Li Tianlan’s heart suddenly sunk.

Situ Cangyue, the Hidden G.o.d of Zhongzhou State!

It was the second time he had heard the name today. He had heard it from Zhuang Huayang the first time.

He recently told Li Tianlan that Situ Cangyue had killed Liu Tianqing, an expert in the Invincible Realm ten years ago.

This showed that Situ Cangyue was definitely one of the four experts of Invincible Realm status still alive in Zhongzhou State. He was also sure that she was no ‘ordinary’ elite martial artist of said realm.

But Li Tianlan really had no relations with her. He had never even heard of the name before today.

His body movement was taught by his grandfather. After his slight modification, it became what it was now and was named Ride the Wind.

But now Qin Ke suddenly appeared here and told him it was called Desperate Chase!

What the h.e.l.l was going on?

In the twinkling of an eye, a myriad of ideas came into Li Tianlan’s mind.

“Did this body movement really spread to the outside world and become the so-called Desperate Chase?”

“Or are they two sets of body movements that are a little bit similar in fact?”

“If that’s the case, it will be quite troublesome. It might even arouse hostility from Situ Cangyue.”

“But if the two sets of body movements are really h.o.m.ogeneous, what Situ Cangyue’s standpoint is currently?”

Li Tianlan was a little confused, but he knew he couldn’t forget his manners. He let go of Li Baitian and nodded to Qin Ke. Without answering her question, he just said softly, “h.e.l.lo, Miss Qin.”

“h.e.l.lo.”

Qin Ke’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. In Li Tianlan’s impression, she seemed to be cold and not amenable to reason every moment. She was a real icy beauty. But at this moment, she almost subverted his impression of her. Although she still looked cold, her eyes were burning with curiosity and admiration.

“Tianlan, is Governor all right?”

Qin Ke asked all of a sudden.

“Governor?”

“What Governor?”

Li Tianlan felt a headache and made up his mind to cram the relevant information. At the very least, it was necessary for him to make clear the basic pattern of the Special Warfare System in Zhongzhou State.

It was very much likely that the so-called Governor has something to do with Situ Cangyue. In this case, he didn’t know whether he should deny it or admit it. He just felt it was not quite right no matter how he said. At that moment, he could only bite the bullet and reply vaguely, “Governor is always in good health.”

“That’s good.”

Qin Ke wore a rare smile and the admiration in her eyes flashed away. “I could have visited the Governor myself a few days ago. What a pity,” she said somewhat regretfully.

Seeing that the icy beauty in front of him was most likely a fan of that Governor, Li Tianlan dared not to say more. He thought he was like an idiot. Even now he was not sure whether the Governor was Situ Cangyue or not. If Qin Ke was interested in gossiping, he might make a fool of himself. Therefore, he glanced at Qin Ke and asked her directly, “Miss Qin, is there anything else?”

“Nothing.”

Qin Ke, who was absentminded, suddenly realized that she had forgot her manners. She took a deep look at Li Tianlan and said in a low voice, “It turns out that you’re the disciple of Governor Situ. No wonder, no wonder…”

She spoke the last sentence twice and continued, “Say h.e.l.lo to the Governor for me if there is an opportunity. If anything should happen to you in the future, you can come to the Teaching Office to find me as well.”

Undoubtedly, Li Tianlan’s role as the disciple of the Governor worked. He nodded his head subconsciously. Looking at Qin Ke’s back as she left, he made up his mind to stay away from this woman as far as possible in the future.

After Qin Ke had walked far away, Li Baitian did not bother to wipe the blood on the corner of his mouth and directly rushed over Li Tianlan. His eyes lit up and he said, “You’re not bad, Tianlan. It turns out that you are the one who hides the best. I’ve never heard that Governor Situ has ever accepted a disciple, a male one to boot. You really enjoy a high status.”

“Male?”

Li Tianlan raised his eyebrows slightly and added, “So, Situ Cangyue, the Governor, is a female?”

This sentence was so direct that it pierced through Li Baitian like a sharp sword, stunning him instantly.

“What do you mean?”

He asked subconsciously after freezing for two seconds.

Ning Qiancheng did not feel surprised. The possibility of someone, who did not know the w.a.n.g family of Beihai and was unfamiliar with the Special Warfare System, being Situ Cangyue’s disciple was too slim.

However, the body movement that Li Tianlan just used was indeed the technique that made Situ Cangyue famous. In recent years, it even had the reputation of being the number one body movement in the Dark World. It was flawless and unpredictable when the user moved in enclosed s.p.a.ce and when pursuing enemies in open ground. Once someone achieved the Basic Level of this technique, he would remain invincible when facing any other opponents who were in the same realm as him. It was absolutely Situ Cangyue’s secret skill. How did Li Tianlan successfully learn that?

“I don’t know Situ Cangyue.”

Li Tianlan said calmly.

Li Baitian finally came to his senses and his facial muscles twitched. “You mean you have nothing to do with the Hidden G.o.d? How did you manage to learn this skill? It’s her unique skill and she will not impart it to anyone except for her inner disciple.”

Li Tianlan was helpless. It was a difficult question for him to answer because it involved his ident.i.ty. He trusted Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian, but his hidden ident.i.ty was too sensitive. If he told them, it would not be good for either side. Therefore, he shook his head and said, “It’s a long story. Tell me something about the Hidden G.o.d first!”

“There is nothing new to speak about her.”

Li Baitian said hurriedly and impatiently.

Ning Qiancheng sneered at him and shook his head, saying, “Hidden G.o.d Situ Cangyue is one of the four G.o.ds in Zhongzhou State. Among the four experts in the Invincible Realm in Zhongzhou State, she is the only female. But she is domineering and even a little crazy. Moreover, she is unreasonable and few people dare to provoke her.”

“Four G.o.ds in Zhongzhou State? Are they the four experts in the Invincible Realm?”

Li Tianlan asked with curiosity. Everyone in the Special Warfare System was supposed to know such a kind of thing, but he didn’t. He was only free to ask in front of Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian, and if he was on other occasions, given his cautious character, he would not ask directly even if he did not know.

“No.”

Ning Qiancheng shook his head and continued, “Among the four G.o.ds, Gu Xingyun ranks first. He is the Governor of the Kunlun City and the G.o.d of War. Situ Cangyue ranks second. She is the Governor of the Sigh City and the Hidden G.o.d. Dongchen Wudi ranks third. He is the Commander of the Border Praetorian Corps and the Killing G.o.d. Ye Dongsheng ranks fourth. He is the Deputy Minister of the Army Headquarters of Zhongzhou State and the G.o.d of Army.”

“Ye Dongsheng—G.o.d of Army!”

The corners of Li Tianlan’s mouth twitched. He took a deep breath and suppressed all his emotions.

“Three of the four G.o.ds are in public office. Situ Cangyue and her Sigh City are different. The Sigh City is a semi-official organization and it’s the so-called Speical Warfare Magnate or Dark Magnate. “It’s said that Situ Cangyue graduated from the Sky Academy many years ago and was one of the students of the first few cohorts. And the Sigh City is the organization that she established after graduation.

“Almost all of the most powerful killers and a.s.sa.s.sins in today’s Zhongzhou State have gathered in the Sigh City. Coupled with that Situ Cangyue possesses a weapon named Setting Sun—one of the 12 Murderous Weapons, the Sigh City is a powerful force even in the entire Dark World. Compared with all graduates of the Sky Academy and the Sigh City, Situ Cangyue is arguably a Dark Magnate who possesses the highest achievement.”

Li Tianlan rubbed his cheeks hard and took a deep breath. Then, he said suddenly, “What about w.a.n.g Tianzong, the top one expert in Zhongzhou State? Why isn’t he on the list?”

Ning Qiancheng was obviously stunned by the questions. He said with a wry smile, “How do I know that? He probably doesn’t care about this kind of ranking?”

Li Tianlan sat on the hospital bed again, in a daze.

“Ride the Wind and Desperate Chase.”

“Are they h.o.m.ogeneous?”

“If they are, then what’s the relationship between the Sigh City nowadays and the Xuanyuantai of Kunlun in the past?”

“What’s Situ Cangyue’s att.i.tude toward the Li family?”

For Li Tianlan, behind the problem, there might be a tiger skin that could grant him great protection, but it could also be a talisman that would hasten his death.

Before figuring out this question, he would not show this set of body movement to anyone else.

Since he had drawn an agreement with Zhuang Huayang, he did not fear that Qin Ke would give away his secret. Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian were trust-worthy. But the feeling that he could do nothing but drift with the tide made him extremely uncomfortable and unreconciled.

He could do nothing but watch helplessly the fierce secret battles between the six groups of Zhongzhou State and the maneuver among experts in the Invincible Realm. The only thing he could do currently was to recover his strength and earn credits in the Sky Academy.

Suddenly, he smiled bitterly with the fort.i.tude hidden deep inside his bones.

“What can I do even if I’m not resigned to the current condition?”

He said suddenly in a low voice, and his ethereal tone carried some unfathomable meanings.

“What?”

Ning Qiancheng and Li Baitian looked at each other in speechless despair.

“Nothing. I’m a little tired.”

Li Tianlan shook his head, trying to bury everything deep in his brain.

“Then you take a rest first. I and Qiancheng will go out to grab a bite. What would you like to eat? Do you need us to bring you some food?”

Li Baitian asked.

“Anything will do.”

Li Tianlan lay on the bed casually and replied calmly.

Li Baitian nodded his head and went out of the ward with Ning Qiancheng without saying anything.

The ward became quiet again.

The rays of the setting sun faded away and darkness fell across the land. Only the sound of the waves beating the sh.o.r.e was still reverberating.

Li Tianlan was lying motionlessly on the bed. He was thinking about the campsite at the border, the desert in Beijiang, and the Sky Academy. He felt that his thought was clearer yet more disjointed than ever. That was his expectation and confusion about the future.

“The previous Xuanyuantai of Kunlun was a family that possessed the G.o.d of War.”

“What was its fate?”

“What will be my fate?”

The phone vibrated.

Li Tianlan picked up the phone and had a look at it. His heart suddenly knocked uncontrollably.

It was not a real phone call but a video call that Qin Weibai made thousands of miles away.

This was the first time Qin Weibai made a video call to him since she went to Bili State.

Li Tianlan turned over and lay his face down on the bed. The finger switching on the b.u.t.ton of the video call was trembling.

He got through to Qin Weibai.

After a short delay, Qin Weibai’s delicate and flawless face appeared on the screen.

A current of warmth and uneasiness pa.s.sed though Li Tianlan’s body. He looked at the screen in a daze and didn’t know what to say.

Qin Weibai took the initiative to break the silence and said with a gentle smile, “It’s so dark over there, I can’t see you clearly.”

“No, I just, I just forget to turn on the light.”

Li Tianlan said awkwardly but he didn’t move. He felt as if his face was on fire because of embarra.s.sment and nervousness. In such a state, it was good to have the cover of the darkness so that he would look less unnatural.

“What are you doing?”

Qin Weibai asked softly. Because of the time difference, it was late at night in Bili State, however, she was still neatly dressed.

She appeared to be in a study with a huge bookshelf and an ornate crystal chandelier behind her. The chandelier was glowing with a dreamy sheen. Under the light, Qin Weibai’s beauty was thrilling.

“I’m blanking out, and you?”

Li Tianlan replied simply.

“I’m missing you. That’s why I made a video call to you.”

Qin Weibai put her chin in one hand and held the phone with another. Her eyes narrowed because of the smile and she was emanating an ineffable tenderness.

“Eh…”

Li Tianlan opened his mouth but did not know what to say. His heart was beating faster and faster, making him a little thirsty.

“Have you had dinner?”

Qin Weibai pursed her lips and continued to ask as she noticed that Li Tianlan remained silent.

“Not yet, I have no appet.i.te.”

Li Tianlan shook his head. He observed Qin Weibai’s face carefully and was unwilling to miss any details.

“What? Are you unhappy?”

Qin Weibai was looking at Li Tianlan carefully as well. They were doing the same thing, but they failed to notice that.

“No, I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.”

Li Tianlan scratched his head and suddenly wanted to smoke again.

“Even so, you should still eat something and rest early after that. You should have a vacation after the entrance maneuver. Have you ever thought about going out for a walk?”

Qin Weibai said gently.

“Hum, I plan to go home. You said that you have left me some information. I need to have a look at it.”

Li Tianlan said very quickly. He had no idea how nervous he was when he said he planned to go home.

“Okay.”

Qin Weibai’s voice suddenly softened. n.o.body had ever seen her tenderness and charm of a little woman, but they involuntarily overflowed at this moment. She suddenly asked, “Did you miss me since I came to Bili State?”

Li Tianlan was surprised and nodded subconsciously, “Yes, I do.”

He hesitated for a second and gritted his teeth, saying, “I miss you so much.”

At this moment, the pressure and worries in his heart faded away, and his eyes were brighter than ever.

Qin Weibai gave a little chuckle.

“I miss you, too.”

Her voice was low and soft. It flowed directly into Li Tianlan’s heart like a warm current.

Li Tianlan scratched his head and grinned.

Across the screen, Qin Weibai quietly looked at him for a while and said, “I’ll hang up because there are still some things waiting for me to handle. You can make a video call to me at any time if you miss me, my phone is always with me.”

“Fine.”

Li Tianlan answered, and he instantly felt a little disappointed as he saw Qin Weibai’s face disappear in front him.

At the same time.

In the Aurora Hotel in Bruchsal thousands of miles away.

In the deluxe suite, Qin Weibai looked at the dark phone screen; she was reluctant to end the call.

There were piles of doc.u.ments in front of her. She had handled those on the left but had not yet browsed those on the right.

But at this point, with the phone in hand, she suddenly lost interest in everything in front of her.

There was a slight knock on the door.

Flaming Fire had pushed open the door and come in before Qin Weibai said anything. She said respectfully, “Boss, General Bashir is waiting for you.”

General Bashir.

It was absolutely a resounding name in Bili State. This man was paramount and powerful and the real power holder in the army of Bili State. But such a General had been waiting for Qin Weibai in a carefully prepared negotiation room in the hotel for nearly six hours.

“I won’t see him.”

Qin Weibai shook her head and said indifferently.

“Fine.”

Poker-faced, Fire-flaming nodded and turned around to go out.

“Flaming Fire.”

Qin Weibai suddenly spoke out loud.

Flaming Fire, who was going to go out, stopped at the door.

“Go make some preparations.”

Qin Weibai’s eyes looked deep and tender. She looked at the phone in her white and tender palm and said, “We’re going back to Zhongzhou State.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

Flaming Fire’s expression changed and she said hesitantly, “But tomorrow…”

“We’re going back to Zhongzhou State, now.”

Qin Weibai repeated her words again. With her back to Flaming Fire, she quietly turned on her phone and looked at Li Tianlan, who appeared a little silly on the screen, murmuring gently, “I miss him. I miss him so much.”

Flaming Fire took a deep breath, answered her, and turned around to leave.

Qin Weibai still sat where she was. She quietly looked at Li Tianlan’s photo and her eyes were wet.

Again, she seemed to think of the dream, the man, the heavy snow years ago, and the end of his fate that was filled with lightning and snow.

Qin Weibai’s eyes were growing misty.

Tears were streaming down her eyes.

She came to her senses and wiped her eyes.

On the phone screen, dull and foolish, Li Tianlan’s photo became clear to her eyes again.

She pressed her rosy lips together with a calm look. However, her shining eyes were burning with boundless, insane energy.