Cai Family Stronghold.

Guan Xiaohui was busy welcoming the guests from the city. Watching the firearms being unloaded from the truck, she said in pleasant surprise, "Sister Zhen, you brought so many weapons this time?"

Zhen Ping, who was standing beside her, said, "There was a gang war in the city recently. We managed to raid a Blood Mark Gang warehouse and found quite a few firearms. We also got our hands on some from the wastelands. This should be enough to solve your urgent problem."

Guan Xiaohui nodded, then said angrily, "I heard from the seniors in our group that Bao Yuan and his men are using our organization’s name to do things for their own selfish gain. And now they’re teaming up with the Blood Mark Gang to invade our village. How could he do something so vicious?"

Zhen Ping said, "Many of the officials in Yangzhi City are newly appointed. They can’t spare the attention for matters outside the city for now, so we don’t need to be afraid of fighting them."

Guan Xiaohui then grew a little worried. "But I’ve heard the Blood Mark Gang has some skilled Fighters."

"It’s okay. The organization sent a few seniors with me this time. They should be able to help." Zhen Ping pointed into the distance. A few men who looked like Fighters saw them looking over and gave them a friendly nod.

Guan Xiaohui said joyfully, "That’s wonderful!"

Guns alone would have been manageable, but the addition of Fighters changed everything. After putting on Protective Clothing, a Fighter could charge in at high speed. It’s difficult enough for a gunman to hit them, but even a direct hit wouldn’t do much damage. That made them extremely dangerous. Once they got into close range, it would be a massacre.

That meant they needed their own people to stop them. However, Zhen Ping knew that time was short and the organization was also struggling with manpower. Very few people had been available to come. Still, she herself was an A-class student from Wuyi and a competent Fighter. She could step up and help in a critical moment if needed.

"Sister Zhen, you’re graduating next semester, right? Where are you planning to go? Will you follow the team’s arrangements?"

"I might not be able to graduate," Zhen Ping sighed softly.

"What happened?"

"Old Cai might send me to Central City. I hear our colleagues there are in a very difficult situation and need a lot of support. The only problem is that it’s hard to get an official identity there.

Fortunately, since much of the Upper Layer in Yangzhi City has been cleaned out, the identity checks for people going to Central City aren’t as strict anymore. So, the team plans to transfer people from Yangzhi. The higher-ups will probably arrange for me to go with a senior from the team. Officially, I’ll be her apprentice."

Guan Xiaohui was reluctant to see her go. "I see. If you go to Central City, Sister Zhen, it’ll be hard to see you again, won’t it?"

Zhen Ping smiled. "It’s alright. I’ll ask a colleague to send you letters."

After chatting for a while, they saw that all the firearms had been unloaded and went to help distribute them to the villagers. Guan Xiaohui spotted faint figures in the distance, pointing and gesturing in their direction. She immediately said, "It’s Bao Yuan’s men!"

She gritted her teeth. "Last time, it was Bao Yuan who led Fang Dawei and his group to occupy our village. We only found out later that he was taking money from the Molan Company all along. Thankfully, Chen helped us deal with those fugitives, avenging our fellow villagers."

Hearing her mention Chen Chuan, Zhen Ping murmured, "Chen..."

Guan Xiaohui said, "I’ve been hearing Chen’s name on the radio a lot lately. They say he’s standing up to the children of the powerful. Sister Zhen, I remember you said you were the one who welcomed him when he first enrolled. Do you think he might become one of us?"

Zhen Ping shook her head. "I used to think so, but Chen keeps to himself. Other than training, he barely interacts with the outside world. He’s also being watched by the school administration. I was afraid that approaching him rashly would arouse suspicion, so I never met with him again. Besides, the team suspects he might have connections to the government’s Upper Layer..."

"I see..." Guan Xiaohui was a little disappointed, but she quickly regained her spirits. "It’s alright. As long as we keep fighting, more and more brothers and sisters will join us."

Zhen Ping nodded seriously.

In a dilapidated watchtower about three li away, Uncle Han stood gazing toward Cai Family Stronghold. He was still dressed in his city attire, leaning on a walking stick, his hair impeccably styled. He didn’t look down on his luck at all.

He had already contacted a certain big shot in the higher-ups. In the future, he could continue his drug smuggling business, and the Blood Mark Gang could return, at most under a new name.

The Iron Chain Gang had taken too much this time. Some of the higher-ups felt they couldn’t let the Iron Chain Gang become a monopoly and needed someone to counterbalance them. He was undoubtedly the most suitable person for that role.

However, he had learned his lesson from this ordeal. He couldn’t keep all his assets within the city; he needed to secure a base of operations outside. Cai Family Stronghold was in the best location. He had originally planned to take it easily, but he hadn’t expected the villagers to have weapons and a decent fighting ability. This was a problem that had to be dealt with.

Letting it remain was a threat that made even his business dealings feel unsafe. It had to be eliminated.

He had already made up his mind. After conquering the stronghold, he would capture the villagers and perform an Esoteric Ritual to transfer their Primordial Qi. Afterward, he could dismantle the place and sell it off to recoup some of his losses.

This time, he had brought Du Mian, one of the Five Claws, along with several other skilled members of the Blood Mark Gang. That would be more than enough to deal with these villagers.

Just then, a man ran over from the distance and said, "Uncle Han, the villagers say they won’t accept your terms."

Uncle Han grunted, his expression unchanging.

One of the men beside him spoke up. "Uncle Han, these villagers don’t know what’s good for them. You gave them a chance, and they’re just making excuses. They deserve to eat dirt here for the rest of their lives!"

Another man said, "They’re just wasteland villagers. They’ve never read any books. It’s normal for them to be ignorant."

"If we can’t talk, then we’ll fight."

"Yeah, let’s fight."

"It’s up to Uncle Han. If he says fight, we fight."

The men all looked at Uncle Han, waiting for his decision.

Uncle Han spoke slowly. "Du Mian, can you take them?"

A man in his thirties with rough skin and a stubbled chin stepped out from the crowd. He spoke in a gravelly voice, "Uncle Han, no problem. I’ve already scouted the place. There are no skilled fighters in the village. I could take them all on with one hand tied behind my back."

Uncle Han said, "The people in that village are not simple. They have ties to that resistance group. Be careful. Don’t get careless."

Du Mian immediately replied, "I’ll do as you say, Uncle Han."

Uncle Han was pleased. This Du Mian was far more obedient than Zhuo Bao had been. Then again, Zhuo Bao fought with a reckless disregard for his own life, which made him perfect for dirty work. A shame he ended up getting killed by the Patrol Bureau.

"Uncle Han, we’ve got the stuff." Another man hurried over, pointing off to the side.

Uncle Han glanced over. A crate was being carried toward them. Thanks to his contact with that big shot, he’d acquired some good things, including this batch of Smoke Bombs. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The items weren’t particularly sensitive, but they were very useful. Tossing them would guarantee chaos among the villagers, saving his men some bullets. Although he’d brought a lot of money with him—enough to arm everyone if he spent it all—he couldn’t be expected to use his own funds to subsidize the gang, could he?

He instructed, "Tell the boys to grab their gear. When the time is right, we’ll begin."

"Yes, sir!"

The gang members responded at once and dispersed to prepare. In just over ten minutes, they had spread out and begun to slowly advance on Cai Family Stronghold.

Du Mian walked at the very front. He raised a hand, and several skilled fighters from the Blood Mark Gang fanned out to the sides, planning to breach the stronghold from different directions.

The villagers in Cai Family Stronghold saw them coming and grew tense, each taking up a position with their guns on rooftops and behind buildings.

Meanwhile, a car that had driven out from the city was now approaching Cai Family Stronghold.

In the back seat of the SUV, Chen Chuan could just make out the silhouette of Cai Family Stronghold. He said to Master Xiaowei, "You can stop the car here."

"Understood."

Master Xiaowei brought the car to a steady stop.

Chen Chuan pushed the door open, got out with the Snow Monarch Blade in hand, and glanced into the distance. He then started walking toward the stronghold occupied by Uncle Han and his men. With so many people gathered in one place, they were hard to miss, even from far away.

On the outside, he wore the General Affairs Bureau’s Anti-stabbing Armor and an Antitoxic Scarf. Underneath, he had on the Protective Clothing he’d received from the warehouse. This suit felt comparable to the one Guan Yuming owned, but it provided more coverage while feeling like just a thin layer. Most importantly, it didn’t hinder his Breathing Technique at all.

"Uncle Han, someone’s coming."

The man in the watchtower had spotted Chen Chuan.

Uncle Han glanced back. It was just a casual look at first, but then he involuntarily gripped the watchtower’s railing and stared intently. ’That armor...’

Cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead, but he tried his best to remain calm. In the steadiest voice he could manage, he said, "Tell Du Mian and the others to fall back. Ignore the villagers for now."

"Uh... oh, right!" The gang member was surprised at first, but when he saw Uncle Han’s cold glare, he flinched and scurried off to pass on the order.

Back at Cai Family Stronghold, Du Mian was already charging forward. The villagers couldn’t help but open fire—BANG! BANG! BANG!—but it was useless. He was too fast, weaving left and right while shielding his head with his hands. Even when bullets struck his body, they couldn’t penetrate his Protective Clothing.

He quickly reached the entrance to the village. With a single leap, he was above the fence. Pushing off with his hand, he propelled himself several meters horizontally, clearing the trench behind the barrier. After landing, he rolled forward and charged at a terrified, gun-wielding villager, ready to kill him with a single punch.

Suddenly, he sensed something was wrong. Someone rushed him from the side. He immediately changed his attack. Their limbs met with a THUD. The force of his punch sent the other person stumbling backward.

Du Mian was also brought to a halt. At that exact moment, the basket on the villager’s back was flung open, and a second person shot out, arms wide, and wrapped him in a bear hug around his waist.

The instant they made contact, the man activated his Grasping and Holding Force. But he immediately felt his Power being blocked by another layer of Power. The man was shocked. ’Crap, Second Stage Strength!’

Before the man could react, Du Mian grabbed him, lifted a leg, and threw him aside. The man tumbled to the ground, his heart sinking. Their plan had been carefully coordinated: one person would engage him head-on, while the other would take the opportunity to grapple him just as his Power was momentarily spent.

But they never expected their opponent to have Second Stage Strength. Such a skill was rare. This meant their plan had failed. If the two of them couldn’t quickly deal with the situation here, the other defensive points would surely fall. ’We’re dead!’

Du Mian sneered, about to counterattack the two of them, when he heard a sharp whistle from outside. Without the slightest hesitation, he abandoned his opponents and sprinted back the way he came. The two men were stunned. What was going on?

A member of the resistance group positioned on high ground pointed outside. "Look over there..."

The two men scrambled onto a rooftop and saw a young man in a black coat, holding a Long Blade, slowly walking toward them from about half a li away.

...

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