Urban Martial Saint

”The true Golden Silkworm Gu is impervious to blades and bullets, resistant to fire and water—that is the ultimate weapon.” Patriarch Ou’s eyes glimmered as he said gravely, ”But this hybrid offspring doesn’t possess the same power. I heard these hybrids can evolve over time, but no one has found a way to trigger their evolution. Now I see it—it’s through cultivating them with human blood!”

The man scratched his head. ”But Master, we’ve used human blood in the past. Why didn’t any of them mutate like this before?”

Patriarch Ou shook his head. ”Yes, we’ve used human blood before, but perhaps the quantity wasn’t sufficient. These hybrid Golden Silkworm Gu must consume a certain amount of human blood to undergo such mutations.”

”A certain amount of human blood... How much are we talking about?” the man asked curiously.

Patriarch Ou paused for a moment before answering gravely, ”Each Golden Silkworm Gu needs at least one human to cultivate it!”

”What?” The man’s eyes widened in shock. ”Master, we’ve hatched roughly three hundred Golden Silkworm Gu so far. If each requires a human… that means we’ll need to kill over three hundred people. This... this would cause a massive uproar!”

”What do you know!” Patriarch Ou glared at him sharply. ”Once these hybrid Golden Silkworm Gu evolve and their bodies turn fully crimson, they’ll possess 70% of the power of the original Golden Silkworm Gu. When that happens, with over three hundred Golden Silkworm Gu under my command, step foot into Huaxia? Ha! Forget about Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun; even if Helian Tiehua from Meng District and Prince Nalan of the Capital join forces, what could they do? Three hundred Golden Silkworm Gu—even the top-level masters wouldn’t dare to oppose me. Sacrificing over three hundred lives to gain such extraordinary power is more than worth it!”

The man was visibly more stunned. ”Master, is the Golden Silkworm Gu truly that formidable? Southern Fist King Shen Tianjun, Helian Tiehua, and Prince Nalan—these are Huaxia’s strongest fighters, and they’re said to be immune to all poisons. Can the Golden Silkworm Gu really... really defeat them?”

”The true strength of the Golden Silkworm Gu isn’t its poison,” Patriarch Ou explained coldly. ”It lies in its imperviousness to weapons, its unbreakable defenses, and its remarkable capabilities. The Miao people crafted the art of Gu creation. Most Gu creatures aren’t even poisonous; their key lies in their ability to control others. Despite being few in number and often at odds with the Han people, the Miao people have endured through centuries of war. The survival of the Miao Borderlands owes much to the Golden Silkworm Gu. Each generation’s Gu Mother has brought the Miao Borderlands back to its peak!”

The man listened in stunned silence. Patriarch Ou, seeing no need to elaborate further, waved him off. ”Go prepare immediately. The Heaven, Earth, and Man Three Gates will open soon. I’ve waited twenty years for this moment. This time, we cannot afford failure!”

”Understood!” The man dared not disobey and rushed off to carry out his orders.

Watching as the bookshelf slowly slid back into place, sealing the hidden passage, Patriarch Ou’s expression gradually softened. But as he picked up a book, his mind was no longer on reading. The Golden Silkworm Gu’s breakthrough filled his heart with turbulent excitement.

In Shenchuan City, Ye Qing had managed to rescue Ou Keren and sent her to the hospital. Although she appeared gravely injured, her wounds weren’t as serious as they looked. Once the doctor removed the bullet, they promptly arranged for her to rest.

Exhausted after an entire day of turmoil, Ou Keren quickly fell into a deep sleep in her hospital bed. This time, Shenchuan City wasn’t taking any chances; they assigned several officers to guard the hospital, fearing any further incidents.

Meanwhile, Zhao Chengshuang ordered a thorough search of the mountain. His team apprehended six mercenaries at the base of the mountain, while another seven were found at the summit—three dead, and four incapacitated, who were quickly captured and taken to the police station.

After confirming the headcount, they discovered the mercenary team’s leader had escaped. This made Zhao Chengshuang extremely anxious, and he immediately dispatched more officers to track him down. The leader carried the intercontinental missile’s remote control, the key to solving this case. Without capturing him, the case wouldn’t be closed.

After two fruitless hours of searching, Zhao Chengshuang had nearly given up hope. But just as dawn broke, his team discovered the mercenary leader’s body in an abandoned house. Thankfully, the remote control was still on him and was promptly retrieved and handed to Zhao Chengshuang.

Holding the remote control, Zhao Chengshuang was overjoyed. With it in hand, the case was finally solved. Unlike his previous success in arresting He Ziqiang, which was largely thanks to Ye Qing handing He Ziqiang to him, this time, he led the operation personally. Capturing so many mercenaries and recovering the remote had earned him this achievement solely.

Moreover, solving the case was one thing, but rescuing the Xiangjiang Police officers was another significant accomplishment. Through interrogations, Zhao Chengshuang extracted the location of the captured officers and immediately sent a team to rescue them. Although two officers had died, the majority were saved. And since it was the Xiangjiang Police’s own misjudgment and disregard for Zhao Chengshuang’s warnings that led to their predicament, Shenchuan City’s police bore no responsibility. It was Zhao Chengshuang who had saved them, earning him even greater credit.

With both achievements in hand, Zhao Chengshuang could hardly contain his excitement. Despite staying up all night, he rushed to the Municipal Bureau at dawn, delivering the remote control to the leadership and announcing the case’s resolution.

The Municipal Bureau leadership, who had been anxiously wondering if the Xiangjiang Police officers would be saved, hadn’t dared to hope for the case to be solved as well. Yet here was Zhao Chengshuang, accomplishing both in one night. Elated, they praised Zhao Chengshuang profusely.

By mid-morning, the Municipal Bureau reported the case to the Provincial Bureau, which then escalated it to the Capital due to its severe implications and connections to terrorist activities. Zhao Chengshuang, as the operation’s leader, was repeatedly acknowledged and commended by leaders at both provincial and municipal levels. There was no doubt that Zhao Chengshuang’s career prospects had just become remarkably brighter, with even the Capital taking notice of his name!

Zhao Chengshuang, oblivious to the extent of his growing fame, felt that provincial recognition would already be a significant reward. Solving two major cases like this practically guaranteed a promotion; the only question was how far he would rise. Zhao Chengshuang was confident his efforts wouldn’t go unrewarded!

Meanwhile, the rescued Xiangjiang Police officers wore grim expressions, especially Zheng Tianbao. Upon being brought back, he was immediately detained by the Shenchuan City police. His actions—tricking Ou Keren into showing up—constituted a crime. Although the Shenchuan police had no authority to sentence him, the matter had been reported to the Xiangjiang Police, who were certain to punish him severely.

As for the other Xiangjiang officers, their failure to heed warnings, leading to the debacle, would also result in penalties. Returning to Xiangjiang, they were unlikely to escape reproval. Zheng Tianbao, however, faced not only dismissal but also potential imprisonment.

With news of the mercenary leader’s death, Ye Qing finally felt a wave of relief. This case had reached its conclusion. The mercenary group had been completely eradicated, and Ye Qing could breathe easier. Unlike facing Wang Tian’an and his men, combating these mercenaries had been unpredictable and perilous. With them gone, Ye Qing no longer needed to remain on constant guard.

After breakfast, Ye Qing headed to the hospital to check on Ou Keren’s condition.

Ou Keren was still unconscious. Outside the ward, Zhao Chengshuang saw Ye Qing approaching and immediately greeted him with a grin. ”I knew you’d show up sooner or later. Sure enough, you’re here within five minutes!”

Ye Qing chuckled. ”By the way, how’s Captain Feng and his men?”

”Oh, now you’re worried about them?” Zhao Chengshuang scoffed. ”They were lucky to be brought back in time and have all been stabilized. But this time, they’ve embarrassed themselves thoroughly. My father was furious when he heard about it. Captain Feng returned to the military district this morning and is probably getting chewed out as we speak. Honestly, those guys are worse than useless; they went in boasting but came back wounded. If they didn’t eat some humble pie once in a while, they’d never know their true limitations!”

Ye Qing had his own frustrations with Captain Feng. His reckless actions had provoked the mercenaries, forcing them to act early and resulting in Ye Qing being shot. If not for his bulletproof vest, he might not have made it out alive. Just as Zhao Chengshuang said, these men were indeed more trouble than they were worth.