Chapter 056: Natural Allies, the Martial World!

After listening to Danlina’s words, Song Kai fell silent for a moment. He tried to recall his parents’ lives, then shook his head. “My father is not a man without principles, nor would he ever commit a crime. There’s no reason for it, either. Those so-called commissions would have been pocket change to him—he wouldn’t even care about them.”

“Of course, your father wouldn’t care,” Danlina said. “I’m not saying he was a mercenary. But his business partner, Tianyao Biotech, is indeed a mercenary company, and quite a large one at that. Before they started working together, your father probably didn’t know about their background; he was simply drawn in by their project. As for Ding Zhe, if I’m not mistaken, after collaborating with your father, he tried to use some underhanded means to swallow up your family’s business.” Danlina quickly explained.

Song Kai sat there, deep in thought.

Danlina continued, “Ding Zhe always acts with extreme caution. If not for the uproar caused by your parents’ death, we likely would never have noticed him.”

Song Kai was momentarily stunned, then realized that Danlina had misused an idiom again. He said helplessly, “Captain Danlina, the phrase is ‘leaves no trace,’ not ‘skims the surface.’ The two have completely opposite meanings! Anyway, I roughly understand your intentions now.”

Danlina just shrugged and sat down across from him.

“My parents’ deaths are connected to Ding Zhe,” Song Kai said. “And knowing his style, he would’ve made everything appear flawless—seizing our family’s assets without anyone suspecting a thing. But this time, the job was so sloppy and full of holes. I suppose my parents discovered something, and Ding Zhe was forced to silence them, bankrupting my family and taking the opportunity to embezzle some assets.”

“Exactly!” Danlina let out a breath. “That’s why we’ve come to seek your cooperation. We thought you might have received some message from your parents, or perhaps uncovered some clue.”

Song Kai scratched his head. “I can’t think of anything right now, but you’re right—we’re natural allies. I want revenge for my parents, and you want to take down the dark web mercenaries. But if your operation is legal, why not work with the local police? As far as I know, even though Interpol sounds impressive, you have no enforcement authority in our country. You have to cooperate with the local police.”

“That’s true. We’re technically violating your country’s laws by acting independently. But we have no choice—we must operate in secrecy,” Danlina replied. “But don’t worry. Before we came here, we requested permission from your Ministry of Public Security. Of the thirty people in our team, fifteen are soldiers assigned to us by your authorities. They’re very capable. So, no need to worry about legality. If we worked directly with the local police, word would definitely get out. Ding Zhe has long arms—he could reach anywhere. We have to be careful.”

“It’s ‘eyes and ears everywhere,’” Song Kai corrected as he stood up. “Alright then, let’s stay in touch.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

Danlina accompanied Song Kai as he left the secret warehouse.

Soon, Danlina was driving a Land Rover reinforced with bulletproof steel, taking Song Kai toward the city.

“Mr. Song, we’re teammates now. If you need anything, just ask Interpol,” Danlina offered.

Song Kai perked up immediately. “Really? Well… I do have a problem.”

“Go ahead.”

“I need a car. I noticed you have several in your warehouse. Could I borrow one?”

Danlina was speechless for a moment, then replied, “Alright, I’ll apply to the higher-ups, but it’ll take some time to get approval.”

“Really? How long will it take?” Song Kai asked hopefully.

“Well, as you know, Interpol is notoriously inefficient. It’ll probably take eight or ten years to get it approved.” Danlina’s tone was perfectly serious, her strikingly beautiful mixed-race face solemn.

She looked a bit like Dilraba, Song Kai thought, but at least Dilraba was more sincere!

“Alright, forget I asked,” Song Kai sighed.

Danlina laughed. “If we catch Ding Zhe, the reward will be worth far more than a car. Mr. Song, as long as we work together with genuine intent, we’ll succeed.”

“It’s ‘sincere cooperation,’ not ‘gold and silver.’ Why not just say ‘diamonds and jade’ while you’re at it? I’m off.” Song Kai opened the car door and got out a short distance from his apartment complex.

Danlina laughed again, turned the car around, and made a large detour before returning to the secret warehouse.

Inside the warehouse.

Jiro Okamoto stood at the door, his expression stony.

“Captain,” Danlina greeted him in English.

Jiro Okamoto asked, “That little rascal—did he agree to work with us?”

“Of course. He wants revenge for his parents.”

“And the clues?” Okamoto pressed.

Danlina shook her head. “He says he hasn’t thought of anything yet.”

Okamoto snorted in annoyance. “So, he got information from us about the dark web, but we haven’t gotten a single valuable clue from him?”

“Captain, he’ll be a very useful ally. His abilities have already surpassed what we expected, haven’t they?” Danlina smiled.

This time, Okamoto said nothing. His shoulder was still burning with pain—he really couldn’t argue with Song Kai’s abilities.

…

Back in his room, Song Kai’s demeanor grew serious.

Things had gotten more complicated than he’d imagined.

It seemed his parents’ disappearance wasn’t simply due to ruthless business tactics. They must have discovered something about the dark web, which led to their sudden deaths.

Ding Zhe’s company was a dark web mercenary outfit.

So, the expert with the throwing knives who had tried to kill him earlier was likely an employee of Tianyao Biotech, or a hired assassin of Ding Zhe.

Things were getting out of hand. In the end, his own strength was what mattered most.

With that in mind, Song Kai immediately sat cross-legged and resumed cultivating the Nine Thunder Inner Energy.

The second layer of Nine Thunder Inner Energy: the Thunderbolt Dantian!

If he could open his dantian, he’d be able to store vast amounts of energy, never having to worry about running out in a fight.

Aside from cultivating the Nine Thunder Inner Energy, he also needed to practice marksmanship.

This was the modern era; unless he attained the Innate Realm, no martial artist could ignore the power of a handgun.

In the Yuan dynasty, martial artists were divided into four realms: Muscles and Bones, Agility, Divine Might, and Innate.

Martial artists at the Muscles and Bones stage had strength far beyond ordinary people, with sturdy bodies, flexibility, and endurance. Most martial arts experts were at this level.

Those at the Agility stage had mastered the use of inner energy in their dantian. They could run swiftly, leap great distances, scale walls, and vanish without a trace. Top martial artists, notorious thieves, and imperial guards were usually at this stage.

The Divine Might stage was even more formidable—not only agile, but with their full potential unleashed. They were as strong as oxen, blades and bullets couldn’t harm them, and they could shatter stone with a single punch. Each one was a martial arts legend in their own right, capable of founding their own school.

The Innate Realm was exceedingly rare. Those who reached this stage could survive for long periods without food, drawing on the essence of heaven and earth. They didn’t need to breathe, but lived on primordial energy. They could easily live to a hundred, healthy and vigorous, never falling ill. Even in the Yuan dynasty, those at this level were rare—usually only the most senior elders of great sects.

Song Kai figured that even now, the hierarchy of martial artists remained the same.

The advent of firearms was a headache for martial artists.

Even a master of the Divine Might stage, who could shatter boulders with a punch, would still be vulnerable if caught off guard—a rookie with a Desert Eagle could blow his head off with one shot.

Song Kai’s current level was Muscles and Bones.

To reach the Innate Realm, he’d probably have to master the fifth thunder of Nine Thunder Inner Energy.

So, becoming proficient with firearms would be extremely useful.

He should mention this to Wu Hongying. Though she wasn’t his match in hand-to-hand combat, if she had a gun, she could easily take him down in an instant.

Song Kai crossed his legs and pushed all other thoughts aside, focusing on cultivating his Nine Thunder Inner Energy.

About five hours passed. Night had fallen.

Song Kai opened his eyes, jumped off the bed, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

He left the bedroom and went to the living room, where Wu Hongying was following a video, practicing her daily yoga.

Her figure was far superior to that of the instructor on the screen.

“Hey, Sister Yingzi,” Song Kai said with a fawning smile as he walked over.