Chapter 227 - 227 208 Winning a Prize

Words : 1789 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

227: Chapter 208: Winning a Prize? 227: Chapter 208: Winning a Prize? At the moment when the massive pollution wave started at Nine Plates Mountain, all those with ulterior motives noticed the arrival of the catastrophe. Different combat forces were mobilized crazily, either to go to the scene, or to organize evacuation, or to eliminate the troublemakers of the chaos … the wave of pollution and incidents seemed to be reaching its end, but it was also the most intense. Ancient city Zion District’s Special Service Team Three was just one part of the huge system. After the accident happened, they were naturally sent to the front lines. Two people, however, were the exceptions. One was Ke Zhenmo, Old Ke, a retired employee who was re-employed. His role was in logistics; he had been away from the frontlines for too long, and most active professionals didn’t even know about his career path. The other one was Lei Huoren who, as always, applied for independent action and, as always, got approved. His fast-paced way of handling things wasn’t an issue. Now, only Old Ke was left in the office, organizing his files. The team had had many meetings recently, and too much information needed to be sorted out. The newly recruited members were too young and inexperienced to handle their own consumables and weapons declarations, and he had to help them with all these tasks. Don’t underestimate these tasks; only an old stager knows what the front-line warriors actually need and can adjust in real time according to the situation. Each report and application actually involved lives and deaths, making it tedious and complicated work. Having a treasure at home wasn’t just a saying. Old Ke’s presence greatly relieved Captain Xia, and his thoughtfulness and dedication were well-known. He undertook many jobs, including communication, support, logistics, personnel arrangements, and subsidy distribution. Even now, while others were busy outside, he was still grappling with paperwork and information. The previously noisy office was now empty, except for him until… “Buzz!” The high-speed vibrating blade fell, cutting the office floor and table in half. But the person who should have turned into fragments along with them was unharmed. The originally empty phantom transformed into reality, and the plain-white liquid war approached reality as the assassin appeared openly. This attack was just to say hello. In the next moment, Fang Wen of the Silver War fell into a frenzy. Even if she only caught a glimpse of the fluctuation, and even if it was just that familiar fighting style, she realized who the creature behind the façade was. “Sophist!” “Ah, hey.” The old man, Ke Zhenmo, sighed helplessly and innocently while leaning against the wall. “How did you find me… Never mind, what do you want with me? I am working here, and it shouldn’t bother you. We are on the same side, right?” Theoretically, there was nothing wrong with his statement. After all, the event was supposed to be at Nine Plates Mountain, and for the Sophist to be here meant giving up the biggest opportunity to compete. But Fang Wen remained unmoved. Even without the previous betrayal experience (the series of collapses caused by the battery incident), she immediately remembered Lu Ping’an’s words. “His existence is a disruption to our plan. Do you really know how many cards he has secretly obtained… If you still want to let him go and think he is not a threat, let him swear…” Before she arrived, Lu Ping’an said. Under Fang Wen’s Silver War mask, the crisp synthesized voice spoke her demand and recounted the oath. “Fine, you swear, don’t change a word: ‘I swear by my true name, Yuan Dunxing, that I will give up chasing all targets related to Kerdalais, leave the Ancient city at full speed right now and never return within a month’.” The oath was quite simple and generous, without requiring him to pay any additional costs, but Lu Ping’an knew… “… Then there’s no deal. Heh, just your brain wouldn’t have come up with this. There must be someone helping you with ideas. Long Qianlan? Tsk tsk, his little sister was pitted by you so badly, yet he’s still willing to help you?” It was a mockery, but also a probe. If Fang Wen and Long Qianlan could truly “bury the hatchet”, then it would really become difficult for the other followers of the Mother Goddess cult.. But at this moment, Fang Wen suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Her animal instincts told her that the attitude of the person in front of her seemed a bit off, and he appeared rather smug… “…It was you who lured Dragon Yuhe into the ambush?” She inexplicably remembered the rage of that foolish woman. “Hehe.” “Old Ke” laughed, very pleased with himself. This was his masterpiece. “So, it was also you who hunted down my children…” The wild Beast Tamer may be impulsive, but when they truly suspect or even confront someone, they are exceptionally sharp. “Heh, guess how I made it happen?” Old Ke replied with a laugh and a rhetorical question. “Boom!” In the next moment, flesh splattered everywhere, and the room was soaked with blood. “Old Ke” turned into a puddle of minced meat. “Rumble!” Enraged, Fang Wen wasn’t satisfied and stomped on the floor, creating a huge pit. “… You screwed up.” Suddenly, a masked figure entered from the corridor, accompanied by a faint scent of flowers. Behind the empty area, several policemen came to see the situation but seemed to just be unconscious. Peaceful words from the back resonated, devoid of emotion and blame, causing Fang Wen, the powerful, to freeze momentarily. “I…” She also realized. “I told you to try to get more out of him. This kind of performative personality needs an audience, especially after an outstanding performance. If you hype him up, he’ll reveal more.” Lu Ping’an’s voice remained calm, but he was bluntly criticising her face-to-face. “I… You…” Fang Wen was annoyed. “You, a 2-tier noob, are qualified to berate me? You, a…” But as she turned around to face Ping’an, she encountered those tranquil eyes, which reminded her of the great being behind this “puppet.” She instantly calmed down, swallowing any obscenities that came to mind. Then, she even began to feel apprehensive, worrying that her recklessness would negatively impact her image in the eyes of this important figure. Lu Ping’an didn’t look at her. Instead, he bent down to examine Old Ke’s corpse… or rather, the flesh and bones wrapped in skin. Only his head remained. The shattered flesh of his body began to rapidly wither. And then, something strange happened. The head shrank to about the size of a fist, while the lower body remained the size of a palm. The entire corpse looked like a cannibalistic tribe’s shrunken head doll. Just by glancing at the amount of blood on the ground and the disproportionately large-headed victim, it was clear that this was not normal. “Big Cat?” Lu Ping’an didn’t ask Fang Wen. At this moment, a professional was needed. “It’s not ‘Replace,’ it should be a ‘Clone’-like ability. He completely impersonated this old man, who knows how long he’s been doing it…” The ninth-order Healer only took a brief look before giving a conclusion. “Any guesses?” “Too many, it’s difficult to determine. It’s not just limited to the Life domain either — Painters, Chess players, Sculptors, etc., all have similar methods. There are too many chaotic Evil Gods and hidden paths. But it should not be the Healer’s Replace.” “Replace” was still unique, allowing the “replaced” person’s personality to remain and even perform a perfect usurpation, virtually impossible to detect using conventional means. Most instances of infiltration would be discovered as soon as any action was taken… In a sense, this was also the reason for choosing Old Ke, who specialized in logistics. Lu Ping’an was somewhat at a loss. Silently observing the troublemaker who had spoiled everything, his calm eyes made Fang Wen reflexively step back. Then, she inexplicably became angry, took a step forward, snorted, and said nothing. At that moment, all Lu Ping’an could do was sigh and feel a little relieved. His list had been compiled based on “suspected insider” and “low repercussions after being killed.” The fact that he’d hit the mark with his very first guess was to be expected, as well as a pleasant surprise. However, the problem was that Old Ke had been in charge of logistics and paperwork over the past few days. To make matters worse, he was a professional Contractor. If they secretly set a trap… “A ‘puppet’ can’t use the original’s abilities, right?” “Hard to say. Many high-quality puppets can use some of their inherent abilities, while some can even use the puppet master’s abilities. But I don’t think this one can. He (the Sophist) isn’t that strong. However…” “…But he could swap between his true form and Avatar to set traps for us?” This was undoubtedly a troubling development. When Lu Ping’an realized that the mole must be close by, he became extremely cautious in that regard. However, the other team members were not as careful, which meant that the combat power of the Special Service Team Three would become highly unpredictable. Although agreements were made with both parties understanding the terms, word games were the favorite toys of Contractors. “The list — do we continue killing?” Seemingly trying to break Lu Ping’an’s “silence,” Fang Wen took the initiative to ask. Lu Ping’an, who had spent considerable effort compiling the list and investigating his “colleagues,” fell silent. After a full minute, he shook his head and led the way out. “Let’s go; we have too many things to do.” ——- ——- When “Old Ke” turned into pieces of flesh, someone on the upper floor of a hotel, watching the panicked and fleeing crowd below, suddenly began to laugh. “Pop!” A crisp sound echoed as a streak of blood appeared on his body. The blood rapidly expanded, forming a human face that depicted an old man crying out in despair. His face suddenly twisted, revealing the hidden thing behind his head. The original two faces had vanished without a trace, leaving only a fish head hanging there. “Is it Lu Ping’an? He’s actually working with Fang Wen? Or are they merely using each other? The prey has joined forces with the hunter? Interesting, very interesting!” Within his line of sight, a frail figure wearing a hospital gown watched everything before him in confusion, a familiar yet strange world.

Chapter 227 - 227 208 Winning a Prize

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