"These people are from Black Cloud Stronghold. Their predecessor was a Slave Hunter Gang. It seems they offended someone and fled from Mountain Chasing City to here. However, old habits die hard. After discovering the Scavenger Camp, they couldn't resist returning to their old ways."
General Zhang began by introducing the origins of this group.
"So they're newcomers. No wonder they dared to provoke us!"
"They're asking for death. Let's wipe them out!"
Upon hearing about the Slave Hunter Gang, the commanders immediately became indignant.
In this world, the Slave Hunter Gang was absolutely notorious.
They treated people as slaves, as livestock, freely capturing, killing, and trading them—utterly insane!
"Where is their stronghold?" the Queen asked coldly.
She had already decided to kill them.
General Zhao promptly replied, "Killing them isn't difficult. Their chief is just an Awakened. But the method they use to raise Blood Ravens is something we must obtain. Before we get it, it's not advisable to launch a full-scale attack."
"How do we get it?" The Queen was eager to kill.
General Zhao said bluntly, "Sneak in, find that Old Crow, and take him away."
"I'll go!" the Queen spoke again.
"This?"
General Zhao and General Zhou exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat troubled.
The Queen's habit of charging into battle couldn't be indulged.
Dissatisfied with their silence, the Queen looked at Tang Wen. "Commander Tang Wen, what do you think?"
Everyone was startled, their eyes turning to Tang Wen.
Tang Wen inwardly sighed: I don't want to give my opinion; you decide. Unfortunately, under the Queen's gaze, he only dared to think such thoughts.
He analyzed, "If the Queen goes, it's foolproof. But do you understand how to infiltrate?"
"Kill everyone, spare that Old Crow, and it's done, right?"
Everyone fell silent.
Well, it seemed the Queen wasn't wrong.
Tang Wen pondered, "Killing these people directly would be a waste. It's better to use them as bait for Mutated Beasts."
"Good point. Letting them die like that would be too easy."
"Right, they should die wailing."
Everyone's eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Tang Wen interrupted, "Since that's the case, and since our strength far surpasses theirs, I think we might as well all infiltrate together."
"Isn't that just attacking? What kind of infiltration is that!" General Zhao glared at Tang Wen.
The latter smiled, "Infiltration! As long as all the enemies we encounter are subdued by us, it's a perfect infiltration."
He was joking, but the Queen took it seriously. "Makes sense! Let's do it that way!"
Under the Queen's insistence, this seemingly reckless plan was finalized.
There was no time for further discussion. Once the Slave Hunter Gang noticed their members had been gone too long, they would become alert and might even flee.
General Zhou stood up and began deploying tasks.
Of course, the Queen couldn't go capture a Beast Tamer; she was going to capture their general alive.
A little over half an hour later, the Queen, General Zhao, Tang Wen, and others, along with ten hunting squad leaders, appeared in the forest before a towering cliff.
There were no guards here. According to the Third Leader's confession, one had to follow a winding crevice for hundreds of steps to enter the stronghold, which was surrounded by mountains.
After searching for a while, the Queen, with her keen eyes, was the first to spot the narrow, deep crevice that only two people could enter side by side.
"Is this it?"
"Probably."
"If they hadn't confessed, even if I passed by here, I wouldn't have known there was a stronghold inside."
According to the Third Leader's confession, they had two camps.
One was used to raise large livestock like mountain ponies, located deep in the forest.
The other was right before their eyes.
All the high-ranking members of the Slave Hunter Gang were hidden here.
Originally, there was a village here called "Peach Blossom Village."
Peach Blossom Village was isolated, hidden away from the world.
The villagers lived peaceful and happy lives.
Until the Blood Raven of the Slave Hunter Gang discovered this place.
The village was occupied, the men who dared to resist were slaughtered, and the survivors were enslaved.
"I'll go first," General Zhao took the lead, stepping into the mountain crevice.
He left two Commanders to "guard the door," awaiting the arrival of General Zhou and the main force.
Walking through the mountain crevice was a first for everyone.
They occasionally looked up, even though the Third Leader had mentioned that no guards were stationed at the top of the cliffs to avoid exposure.
Still, they were somewhat worried, fearing that a group of experts might suddenly appear and hurl rocks from above.
Especially Tang Wen, who often used rocks to attack others, felt a constant paranoia of being hit while walking through this narrow passage.
Suddenly, there was a noise ahead.
Tang Wen quickened his pace, turning a corner.
The view opened up before him.
"It really is a hidden paradise!"
The valley was flat, with rows of houses, fruit trees, and bamboo groves.
Three sentries had already been taken down by General Zhao himself.
The ten captains following behind quickly tied them up.
General Zhao woke two of them, interrogated them briefly, and then knocked them out again.
He stood up and said, "The intel matches what their Third Leader said."
As he spoke, he drew on the ground, then pointed to one spot.
"Tang Wen, Zhou Bing, this is where Old Crow is located. The two of you go and make sure to capture him alive. He should only be a Martial Practitioner. And he's old, his vitality has declined."
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing acknowledged the order and slipped into the dark village.
According to the plan, the Queen would capture the Chief, while General Zhao would take down the Second Leader.
The Slave Hunter Gang only had about thirty to forty members. Apart from the four leaders, the rest were mostly Martial Practitioners, with the majority being Martial Apprentices.
As for the Flame Camp, not counting General Zhou and the others who were yet to arrive, the current squad alone had one Queen, one General, three Commanders, and ten captains at the peak of Martial Practitioner level.
It was a complete mismatch!
Everyone split up to carry out their tasks. Tang Wen and Zhou Bing quietly approached the two-story bamboo house where Old Crow was staying.
Hmm?
When they were still dozens of steps away from the bamboo house, Tang Wen stopped Zhou Bing.
She looked at him, and Tang Wen focused his gaze, sensing a hint of unease.
He whispered, "I have a bad feeling. This Old Crow can control the Blood Raven, so he might have other tricks up his sleeve. I'll go first, you stay hidden."
Zhou Bing shook her head, "The lights are on in the bamboo house, so he must be inside. Why don't we wait for General Zhao and the others to make their move first? When Old Crow comes out, we'll strike together."
Strike together.
A sneak attack?
I like that idea!
Tang Wen smiled, feeling that he and Zhou Bing were becoming more and more in sync.
The two of them crouched in the shadows, patiently waiting.
Boom!
A loud explosion erupted from the center of the valley.
The quiet night was suddenly alive with chaos.
The members of the Flame Camp no longer concealed their presence, speeding up as they moved toward their respective targets.
On the second floor of the bamboo house, the door swung open.
A flock of crows flew out, followed by a hunched old man.
It was time to act!
Tang Wen and Zhou Bing exchanged a glance and immediately dashed towards the bamboo house.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived beneath the bamboo structure.
Tang Wen lightly flicked a pebble, forcing the old man to dodge hastily, his expression drastically changing: "Two Martial Masters!"
Zhou Bing leaped up, landing on the second floor.
Her spear shot forward like a dragon, aiming straight for his chest.
"Wait, I surrender, I surrender!"
The Ice Beauty twisted her wrist, changing the thrust into a sweep.
The old man's steps shifted, barely avoiding the attack, as he continued to shout, "I'm not with these slave traders! I'm a beast tamer,
I can be useful!"
Hum!
The spear's tail trembled slightly, its tip stopping a foot away from his chest.
"Even if you surrender, you'll still be tied up!"
Tang Wen climbed upstairs, holding a length of iron chain, and securely bound the old man's hands behind his back.
(End of Chapter)