"If he were a man of this era, I would have no objection, but the problem of his master remains a hidden danger."
"Those old fossils who had faded into obscurity, who should have been forgotten by history, are now crawling out of the woodwork to manipulate the world. They'll stop at nothing."
The noble-looking middle-aged woman said, her eyes narrowed slightly.
"The international situation is currently in flux. Certain nations have made huge breakthroughs in biotechnology, and more and more infiltrators are piercing their way into the Divine Land. Experts who have achieved Body Ascension have become crucial assets and bargaining chips in this competition. I don't think we should allow a repeat of the Tianmu Mountain Massacre, caused when the Twelve Martial Saints of Japan entered the Divine Land."
A refined-looking, middle-aged man in a white shirt spoke up.
"Hanlin, there's one thing you need to understand clearly. Only those who can be controlled and are willing to play by the rules can be considered assets and bargaining chips. Otherwise, they're just unstable elements that threaten society."
The square-faced middle-aged man spoke again.
"That's enough, Changping. You've only recently joined the Special Security Bureau, so you don't fully understand the temperament of those who have achieved Body Ascension. While it's true they look down on authority and disregard the law, they have their own principles. In fact, their principles are infinitely firmer than an ordinary person's, because there is almost nothing that can make them waver."
"Since he sought out our agent and said what he did before taking action, it shows he's not some depraved monster."
The benevolent-looking middle-aged man in the head seat, who was also the Director-General of the Special Security Bureau, Zhao Ping, spoke.
He knew Ma Changping's attitude represented the position of certain people backing him.
Those who achieve Body Ascension can run rampant with their personal might. Some see them as assets, others as a menace. As such, many people took issue with Zhao Ping's favorable inclination toward those who had achieved Body Ascension.
This was the weakness of any organization: it combined the strength of many, but the wills of the many were inevitably divided.
Fortunately, Zhao Ping was still able to steer the course of affairs within the Special Security Bureau.
Seeing that Ma Changping wanted to say more, the middle-aged man cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Enough. Since there are differing opinions, we'll follow procedure and put it to a vote. I support establishing good relations with the individual in Wencheng and pursuing deeper cooperation."
Hands went up around the room. More than seventy percent of the people in the conference room raised their hands.
"Hanlin, you will represent the Special Security Bureau. Go and make contact with him. See what his views are and what he's asking for."
Zhao Ping said, looking at the refined middle-aged man.
"Yes, Minister Zhao."
Sun Hanlin nodded.
"I request to accompany Director Sun."
Just then, Ma Changping, who hadn't raised his hand during the vote, spoke up with his hand raised.
Zhao Ping's brows furrowed slightly at the sight.
"Don't worry, Minister Zhao. I will abide by the group's decision. It's just that if we're going to negotiate, someone has to play the bad cop, right? We can't just keep compromising, can we? That would be untenable, and I wouldn't be able to answer to the senior figures who are concerned with our work."
"He's just a young man, after all. The fact that he approached us proves he doesn't want a mutually destructive outcome. The only way to get the best result is to use a carrot-and-stick approach, isn't it?"
Ma Changping said coolly.
"Very well. You'll go with Minister Sun. But you must watch what you say, understand?"
Zhao Ping mulled it over for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.
He had no choice. Ma Changping represented a powerful faction, and since Ma had agreed to the resolution, Zhao couldn't afford to slight them.
"This matter can't be delayed. Get ready and depart at once."
Zhao Ping said.
As the meeting adjourned, Zhao Ping specifically held Sun Hanlin back to warn him, "Keep an eye on Ma Changping. Don't let him stir up any trouble."
"I understand."
Sun Hanlin nodded.
「The next day, in Wencheng.」
Sun Hanlin and Ma Changping had arrived and were now heading to Yi Beidou's residence, with Zhou Baiwei leading the way.
"Gentlemen, Yi Beidou has an unyielding temperament and acts with domineering force. He means what he says and responds to persuasion, not pressure. When you meet him, it's best to use a gentle approach, or you risk provoking a conflict."
Zhou Baiwei told the two men on the way.
"Understood, Xiaozhou. Thank you for the warning. Changping, let me speak with him first. You stay quiet for the time being."
Sun Hanlin said to Ma Changping at his side.
"I'll handle it my own way."
Ma Changping replied noncommittally, his heart filling with even more disdain for this type of person.
'Relying on their own strength, vigilantes using martial arts to break the law... It's a disaster for the nation. The Special Security Bureau has been far too soft, and that's what led to this situation.'
Soon, the group's car arrived in the North Suburb of Wen City. Yi Beidou was currently living in the self-built villa where he had perfected his Freedom Technique.
When they arrived, he was strolling through the villa's courtyard, observing the plants and insects, taking in the essence of nature.
The group had just stopped at the courtyard gate. Zhou Baiwei was about to call out to Yi Beidou and introduce Sun Hanlin and Ma Changping, when Yi Beidou suddenly turned his head from inside the courtyard to look at them.
An intensely threatening aura flickered in his eyes, causing all three of their minds to go momentarily blank.
The next moment, their vision blurred. Yi Beidou's figure crossed a dozen meters in an instant, appearing before them to jab a finger into Ma Changping's chest.
BAM!!
Ma Changping had barely come to a stop. Even as a master of Tonghui Internalization, he had no time to react. Before he could utter a single word, he was sent flying backward. His tall frame tumbled across the ground, his fine clothes becoming caked with dust. He collapsed in a heap, motionless, his condition unknown.
Sun Hanlin and Zhou Baiwei stood frozen, completely baffled as to why Yi Beidou had suddenly attacked. They had only just arrived and hadn't said or done a thing.
"You! What are you doing?! How could you just attack someone like that?!"
When she came to her senses, Zhou Baiwei was aghast. Ma Changping was a high-ranking official in the Special Security Bureau with powerful connections. If anything happened to him, the consequences would be enormous.
She couldn't understand why Yi Beidou would do such a thing.
"Mr. Yi... What is the meaning of this?"
Sun Hanlin looked at the towering man before him, whose large frame blotted out the sun, and couldn't help but take two steps back.
"You both carry the strong air of officialdom and were led here by Zhou Baiwei, so you must be high-ranking members of the Special Security Bureau. The moment you approached, I sensed this man's intense malice. Nothing good would have come from his mouth, and I couldn't be bothered to listen, so I put him on the ground. Do you think I did something wrong?"
Yi Beidou shifted his gaze from the fallen Ma Changping to Zhou Baiwei and Sun Hanlin.
The pressure was overwhelming, like Tai Mountain crashing down upon them, like a judge from the underworld passing sentence on their lives.
Back when he first perfected his Freedom Technique, he could sense malice from the outside world even through the thick metal walls of a basement. Now that the technique was fully mastered, how could his Celestial Demon Sensing be anything less than extraordinary?
"This... This..."
For a moment, Sun Hanlin was at a loss for words, sweat already trickling down his forehead.
He knew full well what Ma Changping's stance was. He just never imagined Yi Beidou would see through everything before they had even introduced themselves.
He was a high-ranking official who had seen it all. He had even met a few masters who had achieved Body Ascension, but he had never encountered anyone like Yi Beidou.
To perceive the slightest detail, to sense good and evil—it was as if he possessed the Dharma Eye.
He would lash out at the slightest disagreement, striking people down without a shred of hesitation. High or low status meant nothing; in his eyes, everyone was the same.