Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 159: Chapter 126: Stealing the Celestial Secret! Forging My Law

"Ah Ze, are you for real?"

Zhai Jia’s voice was a low whisper, as if he was afraid of being overheard.

But there wasn’t a hint of hesitation in it.

The excitement in his tone was impossible to hide.

Holding his communicator, he said eagerly, "Give me the location. I’ll head over right now."

But then Wan Ze said something on the other end.

Zhai Jia’s eyes went wide. "...What am I getting into? A Secret Palace stronghold?"

He froze for a second, then began to pace, his steps unconsciously quickening. "No, Ah Ze, this is... you’ve hooked a big one!"

He started calculating out loud. "Let me think... Target numbers unknown... their firepower is also unknown... If it’s just the two of us sneaking in, this could go south real fast..."

Zhai Jia paused, his steps slowing as if he were weighing his options. "How about this... we sneak in first, scope things out, and then let Brother Yu bring the main force to clean up the mess."

After apparently hearing Wan Ze mention the spoils, Zhai Jia caught on, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper laced with a cunning smile. "When the time comes, whatever’s in the stronghold is yours to deal with. We’ll take the credit for the takedown. It’s a win-win."

Wan Ze seemed to say something.

Zhai Jia chuckled, his steps becoming light again. "Ah Ze, just listen to me. It’s settled. I’m on my way now."

...

「As dusk fell.」

The old locust tree on the street corner cast a final, long shadow. Wan Ze leaned against its trunk, watching twilight creep down from the rooftops across the way.

A black jeep rounded the corner of the alley and pulled up in front of him at a steady pace.

The window rolled down, revealing Zhai Jia’s roguish face.

"Ah Ze, get in."

Wan Ze pulled open the passenger door and got in.

The moment the door shut, Zhai Jia stomped on the gas and the jeep shot forward.

"Is the source reliable?" Zhai Jia glanced at him before focusing back on the road.

"Reliable." Wan Ze paused. "But I already took one of them out."

Zhai Jia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Wan Ze’s tone was flat. "The guy ran into me. I had no choice but to send him on his way. But this means they’re bound to notice he’s missing sooner or later. We’re running out of time, so we need to move fast."

Hearing this, Zhai Jia wasn’t nervous at all. Instead, he chuckled, taking one hand off the wheel to rub it. "Damn it, they’ve always been the ones coming after us. It’s finally our turn to take the fight to them..."

He seemed to remember something, reaching into the back seat to grab a bag, which he tossed into Wan Ze’s lap. "Here, I got these for you."

Wan Ze opened the bag. Inside were two masks.

He picked one up. The material was light and thin, the craftsmanship exquisite. The lines around the eyes exuded an indescribable aura of power.

He smiled and looked up at Zhai Jia. "Going all out, are we?"

Zhai Jia jutted his chin out proudly. "These things have a story. A couple of heavy hitters recently popped up in Nanyang under the codename [Fire Thunder Celestial God]. One is the Fire Celestial God, the other is the Thunder Celestial God. I hear they’ve pulled off several big jobs. The local underworld gives their names a wide berth."

Wan Ze studied the mask in his hand, a little surprised. "Their reputation is that big?"

"They’re the real deal. If Brother Yu hadn’t pulled a clever little trick, we never would’ve caught them."

Zhai Jia paused, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Right now, they’re rotting in a high-security prison, and nobody knows. Which is perfect..."

He gestured with his chin toward the mask in Wan Ze’s hand.

"We can borrow their identities for a while."

Wan Ze looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smile. "Fine."

Zhai Jia gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his eyes fixed on the darkening road ahead. "Hold on tight."

The engine roared, and the black jeep plunged deep into the night.

...

The car slid silently into the shadow of an old, dilapidated residential building three kilometers outside the suburbs.

It was a condemned apartment block, its walls mottled and its windows black holes. It had long been abandoned by its residents.

Zhai Jia parked in the abandoned garage and killed the engine. In the darkness, they changed their clothes... dark work coveralls, flat caps pulled down to their eyebrows, and masks covering the upper halves of their faces.

"Let’s go."

Three kilometers out, they moved through the shadows of overgrown weeds and abandoned pipelines.

Their target was an abandoned chemical plant, its rusted tanks standing like sentinels in the darkness.

No lights, no movement.

It was too quiet. Unnaturally quiet.

Wan Ze narrowed his eyes, observing for a moment before unfolding a blueprint he had prepared. "Southeast corner, third pipe... there’s an exhaust fan. We can get in through there."

Zhai Jia followed his gaze. The exhaust fan was rotating slowly. "I did a quick recon earlier. They’ve got hidden sentries, but I’ve figured out their patrol times. We move in two minutes."

"Alright."

「Two minutes later.」

The two of them crept along the base of the perimeter wall.

Zhai Jia crouched down.

But Wan Ze went straight for the second-floor windowsill and pulled himself up.

He glanced back.

Zhai Jia stood frozen for a moment, scratching his head, before leaping up as well.

He peeked through the dusty glass. The hallway was empty, lit only by the ghastly white glow of an emergency light overhead.

Supporting himself with one hand, Wan Ze took out a tool with the other and gently picked the window lock.

The sash slid open without a sound.

He slipped inside, landing with barely a whisper.

A moment later, Zhai Jia climbed in after him.

Footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.

Both of them pressed themselves flat against the wall at the same time.

They saw two men in work coveralls turn the corner, talking in low voices as they walked.

Wan Ze and Zhai Jia exchanged a look.

They both noticed the men’s chest badges and numbers: [0741] and [0742].

The footsteps grew closer.

Zhai Jia made a hand signal.

Wan Ze nodded.

The instant the two men were about to round the corner, Wan Ze moved.

He shot out from the shadows, one hand clamping over the man’s mouth, the other locking his throat in an elbow choke. The force was precise... The man didn’t even have time to struggle before his body went limp.

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