53: Chapter 52 Who says Envoy Qin is bad? Envoy Qin is wonderful!

"You, you, you, you!!!!"

Chu Kuang was stunned, staring at Lin Mo, completely speechless.

Su Wan stood frozen in place, like a statue.

Zhang Tianzhen's eyes almost bulged out, his neck straining forward.

That was a super battle royale of a thousand geniuses!

This kid actually pulled it off!!!

Qin Lan's eyes suddenly turned red.

It was from anger.

She had prepared herself to be dismissed and was waiting to accept her punishment, only for this kid to walk out alive and well?

Lin Yao quickly detached herself from Lin Mo.

Reverting to her original form, she slumped onto the ground.

"Waaah... It's finally over, that was terrifying!"

The people around them immediately swarmed in, asking all sorts of questions.

Mostly asking her what exactly happened to Lin Mo.

But she just looked dazed, saying she didn't know anything to every question.

Sometimes drool leaked from the corner of her mouth without her even noticing.

The events of today were more thrilling than everything she had experienced in her life combined!

...

Qin Lan took both of them away directly.

"Tell me everything from the beginning, don't leave out a single word."

"O-okay, Teacher Qin."

Lin Yao recounted everything that happened in the dungeon word for word.

Lin Mo using the Alien Crown Prince as a power leveler... forcing over three hundred people to be experience leeches... the Dragon Temple's Dragon Attendant turning geniuses into puppets, only to be outlasted by Lin Mo...

After listening, Qin Lan fell into a state of confusion.

If these words came from Lin Mo's mouth, she would think he was bragging.

But coming from Lin Yao, it was completely different.

To what extent had this kid trained his Block talent?

Outlasting a Dragon Attendant with four million HP in the poison zone?

Does that even make sense?

"Dragon Temple..."

She rubbed her temples.

"This matter is much more serious than I imagined."

She didn't ask further about the principle behind Lin Mo's damage immunity.

Even if she asked, Lin Mo would just say it was the effect of his Block talent.

Give me a break; although the Block effect was strong.

The stats were simply too low.

"Let's go, back to the Core City."

Qin Lan stood up, her tone rarely lacking its usual sting.

"I've already given orders to the City Lord regarding the mess in Shimmering City. The Ling Consortium branch, Zhang Tianzhen, and the source of those death soldiers—not one will escape."

"Anyone related to you will be acknowledged; the orphanage director and others have also been safely placed under protection."

Lin Mo did not refuse.

He no longer had any attachments to Shimmering City.

He had taken what he needed to take and said his goodbyes to those he needed to see.

Li Qilin had also sent him a message saying the Alliance had sent people to take her away.

Everything about Lin Mo and Su Xiaoli's past had been cleaned up thoroughly.

...

Core City.

Alliance Headquarters building.

When Lin Mo first saw this building, he only had one thought—it's good to be rich.

The entire building floated three hundred meters above the center of the Core City, with a giant anti-gravity magic circle at the base and a dome at the top engraved with the crests of past Alliance Leaders.

Qin Lan led him directly out of the teleportation array, through three identity verification checkpoints, and into the high-level meeting area of the headquarters.

At the door of the conference room at the end of the hallway stood two people.

A man and a woman.

The man wore a deep blue Alliance military uniform, with every button fastened to the very top.

His back was as straight as a ruler, his chin slightly raised, and his gaze like two rulers measuring everything.

Pei Jun.

Deputy Director of the Alliance Headquarters Inspection Bureau.

The woman was completely different.

She wore a plain white dress, her long hair pinned with a simple wooden hairpin, her features gentle, with very faint fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Her first reaction upon seeing Lin Mo was to smile.

"You are Lin Mo?"

"I am the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Eastern Alliance. I welcome you on behalf of the Alliance."

Deputy Alliance Leader Shen Yuntang.

"Hello, Deputy Alliance Leader."

Lin Mo nodded.

"Xiao Li talks about you every day, saying you would definitely come."

Shen Yuntang's voice was very soft.

"She should still be in a dungeon right now and won't be out for a while."

"Thank you."

Before the third sentence of pleasantries could be finished, Pei Jun spoke.

"Qin Lan."

Just a name, without any prefix or honorific.

Qin Lan's eyelid twitched.

"The Inspection Bureau has completed the preliminary investigation of this incident."

Pei Jun pulled a neatly folded official document from his sleeve, unfolded it, and spoke in a tone like he was reading a verdict.

"As a dao protector, knowing that Lin Mo was only a level 30 unpromoted Blank Slate Warrior, you agreed to let him enter a hell-grade Class Advancement Dungeon with a mortality rate exceeding 99%."

"After learning about the intelligence leak from the Ling Consortium, you did not report to headquarters immediately, but chose to let the situation develop."

"Your adjutant, Chen Rui, is still drifting in the void and is expected to return in a week."

"Above three points, each one is sufficient to constitute serious dereliction of duty as a dao protector."

Pei Jun closed the document and looked at Qin Lan.

"Do you have anything to say?"

Qin Lan opened her mouth.

She really had nothing to argue.

From the perspective of procedures and regulations, every word Pei Jun said was correct.

But just as she was about to admit defeat—

"Deputy Director Pei."

Lin Mo's voice cut in.

Pei Jun's gaze shifted to Lin Mo, filled with scrutiny.

"Where do you think Special Envoy Qin went wrong?" Lin Mo asked.

"I have just listed three points—"

"I'm not asking about regulations."

Lin Mo interrupted him.

"I'm asking about the results."

Pei Jun frowned.

"The hell-grade Class Advancement Dungeon, I cleared it."

Lin Mo counted on his fingers.

"The Ling Consortium's intelligence leak actually caused all of the Zhang family's hidden moles to surface. Although Adjutant Chen Rui can't return for now, he isn't in any life-threatening danger."

"Results cannot justify the process."

Pei Jun said coldly.

"Then can regulations be responsible for the results?"

Pei Jun's lips tightened.

"If Special Envoy Qin had acted according to the regulations you mentioned."

Lin Mo spoke slowly, word by word.

"She should have forcibly stuffed me into the Core City's protected zone on the first day."

"Sorry, but I cannot accept that result."

"If Special Envoy Qin hadn't been willing to believe in me, it would have been impossible for me to obtain the highest-grade class advancement item."

After saying that, Lin Mo took out the heart of unwavering determination and tossed it up and down.

Pei Jun was silent for two seconds.

"Rules are rules."

"Rules are dead, but people are alive."

Lin Mo shook his head.

"When I entered the dungeon this time, she also left me with life-saving means."

"Without violating my will, she did the best she could."

"Is that not enough?"

Qin Lan stood to the side, her expression complex, remaining silent.

Lin Mo looked at Pei Jun, his tone flat.

"This is my evaluation of Special Envoy Qin; you can record it word for word in your investigation report."

Pei Jun's Adam's apple bobbed; he didn't get angry at the disrespect in Lin Mo's words.

He truly had nothing to say.

Because the results were right there—not only did Lin Mo return alive, but he also brought back the sole qualification for clearing a hell-grade dungeon and two Mythical-quality class advancement items.

Five days... this was only the fifth day since Lin Mo's class awakening.

Such an achievement was simply unheard of since the founding of the entire Alliance!

Shen Yuntang coughed lightly, breaking the stalemate.

"Lin Mo, the Alliance Leader's intention is that Qin Lan indeed made a lapse in judgment during this incident, so the choice of dao protector needs to be adjusted."

She looked at Pei Jun.

"Pei Jun will take over from Qin Lan and be responsible for your subsequent security."

Lin Mo turned to glance at Pei Jun.

Pei Jun also looked at him.

The two of them stared at each other for three seconds.

"I refuse," Lin Mo said.

Shen Yuntang was stunned for a moment.

Pei Jun's brows furrowed into a knot.

"This is the Alliance Leader's decision."

"I respect the Alliance Leader's decision," Lin Mo nodded, "but the prerequisite for a dao protector is cooperation between both parties. Deputy Director Pei, do you think we can cooperate well?"

Pei Jun said coldly:

"I will ensure your absolute safety."

"And then lock me in a protected zone, eating and sleeping on time every day, needing to file a report to go out, and following procedures for training?"

Pei Jun did not deny it.

"Then I'd rather not have a dao protector at all; I'll tell the Alliance Leader myself."

The conference room was silent for a few seconds.

Shen Yuntang looked at Lin Mo, a trace of a meaningful smile appearing in her eyes.

"Your personality is truly similar to Xiao Li's."

She didn't make a decision immediately but instead changed the subject.

"Lin Mo, unzip your jacket."

Lin Mo was taken aback.

Shen Yuntang's gaze fell on his right chest, her tone still gentle but with an added layer of imperceptible solemnity.

"I've sensed the thing on your chest from the moment you walked in."

Lin Mo lowered his head.

The pitch-black patterns of the Dragon Blood Soul-Devouring Curse were slowly writhing beneath his clothes, dealing 5,000 points of true damage every second silently.

He unzipped his jacket.

The fist-sized pitch-black curse mark was exposed to the air, with dark red glimmers flowing along its edges.

Pei Jun's pupils constricted sharply.

Qin Lan gasped.

As for Shen Yuntang, she stared at the curse mark, the gentle smile on her face slowly vanishing.

Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself.

"Dragon Blood Soul-Devouring Curse..."

"This thing hasn't appeared for three hundred years."