As everyone knows, the Chosen Ones of the White Deer are not necessarily eccentric or antisocial, but they are definitely thoroughgoing egoists.

They for sure detest the most anyone nitpicking and whispering advice on the sidelines, and next comes the restraint of strict rules and regulations.

But it's just like how the Chosen Ones of Tian Yuan might occasionally need to consider making special exceptions and flexible rules—after all, humans are a complex breed and can't be as pure as the Superior.

So even the Chosen Ones of White Deer have organized groups.

One such group is called the Desert Market.

It is a bizarre organization with a composite of functions including trade unions, craft succession, dispute arbitration, labor dispatch, project collaboration, and so on.

Its complex structure is all over the place, its influence deeply entrenched everywhere, and the content of its business dazzling but, unfortunately, all illegal things… From something as minor as pig trotter smuggling to as major as murder and arson, they have a hand in every place, covering every dark aspect of society.

Where there is a large forest, all kinds of birds will be found, and the disputes and frictions between them need not be mentioned; intense internal strife with absolutely incompatible views also isn't uncommon. At such times, twelve leaders elected from the key components of the group arbitrate their entanglements and disputes to maintain the most basic structure and unity of the Desert Market.

And the An Family is a member of the Desert Market, even an indispensable part of it.

Like other departments that do all sorts of evil, such as murder, arson, smuggling, and plundering, the An Family's way of survival is quite simple.

Simply put, if anyone within the Desert Market has even a tiny bit of opinion about the leaders' judgments, then the An Family will come knocking on their door, ensuring that they and their entire family understand the leaders' kind intentions and painstaking efforts, and henceforth, will never have any more opinions.

If the White Deer Path is about the hunters and the way of the wilderness, then they are the hunters responsible for hunting the poachers, ensuring that such wilderness remains chaotic and thriving.

"Actually, it's not only our family that does such things, and besides, that's the job of uncles and aunts—I'm still young and not capable. I got kicked out for talking back to my sister and breaking my leg; I had to fend for myself. If it weren't for Sister Wen picking me up, I might have had to take orders in the Desert Market to get by."

Saying this, as if afraid that Ji Jue would abandon him, the boy nervously clutched his sleeve, ensuring, "Don't worry, Ji Jue, I'm very obedient!

Sister Wen told me to listen to you, please don't leave me behind!"

Big boss, don't be like this, big boss! You are already very impressive, many big bosses are already not your match.

Ji Jue was surprised to find that An Ran thought so highly of him.

And also...

He eventually asked the question that had been buried in his heart for a long time: "Why do you call me 'Ji Jue'?"

"Because you're older than me," An Ran replied as if it made perfect sense.

"Er... there's no need to be so formal, right?" he scratched his head with a sigh, "You can call me Little Ji, let's forget Ji-bro—it just feels a bit off..."

"Because Ji Jue is very impressive!"

An Ran answered earnestly, his eyes shining as if filled with admiration and aspiration.

So it went, and he lifted the notebook in his hands, flipped to the very front, where breathtaking and shocking words were written with delicate penmanship, enunciating each word so seriously, he recited Ji Jue's darkest past that Ji Jue wanted most to erase.

"I've spent my life fighting and competing with others..."

The moment he realized, Ji Jue instinctively wanted to snatch the notebook and tear out that page to eat it, but Little An's reaction was too quick. He immediately hugged the notebook close to protect it.

"Erase it, erase it, erase it fast!"

Ji Jue panicked completely, his sweat beads streamed down breaking his composure: "That wasn't me! It really wasn't me! Little An, listen to me—erase that page..."

But he was completely unable to grab it!

In Ji Jue's moment of panic, someone already approached, armed to the teeth with weapons, and a bearded man politely asked Ji Jue to step forward for a meeting.

Pointing to the foremost RV.

Inside awaited Kong Qingyan and Lou Feng.

Lou Feng watched Ji Jue wheel up in his chair, his expression involuntarily twitching, then again, struggling to maintain his composure as he squeezed his words through clenched teeth:

"…We meet again, Mr. Ji."

"Wow, long time no see, Lou Bro!" Ji Jue, on the other hand, was enthusiastically vibrant, grabbed his hand and shook it with vigor: "I still remember how we regretted not meeting each other sooner just a few days ago, how come you suddenly turned so indifferent!"

Why become indifferent, damn it, don't you know!

It was the first time in his life Lou Feng so wanted to curse.

Ji Jue felt the same way.

Looking at Lou Feng, who was practically shining from head to toe, sporting all +15 gear from his leather shoes and glasses to his underpants, Ji Jue's teeth itched with envy.

He truly exemplified a wealthy heir—decked out from head to toe in full gear, like an old sow in a bra, fit after fit!

Just you wait, once I've learned the Dissociation Technique, you'll be the first I touch!

Meanwhile, the usually silent and aloof Kong Qingyan finally noticed the emblem on Ji Jue's chest, the insignia of the Tide Sound Workshop, and her pupils subtly contracted.

Now she understood who Ji Jue represented by coming here, and she couldn't help but sneer: "It seems that even Master Ye will do something like picking up others' discarded knowledge, trying to imitate others."

"Master Kong, what do you mean by that?"

Ji Jue still smiled, maintaining the grace imparted by his teacher: "Before coming here, my teacher also said that if it hadn't been for Master Kong's reminder, we would have nearly missed out on such a great opportunity.

Even if we didn't want anything else, we couldn't miss out on this occasion, and I was sent to support Master Kong's side, to show off some extraordinary skills."

He paused for a moment, then continued: "He also told me to remind Master Kong—"

Thus, he relayed the words from Ye Xian:

"—when the wind howls and the rain pours, remember to gather the clothes after the thunder. Don't worry about matters outside."

On hearing his words, Kong Qingyan's complexion suddenly changed.

The crisp sound rang out.

From the stately gemstone ring between her fingers, the originally intricately cut gemstone now oddly displayed a profound crack.

Crack!!!

It was an attack alarm from her workshop, and even more, it was of the highest standard.

A signal that the central control layer was about to go haywire!

"Ye Xian—"

She squeezed the words out from between clenched teeth, her face suddenly changing, caring not for her current squabble with Ji Jue as she spun around and headed into the RV, to handle the emergency remotely, attempting to rectify the situation.

If she were any later, she might well lose control of the Melting Furnace!

Professor Ye hadn't done anything.

At most, she had merely sent a parcel to Master Kong's workshop.

As for what was in the package and what consequences it might bring, Ji Jue had no clue. Professor Ye had simply mentioned that once the package arrived, Kong Qingyan, no matter how patient, wouldn't be able to stay at the scene and cause mischief.

The importance of a workshop to a craftsman could sometimes even surpass that of the craftsman's own life!

A workshop inherited through generations was often a treasure completed by numerous craftsmen. Every circuit and rune within it was carved with painstaking effort over decades or even centuries, meticulously nourished with untold amounts of spiritual essence, not to mention all the collections of an entire faction and various pieces of equipment so expensive they were staggering.

Even a master couldn't ignore another master invading their workshop.

She was not like Ye Xian, who would turn renegade at the drop of a hat. If anything went wrong with the ancestral workshop, then even as a master, she would become an undeniable sinner of the faction!

Watching her teacher leave without a backward glance, Lou Feng's expression finally crumbled completely, casting a cold glance at Ji Jue:

"It seems Mr. Ji has come prepared. Very well, when the time comes, we'll see the truth beneath our hands."

Ji Jue smiled, saying nothing.

If offended, so be it. He wasn't the sort who would take abuse lying down at his doorstep. Deep down, he couldn't muster any reverence for so-called aristocratic families and noble houses.

All so mighty and domineering, did they think the Crack Realm bore their surname, Lou?

Having done what his teacher instructed, he stopped dallying and turned to push his cart toward the Crack Realm.

But he'd only taken a few steps when cries of alarm came from ahead.

"It's open! The portal to the Crack…"

Before the words were finished, the brightness within the Crack Realm suddenly surged, spewing forth in an instant. Where it passed, a violent suction force appeared, enveloping them.

Before he could react, Ji Jue was lifted into the air, swept up with the crowd into its midst...

"Be careful, Brother Ji Jue!"

At the critical moment, An Ran's voice suddenly sounded, and the youth unable to stand still stretched out a hand, a rope from his sleeve shooting out, wrapping around him and a small cow and horse, binding them together.

In the next instant, the torrential radiance swallowed the entire camp.

After a moment of deadly silence, the light vanished without a trace, the Crack Realm returning to its original state, the once-open crack now closed again, unresponsive to anyone else's calls.

But within the camp, many still stood in place, staring blankly at each other—wasn't the opening of the Crack Realm like a tunnel, a door that remained open for a long time?

Why did it behave like this now, violently sucking in one moment and then unresponsive the next?

Did it simply shut itself?

So much so, that more than half of the people were left outside, unable to enter.

Chaos erupted within the crowd, followed soon by terrified screams.

Not until now did anyone notice those who had fallen into the mud as if tripped…. But those few were already without sound or breath.

Blood and spiritual essence, completely gone without a trace.

What remained were only shriveled, contorted corpses.

Like the remnants left over after being drained dry...

The deafening silence came abruptly.

When someone gathered the courage to reach out and turn over those remains, they finally saw the faces of the dead, who didn't even know what happened, twisted in a final expression of despair.

And emblazoned on their foreheads was a mark that sent chills down everyone's spine.

An eerie, one-eyed emblem flanked by sinister wings.

The Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony!

Within the Dragon Sacrifice Society, there was only one member who would thoroughly consume his victims and then deliberately leave such a horrifying scene.

The Shepherd·Invisible, the Chosen One of the Heart Core lineage who had risen to the Rebirth Rank many years ago.

And it was not until two hours later, in the wee hours of the morning, that Hai Province received an alarm from Tide City Security Bureau—that a key member of Nirvana, the terrorist organization intent on upsetting international order, known as 'White Owl,' had infiltrated their borders five hours ago, whereabouts unknown.

Along with the alarm came a warrant for her arrest with a bounty of nine million and one hundred thousand.

On the front of the warrant was only a picture of a blood-stained owl mask, coldly surveying the world in front of it.

Starved and insatiable.

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