Chapter 866
Chapter 866 - 852 Inquiry
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9 min read
"....And thus, the serpent charmer was finally poisoned by their own snakes, and Didirona was devoured by her own kin. Tsk tsk tsk, the scene was quite spectacular, I even have photos, would you like to see them?"
In the conference room, Lu Ping’an sat in the middle, both the focus of the meeting and the one being questioned.
This was already the second day since his return, and the examination that probably no one remembered had come to an end; most of the Abyss invaders had also completed their return.
The Snake King’s downfall had become a reality, after a fierce fight in the lesser depths of the Abyss which ended as usual without effect... after all, the Abyss hordes are endless, and it was not wise to pit limited combat power against an infinite foe in a war of attrition.
However, the news that the raiding team had brought back about the Snake King Didirona’s complete destruction still caused a stir among the high-level officials.
Naturally, as the "hero," Lu Ping’an became the focus of attention for the upper echelons and thus the current inquiry meeting commenced.
"...I’m not doubting your report, but its content is, it’s just...."
Among the attendees were government officials, Bureau of Anomaly Management cadres, old stagers at the Rule-level, and even the Deputy Director of the Ancient City Bureau of Anomaly Management... the latter had rushed over overnight to support Lu Ping’an upon hearing of his deeds.
Now, the big boss of the Changping Bureau of Anomaly Management responsible for the interrogation was also somewhat shocked by the contents of the report.
"In your report, you mentioned that to interrupt Didirona’s Infinity Resurrection, you acquired Snake Shedding in advance and, during her weakened phase of resurrection, used a secret skill to successfully convert her abilities into that of another species...."
This ability, to directly convert the species of a Rule-level creature, seemed preposterous to say the least.
"It’s a Rule-Level item I possess, and I must keep its specific abilities confidential. You all understand, right? By the way, at that time Didirona had already fallen from Rule-level, and was not that difficult to deal with. Regarding this, you should have received Master Kun’s report, right? He was the main force. He killed Didirona once more, forcing her below Rule-level. I just picked up a loose end."
Picked up a loose end? A loose end that was a Rule-level creature and an Abyss Lord? And just by picking up a loose end, he managed to shatter her seemingly insurmountable Infinity Resurrection? Then, there wouldn’t have been a need for Changping to pay such a heavy price.
In fact, Changping City’s minimum strategic target was not the permanent death of Didirona, but to weaken her for a decade or two.
Now, not only has the ultimate strategic goal been achieved, it was done by an "unknown" outsider, making the whole affair seem quite fantastical.
"...Cough, so you, how did you confront her head-on? Even after transformation, she must have retained considerable power. I’m not underestimating you, but you’ve only been a professional for eight months. Logically, you should find it challenging to even operate in the seventh layer...."
"...This involves the composition of my own combat power, and what I could say is already stated in the report. I have a set of armor that defends against Abyss Erosion and a weapon capable of fatally threatening an Abyss Lord. Regarding this, Director Zhao..."
"Yes, that’s right. The Ancient City Bureau of Anomaly Management can vouch for the fact that Comrade Lu Ping’an indeed possesses a fine weapon targeted at top-tier Abyss species. The specifics are classified by the Ancient City Bureau of Anomaly Management. Those who wish to be informed may submit a written report to our bureau (whether it will be approved is another matter)."
Director Zhao, the one who came specifically to support Lu Ping’an, was more than willing to catch the ball that Lu Ping’an had tossed his way.
In truth, his presence was not merely for assisting Lu Ping’an... The Ancient City Bureau of Anomaly Management was more concerned about Changping City poaching Lu Ping’an after his emergence.
This kind of thing was not their first rodeo, and if they truly succeeded in the poaching, given Lu Ping’an’s current status and abilities, it would likely be impossible to retain him against his will.
"Comrade Lu Ping’an is a role model for the younger generation of our Ancient City, and we have confidence in his personal strength. While the specific intelligence cannot be disclosed, we can guarantee the hundred percent authenticity of the actions described in this report."
As soon as these words were said, even Lu Ping’an himself was somewhat surprised.
A hundred percent guarantee of authenticity? He didn’t dare to guarantee that himself.
Indeed, it was normal for post-war reports to have some embellishments, and this one was blatantly concealing things, with a certainty of being part truth, part fiction.
𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
This was not about stating facts but a bold move by the Bureau of Anomaly Management to prop up Lu Ping’an.
"What our Ancient City officials declare as true, is true. You want to oppose it? Fine, present your evidence."
As soon as this was said, it became difficult for the Bureau of Anomaly Management, with its "official" stance, to press any further questions.
Don’t say, this development, although unforeseen, indeed relieved Lu Ping’an.
Faced with immense interests, some bottom lines might not hold, and if someone really wanted to deal with Lu Ping’an through official channels, he would indeed find it rather troublesome.
Now, with the backing of the Ancient city Bureau of Anomaly Management, everything was no longer a problem.
Especially since afterwards, Kun Ba took the initiative to come over and speak a few words in support of Lu Ping’an....Kun Ba, now a true Rule-level Sword Saint, was someone Changping needed to strive to win over, his importance had clearly risen by several notches.
The firm stance of the "subordinate units" and the support of the big bosses led the inquiry to conclude as just a formality, hastily wrapped up.
This did not mean doubts had vanished, nor did it represent Lu Ping’an’s "merits" being negated....Within a death-defying war, the boss of one side was easily vanquished by a passerby, leading to one side’s collapse. People on our side also needed to work hard to review and understand what had actually happened.
Did the Snake King Didirona really die?
"I think she’s thoroughly finished, but from what I know, it’s very hard for beings of that level to die completely..." Although the term "beings" made the Rule-level individuals in the room frown, when Lu Ping’an mentioned it was "very hard to die completely," those in the know subconsciously nodded their heads.
"I am a Contractor, and my report is real, at least the written content (the words on paper) is true. The Snake King Didirona has become history..."
Lu Ping’an was making it up on the spot, but when he declared himself a "Contractor," many brows furrowed, and the way people looked at Lu Ping’an was now laced with doubt.
It seemed that the limitation of "Contractors cannot lie" had become a negative effect in front of the "Contractor" status...
"Tch, next time I lie, I’ll avoid saying I’m a Contractor."
Lu Ping’an sighed helplessly; it was all the fault of those predecessors who went too far, leaving their successors with no way out.
In the end, with the support of the Ancient city Bureau of Anomaly Management and Kun Ba, although this report had a ton of issues, it was eventually accepted by Changping officials...What they actually wanted to confirm was whether the campaign had achieved its final outcome.
Whether Didirona was thoroughly finished directly related to the subsequent strategical direction of the Abyss campaign.
But since the inquiry had determined strategic results had been achieved, there was no need to press too hard on the (backed future Rule Seed).
Yes, Lu Ping’an’s identity was no longer a secret now, with several Rule-level bosses affirming that it was only a matter of time before he ascended to Rule-level...and one Battle-profession even expressed interest upon hearing he had chopped the Snake King into pieces, immediately stating a wish to have an arm wrestling match with him.
Clearly, it was a probe given the nod of approval....If your strength was so poor, the whole report, no matter how truthfully written, would be doomed to be lies.
The result of the probe? Well, transformed into an Abyss Knight, with thermal kinetic arm strength maxed out, Lu Ping’an went all out with his strength...In short, after that unlucky soul climbed out of the deep pit, he even thanked Lu Ping’an for his "healing".
At least, the arm that was twisted like a pretzel a moment ago did not cause him to lose face in public after it quickly healed.
After all, power and influence are the most convincing name cards, and without them, you have no choice but to comply with how others arrange things for you.
In the end, the officials recognized Lu Ping’an’s "merits," and he certainly didn’t lack the rewards and honors that were due.
Just a part of the material Reward alone included not only the redistribution rights for the war spoils, but also a series of promises and rewards previously given by the officials.
This made him quite expectant, after all, he remembered that among the agreed rewards, there were the Powerful True Words of This World.
Having tasted the Abyss True Words, he was very interested in the real combat True Words of the super-powerful beings who could defend the Abyss.
Of course, since Lu Ping’an was now confirmed as a hero of demonslaying, if the official rewards were only these, they would instead be laughed at.
In fact, the most valuable spoils of the campaign had already been pocketed by Lu Ping’an.
— End of Chapter 866 —