Chapter 195: 195.Chapter 193 Official's Surprise!

195. Chapter 193 Official's Surprise!

The villagers did not tell the authorities about handling overseas forces abroad, after all this was their private matter, and moreover, if this operation alarmed the authorities, they feared it would cause unnecessary trouble.

They obtained tourist visas, and this was only possible thanks to the 749 Bureau expediting it; otherwise, following normal procedures, it would have taken considerable time.

The villagers worried that the longer the delay, the more danger Hu Xiaocao would be in.

Considering the villagers' contributions as mountain guardians, and that they had once helped catch a spy, the 749 Bureau naturally agreed to this small request and quickly settled the matter.

But in fact, the 749 Bureau did not anticipate the villagers' true purpose for going abroad; after all, if not spoken of, it would be truly hard to believe.

It is worth mentioning that the local government also learned of this immediately.

"Fifteen villagers going abroad for travel? Is the news certain?"

Although the Wu Du government did not station personnel near Longyuan Mountain, it still paid attention to the movements there; any matter concerning Longyuan Mountain had to be reported immediately.

The secretary nodded and said, "The people from the 749 Bureau said that the visas were processed urgently at their request."

"That's really strange."

After all, these villagers rarely even leave the province, yet now they have suddenly gone abroad, which is rather trendy.

Although such behavior was somewhat unexpected, the city leaders did not think much of it, simply assuming the villagers wanted to go abroad to relax and travel.

"That's fine—"

He seemed to think of something, saying, "Let our people go to the airport to meet them."

Although these villagers usually keep a low profile, after all they are the guardians of Longyuan Mountain, and with their past achievements, the government therefore values them greatly.

……

Wu Du Airport.

Compared to domestic flights, fewer people take international flights, most of whom are blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.

At this moment it is not the peak travel season; those going abroad either have special matters or work.

Soon a special group of people arrived in the hall.

Among them were both young and old, with dark skin, their clothing exceptionally plain, some even carrying snakeskin bags, very down-to-earth, frequently looking around, their eyes showing a hint of curiosity, giving them a feeling of not fitting in with the airport.

These people were exactly the villagers of Longyuan Village; the younger generation was fine, but the elders, who usually faced the loess with their backs to the sky, had never ventured beyond the province, let alone now going abroad.

Fortunately, there were a few young people in the village, so they were not completely flustered.

Many foreigners cast curious glances at them, seemingly wondering what this group was doing abroad.

Upon seeing their figures, a group of people in suits and leather shoes quickly walked over, wearing enthusiastic smiles; they had been waiting at the airport for a while.

"You are from Longyuan Village, right?"

The village chief sized them up; their faces were unfamiliar, he did not know these people, but from their gestures he seemed to have a certain bearing, not like ordinary folks.

"Who are you?"

It seemed they sensed the villagers' doubt, and the leader hurriedly explained, "We are staff of the city government; you can call me Xiao Zhang. The leadership knows you are going abroad for travel, so they sent me to see you off."

The villagers looked somewhat surprised, probably not expecting the government to arrange this.

After saying that, Xiao Zhang led everyone to the nearby VIP lounge; having been notified in advance, the airport even specially cleared the VIP lounge, receiving only the people from Longyuan Village.

The villagers followed behind, unable to resist whispering among themselves.

"Good grief, how did the city find out? Could the news have leaked, revealing our true actions?"

"It must be the 749 Bureau people who leaked it; the village chief didn't ask them to help with the visas, so the government shouldn't know our real purpose."

This scene falling into others' eyes only surprised them further, unable to resist curiosity about what identity this unimpressive-looking, somewhat rustic-dressed group actually had.

Even the airport staff couldn't help but keep glancing around, unable to resist asking their nearby colleagues.

"Who are these people? What background do they have, that the government values them so much, with leadership even personally calling the airport to ask us to take extra care of them."

"I don't know; could they be some big shot?"

"But looking at their demeanor, they don't really seem like that, having no connection whatsoever with those leadership-level figures."

Just now I helped them with check-in; I looked at their ID, their household registration is rural, the visa is also a tourist visa, nothing special.

The staff only found it bewildering; if that were truly the case, it wouldn't warrant such government attention. Regardless of what they think, orders from above require courteous and respectful treatment of the villagers, so they dare not be negligent.

With the help of government personnel, the villagers also rarely enjoyed VIP treatment, but the necessary procedures still could not be omitted.

Soon it was time for security check.

As the security officer was scanning the villagers' bodies, the instrument suddenly emitted a piercing sound.

"Beep beep beep—"

The security officer instinctively glanced and politely said, "What is this? Please take it out for inspection."

The villager was also bewildered, not knowing why the black machine suddenly screamed; having never encountered such a situation before, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a stack of talisman paper.

Seeing the yellow talisman in his hand, everyone fell silent for a moment.

"Cough cough cough."

Probably the security officer also didn't expect to see something like this.

Looking at their luggage, there was nothing special either—just a pile of yellow talisman paper and some oddly shaped implements.

The security officer's gaze became even more strange.

Carrying so much stuff for business, could it be that they're going to perform rituals?

That thought flashed through his mind, but he didn't dwell on it, after all what passengers bring is their freedom, as long as there are no prohibited items.

After checking, the security officer found these items harmless, and since they were not controlled implements, he let them through.

Under the see-off of government personnel, the villagers successfully boarded the plane, opening their journey abroad.

……

On the other side of the ocean, deep in the jungle.

A slender figure of about sixteen or seventeen hurried forward, the sky somewhat dim, the afterglow of the sunset outlining her graceful form.

This shadow-like figure was light as a swallow, nimbly leaping to the treetop, its black hair all tied up into a high ponytail, heroic and spirited, yet retaining a hint of immortal grace.

Her cherry lips slightly pursed, revealing a hint of solemnity; her autumn-water-cut pupils glimmered with a cold sheen. After all these years, Hu Xiaocao is now sixteen, grown into a graceful maiden, no longer the look of a child.

Furthermore, due to years of training and her past experience of facing criminals alone, she has long since developed an extraordinary disposition.

At this moment, she intently watched the movement not far away, and casually plucked a few leaves from the nearby tree.

Leaves infused with several strands of spiritual energy now emit a chilling light, as if they have become a divine weapon Sharp Instrument that can cut iron like mud.

Chi-chi-chi!

Not long after Hu Xiaocao jumped onto the tree, hurried footsteps sounded, and she saw several dozen tall, sturdy men holding firearms, cautiously scanning their surroundings, looking fierce and menacing.

"Damn it, I clearly saw that woman running this way, how did she just disappear?"

"That woman must be nearby; I have to find her!"

These men completely failed to notice that, on the large tree beside them, a pair of eyes was taking in their every move.

Soon the men spread out, with only a few searching nearby; Hu Xiaocao's expression gradually turned cold.

Now!

Instantly, those few felt a chill pass over their heads, instinctively wanting to look up, but a slender shadow had already descended from the sky.

"It's you!"

They widened their eyes, about to fire, but Hu Xiaocao flicked her finger; a green light flashed, and the sound of several blades tearing through the air rang out.

"Whoosh!"

The green light's speed was too fast for them to see clearly; by the time they reacted, they felt a chill at their necks, instinctively touching their necks, their hands covered in scalding liquid.

Several blood-stained leaves drifted down, the green leaves mingled with bright red blood, forming a stark contrast.

The whole process took only the blink of an eye.

Realizing their throats had been slit, and that the culprit was these inconspicuous green leaves, their faces filled with terror.

They opened their mouths as if to speak, but with their throats cut they could only utter a hoarse 'huh-huh', their bodies crashing heavily to the ground like dying fish struggling, only able to await death's arrival.

"Bang!"

Just as Hu Xiaocao wanted to leave, a huge signal flare exploded in the air, instantly drawing the attention of those around.

"Get back! There's a situation over there!"

Hu Xiaocao snapped her head back; the fallen man exerted all his strength to fire the signal, after which his hand went limp and fell to his side.

Careless!

Hu Xiaocao frowned, thinking these people had lost their mobility, but she hadn't expected this twist at the end.

Those people hadn't gone far, just loitering nearby; drawn by the signal flare, they instantly surrounded Hu Xiaocao.

The leading man glanced at the several corpses on the ground, his gaze falling on Hu Xiaocao with a hint of ruthlessness: "You almost got away! Now even if you grew wings, you can't escape."

Having said that, he gave a look; everyone raised their firearms, black muzzles pointing from all directions.

Watching the encirclement shrink, despite the danger, her expression remained calm as she secretly gathered spiritual power, preparing to force a breakthrough.

"Whoosh!"

In the blink of an eye, a fierce wind suddenly blew up in the sky, making them unable to open their eyes; only several yellow afterimages streaked across, crackling with sparks, as bolts of lightning descended from the heavens and struck them.

"Boom!"

The whole process lasted only a few seconds; even Hu Xiaocao hadn't reacted yet, the air filled with a burnt smell, and several yellow talismans drifted down from the sky.

Those people were all struck until they resembled charred coal, dead beyond death.

Looking at the familiar talismans, Hu Xiaocao realized what was happening; sure enough, familiar faces appeared before her eyes.

"Village Chief Grandfather, Uncle Li, Uncle Zhang, Elder Brother Yang—you've all come!"

The village chief locked onto Hu Xiaocao's spiritual energy aura using the talisman; those with spiritual energy in this world are rare, and they usually have encountered the Mountain God's opportunity, so they had no doubts and tracked her all the way here, just in time to meet Hu Xiaocao being hunted, which led to the scene just now.

Although the villagers' physical qualities are enhanced, they lack divine abilities; fortunately, the Mountain God talisman serves as a substitute for casting spells.

Even if the village chief and the others hadn't arrived in time, Hu Xiaocao could have broken through with her own abilities, but the enemy's firepower was dense, so even escaping would likely have left her injured.

The villagers' arrival was a timely rain for her.

The two sides finally managed to meet up.

Hu Xiaocao hadn't expected the villagers to arrive so quickly, and she said with some delight, "How did you get here so fast?"

"We were worried about your situation, so we asked the people at the 749 Bureau for help, which is why we could obtain the visa so quickly."

Hu Xiaocao thought of something: "Then the authorities..."

The village chief understood her meaning, shook his head and said, "Don't worry, the authorities don't know; we also fear causing unnecessary trouble, so we only said we were traveling abroad."

Hearing this, Hu Xiaocao finally relaxed.

Looking at the corpses scattered around, the villagers felt lingering fear, fortunate they arrived in time.

"Little Grass, for such a big matter you should have called us earlier."

"Exactly, it's rare to get a chance to do something for the Mountain God; we certainly won't shirk our duty, many villagers wanted to come, but the village chief said too many people would make a big target, hindering action."

The villagers exchanged a few words, then quickly got to the point; the village chief asked, "Xiaocao, what's the specific situation on your end?"

Because it couldn't be made clear in a few words over the phone, Hu Xiaocao only highlighted a few key points.

"I've been tracking them here for several days, figured out their main base is in a building in the suburbs; they have more people, and all are equipped with pistols, machine guns, and similar weapons."

Hu Xiaocao explained her side's situation, and the others listened attentively.

Everyone's gaze fell on the distance, where a spire-shaped building could be vaguely seen, filled with European medieval style.

Looking at the village chief with empty hands, Hu Xiaocao's eyes flashed with thought; she called a few villagers together to collect all the weapons from the corpses.

Although the villagers' physical qualities have been enhanced, relying solely on speed and strength isn't enough; their attack methods are still rather single, given that those people are all trained mercenaries with ample firearms.

But having just these isn't enough,

Noticing Hu Xiaocao's gaze, the village chief seemed to understand her worry, revealing a mysterious smile: "Look, what is this?"

All that could be seen was each villager taking out animal-given talismans and Dharma Implements from their pockets; whether talismans or Dharma Implements, they were all shrouded in a faint halo.

Seeing the large amount of equipment, Hu Xiaocao was delighted, "Where did these come from?"

"Before we left, the monsters in the mountains gave these to us; they seemed to know what we were going to do."

Hu Xiaocao's eyes shone with determination, "With these, we won't need hot weapons; we wouldn't use them anyway."

According to the latest intel I gathered, they have a batch of cultural relics about to be moved, so we must act sooner.

Precisely for this reason, Hu Xiaocao inadvertently drew their attention, provoking their pursuit.

Now those pursuers have all been dealt with by her and the villagers; to avoid alerting them, tonight is the best time for them to strike.

Inside the imposing ancient castle, the floor was filled with priceless cultural relics; sunlight streamed through the stained glass onto the ground, and half of the relics not in shadow appeared dim and indistinct.

These cultural relics were obtained by the group through various illegal means and channels; some relics even had several lives behind them, and the group reaped huge profits by reselling relics, gradually forming a long‑term stable gray chain.

Several foreigners were counting the numbers, while outside mercenaries armed with live ammunition and nuclear warheads guarded the gate; these mercenaries were all tall, their eyes like Eagle Falcons, constantly watching the surroundings.

This is only the visible personnel; many more people and snipers lie in ambush in the dark, the whole castle is impregnable, fully armed, so much so that even a fly would find it hard to get in.

"Hurry up, the big boss is going to transport these cultural relics out tomorrow; there can't be any mistake."

"In recent years the big boss's temper has also been bad, his time is limited, he won't live much longer, you know that; if anything goes wrong, none of us will have a good ending—we'll surely have to accompany the big boss to the grave."

Not knowing what they thought of, they couldn't help but shiver, and all sped up their movements.

These years, because the big boss suffered successive defeats in Great Xia, and moreover the whole of Asia's forces were swept away by a mysterious power, to this day no one has found out who did it.

This made the big boss extremely irritable; he would often tie people up and throw them into the sea to feed the fish, and they certainly didn't want to become the next unlucky victim.

"Hasn't Max already taken people to chase down that woman? Why hasn't he returned yet?"

"But she's just an ordinary woman; she can't pull off any tricks, no matter how strong she is, she couldn't possibly beat so many people—maybe Max and his lot have already killed her."

"With the strength we have here, even the International Criminal Police wouldn't dare act rashly, let alone that Great Xia woman."

"Although that's the case, we still need to be careful."

This overseas force is quite sizable locally, even colluding with the local government; plus their military strength is huge, so hardly anyone dares to provoke them.

That's why domestic investigations have dragged on for ages with little progress—after all, this is someone else's lair, and a mighty dragon cannot overwhelm a local snake.

The gang of small leaders laughed wildly, unaware that the Max they spoke of, and his entire team, had already become departed souls.

Unnoticed, it had already become dusk; the sun slowly sank behind the western mountains, only half a face remained visible, the sunset cast, and the whole castle was bathed in orange light.

As night fell completely, they had almost finished counting; they only needed to hold the fort tonight, wait for tomorrow's people to come for the handover, and then transport the goods to the dock.

A black curtain sealed everything off, with no moon or starlight, inexplicably making people feel somewhat oppressive.

The patrolling guards noticed that someone seemed to be approaching this place.

"Who!"

Accompanied by a fierce shout, a slender figure stepped out.

It was a face with Great Xia features; even though the expression was stern now, it still retained an otherworldly air, so exquisite as to seem unreal, with no flaw to be found.

It was Hu Xiaocao.

"You weren't being chased by Max and his lot, so how—"

However, before the guard could finish speaking, a soft sound was heard, and a sharp pain burst in his chest.

The guard instinctively lowered his head, seeing a huge wound in his chest; he didn't even have time to send a signal before his body collapsed heavily to the ground.

After this ordeal, Hu Xiaocao had grown much more; her strikes were fast, precise, and ruthless, never giving the opponent a chance to react. (End of chapter)