Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 90: Chapter 81: Annihilate Your Entire Clan, Join the Ascension Battle

Zhai Jia was completely stunned.

After a long pause, he spoke. ”Are you... serious?”

”A martial artist can be magnanimous, but they can never be soft-hearted! Brother, being merciful to your enemies is just being cruel to yourself and your loved ones. Honestly, you didn’t bring me to Laojun Mountain hoping I could be your therapist, did you?” Wan Ze suddenly shot back.

Zhai Jia was immediately ashamed, yet also relieved. ”Honestly, this is a bit embarrassing. It’s true... today, when I watched that father and daughter die right in front of me, I suddenly thought of... my uncle. He died right in front of me, too, covering my brother and me as we escaped.”

Wan Ze was taken aback. ”I’m sorry,” he said quietly. ”I didn’t know.”

Zhai Jia shook his head with a bitter smile. ”It’s fine, the scene just stirred up old feelings... Damn it. I thought I was long over it, but I guess I’m still this fragile.”

Wan Ze just looked at him without saying a word.

But Zhai Jia looked back at him, his expression one of relief. ”Honestly, I’m no match for you. I should have more experience with life and death, but I still can’t see things as clearly as you do.”

”’It’s easier to see clearly from the outside,’” Wan Ze said, shaking his head.

’If his parents had died in front of him, he would have killed everyone connected to the murderer!’

But he didn’t voice such an extreme thought.

Zhai Jia smiled, not knowing what Wan Ze was thinking, only that he seemed remarkably detached. ”Kid, you should cherish your youth while you have it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good...”

”You’re only ten years older than me. It’s not that serious, is it?” Wan Ze chuckled.

Zhai Jia was at a loss for words.

Just then, the communicator on the bedside table vibrated.

”Who’s looking for me this late?”

Zhai Jia answered with a grumble, then shot Wan Ze a surprised look. A wide grin spread across his face as he held up the communicator. ”...Well, if it isn’t Boss Liu! You sure are resourceful, tracking down my number like this. So, what’s so important that you have to disturb a man’s sleep?”

The next second.

His expression turned serious. He considered for a moment. ”Alright, I can help you out. But I’m bringing my little brother... Don’t worry, I’ll be responsible for his safety! If anything happens, it’s on me!”

The call ended.

Zhai Jia quickly got out of bed. ”Ah Ze, don’t go to sleep. Get dressed. I’m taking you out for some excitement tonight.”

Wan Ze looked completely baffled.

’Didn’t I just promise my Third Senior Brother I’d keep a low profile? And now we’re going out to look for ’excitement’?’

”What’s the plan? And for the record, I prefer my relationships to be based on love, not cash.”

Zhai Jia froze for a second, then his face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. ”Who said anything about getting you a prostitute! If I was going, I’d obviously go alone! Wait, that’s not what I meant! Liu Zhengming? Liu Yu’s brother, you remember him, right?”

”Liu Zhengming? No, wait. Are you two really close enough to be sharing... ’resources’ like that?” Wan Ze was genuinely surprised.

Zhai Jia was so mad he was practically hopping. ”Bullshit! With his taste? Nine out of ten would be a ripoff! No, forget all this talk about prostitutes! Your big brother here is a gentleman... Anyway, to business. Liu Zhengming tracked down the guys who set off the explosion today, but he’s short on men. We’re going to help out... It’s a mission from the higher-ups, and he’s running the show.”

”You should’ve just said so.”

Wan Ze decisively swung out of bed. ”Is Liu Zhengming the one in charge around Yu Yang?” he asked as he pulled on his pants.

”It’s a little complicated...” Zhai Jia hesitated. ”That guy... you can think of him as a ghost who walks the line between the official world and the gray areas. There are some things the government can’t do openly, or things that don’t have the desired effect... not enough of a deterrent. That’s when they need people like him. This operation won’t follow official protocol. It’s a ’private job,’ so we assume all the risk, but the pay from the officials is always good.”

”’No official channels?’” Wan Ze glanced at him.

Zhai Jia nodded as he put on his shoes. ”It has to do with their evaluations. It’s complicated. Anyway, don’t worry about it. Just think of it as getting some real-world experience. Stick close to me when we get there.”

”Fine, I’ll follow your lead.”

’It’s not like I had anything better to do.’

Wan Ze followed Zhai Jia out. About ten minutes later, they met Liu Zhengming in the back room of a pharmacy. Along with him were five other professionals, their faces masked and their bodies fully armed.

’They look pretty professional,’ Wan Ze couldn’t help but think.

Zhai Jia just said two words dismissively: ”Too flashy.”

But it seemed the men across from them all recognized him and didn’t dare say a word out of line.

Zhai Jia casually plopped down in a chair across from Liu Zhengming, then pulled another one over for Wan Ze. Wan Ze sat down quietly without a word, content to be a bystander.

Liu Zhengming’s gaze lingered on him for a second before turning to Zhai Jia. ”This isn’t going to be an easy mission. Are you sure you want to bring Wan Ze along?”

”It’s just some heretical cult. How hard can it be?” Zhai Jia said, unconcerned.

”Two at the Refining Viscera stage, three at the Second and Third Transformations of Blood Tempering... If our local forces in Yu Yang weren’t tied up with other major cases, I wouldn’t be asking for your help. But your brother...” Liu Zhengming looked at Wan Ze. ”Young man, I’m not just trying to scare you, but these guys are all vicious, desperate outlaws...”

Before he could finish, Zhai Jia cut him off impatiently. ”Alright, alright, enough with the long-winded warnings. The two Refining Viscera masters? You take one, I’ll take the other. As for the other three, they won’t even be a warm-up for my brother. Now, let’s get to the plan. Stop wasting time!”

His words made the atmosphere in the room instantly freeze.

Liu Zhengming let out an exasperated laugh.

’So protective of your own,’

’But to say something like that is to completely disrespect everyone else here!’

The five masked men behind him stirred, their simmering anger at Zhai Jia’s arrogance almost palpable.

One of them, apparently more hot-headed than the rest, couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped forward and said through gritted teeth, ”I’m not trying to single anyone out, but this mission affects all of our annual evaluations. I expect some respect, Lieutenant Colonel Zhai! Your brother... forgive me for being blunt, but he can take on three of them alone? Are you insulting my intelligence?”

Zhai Jia glanced at him. The man looked slightly intimidated but held his ground.

Liu Zhengming started to mediate, but Zhai Jia spoke coolly, ”Insult you? You think you’re even worthy of my insult?”

The man, enraged by the humiliation, lunged toward Wan Ze. ”Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!” he roared, clearly intending to beat some respect into the kid.

Wan Ze didn’t hold back.

The two clashed in an instant.

BANG!

In a flash, Wan Ze was standing in the same spot, completely unscathed.

The other man, however, was sent flying backward, slamming hard into the wall three meters away.

With a loud CRASH, the entire white wall trembled, and dust billowed into the air.

The entire room fell dead silent.

The other four men stared in astonishment, their earlier doubts completely gone.

Even Liu Zhengming paused, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes as he looked at Wan Ze. ”Not bad,” he said calmly. ”Alright, you’re on the team. Number 7, are you convinced now?”

”Convinced!” The man clutched his chest. He was direct, at least. He looked at Wan Ze and said, ”I’m sorry. I was... out of line. I apologize.”

”It’s fine. Just a friendly spar,” Wan Ze said with a dismissive wave. He didn’t mind, but he shot Zhai Jia a helpless look.

’Seriously, brother? What did I ever do to you? Did you really have to make enemies for me like that?’

Zhai Jia just gave a mischievous grin, his devil-may-care attitude unchanged.

It wasn’t until the mission briefing was over and everyone began checking their gear that Zhai Jia spoke again.

Zhai Jia sidled up to Wan Ze and whispered, ”Still mad at me?”

Wan Ze said nothing, only looking at him.

Zhai Jia kept his voice low. ”I’ll be straight with you. Tonight’s live-fire mission is a rare opportunity for you. How do you think Liu Zhengming found their den so fast? There are powers higher up the chain watching this, and that includes... possibly watching you. Why else do you think I’d pull a stunt like that and piss people off?”

A flicker of understanding passed through Wan Ze.

Zhai Jia glanced at the distant figures and continued in a low voice, ”Holy City might seem big to us, but to the real power players, it’s just one corner of the game board. Dragon Eagle is the top dog in Holy City, and yes, Master is a Grandmaster, but across the entire Federation, even a Grandmaster isn’t at the absolute peak. You need a bigger stage. You need people with real influence to see what you’re worth. The people backing Liu Zhengming could be your ticket in. This mission is your chance to make an impression, your ’audition’ to show what you can do. Put on a good, clean show, and the people at the top will be sure to notice you.”

He clapped Wan Ze firmly on the shoulder, his eyes filled with expectation. ”Become an expert like our Master, and then... surpass him! That’s the mission, the ambition of our generation. I’ve gotten you the opportunity, brother. The rest is up to you. Make the most of it!”