Chapter 287 - 239: The Name of the Fifth Is Yours! The Captain’s Name Is Mine

Lu Jin’s brow twitched. His voice was grave. "President Su, you’ve misunderstood! We have absolutely no such intentions... Or rather, if they do, I am firmly on your side!"

Lu Jin instantly pledged his loyalty. He knew all too well how ridiculous this supposed political gambit was.

’What’s the use of capturing a single city? Unless you strike directly at the Daqian Imperial Capital, capture the Emperor of Daqian, and use him to command the Dukes... only then would it be worth discussing!’

He paused, then said, "The reason I came was just... to introduce you to this Mr. Zhu! After all, you expressed curiosity about him before... However, he seems to be in a hurry to see you this time..."

"Do you know what All-Powerful is doing to the Third District?" Chu Bamboo cut Lu Jin off directly, his words icy and solemn. "Are you truly prepared to sacrifice the entire Third District, and even the whole of Jinghai City?"

Dead silence filled the room.

Governor Su reached up and removed his reading glasses. His somewhat cloudy eyes suddenly turned sharp. "What are you talking about?"

"? You don’t know?" Chu Bamboo’s brows furrowed. ’Should I test Lu Jin again next?’ he wondered. ’But I still feel that Old Su isn’t completely cleared of suspicion. No, in a way, he’s even more suspicious now.’

Chu Bamboo was practically interrogating him now. "Are you telling me that as the leader of Jinghai City, you aren’t even aware that someone is making a major move under your nose? No, according to the information I’ve obtained, when some turmoil really does break out in the future, you’ll even suppress part of the response?"

In any case, Chu Bamboo had already spoken with Huo Qiming on the way here. They had basically confirmed it: the only way a major incident could happen without a response is if Huo Qiming himself was killed, and then someone at the very top suppressed any further action. Otherwise, there’s no way the special operations team would stand by and do nothing while Jinghai City was in upheaval!

’Thinking it over and over, Chu Bamboo felt the most suspicious person... was Old Su, standing right in front of him!’

’The reason was simple. Lu Jin might have that kind of authority, but if he were to forcibly implement such a policy, he would inevitably have to confront Old Su... unless he took down Old Su at the same time.’

’But the difficulty of doing that...’

"...I do know some things! But," Governor Su gave Chu Bamboo a deep look, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "didn’t they say the God Worship Sect was holding a large-scale charity porridge distribution... A notice came from the Imperial Capital, hoping I would cooperate!"

"Although I have no love for the God Worship Sect, perhaps they reached some sort of agreement with the Imperial Capital... so I was prepared to turn a blind eye... What are you getting at with what you said?"

"...The God Worship Sect." Chu Bamboo’s gaze was profound, a storm raging in his heart. "It’s Hu Kaikang?!!"

A sigh echoed through the room.

The next moment.

Innumerable fine threads suddenly shot out from the window and the open doorway.

Chu Bamboo’s pupils constricted. He dodged instinctively, but a thread still pierced his arm, which he immediately lost control of. Without hesitation, he drew a dagger from his waist and slashed at the thread, only to find it was completely unbreakable...

Huo Qiming threw a thunderous punch. Even from a distance, the force of the blow became a blade of wind that tore the threads apart. However, just as he was about to turn back to rescue Governor Su and Lu Jin, he froze.

Lu Jin was now dangling from the ceiling, suspended by threads, his face contorted in pain. He wanted to scream, but no sound would come out.

And Governor Su.

His fists were clenched, his expression grim. A slender hand reached out from behind him, gently stroking the wrinkles on his face. A voice, tinged with a hint of heartache, said, "Old Master, in the future... you won’t have to work so hard anymore!"

"...Su Xiaoqun, have you gone mad?" Governor Su’s voice was practically squeezed through gritted teeth. He recognized the attacker—or more accurately, he recognized the owner of the voice. In that moment, all he felt was disbelief, as if his entire worldview was shattering.

"Father, I will apologize to you properly afterward," Su Xiaoqun said in a gentle voice. "But please, rest assured... everything I am doing! It will have absolutely no effect on you, your authority, or your position... after the fact!"

"A Witch from the Hehuan Sect." Huo Qiming stared coldly at Su Xiaoqun. He took two gauntlets from his coat, slowly pulled them on, and clenched his fists. Blades shot out from the knuckles.

In that moment, Huo Qiming was truly filled with killing intent. Even against Governor Su’s daughter!

"The Jiangnan Miao Girl," Chu Bamboo added, his expression indifferent.

Huo Qiming’s eyes widened slightly. Then, realizing something, he reined in his emotions and looked toward the door. There, several people, entangled in the same invisible threads from before, walked in like string puppets, their faces twisted in terror.

When they saw Huo Qiming, their lips moved, trying to say something, but they were unable to move.

Chu Bamboo glanced at them and felt that things had gotten seriously troublesome.

These were Huo Qiming’s secretaries... his mortal secretaries!

’Huo Qiming had no wife or children. He was a champion of justice. His personality was such that he treated these secretaries, who were still just kids, as his own nieces and nephews. So... this situation now...’

"Isn’t this a matter for the All-Powerful Lineage?" Chu Bamboo looked at Su Xiaoqun. He didn’t threaten her again. ’What could possibly threaten this madwoman now that things have come to this?’

He said in a low voice, "I don’t recall you Hehuan... daring to involve yourselves in something tantamount to treason!"

"Treason?" Su Xiaoqun covered her mouth. "Are you sure... that we’re the ones committing treason, and not you?"

"Commander Huo, you should also think carefully! Just who... is qualified to deceive my father? Oh, no, that’s not right. It should be, who is qualified to give my father orders!"

Huo Qiming’s expression was grim and uncertain.

"...Don’t listen to her nonsense! It’s not the Heav—" Before Governor Su could finish, threads stitched his mouth shut.

"Father, don’t speak! It will really hurt if you do... and it will break my heart to see it! I’m begging you, please." Su Xiaoqun’s voice was almost pleading. Then, she gave Chu Bamboo and Huo Qiming a deep look, and, holding her father, leaped out the window.

The next instant.

Lu Jin, who had been hanging from the ceiling, fell from midair.

Huo Qiming instinctively reached out and caught Lu Jin.

Meanwhile, the controlled mortal secretaries who had been slowly walking over, tore open their collars with looks of horror on their faces, revealing White Beads strapped inside.

At that moment, these White Beads radiated a scorching, dazzling light!

Huo Qiming’s pupils dilated for a second. Then, the suit he was wearing erupted with a brilliant Divine Light, forcefully blocking the incapacitating effect.

Then...

"SHLICK!" An expression of disbelief appeared on Huo Qiming’s face. He turned his head stiffly, only to find... Chu Bamboo, who also wore a look of disbelief, but who had just run a dagger through Huo Qiming’s back.

"What kind of goddamn Divine Technique is this?!" Huo Qiming truly snapped, his heart filled with rage, fury, and helplessness. But why hadn’t he seen any threads wrapped around Chu Bamboo?!

Huo Qiming didn’t doubt Chu Bamboo. The reasoning was simple: Chu Bamboo simply didn’t have that kind of power... The suit he was wearing was a Spiritual Artifact with all-around resistance!

As the Commander of the Jinghai City Captain’s Office, he held dominion over all the Spiritual Artifacts in Jinghai.

Huo Qiming took a forceful step forward, pulling the dagger out. He was panting slightly, drenched in a cold sweat. "Wait... You poisoned it too?!"

Huo Qiming felt his body growing weaker and weaker.

"..." Chu Bamboo’s lips moved, but he found it incredibly difficult to even say a single word. Thoughts crashed wildly in his mind, and a terrifying guess suddenly formed. He decided to test it.

But at this moment, with all his might, he could only manage to force out three words: "Hu... The... Fifth..."

"Hey, hey, hey, even if you are a Saint, I’ll have to sue you for slander!" a faint voice suddenly remarked.

A figure gradually materialized from nothing behind Chu Bamboo. Its hand was currently clamped tightly around Chu Bamboo’s, having clearly used him to attack Huo Qiming. "The ’Hu’ you’re talking about has nothing to do with me!"

It was a man wearing a mask!

The Fifth Apostle.

"You... so that’s it. You were hiding there, using Ah Zhu’s body as a screen so I wouldn’t notice the problem on your side... Fifth... Hu?" Huo Qiming’s mind raced, a look of astonishment in his eyes. "Bishop Hu is the Fifth Apostle? That’s impossible... How did you deceive the Pope?!"

Huo Qiming completely ignored the denial. In fact, to a certain extent, the denial was as good as an admission.

However.

The next instant.

The Fifth Apostle stepped past Chu Bamboo, who collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. He silently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his gaze cold and grim as he stared at the Fifth Apostle’s back.

With his back to Chu Bamboo, he removed his mask. "What a pain... I can’t kill a Saint! Hmm, but it’s not a big problem... I just have to wait for the Lord’s return."

"But what should I do with you... Commander Huo? Kill you? What a waste..."

Huo Qiming stared at the face beneath the man’s mask, his pupils suddenly widening. A look of understanding seemed to dawn in his eyes. He wanted to resist, but in the next moment, the mask was fastened onto his face.

"How about this... The name of ’Fifth’ is yours! The name of ’Commander’ is mine!"

"!!!"

Chu Bamboo’s expression went blank for a moment. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

’The Fifth Apostle... who is the Fifth Apostle... I feel like I already knew the Fifth Apostle’s name before?’

’Huo Qiming... No, wait, who’s Huo Qiming...? Huo... Huo what was it?’

’I seem to have forgotten... But when did my memory get this bad?’

’Who was the person who came with me...? Was his surname really Huo?’ A dazed look appeared in Chu Bamboo’s eyes. ’If I remember correctly, his real surname seems to be... Hu? So, the person who came with me earlier was Hu Kai... kang? The... Commander Hu of the Jinghai City Special Operations Team from the Captain’s Office... right?’

’I remember now, I see... Huo Qiming seems to be the Bishop of the Jinghai City God Worship Sect, Bishop Huo...’

’Yes, it’s basically confirmed that Bishop Huo Qiming is the Fifth Apostle of All-Powerful... I wonder what method he used to gain the trust of the Bright Pope...?’

’No, no... Something’s wrong!!!’

Chu Bamboo’s pupils constricted. His Divine Technique was Memory Divine Techniques. He almost instantly detected the contradictions in his memories, but as time passed, these contradictions were automatically filling themselves in with new logic, making him believe his memories were correct...

A chill suddenly rose in Chu Bamboo’s heart.

The instant he realized he’d fallen into a trap, he unhesitatingly bit down on the poison hidden in his tooth.

Then... Chu Bamboo saw the person with his back to him seem to sense something. He turned his head in astonishment—it was a familiar face—and a look of panic appeared. "Wait... Don’t die!"

Immediately, time began to reverse.

...

In the underground Ecological Garden.

Chu Bamboo woke with a start.

He gasped for breath, looking around in confusion, as if trapped in a nightmare.