s possible that the woman the Emperor is looking for might already be dead. If that¡¯s the case, no matter how hard we try, we won¡¯t find her."


    Prince Suwen pondered, "General Flying Tiger, you have a point. I actually told the Emperor the same thing. Can you guess what the Emperor said to me?"


    General Flying Tiger replied, "I am ignorant and cannot guess what His Majesty said."


    Prince Suwen''s expression turned serious as he said, "The Emperor said this woman cannot be killed. Even if she is torn to pieces and her body turned to ashes, she will not die."


    "How is that possible? How can there be such a person in the world?!" General Flying Tiger exclaimed, and Rulu, overhearing this, was also shocked and nearly cried out.


    "Those are the Emperor''s own words. Are you implying that you doubt the Emperor?!" Prince Suwen glared at General Flying Tiger with displeasure.


    "No, no, I didn¡¯t mean that," General Flying Tiger quickly shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "Since this woman is still alive, she is very likely hiding in Blue Sea City. I will immediately issue a notice to fully hunt down this green-haired woman to help you complete what His Majesty has assigned."


    "Fool!" Prince Suwen scolded sharply, "Have you already forgotten that this matter is highly confidential? The Emperor said that no one should know about this woman, not even what she looks like. If you do that, won¡¯t this matter be completely exposed?!"


    General Flying Tiger said, looking troubled, "Then what should we do? If we can¡¯t even describe her appearance, how are we supposed to find her?"


    "Hmph, if it were that easy, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t have sent me to handle this matter. Let me tell you, if this task fails, I will never be able to return to the Sanctuary, and your future will end here as well. But if we succeed, not only can I return to the Sanctuary, but you can also accompany me to the Sanctuary to take credit with the Emperor. Perhaps if the Emperor is pleased, he will allow you to stay in the Sanctuary, and you can enjoy eternal life there."

 Chapter 33: Royal Struggles

    Feihu General''s face lit up with joy as he quickly said, "Thank you for your promotion, Your Highness. I will not disappoint your expectations and will do my utmost to accomplish this task for you."


    Prince Suwen replied, "That''s good. You may leave now. Don''t disturb me unless it''s important."


    "Yes," Feihu General responded and then exited the room, leaving the mansion through the main door of the living room.


    After Feihu General left, Prince Suwen stayed in the room for a while before stepping out of his study. At that moment, a figure approached and pressed a hard, black object against Prince Suwen''s lower back.


    "If you want to live, don''t make a sound!" A cold, sinister voice spoke from behind Prince Suwen, who was startled. Realizing that a gun was pressed against his back, he immediately stood still and remained silent.


    "Sit down in that chair over there," the cold voice commanded again. Prince Suwen obediently sat down in a chair in the living room.


    Soft footsteps echoed as a young man wearing a white smiling mask and holding a gun appeared before Prince Suwen. This masked man was none other than Rulu, who had been eavesdropping outside the room earlier.


    "Who are you? What do you want from me?!" Prince Suwen tried to stay calm as he addressed the masked man.


    "It seems you haven''t quite grasped the situation," Rulu said in a low, emotionless tone. "Your life is in my hands, so it''s me who asks the questions, not you. Do you understand?"


    Prince Suwen let out a cold laugh and said, "Don''t you know I''m a prince of the Sanctuary? The people of the Sanctuary possess extraordinary Psionic power that ordinary people don''t have. Do you really think you can kill me with just that gun?"


    Rulu also laughed, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn''t be so sure, but you''re different, Prince Suwen. I know that you are the most mediocre prince of the Sanctuary. You''re just a beginner Ultra-capable, with Psionic power so weak it''s almost nonexistent. Don''t even need me; any ordinary person could kill you!"


    Prince Suwen''s eyes flashed with fear as he said, "Who are you? Where did you hear about these things?"


    "If you don''t want to die, shut up and just answer my questions!" Rulu raised his hand, aiming the gun at Prince Suwen''s head. This made Prince Suwen comply immediately. "Alright... I understand. Ask whatever you want, and I''ll tell you everything."


    After a moment of thought, Rulu recalled the conversation between Prince Suwen and Feihu General earlier and asked, "I heard that you came here on the Emperor''s orders to find a green-haired woman. Is that correct?"You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "You already know that?!" Prince Suwen''s forehead was beaded with sweat, realizing that the Emperor had strictly warned him not to leak this information, yet it had already been exposed so quickly.


    "What does that woman look like?" Rulu asked again.


    "Well..." Prince Suwen''s eyes gleamed with cunning as he said, "She''s about 1.5 meters tall, slightly overweight, yellowish skin, a big nose, and small eyes..."


    "Stop right there!" Rulu interrupted Prince Suwen, saying, "It''s not that easy to lie to me. I''ll ask you again: what does that woman look like?"


    This time, Rulu''s tone was peculiar, and the eyes behind the white mask flickered with an eerie light. Prince Suwen, upon being stared at by Rulu, suddenly relaxed, leaning back comfortably in his chair with a calm expression.


    "She''s about 1.68 meters tall, looks around seventeen years old, has a¹Ï×ÓÁ³ (oval-shaped face), a slim figure, very fair skin, and long hair..."


    "So it really is that woman," Rulu thought to himself. After hearing Prince Suwen''s description, he could confirm that the Emperor was looking for the same green-haired woman who had given him Spiritual-power earlier. He asked again, "What''s that woman''s name? Why is she so important that the Emperor must find her?"


    Prince Suwen shook his head, "I don''t know. The Emperor only told me about her appearance and her ability to never die. He didn''t reveal much else to me."


    "It seems this woman is indeed very important. The Emperor wouldn''t even reveal much information to his own son," Rulu thought. At this moment, he was using Spiritual-power to control Prince Suwen, ensuring that the prince wouldn''t lie to him. Rulu said, "Alright, now I want to ask you about something else."


    "Please, go ahead," Prince Suwen said calmly and cooperatively.


    "Do you know about the 75th Imperial Concubine of the Sanctuary and her children?"


    "I do." Prince Suwen slowly began, "The 75th Imperial Concubine was the 75th wife of the Emperor of the Sanctuary. About twenty years ago, she was chosen by the Emperor and brought into the Sanctuary, where she bore the Emperor a son and a daughter. About seven years ago, the concubine and her children were assassinated by an assassin. The concubine and her daughter died in the assassination, but her son managed to escape. Shortly after the assassination, the young prince left the Sanctuary. It''s rumored that the Emperor exiled him, leaving him to fend for himself in the outside world..."


    "That''s exactly right," Rulu said, growing excited and his voice trembling slightly after hearing Prince Suwen''s words. "I have one more question for you: do you know who planned that assassination? Who was the mastermind behind it?"


    "I know a little."


    "Who was it?!" Rulu asked urgently.


    Prince Suwen replied, "Many people were involved in this event, and many were worried about exposure, so they didn''t reveal their identities. The mastermind behind the assassination is still unclear, but it''s certain that all those involved were members of the royal family, mostly the Emperor''s children."


    "Why? Why would they kill their own relatives? What was the reason for doing this?!" Rulu clenched his teeth in anger.


    Prince Suwen explained, "At that time, the 75th Imperial Concubine was the Emperor''s most beloved wife, and her children, especially her son, were extremely intelligent with a rare talent for magical Psionic power. The Emperor had the intention of grooming this prince as his successor, which threatened the interests of most royal family members. Many were afraid that when this prince grew up, their positions in the Sanctuary would be threatened, so they conspired to carry out the assassination."


    "So that''s how it was. These despicable scoundrels!" Rulu said through gritted teeth, slamming his fist hard on the wooden table beside him, producing a loud "thud."

 Chapter 34 The Smell of Blood

    Suddenly, Rulu thought of an important question. He stared at Prince Suwen''s face and slowly said, "I remember that your relationship with the 75th Empress is not very good, Prince Suwen. I ask you, were you involved in the assassination attempt against the 75th Empress?!"


    Prince Suwen was taken aback for a moment, a look of struggle appeared in his eyes, as if he wanted to refuse to answer Rulu''s question. But in the end, he spoke up: "I am the most mediocre prince in the Sanctuary. I can barely stay here with the help of other royal relatives and friends. The Emperor has always looked down on me and is quite dissatisfied with my presence in the Sanctuary. The 75th Empress and her child are a huge threat to me. If the child of the 75th Empress grows up, I will definitely be expelled from the Sanctuary. Therefore, I cannot allow them to live. I was also one of the planners of that assassination attempt."


    "What? You bastard, you are the one who caused the death of my mother and sister!?" Rulu''s pupils suddenly constricted, and he let out a furious roar, swinging his fist to smash into Prince Suwen''s face. However, as a magic Ultra-capable, the force of this punch was not very strong. Although Prince Suwen was hit by Rulu''s angry punch, he was not seriously injured.


    "What... what else do you know? Speak up!?" Rulu was extremely agitated, shouting in anger. Perhaps because he was too emotional, a strong pain surged in his head, making it difficult for him to concentrate and continue controlling Prince Suwen.


    Prince Suwen looked bewildered. He opened his mouth but said nothing. Rulu covered his forehead with his hand, enduring the intense pain, and shouted at Prince Suwen again, "What else do you know? Who else was involved in that assassination? Tell me everything you know!"


    "Who is inside?!" Suddenly, a voice from outside the door called out. Then there was a loud bang, and the door exploded open. General Feihu crashed through the door, entering the hall.


    "Damn it, how dare you obstruct me!" Rulu glared at General Feihu with hatred. He aimed his pistol at General Feihu and fired six shots in quick succession. Two of the bullets hit General Feihu in the chest and abdomen, piercing through his body, and bright red blood began to seep from the wounds.


    General Feihu let out a furious roar. Although he was hit by the bullets, he did not fall. His eyes widened, and with a loud shout, he pushed off the ground, propelling his strong body like a cannonball, flying seven or eight meters toward Rulu.


    With a dull thud, Rulu was struck by General Feihu''s body, flying back four or five meters before crashing to the ground. His pistol fell to the side. General Feihu''s face turned pale as he pressed his palm against the area where he had been shot and squeezed hard.


    With two "thud" sounds, the bullets were forced out of General Feihu''s wounds, dropping to the ground, while his wounds ceased bleeding. In less than ten seconds, the wounded area had completely healed.


    "This guy is a Level 4 Refining Body Ultra-capable, capable of rapid healing. I need to take down Prince Suwen first." Rulu calmed down at this point. He struggled to get up from the ground, picked up the pistol, and aimed it at the trembling Prince Suwen, who was cowering in the corner.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Not good, I can''t let His Highness get hurt!" General Feihu''s expression changed as he leaped toward Prince Suwen, covering him with his large body. Rulu pulled the trigger, firing continuously at Prince Suwen. The room was filled with sharp gunfire.


    Because General Feihu used his body to shield Prince Suwen, all the bullets aimed at Prince Suwen hit General Feihu''s back instead, and Prince Suwen was unharmed. Rulu emptied the bullets in his pistol, and Prince Suwen remained unscathed.


    "Help! There¡¯s an assassin!"


    "Prince Suwen is under attack by an assassin!"


    Outside the room, hurried footsteps could be heard as the soldiers guarding the area noticed something was wrong. They shouted while rushing toward the mansion.


    "I can''t stay here any longer; otherwise, I won''t be able to escape. Just wait for me; this matter is not over!" Rulu glared at Prince Suwen fiercely, then ran up the stairs to the second floor and jumped out of the balcony window, flying away with the wind.


    "The assassin is out! Don''t let him escape!" The soldiers outside shouted loudly when they saw Rulu fly out. A large number of soldiers and armored troops rushed toward Rulu, aiming their weapons at him.


    "Cover me, don''t let them chase me." Rulu''s eyes glinted, and he fixed his gaze on a nearby soldier who looked like a captain. The soldier was taken aback for a moment, then raised his hands and shouted, "General Feihu and Prince Suwen have ordered, do not fire! Let him go, do not pursue the assassin."


    Hearing this, the other soldiers and armored troops froze in place, looking confused at the soldier who spoke. They did not pursue or attack Rulu, allowing him to escape smoothly. Rulu blended into the crowd in the square, found his car, and drove away.


    Worried about being tracked, Rulu did not return directly to the secret house in the cemetery. He drove his car to a large market far from the cemetery, burned the blood-stained clothes and mask, changed into a new outfit, and walked back to the cemetery under the cover of night, returning home.


    "Rulu, you¡¯re back!" As soon as he entered the basement of the house, Nana joyfully came out from another room to greet Rulu.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Why are you still awake so late, Nana?" Rulu asked with a relaxed and carefree expression, pretending as if nothing had happened, smiling at Nana.


    Nana quickly walked to Rulu''s side. After carefully examining him and finding no obvious injuries, a smile of relief appeared on her face, and she said joyfully, "Great! Rulu, you¡¯re okay. I was really worried about you getting into trouble outside."


    "Nana, don''t say such silly things. Don''t worry about me. Your body has just recovered; you need to rest well," Rulu said gently, giving Nana a light hug.


    Nana smiled and replied, "As long as you come back safely, I¡¯ll be at ease. Have you eaten dinner, Rulu? Do you want me to cook something for you?"


    "No need, I¡¯ve already eaten outside. Nana, you..." Just then, Rulu felt a strong stabbing pain and dizziness in his head. He felt the world spinning, his vision blurred, and his body swayed before he fell to the ground.


    Nana let out an "ah" and quickly grabbed Rulu''s shoulders, supporting him as he fell. She looked worriedly at Rulu''s pained face and asked anxiously, "What¡¯s wrong, Rulu? What happened?"


    Rulu shook his head, covering his forehead with his hand, and weakly said, "It''s nothing. I''m just a bit tired and dizzy. A sleep will fix it. Nana, let me go."


    "Are you really okay, Rulu?" Nana cautiously loosened her grip.


    "Really, I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to worry, and it¡¯s getting late. You should rest early too." Rulu said this while trying to suppress the pain and dizziness in his head, walking into his bedroom.


    "Then Rulu, you take care and rest well. I¡¯m going to bed too." Nana called out toward Rulu''s bedroom, then walked toward her own room. After taking a few steps, she stopped again, frowning slightly and whispering, "Huh? Why does Rulu smell like blood? Could it be...?"

 Chapter 35: The Price of Power

    Rulu felt very uncomfortable. He lay in bed, wanting to fall asleep quickly to alleviate the discomfort in his head. However, after lying down, the discomfort not only did not subside but instead intensified.


    Rulu felt something in his head constantly expanding, and it was as if his head was about to explode with unbearable pain. At the same time, his eyes felt as if they were being pricked by steel needles, causing excruciating pain. Rulu lay in bed for two or three hours, unable to sleep at all due to the intense pain in his head.


    "What¡¯s going on? Why does my head hurt so much? This has never happened before!" Rulu¡¯s mind was in chaos, and he felt unable to control his thoughts. Hallucinations appeared in his mind, flashing various strange images before his eyes. Sometimes he saw smiling faces, sometimes angry ones, and it was driving Rulu almost insane.


    "Right, it must be that woman with green hair. It¡¯s definitely that strange psionic power she gave me that caused me to end up like this." Rulu suddenly remembered that before he encountered that green-haired woman, he had never experienced such problems. He suspected that the power from the green-haired woman was what had driven him to madness.


    "That woman, that damn witch! It¡¯s you who turned me into this! Where are you? Come out now!" Rulu struck his own head with his fist, trying to relieve the pain. However, this not only failed to improve his condition but instead intensified the agony. Rulu collapsed on the bed, curling up and holding his head, feeling as if his mind was about to break.


    "Ding dong, ding dong¡ª"


    At that moment, the doorbell rang from the direction of the living room. Rulu jolted awake and quickly got out of bed. He thought to himself that only he and Nana knew about this house, and now it was the middle of the night. Who could be ringing the doorbell at this hour? Could it be the Sanctuary''s army coming for him?


    Rulu quickly dressed and went to the monitoring room. He looked at the surveillance screen and was instantly taken aback. Rulu rushed out of the basement and opened the door to the house.


    "I heard you were looking for me?" a playful, bell-like voice of a young woman rang out in front of Rulu.


    Along with this voice, a young woman dressed in black with a white long robe and long, greenish-blue hair appeared before Rulu. She wore a smirk on her face and fixed her sharp gaze on Rulu''s face.


    "It¡¯s you, you damn witch!" Rulu shouted fiercely. He grabbed the green-haired woman''s hand and forcefully dragged her inside, shutting the door behind them.


    "What are you doing? Can¡¯t you be a little gentler? After all, I saved you before," the green-haired woman complained. She did not resist and obediently followed Rulu into the bright hall.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Rulu released her and took a moment to collect himself. Pressing his hand against his forehead, he stared at the green-haired woman''s fair face and said, "You... how did you get here? Weren¡¯t you already...?" Rulu wanted to say that this woman was dead, but he remembered Prince Suwen''s words that this woman could not be killed, so he stopped speaking.


    "You were going to say I was already dead, weren''t you?" The green-haired woman rubbed her wrist, which Rulu had grabbed earlier, and said with indifference, "Unfortunately, I¡¯m not that easy to kill. If I had actually died back then, it would have been a kind of happiness for me."


    "Let¡¯s put aside whether you¡¯re dead or not for now. How did you find this place? Were you stalking me?" Rulu organized his thoughts and questioned the green-haired woman.


    "I wasn¡¯t stalking you; I just knew your location," the green-haired woman said while curiously looking around. "Your house is quite nice¡ªbig and bright. Can you take me to the bathroom? I haven¡¯t showered in days..."


    "Be serious! I have questions for you." Rulu grabbed the woman¡¯s face with both hands, forcing her to look at him. "I want to know what you did to me that day in the underground tunnel. Why does my head hurt so much? Did you cause this?!"


    "Yes, but not entirely," the green-haired woman blinked and observed Rulu''s pained face. "It seems you''ve suffered serious spiritual damage. What have you been doing these past few days? Have you been using the power I gave you recklessly?"


    "It really is you causing trouble!" Rulu made a fierce expression and shouted at the green-haired woman. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to harm me?!"


    At this moment, the pain in Rulu''s head began to flare up again. He showed a painful expression, and his body trembled nervously, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.


    The green-haired woman sighed, a hint of sadness appearing in her eyes. She said softly, "Does it hurt a lot? Come, let me help you." With that, she reached out her hands toward Rulu''s head.


    Rulu initially wanted to step back and evade, but seeing the sadness in her eyes touched him, and he stood still, not resisting or avoiding her.


    The green-haired woman pressed her palms against Rulu''s temples. She looked deeply into Rulu''s eyes, and Rulu felt something being drawn out of his brain. The relentless pain in his head began to dissipate, and his mind gradually stabilized, with his emotions no longer as agitated as before.


    "Alright, for now, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you with a deeper repair later."


    About ten minutes later, the green-haired woman said this as she removed her hands from Rulu''s head. At this moment, Rulu also breathed a sigh of relief; the discomfort in his head had completely vanished.


    "I... what happened to me just now? What did you do to me?" Now that his head no longer hurt, Rulu felt better and calmly spoke to the green-haired woman.


    The green-haired woman replied irritably, "Isn¡¯t this your own fault? If you hadn¡¯t been using the power I gave you at such a high frequency and intensity, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this."


    Rulu was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Are you saying that using that psionic power to control others can also cause spiritual harm to myself?"


    "Of course! You don¡¯t really think this kind of power can be used casually, do you? While you¡¯re using this power to influence others, you will also suffer spiritual damage. The more you use it, and the greater the intensity, the more severe the damage you¡¯ll incur."


    Rulu realized this and complained, "Since this power can backfire, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? Ultimately, it¡¯s still your fault for harming me."


    The woman¡¯s bright eyes widened, and she said somewhat unhappily, "You¡¯re blaming me? Did you forget that I died immediately after giving you that power? How could I tell you?"

 Chapter 36 The Girl Named C.C.

    "Well, I guess I misunderstood you," Rulu said after recalling how the woman had saved his life earlier, and he decided not to dwell on the pain he had just suffered. His resentment toward her had completely faded.


    "Are you satisfied now? Got nothing to say?" The green-haired woman, wearing a teasing smile, gazed at Rulu''s face and spoke.


    Rulu let out a disgruntled "hmph" and replied, "Don''t get too smug. There''s still one question: what exactly did you do to me just now? Can you not only give me that strange Spiritual-power but also help me heal from that mental damage?"


    The woman tilted her head slightly, "Haven''t you already guessed? Why ask me?"


    Rulu pondered for a moment and said, "So, your purpose in coming here is to help me eliminate my mental damage?"


    "Sort of. Besides, I really need a place to stay, and your house is quite nice."


    "Did you come alone?"


    "I''ve always been alone. Can we not discuss this right now? Can I at least take a comfortable shower first before we talk?"


    Rulu thought for a moment. Since this woman had found her way here and had previously saved him, he felt there was no need to hide anything from her. He said, "Then come with me." He walked to the bedroom and entered the secret passage in the wardrobe, leading to the basement.


    "Wow, your house is really nice. You even have such a large basement¡ªit''s both safe and comfortable. Are there any rooms here where I can stay?" The green-haired woman followed Rulu into the secret basement, curiously surveying her surroundings with surprise.


    "We can discuss those things later. You should go take a shower first," Rulu said, leading her to the bathroom door in the basement. The green-haired woman immediately opened the glass sliding door of the bathroom, stepped in, took off her outer clothes, and turned on the shower to wash herself.


    "Is the water temperature okay?" Rulu called out from outside the bathroom.


    "It''s fine, very comfortable. By the way, I don''t have any clean clothes to change into. Can you help me prepare some?" The woman''s lazy voice came from the bathroom.


    "I can''t find any clothes for you right now. Can you wear mine?" Rulu replied, as he didn''t want to wake Nana, who was currently sleeping.


    "That''s fine. Also, I''m hungry. Go prepare some food for me."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "You really know how to boss people around, don''t you? Alright, after you finish showering, come directly to my room. The door is open, so don''t get lost."


    "Got it."


    Afterward, Rulu took a clean set of white pajamas and a pair of slippers, placing them outside the bathroom door. He also grabbed some bread and other instant food from the pantry and returned to his bedroom.


    After a while, the green-haired woman finished her shower. Wearing slippers and Rulu''s white pajamas, she wiped her wet hair with a towel as she entered Rulu''s bedroom. Rulu stepped outside to check the surroundings and, finding that Nana had not been disturbed, quickly returned to the bedroom and closed the door.


    "Wow, so much food!" The woman exclaimed as she entered the bedroom and saw a lot of snacks on the bed. Her eyes lit up, and she tossed the towel aside, jumping onto the bed to grab the snacks.


    "Hey, what are you doing? You''re all wet, and your hair is still damp! Don''t get my bed all wet!" Rulu shouted, rushing over to pull the green-haired woman off his bed and onto a chair at the side.


    The green-haired woman completely ignored Rulu. She sat on the chair, grabbed some snacks, and began to devour them hungrily.


    Rulu stood by, watching her eat like a starved animal, and couldn''t help but comment, "You look so cute, but your eating habits are quite unrefined."


    She shot Rulu a glare and replied, "I¡¯m starving! Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"


    Rulu said, "Look, your hair is still wet. If you''re going to eat, at least dry your hair first; otherwise, you might get sick."


    "Don''t worry, I''m not that easy to get sick. If it bothers you so much, just help me dry my hair."


    "What a troublesome woman," Rulu said helplessly, shaking his head and sighing. He sat beside her, took a towel, and began to dry her long hair, which reached her waist, before getting out a hairdryer to help her dry her hair.


    "By the way, I still don''t know your name," Rulu said while using the hairdryer.


    "C.C. Just call me that," the green-haired woman replied.


    Rulu frowned, "C.C.? Is there really such a name in the world? How do you write it?"


    "I don''t know how to write it either; just pronounce it like I just did."


    "Uh... alright then. Let me introduce myself. My name is..."


    Before Rulu could finish, the green-haired woman interrupted him, "No need. I already know your name¡ªPrince Rulu Kaisa of the Sanctuary..."


    Rulu was startled and stood up abruptly, looking at the woman named C.C. with a panicked expression. "How... how do you know about me? Who are you?"


    C.C. turned to look at Rulu and, noticing his alarmed face, found it quite odd. "Why are you so nervous? When I gave you that kind of Spiritual-power, I saw some of your past memories, which is how I know these things."


    "Oh, I see... that''s a relief," Rulu said, feeling slightly more at ease. He sat back down, casually helping C.C. with her long hair while speaking in a low voice, "I must warn you in advance, C.C., that I am a prince of the Sanctuary, and this information must remain a secret. No one, especially people from the Sanctuary, can know about this. If you leak this information, I won''t let you off easily."


    C.C. chuckled softly, "How scary. But don''t worry, I don''t have a habit of spreading other people''s secrets, and I''m being hunted by the Sanctuary myself. We can say we''re in the same boat; I have no reason to betray you."


    "That''s the best way. Also, I''ve long abandoned that surname; just call me by my name."


    "Rulu, is it okay if I call you Rulu?"


    "Exactly."


    After that, a period of silence followed. C.C. continued to eat the snacks Rulu had given her, while Rulu continued to dry her hair. By the time C.C. finished her snacks, Rulu had completely dried her damp hair.

 Chapter 37 Contract

    "Alright, it''s time to get to the point." Rulu put down the hairdryer, grabbed C.C.''s shoulders with both hands, and turned her to face him. He stared sharply at C.C.''s face, constantly pondering one thing in his mind.


    "Hmm? What do you want to do?" C.C. showed no signs of panic despite Rulu''s intense gaze; instead, she looked back at him with calm, unwavering eyes.


    "I want to know about you, C.C.¡ªeverything about you!" Rulu said decisively.


    "How troublesome," C.C. turned her face away, looking quite unwilling as she said, "I don''t like talking about myself; in fact, I can say I hate it. I hope you won''t ask me anything related to myself."


    "No, I have to ask." Rulu turned C.C.''s face back to him and said seriously, "I just want to know your relationship with the Sanctuary, why you left the Sanctuary, and why the Emperor of the Sanctuary is after you."


    "You''re really stubborn," C.C. sighed lightly and retorted, "What about you, Rulu? Why did you leave the Sanctuary and come here?"


    "I''m the one asking the questions now, don''t answer my question with another question!" Rulu emphasized.


    C.C. snorted coldly and said, "How cunning. You don''t want to share your own matters but want others to share theirs."


    Rulu defended himself, "I have my reasons. If I don''t understand your situation, it could put me and the people around me in danger."


    C.C. replied, "So what? Don''t forget, without the power I gave you, you would have already died a few days ago."


    "Are you going to tell me or not? I can kill without blinking; don''t force me¡ª" Rulu extended his hands and grasped C.C.''s neck, making a fierce expression.


    "I''ve already died in front of you once; do you think that will work on me?" C.C. remained completely unfazed, her expression icy.


    "Uh, how about this: if you tell me about these things, I''ll let you stay here and provide you with lots of delicious food and snacks every day. How about that?" Rulu released his grip on C.C.''s neck and spoke softly, trying to entice her.


    "Sounds good, but I''m a bit tired now. Let''s talk about this later. Good night... Rulu." C.C. ignored Rulu, yawned, stood up, and flopped onto the bed in the bedroom.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "You wicked woman, do you think this will leave me helpless?" Rulu, somewhat angry, climbed onto the bed, fell onto C.C., and pressed her down with his palms, looking at her with a gloomy gaze from close range.


    "Answer my question, C.C. What is your relationship with the Sanctuary? Why are you so important that the Emperor must find you?" Rulu''s eyes glinted with intensity as he spoke in a peculiar tone.


    C.C. widened her eyes as she looked at Rulu''s face. After a moment of surprise, she couldn''t help but laugh, "Do you think making that strange expression will make me listen to you?"


    "What¡¯s going on? Why isn''t the Spiritual-power working?" Rulu was secretly puzzled and focused again, staring into C.C.''s eyes as he said, "C.C., I want you to tell me everything you know about the Sanctuary!"


    C.C. wiped the smile off her face and looked sharply into Rulu''s eyes, saying coldly, "Don''t waste your effort; Spiritual-power is ineffective against me. You can''t control me."


    "How could this be..." Rulu was momentarily stunned, feeling somewhat at a loss.


    "Do you understand now? So I advise you to give up," C.C. said coldly.


    Rulu gritted his teeth and said, "No, let me ask you one more question, and you must answer it. Why did you come to me? Why did you give me this strange Spiritual-power? Don''t tell me you gave me this power without any purpose."


    "Because you have the potential to use this Spiritual-power." This time, C.C. finally agreed to answer Rulu''s question. Her expression was serious as she slowly said, "Not everyone can use this power. You were born with the potential to wield Spiritual-power. Even if you hadn''t met me, as long as you continue to practice, you could master this power. I just forcibly activated and significantly enhanced your latent ability."


    "Then what is your purpose in giving me this power? You must have a reason for doing this."


    "You''re right. I grant you this uncommon Spiritual-power, and in return, you must do something for me¡ªsomething that can only be accomplished using that Spiritual-power."


    "One thing? What is it?"


    "I can''t tell you yet. With your current abilities, you can''t accomplish it. When the time is right, I''ll let you know."


    Rulu pondered carefully and murmured, "So this is a deal. You give me this powerful Spiritual-power, and in return, I help you with something¡ªsomething only I can do. As long as this matter remains unfinished, you''ll need me and won''t betray me, right?"


    C.C. replied, "Although you think of me as somewhat malicious, you''re correct. Moreover, if you want to continue using that Spiritual-power, you will definitely need me because only I can help you repair your mental damage."


    "Well, this deal seems reasonable. I do need this power, and I need you, C.C., to stay by my side." Rulu nodded, a smile appearing on his face as he began to clarify the situation.


    "So, are we agreed? If there¡¯s nothing else, can I sleep now? Also, Rulu, can you get off me? Your face is almost touching mine; you¡¯re not trying to take advantage of the situation to kiss me, are you?"


    "Hmph, who wants to kiss you? Stop being so full of yourself..." Rulu''s face turned slightly red, and feeling a bit flustered, he lifted himself off C.C., got off the bed, and walked toward the door.

 Chapter 38: A Calm Morning

    "This isn''t right; this is my room." Rulu suddenly remembered something, stopped in his tracks, turned around, and said to C.C. on the bed, "C.C., get up! This is my room. If you want to sleep, go sleep somewhere else."


    "Why be so stingy? I''m already very tired and don''t want to move anymore. Why don''t you go sleep in another room?" C.C. replied, pulling the blanket over her, clearly intending to take over Rulu''s bed.


    "Don''t go too far! Do you really think I won''t do anything about it?!" Rulu said angrily to C.C.


    "Goodnight, Rulu. If I don''t sleep well, I won''t be able to do the mental repairs for you, and you''ll be the one who suffers," C.C. said as she curled up in the blanket, revealing only half her face, looking at Rulu with a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    "Uh... fine, you win!" Rulu was at a loss for words. After glaring at C.C. in frustration, he left the room and closed the door.


    Since the other rooms weren''t tidied up yet, Rulu took a blanket and went to sleep on the sofa in the living room. After tossing and turning all night, Rulu was already very tired, and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    The next morning, Rulu woke up from his dreams. The first thing he saw was a somewhat unfamiliar female face sitting beside him, looking down at him, holding his face with both hands, and gazing at him with an unusual look.


    "Ah!" Rulu was startled and jumped up from the sofa, colliding directly with the girl sitting there. With a thud, they both rolled off the sofa and landed on the floor beside it.


    "What''s wrong, Rulu? What happened?" A panicked female voice came from nearby. Accompanying this voice, Nana hurriedly walked out of her room and into the living room.


    There lay two young people tangled together on the floor beside the sofa. Nana recognized the male figure as Rulu, but she did not know the green-haired girl in Rulu''s pajamas.


    "Who... who are you? What are you two doing?!" Nana exclaimed, her eyes wide as she looked at the green-haired girl in panic.


    "Nana, you''re here..." Rulu glanced at Nana and, realizing what had happened, hurriedly pushed the green-haired girl away from him and stood up from the floor.


    "Nana, let me explain. It''s like this..." Rulu said, looking at Nana in a flustered manner, wanting to clarify the situation. But for some reason, he, who was usually very quick-witted, couldn''t get a single word out and could only stand there awkwardly.


    "Who is this woman? Is she your maid, Rulu?" At that moment, C.C. also stood up from the floor, using both hands to hold onto Rulu''s shoulders, standing beside him and looking at Nana with a strange expression.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "Who are you again? What is your relationship with Rulu?" Nana frowned slightly, her eyes showing hostility, and her tone was very unfriendly. It was clear that she regarded C.C. as an enemy.


    "You want to know what our relationship is? Let me think." C.C. placed her right index finger on her chin, raised her face, and said thoughtfully, "How to put it... it''s probably the kind of relationship where we are bound for life?"


    "Ah?!" Nana was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Then... then you are Rulu''s girlfriend."


    "Well... I''m not quite sure either. Why don''t you just ask him directly?" C.C. said nonchalantly, passing the trouble back to Rulu.


    "Is it true? Is she really your girlfriend, Rulu?" Nana turned her gaze back to Rulu, looking at him with an urgent expression that made Rulu feel immense pressure.


    Rulu didn''t know how to respond to Nana and scratched his head, mumbling, "Uh... she''s an important person to me; I need her by my side. That''s about it."


    "It''s true! Since you have a girlfriend now, why didn''t you tell me before?" Nana shot Rulu a reproachful look, not knowing how to feel about it.


    "Actually, the reasons behind this are quite complex, and it''s not what you think, Nana. Please don''t be angry," Rulu said, looking flustered as he tried to explain.


    Nana looked very dejected and said softly, "Why should I be angry? What you choose to do is your own freedom. I have no right to interfere in your matters; after all, I''m just..." Before Nana could finish her sentence, she turned around and quickly returned to her room, closing the door behind her.


    "What''s wrong with her? She looks really sad," C.C. remarked thoughtfully, watching Nana''s retreating figure.


    "Isn''t this all your fault? You''ve caused a mess this time," Rulu glared at C.C., looking fierce.


    C.C. raised an eyebrow and said unhappily, "Why are you blaming me again? I was doing something serious! I was helping you with your mental repairs."


    "That doesn''t mean you had to do it while I was sleeping! You almost scared me to death."


    "You don''t understand. Doing mental repairs while you''re asleep is the most effective. If you don''t want it, that''s fine; after all, you''ll be the one to suffer in the end."


    Rulu sighed deeply, unsure of how to communicate with C.C. Finally, he said, "Forget it. The situation has already happened, and talking about it won''t help. Just go put on some clothes; running around in pajamas is ridiculous."


    "But I have no clothes to change into."


    "Such a hassle..." Rulu glanced at Nana''s room door, wanting to borrow some clothes for C.C. to wear, but he worried that it might upset Nana, so he abandoned that idea. He returned to his room and took a gray jacket and blue pants for C.C. C.C. didn''t refuse to wear Rulu''s clothes and put them on right away.


    After a while, Rulu went to Nana''s room and explained that C.C. was a friend he had known a long time ago, even before he met Nana. They lost contact a long time ago and just reunited last night.


    Rulu told Nana that C.C.''s family had all died in the war, leaving her homeless and wandering, and that she was being pursued by people from the Sanctuary. He wanted to take her in and let her stay here. As for what happened in the morning, it was entirely an accident, and he hoped Nana wouldn''t mind.


    After hearing Rulu''s explanation, Nana quickly calmed down and even felt sorry for C.C. She agreed to let C.C. stay and personally made breakfast for the three of them, inviting C.C. to the dining table in the main hall to enjoy breakfast together.