NOVEL NEXT Chapter 212 - Subdued
The two military cadets were fully prepared for what would happen after they subdued the two mercenaries at the door. Their actions would inevitably alert the four mercenaries guarding either end of the hallway, and a fight seemed unavoidable.
On the mercenaries’ side, there were only two fifth-level practitioners, while their team had one sixth-level and two fifth-level practitioners. They were confident they could quickly subdue the remaining four mercenaries.
So, when Zhuang Huaiya dragged the two unconscious mercenaries into the room, the cadets immediately rushed out, ready to engage in battle.
As they moved to attack the two nearest fourth-level mercenaries, they suddenly noticed something strange. The two fourth-level mercenaries didn’t look right. In fact, none of the four did.
All of them wore the same vacant, dazed expression.
The cadets recognized that expression. It was the same look that the two mercenaries who rang the doorbell had when they heard Mai Dongzi’s flute. Those two had walked into the room without any resistance, completely defenseless, and were easily subdued.
The cadets now realized with certainty: these mercenaries were under some kind of control, and that’s why their expressions were so vacant.
They finally paid attention to the melodious tune lingering in the air and understood why Mai Dongzi had stepped out to play the flute instead of directly confronting the enemies.
Though they knew they wouldn’t see anyone inside the room, the two cadets couldn’t help but glance back. They saw Zhuang Huaiya, who had also stepped out of the room. Noticing their hesitation, he waved urgently, signaling them to return immediately.
The cadets hesitated for only half a second before the continuous flute melody coming from the room solidified their decision. They quickly retreated toward the private room.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries, only five meters away, seemed not to notice the cadets at all. With vacant expressions, they continued walking toward the room in a trance-like state.
One after another, the four mercenaries entered the room, where the two cadets promptly subdued them without hesitation.
Mai Dongzi scanned the six unconscious mercenaries with her mental energy and located another metallic box in the chest pocket of one of the fifth-level mercenaries.
The three young men solemnly stared at the three identical metallic boxes now placed on the table. They were painfully aware that these boxes contained the horrifying parasitic beasts.
Mai Dongzi locked the three metallic boxes in the cabinet in the room and sternly instructed the two cadets:
“Do not touch these three boxes under any circumstances. Ensure that no one else gets their hands on them. They must be handed over to the National Security Bureau.”
As the mercenaries themselves were also to be handed over to the authorities, Mai Dongzi refrained from touching anything else on their persons. She directed the three young men to tie up the mercenaries and throw them into the training room with their companions.
Once the immediate danger had passed, the two cadets turned their attention to Mai Dongzi. Her flute performance, which could confuse and control the minds of others, left them both impressed and apprehensive.
They were thrilled that her skill had allowed them to deal with the six mercenaries without alarming anyone. Yet, the thought of being unknowingly affected by such an ability sent shivers down their spines.
“Junior, that mesmerizing tune—did you learn it in the Arts Department at Imperial University? I’ve never heard of such a skill being taught there. Isn’t the Arts Department only known for healing through music?” Wang Liri asked curiously.
“Where there’s healing, there’s destruction. This is sound attack technique, and only spiritual ability practitioners above level six can learn it,” Mai Dongzi explained briefly. She wasn’t interested in delving into the topic with the two cadets, as there were more pressing matters to attend to.
“We’ve already captured ten mercenaries. The mercenary group must already be suspicious, which is likely why they sent six more at once. To prevent the remaining mercenaries from confirming that all those sent are compromised and taking further action, we need to go find them and neutralize them immediately,” Mai Dongzi said decisively.
“I’ll go with you,” the three young men said in unison, their eyes filled with determination and fighting spirit.
While Mai Dongzi appreciated their courage, having all of them accompany her wasn’t feasible. She turned to the two cadets and said, “You two are their primary targets. If you appear in public, they’ll immediately realize something is wrong. So, you must stay here in the room, guard the captured mercenaries, and be vigilant in case more come knocking.”
The mercenaries’ original plan had been to target the two cadets. Even though Zhuang Huaiya was also on their list, they hadn’t acted against him yet.
As a result, Zhuang Huaiya could move about without arousing suspicion. In fact, his presence could even serve as a distraction, helping Mai Dongzi identify which mercenaries were in the know.
Mai Dongzi’s reasoning was sound, and the cadets reluctantly stayed behind in the room. With ten mercenaries already captured in the training room, someone needed to stay and guard them.
Taking Zhuang Huaiya with her wasn’t about needing his strength. The presence of parasitic beasts on the spaceship made the situation unpredictable and dangerous. In such circumstances, she couldn’t risk leaving him unattended.
Severe injuries could be treated, but if he were parasitized, he would become a lifeless puppet. Keeping Zhuang Huaiya close was the only way Mai Dongzi could ensure his safety to the greatest extent.
As the cousins stepped into the hallway, they spotted over a dozen mercenaries gathered in the ship’s lobby, not far from their location.
The moment the two appeared, the mercenaries’ eyes locked onto them in unison, making it clear they had been watching this area closely and were paying special attention to the duo.
Mai Dongzi maintained a calm expression, showing no sign of unease. She responded with a fleeting glance at the mercenaries, as if annoyed by their stares, then dismissively turned her gaze away.
Her displayed cultivation level was at the early stage of level five. While this was only slightly above average among practitioners in the Empire, achieving such a level at her age marked her as a prodigy.
Among the mercenary group, the highest cultivation level currently was only mid-level five. Mai Dongzi’s slightly disdainful expression was typical behavior for a young, prideful genius and wouldn’t raise suspicion among most adults.
However, the mercenaries, seemingly more sensitive to her attitude, reacted poorly. A few of them showed displeasure in their expressions.
After throwing a disdainful glance at the mercenaries, Mai Dongzi deliberately avoided looking at them again. Pretending to be unaware that her attitude had provoked them, she began walking toward the section of the ship where their rooms were located. All the while, she maintained her mental focus, carefully observing the mercenaries using her spiritual power.
As expected, the mercenaries initially appeared merely annoyed and didn’t seem intent on causing trouble. However, when they saw the two young individuals heading toward the area where their rooms were, their expressions shifted, and they quickly decided to act.
Six mercenaries quietly followed Mai Dongzi and Zhuang Huaiya, while the remaining eight stayed behind, keeping their eyes fixed on the hallway where the two had emerged.