Chapter 23: Zhao Mingcai's Virtues

Duan Wenxuan paid no heed to Li Dong and Zhao Mingcai, his gaze immediately settling on Liao Yangsu.

“You must be Old Master Tang’s disciple,” Duan Wenxuan said kindly, appearing as a warm and benevolent elder.

Liao Yangsu, cautious not to overstep, had recently immersed himself in studying ancient etiquette from the Yue Country era, specifically to facilitate future interactions with members of the Duan family.

In that moment, Liao Yangsu clumsily bowed with hands respectfully interlocked, saying deferentially, “Greetings, esteemed elder. My master’s surname is indeed Tang, but out of respect, I refrain from mentioning his full name. May I inquire who you are?”

The formal, antiquated language was intentional on Liao Yangsu’s part. Not only did he speak this way, but he had also changed out of his modern attire and now wore a simple, traditional practice robe.

“I am Gongsun Wulong. Your master, Old Master Tang, and I share some acquaintance, and it pleases me to know he has found a worthy successor. I don’t expect great achievements from you in the future; merely ensuring that you pay respects at Old Master Tang’s memorial after his passing would suffice to prove he chose well.”

“Rest assured, Mr. Gongsun, my Master treats me like his own son, and I will undoubtedly care for him until his final days,” Liao Yangsu replied with sincerity.

Duan Wenxuan smiled and reached into his robes, producing a secret manual of “Sound Transmission Technique.” He handed it to Liao Yangsu, saying, “Very well, your filial devotion is commendable. This is a small item I acquired during my travels, and I’d like to gift it to you. It’s not from the Duan family; it belongs to me personally. Therefore, once given to you, you are free to do as you wish with it.”

Liao Yangsu’s eyes lit up upon seeing the manual.

“Don’t get too excited; it just contains some minor techniques for internal martial arts,” Duan Wenxuan cautioned.

Nevertheless, Liao Yangsu bowed deeply, showing even greater respect towards Gongson Wulong. While these ‘minor techniques’ might seem insignificant to someone as formidable as Gongson Wulong, they were highly practical for Liao Yangsu.

Quickly, Liao Yangsu tucked the secret manual into his waistband beneath his training robe, ensuring it wouldn’t fall out - only then did he feel secure. However, Liao Yangsu wasn’t the only one feeling elated; Zhao Mingcai and Li Dong also grew envious from the sidelines.

Earlier, Gongsun Wulong mentioned that this secret manual was a personal gift, unrelated to the Duan family, and its subsequent handling would solely depend on Liao Yangsu’s discretion. This implied that the special forces team could potentially acquire it through their own efforts.

However, now wasn’t the time for such discussions. Zhao Mingcai gently held back Li Dong, his smile widening even more.

A moment later, Duan Wenxuan got into the car.

“Remarkable! The craftsmanship of today far surpasses that during Yue Country’s era.” Duan Wenxuan touched the car window, his tone filled with admiration.

At this point, Liao Yangsu asked if there was any specific matter Duan Wenxuan needed to attend to after leaving the small blessed land?

Duan Wenxuan smiled helplessly and replied, “Yuanhui had intentions to introduce ‘mobile phones’ within our Duan family, along with what you call ‘base stations,’ and setting up ‘network lines,’ and so forth. However, as expected, there are some stubborn traditionalists at home who opposed him, leading to a deadlock. In his youthful fervor, Yuanhui unexpectedly left the small blessed land yesterday.

The patriarch is concerned and entrusted me specifically to find him. Once located, I am to persuade him to return to the small blessed land and dissuade him from causing trouble outside.”

“Mr. Gongsun, is this Duan Yuanhui you mentioned the direct heir of the Duan family?” Zhao Mingcai asked.

“Who else could it be? I’ve watched Yuanhui grow up since he was young, and his martial talent is exceptional. As the only son, the family head has high hopes for him. However, being still quite young, even I find the current societal developments intriguing. It’s natural to want to explore; imagine how much more so for Yuanhui.”

Zhao Mingcai grinned inwardly. While their knowledge of mystical arts might be lacking, their understanding of entertainment far surpassed what these visitors knew. This was exactly the effect they aimed for. Give Hanming Country a chance, and they would instantly immerse everyone in the concept of ‘entertainment to excess.’

“Mr. Gongsun, if it’s convenient, could you provide us with a photograph…or rather, a portrait of Young Master Duan? We have a device called ‘surveillance cameras,’ and with a portrait for comparison, we might locate the young master swiftly.”

Duan Wenxuan displayed genuine curiosity about these ‘surveillance cameras.’ In response, Zhao Mingcai immediately directed Li Dong to change course, taking them to demonstrate the surveillance system firsthand.

”…Fascinating, this ‘surveillance’ is truly intriguing. From Yue Country to here, I never expected such technology to exist. If we could install one of these devices at the Duan family’s martial arts building, it would significantly enhance its security.” Duan Wenxuan seemed genuinely captivated by surveillance equipment for the first time. Not only was he curious about the screens but also the cameras and their underlying principles, constantly posing numerous questions.

Outside the surveillance room, Li Dong irritably sucked on a lollipop. Previously a heavy smoker, after his recent parasitic vine infection, doctors advised him to quit smoking to aid his recovery. Over the past few days, whenever frustration set in, the burly former police captain turned special forces commander resorted to chewing on lollipops instead.

With a click, the door opened, and Zhao Mingcai quietly emerged.

”…What a waste of time bringing him here!” Li Dong frowned deeply, casting an annoyed glance at Zhao Mingcai.

Zhao Mingcai differed from Li Dong; he was purely an administrative officer. At his age, with a calm demeanor, he didn’t take offense to Li Dong’s curt tone.

“Keep your voice down,” Zhao Mingcai said. “Old Mr. Gongsun is currently discussing camera principles with the experts I just brought in. It won’t be long now.”

“Principles? Principles my ass! What kind of situation is this? We need his assistance for something urgent, and we still don’t know why those aberrant mutants appeared at Lan Tian Community. Every moment wasted could mean another life lost! Once the community issue is resolved, then he can go study what issues there might be with the camera!”

“Understood.” At that moment, Zhao Mingcai’s expression turned serious as he pulled aside the hot-headed captain. “Don’t speak recklessly. Do you know why the special forces team chose me as the vice-captain despite my age, being close to retirement and not ideally suited for such duties? It ultimately boils down to your tendency to lose your temper too easily.

Are you aware that Mao Qisheng harbors significant grievances against you, especially after forcing him to enter Little Peak Mountain last time? Since then, his work attitude has become even more消极懈怠, and experts along with psychologists have been monitoring his emotional state.

“You must understand that you cannot focus solely on what’s right in front of you; you need to consider the long-term consequences. Delaying Blue Sky Community by just one minute might result in one more death, but if we can restrain the gentleman inside, countless lives could be saved in the future.

By directly asking for his assistance and thanking him afterward, it creates a debt we owe him, and he may not necessarily help us again later. However, by establishing a relationship beforehand, fostering goodwill and connections, it becomes mutual aid. Once there’s been one instance, there will likely be subsequent ones… Also, next time, address him as Old Mister Gongsun, using respectful terms regardless of whom you’re speaking with.”

Who knows if these extraordinary individuals possess any special abilities? What if they can hear everything?

Li Dong crunched down hard on his lollipop, saying no further words.

After about half an hour, Duan Wenxuan emerged from the surveillance room accompanied by a group of experts, his face full of admiration. “Remarkable, truly remarkable. As expected, every dynasty has its commendable aspects. I dare say that when people from those major sects emerge, they too will show interest in this era’s machinery.”

“If you find it useful, sir, please let us know. We have dedicated technical experts who can assist with installation and ongoing maintenance, making it both convenient and swift.”

Duan Wenxuan agreed with a cheerful smile.

However, at that moment, someone hurriedly approached Zhao Mingcai, covered in dust, bearing numerous wounds and bloodstains.

Zhao Mingcai immediately grew anxious and bid farewell to Duan Wenxuan, ready to leave.

Although not the real Gongson Wulong, Duan Wenxuan couldn’t be underestimated due to his years of experience. As he continued cultivating his martial arts, his senses had become increasingly keen.

Zhao Mingcai’s urgency was deliberate.

It was executed skillfully; even from a distance, the person seeking him was intercepted promptly, creating the impression that Zhao Mingcai’s hasty departure seemed inevitable.

Nevertheless… Duan Wenxuan chose to play along. He turned to Liao Yangsu, who had been accompanying them throughout, and asked, “Is something wrong?”

—cough cough

Li Dong loudly cleared his throat.

Liao Yangsu hesitated slightly before responding, “In An City, there’s a community where people are exhibiting strange illnesses.” As she spoke, Liao Yangsu held her phone up to Duan Wenxuan, displaying a photo of a mutant on the screen.

“The initial symptoms were slight disorientation… In the end, these affected individuals would lose their minds, and their bodies would exhibit various irregular deformities such as extreme obesity or emaciation. For someone fully infected to completely succumb to the disease, it could take up to approximately two months at most, with shorter cases still lasting one month. These afflicted individuals are highly sensitive to sounds and will gravitate towards loud noises, exhibiting strong aggression.

We discovered that the source was Lantian Community, and we evacuated it three months ago while also detaining relevant personnel. However, now it seems somewhat uncontrollable…”

Liao Yangsu didn’t finish her explanation. After identifying the source as Lantian Community, they dared not recklessly handle the area before finding the exact origin. Similar to the previous hospital expansion, they temporarily cordoned off the entire community.

Additionally, among those infected… some were being experimented on. Naturally, although the An City government aimed to study the mysterious cause, another part of it was also to find corresponding treatments. The major issue that arose this time seemed to be due to a reaction between the infected bodies and the experiments, leading to the situation becoming somewhat unmanageable.

Duan Wenxuan had an epiphany; no wonder that ‘monster’ appeared at his home earlier.

Considering the timing, it was likely around when issues were being discovered in Lantian Community. Later, there was dust flying along the roads as they claimed to be expanding and reconstructing them, with everything cordoned off. Duan Wenxuan genuinely hadn’t anticipated this development.

Seeing Duan Wenxuan momentarily silent, Liao Yangsu hastily said, “Sir… I just mentioned it casually, you can disregard it…” After all, Duan Wenxuan was an elder from their sect, and feeling the texture of the secret manual in his arms, Liao Yangsu couldn’t bring himself to deceive him as Zhao Mingcai suggested.

Li Dong’s cough worsened significantly, even glaring fiercely at Liao Yangsu.