Chapter 37: The Familiar Suffocating Sensation

Eastern Defense Command Center of the Capital.

“What? A beast broke through the defense line and entered the outskirts of the city?!”

In the central control room, Lone Wolf shot to her feet, snapping the baton in her hand with sheer force.

The Dragon Abyss Army, guardians of the Nine Provinces, were revered as gods among the people. If a beast managed to slip through the eastern defenses she was charged with, causing a massacre, it would stain the Army’s brilliant record and leave an indelible mark on her own reputation—one she would never be able to wash away.

As the most promising captain at Dragon Abyss Army headquarters, she would not allow such a catastrophe to occur.

“Quick! Send me all information on the beast that breached the defense. Aside from essential personnel, the rest of the team will follow me into the city outskirts to hunt it down.”

“It’s already midnight—let’s hope the beast hasn’t encountered any civilians yet!”

Lone Wolf bit her lips and strode out of the control room, urgency in every step.

Three team members followed, their expressions grave.

On the front lines, all Dragon Abyss soldiers not needed for immediate defense were dispatched to the outskirts near District A, searching for the beast that had breached the perimeter.

Ironclad Flame Tiger!

Meanwhile, at the Northern Defense Command Center.

Captain Pheasant received urgent news.

A beast had broken through the eastern defenses, threatening nearby residents.

A sly gleam flashed in Pheasant’s eyes. The eastern sector was Lone Wolf’s territory—the captain who always seemed to outshine him. Who would have thought she’d make such a mistake?

If his northern troops managed to intercept the beast first, the look on that proud woman’s face would be priceless.

No time to waste.

Captain Pheasant quickly selected a dozen elite soldiers. Fully armed, they entered the outskirts adjacent to the eastern defense zone.

This time, he would show her what he was capable of.

A victorious smile already curled on Pheasant’s lips.

...

The moon hung high; midnight had arrived.

On a secluded stretch of the city outskirts, a blood donation vehicle stood skewed at the roadside.

On one side, three fallen Rakshasa lay convulsing, foam at their mouths as they clung to life.

On the other, another Rakshasa’s corpse, split in two, lay grotesquely at the roadside, blood painting the night in horror.

After reciting the Purity Incantation, Xiang Nan’s violet blood was completely suppressed.

He felt an indescribable comfort in his body—save for a slight difficulty in breathing.

A familiar sensation of suffocation crept in.

Xu Jiaya clung tightly to Xiang Nan’s head, shaking him vigorously.

Though still shy of her eighteenth birthday, she was well-developed—her figure rivaled Su Yao’s. In her panic, she pressed Xiang Nan’s head against her body, the position precise.

Soft, warm, full, and resilient.

How could Xiang Nan not suffocate? He tried to lift his head and say he was fine, but before he could speak, Xu Jiaya pushed him back down.

The delicate fragrance of a young girl filled his nostrils, intoxicating.

Though he had regained his senses, Xiang Nan fainted again.

Don’t ask why—he simply didn’t wish to awaken.

There was a strange beauty in this suffocation.

Beside him, Su Yao saw Xiang Nan motionless and thought he was done for.

Her face blanched instantly. “He’s not… he’s not…”

At her words, Xu Jiaya, who had been sobbing quietly, burst into loud wails.

Su Yao turned away, wiping tears from her cheeks.

“It’s all my fault. If I’d known he was so short-lived, I’d have treated him better, argued less. We haven’t known each other long, but I truly consider him a friend.”

“No! It’s my fault, Xiang Nan. If I hadn’t brought him into Eagle Alliance, he’d be fine now. Those foreigners were clearly after him—they must have known he was the Young Master of Eagle Alliance and wanted him dead! I brought disaster on him… sob…”

Xu Jiaya hugged Xiang Nan tighter as she spoke.

Listening to their conversation, Xiang Nan marveled at the girls’ wild imaginations and nearly laughed.

But pressed so tightly by Xu Jiaya, his suppressed laughter turned into coughs.

“Cough… cough… too fierce, far too fierce!”

Xiang Nan trembled with each cough.

Feeling him stir, the girls’ joy was boundless.

Su Yao threw herself at him, sandwiching him between the two.

Front and back—what a delight!

With their affectionate rubbing, the bloodstains on Xiang Nan’s face were wiped away, revealing his bright, handsome features that shone even in the night.

Su Yao and Xu Jiaya showered him with concern, filling Xiang Nan’s heart with warmth.

For the first time in his eighteen years, Xiang Nan felt the comfort of true friendship.

The three were immersed in joy.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xiang Nan glimpsed the corpse split in two nearby, and his face darkened.

He recalled the instant he swung his sword, the violet blood burning within him, unable to restrain his murderous impulse.

Now, confronted with the broken body, a shudder ran through him.

Damn! His first kill.

It would be a lie to say his nerves were unshaken.

Yet he felt no regret.

These Rakshasa from the Oni Clan had lain in ambush at midnight, clearly with sinister intent.

Against enemies, mercy was unnecessary.

Unfortunately, the one with the wild hair escaped, leaving a lingering threat.

When calm returned.

Xu Jiaya and Su Yao faced the dead lab coat, reacting in their own ways.

“Xiang Nan, we should leave quickly. If we run into patrol officers, we’ll have a hard time explaining.”

Xu Jiaya, mature beyond her years, remained unflustered. Though she’d never killed, growing up in Eagle Alliance had made her accustomed to such things.

Escape was the priority.

“These people are obviously villains. We’ve rid the world of evil—police should give us a medal! Hehe!”

Su Yao raised her brows, unconcerned.

In this world, death was commonplace.

Xu Jiaya sighed. “Yao Yao, you’ve been abroad for three years. You don’t know that the Nine Provinces have strict laws now, forbidding ancestral martial artists from fighting. If Xiang Nan gets targeted by the police over these people, it won’t be good.”

Even so, Su Yao remained indifferent. “With cameras everywhere, you can run but you can’t hide.”

Then she added, “If it comes to trouble, I’ll claim responsibility—say I, Su Yao, killed them. Nothing to do with Xiang Nan.”

Su Yao relied on her father, Su Mingzhe, a cunning fox with deep connections. Such a minor issue would be easily handled.

“No need,” Xiang Nan smiled. “These people deserved to die. There won’t be any trouble.”

As long as he found Li Mu, with the Dragon Abyss Army as witness, there should be no problems.

Besides, as a man, he would never let a woman take the blame.

In truth, despite her brashness, Su Yao had a strong sense of loyalty.

Seeing Xiang Nan’s confidence, Xu Jiaya relaxed as well.