The next day.
Inside a hotel.
That's right, the two of them didn't even have a place to stay here and could only live in a hotel.
Su Zhan stretched his shoulders. With the combined effects of healing potions and specialized rehabilitation methods.
His injuries had completely healed.
"Bring your gear, prepare for action."
Wang Mingyuan's voice came through the door panel, followed by quickly fading footsteps.
Su Zhan paused slightly as his phone suddenly rang.
Opening it, he saw over thirty densely packed photos, all without exception being close-up shots of people.
Seeing this, Su Zhan immediately became serious, pushing open the door to follow Wang Mingyuan's footsteps.
He memorized them while walking along the way.
A black SUV was parked downstairs of the hotel, steam still rising from the engine hood.
Su Zhan pulled open the car door and caught a faint smell of blood.
They had just captured President Zhang yesterday, and today they were already taking action.
The target was self-evident.
Qin Bai's efficiency was even faster than he had imagined.
The scenery outside the car window began to rapidly recede.
"Last night, with just a little persuasion, that guy confessed everything."
Qin Bai sat in the passenger seat, his tone carrying a hint of boastfulness: "What should be said and what shouldn't be said—he didn't leave out a single word. He could even talk about wetting the bed when he was three years old."
Wang Mingyuan smiled but didn't respond.
Qin Bai turned to look at Su Zhan and raised an eyebrow.
"So fast?"
Su Zhan immediately understood, his tone just right: "Aren't Transcendence Society members famously tight-lipped?"
He could sense that Qin Bai genuinely loved killing aberrants.
Otherwise, someone of his strength wouldn't boast about such small matters.
And wouldn't have him play along as the straight man.
"Truth serum."
Qin Bai said casually: "Triple dose."
Su Zhan froze.
He had heard Wang Mingyuan talk about this potion before.
Fierce effects, but even greater side effects.
At best, memory decline or memory loss.
At worst, turning into a fool, or even becoming vegetative.
That was for ordinary doses, let alone triple.
Wasn't that basically torturing someone to death?
No holds barred against aberrants—perfectly justified for the human faction.
Su Zhan mentally sneered at this thought.
Wrong—even without confirming someone was an aberrant, they would still be ruthless.
"I also kept my promise and gave him a quick end."
Qin Bai continued.
"Commander Qin is truly Daxia's number one detective."
Su Zhan flattered him like this.
This title...
And used on someone like Qin Bai—it seemed tailor-made for him.
Qin Bai laughed a couple of times but didn't respond further.
The car interior fell silent, only the engine's low rumble remaining.
Su Zhan looked into the rearview mirror: "Commander Qin, where exactly are we going? Can you tell us the mission details now?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Qin Bai's silver earring swayed: "You just handle what you can manage. The truly tough bones—your teacher and I will take care of them."
"Commander Qin flatters me."
Wang Mingyuan shook his head with a bitter smile: "This old bones of mine can only play a supporting role. Old injuries act up from time to time... I'm just glad to be able to assist you in operations, wouldn't dare claim credit."
Qin Bai paused slightly, his eyes widening a bit.
"Ah..."
Qin Bai let out a long sigh, speaking with deep feeling: "Teacher Wang, though we weren't contemporaries, who hasn't heard of your reputation? SSS-grade Life Soul, all-around awakener...
Seeing you like this now... it feels unreal to me. Why would someone like you be so deferential in front of me?"
As he spoke, Qin Bai's pace quickened: "Daxia established specialized treatment departments since the mist descended. I heard recently they've made breakthroughs with injuries like yours!"
"Let's hope so."
The driver hit the brakes.
Clearly, they had reached their destination.
"Commander Qin, you take command later. I'll just assist you."
Wang Mingyuan said finally: "Su Zhan, don't be reckless seeking credit either. Assess your strength properly. Caution and safety should be your top priorities."
"Understood."
Su Zhan nodded.
What he saw was a severely wounded lion.
Claws no longer sharp, yet still standing straight at the forefront of the pride.
But the glory of the past was too heavy, forcing him to bend under its weight.
Ah...
The cruelest thing isn't the hero's twilight years, but the hero's clear awareness of entering that twilight.
Wang Mingyuan knew better than anyone how much strength he had left, which was why he could so calmly accept all arrangements.
"Prepare to disembark."
Qin Bai gave Wang Mingyuan a deep look.
His eyes held fifty percent sympathy, thirty percent respect, and... twenty percent emotion.
Su Zhan followed them out of the vehicle.
As soon as he stepped out.
He saw a desolate scene before him.
Pale gray concrete buildings stood like square tombstones, abruptly erected on wasteland in the suburbs.
Three rust-stained chimneys stabbed toward the sky.
One of them was still emitting faint blue smoke.
A special burnt smell drifted through the air.
This was a fucking crematorium!
Not far away, several workers in protective suits were loading and unloading body bags.
Qin Bai looked up.
Two surveillance cameras on the wall were pointed directly at them.
Since that was the case, no need to pretend anymore.
With a wave of his hand.
The Aberrant Purge Division's black-clad agents flooded into the crematorium hall like a tide.
"Aberrant Purge Division operation! Everyone put your hands on your head and squat against the wall!"
The sound waves exploded through the empty crematorium.
The worker at the control console jumped in fright, registration forms scattering everywhere from his hands.
After reacting, he directly dropped to his knees, hands trembling as he raised them over his head.
"Don't shoot! I-I'm just a furnace operator!"
Three young workers in blue uniforms immediately put their hands on their heads and squatted down.
But two figures in the corner suddenly pushed open a side door and sprinted toward the incineration workshop.
"You stop them!"
Qin Bai commanded loudly, then headed deeper into the crematorium with Wang Mingyuan.
Clearly going to deal with the real trouble.
Su Zhan immediately sprang into action.
Abyssal Gaze!
The pocket watch appeared before his chest, the golden vertical pupil slowly rotating.
The two fleeing figures instantly slowed down.
Twin blades, unsheathed!
Before he could get close.
"Boom! Boom!"
The two fleeing figures immediately self-destructed.
The sound waves exploded through the empty crematorium.
Su Zhan retreated several steps, avoiding the splash range.
They really have faith...
He looked at the crematorium that had turned into complete chaos.
This time, they had managed to take out another small stronghold.
These Transcendence Society aberrants definitely didn't expect that their proud faith, their confidence in never revealing any organizational secrets, would one day be broken.
So this time they were most likely completely unprepared.
One side completely unprepared, the other fully prepared with high-level combat support.
Who would win and who would lose was obvious.