Chapter 22: Air Defense Base Entry Ticket

Rushing straight to the hospital proved fortunate; the final diagnosis was dislocation with some soft tissue bruising. The doctors promptly realigned his arm on-site. Then, they applied a sling around Duan Wenxuan’s chest, instructing him that it should be fine after a few days.

Upon leaving the hospital and returning home, Duan Wenxuan eagerly consumed a handful of the chestnuts gifted by the white deer. Inspired spontaneously, he circulated his inner energy through his meridians, discovering that the lingering pain in his arm significantly diminished.

In the afternoon, Duan Wenxuan removed the bandages himself, feeling that his recovery was nearly complete.

Now, taking a closer look at the person he had brought back from Tongfu Inn, Duan Wenxuan observed a man who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with a head full of silver hair. From outward appearances, he seemed kind-hearted, almost like a harmless elderly gentleman.

However, Duan Wenxuan dared not underestimate this elder. While the individuals at Tongfu Inn each had their unique backgrounds, the most outrageous among them involved Bai Zhan Tang’s past as a petty thief. None of the others had committed any truly heinous acts. This old man, on the other hand, had nearly bathed Tongfu Inn in blood, clearly indicating he was not one for mercy or restraint.

Taking a break from his duties, Duan Wenxuan returned to Qi Xia Town.

After being away for most of the day, Bai Zhan Tang and the others immediately surrounded him upon seeing Duan Wenxuan back at Tongfu Inn. They peppered him with questions, concern evident in their voices, only sighing in relief once they confirmed he was unharmed.

Earlier, everyone had been trapped in the backyard, unable to move. They heard Duan Wenxuan rushing out, followed by muffled sounds from the main hall before everything went silent. Soon after, both Duan Wenxuan and Gong Sun Wulong vanished without a trace.

“I fled my home due to a family crisis, and unbeknownst to me, my father had secretly assigned guards to protect me. In the chaos, these protectors subdued the villain. My mother, worried about my distress, decided it’s best we temporarily leave.”

“That…” This explanation raised significant concerns. Bai Zhan Tang stepped forward to question further but was held back by Bai Sanniang.

“Young Hero Duan, considering Gong Sun Wulong’s numerous crimes, do you know where your family has taken him?”

Duan Wenxuan shrugged, “I’m not sure, but since he dared to harm me, Gong Sun Wulong will no longer be seen in the jianghu.”

Bai San Niang paused for a moment before responding, ”…That’s good to hear. However, there is something I need to discuss with you, Young Hero Duan. Could we step aside and talk privately?”

Duan Wenxuan, of course, had no objections.

Bai San Niang revealed Bai Zhan Tang’s true identity, explaining that due to his youth and lack of experience, he made some mistakes. Now that Gong Sun Wu Long was captured, she planned to report to the Imperial Punishments Department that Gong Sun Wu Long had perished. She wondered if it would be possible to attribute this accomplishment to Bai Zhan Tang, thereby earning him a pardon token as compensation.

Naturally, Duan Wenxuan did not refuse. He even provided a lock of Gong Sun Wu Long’s hair along with the secret manual of Turtle Shell Divine Art found on his person, handing them over to Bai San Niang as evidence of Gong Sun Wu Long’s demise.

Grateful, Bai San Niang accepted these items. Before leaving, she also taught Duan Wenxuan techniques like long-distance pressure point manipulation and disguise artistry. Since Duan Wenxuan was already learning from Bai Zhan Tang, she saw no reason to withhold knowledge; besides, she even imparted lessons to Mo Xiao Bei, the child at the inn.

It remains unclear what exactly Bai San Niang discussed with Bai Zhan Tang afterward, but from then on, the inn staff never questioned Duan Wenxuan’s unusual abilities again. In fact, they began treating him with increased caution and deference.

Much later, Duan Wenxuan discovered that Bai Sanniang believed him to be a disguised imperial prince, akin to a white dragon assuming fish form while roaming the mortal world. After all, few could incapacitate a formidable martial artist like Gong Sunwulong with a single strike. Only true palace elites, employing various secret techniques and coordinated attacks, could achieve such a feat.

In An City,

Duan Wenxuan had already focused his consciousness on Gong Sunwulong, immediately becoming engrossed. Compared to Tang Tianlu, Gong Sunwulong was older, even several years more senior, yet his vital energy showed minimal depletion. His internal martial prowess was profound and surging, making him the most powerful individual Duan Wenxuan had connected with thus far.

Moreover, Gong Sunwulong possessed extensive knowledge in diverse fields, including disguise techniques, Bai Zhan Tang’s Merkle Strike, sound transmission through whispers, Turtle Shell Divine Art, Bone Shrinking Technique, and many others, which he mastered remarkably well.

Duan Wenxuan was thrilled; he had always lamented the slow progress of his martial arts training. With this newfound wealth of experience, he eagerly devoted himself to intensive practice at home, rarely visiting Tongfu Inn anymore.

One week later.

Zong Cheng, who had been unreachable for some time, finally returned. Duan Wenxuan, now alert and vigilant, rushed out as soon as he heard the sound of a lock opening next door.

“You’re home?” Zong Cheng appeared somewhat weary.

Without hesitation, Duan Wenxuan followed Zong Cheng into his residence.

It had been quite a while since Zong Cheng was at home. Although Duan Wenxuan occasionally watered his plants, Zong Cheng’s place still felt dusty.

“What’s the situation?” Duan Wenxuan wasted no time, getting straight to the point as he sat down.

“Not good. It turns out that constructing underground defense shelters isn’t limited to An City; it’s happening globally. This clearly indicates that something is seriously wrong with our world.

However, An City is considered one of the crucial first-tier cities domestically, so we’re fortunate to have plans for a defense base here. At least, we’ll likely be among the first group with the best chances to secure spots within the air-raid shelter.”

“That serious?” Duan Wenxuan hadn’t anticipated that Hanming Country’s government would prepare for the worst-case scenario, essentially abandoning all surface activities.

“Yes, my teacher secretly told me that currently, many coastal cities have already begun evacuating inland. The problems occurring along the coast far outnumber those elsewhere. Just one week ago, a ‘Yaksha’ appeared near the coast, and more than half of the people in a small coastal town mysteriously died. Apart from the coastal towns, some remote mountainous areas and villages have also started moving towards urban centers.

However, due to the high requirements for these air raid bases, Hanming Country is likely only going to construct around twelve bases. As for the other cities, the current plan involves building walls to enclose them securely, thereby isolating external threats. But comparatively, the risks in these cities will undoubtedly be higher than those in the air raid bases.”

“In that case, it seems we may face significant communication issues for a long time in the future.”

At that point, these cities might each govern themselves independently. With travel becoming increasingly difficult, coupled with the inability to promptly repair outdoor power lines and infrastructure, at best, only the electrical equipment within individual cities can be ensured normal operation.

“Yes, so if you have any relatives or friends, it’s best to get them to come to An City now, preferably staying within the same city. Otherwise, finding them later could be troublesome.”

“I understand, thank you.”

Zong Cheng shook his head, “No need for thanks. Additionally, here’s something for you.”

From his pocket, Zong Cheng took out a white circular badge and placed it in Duan Wenxuan’s hand.

“I’m here today to gather my personal belongings; I might not return for the next two to three months. This badge serves as an entry ticket to the base. I have a total of seven tickets: five for our parents, Cao Yan, and her parents. This one is for you.

As a participant, I don’t require a ticket since my spot is automatically secured, so there’s no need to worry. There’s still one remaining that I won’t use. Do you think anyone else needs it?”

After Duan Wenxuan’s parents left, interactions with their relatives and friends virtually ceased, leaving little emotional connection. Moreover, having only one extra ticket made giving it away awkward, so he simply indicated that it wasn’t needed.

Zong Cheng was genuinely busy; after sharing the known information with Duan Wenxuan, he got up to pack his belongings in the bedroom. When he returned, Duan Wenxuan handed him a copy of the Sunflower Heart Sutra and the secret manual for Sunflower Merkle Strike.

“It’s truly effective. With your good memory, once you’ve memorized it, make sure to burn these immediately.”

Duan Wenxuan used the techniques from the Sunflower Heart Sutra to circulate energy within Zong Cheng briefly, leaving an impression that would facilitate his initial learning process.

“Where did you get these?” Zong Cheng couldn’t feign surprise—it seemed like…mystical knowledge?!

It’s important to note that not just Hanming Country, but the entire world, has been continuously seeking mystical knowledge, yet access to such sources is scarce. Most mystical events that occur tend to be catastrophic, resulting in widespread fatalities.

Occasionally, some graspable mystical knowledge emerges, but it rarely becomes widely available. For instance, Mao Qisheng’s brush could only be utilized by him alone.

“Not yet,” replied Duan Wenxuan cryptically.

Taking a deep breath, Zong Cheng maintained his usual composure and simply nodded.

He then placed his packed suitcase in the living room and began memorizing the contents of the book. The Sunflower Merkle Strike was mostly illustrated, while the main focus was on the Sunflower Heart Sutra, which required thorough memorization.

By evening, after Zong Cheng had completely mastered it without any errors, he burned the book right in front of Duan Wenxuan.

“Alright, don’t worry, I won’t use these martial arts unless absolutely necessary.”

“You’ve earned my trust,” Duan Wenxuan patted Zong Cheng’s shoulder.

They parted ways, each returning home. Early the next morning, Zong Cheng left but not before proving himself as a modern gentleman - he prepared breakfast for Duan Wenxuan, placing it directly on the dining table. Duan Wenxuan genuinely felt like applauding his good buddy; indeed, Cao Yan pursuing Zong Cheng was the best decision she ever made.

After eating breakfast, Duan Wenxuan anticipated that the fourth world would soon open, so he needed to get well-prepared. However, around 10:30 am, he discovered both internet outage and power failure.

Checking his phone revealed numerous news articles stating that an accident occurred at the Lansky Community Health Center due to a gas explosion. A massive fire had engulfed the area, damaging nearby electrical circuits and resulting in significant casualties.

Duan Wenxuan’s first reaction was to wonder if there was something more behind this incident. Crucially, Lantian Community, where the explosion occurred, was not far from his neighborhood—only about seven or eight hundred meters away. As he rushed to the balcony and looked towards the community health center, he could clearly see the thick smoke and sparks emanating from that area.

“That place…” Duan Wenxuan turned to glance at Gongshen Wulong, contemplating whether to investigate. Perhaps there might be mysterious objects similar to the white deer and the small paper figurine.

The ‘door’ served as his golden finger; the broader its capabilities, the greater his own potential became.

In the outskirts.

As soon as Duan Wenxuan emerged using Gongshen Wulong’s guise, it didn’t take long before he was spotted. However, these individuals refrained from immediately approaching him.

It wasn’t due to Liao Yangsu betraying Duan Wenxuan. After being transported to the outskirts through the door by Duan Wenxuan, Liao Yangsu had walked for some distance before hitchhiking.

A large group of experts analyzed various factors such as Liao Yangsu’s mood, pace, and the location where he got into the car, ultimately deducing with high accuracy the approximate spot where he had initially appeared.

Guided by the principle of leaving no stone unturned, the identified area was promptly equipped with surveillance cameras and classified as a top-priority event, ensuring constant monitoring around the clock.

Adhering to the principle of not missing anything, surveillance cameras were promptly installed across the identified area, marking it as a top-priority event with round-the-clock monitoring.

As soon as Duan Wenxuan emerged, he was immediately spotted through the cameras and reported.

However, at that moment, Duan Wenxuan merely glanced at the newly installed streetlights with their mounted cameras before leisurely strolling away, hands clasped behind his back. After about seven or eight minutes, Liao Yangsu’s car swiftly pulled up next to Duan Wenxuan, accompanied by Zhao Mingcai and Li Dong.