Hua Xiaotian?

When that name was spoken, the soldiers immediately froze.

To them, the name Hua Xiaotian was legendary. Never mind majors and above; even the greenest recruits straight out of boot camp were filled with frenzied adoration for that name. The story of him single-handedly wiping out a group of drug traffickers on the border had long become an unprecedented, absolute legend within the military. For any man who had worn the uniform and carried a gun, not recognizing this name tinged with an air of mystique would undoubtedly earn them the contempt of their peers.

So when Hua Xiaotian announced his name, the soldiers were all dumbfounded. The very air seemed to stagnate, and in their stupor, their stances completely faltered.

"Commander... Commander Hua! Is it really you?" a second lieutenant asked, his voice trembling slightly.

He didn’t seem to harbor much doubt about Hua Xiaotian appearing here. After all, the fact that the "Divine Dragon" was famously elusive was a well-known part of the legends.

"Yes, I’m Hua Xiaotian. We just returned from abroad. If you doubt the authenticity of my current appearance, you can report it to your superiors," Hua Xiaotian said with an affable smile.

"Commander Hua! My apologies, but as you know, from a military standpoint, I cannot act rashly. I will report this to the higher-ups right now!"

With a light chuckle and a nod of approval from Hua Xiaotian, the second lieutenant immediately ran off to make his report.

Before long, an infrared camera lit up and swiveled toward Hua Xiaotian and Qin Fan. Seeing this, Hua Xiaotian looked up and waved cheerfully at the now-stationary camera.

Three minutes later, the second lieutenant ran back out. Facing Hua Xiaotian, he snapped to attention, raised his hand in a salute, and announced, "Greetings, Commander Hua!"

"Greetings, Commander Hua!"

Following the second lieutenant’s lead, the other soldiers hastily put down their weapons, saluting and shouting excitedly.

Holy shit, it’s Hua Xiaotian! It’s the legendary Hua Xiaotian! Never mind his official status; just the fact that he went into battle alone was enough to make these hot-blooded men offer him their highest form of worship and admiration!

"Heh heh. Since everything’s been confirmed, let’s not waste any more words. We’re in a hurry. Can we pass now?" Hua Xiaotian asked with a light laugh and a nod, showing no hint of arrogance.

"Commander Hua, please!" the second lieutenant said in a flustered voice, belatedly stepping aside with a fervent gaze.

WHISH! WHISH! WHISH!

The soldiers who had surrounded the two men quickly dispersed to clear a path.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. Farewell until we meet again!"

Surveying the circle of soldiers, Hua Xiaotian patted the second lieutenant’s shoulder before striding forward.

As they watched the figures of Hua Xiaotian and Qin Fan gradually disappear into the distance, the group of soldiers remained dazed for a long time. The shock brought by his name and his face still echoed in their minds.

"Commander Hua, I’m basking in your glory!" Qin Fan joked, having now slowed his pace from a frantic sprint.

"Master Qin, you flatter me! What do you mean ’basking in my glory’? If you wanted to leave, could these mere soldiers have possibly stopped you? To be blunt, they probably couldn’t have even caught a glimpse of your shadow!" Hua Xiaotian said with a wry smile.

How much time had actually passed? They were already back in Huaxia from Japan? Honestly, Hua Xiaotian felt like he was dreaming. He couldn’t believe that a prodigy so heaven-defying could possibly exist in this world!

"Haha! Alright, enough talk! Now that we’re back in Huaxia, let’s part ways. Farewell, until we meet again!"

With a carefree laugh, Qin Fan’s figure vanished from the spot with a whoosh.

「In the decision-making room of the Forbidden City」

Several bigwigs kept an all-night vigil, waiting for news from the front lines to stream in.

Suddenly, a telephone rang. The man in charge quickly grabbed the red phone, gave a few brief responses, and ended the call.

"Boss, what’s the situation?" one of the bigwigs asked, his eyes wide and alert.

"Heh heh..." The leader let out a long, meaningful laugh before continuing, "Let me give you all a summary. During the recent disaster that befell Japan, the far-right extremist Yamamoto Ichiro, his family, and the entire Yamamoto Group were slaughtered. The Jingguo Society was burned to the ground. The Divine Ninja Tanaka Nobuo, who once infiltrated Huaxia as a spy, was burned to death as a Sky Lantern. Furthermore, the total number of other ninja casualties is unknown. A battle took place on Mount Fuji where the Orochi was killed after its revival, causing the mountain to collapse. In addition, a squadron of Japanese fighter jets exploded over Mount Fuji. And the final point: Master Hua has returned. He is now within Huaxia’s borders."

"What!?"

At these words, all the leaders gasped in astonishment. Their faces, however, were filled with an unmistakable, gleeful schadenfreude.

"How satisfying! Truly satisfying! Haha!" one of the leaders couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

However, as soon as he laughed, his smile froze. He exclaimed in shock, "Wait a minute! Boss, you said Master Hua is now in Huaxia? Does this mean he wasn’t the one behind all this?"

Hearing this, everyone’s smiles froze, and they all turned in unison to look at the leader.

The latter shook his head with a grin. "It was both Master Hua and Qin Fan," he said. "As for how they returned from Japan to Huaxia in such a short time, I have no idea. But one thing is certain: the Divine Skills of the Martial Arts world are far beyond our comprehension."