“I have a proposal,” Howard, the U.S. representative, raised his hand.
Furn signaled for him to speak.
“I propose forming an extermination squad dedicated to clearing out mutated flora and fauna to protect human lives.”
“But that would require significant manpower, resources, and funding. Over time, it may become unsustainable,” the representative from Island Nation objected.
Howard, seemingly prepared, handed a USB drive to the conference assistant, instructing him to display its contents.
“As the world’s leading nation, the U.S. is willing to take on this responsibility. We will equip the squad with the most advanced weapons and provide top-tier logistical support.”
“And then you’ll just waltz into other countries’ territories, doing whatever you please—’clearing out mutants’ whenever someone doesn’t obey. How convenient!” A mocking voice came from Furn’s right—Long Tianyu’s sarcastic remark.
A wave of murmurs rippled through the room.
“Long Tianyu, watch your words. Don’t measure others’ hearts by your own petty standards,” Howard retorted, his face darkening.
Long Tianyu smirked in approval. “Not bad. You’ve really mastered Xia Kingdom’s idioms. Even I, a native, feel a bit inadequate.”
The Northern Nation’s representative added fuel to the fire. “We all know what the U.S. is really after—world domination. If you’ve got the guts, do it openly. What’s the point of these underhanded tricks?”
The Western Church representative chimed in. “I actually think Howard has a point. It’d be even better with some additional restrictions.”
After some “deep contemplation,” the Island Nation representative, who had initially questioned Howard, suddenly had a change of heart. “I agree with Howard.”
The Beast Alliance representative shrugged. “You all debate. I’ll just side with the majority.”
The pressure then fell on the Van Kingdom representative. He glanced left and right before finally choosing to oppose.
Thus, the representatives of the seven major factions descended into chaos, bickering like vendors in a marketplace—far from the dignity expected of an international organization.
It wasn’t until Furn slammed the table for order that the discussion ceased.
“Here’s my suggestion: Since we can’t reach a consensus, each faction will handle mutant extermination independently. Those unable to do so may request assistance from the committee. We’ll form a support team with volunteers from each faction.”
His proposal earned approval from the Northern and Van Kingdom representatives. After some thought, Long Tianyu reluctantly agreed as well.
In the end, the matter was handed over to Howard to lead—clearly, he had already secured Furn’s backing. Long Tianyu couldn’t overturn the decision; the best he could do was ensure the U.S.’s influence didn’t encroach on Xia Kingdom’s territory.
…..
February 11th
Nangong Xuan’s memorial service proceeded as scheduled, with the nation’s top officials gathering in the capital to attend.
Su Mo represented the Green Rain Society, traveling alongside Yang Jie and Shen Hong.
Ye Qingyi didn’t attend; Su Mo had assigned her to hold down the fort.
Upon arriving at the memorial hall, Su Mo found the entire Elder Council present, all mourning Nangong Xuan’s death with what appeared to be genuine sorrow—
Elder Liu scoffed disdainfully upon seeing him. Yang Jie immediately stepped between them, fixing the elder with an icy glare.
The mental pressure of a B-rank powerhouse’s gaze was no joke. Having experienced it before, Elder Liu quickly averted his eyes.
Shen Hong also moved to Su Mo’s side, flanking him protectively with Yang Jie—their favoritism couldn’t have been more obvious.
Under normal circumstances, someone of Su Mo’s status wouldn’t warrant the elders’ attention—at most, they’d inquire about the Yazi inheritance. But now, as the representative of the Green Rain Society, even Elder Han had to personally receive him.
“President Ye, you’ve arrived. Please, come in.” Elder Han’s expression was unreadable, but his displeasure was evident.
“This is Elder Han,” Shen Hong introduced.
“No need for formalities, Elder Han. I’m still a member of Beidou,” Su Mo replied politely, bowing slightly.
Elder Han snorted. “Good that you remember. Don’t forget your roots.”
The tension was palpable from the first meeting—clearly, they were targeting him.
No one dared to openly support someone the Elder Council had marked, except for Yang Jie and Shen Hong.
Though irritated, Su Mo held his temper—not just for himself, but for Yang Jie and Shen Hong’s sake. If they defended him and suffered repercussions, it wouldn’t be worth it.
But the traps set for him came one after another, leaving no room to breathe. It was as if they were deliberately provoking him to lose his composure in front of everyone.
Sure enough, Elder Liu’s son, Liu Wei, soon piped up with a snide remark: “So you’re Ye Qingyi? I heard you were close to Yang He. You’re not his accomplice, are you?”
“We’re all citizens of Xia Kingdom and members of Beidou. Aren’t we all comrades?” Su Mo shot him a sidelong glance. “Or are you implying that Beidou is divided, with people fostering disunity?”
“You—!” Liu Wei choked on his words and retreated awkwardly.
Seeing his son humiliated, Elder Liu gritted his teeth, about to confront Su Mo himself—until Yang Jie strode toward him.
“What are you doing?” Elder Liu instinctively stepped back, the other elders scattering around him.
“Nothing. I just thought Elder Liu had something to say, so I came closer. Wouldn’t want to miss your ‘guidance’ to Qingyi—as his master, I should at least show some sincerity.” Yang Jie gestured for him to proceed, his tone deceptively polite.
By calling Su Mo his disciple, Yang Jie was sending a clear message: This kid is under my protection. Try anything, and you answer to me.
Su Mo felt a surge of gratitude, his confidence bolstered.
“Are you threatening me?” Elder Liu growled.
“Elder Liu jokes. With your current prestige and your son’s remarkable achievement of becoming deputy commander of the capital, how could I possibly threaten you?”
Yang Jie’s words were laced with sarcasm, rubbing salt in Elder Liu’s wounds—yet the elder didn’t dare confront him directly.
As a B-rank, Yang Jie’s strength was second only to the seven Grand Elders within Beidou.
Of those seven, the Celestial Pivot and Shaking Light Elders were missing, the Jade Balance Elder’s whereabouts were unknown, the Celestial Authority Elder was still recovering from severe injuries, and the Celestial Mystery Elder was already six feet under.
That left only the Celestial Mechanism Elder—currently serving in the ISO—and the Opening Light Elder, whom they had already bought off.
Only Opening Light Elder Nie Yun could match Yang Jie.
Elder Han finally spoke up. “Commander Yang, this is Elder Nangong’s memorial service, not a battleground. Unless you want another demotion like last time, I suggest you step back.”
Yang Jie ignored him, walking back to Su Mo’s side. “If you knew this was a memorial, you wouldn’t be spouting nonsense. Some people just love to invite trouble.”
Su Mo nearly burst out laughing at his audacity.
In his mind, Commander Yang had always been the reserved type—who knew he could be this bold when provoked?
Elder Han and the others swallowed their anger, biding their time—until Nie Yun entered the memorial hall.
Finally, their reinforcements had arrived. Now, they had nothing to fear from Yang Jie!