Chapter 1408
A Tragic Case of One Life Lost
“Even if I had been there, I couldn’t guarantee that we could have defeated that enemy, or even that the outcome would have been better.”
That enemy who calls himself 'Tianyu Shencang' has surpassed all our previous intelligence estimates, reaching a level that is... extremely terrifying.
Upon hearing the name "Tianyu Shencang," Chen Yifan's body trembled involuntarily, and a clear, deep-seated fear and dread surfaced in his eyes.
He recalled that moment, that white figure that seemed like a god descending or a demon appearing in the world, that overwhelming, despair-inducing power, and that terrifying method that caused devastating damage with a casual gesture.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was dry.
“He…he’s not human…that kind of power…I’ve never seen anything like it…it’s completely insurmountable…it’s like…like facing a natural disaster…”
At this moment, the door to the ward was gently pushed open, and Zhou Xiaobei, whose head was still bandaged and whose arm was in a sling, and Su Muchen, who was using crutches, slowly moved in.
They were clearly also thinking of Chen Yifan and wanted to visit him, and happened to overhear the second half of the conversation.
Zhou Xiaobei leaned against the door frame, his face still somewhat pale, and replied.
"Brother Yifan is right."
That Tenyu Kamikura... he's a monster.
But it wasn't just her.
He looked at Luo Fei and added.
"The woman with her who uses dual swords is named Hana Yu Xianmaru. Her swordsmanship is so fast that it's impossible to see clearly. She's definitely a top-notch expert as well."
Moreover, according to intelligence reports about the previous attack on the Xuanji Group, the 'Dark Moon Asura' who attacked them earlier was also incredibly powerful, and his moves were said to be bizarre and ruthless, causing the Xuanji Group to suffer heavy losses at his hands.
Su Muchen also whispered.
“These top-tier superhumans from Japan who suddenly appeared are all ridiculously strong. The infiltrators and mercenaries we dealt with before were not even in the same league as them.”
Zhou Xiaobei's words made Luo Fei's mood even heavier.
He thought not only of those powerful enemies, but also of the children whose fates were completely changed as a result.
He was silent for a moment, his voice low and heavy, as if pressing on his chest.
"It's not just the Xuanji Group. According to the latest intelligence, the Dark Moon Asura who attacked the Xuanji Group before, as well as the enemies involved in this attack, had very clear targets and were extremely ruthless. The children of the Xuanji Group lost their fathers."
And our Heavenly Secrets Group..."
He paused, took a deep breath, and then continued.
"After this attack, all the close relatives of the children of the Heavenly Secrets Group... have been confirmed to have perished in that chaotic battle and the subsequent attacks."
A deathly silence fell over the ward.
Even the beeping sounds from the instruments seemed distant.
Chen Yifan, Zhou Xiaobei, and Su Muchen were all stunned, and then a deeper sense of grief, indignation, and coldness welled up in their eyes.
They knew that the children in the Heavenly Secrets Group had special backgrounds, and that most of their relatives had been participants or related personnel twenty years ago, and were already in danger. However, upon hearing the cold conclusion that "all perished," they still felt a chilling coldness and a raging fire.
This means that those children, in a very short time, became completely orphans. The enemy not only wanted to destroy the existing resistance forces, but also to eradicate the roots of the past—their intentions are despicable!
The disaster caused by this premeditated, ruthless, and decisive raid on the Divine Bow Bureau training center, spearheaded by Tianyu Shencang, extends far beyond this incident.
When the final casualty statistics came out, every number weighed heavily, soaked in blood.
The number of people who died directly from the attack included defense personnel, teenagers from the Sky Machine Group who assisted in the battle, and base staff, totaling forty-two.
Behind these forty-two names are the abrupt end of forty-two vibrant lives and the instant collapse of the joy of family life for forty-two families.
The number of seriously injured people is as high as dozens, including nearly ten people whose injuries are life-threatening, such as Chen Yifan and Yuan Bingyan.
Their road to recovery will be long and arduous, and some may be left with lifelong disabilities or indelible psychological trauma.
If we include those who perished in the previous attack on the Xuanji Group, as well as other staff members at the base who were affected and lost their lives, this bloody storm unleashed by the supernatural forces of the Sakura Kingdom has claimed over a hundred lives on the land of Great Xia. The casualty figures are cold and hard, but behind them lie countless once-warm families shattered, parents losing their children, children losing their parents, spouses losing their loved ones—endless grief, wounds that urgently need time and care to heal, yet may never truly be fully restored. A heavy, bloody shadow hangs over the hearts of the Divine Bow Bureau and all those who are aware of it.
Such heavy losses and such blatant intrusion could not possibly be ignored by the higher-ups.
Shortly after the attack, the Great Xia cabinet convened a high-level, somber emergency meeting to discuss and make decisions regarding the incident.
Inside the meeting room, the atmosphere was so solemn it was almost suffocating. Around the oval table sat several high-ranking officials from the core of the Great Xia's power structure, each with an unusually serious expression.
On the huge screen, pictures of the attack site, casualty statistics, and related brief intelligence analysis were displayed. Those shocking images and figures silently condemned the enemy's atrocities.
The discussion was heated from the very beginning.
A resolute-looking, upright-shouldered Grand Secretary was the first to speak. He was Grand Secretary Wei, who had a strong military background. His voice was loud and clear, filled with barely suppressed anger.
"The continuous assassinations, and this time the direct attack on our training center, have caused such heavy casualties within our military and police system!"
This is no longer a simple provocation or infiltration; it is a blatant act of war! It is tantamount to Japan openly declaring war on our country! We must immediately take the strongest military countermeasures to make them pay tenfold, a hundredfold price! Otherwise, where is our national prestige? Where is our military might? How can we face our fallen compatriots?
As soon as he finished speaking, another scholar, Grand Secretary Kong, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and possessing a refined yet shrewd demeanor, slowly shook his head and retorted, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable rationality. "Elder Wei, we understand your feelings. Anger is justified."
However, please calm down and think about this. How much concrete, publicly available evidence do we currently possess that directly points to the Japanese government or official institutions?
He looked around and continued.
"Our internal intelligence and analysis have indeed confirmed that this attack was carried out by top superhumans under the Shinto cult of Japan."
However, Sato is dead, and Yamaya Masako, whom we captured, was rescued at great cost. Now we have neither crucial living witnesses nor any irrefutable evidence that directly proves the attackers' official identities.
If we launch a large-scale military counterattack now, we will be in a very passive position internationally. Certain Western powers, who have long coveted us, are looking for an excuse to criticize and sanction us. If we strike first, wouldn't we be handing them the labels of "destabilizing the region" and "unilaterally escalating the conflict"? At that point, we might not only lose moral ground but also face diplomatic isolation and a media siege.
Grand Secretary Wei was extremely dissatisfied with this statement. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up agitatedly.
"Master Kong! According to you, the enemy has already come to our doorstep and killed so many of us. Are we supposed to just swallow our anger and try to reason with them and present evidence? What kind of logic is that?! If we don't take decisive action this time, it will only make Japan and all the forces around the world that covet us think that our Great Xia is weak and easy to bully! Today they dared to attack our training center, and tomorrow they will dare to do something even more outrageous! We must fight back, and fight them hard, until they feel pain and are afraid!"
At this moment, another Grand Secretary, Fan, with gray hair and a gaunt face, spoke up. He supported Grand Secretary Kong's point of view and analyzed the situation in a calm tone.
"Elder Wei, please calm down. Elder Kong's concerns are not without merit."
The current international situation is turbulent and unpredictable. The two major powers are deeply mired in the conflict in Eastern Europe, and their national strength is being severely depleted. The global strategic landscape is undergoing subtle changes.
If we were to engage in a full-scale military confrontation with Japan at this time, regardless of victory or defeat, it would inevitably be a protracted and costly war.
This is exactly the situation that certain forces most want to see—that our two major powers in East Asia will wear each other down and weaken each other, so that they can reap the benefits.
Therefore, I believe that we should be patient and bide our time, seizing this strategic window of opportunity to focus on developing our economy, science and technology, and overall national strength. Once our national power is stable and we have become a truly world-leading power, it will not be too late to settle accounts with Japan.
He paused, then pointed to a blurry image of a spacecraft's trajectory on the screen and added.
"Furthermore, as you can see, based on the analysis of the residual signals captured by our monitoring system, the technical characteristics of the aircraft that transported these attackers into our airspace and carried out the rendezvous are highly consistent with the latest stealth tactical transport aircraft developed by a certain major power, which has not yet been officially announced to the public."
What does this indicate? It suggests that this attack may have been tacitly approved by the country, or even received direct technical support!
This is not merely a simple supernatural attack; it is a meticulously planned conspiracy with strategic probing and attrition purposes! If we overreact, we will play right into their hands.
Grand Secretary Kong nodded, then took over the conversation and further elaborated on his views.
"What Mr. Fan said is absolutely right. In addition, there is another crucial point that we must consider."
That is the very existence of 'superhumans'.
His gaze swept over each of the elders present, and his tone became exceptionally solemn.
"Once this incident is fully made public, it will inevitably reveal the fact that both sides in the conflict have 'superhuman' individuals with extraordinary abilities."
This violates, first and foremost, the relevant restrictions and confidentiality treaties that were tacitly signed by international parties in the past for various considerations.
More importantly, this could be a bombshell for our domestic stability.
He leaned forward slightly and emphasized.
"Ordinary people naturally have fear and distrust of forces that are beyond the scope of scientific understanding."
If the public knew that there really were "superhumans" like Tenyu Kamikura with the power to move mountains and overturn seas, and that they might be right next to us, even threatening national security and social order, how much panic and suspicion would it cause? This panic could very well be exploited by people with ulterior motives to incite unnecessary conflict and social instability.
Therefore, considering both domestic and foreign policy factors, I believe this matter should be handled discreetly. Externally, we should exert political and diplomatic pressure through diplomatic channels by lodging strong protests and issuing written condemnations. Internally, we should maintain strict confidentiality, control the scope of information, and do our utmost to handle the aftermath and provide compensation.
As for a substantial counterattack, we need to plan carefully and act only after thorough deliberation.
"A long-term plan? Or a low-key approach?"
Upon hearing this, Grand Secretary Wei's face turned red with anger, and his chest heaved violently. He pointed at the casualty figures on the screen with great distress, his voice trembling with emotion.
"It's because we always 'plan for the long term'! It's because of the 'low-key handling' back then! That's why we have this tragedy today! Elder Kong, Elder Fan, do you still remember, twenty years ago, after that incident, who was the one who insisted on completely disbanding the Heavenly Secrets Group?! Huh?!"
His gaze swept over the most senior cabinet members, his voice suddenly rising.
"Back then, Director Lei Wanting was firmly opposed to disbanding it!"
He saw the potential danger, believing that Japan would not let this go unpunished and would secretly develop this power! But what was the result? The result was that certain people, citing reasons such as "difficult to control" and "potential for internal instability," forcibly disbanded the Heavenly Mystery Group! This interrupted our own inheritance and accumulation! Now, twenty years later, their ability users have been trained, top experts are emerging one after another, and their strength has greatly increased! And what about us? We are facing a talent gap! We can only rely on a few individuals like Luo Fei who have made it through their own struggles, and on those children temporarily recruited to carry the load!
What's this called? This is called a zero-sum game!
This is called a strategic miscalculation! Every drop of blood we shed today, every sacrifice we make, is paying the price for that short-sighted decision made back then!
These sharp and pointed questions, which directly addressed historical decisions, suddenly made the atmosphere in the meeting room even more tense and delicate.
Several of the former cabinet members who participated in the decision-making process or knew the inside story looked somewhat unnatural.
Grand Secretary Kong's face also darkened, but he quickly composed himself and responded.
"Old Wei, the disbanding of the Tianji Group back then was a collective decision, a choice made under specific historical circumstances based on the assessment of the domestic and international situation at the time."
At the time, it was believed that the main threats had been eliminated, and prioritizing internal stability and technological development was the right direction.
Looking back now, there may have been oversights, but history has no "what ifs." Our focus now is not on rehashing the past, but on how to address the current dire situation, how to handle the aftermath, and… how to hold those responsible for this incident accountable.
He subtly steered the conversation in another sensitive direction, his gaze sharpening. (End of Chapter)