Chapter Ninety-Four: Those Chosen Were All to Serve You

After Song Qing'an left the rooftop, he vanished in the stairwell the very next second.

In the space of mere moments, he had already arrived at Lu Shenchen's little shop called Serendipity.

"Master, you're back." Xunfeng, seeing Song Qing'an appear, swiftly dropped in front of him and knelt on one knee in salute.

Song Qing'an's expression remained cool and detached. He nodded and then strode into the shop.

Xunfeng was very tactful as well, disappearing from where he stood at once. Without Song Qing'an saying another word, he had already gone on his own to the safe zone to protect Qin Sheng from the shadows.

He did not understand it, but anything his master asked of him, he would carry out.

From Xunfeng's understanding of Qin Sheng, no one in the entire safe zone could lay a hand on her; and with Lu Qingyan there too, Qin Sheng would be even less likely to come to harm.

Compared with his master, who went everywhere alone, Xunfeng likewise knew Song Qing'an's strength, but the people on the other side of the other world continent still had to be guarded against.

After all, the people of the Listening Wind Pavilion had long since begun to suspect his master, who on the surface seemed so unrestrained and frivolous.

Though Xunfeng was torn, he did not dare disobey Song Qing'an.

No sooner had Song Qing'an stepped into Serendipity than he heard Lu Shenchen's somewhat noisy voice.

"Not to put too fine a point on it, but the first thing you did after coming back was not even to come to my shop. Aren't you worried that those bastards from the Listening Wind Pavilion would have finished you off on the way?" Lu Shenchen came out from inside the shop in high spirits. Yesterday, when Xunfeng returned alone, however he pressed, that fellow simply refused to say where Song Qing'an was.

Song Qing'an took a sip of the fine tea Lu Shenchen had brewed, clearly paying no mind to those words, and still said calmly, "Those people can't hurt me."

"I know that. But isn't your public image supposed to be that of a carefree, hopelessly foolish young master? If you suddenly make a move, aren't you afraid all those years of effort will go to waste in your own hands?" Lu Shenchen felt like an old housekeeper, nagging at Song Qing'an every day, yet Song Qing'an was like someone who had stuffed his ears with rabbit fur, not hearing a single word.

Song Qing'an took another sip of tea and nodded as if in affirmation. The tea here at Lu Shenchen's place really was quite a bit better than what that girl had. He should bring some for her next time.

"On this trip back, did they make things difficult for you over there at the Listening Wind Pavilion?" Lu Shenchen poured him another cup and asked cautiously.

After all, every time Song Qing'an returned from the other world continent, his face was as dark as charcoal.

This time, seeing that he was in a good mood, Lu Shenchen dared to ask a couple of questions.

Everyone knew that the young master of the Listening Wind Pavilion on the other world continent was a prodigal wastrel, spending his days in wine and revelry, roaming about for pleasure. Few, however, knew that this young master was nothing like the rumors outside.

Song Qing'an's strength was far above his own. After all these years, Lu Shenchen could still sense that much.

He usually did not dare ask too much, mainly for fear that Song Qing'an would vent all his anger on him.

And then wouldn't it be he who got the worst of it?

That was something Lu Shenchen absolutely would not stand for.

Song Qing'an slowly finished the tea in his cup. There was not the slightest change in his expression because of Lu Shenchen's probing. After a long while, he answered calmly, "It doesn't amount to being made things difficult for. Isn't it normal to suffer a little grievance every time I go?"

He said it lightly, and Lu Shenchen clenched his palm slightly, not knowing how to comfort him.

He had known all along that, although Song Qing'an was the young master of the Listening Wind Pavilion, the people there had never truly taken that young master to heart.

The one who held power was Song Qing'an's own uncle.

"Your uncle really is unfit for the job. He can't even bother when his own nephew is being bullied." Lu Shenchen slammed the table, cursing inwardly far more than once.

How unlike himself. His own nephew, Lu Qingyan, had practically been raised as his own son.

And Lu Qingyan was so promising that even as his little uncle, he was completely at ease.

"By the way, where exactly did you go after coming back?" Lu Shenchen still asked the question in the end.

Song Qing'an stretched lazily and, as he stood, replied, "I went to your nephew's place."

"My nephew?" Lu Shenchen was slightly taken aback. Then he reacted and asked, "Why did you go to the safe zone?"

Song Qing'an did not answer. He walked on his own toward his room.

Left behind in place, Lu Shenchen was still pondering why Song Qing'an had gone to the safe zone.

A few seconds later, he finally came to himself and slapped his thigh excitedly. "That girl is in the safe zone, isn't she? So that brat went straight to a date the moment he got back!"

Lu Shenchen grinned so hard he could barely close his mouth. Then he suddenly thought that Lu Qingyan would be coming to Serendipity tomorrow, and he became even more excited. From his nephew, he could find out what had happened between Song Qing'an and that girl.

Thinking of this, Lu Shenchen turned off the lights at Serendipity and bounced back to his room.

At night, the entire safe zone was basically dark, even the streetlights extinguished.

In response to energy conservation, the safe zone had long since shut its lights off.

Only a few special places remained lit, such as the core base.

And the security team's apartments near the core base.

There, the zone's overall regulations did not apply. It was more like a separate apartment complex for the security team. Not only was energy conservation not promoted there, but food and other valuable resources were preferentially allocated to security team members.

That was precisely why the security team was so coveted.

Licking blood from the tip of a blade, unsafe and unstable though it was, one could still enjoy the best living conditions amid this miserable apocalypse.

The last zombie assault had claimed many security team members, a blood-soaked lesson for them.

This current tournament was also a selection for more security teams. Those who failed to pass the zombie forest trial would be assigned to other teams, while those who survived the zombie forest would form the safe zone's Seventh Security Team on their own.

The first-place winner would naturally become the captain of the Seventh Security Team.

In other words, if Qin Sheng could successfully become the captain of the Seventh Security Team, her standing in the safe zone would be on par with Zhao Jun, the captain of the First Team.

And Zhao Jun certainly would not want her to become captain. He would inevitably arrange obstacles.

Only if the Seventh Team were Zhao Jun's own people could he rest assured and continue to be the most authoritative big captain in the safe zone.

Qin Sheng's purpose in coming out this time was not only to find out where Lin Xing was, but also to see whether Zhao Jun was making any moves.

Tomorrow was her second match, and if Zhao Jun did nothing, Qin Sheng would be surprised.

The core base.

Qin Sheng knew nothing of Lin Xing's whereabouts and could only begin her search from the center of the entire safe zone.

Lin Xing had been taken away on the first day because he was ill. If he still could not be released now, then it definitely was not because of the illness he had had at the time.

Then there was only one possibility.

Lin Xing's ability had been awakened, and the people of the safe zone already knew it.

If that was the case, it would be troublesome.

This was not Qin Sheng's first time entering the core base, and she was already thoroughly familiar with the routes and camera positions here. She slipped past the cameras with ease and came to a hidden door.

This hidden door was extremely well concealed, located behind the bookshelf in the safe zone director's office.

She had stumbled upon this place a long time ago. That time, because she was too pressed for time, she had not gone in. Since she was here now, she was certainly going to take a look.

Just as Qin Sheng's hand touched the doorknob of that hidden entrance, footsteps sounded outside the office.

Qin Sheng directly hid in her space.

Within the space, she could still hear what was happening outside.

"Director, the candidates for the first round of this tournament have already been decided. Tomorrow the second round begins," Secretary Li said, handing the report to the director.

The director nodded. At first glance, he noticed the names, then turned to Secretary Li. "Xiao Li, who do you think is likely to be this competition's champion?"

Hearing the director's question, Xiao Li shook his head cautiously. "There are outstanding members everywhere this time, but in the future they'll all be people serving the director. Whoever comes in first doesn't really matter."

The director smiled. "True. I just don't much want the champion to be a girl."

Hearing that sentence in the space, Qin Sheng frowned and continued listening.

"Director, don't think that way. Girls are easier to control, aren't they... Besides, what you're really looking at is surely the champion's strength and ability. If they can serve the safe zone, whether they're male or female may not matter very much..." Xiao Li said tremulously, bending over slightly as he spoke, not forgetting to watch the director's expression.

He had not forgotten the task Captain Zhao Jun had assigned him.

"Yes, that's true. Xiao Li, put the list away."

Xiao Li nodded and quickly tucked the list away.

After thinking for a few seconds, the director asked again, "How is that boy doing now, the one who may have an ability?"

The boy who may have an ability?

Qin Sheng once again focused her attention and listened carefully to the movements outside.

"That boy insists he has nothing to do with abilities and refuses all our examinations."

"And you didn't use force?" the director asked in puzzlement with a furrowed brow.

Xiao Li shook his head. "That boy knows martial arts and doesn't trust us. As soon as our people approach, he drives them off. To avoid affecting the test results, we can't use sedatives either, so we can only wait until he's willing to be examined."

"In that case, teach him a lesson. Once he's beaten properly, he'll be willing to cooperate."

"Yes, Director."

"All right, it's late. Go back and rest."

"Very well, Director."

Not long after, there was no sound outside at all before Qin Sheng finally came out of the space.

What the director and Xiao Li had just said was highly likely to mean that the person was Lin Xing, and the place where he was being examined must be the safe zone hospital.

Having confirmed the location in her mind, Qin Sheng quickly left the core base and headed for the safe zone hospital.

The safe zone hospital was naturally brightly lit.

Lin Xing was surely in some concealed part of the hospital, and Qin Sheng did not enter through the main door. Instead, she climbed over the wall and through the windows.

She had already examined the wards in the surrounding area, but there was no sign of Lin Xing.

Qin Sheng was beginning to suspect that this person might not be Lin Xing when, just as she clung to the window frame, a familiar voice came from the ward in front of her.

"Xiaoshi, you must win this tournament and become the champion. Only then can you do more things."

"I understand, Uncle Zhao."

The people in the ward were unmistakably Zhao Jun and Shen Shi.

"The wounds on my body are almost healed too. After you go back, there's no need to come visit me. Training properly is what matters most to you."

"Yes."

"Also, do you know Qin Sheng?"

Qin Sheng, suddenly called out to from outside the window: "..."