Chapter 131: Dominance
Chapter 131: Dominance
A chill swept through the hall, and the hearts of everyone present were thrown into turmoil.
It wasn't just the words "tracking mark" that left them stunned; it was the overwhelming aura emanating from Song Chi.
"First... First Rank!"
"Are you kidding me? Didn't he awaken at the same time as us? How could he have already broken through to First Rank?"
"Damn, is there really such a hidden ace in our cohort? To reach Level 10 in the Guiding Technique in less than a year?"
...
After the initial shock, the attention of everyone in the hall slowly shifted to the phrase "tracking mark."
For a moment, many eyes flickered with uncertainty.
The combination of "tracking mark" and "young maiden" made the meaning clear to most. Their gazes began to dart around the hall, speculating who might have placed the tracking mark.
In the far corner of the room, Sun Yao's heart tightened, a look of panic flashing in her eyes.
Feeling the familiar First Rank pressure around her, she knew she had gotten herself into serious trouble.
In her confusion, her gaze shifted to a tall, muscular man nearby.
This muscular man was the most relaxed of everyone present, seemingly unaffected by the First Rank pressure emanating from Song Chi.
Indeed, his name was Li Dong, a graduate of the Jiangyuan First Flame Academy who had already broken through to First Rank a year ago. He was also the most honored guest that Wang Yuan had been tending to with the utmost care.
When he sensed Sun Yao looking at him, Li Dong's face darkened, his unease growing.
Before he could think further, Song Chi, seeing no response, took action again.
"Hmph, looks like you won't believe it until you see the proof..."
He then turned to Wang Mengjing and said softly, "Girl, point out everyone you suspect."
At this, many faces in the hall changed.
Song Chi's meaning was clear: anyone the girl pointed out would have to summon their Flame Warship for a personal inspection.
However, the first person Wang Mengjing pointed out made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
"What? It's actually Senior Huang Lili? Is that true?"
"Tsk, tsk, this is going to be interesting. Isn't Huang Lili with Li Dong?"
"Don't tell me Li Dong and his group are secretly involved in the trafficking of young girls?"
"It actually makes sense, especially with Sun Yao. Her advancement over the past three years has been astonishing. Without ample funds, it would have been impossible for her to advance so quickly!"
...
For a moment, everyone looked at Sun Yao and her group with suspicion, and even Li Dong received many strange glances.
This shift from the previous glory to such scrutiny made them extremely uncomfortable.
Before they could react, the grim-faced Song Chi stepped forward, heading toward the voluptuous and attractive woman Wang Mengjing had pointed out.
Thud, thud, thud!
Ordinary footsteps, but in this moment, they seemed to echo in everyone's hearts, causing the entire hall to hold their breath, eagerly awaiting the reaction of the seniors.
Especially Sun Yao and her group, who were already feeling the pressure from Song Chi, now found it even harder to breathe under the weight of hundreds of eyes.
At Sun Yao's signal, a thin man in the group waved his hand, and ten figures materialized out of thin air.
These ten figures radiated First Rank aura, their features nearly identical—clearly ten soldier puppets.
With these ten First Rank soldier puppets in front of them, Sun Yao finally felt some confidence. She spoke coldly, "If you want to search someone's warship, you need to provide evidence. Do you think you're a Flame Bureau agent? Tracking mark? We haven't seen it!"
Hearing this, Song Chi didn't get angry; instead, he laughed, and as the surrounding crowd puzzled over his reaction, he spoke again, his voice icy.
"Looks like you still don't understand!"
With that, he continued his steps, seemingly oblivious to the ten First Rank soldier puppets blocking his path.
When he was only a few meters away from the puppets, Song Chi suddenly waved his hand.
In the next moment, an even more formidable pressure spread through the fourth floor of the hotel.
Ten soldier puppets, each radiating a fiery red aura, materialized.
Bang, bang, bang!
In an instant, the ten First Rank soldier puppets in front of Song Chi were sent flying. In the presence of the Second Rank Fire Sunflower soldier puppets, they were utterly powerless.
It was only then that his second sentence hit them.
"Proof? My word is proof!"
With that, Song Chi had already approached Sun Yao and her group.
At his side, a two-meter-tall Flame Chrysanthemum Soldier tightly gripped the voluptuous woman's neck with its fiery red hands, lifting her off the ground by several centimeters.
Cough, cough, cough!
Ignoring the muffled sounds of her choking, Song Chi’s gaze remained fixed on Sun Yao’s now completely pale face.
"Well, can you tell me now who placed that tracking mark, or who ordered it?"
Under the terrifying pressure of ten second-tier Flame Chrysanthemum Soldiers, Sun Yao and her group trembled uncontrollably. The intense oppression made their blood feel as if it had turned to ice.
Of course, it could also be Song Chi’s overwhelming presence that had completely thrown them into a panic.
Suppressing the terror in her heart, Sun Yao managed to shake her head with difficulty.
Song Chi’s eyes narrowed, a hint of cruelty flashing in them. By now, he was certain that the tracking mark had been placed by this group. Given their rapid improvement in strength over the years, it was clear they had sold many girls.
At this thought, any trace of mercy vanished from Song Chi’s mind.
With a light wave of his right hand, a crack sounded from beside him.
The once-struggling woman’s neck now twisted at an unnatural angle, and she fell silent.
Sun Yao’s pupils contracted sharply.
"You…"
It wasn’t just Sun Yao; everyone in the hall was now in a state of shock, having clearly heard the sound of the neck breaking.
Song Chi paid no attention to their reactions. He continued to stare at Sun Yao while activating his communication bracelet.
A few seconds later, the call was connected.
"Hey, Little Chi, what’s up..."
"Daqing, are you at the Ember Bureau? If you are, bring some people to the Wensheng Hotel. I’ve run into some trouble."
On the other end, Shen Qing paused.
"What happened? I’ll bring the team right away!"
"Sure, I just executed a scum who was trafficking girls. Actually, there might be more than one..."
"Got it, I’ll be there in ten minutes!"
Song Chi had put the call on speaker, so everyone in the room heard it clearly.
Ignoring the varied expressions of his former classmates, Song Chi continued to fix his gaze on Sun Yao.
He then spoke, each word deliberate:
"I’ll ask you one more time. Do you know who ordered the placement of that tracking mark?"
He paused, then added:
"Remember, this is your last chance!"
Hearing his emotionless words, Sun Yao’s resolve crumbled. Her face was now deathly pale, and her body trembled with fear.
She wanted to deny it, but the thought of the consequences made it impossible for her to speak.
After a few seconds, Song Chi’s patience ran out. At his command, another Flame Chrysanthemum Soldier stepped forward, reaching out toward Sun Yao.
This action terrified Sun Yao. She no longer dared to hesitate, closing her eyes and screaming out two words:
"It’s me!"
With those words, the matter was settled.
...
Twenty minutes later, still on the fourth floor of the Wensheng Hotel.
The hundreds of graduates had been dispersed, replaced by dozens of agents from the Jiangyuan Ember Bureau.
Shen Qing, now a team leader at the Ember Bureau, stood beside Song Chi and spoke softly:
"Two blue components, two thousand strands of zero-tier Floating Land Essence. I think this is the limit of what they can pay in compensation..."
Song Chi was still unsatisfied. The compensation was enough for Wang Mengqing, but Shen Qing had brought his entire team, and it wouldn’t be right to let them come for nothing.
His gaze shifted to Li Dong, who had remained silent, trying to distance himself from the situation.
Song Chi didn’t say much, just two words:
"Not enough!"
Li Dong’s brow furrowed, but seeing the group of uniformed Ember Bureau agents behind Song Chi, he suppressed his annoyance. After all, his role as the leader of the group was easily traceable.
A moment later, a blue light flashed from his forehead, and a blue orb flew out.
Only then did Song Chi seem satisfied and decided not to pursue the matter further.
In exchange for the three blue artifacts and 2000 strands of zero-tier Floating Land Essence, they would be symbolically detained in the Jiangyuan Ember Bureau prison and released in a few days.
But in reality, Shen Qing would later ensure that these people would die silently in their cells, including the First-Rank Li Dong.
How could he let such scum involved in human trafficking off so easily?
As for why he went through such a roundabout way instead of killing them outright, the reason was simple: to squeeze some profit out of them.
The group had no idea that their peaceful protest would turn into a bloody battle. They were a tight-knit community, a family of sorts, and their only crime was standing up for what they believed in. But the authorities had other plans. The operation was swift and brutal. The protestors, armed only with their voices and passion, were no match for the armed forces. Bullets tore through the crowd, silencing their chants and extinguishing their dreams.
With that, the matter was finally resolved perfectly.
Finally, he handed over the three blue rarities and two thousand strands of First-Rank Floating Land Essence to Shen Qing, entrusting the leader of the Ember Bureau to keep them safe until Wang Mengjing and Lu Xue awakened, at which point he would pass them on.
Although Li Dong and his group would soon be dead, handing over such a large sum directly to Wang Mengjing and Lu Xue would be like giving gold to children, far too dangerous. It was better for Shen Qing to hold onto it for them.
At a well-known restaurant not far from the Wensheng Hotel, Song Chi treated the Ember Bureau agents to a lavish meal.
In a private room within the restaurant, Song Chi and Shen Qing talked for a long time. Learning that Song Chi's family was about to leave the White Tower Floating Land, Shen Qing's mood wasn't the best. Just before they parted, Song Chi said:
"Daqing, you can choose one of those three blue rarities. The other two can be given to the girls when they awaken."
Seeing Shen Qing about to refuse, Song Chi added:
"Alright, don't refuse. You'll have to take care of these two girls in the future. Consider it a caretaking fee!"
Hearing this, Shen Qing didn't protest further.
In fact, one of those three blue rarities was a main cannon part he desperately needed. Since returning from the Blo civilization ruins, the Qingfeng, equipped with a purple energy shield and a blue secondary cannon, had seen a significant boost in combat power. Now, it only lacked a main cannon.
...
After parting ways with Shen Qing, Song Ting and the other three women lost their enthusiasm for shopping.
Especially Wang Mengjing and Lu Xue, who were about to leave the White Tower Floating Land, were already deeply affected by the tracking mark incident. They were now sobbing uncontrollably.
After a long while of comforting them, Song Chi warned them to work hard on their Guiding Techniques. He promised that they could retrieve the ship components and Floating Land Essence from Shen Qing once they awakened. Only then did he send them home.
On the way back, Song Ting, usually so lively, was unusually quiet. The tracking mark incident had clearly shaken her, and perhaps Song Chi's ruthless killing had also disturbed her. Her voice was somewhat restrained:
"Bro, we only have a few more days before we leave. What about Sister You Ran? Have you gone to see her yet?"
Song Chi, of course, noticed the girl's restrained tone but didn't try to comfort her.
They were about to return to their family, a massive clan with a nearly three-thousand-year legacy, where internal relationships were deeply intertwined. No one knew what would happen in the future, and it was time for her to experience some of the harsh realities of society. This would benefit her in the long run.
For eighteen years, her parents had protected her too well.
This wasn't good news. If they had stayed in the White Tower Floating Land, it wouldn't have been a problem, but after returning to their family, many things would be out of their control, and some unpleasant things might happen.
So, it was best to prepare her mentally as soon as possible.
After a moment's thought, he replied:
"Not yet, but I'll go tomorrow. Don't worry, your big brother will take care of it."
...
The weather wasn't good today, with a drizzling rain that never seemed to stop, shrouding the entire White Tower Floating Land in a gloomy cloud. The sky was a dull gray.
In the city of Jiangyuan, one of the five cities of the White Tower.
Standing inside the Cangqiong, Song Chi used his communication bracelet to call his uncle.
When the call connected, Song Chi said directly:
"Uncle, can you do me a favor? I want to visit the Jiangyuan First Ember Academy!"
Hearing this, Song Shan didn't ask any questions and hung up the call.
Two minutes later, a message came through on the communication bracelet.
"You can go now. Someone will lead you in at the entrance."
"Thanks, Uncle!"
...
At the entrance of the Jiangyuan First Ember Academy, Zhao Ling irritably tapped her elegant high heels. As the assistant to the principal, personally meeting someone was the last thing she enjoyed.
(End of Chapter)
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