chsdbacks Chapter 310 Assembly?
Chapter 310 Assembly?
"Success?" The thought had barely crossed Zhang Chulan's mind when, due to exhaustion and injuries, his vision went black, and he plummeted from mid-air. Zhang Lingyu, also weakened by exhaustion, knelt on one knee, staring intently at the chaotic center of the thunderstorm.
The lightning slowly dissipated.
Nie Lingfeng's figure reappeared.
He remained standing in the same spot, without moving an inch. However, the ground within a one-meter radius beneath his feet was completely intact, as if protected by an invisible force field. Around his body, a faint, ever-flowing layer of three-colored energy—the blue of the wind, the lightness of the clouds, and the white of the frost—completely isolated him from the violent aftershocks of the mixed thunderstorm.
He looked down at the spotless hem of his clothes, then looked up at Zhang Chulan, who had collapsed from exhaustion, and Zhang Lingyu, who was kneeling on one knee, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"very good."
He began to speak.
"Although it didn't touch the hem of my clothes, and the time was far less than the burning of an incense stick..."
"But that collision and explosion of Yang lightning and Yin lightning just now was quite interesting."
"This is the possibility of 'cooperation' that I'm asking you to find."
"Although it was rough, although it was out of control, although the cost was considerable..."
Nie Lingfeng walked to Zhang Chulan's side, squatted down, and channeled a wisp of pure and gentle Qi into his body to help stabilize his injuries. He then looked at Zhang Lingyu, who was staring intently at him.
"But this proves that you are on the right path."
"The balance of Yin and Yang is not an empty phrase."
Zhang Lingyu stared blankly at Nie Lingfeng, then at Zhang Chulan, who was unconscious but still seemed to have a smug smile on his lips. The spectacular scene of the brief intertwining and explosion of black and white lightning kept replaying in his mind. It wasn't a union of yin and yang, but just a crude, temporary energy explosion. But in that instant, he seemed to feel a completely different, grand and harmonious... rhythm.
His heart, which had always been incomplete and even somewhat obsessive due to his inability to cultivate Yang Lightning, seemed to be gently touched at this moment by the violent yet strangely beautiful black and white light.
It turns out that the power of Yin and Yang does not necessarily have to be concentrated in one person.
It turns out that cooperation and complementarity can also produce such dazzling brilliance.
He slowly closed his eyes, and the somewhat stagnant Yin Thunder Qi within his body seemed to flow more smoothly. A sense of enlightenment quietly grew in his heart.
Perhaps, going down the mountain and "learning" from this unreliable senior brother will really allow him to see... a different kind of scenery.
Nie Lingfeng's "stress test" was remarkably effective, and Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu spent another day in the medical room. In Xu Si's words, these two unlucky kids looked like they had been trampled by an elephant and like they had just been pulled out of an ice cellar and hadn't thawed yet. Fortunately, the company's specially supplied wound medicine was effective enough, and since both of them had good constitutions, they didn't suffer any aftereffects.
Zhang Chulan grimaced as he smeared the pungent-smelling ointment on his shoulder, hissing incessantly, "Ouch... Brother Nie went too far! He almost dislocated my shoulder! How am I ever going to find a girlfriend with my delicate skin like this?!"
On the nearby hospital bed, Zhang Lingyu sat upright, circulating his internal energy to regulate his breathing. He didn't even lift his eyelids upon hearing this, simply saying calmly, "If Senior Brother Chu Lan focuses on healing, his recovery will be three times faster." He appeared calm, but inwardly he was secretly alarmed. Nie Lingfeng's final, seemingly effortless palm strike (to him) and finger strike (to Zhang Chu Lan) contained a power so refined and controlled, far exceeding his expectations. More importantly, it was the effortless ease and complete control he exuded that made him truly feel the difference in their abilities. However, more than his injuries, what lingered in his mind was the indescribable power that briefly erupted when Yang lightning and Yin lightning collided violently at the very end. The convergence of Yin and Yang, even in the most superficial conflict, was so…enchanting.
"Tch, Junior Uncle, you're just too boring." Zhang Chulan pouted, but didn't complain anymore. He obediently sat cross-legged and began circulating the little Qi he had left. He complained of pain, but he was actually thinking things through. He had a general understanding of what Brother Nie meant by "cooperation." If it weren't for his last flash of inspiration, using Junior Uncle's Yin Lightning to create the environment, and risking injury to create an opportunity, he would never have forced Brother Nie to use that defensive move. That feeling of black and white lightning intertwining and exploding… although crude, its power was truly astonishing. If only he could control it better…
"Alright, you two little patients, lunch is ready!" Xu Si's boisterous voice interrupted Zhang Chulan's thoughts. He walked in carrying two huge insulated lunchboxes, followed by Chen Duo carrying Xiao Yun. Xiao Yun waved a lollipop in her hand, and upon seeing Zhang Chulan, immediately stretched out her little hand: "Brother Chulan! Candy! Here you go!"
Zhang Chulan's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Oh, Little Yun is so kind to me! Thank you!" He took the lollipop, feeling secretly pleased even though he wasn't in the mood to eat it. (^▽^)
Xu Si placed the lunchbox on the table, opened it, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air. "Here, some dragon soup just air-freighted from the Northeast office, along with chicken stew with mushrooms and pork stew with vermicelli. Eat as much as you want! You'll need to eat well to have the strength to heal your injuries, and also to..." He paused, revealing a mysterious smile, "to deal with what's coming up."
"What's next?" Zhang Chulan scooped up a large spoonful of the fragrant, golden-yellow dragon soup, blew on it, and took a satisfying sip. He immediately felt refreshed, and even his wounds didn't hurt as much. "What kind of mission is it this time? It's not going to be another grave-digging mission, is it? My injuries haven't fully healed yet."
"More exciting than that." Xu Si pulled up a chair, sat down, and crossed his legs. "I just received an encrypted communication from headquarters, an order personally given by Chairman Zhao."
"Chairman Zhao?" Zhang Lingyu also stopped his meditation and looked at Xu Si. He knew that Zhao Fangxu was the chairman of Na Du Tong, a high-ranking and powerful figure. Anything that Zhao Fangxu could personally issue an order for was definitely not a trivial matter.
"Hmm." Xu Si nodded, his playful smile fading slightly. "He specifically requested Nie Lingfeng to lead the team, which includes you, Zhang Chulan, and... Daoist Wang Ye, as well as Feng Baobao."
"Sister Bao'er? Daoist Wang Ye?" Zhang Chulan was taken aback. "What's going on? Are we going to team up for another dungeon? What level is the boss this time? Why such a big team?" He thought to himself, with Brother Nie leading the team, plus himself, Junior Uncle, Sister Bao'er, Wang Ye... this lineup should be more than enough to take down a small-scale supernatural force, right?
Xu Si lowered his voice: "The specific details of the mission weren't explained in the communication. It only said that it involved a major border security incident and required the involvement of temporary workers. You're to go to the designated location on the Heilongjiang border and wait for the person in charge of that area and the other temporary workers to assemble."
"Temporary workers assembling?!" Zhang Chulan nearly choked on his soup, his eyes wide with disbelief. "All the temporary workers? From the Northeast, Northwest, East China, Central China... are they all coming?"
No wonder he was shocked. The company's temporary worker system, with only one person per region, was shrouded in mystery, possessed special authority, and wielded immense power. They were the company's most intractable and secretive force. Normally, these temporary workers operated independently, rarely interacting with each other, and might not even know each other's identities. Now, they were being mobilized? And by order of Chairman Zhao himself?
Zhang Lingyu also realized the seriousness of the problem, his brow furrowed: "A border security incident... requires the mobilization of all temporary workers... Could it be involving a large-scale invasion by foreign forces? Or... the discovery of a major historical site similar to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley?"
"It's hard to say." Xu Si shook his head. "Chairman Zhao is very tight-lipped, only mentioning the seriousness and urgency of the matter. Moreover, this time it's 'on standby,' which means that once we get there, we might have to see how things go. However, to get so many temporary workers to act together, even a fool could tell it's no small matter, and it might... be a matter of life and death."
Zhang Chulan put down his spoon, his expression turning serious. He wasn't afraid of risking his life, but involving all the temporary workers was too much. He thought of Biyou Village, of Chen Duo; the aftershocks of those events were still reverberating. What would happen this time?
"Has Master Wang Ye informed them yet?" Zhang Chulan asked.
"I've notified him, he's already on his way here and should arrive tomorrow," Xu Si said. "Feng Baobao is at the company and can leave at any time. Nie Lingfeng is in further communication with headquarters to get some inside information. You two, hurry up and recover, you must leave by the morning of the day after tomorrow at the latest."
"So soon?" Zhang Lingyu asked.
"Hmm, judging from Chairman Zhao's words, things might be more urgent than we thought." Xu Si stood up and patted Zhang Chulan's uninjured shoulder. "So, eat quickly and recover. Be careful over there. Temporary workers... there aren't many easy targets, especially from other regions."
After Xu Si and Chen Duo left, a brief silence fell over the ward. Only the sounds of Zhang Chulan slurping his soup and chewing filled the air.
"Junior Uncle," Zhang Chulan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "what do you think it is this time? Does it require gathering all the 'monsters'?"
Zhang Lingyu remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I don't know. But since Chairman Zhao personally gave the order, and it involves the border, it's probably no ordinary conflict between supernatural beings. There might be powerful foreign forces involved, or unimaginable dangers." He looked at Zhang Chulan, his tone serious, "Senior Brother Chulan, the dangers of this trip are unknown, so please be cautious. You and I... should be able to look after each other."
Zhang Chulan glanced at Zhang Lingyu with some surprise, not expecting his usually aloof junior uncle to offer something like "mutual support." He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Of course! We just fought side by side (and got beaten up) as comrades! Don't worry, with me here, I'll definitely protect you! But junior uncle, when you get there and meet the other temporary workers, don't still act like you're unapproachable, or you'll easily get beaten up."
Zhang Lingyu: "..."
He suddenly realized that going on missions with this senior colleague, besides facing unknown dangers, might also mean facing another kind of mental exhaustion. (´-ι_-｀)