Another soft voice chimed in, “My children, under the glory of the Heavenly Father, you shall all be blessed. Blessing.” A gentle white light flashed within the cave, enveloping the Knights Templar members. A sudden release swept over the knights; all their fatigue and dust vanished without a trace, leaving them feeling immediately refreshed.

Liu Hui started again, surprised, because this speaker had not emitted the slightest sound. If he hadn't spoken actively, Liu Hui truly would not have detected his presence. Moreover, he recognized the accent; it belonged to Archbishop Ovimas, who was with Archbishop Andre. It seemed he had just cast a spell called Blessing, dispelling their weariness.

Andre and Ovimas were both present, but Liu Hui had no idea if Archbishop John was around. Since he hadn't heard Archbishop John’s voice at all, Liu Hui couldn't be sure.

Archbishop Andre spoke, “Very well, time is nearly up for today. Everyone rest here for now. We will venture out to track any enemy signs at first light.”

The Knights Templar immediately responded in unison, then each found a spot to sit, beginning to conserve their strength.

The sudden appearance of this group from the Holy See in the desolate wilds of Afghanistan instantly brought to mind what Zhou Tengyun had told him earlier. Could it be that the three Cardinals of the Holy See had pursued Zhou Tengyun last time, failed to catch him, and then dispatched their Knights Templar from the headquarters to continue the encirclement?

Across from him, Zhou Tengyun’s eyes also flickered rapidly as he pondered the same question. However, Liu Hui had more pressing matters to attend to and didn't wish to clash with this contingent from the Holy See here, lest it complicate his main objective. Thus, Liu Hui signaled to Zhou Tengyun, who understood immediately. The two rose and silently retreated deep into the tunnel, walking for over half an hour within its confines before emerging on the other side of the mountain range.

The sky outside was still pitch black. Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun quickly left the mountainous area, planning to find another place far from this terrain to rest, doing their best to avoid the personnel from the Holy See.

Zhou Tengyun pulled out a GP locator from his coat, checked the displayed data to confirm their coordinates, and then led Liu Hui westward. They stopped at a location far from the mountains and rested. However, they dared not sleep; instead, they immediately entered a state of meditative cultivation, maintaining vigilance at all times, keenly aware of any movement outside.

As soon as the first light of dawn broke the next day, the two got up. They ate some dry rations and drank some water. Liu Hui retrieved the car from his storage dimension, and Zhou Tengyun took the wheel, continuing west. As Zhou Tengyun drove, he constantly checked the data on the GP locator, correcting their heading as they went.

Not long after they set off, a US fighter jet appeared overhead, roaring past them. Soon after, two helicopters flew over their heads.

“Is this war? Airplanes everywhere. It certainly gives one a feeling of intense oppression,” Liu Hui murmured.

“It’s unavoidable. Battles are always like this,” Zhou Tengyun replied. However, he seemed accustomed to seeing US aircraft and paid them no mind, continuing to drive. The mountain roads grew increasingly difficult. At certain treacherous passes, they had to get out; Liu Hui would store the car in his storage dimension, and after they passed the difficult section, he would bring it out again to continue driving.

The car continued onward, winding over one mountain range after another. It was nearly five or six in the evening when they finally entered the territory controlled by General Mohmandstir in the deep mountains of southern Afghanistan. At a vital pass, there was a makeshift checkpoint where several Afghan men carrying machine guns casually watched the activity on the road. When they saw Zhou Tengyun’s car approach, they immediately surrounded it, pointing their weapons at Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun.

Zhou Tengyun smiled, stopped the car, and handed a piece of paper to the leading man. The leader took the paper and saw it was a special transit permit personally signed by General Mohmandstir. With a sweep of his hand, his subordinates quickly moved the roadblock out of the road.

Zhou Tengyun tossed a cigarette out of the window, then drove the car through the pass. The Taliban guards at the checkpoint snatched the cigarette from the ground, ripped off the outer wrapping, and began smoking greedily.

This checkpoint was effectively Mohmandstir’s first line of defense. After passing it, Zhou Tengyun continued through several more checkpoints. Thanks to General Mohmandstir’s special permit, they passed unimpeded every time, only having to hand out a few cigarettes.

By the time Zhou Tengyun drove truly into Mohmandstir’s domain, it was already seven in the evening, the sky nearly dark. Mohmandstir’s base was deep in the mountains. The local populace served as a militia for the entire population, and during the busy farming season, they focused exclusively on cultivating opium, which they then refined into narcotics and sold to the outside world in exchange for the food and weapons they needed.

Along the way, Liu Hui noticed some crudely built structures lining the roadside. These simple buildings were clustered together, forming the appearance of a small town. It was dinnertime, and smoke from cooking fires rose from every household, enveloping the entire village. Some raggedly dressed children were playing outside, shouting excitedly at Liu Hui’s approaching car, their eyes full of curiosity. If not for the shadow of war, this scene would have been a beautiful pastoral painting.

Zhou Tengyun drove on for a short distance until they were spotted by a patrol of armed soldiers. The soldiers stopped Zhou Tengyun’s vehicle, checked his transit pass, and then one soldier stepped aside to report to someone via his handheld radio.

A moment later, the reporting soldier returned and said to Zhou Tengyun, “Mr. Ali Baba, please follow us. The General is waiting for you.”

The soldier jumped into Zhou Tengyun’s car and directed him where to drive on the winding mountain tracks. After ten minutes of driving over rugged paths, they were far from the small town and stopped before a large cave. A man who looked like a captain was waiting there. Upon seeing Zhou Tengyun arrive, he strode forward to meet them.

“Ali Baba, my dear brother, you have finally arrived.” The captain gave Zhou Tengyun a warm embrace.

“Haha, Mo'id, my brother, I am here.” Zhou Tengyun also moved forward enthusiastically, embracing Mo'id.

“And who is this?” Mo'id suddenly noticed Liu Hui next to Zhou Tengyun, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes as he inquired of Zhou Tengyun.

“Brother Mo'id, this is my good brother. We owe the successful transport of this shipment entirely to his help. Let’s go see the General first; I’m sure he’ll be pleased to hear this good news,” Zhou Tengyun said with a smile, briefly introducing Liu Hui without revealing his name.

“The shipment is already in? That is truly excellent news. Hurry inside, the General is waiting for you!” Hearing that the shipment had arrived and seeing Liu Hui accompanying Zhou Tengyun, Mo'id stopped asking questions, happily ushering Zhou Tengyun inside, with Liu Hui following them closely and unobtrusively.

As soon as they entered the first cave, Liu Hui realized it was not as dilapidated as it appeared from the outside; it was brightly lit within. At the entrance was a defensive position manned by about ten fierce-looking Taliban soldiers with heavy machine guns mounted, warily watching the exterior. Seeing Mo'id enter, they immediately moved the barricades aside, allowing Mo'id and the others through.

Beyond that barricade was a wide path, even covered with thick carpets. Zhou Tengyun and Liu Hui followed Mo'id for about five hundred meters, taking several turns before arriving at a massive cavern—this was Mohmandstir’s true residence. The interior was furnished with extreme luxury, glowing with opulence, truly like a palace.

Various lights illuminated the cavern as if it were daytime. A large bearded man was seated at a dining table, enjoying his evening meal. Another equally large beard stood respectfully behind him, reporting something, though this man’s face showed clear worry and unhappiness. As Zhou Tengyun and Liu Hui entered, the reporting man immediately set down his food and rushed forward, anxiously asking, “Ali Baba, my brother, did you bring what I asked for?”

Zhou Tengyun smiled and replied, “General Mohmandstir, we have successfully transported what you requested. As soon as you hand over your narcotics, you will immediately receive what you desire.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s conduct the trade immediately. You must know, I have been waiting for this shipment of arms for a long time.” Upon hearing that the weapons had arrived, Mohmandstir was overjoyed and immediately demanded the exchange begin.

“General, it is dinner time. Perhaps we should…” The other bearded man beside Mohmandstir suddenly interjected, gesturing toward Zhou Tengyun and the food on the table.

Mohmandstir paused, then realized his oversight, chuckling, “Sayyed, my good brother, thank you for reminding me. I completely forgot to host our esteemed guests for dinner. A grave oversight. May Allah forgive my rudeness.”

Mohmandstir quickly ordered his guards to prepare a meal for Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun. After exchanging polite refusals, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun sat down to enjoy the Muslim-flavored dinner.

“Sayyed, go make the necessary preparations. We will be trading with Brother Ali Baba shortly. Ensure absolutely nothing goes wrong,” Mohmandstir instructed his aide while Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun were eating, tasking him with arranging the trade.

“Yes, General. I will attend to it immediately,” replied the man named Sayyed. He bowed slightly before Mohmandstir and went out to handle the arrangements.

“This Sayyed is General Mohmandstir’s aide; he handles all the General’s daily affairs. When you came last time, he happened to be out, so you didn’t meet him,” Mo'id explained to Zhou Tengyun, noticing his attention on Sayyed.

Though Mohmandstir was eager, he waited until Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun had finished eating before demanding the trade commence immediately. At this point, his arms expert had also arrived.

General Mohmandstir, along with Mo'id, their arms expert, and several guards, boarded two SUVs parked outside the cave and drove into the mountains. Zhou Tengyun and Liu Hui followed in their own vehicle. After five or six minutes of driving on the rough mountain road, about five or six kilometers from Mohmandstir’s residence, they stopped in front of another cave. Mohmandstir’s guards jumped out first, swiftly spreading out around the perimeter to maintain security. Mohmandstir and Mo'id then alighted from their vehicle, ushering Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun into the cave, where Sayyed was already waiting for them.

This cave was situated at a higher elevation, but the interior was remarkably dry and well-ventilated, perfectly suited for storing narcotics. Though the space wasn't vast, it was lit, and the floor was covered with straw, upon which sat over a dozen large crates. More than ten armed Taliban soldiers stood guard with vigilance. Seeing Mohmandstir enter, the soldiers immediately snapped to attention and saluted; Mohmandstir returned a military salute.

Mohmandstir pointed to the crates and said to Zhou Tengyun, “Brother Ali Baba, these boxes contain my entire stock—what you requested. It amounts to a full two hundred tons, all Grade Four narcotics.”

Zhou Tengyun proceeded with extreme caution. He opened several of the large boxes; they were indeed packed to the brim with narcotics. He took out several packets for close inspection of their authenticity, finding them all genuine, then carefully verified the quantity, nodding in satisfaction.

Zhou Tengyun smiled. “General, your narcotics’ quantity and specifications are fine. Shall we proceed with the trade now?”

“My dear Brother Ali Baba, where are your arms?” Mohmandstir inquired.

“My shipment of arms is stored not far from here. You must understand how difficult it was to transport these weapons to your location. Fortunately, I have secret channels that made it possible. But my secret contacts are extremely cautious; they refuse to have their existence known to others. Therefore, I must send my friend ahead to contact them first, ensuring they leave quickly, before I can transfer the weapons to you.”

“God is great, I did not realize Brother Ali Baba possessed such an impressive network of associates. Very well, immediately send your brother to make contact, and then we shall go receive the arms.” Although Mohmandstir was slightly astonished by Zhou Tengyun’s mention of secret channels, that was secondary to him; what mattered more was the tangible weapons he could see and touch.

Liu Hui then left the cave, sighted a direction, and sprinted away. About two or three kilometers from the cave, on a flat stretch of ground where he confirmed no one was around, he activated his planar transaction device and called up Alexander. Alexander had been awaiting Liu Hui’s call for the past two days and connected almost instantly, appearing on the screen.

“Esteemed Teacher, do you require these items now?”

“Alexander, immediately trade me those large crates. Be swift,” Liu Hui stated directly, wasting no words.

Liu Hui first emptied all the contents of his storage dimension onto the ground. Then, he began receiving the large crates being traded over by Alexander. Alexander transferred the crates rapidly, piling them high on the flat clearing.

Just as Liu Hui was about to close the transaction device, he heard Alexander say, “Teacher, after I began studying magic, I became exceptionally sensitive to spatial fluctuations. I noticed a strange oscillation coming from the boxes you traded me earlier, so I investigated and found two of these objects attached to two of the large crates. Teacher, are you testing my progress in magical cultivation?”

Liu Hui froze. He saw Alexander holding two small instruments that looked externally like electronic devices. Liu Hui’s heart seized up; recalling the recent pursuit by the American CIA, he instantly realized those were signal transmitters planted by the CIA. He managed a smile. “Dear Alexander, that was the Teacher testing your sensitivity to fluctuations. The results are excellent, as you located them. Now, immediately destroy these two objects emitting strange waves. Do not leave even a shred of residue.”

Liu Hui understood clearly: his large crates had somehow been targeted by the American CIA, who had planted two signal transmitters on them at some point. By sheer fortune, Alexander had mistaken them for a test and, what’s more, had removed them. If these items had returned from the magic plane, the CIA would have instantly monitored them, leading to immense trouble.

Liu Hui terminated the communication with Alexander, then gathered everything he had left on the ground back into his storage dimension. He specifically pulled out a large canvas sheet to cover the crates, checked to ensure nothing was amiss, and then quickly ran back, nodding to Zhou Tengyun.

Zhou Tengyun smiled. “My dear General Mohmandstir, our people have cleared the area. Shall we go inspect the merchandise now?”

Mohmandstir, now delighted, followed Zhou Tengyun, led by Liu Hui to the flat clearing. His arms expert and escort team followed closely behind.

Zhou Tengyun pointed to the canvas and smiled. “General, what you desire lies beneath this canvas. Have your men start counting.”

Mohmandstir immediately instructed his guards to lift the canvas, revealing the massive wooden crates underneath. Zhou Tengyun handed Mohmandstir a stack of cargo manifests. “General, our goods are arranged according to serial number. Please have your men verify them.”

Mohmandstir was ecstatic. He immediately ordered his guards to open several crates, exposing the weapons inside, while the arms expert began cross-referencing the manifest list.

Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding with excitement. The transaction was on the verge of success; victory was almost in sight.

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