Blind Spot
Chapter 401 - 367 Returning to Three

Chapter 401: 367 Returning to Three

June 4th.

A silent, nationwide search operation began all over Yi Country.

More than twenty Grade Eight Conductors, each leading a team, launched comprehensive searches across over 240 major cities in various provinces.

The main search area centered around Dongshan Province.

Most of these Conductors were leaders of various powerful interest groups, and their mobilization also meant the simultaneous mobilization of more subordinate forces.

At this time, large-scale festival activities began to take place throughout the Empire, coinciding with the traditional Singing Festival of Yi Country on June 4th.

On this day, the vast majority of traditional Yi Country residents would take their families out to participate in various singing competitions or vocal activities.

Many stars would perform in free outdoor shows, and poetry associations would organize singing competitions.

Television programs such as the Love Song Contest, Sing for the Motherland, and the Empire Ballad Selection also kicked off.

Amidst such lively national events, many merchants took the opportunity to promote sales, further heating up the atmosphere with various buying frenzies, bringing more logistics and human traffic.

Using this festive spirit as cover, Thirteen Flying Flow and Jiu Yi Army Department joined forces to launch a comprehensive manhunt.

All teams were divided into seven groups, with three people in each group responsible for searching for clues while incidentally clamping down on some small troublesome forces that had previously been problematic.

Xizhi Province · Muyun City.

A tall and thin man in a black coat with blue lines walked slowly along the street, head down and hair covering his eyes.

He wore earplugs, listening to rhythmically strong music.

In his hand he held newly-bought fried chicken wings, the red wings smeared with chili looked fresh and appetizing.

But before he could pick up a piece to eat,

suddenly, a white sedan stopped by the roadside in front of him, the car door opened, and two tall and burly crew-cut men got out.

Both were dressed in camouflage pants, army green tactical vests, wearing goggles and riot helmets.

"Chen Shaoyi?" one of them asked.

The lean man took off his headphones and frowned at them.

"Who are you?"

"According to the villa homicide at No. 134 Yulin Road on March 2nd, you’re a prime suspect; come with us."

"Heh... really? Just you guys?" Chen Shaoyi sneered. Ever since he became a Blind Spot Individual, he knew his days were numbered and decided to settle scores and repay debts accordingly.

The so-called homicide was him personally taking out a girl who had bullied his sister—eliminating not just her, but her entire family of seven to ensure no loose ends.

"Thinking of resisting? Or do you think we don’t know you’re a Feiyi Master?" the other man sneered contemptuously.

Hiss!

Suddenly, a red light shot towards Chen Shaoyi from behind.

The red light was incredibly fast, reaching his back before a regular person could react.

Just as it was about to touch his clothes,

Clang.

A silver needle flew out from inside Chen’s clothing, intercepting the red light from below precisely and knocking it away.

Before Chen Shaoyi could mock, dozens more red lights appeared in the sky like swimming fish, swooping down towards him.

His complexion instantly turned pale.

And it wasn’t just him.

Across the country, some resilient troublemakers were being dealt with in this major operation.

With over twenty Grade Eight leaders, the so-called troublemakers were nothing in the face of this overwhelming might.

Those Blind Spot Individuals with strong individual power were quickly overpowered and captured by the collective force.

Some were detained, some sent to laboratories, and some turned to allies.

Without intelligence support for warning, even the most powerful Blind Spot Individuals were promptly resolved through mobbing.

In just two days,

the national atmosphere cleared up, and the security environment improved significantly due to the large-scale operations.

However, what troubled those at the top was that the traces of the Shadow Eater were still elusive. They seemed to have completely vanished into the shadows, untraceable.

With current technology, there was no quick way to create devices that could pursuit Shadow Eaters.

Everyone could only observe subtle anomalies and changes from the outside.

But with so many people in over two hundred cities, it was impossible to monitor everyone closely.

As successive actions failed to yield results,

some discord arose within the special temporary command center responsible for the operation.

Andu, Military Headquarters.

In a temporarily assigned office,

the Grade Eight Conductors responsible for the operation gathered for a quick meeting via projection.

The square hall was surrounded by walls composed of numerous small screens,

each screen only the size of a palm; however, they displayed live broadcasts from action teams across the country.

There was a variety of situations, from stealthy maneuvers to hushed conversations, and even direct confrontations.

Sitting at the central round table were more than twenty Grade Eight top Conductors of the Empire.

They were the backbone of the Empire, second only to the nine.

Those nine who held Grade Nine had their time limited too; after a fixed period, successors would be chosen.

Grade Nine represented authority and responsibility,

and candidates were picked from amongst their ranks.

"Still can’t find it? What does the Moral Ethics Committee have to say?"

A distinguished man with graying hair sat in the principal seat, his eyebrows tightly knitted as he inquired in a low voice.

He was Mu Yinqian, the Feiyi Master sent by the Mu Family to lead the team. As the foremost family in Jiu Yi and known for their consistent and fair family tradition, it naturally fell to him to take charge.

Everyone also agreed.

"What can those Immortals possibly say? The parasites of the empire aren’t called that for nothing. Aside from indulging in luxury and eliminating dissenters, what else are they good at?" A woman in white with flowing long hair and wearing large, exquisite silver earrings sat on the side, disdainfully raising her beautifully manicured nails and gently rubbing them.

"Shadow Eaters cannot be located for now, and we have already mobilized a significant amount of resources and manpower which shouldn’t go to waste. Why not take this opportunity to thoroughly resolve some lingering issues we haven’t completely dealt with before?"

Zhao Chengtao, the representative from the Zhao Family, was an intimidating, broad-shouldered man with bulging eyes.

His voice was firm and heavy. Leaning forward and locking eyes with the others, he exerted a strong sense of pressure.

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

"I concur. Now that the minor thorns have been dealt with, if we can tackle some of the bigger issues in one fell swoop, it would be a boon for the nation and its people."

The attendees unanimously expressed their agreement.

"Such a large-scale operation is bound to cause public concern, and any further complications or rash actions would likely be inadvisable."

"Overly clear water harbors no fish. It’s enough to knock some forces down a peg or two, but going too far might backfire."

Both representatives from the Li and Yan Families seemed to sense something and spoke out in opposition.

Immediately, the Feiyi Masters led by the two families also spoke up, and a group joined the discussion.

The divide was clear, forming two factions.

However, it was apparent that the side led by the Zhao Family had more numbers.

The Zhao Family’s comprehensive strength was stronger than that of the Li and Yan Families. As they stated their positions one after another, it naturally influenced the camp of Mu, who was in command.

"It’s worth a try." Mu Yinqian nodded his approval. They also had troubles to address and could now brazenly use this opportunity to completely settle them.

"But we only have three days. The festive activities will fade after three days, and without the cover, the situation might be unfavorable for stability."

"Understood."

Responses came from everyone in the crowd.

This was the opportune moment to ostracize dissidents and settle private grudges without any official cover; those without it would inevitably suffer.

***

***

***

Within minutes of the meeting reaching consensus, the message was conveyed to the border of Fengnan Province, within a desolate valley.

A squad of soldiers clad in dark green exoskeleton gear silently waited by the valley’s sole stream.

Leading the team were three people.

Zhao Lingzhi from the Zhao Family at Grade Eight, Zhu Chen from the Zhu Family, and Ding Heyun from the Ding Family.

"Ding Brother, this matter has nothing to do with my Ding Family. You two want to leverage this to deal with Mingyuan Group, that’s your decision. I won’t be exerting any effort when the time comes." Ding Heyun couldn’t be bothered with the dirty dealings between the two families and Mingyuan Group, so he made his position clear upfront.

"It’s not about settling personal scores. Mingyuan’s current expansion disrupts the rules too much. In just two short months, they’ve directly killed twelve of their competitors, brazenly or secretively. If this continues, who would dare invest in Yi Country? Who would dare to conduct business honestly? The Commerce Department has also submitted several requests asking us to address this behavior of Mingyuan Group."

The Zhao Family patriarch Zhao Enshi nearly lost his life in Fengnan, a humiliation they could not bear after so many years of supremacy.

If it were the colossal families like Zhu or Mu, they would have let it be, but Mingyuan...

Could a single Destiny protect everyone?

The fact they had laid low before was only because there wasn’t an opportunity, but now was the perfect time.

As for the Commerce Department, there was an elder from the Zhao Family serving as the current deputy minister.

Such rhetoric was just to deceive others. How did Wanshi Commerce Group develop initially? It wasn’t that different from Mingyuan—unable to compete, it chose to eliminate competition.

"Since you’ve decided, then I’ll wish both of you success." Ding Heyun raised an eyebrow, stood still, and gave a fist salute.

"It will be over soon. It’s dull for Ding Brother to just wait here; why not go to the city and find a teahouse to rest? Perhaps before the tea cools, we can return," said Zhao Lingzhi with a smile.

He and Zhu Chen were much like Zhao Chengyu, expertly crafted by their family’s tremendous resources into top fighters.

In the entire Zhao Family, he was second only to Zhao Chengyu, ranking third, and the gap between them was minute.

"Then I’ll be awaiting Brother Lingzhi’s swift return," Ding Heyun said with a smile.

"Go!"

At Zhao Lingzhi’s command, a platoon of soldiers quickly followed, charging towards Suiyang within the province.

He, together with Zhu Chen, took to the air, turning into two streaks of ash light, speeding towards the distance.

They knew that the core of Mingyuan Group was tangled with the Li and Yan Families, so they had to beat them to the punch.

For this purpose, they had already been waiting at the border of Fengnan Province, playing the time difference.

The core of Mingyuan Group was the team of several individuals from the Garden of Fate.

As long as they took care of Da Xiong and Xindela, who managed the group, and left Yan Xincai unharmed, there would be no issues.

As for Destiny.

They had only killed several worthless individuals from Utopia and Star Lake. They had also taken down many of the big stars of Utopia and Star Lake.

They were just slightly stronger Grade Eight individuals.

Zhao Lingzhi had carefully studied Destiny, assured that he could achieve the same, if not greater, feats.

Now, with his own intervention, accompanied by Zhu Chen in an assault, it was a guaranteed success.

At this point, they were not driven by gain but intended to permanently resolve the Garden of Fate, extinguishing a potential future enemy.

As long as they concealed their identity and struck fatally, there wouldn’t be any evidence to prove it was their doing.