Cultivation Online novel Chapter 2633

Chapter 2633: Scorpion Squad’s Interrogation

Some time later, Yuan spotted six silhouettes approaching from the distance.

Once they drew close enough for him to make out their appearances, the first thing that caught his attention was their attire, which differed noticeably from the military uniforms he had grown accustomed to.

The Ironwoman moved to hover beside Yuan before addressing the approaching group in a calm yet cold tone.

"How can we help you?"

The group did not respond immediately. Instead, their gazes settled on the insignias worn by Yuan and the Ironwoman, silently examining them.

"A corporal and a major? Are the two of you lost or something?" one of them finally asked.

"No, we’re not lost," the Ironwoman replied.

"I know you’re trying to put on a brave front, but there’s no shame in asking for help, even if we’re from different cities."

In their eyes, there was only one reasonable explanation for why two soldiers would be wandering the Black Zone alone—the rest of their squad had perished.

"But still... sending a mere corporal into the Black Zone? Is Gaia’s Heaven’s military really in such a dire state right now?" another soldier remarked with a weird look on his face.

"I won’t repeat myself. We’re not lost, so you can leave us alone."

"Hey, asshole, we’re only trying to help!" one of the soldiers snapped. "You should watch your mouth, especially when you’re practically alone out here!"

"That sounds like a threat," the Ironwoman said calmly.

"So what if it—"

"Shut up!" another soldier suddenly interrupted, clamping a hand over his companion’s mouth. "Look closely! A major wearing a mask—that’s the Ironwoman!"

"?!?!"

"Is it true? You’re the famous Ironwoman of Gaia’s Heaven?"

"And what if it’s true?"

"T-Then there’s no doubt that you don’t need any help. We apologize if we’d offended you."

Without another word, these soldiers turned around and swiftly flew away.

"What was that about?" Yuan asked afterward.

"What do you mean?"

"Was that attitude really necessary? They were only trying to help us, weren’t they?"

"Perhaps," the Ironwoman replied. "But nothing good ever comes from getting involved with soldiers from another city. It’s better if we simply keep our distance from one another."

"Why is that? Are our cities at war with each other or something? What warrants so much caution?" Yuan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We may not be at war, but we still compete over resources," she replied. "In this world, nothing is more valuable than Unknown Ores and Unknown Crystals, since they serve as the primary source of energy for practically everything."

"Soldiers from the same military are forbidden from harming one another, but that restriction doesn’t apply to soldiers from different cities, which is why altercations between soldiers from different cities are extremely common and borderline expected."

"While it’s entirely possible that they genuinely wanted to help, there’s an even greater chance they were simply trying to confirm whether we were alone before deciding to rob—or even kill—us," she added after a brief moment of silence. "There’s a reason they left the moment they recognized who I was."

"I’ll keep that in mind the next time I have another encounter with soldiers from another city," Yuan said.

Some time later, Yuan resumed hunting Void Specters throughout the Black Zone while the Ironwoman quietly observed him and helped him pick up Unknown Ores.

A few weeks later, she finally said, "I think I’ve seen enough. It’s obvious that you have no trouble surviving out here on your own, so I’ll leave you be and return to the city. General Mei is probably losing her mind by now, especially since you never returned with the Scorpion Squad."

"I thought you’d never leave," Yuan joked.

"..."

After a moment of silence, the Ironwoman asked, "How long do you plan on staying out here?"

"A few more months, probably."

"Try to return within a year," the Ironwoman said before turning around to leave.

However, after moving a few meters, she suddenly stopped. Without looking back, she asked in a puzzled tone, "I was expecting you to ask about my mask. Aren’t you curious why I wear it? Or what I look like underneath?"

Yuan smiled. "Not really."

Since he already knew what she looked like beneath the mask, there was no reason for him to ask. Of course, revealing that would only invite questions he’d rather not answer.

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