Chapter 52: Human Lives Like Grass, Firearms and Armor as Nothing (Part Two)
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Soon, Jiang Qiu saw the man emerge from one of the rooms. What astonished her was that, despite the bloody scene, the man who had caused it all bore only a few spatters of blood on his clothes, along with several bullet holes. The skin exposed beneath his clothing and his hair remained as clean and pristine as ever.
The man cast a glance in their direction.
Jiang Qiu could not stop her body from trembling. She truly had no idea whether this person was human or ghost, benevolent or evil.
He had stormed into an armed camp of twenty or thirty men, withstood bullets with his bare body, and possessed enough force in his bare hands to blow away half a person's body in an instant. Could someone like that still be human?
She had seen such figures only in superhero movies.
Yet the man merely glanced at them, apparently with no intention of paying them any attention. He soon withdrew his gaze and walked straight toward another wooden hut.
The hut Yi Beidou entered was the camp's rear kitchen. Though the building was crude, it contained a sizable freezer filled with enough food to feed twenty or thirty people for several days.
These were unusual times, and Yi Beidou was not particular about such things. He did not even light a fire to cook. Instead, he simply picked up the ingredients, chewed them, swallowed them, and began to feast.
Gurgle, gurgle!
His stomach and intestines rumbled like machinery, rapidly digesting the food and converting it into reserves of physical energy.
As he ate more and digestion accelerated, his blood began to circulate faster and faster. His body temperature gradually rose, his skin turning pale red. One could even hear the sound of blood surging through his body like molten mercury.
His pores opened and closed, and sweat began to stream from his skin. It was a faint brown, seemingly containing impurities. The moment it appeared, Yi Beidou gave his body a slight shake, splattering the sweat onto the floor.
This was what happened when an expert who had attained sanctification through the physical body ate rapidly and digested food to the greatest extent possible. Some impurities entered the bloodstream and were then expelled through perspiration.
By using this method, one could greatly reduce the strain on the body's excretory system caused by consuming large quantities of food in a short period. If the food was sufficiently pure, someone who had attained sanctification through the physical body could digest it completely and replace excretion entirely in this manner.
About half an hour later, Jiang Qiu and the others saw Yi Beidou leave the rear kitchen. After searching several wooden huts and changing into clothes that fit him somewhat better, he returned to the courtyard and walked toward them.
His towering body blocked the light, casting their figures beneath his shadow. The oppressive sensation was enough to make them feel suffocated.
Jiang Qiu, who was at the front of the group, stood closest to Yi Beidou. Her entire body trembled, and she could not help but close her eyes in terror.
Rip!
Suddenly, she felt her hands and feet loosen. The ropes binding her had been severed. She opened her eyes in astonishment.
But by then, all she saw was a figure already walking out through the camp gates. After several flickers, he vanished into the mountain forest like smoke.
From beginning to end, that enigmatic man had not spoken a single word to them.
Staring in the direction where he had disappeared, Jiang Qiu's eyes were clouded with confusion and helplessness. It was only when the struggles and muffled whimpers of the people beside her reached her ears that she came back to herself and hurried to help the others untie their bonds.
The remaining trials were theirs to endure. Whether they could survive would depend on their own abilities.
...
...
Northern Myanmar—the region once known as the Golden Triangle, and the most chaotic part of Southeast Asia.
As the times had changed, so had the region's industrial structure. It had once been infamous for cultivating banned substances, but as the world's technology for producing such substances continued to advance, the local industries had been forced to transform.
Now, the most profitable enterprises here were the darker ones: scams, gambling, brothels, underground prizefights, and the trafficking of people and organs.
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It was already late, and night had fallen.
In northern Myanmar, skyscrapers towered over smooth roads ablaze with neon lights. The place appeared to be a modern metropolis, but beneath those lights lurked a profound darkness.
The Oledo Tower.
The building belonged to the Oledo Group, which controlled numerous enterprises, including gambling and underground prizefights. It was one of the most powerful organizations in northern Myanmar.
The Oledo Group had another identity as well: it was the headquarters of the Pioneer Group in Southeast Asia.
In the president's office, a middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit sat before the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down at the scene below. He had an elegant, scholarly air and an unmistakably Asian appearance.
In a place this chaotic, assassinations and kidnappings were commonplace. The heads of every organization had to conceal their movements. Anyone who dared expose himself so brazenly to his enemies could hardly be an ordinary man.
This man was the Pioneer Group's chief representative for Southeast Asia—Mr. Guo.
Knock, knock!
After the office door was knocked upon and permission granted, a graceful female secretary entered.
“Sir, representatives of the five major powers have arrived. They are waiting in the conference room. They all came because of the recent incident in Donghua.”
The secretary spoke respectfully.
“I know.”
Mr. Guo turned his office chair around and slowly rose, his expression calm.
He soon arrived before the conference room and pushed open the door.
Five people were seated inside. Behind them stood a group of bodyguards armed to the teeth.
One was a woman in a bright red cheongsam, dressed in a flamboyant and seductive manner. One was a round-headed, round-faced middle-aged man holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads. One was an old man with snow-white hair and a gloomy expression. One was a young man in a fine suit with delicate, effeminate features. The last was a taciturn, burly man whose face was marked by a vicious scar.
“You have caused quite a disturbance. You illegally entered Donghua—do you realize how serious a crime that is? Do you know how much pressure Donghua placed on us overnight? We agreed to cooperate with you, but we never agreed to let you act recklessly without permission.”
Before Mr. Guo had even taken his seat, the woman in the red cheongsam sneered.
“You must give us an explanation for this.”
The white-haired old man spoke coldly.
“This matter arose suddenly, and failing to consult you was indeed our mistake. But it is hardly a major issue. We will sacrifice some of our forces as scapegoats, so that you can provide the outside world with an explanation.”
Mr. Guo walked to his seat and sat down, his expression tranquil and his voice even.
“What? Are you worried that Donghua might disregard international pressure and send troops to flatten this place? Or are you afraid that the man who attained sanctification through the physical body will come here and seek revenge?”
“This matter will not be settled so easily. What you did was too dangerous. If it is allowed to continue, sooner or later it will implicate us.”
The middle-aged man rolling the prayer beads between his fingers spoke in a low voice.
“What? Do you think that because we lost several super soldiers, we are now without support—weak and easy prey?”
At those words, Mr. Guo's eyes instantly became dangerous, and a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from him.
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Boom!
The air seemed to be squeezed dry. The pupils of all five men contracted, while the guards behind them reacted instantly, every gun muzzle turning toward Mr. Guo.
Yet Mr. Guo remained perfectly calm and did not move an inch.
“I never imagined that you had hidden yourself so deeply. You are one of those people too?!”
The woman in the cheongsam stared fixedly at Mr. Guo.
“Do not get worked up. Cooperation benefits everyone. The world is about to enter a new era, and you should feel honored to be able to board this express train.”
Mr. Guo smiled.
“Have you not always wanted Compound No. 7? I can agree to provide you with a limited supply, on the condition that you contribute to this operation.”
For a moment, the eyes of all five men flickered.
Revenge?
They were not truly afraid of revenge.
So what if it was Donghua? If it had really been capable of sending troops to flatten this place, it would not have allowed them to remain here until now.
And so what if it was a man who had attained sanctification through the physical body? Could he truly be reckless enough to cross the border and come here?
Such a person might be powerful, but he was no immortal and indestructible celestial being.
This was not Donghua. This was their territory.
The reason they had gathered here was, in essence, to represent the forces behind them and seize their share of the spoils while the opportunity lasted.
The Pioneer Group was an exceptionally plump prize.
What they did not know was that a certain man had already used the cover of night to reach the outskirts of the city.
“It seems I am close to the target.”
Yi Beidou gazed at the brightly lit metropolis in the distance.
Crack! Crack!
The bones throughout his body began to snap and resound. His towering frame seemed to fold in upon itself as his appearance changed, becoming completely unremarkable.
Then he continued forward, leaving the mountain forest and walking into the city.
The Heavenly Demon takes form and vanishes into the mortal world.
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