97: Acquaintance, the latest situation of Gushi Town

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting warm patches of light on the living room floor.

The Lin Feng family was eating a simple breakfast, the atmosphere quiet and peaceful.

However, beneath this tranquility, an invisible undercurrent surged.

As the Professional Association had promised, their people arrived earlier than expected.

In the Emerald Micro Garden residential area, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary.

Elderly people doing morning exercises, young people rushing to work, housewives carrying vegetable baskets—everything was as usual.

But Lin Feng's keen perception still caught more than a dozen subtle and orderly auras that had appeared in the neighborhood.

They acted very naturally; an "uncle" in a sports vest, stretching on a horizontal bar, was chatting about health preservation with several elderly people doing morning exercises.

Several "young people" who seemed to have just moved in were organizing moving boxes printed with flowers downstairs, nodding and smiling at passing neighbors.

There were also several people in security uniforms, "patrolling" the neighborhood, occasionally stopping to scan their surroundings with professional eyes.

They were extremely well disguised; if Lin Feng's mental power hadn't far surpassed ordinary people's and his perception undergone a transformation, it would have been almost impossible to detect their identity as professionals.

Just then, a slight sound came from next door to the Lin family.

The door opened, and a middle-aged woman with a gentle face and amiable demeanor walked out, holding a newly unboxed delivery package.

She wore a light blue long home dress, her figure graceful, and her gentle and elegant temperament made it easy for people to feel fond of her.

She seemed to be organizing her new home, and her gaze inadvertently swept across the balcony, meeting Mother Lin's eyes as she walked out with a water glass, immediately revealing a friendly and slightly apologetic smile.

"Hello, Auntie, I'm your new neighbor, I live right next door."

Her voice was clear and soft, with a natural sense of closeness.

"I just moved in, and things are a bit messy. I'm really sorry if I disturbed your rest."

Mother Lin also smiled and replied.

"It's nothing, nothing, welcome, new neighbor! From now on, we're family. If you need any help, just say the word."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

The woman's smile was gentle and appeared very sincere.

Her gaze then "naturally" passed Mother Lin and fell upon Lin Feng, who was walking out of the living room.

When she saw Lin Feng's face clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes at just the right moment, then turned into understanding and a deeper solemnity, and she nodded slightly in greeting.

Lin Feng understood; this was the "public" person in charge sent by the Professional Association.

He said to his parents.

"Mom, Dad, you two eat first. I'm going out for a bit to say hello to the new neighbor."

Walking to the hallway, and ensuring his parents couldn't hear their conversation, Lin Feng then spoke, his voice calm.

"From the Chang'an Association?"

The woman, Aya, immediately put away her gentle neighborly smile, her expression becoming professional and serious, and she said in a low voice.

"Yes, Mr. Lin Feng. I am Aya, the deputy captain of the 'Shield of Chang'an,' assigned by the association's higher-ups to be fully responsible for the security of your parents."

"In this operation, only I will have direct contact with you; all other team members are concealed throughout the neighborhood as ordinary residents, ensuring not to disturb the normal lives of your parents."

Lin Feng nodded; this arrangement by the other party was more in line with his requirements.

He asked directly.

"What's the situation in Gu City Town now? I remember your team carried out a mission there before."

Aya's face flashed with a hint of surprise at his words, but then she relaxed.

Their mission to Gu City Town was not a secret; many people in Weiyang City alone knew about it, let alone Lin Feng, an important figure highly valued by the 'superiors,' who even dispatched three Gold-level professionals as 'bodyguards.'

However, upon hearing the name 'Gu City Town,' the gentleness on Aya's face was silently overshadowed by a layer of gloom, but this gloom vanished in an instant.

She was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, her voice heavy with unconcealable emotion.

"Very bad..."

"The spatial rift deep within the town has become extremely unstable recently, with large-scale monster riots occurring frequently, far exceeding previous ones, and the intensity is more terrifying each time."

"The Chang'an Professional Association has already dispatched a large number of personnel, and even another Transcendent-level senior has arrived at Gu City Town..."

"But the situation is still deteriorating."

She took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her emotions, but her tightly clenched fingers still betrayed the turmoil within her.

"Our team... suffered heavy losses, and we've even had casualties..."

Aya's voice was a little choked, and tears welled up in her eyes, tears she was trying to hold back—the searing pain of losing close comrades.

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly; he hadn't expected that even an elite team like the 'Shield of Chang'an,' with all Gold-level members and a Transcendent-level captain, would suffer such a setback in Gu City Town.

"What about your captain? As far as I know, he seems to be Transcendent-level!"

Lin Feng pressed.

If the situation in Gu City Town was too critical, he would have to prepare to take his parents away from Weiyang City!

Aya's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion and deeper worry.

"The captain... shortly after that abnormal energy eruption, the spatial rift experienced an even more bizarre and powerful energy fluctuation. He... he decided to venture deep into the rift alone to investigate... and has been... without any news since..."

Her voice carried a sense of powerlessness.

"So, the 'Shield of Chang'an' is now... essentially defunct."

"The association's higher-ups, considering that we had just suffered heavy losses and our morale was low, plus most of our team members are from around Weiyang and are familiar with the local environment, transferred us here to carry out this... relatively 'safe' mission."

The last sentence carried a clear note of self-mockery.

Lin Feng was silent.

The situation in Gu City Town far exceeded his expectations; even an elite team like the "Shield of Chang'an" was almost crippled, and the Chang'an Professional Association had even sent another Transcendent-level professional into the town...

"Understood."

Lin Feng had already begun to quietly calculate in his mind, but his words showed no abnormality.

"Please accept my condolences. Your mission is to protect my parents. My request is very clear: protect them secretly. They are ordinary people, accustomed to a peaceful life. I don't want them to be anxious because of your presence, or to be talked about by neighbors. Your current disguise is very good, please maintain it, and do not expose your identities unless absolutely necessary."

Aya immediately collected her sadness, resumed her professional demeanor, and solemnly promised.

"Mr. Lin, please rest assured! We fully understand your concerns."

"The team members responsible for this security mission have all undergone strict anti-reconnaissance and disguise training. They will be divided into three shifts, rotating 24 hours a day, ensuring that your esteemed parents, whether at home, out for a walk, or shopping, are within our protection circle, while minimizing their presence as much as possible, and absolutely not interfering with their daily lives."

"Very good."

Lin Feng expressed his satisfaction with this arrangement.

The people sent by the Professional Association had good attitudes and execution.

Aya bowed slightly, preparing to go back and continue playing her role as the "new neighbor."

Just as she turned, Lin Feng's senses, enhanced by the essence of life and becoming incredibly keen, like an invisible radar, instantly captured several distinctly different, extremely subtle auras.

These auras were like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, cold, sticky, and carrying a dark quality that instinctively made one feel uneasy, definitely not the straightforward or deliberately restrained professional aura of the "Shield of Chang'an."

They were lurking respectively in the shadow of the water tower on the rooftop of the building opposite the residential area, in a high-rise vacant room in the adjacent unit building, and among the dense branches and leaves of a large tree deep within the residential area's green belt.

Their positions were extremely tricky, and their auras were almost perfectly concealed; if Lin Feng's mental power hadn't surged and his perception transformed, coupled with the fact that the other party didn't seem to be deliberately targeting him for deep concealment, it would probably have been difficult to detect them.

These were also three Gold-level auras!

However, these three auras were far deeper and more condensed than the Gold-level auras of Aya's team, and these three auras also carried a lingering sense of blood and death!

Bone-chilling!

People from the Dark Council?!

They really did come...