Invincibility Begins with Mastery of Fist Techniques-Chapter 178 - 172: News from Shangjing

"What is it?"

Zhou Yuanjue turned to him and asked.

"It's not me who needs you. It's headquarters."

"The situation here in Beiwei has come to a temporary close, and the Sealing Realm Image has mostly stabilized. We understand Liehong Mountain's reasoning—'The tree that stands tallest in the forest will be the first to be broken by the wind.' That's why we kept your profile under wraps. But now, you're in the eye of the storm, so there's no need to hide anymore."

"You're an affiliate of the Secret Inspection Bureau and an important figure at the Saint Awakening Level. We kept things simple before to hide your identity, but now it's time to go through the proper channels. Headquarters is transferring you to Shangjing. The Chief Commissioner wants to meet you. Formally, you can consider it a debriefing. The Chief Commissioner will personally arrange all your future assignments with the Secret Inspection Bureau."

Tu Junshan said to Zhou Yuanjue.

"The Chief Commissioner..."

Zhou Yuanjue had only vaguely heard rumors about this person after reaching Saint Awakening.

This individual was the highest-ranking person in the Secret Inspection Bureau and the preeminent figure of the modern Martial Arts Realm. Many legends about him circulated within the Secret Inspection Bureau, but very, very few people had ever actually met the Chief Commissioner.

Some said the Chief Commissioner was a figure from the last era of global turmoil, one who had been with Donghua Country from its very beginning. Others claimed he had broken the barrier between life and death and was now over three hundred years old. There were even legends that he was the guardian god of Shangjing, and that it was only because he stood guard that Shangjing, the Donghua Capital City, remained inviolable.

"What kind of person is the Secret Inspection Bureau's Chief Commissioner?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked Tu Junshan.

"A preeminent figure of our time, a pillar of the nation. It's hard to explain... You'll understand when you meet him."

Tu Junshan said with a smile.

Hearing Tu Junshan's words, Zhou Yuanjue's interest was thoroughly piqued.

A preeminent figure, a pillar of the nation.

Tu Junshan's description was simple, but just those two phrases alone conveyed an immense weight to Zhou Yuanjue.

Tu Junshan was a veteran at the Saint Awakening Level. For someone to earn such an evaluation from him, they had to be a figure of draconic proportions.

'In an era where the crack of a gunshot signaled the decline of the Martial Dao, what kind of person, by their strength alone, could truly be considered a pillar of the nation?'

'Could he be a modern-day Zhang Dongwei?'

"When do I leave?"

Zhou Yuanjue asked.

"After you help Daoist Bailong completely restore the Seal tonight, you can depart at any time."

Tu Junshan replied.

"Tomorrow morning, then."

Zhou Yuanjue said after a moment of thought.

The matter in Beiwei was essentially resolved, and the restoration of the Sealing Realm Image was nearly complete. There was no longer any reason for him to stay.

He didn't have many leads on the method of merging motion and stillness. Perhaps a trip to Shangjing, to the nation's capital, would grant him some new inspiration.

...

...

「Shangjing Prefecture, City Center, Celestial View Street.」

This was one of Shangjing Prefecture's busiest pedestrian streets.

At night, the street was brilliantly lit. Every pedestrian, man or woman, was meticulously dressed in their most expensive clothes. Under the glow of the city lights, they showed off their best selves, as if they weren't just out for a stroll but walking a fashion runway.

Many people didn't come here to shop. As the busiest pedestrian street in the city center, it was also the most high-end shopping district. For an ordinary young professional, a shopping spree here would be painfully expensive.

They came here with another purpose in mind.

Celestial View Street was a famous Holy Land for street photography throughout Donghua City. In today's information age, a single candid shot could make you an internet sensation overnight.

Moreover, as the nation's Capital City, Shangjing Prefecture was filled with high-society figures from all walks of life. Naturally, many of them frequented Celestial View Street. Exchanging a beautiful appearance for better resources was a transaction most people found acceptable.

CLICK! CLICK!

The sound of camera shutters could be heard intermittently along the street as several street photography enthusiasts captured beautiful moments.

"How's it going? Get anything good?"

A few photographers who knew each other gathered together, sharing their hauls for the evening.

"The quality tonight's just average. Nothing really stunning."

A He shook his head slightly as he scrolled through his camera's photo album. The others were in a similar situation.

Suddenly, A He's eyes darted to the side, and he saw two figures approaching.

It was two women, one tall and one short. The shorter of the two, about five-foot-six, wore a white dress. Her figure was perfectly proportioned, her features exquisite, and her skin as smooth as fine jade. She wore light makeup, and her large, expressive eyes and innocent, romantic smile stirred something deep in A He's heart.

In that moment, he was reminded of his first love.

At that moment, the shorter woman was linking arms with a taller one. The taller woman was nearly six feet tall, dressed in simple, form-fitting athletic wear. She had sharp, short hair, long, straight legs, and a flawless physique. Her face held an eternal, unthawing iciness, and her phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed. She radiated a peculiar aura that made those around her feel inadequate by comparison.

'So badass!!'

A He's eyes lit up. While the two women weren't the most beautiful he had ever seen, their unique auras made them stand out from the crowd like cranes among chickens.

A He immediately stood up and walked toward the two women. The other photographers followed his line of sight, and their eyes also lit up when they saw the two striking women. They cursed A He under their breath for his sharp eye.

Soon, A He reached the two women. He was smiling, about to strike up a conversation, when the taller woman's indifferent eyes swept over him.

In an instant, he felt as if his throat had been slit. The air was squeezed from his lungs, and the words he wanted to say were stuck.

In that moment, he felt like he was about to die.

Thankfully, the next moment, the tall woman retracted her gaze and continued walking forward.

GASP! GASP!

A He gasped for breath, cold sweat pouring down his body.

"What's with you? How could you just let them walk away like that?"

The other photographers he knew came over, looking at A He in bewilderment.

One of them even wanted to chase after them to try again, hoping to get the two women to model for him.

"Don't. Don't go."

"That person... she's not like us."

A He quickly put out a hand to stop his companion.

"Listen to you. If she's not like us, what is she? A beastman?"

His companion said with a laugh, but seeing A He's pathetic state and hearing his words, he felt a bit spooked and didn't insist on following them.

A He's gaze remained fixed on the two figures as they disappeared around the corner, a lingering, unknown fear still gripping his heart.

'Just who are they?'