CHAPTER 1606: CHAPTER 1607: BECAUSE YOU ARE TIANZHU

"Make do, you know me, I’ve never been particular about living standards, as long as there’s a place to sleep and food to eat." You smiled.

Heavenly Fox looked at you and asked, "Although I know you wouldn’t tell me if I asked, I still want to ask—where have you been these past three years?"

"Been everywhere—skated in Iceland, waded through Norway Forest, played soccer in the gap between Europe’s two front teeth, hugged beauties on Mediterranean islands, and even played tomb robber in Egypt. Haha, I’ve indulged in every whim over these three years."

Heavenly Fox still looked at you, smiling, "Judging by what you said, it seems my past three years were wasted."

"That’s not true. You’ve always been career-focused, dedicated to the country and its people. I’m different—naturally carefree, used to a free and easy life, definitely not looking to get involved in anything strenuous."

As you were talking, the owner brought two bowls of noodles.

You looked down and said to the owner, "Uncle, not enough scallions, give me more."

"You kid eat scallions every day and never got any smarter." The noodle shop owner was an old acquaintance of yours—you practically grew up eating his noodles.

The owner grabbed a handful of scallions, sprinkled them over the egg and vegetable noodles, and cheerfully returned to his stand.

"Hey, why would I need to be smart? Smart people get stressed. Look at me, doing what I want, living freely."

You obviously directed this at Heavenly Fox, who picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded in approval, "These noodles are good."

"Right? When have I ever lied to you? Let me tell you, the owner has been doing this for decades—I’ve been eating his noodles since childhood." You slurped your noodles with relish as you spoke.

Neither of you spoke after that, whether because of things unsaid or because the noodles were too tasty to interrupt. You both just ate in silence.

By the end, both of you picked up your bowls simultaneously and drank the soup down to the last drop.

"Thud."

The two large bowls hit the table at the same time. You burped, while Heavenly Fox let out a small sigh.

"So satisfying!"

The two of you exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing.

"Boss, the bill, please."

Heavenly Fox was about to stand, but you pulled a small paper wad from your pocket and tossed it to the owner. Then you said to Heavenly Fox, "I know you’ve got money, but this one’s on me."

Heavenly Fox smiled, standing up with you, as the two of you slowly walked along the empty street.

After a moment, Heavenly Fox suddenly said, "This mission is very challenging."

"Oh? Not many missions warrant such words from you." You looked at Heavenly Fox, slightly surprised.

Heavenly Fox slightly turned his head towards you and said, "Since you’ve been abroad all these years, you must have heard of the ’Death God.’

This was only the second time you heard this term domestically; you nodded slightly, "Yes, I’ve heard of it."

"Europe is the birthplace of mercenaries, with a history spanning centuries. Over time, many mercenaries have made their mark in history books, but eventually, they all fell victim to the passage of time and were gradually phased out.

So far, only two veteran mercenaries have survived and remained sizable—one is the Netherworld, the other, Hell."

Listening to Heavenly Fox, you remained silent.

"Netherworld’s history predates Hell by over two hundred years. The Netherworld was created by the Dark Emperor, who is rumored to still live, ruling everything from behind the scenes." At this point, Heavenly Fox chuckled softly, "Of course, that’s impossible."

You still said nothing.

"The Dark Emperor established the Queen of Underworld, who is the public ruler of the Netherworld. The Queen also set up the Twelve Death Gods, each wielding a very powerful faction." Heavenly Fox paused and continued, "The most significant difference between the Netherworld and other mercenaries is that many European governments recognize their existence and legality and sometimes enlist their help to keep peace or eliminate hostile forces."

You remained silent.

Heavenly Fox continued as if talking to himself, "According to my investigation, a branch team from the Netherworld infiltrated Eastern Sea Province three months ago. We currently don’t know their location or purpose. All I know is that this team is led by one of the Netherworld’s Twelve Death Gods."

At this point, Heavenly Fox looked at you with burning intensity.

Facing Heavenly Fox, you were candid, "Don’t look at me with those nasty eyes—I don’t swing that way, bro."

"Why does their entry into Eastern Sea Province coincide with your return? Even though I used to think I knew you well, that was then, and this is now." Heavenly Fox took two steps towards you, turning to look at you, "Captain, I need an explanation from you now."

You scratched your head, slowly approached Heavenly Fox with your head lowered, and suddenly, your body shifted when less than half a meter away. Your right hand moved like a phantom before Heavenly Fox’s eyes, and in the blink of an eye, you grasped Heavenly Fox’s neck.

Nonetheless, Heavenly Fox showed no extra reaction, still gazing steadily at you.

"Hey, why didn’t you dodge?"

Heavenly Fox is a strategic fighter, but his combat skills are quite good, mastering cultivation techniques to a high level. When you both competed for the name ’Tianzhu,’ you fought for nearly half an hour in the arena.

Even though Heavenly Fox left on a stretcher, you didn’t fare much better, limping for three or four days as Tianzhu.

"There is no fighting spirit or intent to kill in your eyes; because you are Tianzhu." At this, Heavenly Fox sighed deeply, looking up at the sparse stars, "Although I hate to admit it, you are indeed more suited for the captain’s role than I am."

"Rare indeed to hear such words from you. It’s about as likely as a solar eclipse." Even then, you couldn’t resist a dig or two.

"Captain, I won’t hide it any longer." Heavenly Fox pulled an envelope from his jacket and handed it to you. "This is a special letter the Commander gave me before I left."

Your expression grew serene as you opened the envelope and took out a simple red-line letterhead. You glanced at it briefly, issing a sigh, "The net of Heaven has large meshes, but it lets nothing through."

"No matter how strong an individual is, they can never oppose a state apparatus. Moreover, you are from the Military Department; they know your combat methods and concealment ways very well, making it easy to access your records. And..."

"And the Netherworld has ongoing connections with European countries, so each of the Twelve Death Gods has backup files in Europe." You laughed as you placed the letter back into the envelope, returning it to Heavenly Fox, "I’ll be honest—I’m not aware of this matter, and so far, it has nothing to do with me."

Heavenly Fox nodded. At that moment, Liao Yong’s car slowly pulled up a short distance behind you.

"It’s late, let’s head back."