Above Destiny

Chapter 630 It's Better to Go Home Early

Old Lou probably finds it hard to imagine that while he was enjoying a peaceful life on the assembly line, someone was carrying the burden for him.

As his best partner, Ji Jue always made quiet contributions and never boasted about his meager achievements.

He simply pulled out a sack in silence and began frantically fleecing customers.

Why not take advantage of this opportunity!
It can only be said that the ups and downs of fate are unpredictable. He never imagined that after looting the warehouses of the Imperial military base, he would one day be able to turn around and loot another round of Federal military bases...

This time, there's no need to sneak in; we can walk in openly and honestly.

They even went so far as to offer me sweet soup.

Although weapons of mass destruction cannot be taken casually, Ji Jue has not been lenient at all over the years in searching all sorts of materials accumulated in the Central Plains by the garrison base.

As expected of the military, they are incredibly wealthy and powerful!

Good stuff isn't put in the warehouse. Items that can be carefully preserved in a special warehouse are rare and priceless within the association, and even bounties on the market can't find them.

A raw stone of the Flowing Water Jade the size of a human head, a precious material from the Desolate Ruins series, I'll put it in my pocket to reserve a spot. A naturally formed luminous crystal as thick as an arm, a superb natural conductor and carrier of spiritual energy, give me two pieces to taste. A reborn wood heart, large enough to carve a coffin for Fan Yun, a precious blank formed from living essence, I'll split it in half to use as fuel.

What?! The Blood Curse Skull?! Such a heinous material must be carefully stored away to prevent it from harming the world! Hmm, Wasteland Dust? I've never seen this kind of change before. I'll take half for now, and come back for more if I find it useful!

Whether it's something that can be seen in the light or something that can't be seen in the light, normal or illegal, no matter what the material is, if you like it, then there's only one word—'fight'!
How dare they show up in front of me? This is no ordinary provocation; I must strike back hard!

Just like a mouse entering a rice granary, Ji Jue dragged his sack along, picking and choosing without the slightest heartache.

Forget about money, I don't even pay when I eat at restaurants near the Imperial military base!

Back when the Taiyi Ring was established, Tianlu Laodeng paid my share of the money!
Once one sack is full, switch to another sack and keep filling!

Seeing Ji Jue's mad dog-like behavior as he passed through, the craftsmen in charge of managing the area started sweating profusely, following behind like ants on a hot plate.

"Brother, stop taking it, stop taking it..." he pleaded earnestly, "There's already too much. If you take any more, it won't be right to explain it away."

"It's not that I insist on taking it, it's just that I have no choice but to take it."

Ji Jue sighed helplessly, "Think about it, it's okay if I take a little less, but what if this delays the Federation's mission? What if the Association finds out and they think our Federation can't afford it!"

As he spoke, he grabbed a broken sword from the separate storage room and tried to stuff it into his pocket, but it was caught tightly. The administrator, sweating profusely, shook his head frantically: "This won't do, this really won't do, brother! All the exquisite crafts in the storage room are numbered! You couldn't take it out even if I gave it to you!"

"What? Master craftsmanship? Sorry, I didn't see that."

Ji Jue belatedly realized what was happening, slapping his forehead, "Oh, sigh... I just happened to do it..."

No matter how frustrated and sighing he was, his hand gripping the broken sword was like an iron clamp, refusing to let go. It wasn't until the supervising craftsman finally managed to pull it off with tremendous effort that he saw Ji Jue rush off in another direction.

It's black in front of you.

Take it, take it, just take it, you living father!
Let's see how you get out of here after you take it!
You'll see how fun it is once the alarm is triggered!
As a result, Ji Jue walked out of the warehouse in a grand and swaggering manner, dragging a whole cart full of bulging sacks, as if he were going to a market.

He even grinned at the surveillance camera.

"Great product! I'll definitely come back next time!"

He didn't touch any of the Heavenly Crafts, and he didn't even pay much attention to the Blessed Creatures stored in the base.

They only took raw materials.

Moreover, they only pick the rarest items, either extremely rare and impossible to buy on the market, or exorbitantly expensive luxury goods with absolutely no value for money.

The gap in subsequent upgrades and maintenance for Isis has been largely filled here. What about the other half? There's still the existing Imperial garrison base, isn't there?
This is what it means to be thrifty and manage a household well!

The province is the province, the flowers are the flowers.

Waving the banners of the association and the military, and after bouncing around Fan Yun's blood pressure and tolerance limits, Ji Jue returned with a full load, patting his chest and guaranteeing: "A mere advance mission is nothing to worry about, General. This little forest country is easy to handle."

As the saying goes, in times of crisis, when ordered by the Federation, one is willing to go through fire and water, sparing no effort.

As for how the danger arose, and where the soup and fire came from, that's none of your business!

Saying thank you is enough.

"Then we'll leave the work of the advance team to Taiyi Ring and Mr. Ji."

Fan Yun pinched his nose, enduring the nausea rising in his stomach, and forced a kind smile as he shook hands with Ji Jue and watched him leave.

After I got back, I washed my hands for half an hour.

unlucky!

Why did they let this thing in in the first place...?

As expected of the 'old tortoise' Passarella spoke of, his composure and patience were truly rare. Even though he was so annoyed he wanted to tear this dog apart, his face remained warm and friendly. If Ji Jue's instincts hadn't constantly told him that Fan Yun's dislike for him was growing, Ji Jue might have even thought this old dog was quite nice.

For him, half of the fish he was used as bait for baiting were probably already dead, right?

Maybe half of what I received today is compensation for my family's death.

Whether you make a profit or a loss, that's life; just bear with it and it will pass.

If you can bear it, then bear it as much as you can!
This time, Tianyuan's speed was ridiculously fast. What was decided yesterday was already prepared today. A total of six advance teams from both the Empire and the Federation have been formed.

The next day at noon, after lunch, the advanced line-filling babies, who were unsure whether they were advance scouts or bait, officially set off.

A long, impressive convoy of vehicles stretched out from the road.

The teams were led by different people. The three advance teams from the Federation were led by old friends from the Security Bureau: Tong Shan, Xu Ranshuang, and Jin Wuyan.

Old Man Lin was still discerning; he didn't put Ji Jue into Jin Wuyan's team, lest one of them die the next day from being shot five times in the back.

His partner was still his old friend Tong Shan.

In addition to the chosen ones from the Security Bureau, a white deer was also assigned as a guide.

"Yes, that's right, it's me!"

An Ning patted her chest, held her head high, and chuckled with her hands on her hips, "Surprised? Surprised?!"

"Report Wizard".

Ji Jue raised his hand, "Could you switch to your uncle?"

"No."

An Ning crossed her arms, accompanied by the wrong sound effects from an entertainment program: "My uncles are busy killing wolves for fun, they don't have time to waste with you."

As she spoke, she glared at him and asked, "Besides, they came specifically to protect you personally, so what's with that machine gun of yours?!"

"Huh? What machine..."

Ji Jue turned around blankly and saw that the machine gun on the little bull and horse's vehicle had already completed its preheating and locking on by itself, so he quickly canceled it.

Behind the train window, a white flower on the table swayed slightly.

Isis, don't mess around...

Ji Jue sighed, feeling that this journey might be fraught with difficulties.

"Just the two of us, just the two of us!"

An Ning, humming a song, squeezed into the carriage, swaggered into the passenger seat, and started taking pictures. She even leaned close to the vase, full of curiosity.

"Brother Ji Jue, you even grow flowers?"

"Ah... I guess so." Ji Jue's eye twitched, and he coughed twice. "I'll just take care of her casually, and she'll take care of me casually too."

"Eh?"

An Ning, half-understanding, lay on the table, carefully examining the object. She was used to Ji Jue always speaking in languages ​​she couldn't understand, so she didn't pay much attention. Instead, she excitedly raised her hand: "I can also take care of Brother Ji Jue!"

I'll go work in the deserted area to support you!

Ji Jue playfully punched her on the forehead: "Don't step on my sofa, sit properly."

"Oh……"

Before setting off, everyone was dragged to a meeting.

The main purpose was to introduce Ji Jue to his upcoming teammates and clarify the specific objectives of this advance team and the aspects that needed to be noted.

Besides the siblings Ji Liu and Ji Xue, there were quite a few new faces. After Ji Jue got to know them one by one, they exchanged business cards and contact information.

Those who could appear in this team were basically the backbone and elite of the Security Bureau, many of whom had patronized Ji Jue's business. There was no rejection of their presence; on the contrary, they were quite welcomed.

After all, what lies ahead is the forest kingdom, a life-threatening undertaking where lives are at stake. Only a fool would show displeasure if he had a craftsman to help him prepare and a white deer to guide him.

"Now that we all know each other, let's get started."

In the spacious carriage, Tong Shan got straight to the point: "First of all, I have some news that may disappoint you all. Although the advance teams are all going to enter the Forest Kingdom for exploration, their tasks are different."

The real core is Director Xu's convoy; they will serve as the strategic foothold, searching for a suitable location within the forest to establish a temporary base. Director Jin and his team will be in charge of the mobile squad, protecting the flanks and dealing with harassment. Our convoy, on the other hand, will primarily act as the vanguard, scouting ahead.

The severity of the situation is self-evident; I hope everyone is prepared.

Tong Shan paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Although someone had already mentioned this before we came, I still want to reiterate: if anyone feels that the mission is too difficult for them to handle, they still have a chance to regret it before we set off. But once we enter the Forest Kingdom, there will be no turning back."

In the quiet carriage, everyone's expression changed slightly, revealing nothing, but in the end, no one stood up to give up.

"Very good, thank you all for fulfilling your duties."

Tong Shan nodded, his expression softening slightly: "Let's not talk about awards, allowances, and pensions for now; Director Lin has already mentioned them many times."

I can assure you that none of the spoils from this operation need to be handed over; you can dispose of them as you see fit. However, they must be inspected, for your safety. Do you all understand that?

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a brief silence. Everyone looked at each other, and then a hint of joy appeared on their faces. They then began to applaud and cheer.

Although many people have intercepted spoils of war to some extent, there are very few leaders who openly declare that they will keep all the spoils of war and not hand them over, and that they will take the blame if anything goes wrong!

That really benefits everyone!

"besides--"

Tong Shan paused for a moment and pointed to Ji Jue: "Everyone knows this Mr. Ji. The skill level of a craftsman is not something I, a mere Tianyuan, can judge. However, as the chief craftsman of this year and a rising star with two gold ribbons, you all know how valuable his position is."

This time, aside from the security bureau reimbursing everyone for necessary equipment maintenance and consumable supplies, I will cover all expenses incurred by the team on official business during the journey. Consider it a small subsidy for my brothers.

In an instant, cheers and shouts erupted like thunder.

Everyone stared wide-eyed in surprise, clapping and shouting excitedly, "Brother Shan is awesome! Brother Shan is so generous!!!"

"Mr. Ji?"

Tong Shan looked over with a half-smile, "Aren't you going to say a few words?"

"What Brother Shan said is exactly what I said."

Ji Jue smiled calmly, "For the maintenance and upkeep of blessed creations, the customization and needs of alchemical creations, including the appraisal and recycling of spoils of war, everyone can come to me. I can also provide consumables such as alchemical bullets for free."

You can all browse through this service catalog later; we're all in the same boat, so don't be shy. However, there's only one thing I need to ask you all to do.

He paused for a moment, and under the strange gazes of his old acquaintances, he sighed self-deprecatingly: "The craftsmen's ability to protect themselves is still a bit weak. From now on, I'm afraid we'll have to rely on everyone to protect them. I hope you won't find it offensive."

For a time, voices of assurance were heard everywhere: "Ji Jue is my brother. As long as I'm here, you won't lose a single hair."

The rousing and passionate speech continued unabated.

Tong Shan glanced sideways at the weak, powerless, and pitiful craftsman, not wanting to say a word.

That bastard could wipe out at least half the people here with a flick of his finger... and the reason he left the other half alive is to wait for them to say thank you!
With a responsible leader, generous craftsmen, favorable prices, and a bright future, the team's previously somewhat suppressed morale quickly soared.

Soon, the prepared convoy entered the wilderness and continued forward.

Along the way, you could see convoys of all sizes from time to time. They went out in high spirits, but returned in ruins, with bloodstains all over their panels.

Frustration or setbacks did not dampen the enthusiasm of those who set out.

If everyone is eager to upgrade, then the double bounty offered by the Federal Empire and the Wilderness Alliance against the White Kingdom's restoration front and the Wolves is like pouring a bucket of boiling phlogiston on top of the rising flames...

Even the deck of cards that the advance team members were playing in the train carriage, trying to pass the time, were covered with bounties from all sides.

Ji Jue had several decks of this kind of playing card.

It wasn't just money; the Federal Empire and the Wilderness also offered massive amounts of resources and heritage as rewards. Even though they didn't expect anyone to actually solve the problem with these bounties, it was enough for all the Chosen Ones who came to fight tooth and nail with the wolves.

The two Jokers on the playing cards represent Ensur, the leader of the White Alliance, and Sheikh, his confidant.

The AKQJ also features the names of its high-ranking members, such as Burhush and Lazarz, as well as the Old Wolf who was confirmed to have appeared in the Forest Kingdom.

But is this adding fuel to the fire... to the Chosen Ones or the Kingdom of the Forest?
Even if fighting is inevitable, it's hard to say whether increasing the intensity at this point is to reduce the size of the White Wolf Pack as quickly as possible, or to accelerate the gestation of the third wolf offspring.

Anyway, Ji Jue never considered what good things the Federation could possibly be up to.

Is there any bottom line left between these two sides?
Moreover, the weakening of the white deer is indeed beneficial to Tianyuan, isn't it?

To put it maliciously, if I were the Federation, I might also take this opportunity to suppress Bai Lu again, making Huangji even more fragmented.

This will prevent the White Deer from becoming powerful again and repeating the chaos of the Tianyuan White Deer Rebellion.

After the last conflict between Tianyuan and Bailu, Huangji ended its internal strife and established a system of twelve leaders. This certainly made the organization more flexible and larger, and mitigated many conflicts. Moreover, with such an organization, cutting off one head only resulted in two more growing, leaving no one with a clear path to take action.

However, this also prevents internal unification. But if another fierce internal struggle were to occur, and an unparalleled hero emerged to subdue all the leaders, it might just catalyze the emergence of a White Deer King, thus completing another unification.

It would be unreasonable for Tengen not to be on guard against such a long-time rival.

Moreover, after the last time the two sides fought, Tianyuan's victory could only be described as lucky.

Bai Lu did not lose in terms of personnel or battle, but rather in terms of overall situation. Not long after the fall of the Eternal Dynasty, numerous calamities began to sprout, and people longed for stability and peace, which put Bai Lu at a natural disadvantage compared to Tian Yuan.

But in today's world, Bai Lu may seem quiet and low-key, but how terrifying she can be when she really bares her teeth is something no one can say for sure.

Whether it's kicking someone when they're down or adding to their glory, it's hard to tell until the truth comes out.

The Federation and the Empire aren't stupid, and neither are the Wastelanders.

Ji Jue couldn't discern the opinions of the higher-ups on either side, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

At this moment, amidst a multitude of trivial thoughts, the kingdom of the forest is already in sight.

In the void, a golden light that stretched to the heavens and the earth flickered in and out, tightly restraining the ever-growing giant tree.

The giant tree that appeared in Shangri-La gradually turned scarlet from its initial pale color, and scarlet flowers were sprouting on its branches, as if they were about to bloom.

The closer one gets, the more one can sense the unusual aura and... a slight thirst welling up in one's lungs.

An Ning sat in the passenger seat, remaining silent.

But this behavior clearly indicates that she is already in a state of stress; otherwise, she would have taken this opportunity to harass Ji Jue incessantly.

Finally, after a brief period of preparation, they confirmed each other's positions through spiritual communication, and the Tongshan team took the lead in breaking into the forest kingdom trapped in its confinement!

Snapped!
Amidst the soft, dreamlike sound, Ji Jue felt a sudden darkness before his eyes; the clear blue sky had instantly transformed into a tangible, gloomy darkness.

Even with the blazing sun shining behind them, it cannot illuminate the dark clouds and shadows of the forest kingdom.

It wasn't pitch black yet, but the sheer darkness and oppressive atmosphere made everyone hold their breath and tense up.

In the deeper darkness, thunder rumbled from the sky.

The storm was howling.

The desolate wilderness was completely empty.

In the driver's seat of the little bulldog, Ji Jue subconsciously adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, his expression serious... concealing the lightness and ease he felt as if he were in his own water at that moment.

Breathing was so smooth, it felt like being freed from shackles, and my body felt incredibly light.

My previously heavy mood lightened, and I almost started humming a song.

In a word, it's incredibly refreshing and enjoyable!
Chun Jun's soul reflection, in its monstrous form, saw black flames rising in bursts.

On the hollow chest, the wolf-blood thorn, which had been dormant for a long time, slightly stretched its existence, thirstily sensing the changes in the forest, as if it wanted to take root. Its senses continued to expand and stretch, echoing the giant tree in the sky.

What he felt was a resonance between the forest kingdom and the wolves!
He could even vaguely sense that on the giant tree that Shangri-La had transformed into, right next to the trunk, a new bud representing himself had silently sprouted!
I logged in by accident!

broken……

Ji Jue's expression froze.

How did you end up acting like a local again?!

(End of this chapter)