"Is Gong Changfa very strong? I haven't met him yet!" Ke Yiming, hearing that Mu Ying was still injured, couldn't help but ask.
Mu Ying nodded solemnly and said directly, "This guy is the captain of the Heavenly Chosen Bureau, and he's got some skills. My abilities can't attack him. There seems to be an invisible barrier around him that can block all my attacks. He just touched me once, and a strange attack immediately appeared inside my body, heading straight for my brain. Fortunately, it started raining heavily, and this is my home ground, so I could use the environment to escape. Although I managed to block the attack inside my body, my internal organs were severely injured."
Hearing this battle description, Shen Feng recalled the scene Zhang Jue had described. It seemed Gong Changfa's ability was particle rampage; as long as he touched the opponent, he could directly attack them from within, effectively bypassing their defenses.
"If I were to fight Gong Changfa, I couldn't get close, otherwise, I'd easily be attacked from the inside," Shen Feng said seriously.
"If you can't get close, and your abilities are blocked, how can you fight?" Ke Yiming asked, confused.
However, Shen Feng patted the pistol at his waist and said, "If abilities can't be used, then use a gun. He can't possibly have no weaknesses, right?"
Mu Ying nodded, thinking Shen Feng's suggestion was quite good.
In fact, Mu Ying was able to escape thanks to the heavy rain, which allowed her to use the environment to her advantage. Previously, Mu Ying always spoke in a hoarse voice, leading others to believe her throat was damaged. However, this was intentional. At a critical moment, she would revert to her natural voice and dress in tattered clothes, making her unrecognizable as an ability user, appearing instead as a disheveled beggar.
Mu Ying had learned to disguise herself, exploiting people's ingrained assumptions.
As night slowly descended, the sound of rain outside the small building never ceased. Perhaps the rain would only stop once the typhoon had moved past Jianghuai.
Shen Feng, believing his speed to be quite high, volunteered to scout the situation. Linwu also had the City Lord's Mansion, a true residence that served not only as an office but also as the City Lord's living quarters.
"The brightest spot in the city center is the City Lord's Mansion. Be careful not to be discovered when you go in! There are people and surveillance everywhere inside," Mu Ying cautioned Shen Feng.
Shen Feng nodded and set off, wanting to see for himself what this so-called scumbag was like.
When Shen Feng entered the rain, he donned a raincoat and used "As the Wind Follows" to rush out. In the rainy night, Shen Feng transformed into a phantom, moving rapidly through the city, and soon arrived outside a manor. Bright lights illuminated the grounds, and laughter could still be faintly heard from within.
This area was also at the highest elevation, so it wouldn't be flooded. As long as the floodwaters didn't spread, the manor would surely remain safe, as there were many patrolling soldiers outside. To prevent their firearms from getting wet, these soldiers patrolled with swords and umbrellas, not resting even at night.
Shen Feng looked at the manor's wall, which was only a little over three meters high, not particularly tall. The only thing to be wary of were the surveillance cameras; if he were spotted by them, Shen Feng wouldn't be able to explain himself.
For the heavily guarded manor, Shen Feng used a tactic of "throwing a stone to ask for directions." He picked up a brick and threw it forcefully into the manor.
With a "bang," hurried footsteps echoed from within the manor: "Who is it? Who's there?"
Eventually, the people inside the manor discovered the half-broken brick and immediately understood that someone had thrown a brick from outside.
"These damn commoners, daring to throw bricks into the City Lord's Mansion, they're asking for a beating. Tomorrow, we'll catch a couple of unlucky ones and chop off their heads as a warning." Several people inside the manor cursed, surprised that even in this heavy rain, someone dared to throw bricks, truly having nothing better to do.
"It's been raining all day, it's so damn annoying. After my shift ends, I'm going to find a beautiful woman to relax with."
"Hmph, will the beautiful ones be left for you? They're playthings for the City Lord and the higher-ups. Don't even think about it."
"Don't say that, there are always beautiful girls who get tired of being played with. There's still a chance."
... Shen Feng overheard their conversation and his anger flared. Not only was what Mu Ying said true, but the situation was even worse. The City Lord of this small city, along with his close associates, were all irredeemable scumbags.
Shen Feng looked at the heavy rain around him and suddenly had a way to enter the manor.
Shen Feng unleashed his ability, and a strong wind swept in from afar, engulfing the entire manor in wind and rain. The people inside couldn't open their eyes, completely bewildered as to why there was such a gale and downpour at this moment.
The strong wind, carrying the torrential rain, enveloped the manor. People couldn't open their eyes, while Shen Feng used "As the Wind Follows" to enter the manor's interior.
To avoid being spotted by surveillance cameras, Shen Feng specifically moved through blind spots. Once inside the manor, there were plenty of places to hide.
The strong wind came and went quickly. The people inside the manor grumbled and complained for a while. Because of this gust of wind, many of their clothes were soaked, and in this wretched weather, drying wet clothes was difficult. Apart from a few curses, there was no other outlet for their frustration.
The manor covered a large area, and in the center stood a grand, two-story building. It was intricately carved and painted, made of wood, with tiled roofs from which rainwater flowed down like a waterfall, giving it an elegant appearance. Bright lights could be seen through the windows of the large house, and laughter continuously emanated from within.
Besides the main house in the center, there were many smaller buildings around the manor, and figures could be seen in them. In a corner, there was a huge warehouse, dark and windowless, but the sound of crying continuously came from it.
Shen Feng found it very strange and immediately approached the warehouse. He then heard muffled sobs from within. It was already night, but the people in the warehouse were not asleep.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Shen Feng, using the light of the lightning, saw the scene inside the warehouse and fell silent, his anger intensifying.
As lightning streaked across the sky, the piercing light entered through the warehouse's small windows, allowing Shen Feng to clearly see the situation inside. He saw figures huddled together in the warehouse, densely packed. They were all women, wearing thin clothes, with a few sharing a single blanket, but unable to ward off the cold, they shivered uncontrollably.
The crying from the warehouse was from these women, lamenting their tragic fates and suffering from their current dark lives. They dared not cry too loudly, fearing they would attract the attention of a group of beasts, so they cried with their hands covering their mouths, their pain and despair filling the warehouse.
Hundreds of women were crammed into this warehouse, devoid of any vitality.
Shen Feng suddenly remembered a middle school text about sweatshop workers. Perhaps the plight of these women was even worse than that of sweatshop laborers.
A rumbling thunder sounded, and Shen Feng took a deep breath before walking towards the main house in the center of the manor. He reached the eaves and used "Inverted Hook," hooking his feet onto the beam and hanging upside down, looking into the house.
In the hall, more than a dozen people sat in two rows, with low tables placed before them and seated on warm cushions. The hall was adorned with valuable calligraphy and paintings, the air conditioning was on, and the lights were bright, exuding an air of opulence.
In the center of the hall was a red carpet, upon which a group of dancers, clad in sheer, light gauze, danced barefoot. Their graceful movements captivated the attention of the dozen men present, their eyes lingering on smooth arms and thighs. They held chopsticks in their hands but remained motionless.
The dishes on the tables were also abundant: Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, Ziyun Taking Off His Robe, Braised Lion's Head, and Rice Wine Duck – all meat dishes. Perhaps due to the flood, fish dishes were more prevalent.
"Mr. Wu, I'll toast you. If it weren't for your stern admonishment back then, how could I have found my way back from my mistakes? Now, I am the City Lord of Linwu, but in the future, I will still need your guidance." Sitting in the second seat on the east side was a man in a suit and tie, appearing to be in his forties, with an inherent aura of ferocity.
The man in the suit was named Lü Song, the City Lord of Linwu. The person seated at the head was actually his superior. His ability to rally people and retake the small city was largely due to his superior's help, providing thousands of firearms and countless ammunition, which allowed for the successful recapture of the city.
The person at the head was named Wu Jingjiu. He paid no attention to the toast from a mere City Lord. He simply raised his wine glass, nodded slightly, and drank without a word.
Lü Song dared not voice any objection. He knew that even if his superior didn't drink his toast, he could only meekly admit his mistake, as the other party was an ability user, and killing him would be as easy as flipping a hand. Moreover, although Wu Jingjiu had not replied, drinking the wine already signified his approval.
Wu Jingjiu watched the dance performance for a while, then quietly said to Lü Song, "According to intelligence from my side, a group of people is active in the Jianghuai region, led by Shen Feng and Ke Yiming. Pay attention and do not offend them. Both of them are ability users, and you cannot afford to provoke them!"
Lü Song quickly nodded and said earnestly, "I understand, I understand! We small figures have our own ways of living. I've managed to obtain photos of every ability user in the country. If they truly appear, I will certainly host them well and will not dare to be negligent."
Wu Jingjiu nodded with satisfaction and then asked, "By the way, didn't Gong Changfa come here a few days ago? Did he say anything to you?"
Wu Jingjiu knew that Gong Changfa was highly valued by his superiors and was a captain, meaning Wu Jingjiu was also under his jurisdiction. If Gong Changfa had any opinions about his territory, it would be a serious problem.
Lü Song quickly replied, "Mr. Wu, rest assured, Gong Changfa didn't say anything. He was just looking for someone and left immediately when he couldn't find them. He only stayed at my place for one night. I instructed the people in the city not to speak carelessly, so Gong Changfa doesn't know our current situation."
"That's good. You are very sensible. With my care in the future, your prospects will be limitless." Wu Jingjiu nodded with satisfaction. As long as his subordinates were obedient, there would be no issues.
Wu Jingjiu picked up a glass of wine and began to drink, thinking, "Which base should I try to recruit next? The larger my influence, the better."
Wu Jingjiu could not interfere with the military, so he had to find another way. He could not act arbitrarily in areas already reclaimed by the authorities, so he let his subordinates reclaim new areas. There should be no problem with that, right? Even Shen Feng in Yuzhou had established his own domain. If his own development went well, he might be able to control a large city.
Just then, Lü Song asked with a smile, "Which woman has caught Mr. Wu's eye? Feel free to take her after the banquet. Rooms have already been prepared. You can go and rest."
"I don't care about that. I see there are many people in your small pavilions. I'll just pick one and go in. However, you won't object, will you?" Wu Jingjiu asked with a smile.
Lü Song's expression stiffened instantly. The women in the small buildings were all collected with great effort, originally his exclusive property. But now that his superior was asking for them, he couldn't refuse.
Lü Song's reaction was quick. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he quickly said, "Mr. Wu, just say which one you fancy. Women are like clothes; I don't care about that."
In reality, Lü Song was heartbroken, but for the sake of his future prospects, he could only choose to yield, hoping to gain more in return later.
Wu Jingjiu nodded with satisfaction and said, "It's good that you're sensible. After the banquet, don't disturb me. I need to rest. Perhaps more people will come to your place in the future. If you serve them well, you'll have whatever you want!"
The hall was warm as spring, with delicious food and beautiful women. Their conversations and laughter were like a heavenly scene. The people present also joked and swore, laughing and cursing freely. The dancing women forced smiles, not daring to show any sadness, lest they face a tragic fate.
Meanwhile, in certain corners of the city, countless people were still suffering from cold and hunger. At this moment, receiving a bowl of gruel would be considered a blessing from heaven.