The Ussuri Shallow, located at the northernmost edge of the country, lies adjacent to that famous great Asian river.
This shallow area was actually ford by years of alluvial deposits from that great river, so strictly speaking, it actually sits on the banks of that renowned Asian river.
And crossing the river, the magnificent great river displays a majestic aura, with the opposite bank being the land of the Daisy Federation.
June 13th, early morning.
The sun had just risen, tinting the Ussuri Shallow with a warm orange glow. Along the riverbank, a line of off-road vehicles ca to a stop, the dust from their wheels just settling.
The car doors opened.
Li Zheng and others disembarked,
Although it's still sumr, the morning temperature was a bit low, so most mbers added a light jacket.
"... Are we really just marching over like this? The 'First Rider Position' won't run?"
Shu Li stood next to Li Zheng, gazing at the Daisy Federation on the opposite shore, and curiously asked a question.
Li Zheng looked across the river and softly replied, "If the 'First Rider Position' decides to run, that's manageable. What's troubling is when they want money and resources at all costs. After all, getting dual rewards is a huge temptation for these rcenary organizations driven by desire and resources."
"Dual rewards?"
Shu Li couldn't understand and furrowed her brows.
Compared to before, she now seed much more serious.
After all, this wasn't a joking matter.
"One on this side, and another on the other side."
Li Zheng nodded, giving a simple reply, and continued, "Let's go, get ready to et our allies this ti."
Shu Li slightly lowered her head, still not comprehending.
But Li Zheng offered no further explanation, leaving only the order to obey commands before turning his head to the stationed personnel who had escorted them here, his expression serious as he said, "Maintain communication."
The Celestial Strategy Mansion mbers stationed here said nothing, only nodding.
They couldn't follow Li Zheng and the others across the border; their duty was to secure the rear, ensure smooth communication, and provide support when necessary.
Not to charge with Li Zheng and the others.
"Who are the people they sent over this ti?"
Wu You walked alongside Li Zheng, curiously inquiring.
He wasn't aware of this matter.
Li Zheng paused for a mont, then replied, "I've heard it's the Orthodox Church, from the Sikopuqi Sect."
"Sikopuqi Sect?"
Upon hearing this sect's na, Wu You was slightly taken aback, then after a brief recollection, his expression changed: "Isn't it that... sect?"
Li Zheng nodded: "Yes, the Sikopuqi Sect, which believes that through 'castration,' one can achieve a holy, sanctified angelic state... commonly known as the Castration Sect."
Wu You's face twitched.
The expressions of the other male mbers weren't much different.
"Don't show that expression, at least not in their presence. According to the data, their regular mbers no longer practice physical castration; it's mostly ntal castration now. But there might still be devout, traditional believers this ti."
Li Zheng reminded, "There's no need to cause unpleasantness because of their beliefs. The Sikopuqi Sect is indeed one of the top sects in overall combat strength on the other side; they didn't send them to ss with us on purpose."
"..."
Wu You nodded, though his expression remained sowhat strange, marveling, "Tsk tsk tsk, top combat strength... is this the ultimate state of having no won in one's heart?"
Li Zheng ignored him.
Soon.
The group reached the border line, ready to cross over.
"Wait."
But Shu Li, who had been pondering the aning of Li Zheng's words, suddenly noticed a sign at the border, snapped back to reality, and after glancing around, suddenly asked sternly: "Where's Chen Lusi!?"
"..."
Beside her.
Xia Panqiu looked sowhat helplessly at Shu Li, who had only just realized... but after thinking about it, said nothing and instead followed suit to look at Li Zheng.
Chen Lusi had been absent since the morning.
Along with so Security Army mbers and Zhou Jian.
As for Yu Zhou, he was nowhere to be found along the way.
She roughly guessed that Li Zheng had other plans for them.
To be honest, she was quite curious too.
Li Zheng stopped in his tracks, looked at Shu Li, who questioned, and replied directly: "That's not sothing you should concern yourself with. Considering your performance in the Monkey Anomaly Realm, from now on you just need to follow orders without overthinking. I suggest you simply clear your mind."
Shu Li: "..."
...
After crossing the border, an expanse of primitive forest ca into view, primarily composed of lush Korean pines, tall and dense, enveloping the entire region.
Sunlight filtered through the pine needles, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Leading, Li Zheng soon... t with their allies this ti.
A dozen people in total.
And leading them was a towering woman, a typical Slav woman with very fair skin, a high nose bridge, soft features, and a head of golden hair.
She stood at the forefront, seemingly unsurprised by the appearance of Li Zheng and others, just slowly turning her head, quietly observing them.
At the sa ti.
Li Zheng and others also halted, beginning to scrutinize the other side.
The leading woman was tall, but what caught the eye most wasn't her stature, but what she was carrying.
She appeared to be carrying a... corpse.
Though tightly wrapped, swathed in strips of cloth like a mummy, the outline suggested it was a human shape.
And this sudden scene made the atmosphere tense, with silence spreading through the air.
Primarily, the mbers of Shu Li's team felt tense.
The Security Army was surprised but unchanged in expression, while the people behind the woman remained impassive, maintaining poker faces since Li Zheng and others appeared, as if devoid of emotion.
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