If there's a sky above Zone 9, today's situation in Zone 9 should be described as if the sky has been poked with small holes.
Feng Mu got up, did morning exercises, washed up, and had breakfast with everyone.
Second Senior Sister Liu Xie and Sixth Senior Brother Wang Yu were not there; they had hurriedly left in the middle of the night while Feng Mu was deeply asleep.
"Looks like there's another major case in Zone 9," Zhao Zhixin said.
Everyone seemed used to it. After all, Zone 9's security situation is well-known. Every so often, a big case would occur, and [Douqiong Martial Arts Hall] has made a significant and indelible contribution to this.
Yuan Xidi quickly finished his breakfast. His hand, wrapped in bandages, gently patted Feng Mu's shoulder, with a hint of feigned regret in his tone:
"Little Junior Brother, the Hidden Sect of the Investigation Corps has been repaired; my holiday ends here."
"From now on, I can't spar with you every day. Sigh, if you really can't hold back the itch, try hitting the iron post. As someone who's been through it, I can tell you, once you get used to it, the feeling isn't much different from hitting a living person."
Yuan Xidi never thought he would say such words one day, and the key is he wasn't lying; he sincerely understood—some people's impact is really no different from hitting iron.
Zhao Zhixin glanced at Yuan Xidi, also not expecting that the usually honest Fourth Junior Brother would learn to lie.
Both he and Yuan Xidi were consultants employed by the Investigation Corps. Why hadn't he received any notification from the corps?
Just a couple of days ago, he spoke on the phone with the research staff at the corps, and the Hidden Sect that [Destiny] destroyed had been severely damaged. It would take another ten days to half a month to piece it back together.
Zhao Zhixin was just about to speak when he saw Yuan Xidi glaring at him with a cannibalistic look.
He sighed helplessly, gently put down his bowl and chopsticks, and said with a touch of loneliness, "Yeah, my holiday's over too. I'll be reporting back to the corps with Fourth Junior Brother soon."
Feng Mu grinned and said, "What a coincidence! Today I'm also going to the prison to report for duty with Big Brother. I was just about to inform Fourth Junior Brother that our daily sparring will have to pause for a while."
Yuan Xidi's face stiffened slightly, and Zhao Zhixin's eyebrows involuntarily twitched. The two exchanged glances and quickly left the table.
After a while, Li Bashan finished his meal slowly and turned to Li Guishen, saying, "Master, I'll take Little Junior Brother to the prison to get started."
Li Guishen took a sip from his pipe, nodded impassively.
"You ate much slower today." He felt that something seemed different about his eldest disciple, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Li Bashan replied in a dull voice, seriously, "I used to just eat too fast without savoring it. Today, I tried eating slower and found it actually tastes better when you eat slowly."
Li Guishen thought there might be more to the eldest disciple's words, but then he reconsidered and thought he was being overly sensitive. Given the eldest disciple's personality, that sentence about eating was probably just about eating.
Li Bashan slowly got up and walked steadily toward the door, with Feng Mu immediately following behind, catching up in a couple of steps.
Hong Ya, like a cheerful little bird, bounced along behind them, escorting them out of the martial arts hall's gate.
Hong Ya, pretending to be concerned, said to the little junior brother sitting in the co-driver seat of the off-road vehicle, "Junior Brother, once you get to the prison, work diligently and wholeheartedly. Don't let your mind wander to other things, okay?"
Feng Mu waved at Hong Ya, showing a faint smile, and then gently rolled up the car window.
Li Bashan steadily pressed the gas pedal, and the off-road vehicle slowly drove away under Hong Ya's watchful gaze.
Hong Ya's lips curled into a sly smile. As she headed back to the martial arts hall, she tied her ponytail into a bun and unceremoniously said to Master Li Guishen:
"Master, after your meal, you should help your disciple watch the front desk of the dojo. Stop hiding in your room all the time, acting all mysterious."
Li Guishen cast a complex gaze with his deep but slightly cloudy eyes at Hong Ya. He didn't speak, instead, he silently picked up his pipe, tapped it gently, dumping out the ashes inside.
Hong Ya didn't think much of it, just assuming her master had tacitly agreed.
"Little Junior Sister, if you're not watching the hall, what do you plan to do? You don't mean to..."
A gloomy, somewhat eerie voice suddenly came, like a whisper in the night breeze, startling Hong Ya and causing her heart to tremble. She immediately denied, "I didn't! What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Gong Qi was stunned, "No, I hadn't even finished what I was going to say!"
Hong Ya came to her senses, furrowing her brows, glaring at Gong Qi, "Fifth Senior Brother, why are you still here? Big brother and Little Junior Brother have already left. Don't you have to work at the prison today?"
Gong Qi's face instantly turned gloomy, a wave of inexplicable regret surging in his heart. He wanted to know too—had he become invisible today? Why did Big Brother leave without taking him?
Has he forgotten about an old flame upon finding a new love? He chuckled bitterly inside, indeed, love can be transferred!
Gong Qi gently pulled off a piece of dry skin from the edge of his lips with his nails, his lips curling into a self-mocking smile, "Left behind, my fault?!!"
The off-road vehicle drove smoothly along the highway.
The road was a bit congested, with patrol officers and Arrest Department setting up checkpoints along the way, inspecting vehicles one by one.
"Big Brother, are we forgetting something?" Feng Mu broke the stiff silence inside the car.
Li Bashan frowned and thought for a moment. He looked at Feng Mu sitting in the front passenger seat and then at the empty back seat, not perceiving anything amiss; everything seemed the same as usual.
Suddenly, Li Bashan slapped his forehead with a loud voice, "I forgot to ask Hong Ya to pack you a lunch."
Feng Mu was taken aback; that probably wasn't what he was referring to.
His expression changed slightly, "Big Brother, did you bring lunch?"
Li Bashan's face reddened slightly, "Yes, there's a bucket in the trunk."
Feng Mu, understanding, said, "As long as you brought yours, Big Brother. Missing one meal won't hurt me."
Li Bashan's face shifted several times, but he didn't reply. He could sacrifice anything for his junior brothers, sisters, and master, except when it came to food. Food was a principle as vast as the sky for him.
The vehicle was cleared after inspection.
Li Bashan drove straight ahead, eyes on the road, while Feng Mu sighed. To ease the awkwardness in the car, he turned on the radio to tune into the news broadcast.
[An urgent news flash: Yesterday afternoon, a major kidnapping occurred at Xinjia Ramen Shop on xxx street in our district. The victim's identity and facial features are as follows... ]
[Currently, the patrol office and the Arrest Department are conducting a round-the-clock investigation, vigorously searching for clues.]
[We urge citizens to remain highly vigilant. Should anyone spot suspicious persons or clues related to this case within the city, please call the hotline xxxxxxxxxxx to report. Citizens who provide valuable leads will receive a handsome reward of up to 1 million. ]
[This concludes the news flash.]
[Next, we bring you the city's latest news updates.]
[This morning, the education department of the Executive Government, together with a dozen colleges in the district, hosted a joint martial arts competition for college students. This event not only aims to enhance the overall quality of our district's students but also hopes to cultivate their practical skills through the spirit of martial arts.]
[....]