Chapter 126: Unexpected Incident

“Prime Minister, General Jiang has regained consciousness and wishes to speak with you,” Elder Han said quietly as he approached the hall, leaning close to the Prime Minister’s ear.

The Prime Minister nodded. The two bodyguards standing beside him instinctively moved to enter the room, but General Jiang’s voice came from within: “You two need not come in. Qin Yang is here. Unless the enemy attacks, no one will harm the Prime Minister.”

With the old general’s command, the two bodyguards remained at the door, ready to defend the Prime Minister at any sign of trouble.

General Jiang lay half-reclined on the bed while Qin Yang busied himself studying and chopping herbs nearby. The Prime Minister hurried over, his voice full of concern. “Old Jiang, you can’t go before us old friends.”

“I’m tough as nails,” the old general chuckled, though he coughed a few times. The Prime Minister gently helped him catch his breath. “You may be tough, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect your health. Thankfully, Qin Yang was here this time; otherwise…”

“Prime Minister, let’s discuss something else first,” General Jiang waved his hand. “Qin Yang saved me, so naturally the Jiang family must honor his requests. Most are no problem, but the last one requires your consideration. Even without Qin Yang, I would want to discuss it. About the Black Prison—I believe it’s time to abolish it. There’s no need for our soldiers to continue bearing those old burdens.”

“I have considered this,” the Prime Minister said meaningfully, glancing at Qin Yang. “There have been many rumors and growing discontent about the Black Prison domestically.”

Qin Yang shivered inwardly but kept chopping herbs silently. No way could he admit to any involvement—such a crime would be treason against national stability, punishable by death.

General Jiang caught the Prime Minister’s gaze and looked at Qin Yang, his face flushing with anger as he whispered, “Qin Yang, you’ve certainly prepared well for those advocating for the Black Prison’s end.”

“What are you talking about?” Qin Yang asked, confused. “I’ve been inside the Black Prison all along. If you mean I did it, I won’t accept that. Old man, you know I’m stubborn. If you don’t come out with numbers three, four, and five, I’m not letting this go.” Setting down his tools, Qin Yang seemed ready to negotiate.

General Jiang shot him a glare, scolding softly, “Don’t think I was out cold and unaware. I might have fainted, but I still heard some things.”

“That wasn’t me,” Qin Yang protested.

The Prime Minister chuckled. “According to our investigation, it was a group of foreign instigators aiming to destabilize the country. This has nothing to do with Qin Yang.”

“Hmph,” the old general grunted knowingly. He understood the Prime Minister was defending Qin Yang. Though he had been unconscious, he had overheard conversations between son and grandson and pieced things together. While he did not oppose Qin Yang’s intentions, he firmly disapproved of the methods.

“The Black Prison should indeed be dismantled, but it must be gradual,” the Prime Minister explained. “Though these involve old cases, the people involved are still alive. We must consider their situations. The Chairman and I discussed this; he agreed that the Black Prison’s dissolution requires sufficient achievements to silence dissent, which is why he approved of the Black Prison’s military engagement.”

As they spoke, Qin Yang suddenly froze, a mysterious gleam flashing in his eyes.

“Hell Mission: Soul Requisition—claim the soul of Azalias, leader of the Nilie rebel armed forces. Mission reward: a fragment of the Hell Star and a special supernatural ability.”

“What’s that?” Qin Yang blinked in surprise.

“The Hell Star is a treasury of souls representing Hell’s envoy. If you collect all its fragments, you can immerse your soul in the Hell Star, continuously cultivating to gain soul points and strengthen your soul power. Most importantly, it’s an unparalleled artifact for rebirth. On the brink of death, you can sink your soul into the Hell Star; if you survive, it automatically repairs your body, allowing you to return to life. In other words, a complete Hell Star grants you a chance at resurrection. As for the special ability, I need not explain, but activating it requires your soul power. The Hell Star fragments serve as both the path and place for your soul cultivation.” The steward spoke softly. “The previous wearer’s Hell Star was shattered into seven pieces by Heaven’s envoy. I had thought Hell Star missions would appear only after the third level of Hell, but Hell has awakened early, letting you start cultivating soul power at the first level.”

“Good stuff,” Qin Yang’s eyes gleamed.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Qin Yang frowned but nodded when two others indicated it was alright. “Come in.”

Major General Zhao entered, immediately saluting upon seeing General Jiang awake. He glanced at Qin Yang, hesitating.

“Speak,” the old general said impatiently.

General Zhao hurriedly reported, “Prime Minister, General, intelligence from the General Staff Headquarters shows that a recent armed uprising occurred in the West African Nilie Republic. The Nilie government is effectively destroyed. Three embassy staff were taken hostage by rebels; over thirty aid workers and sixteen known Chinese citizens escaped by chance. However, unknown armed groups are conducting carpet searches, putting our people’s lives at great risk. Border intelligence reports that a terrorist organization plans to deploy over a hundred militants to Nilie, apparently having reached an agreement with the rebels to exchange arms for more than fifty Chinese hostages.”

“What?” The Prime Minister was shocked.

General Jiang leapt from bed, furious. “How dare they! Do they think China is easy prey?”

“General, the situation is urgent. The Foreign Ministry has issued strong statements, but the rebels remain deaf. The Chairman demands you rescue the hostages at all costs!” Major General Zhao said sternly.

General Jiang nodded, composed himself, and ordered, “Notify the General Staff Office, Operations Department, and Intelligence Department to convene an emergency meeting. Inform Wei Boyang, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Combat Unit, and the Sun Umbrella Special Operations Team to enter Level One combat readiness.”

“Yes, sir!” Zhao took his leave immediately.

Ignoring his frail health, General Jiang donned his neatly arranged military uniform. The Prime Minister glanced at Qin Yang. “Qin Yang, what are your thoughts on this?”

Qin Yang was momentarily stunned.

General Jiang paused, eyes fixed on Qin Yang. This young man had experience rescuing hostages from hundreds of militants. He and Zhou Qi’s War God Squad were far more versatile than the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Unit, which excelled in offense but lagged in hostage rescue and protection.

“If the Nilie rebels have overthrown the government, they are now the rulers. Given their agreement with the militants, diplomacy is clearly ineffective. The only option is to strike—no negotiations, just overwhelming force. Talking to them only invites trouble. As for other nations using this as a pretext for military threats, we ignore them. Anyone who dares to provoke us can be labeled as allied with the militants, intending to aid terrorism by hostage-taking. We can then engage the UN, humanitarian associations, and anti-terror organizations to stall while the hostages return home.” Qin Yang carefully separated the herbs and placed them in order into a clay pot, from which fragrant aromas soon wafted, soothing the mind.

“Good, we’ll hit them hard and fast. Qin Yang, you may have clashed with me before, but you’ve got my temper,” General Jiang clapped his hands. “Prime Minister, please see the Chairman immediately to seek his approval. I will convene the General Staff for an emergency meeting to discuss candidates and the rescue plan.”

Though the Prime Minister was usually gentle, he was decisive in crises. Before leaving, he smiled. “I think the candidate should be Qin Yang.”

“Huh?” Qin Yang narrowed his eyes.

“If you rebuild the War God Squad and succeed in this mission, the dissolution of the Black Prison will be inevitable,” the Prime Minister said softly.

Qin Yang scratched his nose, frustrated. “No way. I demanded the Black Prison’s dissolution as a condition for rescuing him, and you agreed. Those are two different things; we can’t confuse them.”

“You little bastard, what kind of time is this to haggle?” General Jiang fumed.

The Prime Minister added, “Qin Yang, this is an emergency. We need your cooperation. The Black Prison’s dissolution won’t happen overnight, but if you achieve a remarkable success, it will cease to exist when you return.”

“Fine, you said it, so me arguing further would be just stubbornness,” Qin Yang muttered.

This was actually perfect—doing them a favor, showing that the old have their wisdom. Rebuilding the War God Squad meant rescuing hostages, quelling rumors about the Black Prison, and obliging him to save General Jiang—a triple win.

“Alright, I’ll return to the Black Prison now. I’ve given the prescription to Elder Han. You’ll be fine for a year. After that, I’ll reassess and provide additional prescriptions, renewing yearly. For twelve years, you’ll be safe, but beyond that, it’s up to fate. Poor brothers of mine—haven’t seen the battlefield in years.” Qin Yang packed up and slipped the golden needles into his bag.

“Rest assured, I’ll have the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon coordinate with your operation,” the Prime Minister said amusedly.

Qin Yang waved him off. “Forget them. I have grudges with them. Plus, I had conflicts with them over my foster mother. They probably hate me so much they’d wipe me out before we even leave the country. Better to take the Sun Umbrella Special Operations Team—they’re easier for me to handle. We can go into battle, but I don’t want people scheming against us behind the lines.” He was unconcerned about his killing record; the Prime Minister and General Jiang knew well enough.

“This is critical. I guarantee no one will cause trouble,” the Prime Minister vowed. “With me and Old Jiang backing you, you should feel assured.”

“That works, but before we deploy, the Black Prison must be disbanded. Otherwise, I can’t explain it to them.” Qin Yang glanced at General Jiang, teasing, “I was deceived once before. That betrayal greatly undermined the whole Black Prison’s trust and credibility.”

General Jiang’s face reddened.

The Prime Minister said, “You sure know how to bargain. I can agree, but you must sign a military pledge to complete this mission successfully.”

“I’ll do my best,” Qin Yang solemnly promised.

General Jiang nodded, drank the medicine Qin Yang handed him, and the three left the room. Outside, several people stepped forward as they emerged. The Prime Minister left first. Jiang Feng, upon hearing the general was going to a meeting, looked anxious. “Father, your health has only just recovered.”

“I’m fine. Qin Yang, let’s go.” The old general signaled the others to step aside and hurried out, soldiers saluting all along the way. He was too hurried to return the salutes. At the gate, a communicator had already arrived by car. But when General Jiang saw his grandson kneeling there with a thorned staff on his back, anger flashed in his eyes as he shot Qin Yang a glare.

Qin Yang ignored him, took out his phone, watched a video to ensure the boy wasn’t scheming, then said, “Old man, why the glare? If you don’t want me to supply your medicine a year from now, just say so. Your grandson broke his promise first, so I’m teaching him a lesson. Not satisfied?”

General Jiang snorted and got into the car.

Jiang Nanyan stared blankly at the scene, surprised that his grandfather hadn’t said a word to him. What did that mean? Disappointment or disregard? Just then, another military vehicle arrived. Qin Yang got in and said, “Jiang Nanyan, behave from now on. I’m letting you off this time.”