Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Meeting Yan Qing
The night was as calm as water.
Outside Mist Town, a figure slowly approached, finally standing atop a small hillock.
"Qin Tian, come out."
Poof~
The ground beneath became loose, and another figure emerged from the earth.
"Director Yan!"
Qin Tian stood before Yan Qing, his heart swelling with emotion, as if a wanderer, adrift for ages, had finally found a refuge.
Yan Qing’s face broke into a smile, stepping forward to pat Qin Tian’s shoulder, he lamented:
"You’ve suffered during this time."
He firmly believed that Qin Tian would never harm his colleagues, and so, he could imagine how distressed and struggling Qin Tian would have felt being pursued by the Military Department, unable to reach his support.
"Qin Tian, tell me, what exactly happened in Mist Town?" Yan Qing asked.
"Alright."
Qin Tian nodded and began recounting his experiences during this period.
Being mysteriously reassigned to Mist Town, the provocations from Spiritualists within the military, their probes during training, suspicions raised at banquets, the first mistfall, the Insect Race’s assault on the town, Zhao Nuo’s suicide, the arrival of the investigative team, and the Brain Worm deep underground...
While recounting, Qin Tian withheld some details, mainly regarding his own abilities, and made certain modifications to some facts, yet crucial information remained unaltered.
"Brain Worm, are you sure it’s a Brain Worm?"
Upon hearing the word "Brain Worm," Yan Qing’s expression instantly turned extremely tense.
"I’m sure."
Qin Tian pointed down and said:
"The body of the Brain Worm is buried beneath my feet."
With that, Qin Tian stomped the ground, causing dirt to scatter, revealing fragmented remains before Yan Qing.
Yan Qing crouched down, unfazed by the putrid smell from the remains, carefully inspecting them.
"It’s indeed a Brain Worm."
Yan Qing’s tone was filled with shock; Brain Worms are commanders of the Insect Race. Hundreds of years have passed, and perhaps many have forgotten the terror of Brain Worms, yet those in charge of secret departments like them have undergone rigorous training, aware of histories inaccessible to the layperson.
The status of a Brain Worm is akin to an Empire’s general or even marshal.
It can command millions or billions of insect swarms, and additionally, it can extract memories and intelligence from human captives.
In the Insect Race’s evaluation system, the priority for eliminating a Brain Worm absolutely ranks within the top five. Often, the Empire would sacrifice an entire Interstellar Fleet to kill a Brain Worm.
And now, who could have imagined that a future grievous threat to the Empire was slain by Qin Tian.
"Qin Tian, you’ve achieved a great feat."
Yan Qing remarked earnestly.
"Really?"
Qin Tian blinked, his understanding of Brain Worms was entirely derived from the Star Net, incomplete, hence he hadn’t fully realized the horror of Brain Worms, nor considered that killing one could imperceptibly save countless lives.
"Certainly, I dare say once this matter is reported, you won’t escape promotion to Colonel, and the Military Merit Points won’t be lacking either." Yan Qing stated solemnly.
A Colonel generally marks the pinnacle of a normal officer’s promotion.
The jump to Major General requires not only military merits but also consideration of various factors.
Moreover, Qin Tian hasn’t served even half a year, regardless of the merits, directly leaping from soldier to Major General would certainly incite criticism from many.
In terms of rank, Qin Tian might be at a disadvantage, but regarding Military Merit Points, the Empire would surely offer appropriate compensation.
Upon hearing this, Qin Tian chuckled bitterly:
"Director Yan, I’m still a wanted man by the Military Department; let’s talk about the Colonel rank later. Lifting the warrant is my immediate concern."
"Don’t worry, with solid evidence, the warrant will be revoked soon."
Yan Qing remarked:
"Who do you think orchestrated this? A mere Beastmaster couldn’t rally numerous high-level military officials."
"The Wen Family, Wen Chengxian."
Qin Tian stated decisively, "Since arriving on Silver Gray Star, I’ve offended no one but Wen Chengxian. Wen Chengxian has both the capability and motive to set me up, so I’m sure he’s the mastermind behind this."
In truth, from the memory of the young man in white, Qin Tian knew the matter wasn’t as simple as he made it appear; both Wen Chengxian and the Wen Family were mere pawns being manipulated.
The true mastermind lay elsewhere.
However, this information was something he couldn’t disclose to Yan Qing, as he couldn’t explain how he obtained such information.
Moreover, he believed Yan Qing could have discerned the flaws in his narrative but chose not to expose him.
Thus, first tarnishing the Wen Family, focusing all attention on them, then using certain methods to help the Seventh Bureau target the real mastermind.
Don’t forget, he had an ace up his sleeve.
That ace was Li Qi, the Night Demon Apostle whom he had already recruited.
Li Qi held considerable evidence of the Wen Family’s unlawful activities.
Wen Family
Yan Qing’s eyes glinted coldly; he had previously thought the Wen Family extended their reach too far, cozying up to several high-ranking officials in the Military Department, often treating the Royal Army as a private militia.
However, the Wen Family was outside the jurisdiction of the Military Department, and the Seventh Bureau had no authority over them.
But now, the situation was different.
Wen Chengxian audaciously collaborated with a deranged Beastmaster, secretly cultivating Brain Worms.
If this were true, the Wen Family’s good days would be numbered, and those military officials tangled with the Wen Family would face dismissal or imprisonment.
"Director Yan, whether it’s soldiers of the 137th Battalion or all residents of Mist Town, their brains must harbor either Soul Parasites or Soul Devourers. Additionally, I suspect the three members of the investigation team have Soul Parasites within them too."
Qin Tian slowly said, "This evidence should clear my name, right?"
"Rest assured."
Yan Qing smiled and said, "The turmoil this could cause will exceed your expectations; a mere warrant is nothing."
Really?
Qin Tian felt relieved inside; his goals were simple: first, to clear his name and return to normal life, second, to take revenge on Wen Chengxian and completely destroy the Wen Family.
As for the rest, he would leave it to Yan Qing.
"Qin Tian, leave the rest to me."
Yan Qing said seriously, "The warrant will be lifted soon. In the meantime, keep hiding until I inform you."
"I estimate that within five days, the Military Department’s inspection team and the Judgement Court will arrive at Silver Gray Star, and by then, I’ll need your cooperation in the investigation."
"Understood!"
Qin Tian nodded. He sensed that Yan Qing seemed intent on stirring significant waves, which suited him just fine.
It was best if both the Wen Family and the high-ranking officials targeting him would fall from grace simultaneously.
But there was something he needed to prepare in advance.
The military inspection team and Judgement Court wouldn’t overlook the holes in his story like Yan Qing did, so he must thoughtfully plan how to logically explain his various abilities.