Chapter 169: Clearly
Nan Yu was genuinely shocked as he looked at the formation before him. He truly hadn't expected there to be so many suspicious individuals...
No, it wasn't just that they were suspicious. Some of them had passed the identity verification process, had their information entered into the database, and were only retained because their records failed to match those in the Empire's central database.
Others had already been singled out during the military base's internal investigation because their identities didn't check out. But since everyone had seen that even people who had passed the base's screening had also been gathered here, most of them weren't panicking.
Only a handful had begun to realize what was really happening. Their faces were filled with unease. Although there wasn't another person in sight around the square, as long as Yu Lanfeng stood in front of them, none of them dared make a move. If anyone acted now, they would probably be made into an example.
Nan Yu took a deep breath and quietly asked, "Are there really this many?"
Yu Lanfeng replied, "We don't have time to verify every single one individually. But if their information doesn't match the Empire's database, then at the very least there's something wrong with their identities."
Nan Yu asked, "What are you planning to do next? Kill them all and treat them as spies? What if some of them aren't actually spies?"
After all, perhaps there were people secretly sent by other legions simply to gather intelligence on this legion's overall situation. They were certainly informants of a sort, but they weren't enemy spies.
They hadn't betrayed the Empire. Even so, people still found them distasteful. No one liked spies or infiltrators of any kind.
Yu Lanfeng said, "We'll just start by grabbing one spy."
Then he called out a name without even entering the building.
"Zhou Chang."
The man named Zhou Chang was one of the twenty-six squad leaders who had just been kept behind. His name had never appeared on the list Zhou Ziyu had previously given them.
After all, even if Zhou Ziyu knew some of the names, there was no way he could have known every single person. There was no chance the organization would disclose something that important in full detail to an experimentally created Mental Power User like Zhou Ziyu.
They had probably only told him because he was going undercover here. It was simply to make his infiltration safer.
Since they couldn't know which military base he would eventually be assigned to after joining the army, they had given him the names of some of their people stationed at every military base.
That way, no matter where he ended up, there would always be someone who could help him, making everything much easier. The organization certainly didn't want to lose such a useful Mental Power User.
More importantly, Zhou Ziyu was still the only successful Mental Power User they had ever created through experimentation who had reached the very limit.
How could they possibly not keep him as a sample?
Because of that, every so often Zhou Ziyu would be taken away under one excuse or another for physical examinations and a whole series of additional tests.
On the surface, they told him it was to make sure the drugs he'd received hadn't left behind any side effects. Fortunately, nothing had gone wrong, and the organization was delighted.
Having one successful case was already a huge achievement, even though no second subject had ever reached his level.
Nan Yu's gaze settled on Zhou Chang as the man slowly approached.
Yu Lanfeng had already told him that Zhou Chang wasn't on Zhou Ziyu's list, and that he definitely wasn't an Imperial citizen but someone secretly planted inside the legion by that organization.
As for why Yu Lanfeng was so certain...
The moment Zhou Chang came within roughly ten meters, Yu Lanfeng attacked without warning.
Zhou Chang's reflexes were astonishing.
He dodged instantly.
The very next second, the spot where he had just been standing was burned into a small crater. Tiny golden sparks flickered inside it, and even from several steps away one could feel the terrifying heat radiating from it.
If Zhou Chang hadn't moved just then, he would already have died where he stood.
He frowned slightly, straightened up, and looked toward Nan Yu.
"Marshal?!"
Yu Lanfeng asked calmly, "Why did you dodge? As a spy, shouldn't you simply accept being executed?"
"Go ahead. Tell us what your organization sent you here to accomplish."
Yu Lanfeng's investigation had uncovered something suspicious.
Zhou Chang shouldn't have been here at all.
He had originally been one of the relatively few soldiers granted rotational leave this year.
In other words, while the Ability Beasts entered their berserk season, he should have been enjoying his vacation on the Capital Star.
Virtually no soldier ever gave up such an opportunity.
Even if someone truly wished to cancel their leave, they had to submit a complete application, which then required approval and a stamp from either Marshal Yu Lanfeng or Vice Commander Qin Wenxing.
But during the investigation, they discovered that although Zhou Chang had indeed returned to the front lines, no record existed of any request canceling his leave.
Even canceling a vacation required multiple layers of approval.
None of them remembered ever seeing such an application.
Yet when they searched the files, the application actually existed.
It even bore Qin Wenxing's official seal.
What did that mean?
Either Qin Wenxing had somehow lost part of his memory...
Or someone had used his official seal without his knowledge.
Naturally, the latter shouldn't have been possible either.
That left only one explanation.
Someone had secretly forged a duplicate of Qin Wenxing's seal.
Even worse, none of them knew when it had happened.
If even an application like this could slip through unnoticed, who knew how many other documents had already been forged with that seal?
The more they thought about it, the more uneasy they became.
Especially Qin Wenxing.
If this matter really spiraled beyond control, then he would bear the greatest responsibility.
It would all be his fault.
The seal belonged to him.
Yet he hadn't even managed to safeguard it, allowing someone to secretly duplicate it.
It was an enormous dereliction of duty.
Thinking back now, he realized there had indeed been countless moments when he'd been careless.
He was simply too busy.
Sometimes he became so occupied that he couldn't even remember what he'd said just moments earlier until everything finally settled down.
Because nothing had ever gone wrong before, he'd continued working that way.
He had never imagined such an enormous loophole would appear.
He only hoped the consequences wouldn't become even worse.
The moment Zhou Chang dodged the first attack, he realized his cover had been blown.
After submitting that forged application, everything had gone smoothly thanks to the stamped approval.
From the day he returned to the front until now, nothing had happened.
They had naturally heard what had occurred at Border Region Five Military Base.
At first, however, they believed it couldn't possibly happen here.
Surely no one would discover them.
Reality had quickly slapped them in the face.
The meticulous inspections that targeted every single individual had begun making them nervous.
But at that stage they absolutely couldn't leave.
Leaving would only prove they had something to hide.
So he stayed.
He also noticed that not a single suspicious person had disappeared from the military base.
Clearly, everyone had made the same decision.
But perhaps...
Perhaps that decision had been the wrong one.
The moment they learned what had happened at Border Region Five, they should have quietly fled.
If they had done so then...
Perhaps they would still have had a chance to survive.
"Marshal," Zhou Chang said, "what exactly is the meaning of this? I don't believe I've committed any offense deserving execution. Could you at least give me a reason?"
He stared directly at Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng remained expressionless, his face stern.
The next instant, whether Zhou Chang truly possessed such extraordinary instincts or not, he once again relied on his danger sense to evade another attack.
Cold sweat streamed down Zhou Chang's forehead.
He glanced fearfully at the second crater blasted into the ground.
Glowing embers still flickered inside.
Just looking at them made one's skin feel as though it were burning.
Yu Lanfeng remained silent.
But Qin Wenxing spoke instead.
"You secretly forged my official seal. Then you used it to approve your own application and returned to the military base without anyone's knowledge."
"Care to explain your purpose?"
Zhou Chang gritted his teeth.
So it was because of that.
His true identity hadn't actually been exposed.
He had simply been caught because of the forged approval.
No wonder he'd constantly felt someone watching him recently.
It had nothing to do with his real mission.
It was all because of the forged seal.
But he absolutely couldn't admit the truth.
Even if he weren't a spy or a traitor, forging an official seal alone was enough to convict him.
"Marshal," Zhou Chang hurriedly said, "I know I was wrong. I admit forging the approval was a mistake. But I'd heard that every application requesting an early return to the front had been rejected. I just wanted to get back as soon as possible and fight beside my comrades. I wanted to contribute more to the Empire. I lost my judgment for a moment, and that's why I did it. Marshal, please—"
Qin Wenxing interrupted coldly.
"Are you finished?"
Zhou Chang hadn't even completed his explanation before being cut off.
Was there really no way to turn things around now?
"Marshal, it's true! Other than forging that application, I didn't do anything else. I simply wanted to return to the front as quickly as possible!"
Yu Lanfeng remained completely unmoved.
Nan Yu and Qin Wenxing merely watched him in silence.
As for the entire formation behind him, every single person stood perfectly still.
Not one of them even glanced in his direction.
Was this real?
There truly wasn't a single person willing to help him?
Qin Wenxing twitched the corner of his mouth.
"What are you looking at? Do you think anyone here is going to help you?"
"Impossible."
"Besides the Marshal, only the two of us are standing here."
"As for everyone over there..."
"They're exactly the same as you."
"We'll deal with every single one of them shortly."
Nan Yu's eyes drifted toward the formation.
Qin Wenxing hadn't spoken loudly.
But every person over there could hear him perfectly.
After all, everyone present except Nan Yu was an Ability User.
If they couldn't hear something from this distance, they'd truly be useless.
Sure enough, after hearing Qin Wenxing's words, the atmosphere within the formation changed dramatically.
No one moved.
Everyone still acted as though they'd heard nothing.
As though none of them felt guilty.
Yet Nan Yu's heightened perception clearly detected the overwhelming shift in mood.
If he wasn't careful...
He might get caught up in what came next.
Then he looked at Yu Lanfeng's back and relaxed.
With Yu Lanfeng here...
Who could possibly hurt him?
What a joke.
Apparently everyone else thought the same thing.
Those within the formation immediately began calculating possible escape routes.
The rest of the legion had already left.
Only they remained in the square.
That meant no one else would stop them if they ran.
The only thing that filled them with despair...
...was Yu Lanfeng.
His ability was simply too overwhelming.
Not only could it burn any physical substance...
It could even burn away other people's abilities.
The chances of escaping successfully were practically nonexistent.
Even so...
They decided to gamble.
Since they had all been detained, and after witnessing Yu Lanfeng's utterly merciless killing strike against Zhou Chang, they knew there was no possibility of being released.
So they might as well join forces and seize whatever chance they could to escape.
Within moments they silently reached a consensus.
Nan Yu soon noticed movement within the formation.
The group instantly split into three parts.
One group scattered in every direction, fleeing without looking back.
Another charged directly toward Nan Yu, clearly intending to capture him and use him to threaten Yu Lanfeng.
The final group resembled a suicide squad as they rushed straight toward Yu Lanfeng himself.
Their purpose obviously wasn't to kill him.
It was simply to buy time.
What none of them expected...
...was that Yu Lanfeng merely raised one hand.
Towering walls of fire suddenly erupted around the entire square.
The terrifying heat instantly burned everyone who had nearly reached the edge.
One after another they suffered burns, crying out in agony as they desperately retreated.
Some with weaker endurance immediately let out bloodcurdling screams.
After all...
Even among infiltrated spies, there were differences in quality.
Nan Yu watched those who screamed after merely being touched by a trace of flame.
Every one of them was among the weakest.
The stronger ones either suffered only minor burns or managed to dodge in time.
But one thing was the same for all of them.
Every single person was trapped inside the towering wall of fire.
As the temperature continued rising, even Nan Yu found breathing becoming somewhat difficult.
Fortunately, he activated the temperature regulator he carried with him.
Once activated, it maintained a cool, comfortable area roughly one meter around him.
Normally it could operate for about five hours.
Inside Yu Lanfeng's flames, however, it would probably last only one or two.
Still...
Knowing Yu Lanfeng...
One hour would probably be more than enough.
How many people would still be alive by then?
After sealing everyone inside the blazing walls, those still capable of moving launched an all-out assault against the three of them.
Without exception...
Yu Lanfeng slaughtered every one of them.
Even their corpses were burned into nothing but ash.
Finally, as he turned toward those writhing on the ground in pain, one man suddenly screamed,
"My father is Wu Zhengting!"
Yu Lanfeng's flames halted just before touching him.
The man could already feel the searing heat.
If the fire advanced even a little farther...
It would cling to his body...
And he would be burned alive until nothing remained but ash.
Yu Lanfeng looked at him.
"So you're Wu Zhengting's youngest son, Wu Qinhao."
"The one who's supposedly always recovering at home."
Wu Qinhao's mouth twitched.
He nodded frantically.
"Yes, yes, that's me!"
"I'm not a spy! I'm not an infiltrator! I'm an Imperial citizen!"
"I only sneaked in because I wanted to pursue the person I like!"
"I didn't have any other purpose!"
"I haven't done anything! I've always worked diligently—"
Yu Lanfeng cut him off.
"Whether that's true isn't for you to decide."
"If I can't contact you, Wu Zhengting will certainly contact me."
"So you'll wait."
When the towering wall of flames—nearly reaching the top of the military base's protective barrier—finally disappeared...
Only four people remained inside the square.
Yu Lanfeng.
Qin Wenxing.
Nan Yu.
And Wu Qinhao.
If Nan Yu remembered correctly...
Wu Zhengting was the Marshal of one of the Empire's most powerful legions.
Although neither his legion nor his personal strength could compare with Yu Lanfeng's...
His forces were still among the Empire's strongest.
Otherwise...
They wouldn't be counted among the Empire's elite legions.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
"Should we imprison him first? Does he need treatment?"
Yu Lanfeng replied,
"No."
He was an Ability User.
If he couldn't even recover from burns like these on his own, then he was simply too useless.
Besides...
The front lines were at their busiest.
The medical department was overwhelmed every moment of every day.
Even if Wu Qinhao's injuries were far worse than they were now...
No one would treat him.
Ability Users could recover from injuries on their own after dragging them out for a month or two.
Even if they couldn't fully heal...
They could at least survive until someone came to retrieve them.
After all...
He had forged his identity and infiltrated Yu Lanfeng's legion.
Leaving him alive with all four limbs intact was already an act of tremendous leniency.
If Wu Zhengting wasn't satisfied...
He was more than welcome to settle the matter through an honorable duel.
Nan Yu looked around the now-empty square.
Not even dust remained.
He had clearly watched countless bodies reduced to ash.
Yet Yu Lanfeng's flames were so terrifying that they had even burned away the ashes themselves.
Nothing remained to suggest that more than a thousand people had been standing here only moments earlier.
Less than ten hours after Wu Qinhao was captured...
Wu Zhengting contacted Yu Lanfeng directly.
That alone proved something.
Not only had Wu Qinhao forged his identity to infiltrate the legion...
He also possessed a secret communication method that allowed immediate contact.
Such a thing should have been absolutely impossible inside a military legion.
Otherwise...
If military intelligence leaked, who would bear responsibility?
Wu Zhengting naturally understood the consequences of what he had done.
But he simply couldn't wait.
Someone had secretly informed him that his youngest son was in trouble.
His first thought had been that Wu Qinhao's identity had been exposed and that Yu Lanfeng had already burned him to ashes.
Fortunately...
That didn't seem to be the case.
As long as his son was still alive...
Everything remained negotiable.
Yu Lanfeng, however, had no intention of replying immediately.
"Tell him I'm busy."
As for when he would become available...
Who knew?
Wu Zhengting had shown no sincerity whatsoever.
His first request had been to contact his precious son.
That was never going to happen.
Wu Qinhao was currently imprisoned beneath the base headquarters.
No one could rescue him.
As for when he would be allowed to return...
That depended entirely on what Wu Zhengting intended to do next.
Nan Yu asked,
"What will Wu Zhengting do? Things like this must have happened before. How were they usually handled?"
Yu Lanfeng answered,
"They have."
"Many times."
"There are still plenty of infiltrators today."
"Sometimes neither side exposes the issue. Both pretend not to notice. Everyone benefits because each legion has people inside the other's ranks."
"As long as no classified information is stolen, both sides maintain an uneasy peace."
"But we're different."
"My legion doesn't need to stand on equal footing with any other legion."
"So naturally..."
"Our way of dealing with such matters is different."
Meanwhile...
The organization had erupted into complete chaos.
"He came back, and immediately afterward everything fell apart! It was the Military Base in District One! More than eight hundred of our people are dead! Every single one!"
"Forget about everyone they'll uncover and kill afterward. Just think about those we've already lost. What are we supposed to do now?"
"Do you people have any idea how much time, manpower, and resources it took to plant that many people inside?"
"This time not a single one survived."
"I refuse to believe there wasn't a leak."
"But who leaked the information?"
"As far as I know, the list we gave Zhou Ziyu only contained twenty or thirty names from District One."
"But they wiped out everyone."
"Not one survived."
"Do you honestly think Zhou Ziyu could use that list to identify several hundred more of our people with absolute certainty?"
"If I'm not mistaken..."
"I'm sure every one of you secretly planted your own people there without telling anyone else."
"Weren't they all killed too?"
"So tell me..."
"Who exactly leaked the information?"
Everyone fell silent.
That final question had struck the heart of the matter.
Everyone present had secretly inserted their own operatives into Yu Lanfeng's legion.
Some had indeed been assigned to District One.
Only their individual handlers knew their identities.
Yet now...
Even those privately planted operatives had been eliminated.
That meant Zhou Ziyu had nothing to do with what happened after all.
Unless they discovered exactly where things had gone wrong...
They would have no way to infiltrate Yu Lanfeng's legion again.
If they kept sending people in...
Only for every single one to be captured...
Then what was the point anymore?
"So..."
"Where do you all think the problem actually lies?"
"One of our people managed to send back a message before everything happened."
"It said that because of the incident at Border Region Five Military Base, Yu Lanfeng flew into a rage and personally took action."
"And then..."
"Everything ended like this."
The man seated at the head of the table folded his hands together.
His cold voice echoed through the room.
"So..."
"Does no one know what actually happened?"
The instant he spoke...
Every conversation stopped.
It was obvious that everyone present held this man in extremely high regard.