261: Rescue personnel have been identified

"Why did you all come?"

With so many pairs of eyes staring at her, and not knowing what Chu Li and Shui Lingyu had told everyone, Gu Xiaoyue couldn't help but feel awkward.

She introduced Colonel Qian Ce to everyone; fortunately, they were all around the same age.

Qian Ce quickly hit it off with everyone.

"So, Colonel, were you worried because Xiao Yue went missing during the beast tide, and you rushed over to see her as soon as you received news of her?"

Ye Wanrou was a bit puzzled; they had only met once, yet Qian Ce had managed to take the first Albatross flight, traveling for most of the day from Jingdong to Hechuan.

"Student Ye is right; I was deeply impressed by Student Gu during that beast tide. Now that she has returned safely, and it just so happens to be my leave, I came over. Oh, that's right, because of the last beast tide, the military awarded Student Gu the rank of Captain, but she hasn't gone to process the paperwork yet!"

Qian Ce did not hide anything and spoke plainly.

Ye Wanrou greatly appreciated his attitude, but Chu Li and Shui Lingyu's alarm bells started ringing.

Could it be that besides He Zhichen, there was now going to be another romantic rival?

"Xiao Yue just returned, and she is already anxious to go back to Damon. Everyone, state your opinions."

After exchanging pleasantries with Qian Ce, Chu Li began to steer the conversation to the main topic.

He Zhichen looked bewildered, "If Xiao Yue wants to go, she should just go. She just needs to make it back before the World Championships!"

"Exactly! Didn't she just come back from there? She must have left in a hurry and still has some unfinished business over there!"

Duan Yao tilted her head and blinked her big eyes, feeling that the attitudes of Chu Li and Shui Lingyu were very strange.

Chu Li took two deep breaths, seemingly suppressing the emotions in his heart.

"Xiao Yue, would you like to explain to everyone what is actually going on?"

Seeing the attitudes of Chu Li and Shui Lingyu, Gu Xiaoyue knew they wouldn't let her go to Damon unless she explained the full story, so she had to honestly confess.

"When I went to Damon previously, I returned to six years—well, now it should be seven years ago. Because I passed through a space-time rift, I was severely injured. White Gaze saved me at the time. Actually, he is a royal descendant who awakened his talent and was recognized and taken back..."

She said that because she treated Bai Yu Kang, her healing beast was snatched, and she was hunted down by Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi for saving Zheng Jie. Naturally, she omitted Zheng Jie's true identity.

She portrayed Zheng Jie as a high-level Beastmaster who didn't want to join the royal family but was imprisoned by a love-struck prince.

"It was originally agreed that he would share some secret realm keys with me. Today, during a brain call, it seemed White Gaze might have been controlled, so—"

"No way! I don't think there are any good people in Damon. This is a trap!"

Duan Yao jumped up from her seat, her attitude completely opposite to what it was just a moment ago.

"Hmm, this trap is too obvious; it's waiting for you to walk right into it."

Qian Ce also rubbed his chin, evaluating objectively.

Gu Xiaoyue pondered for a moment, "But I cannot abandon White Gaze's safety! I must go. I will go by myself; I have the ability to protect myself. You all wait for me in Hechuan!"

No matter how powerful Bai Shengrui's influence was, it was only in Damon.

He was the Second Prince, and his status should be second only to Bai Rongxuan—

Right, she could first find Bai Rongxuan and give him some resources to keep Bai Shengrui in check, making it easier for her to rescue White Gaze!

But if Bai Shengrui did this, it was hard to guarantee that it wasn't at the behest of Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi.

If that were the case, this rescue mission to Damon would definitely be very difficult, as it would effectively mean going up against the King of Damon.

"If you ask me, Xiao Yue, you shouldn't go. Since they are using White Gaze as a bargaining chip, if you don't go, they won't actually harm him. If you go, it's possible that not only will you fail to rescue him, but you'll get yourself caught too!"

He Zhichen had some impression of White Gaze; at the time, he didn't know why someone he had never met would start criticizing him right away.

Now he knew the reason!

"Although what you say isn't entirely without reason, after all, both sides have a way to contact each other. Once the other party believes that Xiao Yue really doesn't intend to rescue White Gaze, they might get desperate and actually kill him. Furthermore, White Gaze has an Immortal Tier beast egg in his possession; killing him to seize the resources wouldn't be a loss. It's just that I don't know why this person insists on having Xiao Yue return!"

Shui Lingyu's gaze fell on Gu Xiaoyue's face, waiting for her to state the reason herself.

"I'm not sure either; perhaps it is also for my beast resources."

After all, she had indeed shown them in front of Bai Rongxuan and Bai Shengrui. She was indeed gambling—gambling that their brains couldn't scan the information of her beasts.

But she underestimated the greed of human nature. Even without looking at the beast information, the cool skills and appearance alone were enough to make people drool!

Gu Xiaoyue roughly explained her suspicions, the fact that White Gaze was kidnapped by Bai Shengrui, and her own countermeasures.

"I think I should just go by myself. Even if I can't borrow Bai Rongxuan's strength, I can still retreat unscathed!"

"Everyone in this room acknowledges your strength, that's true! But you are in the light and the enemy is in the dark. If you really go alone and get trapped, there will be no one to help you."

Qian Ce's words did make Gu Xiaoyue recall that it was indeed very difficult when she was fighting alone.

But how could she bring everyone into a trap?

The more people there were, the easier it was to be caught and used as leverage!

"In any case, I will absolutely not let you go to Damon alone!"

After everyone discussed for a long time, Chu Li finally spoke. His clenched fists and protruding veins proved that he was holding back with great difficulty.

"Me too!"

Shui Lingyu chimed in, his lowered eyes seemingly masking the turbulent waves in his heart.

Gu Xiaoyue ultimately compromised and agreed to let Chu Li, Shui Lingyu, Charlie, and Duan Yao go with her.

Chu Li and Shui Lingyu had invisibility skills; Charlie and Duan Yao couldn't use stealth, but they could serve as backup support.

"What about me? You're not taking me?"

He Zhichen pointed at himself with his index finger, looking bewildered, while Qian Ce chuckled.

"Take me along. If I heard about it, I should be included. Mainly, I want to go into the Imperial Mausoleum Secret Realm to take a look!"

Gu Xiaoyue looked at He Zhichen with worry; his personality, which had been so well-protected, really left her speechless.

She wasn't going to Damon to play around. She didn't even dare to imagine what Prince Yi Bai Jin Yi and Bai Shengrui would use to deal with her; it was life-threatening!

He Zhichen, after all, had never experienced the harsh realities of the world; it was better to let him stay in the Dragon Kingdom.

However, Colonel Qian Ce was indeed very reliable; whether it was combat experience or strategic deployment, he should be able to help.

If she could rescue White Gaze and retreat unscathed, it would be appropriate to bring Qian Ce into the Imperial Mausoleum Secret Realm as a reward.

"It would be great if Colonel Qian Ce is willing to help! Let's have dinner together tonight, my treat!"

After dinner, on the way back to the dormitory, Ye Wanrou held Gu Xiaoyue's hand, trembling slightly.

"Xiao Yue, you just came back and you're already going to be busy—"

"Yes, this mission is too dangerous. I cannot guarantee your safety, and consequently, I cannot take you to the Imperial Mausoleum Secret Realm. Actually, I initially wanted to take you and Yixuan. Next time, okay? Don't be unhappy—"

Before Gu Xiaoyue could finish, her mouth was covered by Ye Wanrou's finger.

"How could I be unhappy with you because of this? I'm just worried about you! During the time you were missing, I stayed by your mother's side every day. We comforted each other and believed you were okay; that's how we got through it."

Gu Xiaoyue shook her head gently and sighed, telling Ye Wanrou that on Gu Xiaoyang's birthday a year ago, she had signed an agreement to sever ties with the Gu Family.

She had already gone home today and made things clear with Gu Yu and Mu Qingning.

Ye Wanrou didn't speak; she lowered her head and thought for a long time before speaking slowly.

"I won't use moral blackmail against you; you must have your reasons for doing this. I only hate that my strength is insufficient and my status in the aristocratic family is not high enough to help you with anything. You gave me so many resources, and I still only barely managed to enter the top 100 of the Battle Strength Ranking..."

"You little silly! If possible, I also hope you can live a carefree life forever. It's just that in our environment, beast tides can break out in any city at any time. If we can't protect ourselves, we can't protect others. You are already doing very well; let's work hard together!"

Ye Wanrou and Chen Yixuan returned to their dorms, while the others continued to study the battle plan in Gu Xiaoyue's dorm.

He Zhichen insisted on following, and since Colonel Qian Ce said he could protect him, Gu Xiaoyue reluctantly agreed.

"You said you were going to process cross-border procedures tomorrow? You'd better not. Entering is easy, but leaving is difficult. This time you are rescuing someone from the royal family; if they block your exit, what will you do then?"

Qian Ce shook his head, rejecting the idea of going to process the paperwork tomorrow.

Gu Xiaoyue also felt that he was right.

At first, she only thought about entering normally and dealing with the exit as things developed. Although it was highly likely she would have to leave secretly anyway, it would be better to just be sneaky about the exit as well.

It was just that she didn't expect that it would be Colonel Qian Ce who suggested not processing the paperwork.

"But you are from the military; wouldn't this be considered a disciplinary violation?"