Li Chonglou understood his meaning perfectly. He guessed the next sentence would be about linking the fate of China to him!
He couldn't accept such a high compliment. The complex situation in China was not something he alone could solve with a single cultivation method. As for the long term, as he had said before, the country didn't lack his cultivation method.
Most importantly, Li Chonglou had promised his senior brother not to leak the "Mai Qian" technique casually. His master wouldn't have allowed it either if he were alive. Otherwise, why would his master have passed down this cultivation method to a foreign friend instead of directly to the General Bureau back then?
In any case, there was no room for negotiation on this matter for Li Chonglou.
Seeing his resolute attitude, the white-haired man could only sigh deeply.
"Little Li, I hope one day you'll understand."
"Then you can wait."
Old Tie didn't keep them waiting too long. In just over half an hour, he returned with three unfamiliar men.
Two elderly men and one young man. The elders appeared significantly older than Old Tie, while the young man looked even younger than Li Chonglou.
Without introductions or greetings, as soon as they arrived, one of the elders spoke coldly, "Begin."
The three men looked at him with a hint of coldness in their eyes. Li Chonglou immediately had a guess.
Old Tie quickly walked over and whispered the standards in his ear.
It wasn't difficult: cripple his meridians, and then the three of them would assess whether he was still influenced by the power of the Heavenly Dao.
The final characteristic of the Heavenly Dao power was that it only affected cultivators. If someone with completely crippled meridians, like an ordinary person, possessed the Heavenly Dao power, it would have no effect.
While it was said to be simple, the process carried significant risks. The phrase "cripple his meridians" could, with one wrong move, affect his heart脉, which would be fatal.
The kind that even immortals couldn't save!
However, Li Chonglou had experience with this. When he first learned "Mai Qian," he had already tried it once, so he was quite familiar with it.
The white-haired man beside him wanted to say something, but Li Chonglou had already begun to act.
Clean and swift!
About half an hour later, three figures slowly walked out of the General Bureau's main entrance and then disappeared directly outside.
A short while later, a special car from the General Bureau drove out.
In the white-haired man's office.
Old Tie sat to the side like a dejected rooster, while the white-haired man stood by the window, watching the departing special car.
"Old Tie, this kid is truly ruthless, to have crippled his cultivation so thoroughly."
Old Tie understood what he meant and said softly, "No need to remind me. With him in this state, being able to live out the rest of his life in peace is the best outcome. I won't bother him anymore."
Then, Old Tie continued in a self-reproaching tone, "It's my fault, really. If I hadn't let him get involved with that circle back then, none of this would have happened today."
Loss and self-blame were Old Tie's current emotions.
"You can't say that. You only discovered him after he returned from Tie Lin. His Heavenly Dao power is not your fault. Even without you, with the Heavenly Dao power, he would have entered this circle sooner or later."
"But the problem is that I'm the one who brought him into it now."
Old Tie understood what the white-haired man meant, but in the end, it was still him, and he couldn't escape the responsibility.
However, both of them understood that with their identities, they could no longer contact Li Chonglou, otherwise, it would affect him again in an instant.
They didn't even know where Li Chonglou would go next or what he would do. The General Bureau's special car would only take him to a safe place before returning.
The matter had been settled.
It wasn't until three days later that the news of Li Chonglou, who possessed peak power, becoming a cripple spread throughout the entire circle.
Some people who had intended to seek revenge on Li Chonglou could only sigh upon hearing this and abandon their plans.
For them, losing one's cultivation was a far worse fate than death. Since he was already in such a state, what more dissatisfaction could they have? However, not everyone thought this way.
Liu Tixing, who had been staying at the Executive Department's base, revealed a strong killing intent in his eyes upon learning this news.
"Li Chonglou, you have your day too! Don't worry, I will definitely find you!"
In Liu Tixing's opinion, if it weren't for Li Chonglou, he would probably have gone to the General Base with Wu Di and the others, and the three of them would have remained on the same starting line.
But now it was different. Wu Di and the other two, having completed a top-tier mission, went to the General Base along with the four from Fan Li. Within half a year, they would definitely be far ahead of him!
And what could he do in half a year? He probably wouldn't even be able to advance to the second grade!
The more Liu Tixing thought about it, the angrier he became. He even had the idea of troubling people around Li Chonglou. However, just then, an order came from above the General Bureau.
Given Li Chonglou's previous actions, the authorities had dealt with him impartially, separating personal matters from official ones.
However, in terms of merit, the General Bureau had also decided to process his performance accordingly.
While no official title was given, the published performance statistics were no different from heroic treatment.
Don't underestimate this point. Once the statistics were released, everyone understood one thing.
The General Bureau was openly protecting Li Chonglou's associates!
And this was the last thing the white-haired man and Old Tie could do to help Li Chonglou. The phrase "separating personal matters from official ones" was also intended to silence the higher-ups.
For a time, there was much sighing in the top circles of Shangjing. Li Chonglou's rapid rise had made them see the shadow of another peak power, but no one expected his fall to be so swift.
With his cultivation crippled, he was now a stranger.
Those who had interacted with Li Chonglou fell silent.
Time passed quickly, and another seven days went by.
The situation in Shangjing did not improve with Li Chonglou's disappearance; instead, it became more complicated.
Due to the matter of Thunder Magnetic Island, many hidden experts from abroad emerged, causing some localized conflicts.
Domestically, although arresting many internal spies because of this incident was a good thing, it ultimately led to some people using it for personal gain, causing widespread unease.
Some cadres who were punished for returning late further diminished the enthusiasm of everyone to go out on missions.
The white-haired man could see that a larger internal spy was causing trouble, but he was helpless for the moment. This was because the underground world was also experiencing significant turmoil, causing many of the higher authorities' resources to be diverted downwards.
His actual power was also constantly weakening.
In short, with Li Chonglou gone, it seemed as if everything had become extremely unfavorable.
Meanwhile, in a restaurant in the northern part of Shangjing, a slender figure appeared at the entrance.
"Old Li, you're here."
The restaurant owner was a native northerner. Speaking in a distinct local dialect, he greeted the figure enthusiastically as she appeared.