Starforce Warriors

Chapter 439: You There?

After the storm passed, the room settled into a peaceful quiet. The young lady lay contentedly in Li Xiaofei’s arms, nestled against him with a serene expression. Sometimes, silence spoke louder than words.

Time passed as chests rose and fell. Eventually, they shared a bath. In the warm waters of the tub, surrounded by mist and intimacy, Li Xiaofei broke the silence.

“You’ve been working with the Dragon Group?” he asked.

He recalled that the Dragon Group, through Xuan Huang’s elite Special Operations Unit, had secured the Corpse Emperor Sacred Crystal with the crucial assistance of the Tan family.

The young lady nodded. “Yes. No egg remains intact in a fallen nest. Great Xia faces a grave crisis, and as citizens, we can’t just sit by and do nothing. We have to do something for our country. Isn’t that what you’re doing as well?”

Li Xiaofei smiled.

What could be more beautiful than the harmony of two souls, perfectly aligned in purpose and conviction?

"How is the Tan family doing lately?" Li Xiaofei asked.

The bathtub was filled with white bubbles, swirling gently around them.

As she massaged his shoulders, Tan Qingying replied softly, “We’ve gained the support of several top generals, so our industries are developing rapidly. At least on the surface, no other factions dares to target us. We’ve also cleaned house internally. Sister Baiqu is a true talent; she’s been handling operations flawlessly. I haven’t focused much on management and have mostly been cultivating. Recently, I had an opportunity to enter a subspace rift realm for cultivation. I got lucky and gained something valuable.”

“A subspace rift realm?” Li Xiaofei asked, intrigued.

“It’s a secret resource jointly controlled by the Star Council and the state.” She explained, “Cultivating within it yields twice the results for half the effort. With good fortune, there are additional rewards. This time, I found a damaged Moonlight Staff, a legendary-grade weapon.”

Li Xiaofei fell into thought. This world still held many secrets that were hidden from the masses. The fact that Tan Qingying was sharing these with him likely came with its own risks. He chose not to ask further, instead recounting his own experiences over the past few days.

The two shared everything with one another, holding nothing back. Then the sound of deepened breathing returned to the bathroom once again.

Suddenly, the portable light core outside buzzed with an incoming call request.

Bzz bzz bzz.

Li Xiaofei ignored it. But the call request came again, and again. It was persistent, like an annoying fly that refused to leave.

Frustrated, Li Xiaofei, still unclothed, walked into the bedroom and picked up the light core, accepting the unfamiliar call. “You’d better have something critically important to say, or I’ll make sure to blast your head clean off.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call.

“It’s me.” Xiao Bieli’s voice came from the other end of the call.

“Oh, it’s you, Captain,” Li Xiaofei said, his tone immediately shifting to one of enthusiasm. “I’ve already seen the rewards; thank you for that! I can really feel the organization’s warmth. If there’s nothing else, I won’t take up any more of your valuable time...”

“Be at White Deer Academy within thirty minutes,” Xiao Bieli interrupted, his voice carrying an uncharacteristic gravity. “There’s something very important we need to discuss. Extremely important.”

He hung up without another word. Li Xiaofei stared at the light core, his mind filled with questions.

“Something wrong?” came Tan Qingying’s voice from the bathroom.

“I have to head back to school,” Li Xiaofei replied.

“I’ll have someone send you in a flying car.” She offered, stepping out in her robe.

“No need.”

Li Xiaofei pulled the stunning beauty into his arms and kissed her deeply. “I prefer to get there my way.”

Moments later, a streak of sword light tore through the sky.

Tan Qingying, still wrapped in her robe, stood by the window. She gazed at the sky, now marked with a deep scar from the residual sword qi, and a sweet smile spread across her innocent and radiant face.

“That’s right, Brother Xiaofei,” she murmured to herself. “Just as we promised back then, let’s move forward boldly and fearlessly. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”

***

White Deer Academy.

“What? You want me to go to Haijing City in the south?” Li Xiaofei exclaimed, his face filled with surprise.

Across from him, Xiao Bieli nodded and replied, “Yes. This is your first official mission as a Dragon Group member. It’s critically important and has far-reaching implications.”

Li Xiaofei frowned, puzzled. “I’ve never been to Haijing City. I don’t know anyone there or the area itself. Why choose me for this mission?”

“Because you’re the right person for the job,” Xiao Bieli replied.

It was a vague answer, but also the most reasonable one.

“Fine,” Li Xiaofei relented, deciding not to press the issue further. Instead, he asked, “Will I have any partners or assistants? When do I leave?”

“Your team members are already waiting for you in Haijing,” Xiao Bieli explained, taking out a pale golden Dragon Fang token. “This is your official mission credential and proof of your authority. With this token, you have the power to mobilize any Dragon Group member in Haijing.”

Li Xiaofei accepted the golden Dragon Fang and immediately sensed the peculiar energy within it.

It was a rare and mysterious life force that made the token almost feel alive. Haijing City was the largest base city in the south of Great Xia, with a massive contingent of Dragon Group members stationed there for defense and operations.

The fact that this single Dragon Fang token could grant him authority over any Dragon Group member in Haijing underscored its extraordinary significance.

What kind of mission warranted such extensive authority?

The curiosity in Li Xiaofei’s heart only grew.

“Ah, Haijing City today is no longer what it used to be,” Xiao Bieli sighed heavily. “With Great Xia’s declining national strength and worsening external threats, we’ve been forced to rely on external forces to defend our maritime borders. Haijing has been designated as a special free-trade zone. Foreign embassies, special forces, and trade delegations have been allowed to establish a presence, with dedicated districts where they can conduct tax-free trade and enforce their own national laws within their zones.”

Li Xiaofei frowned. “Isn’t that just a concession zone?”

“Essentially, yes,” Xiao Bieli said, slamming his hand on the table, his voice tinged with anger. “Not long ago, a beast tide erupted in the south, plunging the major base cities into crisis. It was the result of the machinations of Jiepeng and Yiggs forces who wanted to stir the pot. I personally intervened and managed to resolve the immediate danger after much effort, but it was only a temporary fix. The lingering problems remain unresolved.”

Li Xiaofei’s heart grew heavy. How many years had passed? Once again, the sacred land of Shenzhou faced a grave crisis. Every time the world was in turmoil, foreign jackals lurked at the borders, coveting this fertile land that had nurtured humanity. A fiery resolve burned within him. He couldn’t wait to head south.

No wine could quench this thirst. No blade could slay enough foes. If he encountered foreign delegations misbehaving on Shenzhou soil, heads would roll without mercy.

“The specific details of your mission will be provided when you arrive in Haijing.” Xiao Bieli said. “You leave at midnight. You’ve got two hours to prepare.”

“Understood,” Li Xiaofei replied, bowing deeply. “I will complete the mission.”

Xiao Bieli returned the bow crisply. “Sacrifice for the nation in times of peril.”

Li Xiaofei responded boldly, “Regard death as returning home.”

Xiao Bieli patted his shoulder and added, “Take care.”

He turned and left. Instead of heading to his dormitory, Li Xiaofei sought out Li Junjie, giving him specific instructions before heading alone to the rear mountains of White Deer Academy.

He entered the Cemetery of the Ancestors with ease and made his way to Liu Shaji’s tombstone.

Knock, knock.

Li Xiaofei knocked lightly on the tombstone.

“You there?” he asked, his tone brimming with enthusiasm.