Chapter 37: A Successful Rescue, Return to Haicheng

Long before Jiao Yuxuan voluntarily joined the group of trafficking victims being sent to the country of Miandian, Deputy Director Liu had already stated that a special task force would be assembled to conduct a rescue mission.

This operation was not just for Jiao Yuxuan, but for the countless compatriots who had been deceived and trafficked. Transnational rescues were exceptionally difficult; they could not send many people, and each one was an elite among elites. However, no matter how elite these special police officers were, they were still ordinary humans and lacked specific knowledge of the local criminal syndicates. Having members from the Supernatural Management Bureau join was, of course, ideal.

The Deputy Director knew the identities of Yun Zhi and Ziji; they were merely external personnel of the Bureau. The reason they posted missions and even came to Y Province to participate personally was entirely to track the whereabouts of their friends, Gu Yaya and Si Ming. According to his information, the two had learned the fate of their friends at the very first abandoned factory site: those two young people had perished two months prior.

Deputy Director Liu had not expected Yun Zhi and Ziji to volunteer for the special task force. However, after witnessing that these two newcomers possessed combat prowess exceeding that of many experienced Bureau members, it would have been a lie to say he was not tempted.

"Very well, very well. Welcome both of you to the special task force!"

It was past midnight when they left the hot spring resort. After agreeing on the meeting point for the next morning with the Deputy Director, Yun Zhi and Ziji found a nearby hotel to rest. As for the room they had rented at the inn in D Town, they had specifically chosen one with a broken surveillance system. They left none of their belongings behind and decided to simply call the innkeeper the next day to say they had to leave early, leaving the key on the table.

...

At 7:50 the next morning, Yun Zhi and Ziji appeared at the X County Public Security Bureau. Ziji went to a secluded corner of the parking lot and used his lightning-based ability—converted into electricity—to cut power to the surveillance cameras for a few minutes, returning the police car they had borrowed the night before. He then informed Deputy Director Liu of the vehicle's location; how to explain the sudden appearance of the car or find someone to drive it back was the Director's problem.

Returning to the main conference room, there were many familiar faces. Yun Zhi, Ziji, Feng Na, Ye Fenfang, and Ye Fenfang’s brother, Ye Weiran, who had just returned to the country, made up the five from the Supernatural Management Bureau. There were also Zhou Yan, Li Su, and eighteen other police officers he didn't know.

Ziji studied Li Su for a few extra seconds, confirming that the young man had recovered to his peak state with the help of the Hemostatic and Muscle-Regenerating Pill, before looking away. Li Su stood up and gave a sharp salute, expressing deep gratitude to Ziji and Yun Zhi. Had it not been for their rescue, he might have died inside before long, or been transferred to another location to suffer inhumane torture. Li Su knew they were from the Bureau and that there was likely nothing he could do for them, so he simply promised to perform every future task well and save more ordinary people. He did not mention the special pill he had been fed, as there were many other colleagues in the room.

Yun Zhi said, "Completing missions is important, but protecting your own life is just as important."

Li Su replied, "Yes, I will remember that!"

Overnight, the police had interrogated the key suspects, including Liu Er, Zhou Da, the two most skilled individuals from the abandoned factory, the management of the other two sites, and the wife of the Miandian syndicate's second-in-command, who had accompanied her daughter to the underground medical room at the hot spring resort for a heart transplant... A great deal of useful information was obtained.

Yun Zhi had used the Jade Dragon artifact spirit to place a "truth-telling" buff on these individuals beforehand, and Ziji had infused a small amount of divine soul power to extend the duration, ensuring the buff remained effective for a full day; anything asked of them would be answered without reservation. Of course, what was explained to Deputy Director Liu was simply that it was a standard psychological hypnosis effect, something Jiao Yuxuan of the Y Province Bureau was also capable of.

After Deputy Director Liu and two other leaders of the X County Public Security Bureau gave concise speeches, the twenty-five members of the special task force set off. Zhou Yan was responsible for leading the regular police; he would only offer suggestions for the actions of the five Bureau members, as their areas of expertise differed. The five from the Bureau were ostensibly led by Ye Weiran, but since he did not understand the specific abilities of Yun Zhi and Ziji, he did not issue arbitrary orders, keeping their relationship more cooperative.

After negotiations between the governments of Huaguo and Miandian, the team traveled by flight to Miandian and then transferred to M City. They were officially there under the guise of academic exchange and could only stay for a few days. They could not open fire indiscriminately until they had gathered concrete evidence of the suspects' crimes.

They first checked into a hotel close to their destination, the K Zone. Next, they needed to send someone to infiltrate the K Zone to scout the specific situation inside. At the very least, they had to determine how many hostages were being held and if Jiao Yuxuan was among them.

After a night's rest, Yun Zhi and Ziji’s mental energy and abilities had recovered. Furthermore, it was only past three in the afternoon; the Space Safe House function Yun Zhi had activated the previous evening was still usable!

Ye Weiran possessed an invisibility ability. His level was quite high—Level 4—allowing him to cloak one teammate along with himself, but this consumed a large amount of energy and could not be maintained for long. After discussion, since Yun Zhi and Ziji could safely enter the K Zone to explore with minimal energy expenditure, it was decided that they would infiltrate first to assess the situation.

Feng Na warned them repeatedly, "This is their main base. The criminal organization itself has hundreds, even thousands of members, and the number of hostages is terrifying. We don't know how many bombs or other traps they have set. You two are not allowed to be reckless. Once you've scouted the situation, come back and discuss it with us. Plan before you act." She was terrified that these two would be as reckless as they were back home, taking on all the dangerous work and leaving only the cleanup for the others.

For a small hideout of dozens of people, that approach was fine, but the situation here was different; the entire compound had over a hundred buildings. Their plan was to secretly record evidence of the crimes within the compound, let the Huaguo government use the evidence to negotiate with the Miandian government, and then send in a large contingent of special police. Of course, even with evidence in hand, the criminals with their guns and explosives would never surrender peacefully; a bloody battle was inevitable.

Before that, they hoped to rescue some important hostages, such as Jiao Yuxuan and the individuals on a list of high-level talent provided by the Huaguo government. Naturally, the best outcome would be to rescue all hostages, but that was incredibly difficult.

Yun Zhi and Ziji set off, carrying the earnest hopes of their teammates.

Inside the Space Safe House, Ziji said, "After returning to the hotel last night, I took a second Calming and Nourishing Pill. My body has been strengthened again, allowing me to exert more of my divine soul power."

Yun Zhi was surprised. "Isn't it supposed to be a month before you take another one?" She remembered Ziji saying he took the pill once a month.

Ziji replied, "I am at my strongest right after taking the medicine. If I use too much divine soul power and exceed my current physical limits, I will fall into a coma. When that happens, I’ll have to rely on you to pull me out." He then took a small jade bottle from his storage ring. "There are three Calming and Nourishing Pills here. Give me one first; if I don't wake up in three days, feed me two at once."

Yun Zhi frowned. "Ziji, you don't have to go this far..." The hostages were indeed pitiful, but Yun Zhi cared more about her own safety and that of her friend, Ziji. She did not want him to put himself in danger for the sake of total strangers.

Ziji said, "There is no help for it. One of the paths I cultivated in my previous life was that the 'Great Dao has sentiment.' If I hadn't encountered this, it would be one thing. But having encountered it, right before my eyes, I cannot ignore it. Otherwise, it would hinder my state of mind." The constraints of the "Heartless" path did not apply in this life, and Lu Zijie kept urging him to date. However, the path of "Great Dao having sentiment" could not be abandoned. If he could ignore the suffering of innocent people right before his eyes, how could he be willing to sacrifice himself to save the cultivation world when he returned to his original body? As for that ethereal "Upper Realm," no one knew if it existed; perhaps it was just a pie in the sky drawn by others to make him willing to die.

Yun Zhi said, "But at this rate, the Calming and Nourishing Pills you have won't last until next year... Lu Ge said that a key ingredient, the Spirit-Suppressing Grass, will take a year to mature even with a time-acceleration formation."

Ziji shrugged. "At worst, I'll run out of pills early and spend another four months in a coma! I've already been lying down for four years, I don't mind another four months. Don't worry, having taken so many strengthening pills lately, my body can handle four months."

Yun Zhi sighed and tucked the jade bottle Ziji gave her into her personal space. She knew Ziji had made up his mind; no matter what she said, he wouldn't change it. "Fine. If you fall into a coma, I will take you away." At worst, she would activate the Space Safe House for another day. Points were hard to earn, but lives were more important than points. If Ziji was willing to risk it all, she would act as his backup.

Soon, the Space Safe House arrived at the K Zone. It was massive, with over a hundred buildings, and almost every one was the scene of some crime. Most were engaged in telecommunications and online fraud. Then there were the "transplant centers"—one could guess exactly what that meant. In the compound, there were many water pits; the largest one was filled with crocodiles.

Not long after they entered, Ziji left the space several times, using his divine soul power to make the vicious criminals temporarily abandon their intent to "kill," ensuring they wouldn't harbor the same thoughts for several hours. Yun Zhi recorded a massive amount of incriminating evidence and, since the internet wasn't blocked, synchronized it directly to the group chat. However, it would take days for the government to negotiate and take action. By then, the place might already be empty.

Ziji knew this. He placed a mental suggestion on the doctors at the transplant center: for those surgeries already in progress, they were to restore the original organs as quickly as possible and stitch the victims up. For those not yet started, they were all to be postponed. In just two hours, all existing surgeries would be finished, and no new ones would begin.

Ziji took out a set of formation disks and said, "I plan to set up a 'Questioning Heart' illusion formation in this compound that will put everyone to sleep. Those who have committed many evil deeds will be trapped deep within it and unable to wake up. Those who haven't done evil, or only minor wrongs, will recover in a few minutes to half an hour."

"But this world cannot draw spirit energy from the outside. Lu Zijie thinks I can't cultivate and didn't prepare many spirit stones for me. Using spirit stones and my divine soul power as the source of energy, this formation can last at most eight hours."

"This time, the two of us truly can't handle it alone. Tell the rest of the special task force to get ready, move near the compound, and come in once the illusion formation is set!"

Yun Zhi did not try to dissuade him this time. "Alright, is there anything else I need to do?"

Ziji: "You drive the Space Safe House, and follow the directions I give you."

After the formation flags embedded with spirit stones were inserted into the ground, they quickly sank deep and vanished. Every time they reached a new location, the surveillance there would be interfered with by Ziji’s lightning ability and stall for a few seconds. Ziji also placed mental suggestions on the people in the surveillance rooms, making them dazed and "blank" for a few minutes; when they came to, they would notice nothing unusual.

Over an hour later, Ziji had placed all twelve flags. Ye Weiran, Zhou Yan, and the others, who were not far away, successfully arrived near the K Zone. By this time, all surgeries in the transplant center had been successfully terminated.

Ziji went to the center of the formation—the roof of a high-rise building in the compound. The nearby cameras had already been destroyed by him. He inserted the final main flag at the center of the roof, and after it disappeared, he sat down to meditate. Yun Zhi remained inside the Space Safe House. Ziji gave her an "OK" gesture; she knew he was about to activate the formation.

Ziji sat with his palms facing upward, eyes closed, and released his divine soul power through the main flag! Soon, an invisible energy wave, powered by the flags, enveloped the entire K Zone. People in dozens of buildings—both the criminals and the trafficked victims—all simultaneously fell into a deep sleep!

Yun Zhi messaged the task force members waiting outside, "Now, enter the compound!"

Yun Zhi’s mental energy covered several buildings; noticing that a few people were starting to wake up, she quickly went to the broadcast room and used the loudspeaker to loop a recording she had made: "Attention citizens, this is the Huaguo official rescue team. The criminals have fallen into a coma. Those who are awake, please exit your buildings in an orderly fashion and wait on the open ground for rescue..."

With the help of Feng Na, Ye Weiran, and Ye Fenfang, the special police—whose mental energy had been briefly bolstered and who were all strong-willed and had committed no evil—remained awake after entering the illusion. They quickly took positions, beginning to rescue the victims and arresting the criminals who had lost the ability to resist.

Yun Zhi left the broadcast room and went to release Jiao Yuxuan, who was being held in a special prison; the key had been taken from a guard. Because Jiao Yuxuan had special abilities, the syndicate wanted to use her and had not physically abused her, planning to starve her for a few days before "talking" to her. Of course, Jiao Yuxuan’s own mental suggestions had contributed to this. She had short hair, a gentle and beautiful face, and though she looked haggard, her mental state was decent. The first thing she said to Yun Zhi upon being released was not a thank you, but: "Sister, do you have food? Give me some, quick, I'm about to starve to death!"

Yun Zhi: ... She took some bread, milk, and bottled water from her backpack and handed them over. Jiao Yuxuan took them and devoured them. Before long, Jiao Yuxuan joined the rescue team. Many hostages who woke up early also joined the rescue efforts after understanding the situation. Their task force only had twenty-five people, yet they were far more than that. Not only were the high-level talents on the list successfully rescued, but all surviving hostages were saved.

As for the criminals, with the help of the victims, they were all bound and unable to move even if they woke up. By the time the illusion formation had lasted for six hours, it was deep into the night. All personnel were successfully rescued.

Yun Zhi went to the roof of the central building to wake Ziji. Ziji had kept a sliver of divine soul power focused on the outside. He woke up groggily, coughed up blood, and said weakly, "Fortunately, I didn't overdraw too much this time... Just feed me a Calming and Nourishing Pill. Also, remember to help me retrieve the flags..." With that, he passed out.

Yun Zhi was speechless. Didn't this guy say he could hold out for eight hours? Why did he collapse two hours early? She supposed that holding out for eight hours would have been an extreme drain on him. Yun Zhi fed him a pill and put him on the sofa in the Space Safe House. She did not go in herself; after consulting with the chat group system, she found that sending Ziji into the space alone without activating the driving function cost only 100 points.

The operation was nearing its end; it was one thing for Ziji to disappear, but if she disappeared too, it would be hard to explain. Keeping Ziji outside and moving him while he was unconscious was not as safe or convenient as the Space Safe House. After cleaning up the blood Ziji had coughed up on the roof, she infused a bit of energy to reveal the hidden main flag and retrieved it. Then, she used her light-body skill to run across the entire K Zone, retrieving all twelve remaining flags.

...

Thus, the K Zone—a place known as "Piglet Purgatory"—remained a purgatory, but it was now the criminals who faced a future of endless darkness. Over the next few days, Huaguo would receive the three thousand rescued compatriots in batches.

The next day, Li Su helped carry Ziji, who remained sickly and unable to walk on his own, to the first plane back to the country with Yun Zhi. The other members of the task force remained at the K Zone to be stationed there and would return with the final batch of victims.

Back in Y Province, the Lu family's private jet was already waiting. Half a day later, they returned to Haicheng. Yun Zhi, with a cold expression, sent Ziji, who was in a wheelchair, back to the Lu family residence.

Ziji yawned lazily. "Yun Xiaozhi, don't be unhappy. It's not like I'm dying. In a few days, when you and Lu Zijie do your second trade, I'll take a few more pills and be full of life again."

Yun Zhi took a deep breath. "You didn't tell me that even with the pill, you’d only be awake for three or four hours a day..."

Ziji fought off his sleepiness. "What does it matter? I don't have to work, and I have nothing I must do, so sleeping more is fine."

Yun Zhi said earnestly, "It matters. When you're awake, you can eat three meals a day, eat snacks, watch shows, go out, or just be bored and play on your phone. You are not allowed to do this anymore! In this life, you are no longer the genius sword cultivator who must save the world; you only need to do what you like."

Ziji was stunned. It was the first time someone had told him that he only needed to be himself. "Mm, I'll remember that." He yawned again.

Yun Zhi sighed. Everyone chose their own path; she couldn't dissuade him further. She simply thought to herself that next time there was such a high-risk mission, she would handle it alone. She couldn't drag Ziji into it again.

Just then, Old Master Lu and the butler came out. Yun Zhi handed him over, explaining briefly that he needed to rest and that she would visit in a few days. After Yun Zhi left, Ziji forced himself to stay awake and explained the situation to Old Master Lu. If he said nothing, the old man would worry and might even blame Yun Zhi. She was the only friend he had had in two lifetimes, and this was his own decision. Besides, he could feel a significant amount of merit accumulating within him... it would make it easier to overcome his heart demons when he returned to his original body in the cultivation world.

Long after, Old Master Lu sighed deeply. "I don't understand your cultivation stuff, I just want you to be safe, and for Zijie to be safe. Why don't you quit that Bureau?"

Ziji shook his head. "After this, Yun Zhi probably won't call me for dangerous missions anymore. If I want to get enough experience, I have to take missions from the Bureau. I have power beyond ordinary people, so I am destined to shoulder more responsibility."

Old Master Lu was stunned. When he first learned that this Ziji was not the grandson he knew, he honestly didn't like him; the kid was full of flaws and inferior to Lu Zijie in countless ways. Now... he no longer felt that way. They each had their own shining points. But they were both equally stubborn and wouldn't listen to advice.

Old Master Lu changed the subject. "That 'Life-Extension Card' you mentioned, you aren't allowed to use it on me. I'm a 72-year-old man, living another twenty years is enough."

Ziji took a pale gold card from his storage ring and slapped it into the old man's hand. The card turned into golden light and fused into the old man's body. Ziji said triumphantly, "Too bad, I want to see you live to be over a hundred! If you feel like thirty more years is boring, you can find a second spring; it's been twenty years since Grandma passed away. Or you could help Lu Ziping with work..."

Old Master Lu felt his body become stronger and wanted to hit Ziji, but seeing how weak he looked, he couldn't bring himself to do it and could only grumble, "You brat! Always contradicting me! I'm too old to find a 'second spring,' and I don't want to work—even a dog wouldn't work this job!"

Ziji, in his wheelchair, let his head loll to the side and fell asleep.

Old Master Lu: ... This debt-collector! Rebellious grandson! The brat was clearly afraid that if he died too soon, there would be no one left for him to annoy!

At Jin Garden, as soon as Yun Zhi met Yun Xinbo and Ran Yao, she immediately used the other two Life-Extension Cards from the mission rewards on them.