Zong Yajuan's gaze swept across the members of the Time Girl Group. Every face was etched with deep worry and confusion, but by some unspoken agreement, they all remained silent.
Her eyes finally settled on Gao Yimin. "Yimin," she asked, "why are you against reporting this?"
Gao Yimin spoke slowly. "Big Sis, we represent the Queen's will. You could even say we're the embodiment of Her Majesty's image.
If we had engaged the Evil Spirit in a fierce battle and successfully subdued it, then reporting the matter would be the proper thing to do. It would bring us unparalleled honor.
But what happened to Yu Kailin… She passed away without a sound. We lost a companion without even laying eyes on the Evil Spirit.
Expectations were far too high for us on this expedition to the Demon Cave. If this gets reported, it will only make us look utterly incompetent."
Gao Yimin's words plunged every member present into deep thought, including Zong Yajuan.
'She had to admit, Yimin had a point.'
Nevertheless, Zong Yajuan's brow remained tightly furrowed. "But are we just going to let Yu Kailin die for nothing?"
Her voice trembled with a grief she couldn't hide.
Yu Kailin, their resident ray of sunshine who always brought laughter to everyone, was now gone forever.
Her laughter and her presence seemed to linger before their eyes, yet she was already beyond reach.
Gao Yimin sighed softly and began her calm analysis. "I don't believe that Evil Spirit is all that powerful.
To be honest, none of us have ever truly fought an Evil Spirit before.
Big Sis, you're mature and level-headed, but even you would inevitably have a moment of panic when facing an unknown Evil Spirit.
Evil Spirits, by their very nature, possess a brutal aura that can cloud human thought and reason.
Besides, Yu Kailin was the youngest and had the least experience.
She likely froze in fear the moment she saw the Evil Spirit. That, combined with its bizarre and unpredictable methods of attack, is what led to this tragedy."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "What we need to do now is drag the Evil Spirit hiding in the Demon Cave out into the open and destroy it completely.
Only then should we consider reporting this."
Zong Yajuan nodded in agreement. "You're right.
When I reached the scene, the area was covered in marks of Sword Qi. I suspect they were left by Yu Kailin swinging her weapon in a panicked frenzy."
Just then, Zong Yajuan's phone suddenly vibrated.
She glanced nervously at the caller ID, her expression instantly growing grim. "It's Her Majesty the Queen."
She quickly pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.
Her Majesty the Queen's voice came through the phone, clear and authoritative. "What is the situation above the Demon Cave? Have you discovered anything unusual?"
Zong Yajuan took a deep breath, fighting to calm her inner turmoil. "Your Majesty, everything is normal. There are no abnormalities."
Though her voice was calm, her heart was churning.
It was as if she was trying to bury all her unease and fear within that single reply.
...
Sea City, a brilliant metropolis in the Great Jing Empire second only to the Royal City, had always been known for its prosperity and wealth.
At that moment, a black sedan was driving slowly into a vast estate, its tires making a faint crunching sound on the exquisite cobblestone path.
The sedan came to a stop. The door opened, and an old man stepped out.
His face was etched with the lines of age, but his eyes still gleamed with a sharp light.
This old man was none other than Qin Zhengxing, secretly dispatched by Queen Ji Shengyue to investigate the Demon Cave.
"Father, where on earth have you been these past few days?"
A middle-aged man hurried over, his face filled with anxiety and concern.
He was Qin Zhengxing's son, Qin Shanchuan.
Qin Zhengxing didn't answer directly, instead giving a rapid-fire command, "Shanchuan, start making arrangements at once. We're moving all of our assets out of the Great Jing Empire."
Qin Shanchuan frowned in confusion. "Move our assets? What's going on? Did something big happen?"
Qin Zhengxing's expression was grave, a flicker of fear in his eyes. "Don't ask so many questions. Just do as I say," he said in a low voice.
"I can only tell you that the Great Jing Empire is about to fall into turmoil, and the root of it all is that newly ascended Queen, Ji Shengyue."
Qin Shanchuan had never seen his father so nervous and afraid, and it filled him with a profound sense of unease.
He immediately took out his phone and began secretly arranging the asset transfers.
Watching his son's back, Qin Zhengxing continued to urge him, "Remember, you must keep this absolutely secret. Don't let anyone find out.
Otherwise, our family might be wiped out by Ji Shengyue before we can even get out of the country.
After Ji Shengyue took the throne, many people within the Empire grew dissatisfied with her.
That foolish woman, to secure her position, chose to move against the National Guardian War God, Chu He.
These past few days, she had me secretly investigate the situation with the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave.
If it weren't for the residual Evil Spirit power left in my body, I never would have discovered the crisis hidden beneath the Demon Cave."
Qin Zhengxing paused, then continued, "An astonishing number of Evil Spirits reside beneath the Demon Cave, including at least two King Level Evil Spirits.
While I was away, our family came under surveillance.
Those people are secretly breaking the seal on the Demon Cave. They threatened me, warning that if I told Ji Shengyue the truth, they would kill all of you.
There's a King-level expert among them. Killing you would be effortless for them.
So I had no choice but to lie to Ji Shengyue.
But I am certain that before long, the Evil Spirits will burst out in overwhelming numbers.
When that time comes, the Great Jing Empire, without its National Guardian War God Chu He, will be completely unable to withstand such a force."
After hearing his father's explanation, Qin Shanchuan finally understood the whole story.
He let out a long sigh and lamented, "With a Queen like that holding the reins of power, how could the Great Jing Empire possibly avoid ruin?"
...
In the flower fields of Turtle Shell City,
Sunlight spilled like flecks of gold, painting the splendid sea of flowers into a picturesque scene.
Butterflies danced among the flowers, frolicking like Elves,
and busy bees darted through the blossoms, adding a touch of vitality to the floral sea.
Chu He sat quietly in a rustic rocking chair, wearing sunglasses, a hint of a lazy smile playing on his lips.
"DING! You have rested in Turtle Shell City for seven days. Your mind and body have been fully relaxed."
Immediately after, another system message arrived: "Task complete. The Xuanyuan Sword has been delivered to the host's personal inventory."
Chu He opened his palm slightly. A flash of light erupted from its center, coalescing into an ancient and majestic longsword—the Xuanyuan Sword.
He gently caressed the blade, feeling the cold texture of the metal, as if he could hear the whispers of the millennia contained within it.
Just as Chu He was soaking in the tranquility,
groups of fully armed personnel began converging from all directions, completely sealing off the flower field.
They wore matching uniforms and carried a variety of weapons. Their gazes were cold, and the air around them was thick with killing intent.
Yet, in the face of this sudden encirclement, Chu He remained completely unfazed.
He remained seated quietly in his rocking chair, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
Gently rocking the chair, he let the sunlight wash over him, stretching his shadow out long.
The armed personnel exchanged uncertain glances.
They didn't understand how Chu He could be so calm and composed.
And so they tightened their encirclement around him, preparing to attack at any moment.