Then let the witch offer her loyalty

It must be said that the physical strength of heterogenous psionic users, as melee-specialized types, is truly terrifying.

The characteristic of Chen Moxin's "Illusory Material Shadow" is that the more damage she suffers in her lifetime, the greater the spiritual energy impact she will generate upon annihilation.

The explosion of the clone had blasted through several layers of the metal deck, but Liu Dashan took it head-on at point-blank range and miraculously survived. After spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, he still tried to get up and fight again.

Chen Moxin didn't give the other party that chance. He rushed forward, conjured a blood crystal blade in his hand, and stabbed it into one of Liu Dashan's vertebrae.

"Pfft!"

With his central nervous system damaged, Liu Dashan's body went limp instantly, unable to move any further.

"Let's go, everyone's outside."

Chen Moxin picked up the paralyzed Liu Dashan and left the cabin with Zhou Yan.

Previously, with the help of the tracker on Zhou Yan, the Administration tracked down the giant ship Wings of Freedom and dispatched a crack team to launch a surprise attack.

Midway through, Zhou Yan pretended to chat and managed to get information out of Liu Dashan, learning that there were five illegal psychics on the Wings of Freedom ship.

To ensure the success of the operation, the Administration dispatched 15 witch hunters and mobilized hundreds of special forces members to attack the giant ship.

This was an overwhelming battle. The number of psionicists was already vastly different, so on average, Justice was outnumbered 3 to 1.

Even though the Demon Alliance attempted to retaliate using Calamity Weapons, the powerful Calamity Weapons were simply not usable in the confined space of the ship's cabin; misuse would be tantamount to suicide.

Even if they were forced to use it, the Bureau's special forces members were equipped with recently produced keystones, which would protect them from madness contamination to some extent.

In just two hours, the battle was nearing its end, and the entire giant ship was under control.

Chen Moxin arrived at the deck, where it was densely packed with prisoners of the Demon Alliance, each one lying face down on the ground with their hands behind their heads, their faces ashen.

Chen Moxin tossed the paralyzed Liu Dashan to the ground and asked Yang Jie, "Everything went smoothly, right? Did you catch that goldfish guy?"

Yang Jie was somewhat puzzled: "What goldfish guy?"

“Shen Feng,” Chen Moxin said.

Yang Jie said "Oh," and gestured with his chin toward the prisoners in the front row: "Well, he originally wanted to escape by helicopter, but I caught him and even found an unopened cube on him. This time it was really a great success."

Chen Moxin nodded, put her hand on Zhou Yan's shoulder, and smiled at her, "Little Zhou Yan, are you ready to receive applause?"

Chapter 187 Blood Tide

[Visuals: Global News Channel, the host looks directly at the camera]

"Good evening, viewers. Welcome to Global News. I am your host, Lin Xun. Today, I bring you a piece of news that has shocked the international community."

"Early this morning, the Twin Cities Witches' Bureau dispatched a special operations force to launch a raid on the giant oil tanker 'Wings of Freedom,' codenamed 'Scarlet Storm,' suspected of engaging in illegal activities."

"According to a spokesperson for the Administration, in the past few years, the Wings of Freedom ostensibly engaged in deep-sea sampling and transoceanic transportation, but in reality, it was secretly controlled by the Witch Alliance, which has been conducting illegal psionic experiments, trafficking prohibited weapons, and is suspected of planning multiple regional terrorist attacks."

"This operation was led by the Ninth Division of the Witch Administration Bureau. After a month of reconnaissance and deployment, key intelligence was finally obtained through infiltrators within the Demon Alliance, confirming that the ship contained multiple illegal psychics and prohibited experimental equipment."

[Scene changes: Aerial view, several helicopters and a large number of armed speedboats speeding by, with giant ships exploding in the distance]

“首府时间10月24日凌晨4时17分，帝国海军与魔女管理局联合出动12艘高速快艇和3架战术直升机，在夜色与电子干扰的掩护下迅速逼近目标海域，与敌人在船上爆发激烈冲突”

"The battle lasted for 2 hours and 13 minutes. According to the later report from the Administration Bureau, 473 members of the Demon Alliance, led by their leader Shen Feng, were successfully captured, including 5 illegal psionicists who had been wanted for many years. Another 133 people were killed on the spot."

[Scene changes to: Embassy, ​​press conference venue, a white man in a suit is giving a serious speech]

"But at the same time, the raid also quickly triggered a diplomatic storm. As the ship involved, the Wings of Freedom, is registered in the Azure Federation, and the raid took place in international waters, the Federation has lodged a strong protest."

"The Azure Federation Consulate in Twin Cities issued a public statement at 10:00 AM today, strongly condemning the Rose Empire's actions as 'an abuse of force and a deliberate violation of international sovereignty.'"

The statement also claimed that the Empire "launched an armed attack on Federation ships without due process," an act that constituted an "illegal military provocation."

"Just hours after the incident, diplomatic missions from many countries responded. According to our station's incomplete statistics, 17 governments have issued a joint statement demanding that the Imperial Government release the detained prisoners and submit the matter to the International Court of Maritime Tribunal for arbitration."

"In addition, the Azure Federation Ministry of Defense announced that the Federation Navy will conduct a week-long joint exercise around the Imperial territorial waters."

"Military experts point out that the Federation's move is intended to exert military pressure, attempting to force the Empire to make concessions at the diplomatic table. Furthermore, a senior diplomatic commentator claims that this incident could very well cause relations between the two countries to plummet to their lowest point since the beginning of the Long Night."

"As of press time, the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held preliminary consultations with the Azure Federation, and the two sides have exchanged views under the multilateral mediation mechanism, but no substantial progress has been made yet."

[Scene transition: Live broadcast studio, host looking directly at the camera]

"A surprise attack has gripped both countries. The gunfire on the high seas may just be the prelude to a storm. Amid the clash between psionic disputes and international sovereign law, where will relations between the two nations go? We will continue to bring you the latest developments."

"Next, please watch the special program – 'Psychic Crime: The Invisible War in Modern Society'"

...

Following the Wings of Freedom incident, not only did international tensions escalate, but it also became a topic of discussion among the general public.

Many people applauded, feeling that this was how terrorists should be dealt with.

They even felt that the management bureau was perhaps a little too civilized.

The soldiers actually risked their lives to board the ship and capture prisoners?

They should have just thrown a few torpedoes and blown the entire Demon Alliance, along with their ships, to the bottom of the sea to feed the sharks!

However, many people dressed in blue and holding signs that read "Stop the destruction of democracy," "We are guilty and should apologize to the international community," and "All Imperials should reflect on their actions" gathered at the entrance of the Administration Bureau to protest.

The Azure Federation suffered a setback, which seemed to be more painful than if their parents had been killed. They wailed and howled.

Regardless of public opinion, for the Witch Administration Bureau, which represents the will of the nation, this was a highly successful operation.

During the interrogation of Zhang Fengwen, the person involved in the previous attack at the Jintao Industrial Park, many important clues were revealed.

Following the clues, the intelligence department of the Administration Bureau investigated online and eventually identified Sun Kan as having dealings with the Witch Alliance and secretly trading in calamity weapons.

Sun Kan happened to be an "old acquaintance" of Zhou Yan.

So, through Chen Moxin's coordination and matchmaking, Zhou Yan, as the youngest "specially invited undercover agent" in the history of the Administration Bureau, infiltrated Sun Kan's side.

Zhou Yan has suffered a lot over the past month.

In order to infiltrate the enemy, she did all sorts of dirty and tiring work for Sun Kan all day long, and would often do a triathlon to cross Blackwater Lake.

Even when sleeping, I have to be on high alert to prevent myself from accidentally talking in my sleep.

Now that the case is closed, Zhou Yan can finally get away.

It just so happens that today is Crazy Thursday, and Chen Moxin bought Zhou Yan a family bucket meal on her way back.

Zhou Yan sat in the car, munching on a hamburger while listening to the news, and asked in a low voice, "Is our operation really, as the news says, a violation of international conventions?"

Chen Moxin nodded: "Strictly speaking, yes. It's international high seas, and the ship is registered in another country. Normally, if you want to arrest someone, you should first apply to the Azure Federation."

Zhou Yan muttered, "But the Witch Alliance was originally established with the secret funding of the Azure Federation. Asking them for help is like barging into their house and kicking their dog. How could they possibly agree to that?"

Chen Moxin patted Zhou Yan's head: "Congratulations on discovering the key point. Many times, the so-called rules are unfair, and are simply a means for others to deliberately target you."

"So, for those rules you don't agree with, the best thing to do is to throw them on the ground, stomp on them, spit on them, and walk away—of course, provided you have the power to do so."

"In this world, strength reigns supreme. When you are strong enough, the rules you accept become the rules."

Zhou Yan silently chewed on his hamburger, nodding thoughtfully.

Back at the Administration Bureau, Chen Moxin took Zhou Yan back to the Ninth Division of the Demon Hunters to prepare for the handover.

As soon as Zhou Yan entered, she was eating dessert when she shuddered, almost dropping her ice cream in fright: "What the heck, what's going on here?"

The office was packed with people, from witch hunters from other squadrons to supervisors of the containment area.

A banner that read "Welcome back, little hero" hung on the wall, and the table was full of cakes, snacks and drinks. Everyone was smiling as they looked at Zhou Yan.

"Bang—" A loud bang suddenly exploded overhead, and colorful pieces of paper burst out like popcorn, scattering all over Zhou Yan's face.

No one knows who started it, but enthusiastic applause broke out, almost lifting the office ceiling, accompanied by whistles and praise.

"Well done, Zhou Yan!"

"Well done, little guy, we owe you so much this time!"

"I knew it! This child has been smart since she was little, it's just that we didn't have the opportunity to show it before."

Zhou Yan had never seen anything like this before. She used to be disliked wherever she went, and even the dogs on the street didn't want to talk to her.

Surrounded by so many people praising her, her face flushed red, her ears burned as if they were about to bleed, and she awkwardly clutched the unfinished ice cream.

"No...stop praising me...that's enough..."

She was so shy she felt like her head was about to explode. She hurriedly hid behind Chen Moxin, looking like a little mouse that just wanted to crawl into a hole. She pinched his waist with a hint of resentment.

"What are you doing... doing this... it's so embarrassing..."

Chen Moxin couldn't help but burst into laughter, and patted her little head: "This is called the treatment of a meritorious person. Don't be shy, you deserve it."

Zhou Yan glared back at him angrily, but couldn't help but laugh. She felt a warm sensation in her heart, like swallowing a steaming hot glutinous rice ball that melted in her stomach.

At this moment, Yang Jie smiled and waved to the crowd: "Hey, the number one actor has arrived, where's the number two actor? Come out quickly! This is the first time the two actors have worked together, do you have any words to say to each other?"

Soon, Wu Meiyu, the female supervisor in the strictly controlled area, stepped out from the crowd.

Zhou Yan also peeked her head out from behind Chen Moxin.

The two just looked at each other.

The first time Wu Meiyu was beaten by Zhou Yan, it was indeed a genuine conflict between the two parties, and there was no exaggeration in it.

As for the so-called bullying and retaliation that followed, it was purely acting, paving the way for Zhou Yan's "defection".

Because the management bureau also knows that there are no secrets in the world, and there is no perfect intelligence system.

They can plant spies in the Demon Alliance, and the Demon Alliance can also plant spies here; they share a lot of information with each other.

If the act isn't convincing enough, the Demon Alliance will never easily believe Zhou Yan's "defection."

Therefore, the management bureau rigorously reviewed Wu Meiyu's background and decided to involve her in the preliminary groundwork.

The conflict between the two later was entirely pre-arranged.

Wu Meiyu was also a talented person, willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. In order to give a full performance, she told Zhou Yan not to hold back when it was time to take action.

So, when Zhou Yan punched her nose, he really put in his full strength, breaking her nose with one blow.

Now that the play is over, Zhou Yan felt quite embarrassed to run into someone like this. She awkwardly scratched the back of her head and asked, "Your...nose doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

Wu Meiyu said jokingly, "It doesn't matter if it hurts or not. Anyway, every time you hit me, I get paid sick leave. I can stay home, eat snacks, and watch TV shows. It's so much fun."

The two burst into laughter at the same time and gave each other a high five.

"Oh, by the way," Yang Jie picked up a document from the table and handed it to Zhou Yan with a smile, "The bureau has passed a resolution that, effective today, your containment level will be downgraded to 'General Containment'."

He paused, his tone revealing the relief of a father: "In addition, we have already informed the entire containment area about your forbearance and sacrifices."

"Now the witches admire you. They no longer see the tyrannical bully who used to run rampant, but a little hero who is willing to risk his life to fight against evil."

"Therefore, you must get along well with everyone from now on. You earned this result yourself; it wasn't given to you by anyone. Remember, this life didn't come easily, and you should cherish it all the more."

The sunlight outside the window was perfect, shining through the glass onto the approval documents and casting a faint golden hue.

Zhou Yan took the document and stared at it blankly.

She left the management bureau in just over a month.

But returning now feels like an entire era has passed.

She still remembers the cold floor of the solitary confinement cell, the prison food that was so bad she couldn't swallow it, and the cold, disgusted looks in the eyes of the other people.

She had thought she would spend her whole life in this kind of life.

But this document is like a key, opening a door that has never been opened to her before.

She stood there blankly, her eyes glazed over, before she came to her senses after a long while.

"Thanks..."

Zhou Yan held the hard-won document in his arms, looked up at Chen Moxin's profile, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with stars.

“I will treasure it.”

...

[Current Task: Raise Zhou Yan's overall reputation within the Twin Cities Witch Management Bureau to "Highly Praised" (Completed)]

[Reward: Implant "Mind Interference - Emotion" into Zhou Yan]

[Second-tier Psychic Awakening, gaining the ability "Blood Law"]

[Blood Law: Psionicists can alter the properties and form of their blood by consuming additional blood essence.]

[Because the host had previously established a spiritual contract with the witch, his spiritual energy has achieved third-tier awakening, activating the ability "Blood Tide".]