Chapter 145 – The War Gradually Draws to a Close

Huaming District, Northern Defense Line.

At the fourth defense line, the figures of Professionals had completely vanished.

The soldiers were conducting final preparations before advancing the defense line.

Upon closer inspection, behind this defense line, numerous figures had begun to appear.

They were personnel from the rear defense lines.

Having pushed the defense lines forward to this point, they were about to merge forces with the combat strength of this line.

Thus, this defense line would also advance forward—with the assistance of Professionals—clearing out Phantom Demons while organizing the battlefield, ultimately converging with the third defense line.

“The camp has been fully organized, and the Professionals’ clearing operations ahead are proceeding smoothly. If we depart now, we can rendezvous with the forward Professionals before linking up with the third defense line.”

An officer was reporting to Commander Duan.

“Good.” Commander Duan, seated in an office resembling a command center, nodded at the officer. “In that case, issue the order: we depart in ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” The officer saluted and withdrew.

Commander Duan tapped his fingers on the desk surface, lost in thought.

After a moment, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost immediately.

“This is Gao Xu.”

A familiar voice came from the other end.

It was unmistakably Gao Xu.

“It’s me.” Commander Duan spoke concisely. “We’re prepared to advance the defense line here.”

This statement elicited a brief silence from Gao Xu.

He understood perfectly what this implied.

“So Xu Qianqian never returned to the defense line to request reinforcements?”

Gao Xu remarked tonelessly.

“I’ve received no information about her whatsoever.” Commander Duan responded. “Clearly, she had no intention of seeking help from this side.”

“It seems she vaguely suspected I had arrangements at the defense line as well.” Gao Xu mused aloud. “Her decision not to seek your assistance probably stems from suspecting potential collaboration between us.”

Commander Duan displayed no interest in Gao Xu’s speculation.

His call served only one purpose.

“Now that the defense line is advancing, the Xu Family’s affairs no longer concern me.” Commander Duan stated gravely. “I will not assist you in targeting Longyao City’s promising future talents again. Is that clear?”

His words carried distinct dissatisfaction and implicit meaning.

Gao Xu naturally understood that this commander fundamentally opposed collaborating to scheme against Xu Qianqian.

This wasn’t merely because Commander Duan, as a soldier, held innate aversion to underhanded conspiracies, but more importantly because his essence as a military commander—devoted to public welfare—was ingrained in his bones.

In his view, students like Xu Qianqian, still studying at the Academy with exceptional talent and potential, represented crucial future assets and combat strength for Longyao City.

If Xu Qianqian could mature unimpeded, she might very well become a pillar supporting the city’s skies.

For such talent to be sabotaged over trivial matters instead of being nurtured—such actions inevitably disgusted a soldier like Commander Duan.

Yet precisely because Commander Duan was a soldier, he had no choice but to cooperate with Gao Xu.After all, the iron rule of a soldier is to obey.

And the Xu Family forces behind Gao Xu had already established connections within the military, enabling them to coordinate certain actions.

Commander Duan had no choice but to cooperate with Gao Xu and set up Xu Qianqian precisely because he had received orders from above and a covert mission.

But this matter ends here.

Once the defense line advances, Commander Duan will no longer be the sole decision-maker for this defense line. Instead, he will join other defense line commanders to make decisions collectively.

It would be nearly impossible to secretly cooperate with Gao Xu and scheme against Xu Qianqian without their knowledge.

Thus, his mission has come to an end.

“I know.” Gao Xu said nothing more, replying indifferently, “What happens next has nothing to do with you. Just focus on your own duties.”

With that, Gao Xu hung up the phone.

Commander Duan didn’t mind, setting down the phone as well and letting out a sigh.

Gazing out the window, his expression was filled with displeasure.

“At a time like this, they’re still engaging in such scheming and mutual sabotage. These so-called Family forces not only bring strength to Longyao City but also chaos.”

Clearly, Commander Duan deeply detested such behavior.

However, there was nothing he could do to change it.

All he could do was obey the orders from above, fulfill his duties, and contribute to the survival and development of Longyao City.

…

Meanwhile, in a remote old residence, Gao Xu put down his phone and looked up at Xu Yanyan beside him.

“The plan has completely failed,” Gao Xu said bluntly. “There’s really nothing more we can do against Xu Qianqian this time. We’ll have to wait for the next opportunity.”

“Understood.” Xu Yanyan seemed to have already prepared herself mentally for this outcome, replying calmly.

After all, Gao Xu had already decided to take full responsibility for the mission’s failure. If it failed, so be it.

Unaware of what Xu Yanyan was thinking, Gao Xu continued speaking.

“After we return, have your father send someone to investigate Young Miss Qianqian,” Gao Xu said, his eyes flickering. “We must find out exactly who that mysterious, powerful expert is and which faction he belongs to.”

“Understood.” Xu Yanyan seemed quite serious about this matter.

She had no choice but to be.

If there truly was an Upper-Rank Professional behind Xu Qianqian who did not belong to the Xu Family, it was highly likely that some major force had formed an alliance with her faction.

If that were the case, they would be in serious trouble.

“Although this mission failed, forcing the mysterious expert behind Young Miss Qianqian to reveal himself isn’t a complete loss,” Gao Xu said calmly. “In any case, I will personally report this matter to your father. Your task is to contact the scattered Family Hunters.”

“Understood.” Xu Yanyan nodded and then asked, “What about your injury?”

Hearing this, Gao Xu’s lips twitched, and he let out a sigh.

“Unfortunately, it hasn’t healed yet.”

Without a doubt, the injury inflicted by Su Ming’s 【Silver Arm】 was still affecting Gao Xu.”That power is indeed terrifying. It cannot be treated by any means and can only heal naturally.” Gao Xu said with a grim expression. “Even for someone like me who has awakened Demonization as an Upper-Rank Hunter, recovering from injuries of this degree through natural healing would still require considerable time.”

In other words, while Gao Xu wasn’t completely incapable of fighting, he could no longer battle as recklessly as he could at his peak.

His combat effectiveness had already been affected, and even his renowned Qilin Blade had cracked, nearly shattering.

Therefore, Gao Xu no longer intended to take action.

Especially against that mysterious powerhouse – if they were to encounter each other again, Gao Xu would retreat without hesitation.

Otherwise, he might truly be captured by the opponent.

“Remember, you must investigate his identity.” Gao Xu solemnly instructed Xu Yanyan. “Judging by his physical attributes, he clearly hasn’t broken through the shackles of the Physical Body to awaken as a Fiend. His combat experience is insufficient, his techniques are immature, and although his movements are good, he relies entirely on his physical attributes to execute combat techniques step by step. He’s very likely a super genius who is young, inexperienced in the world, and unaccustomed to frequent fighting.”

Gao Xu had actually deduced some of Su Ming’s background based on intelligence gathered during their confrontation.

“A super genius who can compete with me, even injure and force me to retreat, relying solely on special abilities and unique senses – if he truly grows up, becomes an Upper-Rank Professional like me, and awakens Demonization, then I would no longer be his match.”

Gao Xu looked at Xu Yanyan with a serious expression.

“If such an existence truly stands on Xu Qianqian’s side, he would be an enormous threat.”

“And a genius like this must have a formidable Family backing him.”

“Unless we investigate clearly what relationship that force has with Young Miss Qianqian, we probably won’t be able to continue taking action against her.”

With each of Gao Xu’s instructions, Xu Yanyan lowered her head and clenched her fists.

“Remember, investigate this thoroughly.”

Gao Xu threw out these words, then closed his eyes and continued his recuperation.

Seeing this, Xu Yanyan silently withdrew.

In her eyes, traces of resentment and unwillingness flickered.

……

Longyao City, Central District.

In one of the high places here, an upper echelon figure sitting in a study received a phone call.

“The ambush against Xu Qianqian failed?” The upper echelon figure frowned and snorted coldly. “As expected, everyone in the Xu Family is trash.”

They couldn’t even deal with a young girl?

What else could they be but trash?

“Forget it, let’s consider it that girl’s fate not being sealed yet.” The upper echelon quickly set the matter aside and asked, “Your identity wasn’t exposed, was it?”

For this operation, the upper echelon had utilized a mole they had planted in the Xu Family, having them orchestrate the entire affair.

If this mole were exposed, the loss would be significant for the upper echelon.

There was no helping it – although the Xu Family was large and established, having been passed down to this day, they naturally had methods for dealing with internal traitors.The pawns others had planted within the Xu Family either held positions too low to exert significant influence or had been identified and eliminated by the Xu Family’s methods. As for pawns who managed to climb to high positions, truly gaining a voice among the Xu Family members and being able to persuade them—even this high-ranking individual had only one such asset.

If this pawn were carelessly exposed, it would become exceedingly difficult to take any further action against the Xu Family in the future.

For this reason, the high-ranking individual cherished this pawn immensely.

“Your most critical task right now is to conceal your identity at all costs,” the high-ranking individual emphasized gravely. “Even if you wish to leverage your position near Xu Qianqian to achieve something, you must first ensure your concealment. Otherwise, not even I would be able to rescue you from the Xu Family. Understand?”

After issuing a few more instructions, the high-ranking individual ended the call.

“What a fortunate young girl.”

Thinking of Xu Qianqian’s situation, the high-ranking individual shook his head and shifted his focus away.

Compared to Xu Qianqian’s affairs, he was more concerned about that Phantom Demon cub.

“The people over there” had already contacted him, informing him that they had prevented the Phantom Demon cub from escaping.

The cub had lost its chance to flee back to the Spirit Demon Abyss and remained in the Huaming District.

To obtain her—to acquire the Bloodline of the Nightmare Species—the high-ranking individual needed to devise another plan, a way to locate and capture the cub.

“Unfortunately, the war is about to end. It won’t be so easy to operate covertly under the watchful eyes of the other Base City elites from now on.”

The high-ranking individual frowned deeply, his face clouded with gloom.

“It seems I still have to collaborate with those damned Underground Professionals.”

With this thought, he picked up the phone again.

……

The swirling undercurrents were destined to remain hidden from the light.

No one knew that behind this war, there existed so many calculated moves and schemes by interested parties.

And this might only be a fraction of it.

Wherever one goes, there will never be a shortage of those who operate in the shadows, in the darkness.

But at least, for now, these matters had nothing to do with Su Ming and the others. Those who had been rushing about the battlefield solely to end the campaign remained unaware, focused on their tasks as the tide of the battle gradually turned.

Around 4 p.m. that day, Su Ming and the other Professionals who had been hunting and clearing out Phantom Demons outside rendezvoused with the forces advancing the defense line at the third Defense Line. Combining the strength of all three Defense Lines, they pushed forward toward the second Defense Line.

It was also at this time that Xu Qianqian’s private guards finally returned to her side, and she reported the attack on her to the Defense Line authorities.

However, by then, Gao Xu and Xu Yanyan were already gone.

Reportedly, citing severe injuries that rendered them unable to continue fighting, they had withdrawn from the battlefield along with the remaining Hunters of the Xu Family.

Thus, Xu Qianqian’s crisis was resolved.

Yet, she was not entirely free from further troubles.

Because everyone in her squad, aside from herself, had lost contact.

Including Li Wei, whose current status—whether alive or dead—remained unknown, provoking furious outrage among the Li Family.

In Longyao City, the Li Family’s influence was nearly on par with that of the Xu Family.

Now, with a valued branch family Genius suddenly missing and his fate unknown, it was unthinkable that the Li Family would not take action.It was easy to imagine that Xu Qianqian would inevitably face harassment from the Li Family next.

If the Li Family were to discover that Li Wei’s predicament was entirely due to vicious internal competition within the Xu Family, then the Xu Family would likely be in trouble as well.

In short, while Xu Qianqian was safe for now, the troubles surrounding her were destined not to fade away so simply.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Su Ming anymore.

Su Ming had only secretly discussed with Xu Qianqian, planning to use her connections to send Little Hai’er out of Huaming District.

For Su Ming, this was the only matter that truly required his attention.

Afterward, at the third Defense Line, everyone began to advance once more.

Their target was pointed directly at the Frontline.

(End of Chapter)