“Thank you, aun—uh, thank you, sis!” Su Mo said sincerely.
“Hahaha, no problem!” The auntie grinned from ear to ear before turning around and punching another tentacle monster to death.
“Sis, what rank are you? How are you so strong?”
The auntie’s smile vanished instantly. She gave him a stern look, then turned and walked away without another word.
Huh? Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?
After helping him deal with the enemies, the auntie vanished as quickly as she had appeared—true to the spirit of doing good deeds without leaving a name.
Su Mo silently thanked her in his heart.
With the appearance of the tentacle monsters, the scene descended into utter chaos. Many of the fallen were devoured, some even swallowed alive.
It seemed their sole purpose was to feast on humans—dead or alive.
Among the swarm of monsters, the largest one stood out, its tentacles as thick as buckets. It had only one target—Qin Xun.
Yang He, carrying the old Daoist on his back, desperately dodged, but the enemy was simply too powerful. Just as they were about to be swallowed whole, a gleaming sword shot through the air, severing the monstrous tentacle inches from them.
Recognizing the sword, Yang He’s face lit up with joy. “Elder Tianxuan has emerged from seclusion!”
Those seven words instantly steadied the hearts of everyone present, dispelling their fear like a calming tide.
“What manner of demon dares cause trouble under my watch?” A deep, resonant voice echoed from all directions, growing louder as it approached.
“Nangong Xuan?!” The giant tentacle monster’s eyes filled with terror. Its massive body shrank into human form in an instant—and then it ran.
A streak of light shot from the distance, followed by thousands of spirit swords materialized from condensed qi.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each sword struck with pinpoint accuracy, annihilating every last tentacle monster.
With a thunderous crash, the streak of light landed, revealing a man standing tall—his foot planted firmly on the humanoid form of the giant monster.
One strike. Instant kill.
“Yang He, organize the cleanup. I’ll take care of Elder Qin—his injuries are severe and need immediate treatment,” Nangong Xuan instructed.
“Yes, Elder.” Yang He acknowledged.
Nangong Xuan gave a slight nod, then lifted Qin Xun and took flight, vanishing from sight in an instant.
That Elder Tianxuan must be A-rank, right?
Following the order of the Big Dipper, Tianxuan ranked above Tianquan—and Qin Xun, the Tianquan Elder, was already monstrously strong.
Su Mo guessed Nangong Xuan had to be at least A-rank. Otherwise, how could he fly?
Though Su Mo had heard rumors that A-ranks could fly, seeing it in person was a whole different experience.
A burning desire for power ignited in his chest. Visions of himself soaring through the skies, moving mountains, and parting seas flashed in his mind.
Mmm~ Not bad at all!
…
Su Mo didn’t leave with the evacuation vehicles. Instead, he volunteered to stay and help clean up the battlefield—officially, to “show proactive dedication to the organization.”
Unofficially? He was hoping to scavenge some loot.
Yang He saw right through him but didn’t call him out.
While North Star had rules about turning in spoils of war, they tended to turn a blind eye to minor pickups.
Cleanup lasted well into the night. When Yang He learned the real reason for Su Mo’s trip to the capital, he burst out laughing:
“Young people are always in such a hurry! Didn’t Commander Yang Jie tell you? Access to the Scripture Pavilion requires an appointment.”
“Wait, I need an appointment too?” Su Mo blinked.
Yang He facepalmed. “Of course! You only earned the qualification to enter, not an automatic reservation.”
The logic was simple, but Su Mo had completely overlooked it.
Even school libraries require bookings—let alone North Star’s Scripture Pavilion!
In other words, he could’ve booked first, then planned his trip accordingly. Instead, he’d rushed in unprepared—only to get caught in a terrorist attack.
…Just like Qingyi said. Fortune and misfortune are truly unpredictable.
“Then again, exceptions exist.” Yang He smiled. “I just heard from Xiao Wu—you personally took down a C-rank enemy. I’m curious how, but facts are facts. For a feat like that, bending the rules isn’t unreasonable.”
Su Mo’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Commander Yang!”
As he spoke, something clicked.
This Commander Yang and Yang Jie share the same surname. Both are capital commanders, but with key differences:
-
Yang He: Higher status, weaker strength.
-
Yang Jie: Lower status, but strength on par with Elder Qin.
…Are they brothers?
They didn’t look alike, but Su Mo’s mind wandered.
Maybe I’ve read too many novels with similar tropes.
“By the way, you’re new here, and after tonight’s battle, you’ll need rest. Hotels are inconvenient, so if you don’t mind, I can arrange a place for you.”
Yang He, despite his rank, was refreshingly down-to-earth.
“My friend’s younger sister lives alone. She’s also a superhuman. How about staying with her?”
Before Su Mo could respond, Yang He dialed a number. The call was answered instantly.
Two sentences later, he grinned. “She agreed.”
Su Mo weighed his options and nodded. “Then I’ll take you up on that, Commander Yang.”
Yang He drove him to a residential complex and guided him upstairs.
At the third-floor door, Yang He knocked lightly. “Xiao He, it’s me—Big Brother Yang.”
The door opened, revealing a girl around Su Mo’s age.
She wasn’t as stunning as Ye Qingyi, but still stood out in a crowd.
Dressed in loose pink pajamas, her slender frame was hidden beneath the fabric.
Yang He averted his gaze to the ceiling. “Xiao He, next time, put on proper clothes before opening the door.”
“They are proper! Besides, it’s just you—it’s not like you’d bring male friends here anyway,” Xiao He retorted.
Yang He sighed in amusement.
Su Mo, however, caught an underlying implication in their exchange…
“Hello, I’m Ye Qingyi. Thank you so much—otherwise, I’d be sleeping on the streets tonight.”
“Don’t mention it. Anyone Big Brother Yang vouches for is welcome here,” Xiao He said, pouring them each a glass of water.
“It’s getting late—you two should rest. I’ll take my leave.” Yang He stood to go.
“Alright.” A flicker of disappointment crossed Xiao He’s eyes.
Once Yang He was gone, Xiao He sat beside Su Mo, studying him intently.
“You’re really pretty.”
Su Mo squirmed under her gaze. “Uh… you’re pretty too…”
Suddenly, her expression turned serious. “Answer me honestly—what’s your relationship with Big Brother Yang? Why would he go out of his way to find you a place to stay?”