61: Chapter 61 These damned locusts!

The moment Old Master Wen appeared, the entire living room fell silent.

He was like a stabilizing needle; no one dared to say even a single word in front of him.

It was not just because Old Master Wen himself was an Eighth-Grade Martial King, but also because he was one of the few elders in the entire Wen family who had lived past seventy.

"If the little girl wants to gain some experience, let her go. What's the point of always locking her in a cage?"

Old Master Wen shoved Wen Wan's father aside with his backside and snatched the teacup from his hand to take a sip.

"Damn it, you've been putting on airs here for half a day, and you're drinking Iced Black Tea?"

"You little brat, do you really think your father is dead?"

Old Master Wen struck Wen Ruchu's head with his cane, causing him to wince in pain.

"What's wrong with Iced Black Tea? Chilled Iced Black Tea is like a national treasure liquor..."

A younger member of the family muttered this under his breath, but it was heard entirely by the Eighth-Grade Martial King, Old Master Wen.

"Kid."

"I admit that chilled Iced Black Tea is delicious, but your Twelfth Uncle is drinking hot Iced Black Tea."

"..."

The boy stopped talking and gave Wen Ruchu a look as if he were looking at a freak.

"Alright, this matter is settled."

"I will have a word with General Zou and have him arrange a spot for little Wen Wan."

Old Master Wen directly ended the argument, sweeping away all doubts with his individual authority.

However, Old Master Wen hadn't revealed everything his darling granddaughter had said.

He was afraid that Wen Ruchu would get really angry and run off to Luo City on the spot.

"Sigh..."

Old Master Wen sighed to himself, not knowing if the Guardian his granddaughter had found was actually reliable.

No, he had to go watch the National Joint Examination later and take a good look at the Guardian his granddaughter had chosen for herself.

...

At this moment, an armored vehicle carrying a signal transmitter was speeding across the wilderness.

Chen Mo tugged at the gas mask on his face; this thing really affected his breathing after putting it on, which was quite uncomfortable.

However, not being able to smell the strange odor in the air was an advantage.

"This time, we need to go about six hundred kilometers deep into the unexplored area. The scout team ahead has already marked the coordinates."

"We just need to go and see if there's anything good in those ruins."

Dai Tianran's voice became somewhat muffled through the gas mask, and the several 5th-rank Martial Artists around her nodded to indicate they understood.

"And you, kid Chen Mo, don't think of this as just manual labor."

"These unexplored ruins usually contain some good things; otherwise, the subsidy wouldn't be so low."

"Everything harvested from the ruins belongs to you. If you want to sell it, there is a dedicated recovery department at the top."

"The prices are fair and honest."

Seeing that Chen Mo had no interest in the exploration—he was practically wearing the words 'slacking off' on his face—Dai Tianran thought for a moment and spoke up.

This practice actually didn't comply with the regulations, but rules are rigid, while people are flexible.

The higher-ups usually turned a blind eye to this behavior from investigation teams. After all, investigation teams did life-threatening work; without some perks, who would be willing to do it?

"Serving the country is my duty!"

Chen Mo immediately shifted from his previous listlessness to being full of energy, his large eyes scanning back and forth like searchlights.

"Very good! Very spirited!"

Dai Tianran could understand Chen Mo very well; she had also chosen to join the investigation team only after learning about this policy.

Otherwise, she would still be risking her life on the front lines right now.

But to be honest, the mortality rate of the investigation team was no lower than that of the most dangerous vanguard units.

To be precise, the vanguard units were risking their lives with clear objectives, while the investigation team was more like risking their lives in a fog.

Both were risking their lives; neither was any better or worse than the other.

"Now, you two kids can get some sleep. I'll call you when we're almost there."

The risk factor for this investigation operation was much lower compared to other investigation operations.

Mainly because this was only a Level 3 danger investigation operation, yet six 5th-rank Martial Artists had come to execute it.

This showed how much the higher-ups doted on this eldest young lady of the Wen family.

Chen Mo didn't stand on ceremony; he put on noise-canceling headphones, chose a comfortable position, and lay down.

When sitting, it didn't feel like much, but once Chen Mo lay down, the entire interior of the armored vehicle was almost completely filled by him.

Wen Wan, who had no other choice because she was being squeezed, sighed and ultimately had to choose to sit on Chen Mo's arm.

Her slender legs weren't even as thick as Chen Mo's wrist, so it was just right to sit on.

Apart from it being a bit hard on her bottom, everything else was not bad...

As a young lady who grew up in the seclusion of her home, Wen Wan didn't have much understanding of the taboos between men and women.

Coupled with the consensus that among martial artists there is no distinction between men and women, and everyone is a comrade-in-arms, Wen Wan was even more uninhibited, and for her, there were No Taboos.

Time passed slowly, and Chen Mo, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by a sudden screech of brakes.

"What's wrong?"

Chen Mo immediately pulled Wen Wan into his arms; his main mission this time was to be responsible for protecting Wen Wan.

"Shh..."

Dai Tianran made a shushing gesture at Chen Mo, and Chen Mo immediately shut his mouth.

"Just as I guessed, there is a Scout Squad of the Abyssal Race ahead."

"Kid, you stay here and guard little Wen Wan. We'll go and take care of those scouts."

With that said, Dai Tianran and the remaining five 5th-rank Martial Artists entered combat mode.

Dai Tianran reached out and grabbed the air beside her, and the figures of several people disappeared without a trace.

Chen Mo's pupils constricted; if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have imagined that there had been people here just a moment ago.

"This is Auntie Dai's talent."

Wen Wan whispered.

"She can hide herself and others. I remember it's called 'Breath Concealment'?"

This kind of talent actually isn't considered strong, especially when compared to the Rule-type and Concept-type talents of geniuses like Su Qingyue; they are completely incomparable.

But when it comes to the level of mastery over one's talent, Dai Tianran could easily crush them.

After all, she is a warrior who has been fighting on the battlefield for many years, and her combat experience is extremely rich.

Under Chen Mo's gaze, that Scout Squad of the Abyssal Race fell silently, without making a single sound.

Accompanied by a burst of static, Dai Tianran's voice appeared in Chen Mo's ear.

"Kid, bring little Wen Wan over."

"The ruins are just ahead, and there are quite a few Abyssal Race members patrolling. Driving wouldn't be very..."

But before Dai Tianran could finish speaking, a terrifying explosion erupted from the ruins in the distance.

Several figures draped in black robes darted out from the flames, one of whom was holding half a spinal column in their hand.

"Poachers!?"

Dai Tianran's voice, filled with shock and anger, rang out again. No one had expected that this ruin would actually attract those Poachers.

What exactly was inside that could make those lunatics come to join the fun?

"Damn it, these locust-like guys."

Dai Tianran was so angry that her teeth itched. After thinking for a moment, she came up with the best solution for the current situation.

"Chen Mo! You and little Wen Wan go inside the ruins to investigate. We'll go chase after those Poacher locusts!"

"It's highly likely that it's already been emptied out, but you never know if something might have been left behind!"

With that, Dai Tianran's blood energy surged, and she led the five 5th-rank Martial Artists in pursuit of the two Poachers who were rapidly fleeing.

"Chen Mo, what did Auntie Dai say?"

Wen Wan sat obediently beside Chen Mo and asked curiously.

"Was it Auntie Dai and the others who blew up the ruins just now?"

"Aren't we here to explore?"

Chen Mo didn't answer, only stood up and stretched his muscles.

After nearly six hours of driving, his whole body felt uncomfortable from sitting.

"Auntie Dai said the items were taken by the Poachers."

"The two of us are now going to the ruins to see if there's anything left."