pjbooks Chapter 1020 The Control Yuan Reception Office
Chapter 1020 The Control Yuan Reception Office
The scout remained silent for a while, then slowly withdrew his protruding head without saying a word.
He Yun stood there for a moment, then turned and walked back to the outpost. He picked up the communication talisman on the table, injected source energy to activate it, and said: "North Gate Reception, this is West Third Outpost. Deacon Lin Qiye has passed the source energy test at the outer outpost, pollution level zero, and holds a temporary pass. He is expected to arrive at the North Gate this afternoon. Repeat, Deacon Lin Qiye has passed the test and is on his way back."
There was a few moments of silence on the other end of the communication talisman before a deep reply came: "Received."
Lin Qiye arrived at the north gate of the arena in the afternoon.
From a distance, the arena's walls resembled a colossal gray wall stretching across the plain. Constructed of massive black stones, the walls stood approximately ten zhang high and at least three zhang thick. Every few dozen steps atop the walls stood an arrow tower, its banners fluttering, and armored guards could be vaguely seen patrolling the walls. The North Gate, the closest of the arena's four main gates to the Canggu Mountains, was also the primary passage for the Overwatch Council's field operations teams.
Lin Qiye stopped about a hundred feet outside the North Gate and looked up at the city gate.
He had seen the city walls and gates many times before, but this time the feeling was different from every previous one. Before leaving this city, he was an ordinary second-class deacon in the arena. Although he possessed the power of the Blood Demon and had experienced several life-or-death battles, he was still at the bottom of the power structure of this vast city. But now, standing here, he saw more than just the city walls and gates—he saw the arrangement of the array patterns on the city walls, the defensive array nodes of the city gates, the fire coverage of the arrow towers, and the general direction of the flow of Origin Qi in the huge urban area behind the city walls.
This is an ability brought about by Yin He's memories—the Bone Servant's perception of architectural structure and energy flow is gradually being integrated into his instincts.
He stood on the stone path outside the city gate for about half a cup of tea's time, then withdrew his gaze and continued walking towards the city gate.
The guards at the city gate had clearly received notification from the outpost. A young clerk in the uniform of the Overwatch Council strode forward, his voice deliberately maintained with professional composure: "Deacon Lin Qiye? Please return your temporary pass and come with me. The Overwatch Council's north gate reception area has arranged a temporary rest room for you. Chief Shangguan hopes to meet with you as soon as possible."
Lin Qiye took out the metal nameplate from his pocket, handed it to the clerk, and then followed him through the city gate, walking along a wide stone-paved street towards the reception area at the north gate of the Supervisory Bureau.
There weren't many pedestrians on either side of the street, but everyone who saw Lin Qiye couldn't help but glance at him again—his tattered robes and dried bloodstains stood out starkly against the clean and tidy street. Several people paused noticeably after recognizing him, then quickly lowered their heads and walked away, as if avoiding something they shouldn't have seen.
These glances and reactions did not escape Lin Qiye's notice. He didn't care. Mo Yuan and A Jiu had returned before him, and their reports would surely mention his changed condition, and this information would soon spread among the higher-ups of the arena.
The reception area at the north gate of the Overwatch Council was a two-story building made of gray bricks, with two deacons in black armor standing at the entrance. A clerk led Lin Qiye to the reception room on the first floor, personally poured him a cup of tea, and then bowed and withdrew. The reception room was small and simply furnished, with a wooden table, two chairs, and a panoramic map of the arena hanging on the wall, several important locations marked with vermilion pen.
Lin Qiye did not sit down, nor did he touch the cup of tea. He stood in front of the panoramic map, his gaze slowly sweeping across the location of the Canggu Mountains, over the four city gates of the arena, and over the markings in the city that read "Array Master Guild," "Combat Department Headquarters," and "Supervision Bureau Headquarters."
He stood before the map for a long time, long enough for the steam in his teacup to completely dissipate, long enough for the light and shadow cast through the window to shift from a westward direction to a south-southwest position. Then footsteps came from outside the door—the footsteps of two people, one in front of the other. The footsteps in front were steady and powerful, with a rhythm that was neither too fast nor too slow, each step as even as if the distance had been measured; the footsteps behind were light and quick, almost silent the moment they landed, like a cat moving along a wall.
The door was opened.
Entering was a middle-aged man in a dark gray robe, with a thin face and slightly graying temples; it was Shangguan Lin. Half a step behind him stood a stern-faced, slender young woman, dressed in a black, tight-fitting leather armor, with two short daggers hanging at her waist—she was a member of the Overwatch Council's exclusive secret service, responsible for the personal protection of high-ranking officials.
After Shangguan Lin entered the reception room, his gaze lingered on Lin Qiye for about two breaths. Unlike He Yun, he didn't display obvious scrutiny and wariness, nor did he exude the professional respect and distance typical of an ordinary clerk. He merely glanced at Lin Qiye, then walked very naturally to the wooden table, sat down in the empty chair, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of now-cold tea, took a sip, put down the cup, and spoke in a voice as calm as if he were chatting casually.
"Mo Yuan and A Jiu arrived yesterday evening. A Jiu's right arm was broken, but it has been reattached and she will recover after some rest. Mo Yuan was not injured, but he was on edge. After giving his report, he ate two bowls of rice and then fell asleep on the bed. He hasn't woken up yet."
Lin Qiye turned away from the map, walked to another chair and sat down. He didn't respond to Shangguan Lin's suggestion, but simply sat quietly and waited.
Seeing his reaction, Shangguan Lin's lips twitched slightly, neither a smile nor a sigh, but a subtle tension between the two: "I've read Mo Yuan's report. He said you fused with the bloodline of the ancient demon god 'Candle,' shut down the core altar of the Bone Tower, and prevented the ancient beast from fully awakening. You also dealt with the Xun Yan replica that had been dormant for twenty-six years. In terms of the mission's outcome, you've made a contribution that exceeded expectations."
He paused.
"But Mo Yuan also said that you did not evacuate with the team at that time, but stayed alone deep in the mountains."