A somewhat skinny middle-aged man, with hands full of calluses, and a face with a huge scar was speaking to Peng Lingbo. He was precisely the vice-head of the Freemasons, Zheng Minghe.
Leader, the Chinese Association has sent people once again to invite us, They want us to join them, and resist Wuyan Hong’s attacks.
Peng Lingbo, whose features were well-defined, good-looking, and had a respectable look, snorted coldly:
Ignore them! We’re currently having the time of our lives here, if we go over there, we would just become cannon fodder. They only have a few hundred guns, how are they going to fight against Wuyan Hong who has over a thousand troops. Isn’t that just throwing an egg against a stone?
A hint of apprehension appeared in Zheng Minghe’s eyes as he continued to advise:
But leader! If the Chinese Association were to fall, Wuyan Hong’s next target will most likely be us! He’s such a vicious and cruel person, and has killed so many Chinese. If this beast really sets his sights on us, we’ll be in trouble.
Peng Lingbo laughed shamelessly and said:
Minghe! You’re over-thinking this!! True, Wuyan Hong’s strength isn’t a joke.
Even if all the Chinese joined hands to deal with him, we would not be a match for him. However, this is the forests of Vietnam! There are so many! As long as we make for the forests, regardless of his strength, he wouldn’t be able to do anything at all!
After Wuyan Hong establishes some form of order, he won’t necessarily kill anymore Chinese. Look at the case with Indonesia, didn’t they kill so many, but after a certain point, they stopped? Once we wait till the rest are killed, we can come out of hiding and offer help to him.
Peng Lingbo knew he wasn’t Wuyan Hong’s opponent, and hence decided to take another route. Instead of facing him head on, he would wait till the slaughter was over, before trying to gain favour with Wuyan Hong.
The Chinese in Southeast Asia had strong economic sense, but in the eyes of the leaders of those factions, they were like pigs and dogs. If they wanted to kill them, that would be it. At most, they would be condemned verbally for their actions, like that was going to help or something. Furthermore, after slaughtering the Chinese, they would gain the help of some heavenly assistance, there was no pressure in killing the Chinese. In each slaughter, all the wealth and possessions would be taken away and split between the other leaders and factions. As for the dead, no one gave a damn.1
Under these circumstances, whenever the Chinese met such events, they could only run. Those with the capabilities would escape to America or other western countries, those who couldn’t could only hide in the mountains or wait for death.
Peng Lingbo’s intention to hide it out and wait for things to blow over before coming out was shared by many other similarly smaller factions. Most groups primary motivation was just that they had the opportunity to take over all of the goodies and positions of the other Chinese that would die.
Zheng Minghe gripped his fists tightly, his veins bulging out, and the scar on his face seemed twisted. He lowered his head, and suppressed the fury in his heart with great difficulty. Even though he had great hatred for the Vietnamese, within the Freemasons, he was only the vice-leader, and therefore, could not commandeer the entire faction to fight against Wuyan Hong.
Right at this time, one of the warriors walked over and reported to Peng Lingbo:
Leader! The people from the Chinese Association are here again! They would like to meet you! They say it’s to discuss a deal, that they would like to use a batch of firepower to exchange for those Vietnamese under us to be used as coolies.
Peng Lingbo eyes lit up as he quickly asked:
Firepower? What firepower?
In this post-apocalyptic world, nothing was as precious as firepower. Peng Lingbo had already set his mind on selling himself to Wuyan Hong. However, in order to do that, he needed to have capital, and for that, he needed to ensure that his capital was decent enough.
The warrior spoke a little excitedly:
It’s rifles!! They’re intending to use rifles to buy over the few hundred Vietnamese as coolies!!
Peng Lingbo only had a few rifles, the rest of his arsenal consisted of various other handguns. Hearing that the Chinese Association were going to use rifles to exchange for Vietnamese, Peng Lingbo grew a little excited:
Great! Let’s go have a meeting with them.
The Vietnamese within these parts were plenty, as long as one was to attack a town, they would find a few hundred Vietnamese survivors. Peng Lingbo felt that exchanging the Vietnamese survivors for these weapons was a great deal.
Peng Lingbo and Zheng Minghe strode towards their main meeting hall, where there were 5 other elders of the Freemasons seated. Other than them, there were 6 others, 5 matured men and a young lady who was extremely beautiful. 2
The moment Peng Lingbo entered the meeting hall, his expression had switched to that of a smiling visage, as he welcomed the visitors:
Esteemed friends from the Chinese Association! I am the leader of the Freemasons, Peng Lingbo. How should I address you guys?
Yue Zhong eyed Peng Lingbo and spoke out indifferently:
I’m called Yue Zhong! Leader Peng, are you willing to work with us to fight against Wuyan Hong?
These 5 men were Yue Zhong, Zheng Qiang, Hu Yan, Zhang Shuwen and Wei Ningguo and the young lady was Gu Feifei. 3
Peng Lingbo’s eyes flashed with a strange glint, as he guffawed loudly:
This matter, let’s discuss another time! Wuyan Hong’s forces are large, we’ll need a lot more planning! I heard this time, you guys are here to exchange rifles for our Vietnamese survivors. Let’s talk about that first. How many guns and ammunition are you guys proposing for a Vietnamese?
Peng Lingbo did not want to go against Wuyan Hong, but he did not want to fall out with the Chinese Association as well. After all, while the Chinese Association could not contend against Wuyan Hong, wiping out the Freemasons wasn’t an issue.
An elder by the name of Chen Libang called out loudly:
Leader!! This time, you must distribute some to us, brothers of the Zhuque Hall (Vermillion Phoenix – not to be mixed up with the Vermillion Phoenix gang in SY County). Currently, our brothers are only using handguns. You can’t be too biased this time.
Another elder called Yi Shuixiong also called out:
I agree! Leader!! Our Baihu Hall brothers are also only using handguns, some are even using blades. This time, you must definitely distribute some to us fairly as well. Otherwise, we brothers will cease working!!
The Freemasons had a number of halls under its banner, boasting the integration of people from Zhuque Hall, Baihu Hall, Xuanwu Hall, Ursa, Sirius, many such awe-inspiring names. In truth, they were just a motley crew. Even before the rifles had been exchanged, there was already squabbling over the distribution. As long as they possessed the rifles, the halls would make use of the chance to suppress the other halls, which would in turn, lead to better resource distribution.
Peng Lingbo shouted out loudly:
Shut up, the whole lot of you!!
Under Peng Lingbo’s furious shout, the elders ceased their squabbling.
When he quelled their arguments, Peng Lingbo then turned to Yue Zhong and smiled apologetically:
I’ve let you seen our shameful side!! Brother Yue Zhong, how many guns and bullets will you be exchanging for a Vietnamese survivor?
None!
Yue Zhong laughed and pulled out his Stinger, pointing it at Peng Lingbo’s head and pulled the trigger:
I’m here to subdue you all!
With a ‘peng’, Peng Lingbo’s brains were immediately blasted into pieces. Pulpy bits, red blood and white bone chips splattered all over the place, even Zheng Qian, Hu Yan, Zhang Shuwen and Wei Ningguo had not expected Yue Zhong would suddenly kill!
Leader!!
Chen Libang was a loyal supporter of Peng Lingbo, and once he saw that his leader was killed, his eyes turned red as he activated his [High Speed Movement], and charged at Yue Zhong.
Shut up and don’t move, whoever does, will die!
Yue Zhong casually aimed the Stinger at Chen Libang and fired, having already caught sight of his actions.
Another gunshot rang out, and Chen Libang’s brains were neatly left to dry on the wall, as his lifeless body crumpled to the floor.
Yue Zhong had killed 2 people just like that within a short span of time. Wei Ningguo, Hu Yan, Zhang Shuwen and Zheng Qiang had also taken action by then, as they swiftly pulled out their handguns and pointed it at the remaining people in the room. Their bodies were tense, and were on high alert to activate their skills if need be, to deal with them. They were currently in a hostile situation, and no matter how unwilling they were, since Yue Zhong had already acted, they had to stand with him.
Seeing such a cruel scene, Zheng Minghe and the remaining 4 elders froze, not daring to move. When Peng Lingbo died to Yue Zhong’s sudden attack, no one could gauge his strength, but Chen Libang was a Agility-focused Enhancer, and he was just killed in one shot, they could roughly guess that Yue Zhong’s capabilities were far beyond them. Furthermore, there were the other 4 experts of the Chinese Association currently monitoring them, if they were to make a sudden move, there would only be death.
The current atmosphere had turned extremely strange, as the 4 elders felt cold sweat down their back, and their gazes landed on Zheng Minghe. Now that the leader was dead, the vice-leader had become their backbone. Even with their differences, at such a crucial time, they had to stick together anyway.
Zheng Minghe took a deep breath before looking at Yue Zhong, pointing to Peng Lingbo’s headless corpse and asked:
Brother Yue Zhong! I am Zheng Minghe, the vice-leader of the Freemasons, what is the meaning of this?
Zheng Minghe’s question was also the question weighing on Yue Zhong’s companions, who had not received any notification about what he was going to do beforehand. Yue Zhong had actually suddenly murdered someone without warning; and not just anybody, but the leader of the Freemasons!
Yue Zhong looked at Zheng Minghe and smiled gently:
Peng Lingbo did not want to resist against Wuyan Hong! Hence, I’ve killed him! I want to take over his faction! It’s that simple! Zheng Minghe, you have a decision to make! You will join me to eradicate Wuyan Hong, or shall die here today. Your choice. I’ll give you 10 seconds to consider. 10, 9….
Zheng Minghe turned pale, he never would have expected Yue Zhong had just blatantly revealed his motive just like that. 4
Chapter 142: Countdown!
2!
Zheng Minghe quickly made up his mind:
I surrender!! I’m willing to eradicate Wuyan Hong alongside you!
Zheng Minghe had a bone-deep hatred for the Great Empire of Vietnam. Every single member of his family had been tormented and tortured by them. He had joined the Freemasons only because he couldn’t join the Chinese Association due to his obsession with revenge. Now under Yue Zhong’s ultimatum, he chose to surrender, purely to help take Wuyan Hong down.
Yue Zhong looked at Zheng Minghe surrendering, and he turned his head to glance at the other 4 elders.
What about the 4 of you?
At this time, the various soldiers of the Freemasons had gathered, and charged towards the meeting hall. Zhang Shuwen pulled out his handgun and fired a few shots at the oncoming Freemason members. He was after all experienced with guns, every single shot of his found its mark, and suppressed them. This kept the soldiers from wantonly charging in.
Order them to surrender!
Yue Zhong pointed his Stinger at one of the elders and coldly commanded.
That elder stubbornly retorted:
Yue Zhong! I’m advising YOU to surrender! We have over a 100 good brothers here, none of them will yield to you!! You only have 5 men here, even if you kill us, the rest will not bow to you! In the end, both sides will suffer losses.
What a valiant hero! Just die!
Yue Zhong coldly pulled the trigger.
With a peng! The elder’s brains joined the final collage of Peng Lingbo and Chen Libang. 1
The Stinger was exceptionally powerful, and its power output could contend with the ZPT90s, the moment it hit the head, the head would explode like a watermelon.
Yue Zhong then aimed at another elder and coldly continued:
The 100 men of the Freemasons are nothing to me. Just yesterday, I wiped out 2 battalions of Wuyan Hong, totalling over 800 soldiers. Killing another 100 today would just be a side dish. Even if you are Chinese, as long as you’re my enemy, I will not be merciful. Will you surrender or not?
Hearing his words, the eyes of the Chinese Association members widened in shock. They could not believe that Yue Zhong had single-handedly destroyed 2 battalions under Wuyan Hong.
Hu Yan spoke deeply:
It’s true!! Yue Zhong has the ability to command Mutant Beasts. You guys had best surrender!
Hu Yan did not think that Yue Zhong would be so ruthless, just killing when he thought of it, and actually eliminating the leader of the Freemasons. He even wanted to forcefully conquer the entire Freemasons. However, since the arrow had left its bow, he had to follow Yue Zhong’s cue. Otherwise, if the rest of the Freemasons really fought, they would definitely face some loss.
The elder had a look of shock as he exclaimed:
I surrender!! Don’t kill me!!!
The moment that elder gave in, Yue Zhong pointed the Stinger at another elder.
With the threat of death looming over their heads, the remaining elders all gave in with much difficulty, although it was only on the surface. They would revolt the second an opportunity surfaced.
Yue Zhong, however, did not seem to care as he told Zheng Minghe and the elders:
Tell them to stand down!
Zheng Minghe immediately went to the exit of the hall and shouted loudly:
It’s me 2 Zheng Minghe, stop immediately!! I’m ordering you guys to stop your attack!
That’s the vice-leader!!
…..
Hearing Zheng Minghe’s command, the soldiers outside were at a loss on what to do. The gunshots stopped.
The head of the security Cai Hengbo had a grim look as he held his gun and hollered towards the hall:
So what if you’re the vice-leader? We are all men of the leader, we only listen to his command!! Those inside listen up. Let the leader come out, otherwise, we’ll kill every single one of you!!
Yue Zhong stepped out of the meeting hall, and pointing the Stinger at Cai Hengbo’s head, immediately fired and expertly displayed Cai Hengbo’s thought organ on the nearby wall. He then coldly spoke to the rest:
Your leader has died at my hands! The vice-leader and all the elders have already surrendered. The whole lot of you better surrender, I can still let you live. If you want to continue and resist, I’ll give you death! Your wives and kids will be treated as slaves, belonging to only the victors. Surrender or death, you choose!
Kill him!! He’s alone!!! Everyone kill him, and seek revenge for our leader!!!
One of the loyal supporters of Peng Lingbo shouted out in agitation.
The soldiers of the Freemasons hesitated, some started to fire at Yue Zhong. There were also some who held back, and hid, as they watched the show.Countless bullets were flying towards Yue Zhong.
He frowned, as his body flashed away from his position, and he let out a single furious howl towards the sky.
At a nearby forest, Lightning hear Yue Zhong’s call, and replied with a howl of its own, as it led more than one hundred Type 2 Mutant Leopard Cats towards the territory of the Freemasons.
The speed of the Mutant Leopard Cats was extremely fast, and pretty soon, they surrounded the village, as Lightning entered the village on its own and shot towards the current gathering spot like an arrow.
Mutant Beast!! Attack! Attack!!
……
When the warriors of the Freemasons saw Lightning, their expressions all turned to one of horror as they shouted amongst themselves. The majority of the guns changed their aim towards it.
Lightning’s speed was incredibly fast, not only did it dodge the bullets with ease, evading the attacks, but with every flash of its speed, a few soldiers would lose their heads.
Lightning had just killed about 4 or 5 soldiers, when the soldiers started losing their morale, and ran for their lives. They were just a bunch of untrained warriors after all, not even comparable to the Chinese Association. They were naturally unable to withstand the might of such a Type 2 Mutant Beast.
In just a short span of a minute, Lightning had charged through the heart of the Freemason’s town, swiping its claws casually and removing a soldier’s head.
Mutant Beast!!
Type 2 Mutant Leopard Cat!!
…..
Upon seeing Lightning, those warriors firing at Yue Zhong had a change of expression as they changed their targets to Lightning.
The number of Type 2 Mutant Beasts in these parts of Vietnam was not many, the appearance of one usually spelt disaster and rains of blood. The Freemasons could be easily wiped out by a single Type 2 Mutant Beast. To handle a Type 2 Mutant Beast, it would take a powerful faction like Wuyan Hong’s troops with enough firepower to hunt down one, and that was including the potential cost of human lives.
In the rain of bullets, Lightning dodged them all gracefully, its body continuously dancing by, and each time it passed a soldier, the head of the soldier would be swiped off its position between the shoulder blades, no one thus far could withstand its attacks.
What a fearsome Type 2 Mutant Beast!!
Seeing Lightning engaging in an all-out slaughter amongst the humans, everyone was frightened out of their wits.
Zheng Minghe subconsciously reached for his neck and touched it, his heart filled with terror. Although he was a Level 27 Enhancer himself, facing Lightning, he would die within a second.
I surrender!! Don’t kill me!! I surrender
Some of the soldiers started losing their morale and will to fight, and they started to throw their weapons down as they kneeled and begged miserably.
The Type 2 Mutant Leopard Cat only continued its elegant slaughter of those who chose to fight; the rest who had not joined in the fray earlier and watching on one side were spared. These led the soldiers to understand who was controlling the terrifying Mutant Beast.
After being subdued by Yue Zhong, Lightning also gained some intelligence, and ignored the soldiers who surrendered, instead it continued to kill those who refused to give up. Soon, the entire area was filled with corpses of the soldiers from the Freemasons.
Zheng Minghe and the 3 other elders witnessed this horrifying scene, and did not dare doubt the truth of Yue Zhong’s words.
When the main fighting force collapsed, the rest of the soldiers gave up and threw down their weapons as they surrendered.
At this time, the 100 soldiers Yue Zhong borrowed from the Chinese Association came rolling into the town with their armored vehicles. They went about placing the various survivors under arrest.
Yue Zhong also reorganized the remaining 113 Chinese warriors into 5 platoons, and handed them to be commanded by Zheng Minghe, Wei Ningguo and the 3 elders, Yi Shuixiong, Zhou Dali and Ning Changshui who surrendered.
Hu Yan, Zhang Shuwen and Zheng Qiang were all capable and powerful people, but were upper echelons of the Chinese Association. Yue Zhong naturally could not hand his troops to them.
In each platoon, other than the Chinese, Yue Zhong filled the ranks up with some other Vietnamese survivors.
As for the families of Peng Lingbo, Chen Libang and those who had retaliated, Yue Zhong sent the able-bodied men to the Scum Battalion, while the women were sent to the Women’s Battalion to await future orders.
After settling all of this, Yue Zhong then gathered the inhabitants of this small town. In this village, there were 600 survivors, of which 400 were Vietnamese. Those Vietnamese were looking on at Yue Zhong atop the podium with fear in their eyes.
Wuyan Hong had openly committed genocide of the Chinese, and those Chinese experts were filled with fury. Some did not care about whether it was wrong or right, as long as they saw a Vietnamese, they would slaughter them as well. As a result, both sides had a hatred that ran deep. The 400 Vietnamese survivors were afraid that Yue Zhong would indiscriminately kill them all.
Zheng Minghe, Wei Ningguo, Yi Shuixiong, Zhou Dali, Ning Changshui were looking at Yue Zhong as well. Most of them had strange gazes in their eyes. Other than Wei Ningguo, the rest were soldiers who had just surrendered, and it could be seen that they still did not approve of Yue Zhong from the looks in their eyes. They were only fearful of Yue Zhong’s strength and his command of the Mutant Beasts. The human heart was unfathomable, and those soldiers of the Freemasons were looking at Yue Zhong as well with their thoughts concealed.
I am Yue Zhong!
Yue Zhong surveyed the crowd before him, before coldly speaking out:
I have eradicated the Freemasons! From today onwards, you’re all my people. Regardless of your Chinese or Vietnamese background, you will all have to listen to me! If you follow me, I will give you food, honour and glorious victory!!
~~~~~
1 [Ulamog] Collage: A form of art made by sticking various things, differing in appearance in some way (even sometimes just shades of the same colors) onto a background for display. Now re-picture that segment. Or don’t. xD
Chapter 143: Warning the Troops!
Yue Zhong eyed them coldly and said in an icy tone:
If any of you dares to betray me, and become an enemy? I will chop your heads off, and turn your family into slaves, and give them to my subordinates to serve their every need. They will lead lowly and shameful days for the rest of their pitiful lives. For those who give their all to my cause, you will gain huge benefits and glory. You can choose to follow me and fight, or become my enemy, the choice is entirely up to you.
Yue Zhong then waved his hands and called out deeply:
Now, here are some weapons to bolster your strength! Take it!
Soldiers that Yue Zhong borrowed from the Chinese Association started handing out guns from crates on the podium to the ex-Freemasons members.
So many guns!!
When the inhabitants of the town saw the number of guns, their eyes widened in shock. The Freemasons had a dozen AKs at most, while they relied heavily on handguns. Now Yue Zhong suddenly pulled out over a hundred 100 AKs to be distributed, this led many to be filled with disbelief. Before any other stronger faction arrived to topple Yue Zhong, they now had no choice but to comply.
Those soldiers who had just recently came under Yue Zhong’s control started to feel their hearts surge with pride and joy, their happiness being worn on their faces. In this post-apocalyptic world, only the strong could lead good lives, with a single AK, these soldiers could each become a fearsome existence to normal survivors.
Seeing that the weapons were distributed, Yue Zhong called out loudly:
Now, let us go hunt our first prey. Come with me!! Let’s go annihilate Wuyan Hong’s troops, and take back everything from them. As long as we eradicate Wuyan Hong, food, women, riches, status, they will all be yours!
Zheng Minghe replied in a loud voice:
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill them all!! Take everything from them!!
Zheng Minghe had always wanted to kill Wuyan Hong, Yue Zhong’s intentions struck a chord with his heart. At this time, as long Yue Zhong could take Wuyan Hong out, he was willing to give his all to Yue Zhong. 1
Kill! Kill!! Kill!! Kill them all!!
The soldiers all called out in response, clearly riled up by that powerful speech, as their chants got louder, and with that rising morale, their inner fighting instincts were released. They released angry howls as though they were wolves.
Move out!
Yue Zhong commanded coldly.
This entire troop that had just been subdued by Yue Zhong was motivated and led to advance towards their enemies in such a short time.
As for the defence of the town, Yue Zhong left it to Hu Yan, Zhang Shuwen and Zheng Qiang, the 3 elders of the Chinese Association as well as the hundred soldiers he borrowed.
So Wenyan had lent those soldiers to Yue Zhong with conditions, if there were deaths, within an acceptable range of 10 people, Yue Zhong did not need to be responsible. Beyond that, for every soldier that died, Yue Zhong would be required to fill the ranks with 2 Chinese. Hence Yue Zhong had only intended for them to guard the town, and maintain security and order.
Zheng Minghe was an Agility-based Enhancer, and used to be a recon soldier. Therefore, he brought a few other passionate soldiers along with him to scout the road ahead, providing intelligence.
Those soldiers had wives and children back at the village, and Yue Zhong wasn’t worried that they would escape. In fact, Yue Zhong had chosen those Vietnamese soldiers as they also had families, and if they dared revolt, Yue Zhong would not be merciful.
Zheng Minghe was currently manoeuvring within the forest, his body covered entirely in a weird Mutant tree sap, giving him an extremely foul stench, however it helped ward off ants. The other 4 soldiers did the same, otherwise the venomous bugs in the forest could easily take their lives.
That’s..!!
As they were scouting, Zheng Minghe heard the sudden roar of a vehicle engine, his brows furrowed, and swiftly brought his men as they made their way towards the direction of the noise.
Zheng Minghe quickly climbed atop a small hill, and looked towards a highway below, only to discover a huge fleet of vehicles currently making for the distance.
The huge vehicle fleet was made out of various transportation trucks, and from the top of the hill, Zheng Minghe could discern that the trucks were filled to the brim with haggard survivors.
Those huge transportation trucks were flanked by a battalion’s worth of fully equipped soldiers and they were marching anxiously.
In this post-apocalyptic world, most vehicle fleets required the protection of soldiers, otherwise the Mutant Beasts of the forest would be attracted by the sounds of the vehicles, and attack them.
What a huge catch!! Too bad it’s abit too big, and too thorny. I wonder how Yue Zhong would deal with this!
Zheng Minghe looked at the fleet below, as a glint appeared in his eyes, and he brought out the walkie-talkie and reported what he had seen to Yue Zhong.
It’s a battalion without heavy weapons!! It really is a huge catch!! Let us kill them all!!
Yue Zhong heard the intel report from Zheng Minghe, and his eyes flashed with a resolute gaze.
The fleet was currently making its way towards Yue Zhong and his troops. Yue Zhong quickly got his men to choose a small hill to hide.
The vehicle fleet continued unaware as it made its way into Yue Zhong’s trap.
Attack!!!
Yue Zhong immediately pulled out a heavy machine gun and rained bullets on the vehicle fleet. As the bullets penetrated the surrounding soldiers, piercing holes in their bodies and causing their innards to fall out.
Wei Ningguo, Yi Shuixiong, Zhou Dali and Ning Changshui brought their own men as they got on the ground and fired their own guns at the soldiers.
In just a manner of seconds, 30 men from the battalion had been killed.
Ambush!! Ambush!!!
The commander of the battalion shouted out in fright and horror. He never imagined that they would fall into a trap here.
However, the battalion of soldiers protecting the fleet were not elite soldiers, and they were just a bunch of untrained soldiers who had not undergone training. The moment they were ambushed, their formation collapsed. Many of them threw down their weapons, while some heeded the commands of their leader. After using the vehicles as cover, they started counter-attacking.
Yue Zhong saw that half the battalion had lost their composure and their will to fight. He felt excited, and immediately let out a howl to the skies.
Lightning, who was waiting nearby with a bunch of its brothers replied with its own howl, and led them towards the battalion, their speed sending them past the defences of the soldiers in a matter of seconds.
The 100-over Mutant Leopard Cats were truly fearless under the leadership of Lightning, as they continuously knocked the soldiers onto the ground, and ripped their throats out.
Damn beasts!!!
There were 3 Enhancers above level 30 within the battalion, and they were there specifically to deal with Mutant Beast. Upon seeing those Mutant Leopard Cats, they charged out.
Amongst the 3 Level-30 Enhancers, 1 was a Strength-based Enhancer. He wielded a huge shield in one hand, and a huge hammer in the other. Both added up to reach 700 jin, and that huge hammer could easily flatten a small jeep. The massive shield could even withstand the firepower from heavy weapons, just that it wasn’t something that normal people could casually carry.
Another was an Agility-based Enhancer, who was wielding a pale blue dagger, his figure dodging through the crowd.
The last one was an Enhancer with the [Ice Manipulation] ability, and he pointed to one Mutant Leopard Cat, as 8 ice shards were conjured out of thin air, piercing into the body of the Mutant Leopard Cat, before suddenly exploding, causing the blood of the Mutant Leopard Cat to freeze instantly, as it fell to the ground dead.
Lightning had already noticed the presence of these 3 Enhancers at the first moment, it leapt into the air before suddenly appearing in front of the Agility-based Enhancer, and swiped its claws out. In that instant, Lightning had caused his body to be snapped in two.
After taking out the Agility-based Enhancer, it immediately made its way towards the Strength-based Enhancer while evading countless bullets.
The shield-wielding Enhancer caught a glimpse of Lightning and his face fell:
Type 2 Mutant Leopard Cat!! Damn it!! Why would there be a Type 2 Mutant Beast here!!
His eyes glossed over as Lightning disappeared from his sights, and in the next instant, an extremely sharp claw had slashed from behind him, causing his head to be lopped off easily.
The [Ice Manipulation] Enhancer looked at Lightning with shock and dread, as he immediately turned to flee towards a jeep. It was definitely impossible for him to deal with a Type 2 Mutant Beast on his own, and retreating was the only way to ensure his survival.
Peng! A gunshot rang out, and a new hole was made in the head of that remaining Enhancer, as he crumpled to the floor as a lifeless corpse.
Yue Zhong eyed the corpse of the [Ice Manipulation] Enhancer, as he put down the Bartlett Sniper, switched to his heavy machine gun and continued firing wildly at the soldiers.
Surrender and you’ll be spared!! Throw down your weapons!! Surrender and you’ll be spared!!
Zheng Minghe shouted loudly.
Surrender and you’ll be spared!! Throw down your weapons!! Surrender and you’ll be spared!!
The entire clearing was filled with triumphant shouts, this type of jeering to force the enemy to succumb was extremely gratifying. Each time there was such a call, it was the end of a battle.
Under the joint attacks of the Mutant Beasts and humans, the battalion which had lost all sense of order could not regroup. Many threw down their weapons, hugging their heads, as they trembled and looked at the Mutant Beasts.
There were some who tried to flee towards the forest, but, their basic human speed could not match against the Mutant Leopard Cats, and they were easily knocked to the ground before having their throats ripped out.
Chapter 144: Killing The Prisoners!
Not long after, the entire defence of the vehicle fleet crumbled.
Yue Zhong had ambushed over 200 people, and the death count was also about 200. In rewards he gained a battalion’s worth of equipment, although there wasn’t a single heavy weapon. This battle had cost the lives of 2 soldiers from Yue Zhong’s side, 8 injured people, and 3 dead Mutant Leopard Cats. There was simply no comparison between the losses of both sides.
These should have been new recruits!
Yue Zhong walked among the dead bodies littered around the area as he thought quietly to himself.
If they were an elite team, even when facing that ambush, they would have reacted properly at the first moment, and would not collapse just like that.
Boss Yue! The captives have already let up!
Zheng Minghe brought some captives to Yue Zhong in excitement. It was the first time he had been part of such a clean operation, where they successfully wiped out an entire battalion and suffered minimal losses. This led Zheng Minghe to be filled with respect and admiration towards Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong looked at one of the captives and asked:
Who are you people?
The captive returned Yue Zhong’s gaze and revealed his identity honestly:
We are soldiers from Li Guangyi’s Vietnam Revival Army. This was the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment, 1st Division. This time, our mission was to escort 600 Chinese to Wuyan Hong to exchange for some firepower.
Using humans to exchange for firepower!
Yue Zhong frowned, as he continued asking:
What is the relationship between you guys and Wuyan Hong?
The captive replied:
We had a few clashes with Wuyan Hong in the past. There were victories and losses from both sides. Recently, we haven’t engaged in war. It seemed like the upper brass were passing judgement on some things. As for the details about that, I’m not entirely sure.
The captive was speaking entirely in Vietnamese, and Ming Jiajia who was standing beside Yue Zhong translated everything for him.
Yue Zhong continued grilling the captive with many questions. This led to him obtaining precious information about the Vietnam Revival Army. Li Guangyi used to be a commanding officer within the Vietnam Army, after the apocalypse, he had brought men to absorb a few battalions, as they continued to clear out the surrounding towns, saving the inhabitants, and establishing the Vietnam Revival Army.
Under the constant expansion, Li Guangyi’s Vietnam Revival Army grew to an astounding power of over 40,000 survivors and 14 battalions of about 4,500 soldiers. However, as rationing was still an issue, and training was inadequate, this 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment, 1st Division happened to be a newly established unit, and without the proper training or sufficient experience, they had been taken down easily by Yue Zhong. If it were the elite troops of Li Guangyi, the outcome of the battle would definitely be different. Li Guangyi had absorbed a number of strong soldiers, and obtained numerous weapons, and wasn’t a simple force that could be defeated by this random bunch of soldiers that Yue Zhong had just recently subdued.
Yue Zhong walked towards the huge transportation truck, only to discover that within those vehicles, there were many Chinese packed together like pigs and dogs, their clothes in tatters, their bodies giving off foul smells, and their eyes were filled with fear. There were even many women who had obviously been raped and mistreated, their bodies covered with light yellow spots.
Seems like this Li Guangyi is not a decent character as well!!
Yue Zhong’s killing intent surged for an instant, before he continued on. He had seen enough of the cruelty of the post-apocalyptic world, and he knew that no matter how he pitied his fellow Chinese, it wouldn’t do any good. He might as well kill more of those Vietnamese who took pleasure in torturing. 1
Yue Zhong came to the second truck, and saw that 30 extremely beautiful women were brought out from within, and the soldiers he had recently subdued has thrown their weapons down and were tearing at the women’s clothes. The women were crying out shrilly in fright as they struggled powerlessly.
After a victory, it was time to mess with the women. This had always been the way of the Freemasons, and Peng Lingbo had made use of this method to win over subordinates. This had led many of the deplorable men to be loyal to him. Truthfully, even before the apocalypse, there were countless cases of people engaging in plundering and rape during times of war. It was hard to maintain a sense of decency then, not to mention the current times.
Ming Jiajia looked at the women struggling on the floor, and she frowned, as she hid behind Yue Zhong. She had come across such scenes countless times, but it was still hard for her to stomach. Even though she was young, she was still female after all. These kinds of situation made her feel disgusted, but she was powerless to stop it.
Yue Zhong furrowed his brows as he eyed those degenerates who had lost all sense of their morality as he coldly shouted:
Apprehend these beasts!
The soldiers who were spectating silently uncomfortably stepped out at least and made a grab for those soldiers.
Fuck!! Get the hell off me! Once your father I am done, you’ll get your turn!!
When one of the soldiers was pried away, he started to curse out loud, but then he saw the cold glare of Yue Zhong standing a distance away, and his complexion instantly turned pale, as he stammered:
Boss…Yue….!!
Everyone fall in!
Yue Zhong’s own expression was steely as he commanded.
Under Yue Zhong’s command, all the 100-over soldiers immediately got in their positions, and they knew what it was about, as they stood silently and looked at Yue Zhong, awaiting his decision on their punishment.
Yue Zhong looked at those soldiers and said coldly:
These beasts tried to rape women on the battlefield, they’re no longer my men. I’ll announce now, these men will be executed on the spot!
Hearing his judgement, the soldiers who had lowered their heads awaiting their punishment immediately looked up in agitation and started to protest.
As one of the soldiers struggled, he shouted out loudly:
Boss Yue!! You were the one who said!! As long as we join you and fight!! We would get food! Women! Victory!! This was only one time that I fooled around. Why have you sentenced us to death?!!
Yeah!! I can’t accept this!!
…….
Those soldiers continued to protest violently, they wanted to fight for a chance at survival.
Yue Zhong silenced them with a look:
I gave you strength. Not the right to rape and humiliate your fellow countrymen! If you want women, I will give them to you. If you were normal civilians, I would have just thrown you into the Scum Battalion. However! This is the battlefield! You are all soldiers! Soldiers who forget themselves and throw their weapons down just to enjoy themselves deserve the death penalty!
Yue Zhng looked at Zheng Minghe, as he coldly ordered:
Commence the execution!
Zheng Minghe felt a chill in his heart, and knew Yue Zhong was forcing him to decide. If he executed the order, his position would drop amongst the soldiers that used to be part of the Freemasons, after all these were previously Freemasons’ members. However, if he did not execute the order, Yue Zhong would immediately sentence him to death as well.
Zheng Minghe did not hesitate any further, and ordered harshly:
Open fire!!
Peng! Peng!
Zheng Minghe’s soldiers immediately raised their guns and fired at the soldiers who had humiliated the ladies. Although these soldiers were their comrades in the past, if they didn’t open fire, they would be the ones to face death.
Under the gunfire, those soldiers were shot dead.
Yue Zhong swept his gaze across the soldiers and said in a heavy voice:
I hope you’ll understand that their plight will be the consequences for any similar incidents in the future! Women, wealth, and food, I’ll provide them! But you’ll have to abide by my rules and orders! Understood?
Wei Ningguo was the first to shout out:
Yes Sir!
Yes Sir!
The soldiers all replied with a chill in their heart. They had just been forced into Yue Zhong’s ranks, and they had not yet fully accepted him as a leader. But they were willing to follow this strong person who could lead them to constant victories. As long as he could lead them to win battle after battle, their loyalty and morale will naturally grow. However, the moment he failed, this group would instantly scatter.
Yue Zhong, next coldly ordered:
Take our fellow countrymen, let them pinpoint those amongst the captives who had taken part in slaughter or tormented the Chinese in anyway! Execute those offenders!
Zheng Minghe’s heart went cold instantly, and his fiery passion arose as he replied in a loud voice:
Yes Sir!!
Wait!!
Right at this moment, Wei Ningguo suddenly exclaimed.
Yue Zhong’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Wei Ningguo.
Wei Ningguo’s back broke out in cold sweat, yet he hardened his skin and told Yue Zhong:
Boss Yue, killing the captives won’t be too good!! Furthermore, if this matter is to travel out, there will be lesser people willing to surrender.
Since time immemorial, there were few powers who executed their captives. It was not because they were kind or merciful, but the moment news were to spread, fewer enemies would be willing to surrender, instead they might fight it out. Wei Ningguo was hoping that Yue Zhong would become an overlord, and continue being a big tree that he could rely on.
Hearing Wei Ningguo’s words, Zheng Minghe also faltered, as he looked to Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong replied indifferently:
Carry on!
Zheng Minghe nodded, and immediately brought men to lead the survivors out of the vehicles, as they went to identify the culprits.
The Vietnamese captives were not any decent people themselves, as under the identification of the enraged Chinese survivors, various captives were pointed out and pulled from the holding place, and immediately subjected to execution.
Don’t kill me!! Ah!!
I was wrong!! Don’t kill me!! I’ve already surrendered!!!
…….
Amidst cries and shouts, many of the Chinese survivors saw their tormentors and torturers getting their just desserts, and they could not help but sob in relief. It was truly a venting of their grievances and frustrations.
Many of the Chinese survivors immediately kneeled towards Yue Zhong, as they kowtowed repeatedly. Yue Zhong had slaughtered their hated enemies, and in an instant, won their support and goodwill.
Yue Zhong pointed to those Chinese survivors, and told Wei Ningguo:
See that? After killing the scum, I’ve gained their favour. If I kept them, then those scum might not even be loyal anyway. I’m Chinese after all, and considering the situation, I would still want to seek revenge for my countrymen, regardless of the consequences, otherwise the road in the future would definitely be tougher.
2
Chapter 145: Pearl Fruit
After hearing Yue Zhong’s words, Wei Ningguo lowered his head in silence for a while, before nodding slightly. With over 500 Chinese survivors who supported him, Yue Zhong’s position was consolidated further. Although in the long run, killing the captives was not auspicious, in order to win the hearts of the Chinese survivors, killing those Vietnamese that were worse than beasts was the best method.
With the identification of the Chinese survivors, over a 100 captives were pulled out and immediately executed by beheading. The remaining Vietnamese captives were all frightened, their eyes filled with fear, afraid that they will be the next to be targeted.
Not all the Vietnamese were monsters though, those who did not commit any offence were directly sent to the Scum Battalion as cannon fodder.
After settling the issue of the Vietnamese captives, Yue Zhong then came to the last vehicle with a huge container.
Ming Jiajia followed silently behind Yue Zhong. She was extremely pleased with Yue Zhong’s decision on handling those Vietnamese captives. During the post-apocalypse, the Chinese led wretched lives, in this huge country of Vietnam, any Vietnamese would take the chance to humiliate or even kill a Chinese. Killing them back gave Ming Jiajia a sort of outlet to vent her hatred, after all, she was Chinese as well.
Seeing that Yue Zhong had walked over, 2 soldiers who were standing by opened up the container. They discovered that there was a small tree contained within, with numerous green leaves, its height about 1m, and there were 8 small pearl-like fruits that were snow-white in colour growing on that tree.
What is this?
Yue Zhong pulled over a captive platoon commander Mu Peixiang and asked.
Mu Peixiang happened to be the highest commanding officer within the captives.
Mu Pei Xiang swiftly replied:
Sir! We aren’t too sure on the background of this thing as well. This is something that the commander of the Cheetah Battalion discovered in a small town. When he found it, there were 16 Mutant Fierce-teeth Apes around. To kill those apes, we lost a number of comrades as well.
Yue Zhong did not reply and just looked at the strange tree, as he waved his hands and dismissed Mu Pei Xiang.
Yue Zhong reached out to pluck a fruit from the tree, as he took in a whiff of its scent, and could detect a strange sort of fragrance from the tree.
Yue Zhong held the pearl-like fruit and hesitated, he was 80% confident that it was definitely something good. However, he wasn’t too sure about its effects. If it caused a person to faint, he would definitely be ripped apart by those soldiers he had just subjugated.
Ming Jiajia was extremely astute, and could discern Yue Zhong’s dilemma, as she came towards Yue Zhong with a smile on her face and her huge round eyes as she said:
Master, are you afraid that the fruit has poison? Why don’t you let me try it for you?
Yue Zhong looked at Ming Jiajia and said in a heavy voice:
Jiajia! I’m 80% sure that this fruit is something good, and won’t be harmful. However, since it’s not a certainty, are you sure you would like to try it?
Ming Jiajia had a resolute look as she said:
Let me!
Ming Jiajia could tell that this fruit was something precious as well. Furthermore, she wanted to take the chance, if the pearl-like fruit could allow her to become strong, then she would have gained a huge benefit. In this post-apocalyptic world, the chances to become someone strong were little. Even if it could not endow her with power, she would still gain Yue Zhong’s trust. The only risk was that she might be poisoned to death.
Yue Zhong looked at Ming Jiajia and her determined expression and threw the pearl-like fruit to her:
Okay! Take it!
When Ming Jiajia received it, she did not even take a moment of hesitation, and directly swallowed the fruit into her stomach.
When the fruit entered Ming Jiajia’s stomach, it turned into a cool stream of energy that flowed within her body, as it nourished her limbs and nerves.
The cool energy rotated within her body for a few rounds, before solidifying. Ming Jiajia’s face then took a greenish hue, as she opened her mouth slightly and spat out a mouthful of baleful air. Her frail little body shivered non-stop, like a helpless bird, as she looked at Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong immediately grabbed her into his embrace, and found that the little loli was as cold as a block of ice.
Yue Zhong observed the trembling Ming Jiajia and came to a conclusion:
The side-effects of this fruit are still unknown! But it definitely has some benefit in terms of enhancement!
Yue Zhong chose not to take the fruit himself, instead he got his men to seal the container after seeing Ming Jiajia’s plight.
Right at this time, Wei Ningguo came up to Yue Zhong and asked respectfully:
Boss Yue! Are we still attacking Nandu Town?
Nandu Town was Yue Zhong’s intended target this time. There was a platoon of Wuyan Hong’s forces guarding the town, and within the town, there were about 1,300 survivors, of which, 200 Chinese were being treated as slaves.
Yue Zhong had decided to ambush Li Guangyi’s forces from the Vietnam Revival Army on the spur of the moment. He gained a number of captives and Chinese survivors as a stroke of luck.
Of course!
Yue Zhong activated his [Summon Skeleton] skill, and White Bones stepped out of thin air.
Yue Zhong pointed to White Bones and said:
Wei Ningguo! This is my trusted aide White Bones! He represents my will. You must follow his orders.
Yes!
Wei Ningguo felt shock and amazement as he replied. It was the first time he actually saw a lifeform appearing out of thin air.
Yue Zhong eyes Wei Ningguo and said in a low voice:
Wei Ningguo, bring them back to base. If anyone makes any funny moves, you can tell White Bones, and it will help you take care of the situation.
Yes Sir!
Wei Ningguo felt a chill. He knew this was a test, and the hidden meaning behind it. If he himself were to try anything funny, this White Bones would execute him at the first moment it could.
Yue Zhong had just gained control over this troops for too short a time, and had used extreme force to subdue them. He had not won their loyalty yet, and if he wasn’t there, there was a possibility of a revolt.
However, with the existence of White Bones, which was impervious to bullets and knives, and even the heavy firepower of a 12.7mm machine gun, suppressing this mob would not be hard. Yue Zhong would then be rest assured to lead his men to launch an assault on Nandu Town.
Under the command of Wei Ningguo, half of the troops stayed behind, and were responsible for protecting and escorting the survivors, Vietnam captives and the equipment they obtained as they made their way back to the town of the Freemasons.
The other half would follow Yue Zhong’s lead to advance towards Nandu Town.
Nandu Town was a small territory on the borderline of the areas under Wuyan Hong and Li Guangyi’s control. There was a small elite platoon of soldiers currently stationed there. At the same time, there were various fortifications being carried out. Different attacking points were densely placed, and without ample firepower, it was very hard to attack this town.
What a tough defence!!
Yue Zhong brought men to Nandu Town, as he looked at the seemingly impregnable defence, with reinforcements present to support one another, as he furrowed his brows.
Facing that defence, Lightning would only be sending its brothers to death by charging blindly. The Mutant Leopard Cats were truly fearsome, but against a turtle-like defence, with experts who were not exactly weak, if the Mutant Beasts were to forcefully try and attack, they would only lose out in the end.
Zheng Minghe observed Nandu Town from afar, before walking to Yue Zhong’s side, quipping unhappily:
Boss Yue!! Why don’t we fall back for now! This Nandu Town seems too tough to handle. Even if the brothers charge down, we would not be able to achieve anything.
Zheng Minghe was extremely eager to attack Wuyan Hong’s troops, but he was also extremely clear that with just their strength, it would be hard to do anything significant. The terrifying Mutant Leopard Cats that had exhibited their prowess in the wild would not be of much help either against this town.
It’s just a single platoon! It’s okay, within my capabilities.
Yue Zhong had calculated silently, before making a decision:
Wait here! I’ll go take care of that platoon!!
Zheng Minghe had a look of shock as he exclaimed:
Boss Yue!! That is a platoon! And they’re part of Wuyan Hong’s elites, not some random riffraff. They’re all within some protective buildings, and not so easy to deal with. Do think this through carefully!!
Those troops of Wuyan Hong’s were actual elites who had experienced and survived countless battles, amongst them, there were many veterans and some actual military personnel from before the apocalypse. Their combat prowess was not like the troops of Li Guangyi that Yue Zhong had ambushed earlier. With the combination of elite troops and proper fortifications, even if there were 3 of the battalions that Yue Zhong had taken down, it would not be enough to cause any problems for the town.
Zheng Minghe was pretty strong himself, but he had to admit that he would be easily killed if he were to saunter into the town by himself.
Zheng Minghe had decided to rely on Yue Zhong after witnessing his methods and strength. He did not wish for him to die here.
Don’t worry! You guys just wait here for the order to take care of the town!
Yue Zhong laughed, before pulling out his Bartlett sniper rifle, and aimed at a patrolling soldier from such a large distance, and pulled the trigger.
With a bang, the patrolling soldier’s head was blasted apart.
Enemy attack!!
Sniper!! There’s a sniper!!
……..
Following the angry shouts, the platoon of elite soldiers quickly ran for cover within the fortifications, and did not allow for a second target for Yue Zhong.
Great response! No wonder they’re an elite platoon!
Yue Zhong eyed the swift and smooth motions of the soldiers and couldn’t help but frown.
Chapter 146: Slaughter!
However, Yue Zhong had already prepared himself mentally from the very start. A single platoon of elite soldiers was not going to be a problem for him at all.
Yue Zhong pulled out a Type 2 Mutant Black-scaled Boar hide from his ring, and donned it, before swiftly making his way towards the small town.
Snipers!
Yue Zhong had just moved when he felt 7 or 8 lines of sight locking onto him, however, this snipers could not possibly aim properly from such a distance, especially when Yue Zhong was employing his high-speed movement.
If one wanted to get a hit on an Enhancer as fast as Yue Zhong was, it was only possible if it was a sniper with the Level 3 [Sniper Specialization], otherwise it would be extremely hard for any other normal snipers to try and even catch him.
Yue Zhong got within 200m of the town in just a matter of a few breaths, and the various fortifications and defences started spewing out bullets fiercely. There were multiple flashes from the different guns and a dense rain of metal came pouring towards Yue Zhong.
Facing such a fearsome hail of bullets, unless it was a Type 2 Mutant Beast, it was basically impossible for any other Mutant Beast to be able to withstand it. If Yue Zhong had commanded the little brothers of Lightning to launch an assault on the town, just facing this rain of bullets would stop them in their tracks.
In that dense barrage of bullets, Yue Zhong activated his [Shadow Steps], as he constantly flashed about, not staying in a single location for more than a second.
The area within 200m of the town had been cleared of everything, there was not a single scrap of cover available. If Yue Zhong wanted to push forward on his charge, he could only do so under the blanket of bullets.
In that town, there was no shortage of the bullets from the 12.7mm heavy machine guns. Even if the bullets could not damage Yue Zhong’s defences, the force of the impact would still cause him some injuries. After all, his body’s resilience was still not as tough as a Type 2 Mutant Beast yet.
As Yue Zhong was running, his eyes were constantly darting about, taking in every single detail about the town, and the locations of all the fortifications and defences. He pointed to a part of the town, and 10 balls of Devil Flame the size of his fingers appeared, and shot towards 10 of the defence points.
On impact, the 10 locations combusted and were caught in flames, with 30 of the elite soldiers under Wuyan Hong instantly burnt to death. The fearsome Devil Flame also caused the weapons to catch fire, before exploding and adding further to the blazing flames within the defences. In just a single moment, the platoon of elite soldiers were all incinerated by one move from Yue Zhong, although it had caused him 20 points in Spirit as well.
This kind of result was only possible by having the [Devil Flame] Skill enhanced thrice, as well as having all 6 attributes exceeding that of a standard person. Only someone like Yue Zhong could pull it off.
As someone who was also an Enhancer with [Flame Manipulation], Wei Ningguo would at most be able to conjure 8 spheres of flame, but to cause such destruction, he would need to expend over 40 points of Spirit, which would most likely drain him after a single attack.
When those 10 defensive positions were destroyed, 80% of the firepower of the town had been neutralized.
Yue Zhong’s eyes flashed with a glint, as he retrieved the .05 submachine gun from his back and charged towards the town.
When the 10 defensive locations were decimated, the 8 snipers hiding within the town did not stop firing at Yue Zhong. However, while those snipers were considered experts in their own right, trying to snipe Yue Zhong who had exponentially faster speed than a normal human was just impossible. Their bullets could only land on his shadows, not even ruffling his clothes.
The remaining troops saw Yue Zhong charging forth all by himself, and they quickly retreated towards the 2nd line of defence in an orderly fashion.
A few mortar personnel started firing rounds at Yue Zhong’s direction, causing myriad explosions all around him.
Yue Zhong reacted by conjuring even more Devil Flame spheres all around him. As he created them they flew to the different defensive locations and exploded, causing numerous Vietnamese soldiers to be incinerated.
Pretty soon, there were various fire traps burning all around the town, and the elite soldiers of the platoon under Wuyan Hong were burnt to death by Yue Zhong’s Devil Flame, turning into ash.
When the commander of the elite troops Li Xiaoli saw Yue Zhong making his way around town killing the various soldiers, his eyes showed a hint of shock:
Too scary!! This damned fellow is too frightening!! He must be an Evolver that is similar to the Emperor. He’s not someone who we can handle!
A staff officer came up to Li Xiaoli and asked:
Commander! What do we do now? We have already lost half of our brothers to that guy!
Li Xiaoli’s eyes flashed coldly as he gave the order:
Evacuate! Transmit my order! Everyone is to evacuate from the town! Let all the survivors escape from here now!
Li Xiaoli also gave an extremely cruel order before the staff officer left:
Before we leave, kill all the Chinese!
Under such dire circumstances, Li Xiaoli could not even ensure the total evacuation of the Vietnamese survivors, not to mention the Chinese who were like pigs and dogs to him. Every Chinese survivor had been subjected to torment and torture under Wuyan Hong’s camps, the moment they were given a chance, they would become enemies dead set on seeking revenge. Li Xiaoli was a cruel man, and he would naturally not allow such a plight to cause problems in the future.
The staff officer trembled, and hesitated a while before asking:
What about the Chinese women, do we kill them all as well?
In the small town, there were a number of Chinese beauties who were just sent here. The staff officer could not bear to kill those women when they haven’t got the chance to play with them.
Li Xiaoli stared at the staff officer coldly and barked:
Kill them all!
Yes! Sir!!
The staff officer could detect the unhappiness from Li Xiaoli, and he quickly replied, before dismissing himself swiftly.
The staff officer quickly came to the holding cell of the Chinese survivors, and conveyed Li Xiaoli’s orders to the Vietnamese soldiers standing guard outside the jail.
The door of the jail cell was then opened up, and from within, numerous Chinese survivors walked out, their clothes in tatters, their faces devoid of expression or colour, and their bodies emitting a foul smell. These Chinese captives were all used as slaves to construct fortifications and defences by the troops of Wuyan Hong, and they ate only the worst available food. There was no freedom, and they could only move around like zombies.
Quick!!! Chinese dogs!! Get the hell out here!! Faster!!
A Vietnamese soldier knocked the head of one of the Chinese captives viciously, causing his head to bleed and blood to drip on the floor.
Damn it!! Useless shit! Go and die!!
The Vietnamese soldier cursed out, before aiming his gun and firing at the Chinese captive.
With a peng, the Chinese captive had a new hole in his head, as he slumped to the floor lifelessly.
When the rest of the captives witnessed this, their eyes flashed with fear, but they did not dare make any moves. Those who had dared retaliate had been killed long ago.
The various Chinese survivors were quickly ushered to a huge clearing, in which there were 3 heavy machine guns mounted, and 12 Vietnamese soldiers decked in military uniform were standing there.
When the Chinese were herded into their positions, the platoon commander in charge of the execution barked out:
Open fire!!
In an instant, the 3 heavy machine guns spat out a line of fire, as a dense rain of bullets tore through the Chinese survivors, causing them to be turned into sieves, fresh blood dying the ground.
Don’t kill me!! I don’t want to die!!
I’m begging you, please don’t kill me!!
……
When the rest of the Chinese on the other side witnessed this, their eyes filled with fear, and many started to beg pitifully.
What the fuck are you being noisy for, Chinese dogs! Shut up!
The miserable pleading of the Chinese infuriated the Vietnamese, and their eyes turned grim, before pulling out their handguns and fired at some of the Chinese.
Under the various gunshots ringing out, those Chinese captives who were wailing were immediately executed!
Seeing this cruel and harsh scene, all the Chinese captives knew that it was futile and desolation could be seen in their eyes. Some of them were brought to the clearing amidst their silent sobs, awaiting the next wave of execution.
These damned Chinese dogs! They should all be slaughtered!!
The Vietnamese cursed out loud, and was about to bark out his order.
You fucking Vietnamese beasts should be the ones to die!
Following Yue Zhong’s chilly voice that affected one to the bones, the Stinger was placed at the temple of the platoon commander.
With a peng, the head of the platoon commander who had been giving orders to execute the Chinese exploded, blood and brain matter splattering on the ground together.
Kill him!!
Kill that devil!!
…..
When the Vietnamese soldiers saw Yue Zhong, they broke out in commotion and started to fire at him almost simultaneously.
All of you can go die! Beasts!
Yue Zhong’s eyes flashed coldly, as he activated his [Devil Flame], and 11 flames landed on the 11 other Vietnamese soldiers, causing them to combust instantaneously.
Ah!!!
It hurts!!!!
Save me!!!!
The crackle of burning fat and the sizzle of flesh was drowned out, as the Vietnamese soldiers started wailing in agony. Being swallowed by the flames, yet not dying instantly, they struggled for a few moments in excruciating pain before they were finally burned to death.
Burning slowly to death was one of the most cruel ways of punishment, and Yue Zhong had gained a substantial amount of control over his Devil Flame. Now he could control the power output! He could cause it to kill immediately, or to cause them to suffer in pain.
Bunch of beasts!! Wuyan Hong you fucking beast!! Everyone under him are just like him! He doesn’t deserve to live!!
After killing those soldiers, Yue Zhong took in the surrounding, and his fury and killing intent billowed as he saw the numerous bodies of the Chinese that were just executed.
Chapter 147: Eradicating Li Xiaoli’s Troops!
Yue Zhong suppressed the fury he had, and fired a signal into the skies.
Boss Yue has released the signal! Follow me!!
Zheng Minghe saw the signal in the skies, and quickly led the 50 or so men towards the direction of the town
Yue Zhong could easily handle a small company of elite soldiers, but to gain control over a thousand people of a town, it was too difficult to do by himself. Protecting the Chinese that he had just saved would be hard to do alone, therefore Yue Zhong needed the help and assistance from Zheng Minghe and the rest.
Yue Zhong looked at the 200+ Chinese captives and said:
I’m Yue Zhong!! I’m Chinese and I’ve come to save you! From today onwards, you’re my people. I will do my best to protect you guys. As for Wuyan Hong that bastard, I will not let him go.
When those Chinese captives heard Yue Zhong’s words, they started bawling with emotions, many even started kneeling and kowtowing to him. If Yue Zhong had been just a little bit later, they would have been executed mercilessly. As of this moment, almost everyone was filled with gratitude and reverence for Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong waved his Black-Tooth Blade and cut open the bindings on the Chinese captives, and in turn, those freed went to help the rest undo their bindings as well.
Yue Zhong looked at those Chinese survivors and said in a low voice:
Those who still have energy, take up a gun and join me in my fight. Right now, only you can help protect yourself.
Amongst those survivors, 20ish men quickly stepped right up, and they went to pick up the equipment from the 12 Vietnamese soldiers, before standing quietly and awaited Yue Zhong’s orders.
These Chinese survivors had already witnessed Yue Zhong’s tyrannical strength, and coupled with the fact that they did not have a leader amongst themselves, they already started to listen to Yue Zhong’s orders subconsciously.
Yue Zhong looked at the 12 gun-wielding men and asked:
Which of you have handled a gun before?
One of the men, with a height of 1.6m, sunken eyes, a clean shaven head, and a sturdy look replied in a low voice:
My name’s Li Guangguo! I was a retired soldier from the Chinese Army.
Yue Zhong took a look at Li Guangguo and acknowledged him:
Good! I shall appoint you to be the temporary commander of these survivors. You will be in charge of gathering all our Chinese comrades. Defend this position, and do not allow those Vietnamese to bully our Chinese comrades further! I will go decimate every single one of those Vietnamese animals! After that I’ll come back and bring you guys out of here.
Currently, the town was in a huge mess, and there was chaos everywhere, if no one was to stand guard here, those Chinese survivors would be in for further torment. Yue Zhong had to chase down the soldiers of Wuyan Hong’s troops, and had no time to stay here.
Li Guangguo replied in a clear voice:
Yes! Sir!!
Yue Zhong saw that Li Guangguo had accepted his order, and quickly left the place, giving chase to the remaining soldiers of Wuyan Hong’s troops.
The company of elite soldiers stationed here numbered a total of 150 over soldiers. Yue Zhong had single-handedly killed over 80 of them.
Li Xiaoli was also an officer with plenty of combat experience. The moment he saw that Yue Zhong was running around unhindered, he had called for an immediate evacuation. The remaining elite soldiers had swiftly boarded various APC’s under Li Xiaoli’s commands and started to make a run for the exit of the town.
Yue Zhong had chosen to save the Chinese survivors first, thus expending some precious time and by the time he reached Li Xiaoli’s command centre, he saw numerous APC’s driving off towards the distance.
Fuck!! I’ll definitely not let you assholes off!
Yue Zhong’s eyes flashed with a hint of madness, as he activated his [Shadow Steps] and ran after the APC’s.
After activating his [Shadow Steps], Yue Zhong’s speed would reach a level of nearly 140 points and him running at full speed allowed him to reach the fleeing APC’s in a short span of time.
With Yue Zhong giving it his all, the distance between the 2 parties was gradually lessening. With such an absurd point total for his speed stat, Yue Zhong could be considered almost superhuman in the pre-apocalyptic world. Of course, maintaining this speed that was like a sports car would expend Stamina, and Yue Zhong could not maintain it for beyond an hour.
Is that even human? How can he use his own legs to match a vehicle!!
Li Xiaoli saw Yue Zhong chasing from behind in the rearview mirror, and his eyes flashed with shock. It was the first time he saw an Enhancer actually giving chase to a car! It was even to the point where the car was losing out in speed!
Running at his maximum speed, Yue Zhong quickly reached the back of one of the APC’s. He pointed to one of them, and a Devil Flame flew forth, combusting on one of the APC’s. On impact it instantaneously consumed that APC, causing it to explode into a huge ball of fire. The 15 soldiers inside were incinerated within the first seconds.
After taking care of one APC, Yue Zhong’s eyes flashed icily, as he continued to activate his [Devil Flame], pointing to the front. Another fireball was conjured and caused another APC to be swallowed in flames, exploding in a ball of fire.
Around the APCs, there were 5 other gunner cars, and the 5 cars were currently firing wildly at Yue Zhong.
Those soldiers sitting within the APCs were not willing to die just like that either, hence they took up their weapons and fired constantly.
Blanketed by the countless golden bullets, Yue Zhong had to constantly dodge and evade them and his speed was slowed accordingly. However, he did not stop casting his [Devil Flame]. As he conjured balls of Devil Flame, they constantly flew towards the APC’s, exploding upon impact and causing the soldiers within to be blasted into pieces.
Damn it!! My orders!! Gunner cars to cover the rest! APCs stop!! All the soldiers to run towards the direction of the forest and split up!!!
Li Xiaoli saw that his subordinates were being swallowed by the Devil Flame and turned to ashes, and he yelled with grief. He had not hesitated to order the ruthless slaughter of a few hundred Chinese, but seeing his own brothers being hunted by Yue Zhong caused his heart to bleed.
Those 5 gunner cars knew their fate and still carried out Li Xiaoli’s commands and blocked Yue Zhong from the APCs.
Yue Zhong’s [Devil Flame] fireballs that were cast landed on the gunner cars, causing them to all explode into pieces and burnt the crew directly into ashes.
The remaining 2 APCs had stopped, and the remaining 30 something soldiers had made use of the time Yue Zhong spent to destroy the gunner cars to split up and run towards the forest.
Li Xiaoli had seen through Yue Zhong’s weakness at a glance, which was that Yue Zhong was only by himself, and facing a retreating troop that split up, he could at most kill 7 to 8 of them. The remaining soldiers would be able to escape safely.
Hmph! Wanna run?! How can it be so easy!!
Yue Zhong looked at the 30+ Vietnamese soldiers, as he laughed coldly, and emitted a shrill howl.
In just a few moments, numerous Mutant Leopard Cats pounced out from the forest and charged towards the Vietnamese soldiers
Those Vietnamese soldiers were elite soldiers, and if they had the backing of cover and fortified defences, then it would be a piece of cake for them to deal with a hundred Mutant Leopard Cats. However, this was a place with no fortifications and they were simply no match for these Mutant Leopard Cats. They easily pounced over and knocked the soldiers to the ground, before ripping their throats out.
Beasts!!! Damn beasts!!!! I’ll not let you live!!
Li Xiaoli saw his elite subordinates being pounced on and having their throats ripped out, his eyes turned red. He was after all a Level 20 Enhancer, and he activated his own [High Speed Movement], as he dashed madly towards Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong did not understand Li Xiaoli’s Vietnamese, and as he looked at him charging towards himself, his brows furrowed, and he lifted his Stinger and pointed it at Li Xiaoli.
With a peng, Li Xiaoli had not even reached Yue Zhong, when his brains were blasted apart.
Kill them all! Leave not a single one behind!
Yue Zhong’s icy gaze swept across the Vietnamese soldiers, as he commanded Lightning. He had not a shred of goodwill towards these Vietnamese beasts who had slaughtered a huge number of Chinese, and naturally did not want to leave anybody alive.
Upon receiving his order, Lightning, whose innate beast-savagery ran through its blood, felt extremely excited, and immediately led its brothers to slaughter the remaining soldiers, before helping themselves to a feast.
Yue Zhong then collected all the equipment that was left behind into one of the APCs, leaving the ground full of dead bodies, and drove the APC back to town.
By this time, the entire town was engulfed in chaos, under Li Xiaoli’s orders previously, there were many Vietnamese mobs, and Vietnamese survivors who just wanted to escape from the town.
When Yue Zhong led Zheng Minghe and Li Guangguo to subdue the town and cleanse it of all the troublemakers, ensuring that everything had quietened down, there were only 200-plus Chinese survivors and 600-plus Vietnamese survivors.
When the situation had been contained, Yue Zhong then brought them to leave the town, before he did, he even released a fire in the town, causing it to be burnt down cleanly, leaving nothing behind.
The most luxurious villa in Tooth County had been converted to the main living quarters of the Great Empire of Vietnam, and all the commands were given out from here.
Within the villa, in a meeting hall, there was a man of about 27 years old, his body burly, his features defined, and had a head of long hair that reached his shoulders. He had a fierce expression on his face as he was looking at another middle-aged man kneeling in front of him as he asked:
What!! 3 battalions were destroyed by the Chinese Association? How is that possible? How can they have that kind of power? Is this for real, Song Weiyun?
Song Weiyun’s back broke out in cold sweat, and he dared not reply slowly:
It’s true! My liege, from the reports of those soldiers who made it back alive, they were ambushed by an Enhancer that could command a large group of Mutant Beasts. He even had a Type 2 Mutant Beast with him.
The young man with a fierce aura between his brows was precisely the leader of the Great Empire of Vietnam, Wuyan Hong. He had just returned from hunting Mutant Beasts in the forest and had received news of the demise of 3 of his battalions, causing him to be enraged.
Chapter 148: Wuyan Hong’s Fury!
3 battalions consisted of almost 1,500 soldiers. At the same time, amongst those 3 battalions, there were the 5th and 7th Battalions which possessed decent fighting strength. They were soldiers that Wuyan Hong had painstakingly trained up amongst the 14 battalions under his command. Since these 3 battalions were decimated, it was like Wuyan Hong had received a deep knife wound, of course it infuriated him.
Wuyan Hong frowned and stared at Song Weiyun and asked in a low voice:
Type 2 Mutant Beast? What kind of person can control a Type 2 Mutant Beast?
Wuyan Hong frequently honed himself within the forests, and naturally knew of the ferocity of the Type 2 Mutant Beasts. It was the first time that he heard of an Enhancer who could control a Type 2 Mutant Beast.
We do not know the name of that Enhancer who could control the Type 2 Mutant Beast. However, we have his photograph here.
Song Weiyun quickly pulled out a photograph where Yue Zhong’s appearance was distinctly captured.
After all, the soldiers of the 5th Battalion were still elites, even when they had collapsed and retreated, there were some who managed to take pictures of Yue Zhong.
It’s him!!
The Wolf Fang Battalion’s commander Wu Dahui saw the photos of Yue Zhong and he couldn’t help but exclaim while his expression turned ugly. He hated this person to the core, after he had wiped out his elite troops and was currently holding Li Bingyan captive. Now that he saw Yue Zhong’s photo, he lost his sense of self subconsciously.
Wuyan Hong’s gaze retracted, and turned to Wu Dahui:
Dahui, you know this guy?
The Wolf Fang Battalion was one of the sharpest weapons of Wuyan Hong. Wu Dahui was also a well-liked general of Wuyan Hong. Since the elite battalion had gained a lot of merit for the Great Empire of Vietnam, Wuyan Hong valued Wu Dahui’s opinions greatly.
Wu Dahui gritted his teeth and spat out in a steely tone:
Liege! This is the Chinese expert that assaulted Tooth County previously. The team led by Dayang had perished at his hands.
Although the Wolf Fang Battalion was termed as a battalion of elites, the actual number of experts inside did not exceed a 100 people, and for 10 experts to have died at the hands of Yue Zhong, it was considered a huge blow to the Wolf Fang Battalion.
Wuyan Hong frowned, before asking:
Do you guys know his background?
Although Wuyan Hong was a ruthless and merciless killer, he wasn’t an idiot. He wanted to find out about Yue Zhong thoroughly, before deciding on the next course of action.
The various officials all stared at each other, their faces grim, and not a single word was spoken. Yue Zhong had been transported by the Nether Beast only recently, no one had even heard of him. If it wasn’t for the fact that he had committed such huge acts one after another successively, no one would know about him. Furthermore, collecting intelligence in this post-apocalyptic era was not like in the past, and it took much longer to gather enough information to make a detailed judgement about a person.
Wuyan Hong looked at his officials keeping silent, and he couldn’t suppress his anger anymore, as he lashed out:
Rice buckets!! A bunch of useless rice buckets!!1This Chinese dog has killed so many of our brothers. So many days have passed, yet you useless pricks have not been able to get a hold of any information on him!!! Not even his name!!! I’ve really kept you guys around me for nothing!!!
The Great Empire Of Vietnam was coined by Wuyan Hong himself, and he took pride in it as his very own nation. Prior to the apocalypse, he was only a ordinary Vietnamese citizen, albeit with extremist and racist views. He did not possess any etiquette or charm. The moment this self-appointed emperor got angry, the words that came out of his mouth were definitely curses.
After screaming and lashing out at his officials, Wuyan Hong’s anger was finally abated. He calmed down and eyed his intelligence officer coldly, commanding:
An Nishun!! How are you doing your job? I’m giving you a week, I don’t care how, you better get me information on this Chinese dog, is that clear?
An Nishun cried out miserably inwardly, this mysterious person had just suddenly appeared, and started wreaking havoc, it was going to be extremely tough to get information on him. This was after all the post-apocalyptic world, where people were scarce, and information sharing was poor, to get to the bottom of a person’s background, it was going to take more than 10 times the effort. However, seeing Wuyan Hong’s gaze of fury, he could only harden his skin and reply to the affirmative.
Yes! My liege!!
As someone cruel and harsh, those who dared retort or talk back to Wuyan Hong would almost certainly be reduced to a pile of bones. An Nishun naturally feared death, and he could only agree to embark upon this monumental task.
Only then did Wuyan Hong nod his head in satisfaction, as he though to himself that once he gotten information on this Chinese man, he would be able to let him have a taste of his prowess.
Liege!! Liege!! Emergency intel!!
Right at this time, a communications officer knocked on the door of the meeting hall with urgency as he called out.
Come in!!
Wuyan Hong frowned, as a bad feeling arose in his heart.
The communications officer walked into the meeting hall and reported loudly:
Liege! Nandu Town had been attacked by the Chinese Association. Li Xiaoli’s troops have been totally annihilated. Every single one of the 156 soldiers have been wiped out!
WHAT???
Wuyan Hong’s face instant drained of colour, his right fist smashing fiercely on the table, causing a hole to appear in it.
Li Xiaoli was one of the generals under Wuyan Hong that could fight battles extremely well. The 100+ warriors stationed at Nandu Town were all elite soldiers as well. Just that single company could easily cause his 9th Battalion to be defeated casually, and they had finished their fortifications of Nandu Town, without the assistance of any heavy weapons, even 2 infantry battalions would find it hard to breach the town.
An entire company of elite soldiers was actually decimated by someone, this was threatening to push Wuyan Hong off the edge. He had wanted to use this company as the core for a new battalion to be trained up that dared and could fight.
Wuyan Hong suppressed the fury in his heart with difficulty, as he stared at the communications officer and questioned harshly:
A thorough report!! I want a thorough report!! How did Li Xiaoli and the rest die?!
Nandu Town was fortified, Li Xiaoli’s company was also full of well-trained soldiers. Wuyan Hong could not wrap his head around how the entire company could be destroyed so easily, not even being able to resist before reinforcements arrived.
It seems that an expert from the Chinese Association that could manipulate flames appeared. His flames easily killed the entire company of Li Xiaoli.
The communications officer hesitated a while, before giving what he knew:
Based on the reports of the survivors who managed to escape, the expert was called Yue Zhong.
Wu Dahui was currently frowning as he thought to himself, before suddenly turning to Wuyan Hong and said:
Flame Manipulation? That’s right! Liege, the Chinese expert who killed Dayang and the rest was also an expert who could manipulate flames. It seems that Yue Zhong, must be the person who killed Dayang and had launched an ambush on the 5th, 7th and 9th Battalions!
Wuyan Hong’s eyes flashed with an incredible violent gleam, as he ordered his police chief:
Yue Zhong!! Seems like he has thrown his weight in with the Chinese Association!!! God damn you Chinese Association. I’ll never forgive you bunch of animals!!!! Ma Cunxiang, go catch 200 Chinese dogs to be executed!! Since that Chinese dog Yue Zhong dare to kill our noble soldiers of the Great Empire of Vietnam, I’ll kill his fellow country dogs!!
Ma Cunxiang’s eyes flashed, as he replied with respect:
Yes! Liege!
In Tooth County, there were 2,500 Chinese survivors. These Chinese survivors were either from overseas, while some were absorbed by Wuyan Hong after he attacked Friendship Town. In fact, the total number of Chinese that Wuyan Hong had captured once numbered in the 6,000s, but after the different torture and torment, there were only 2,500 left.
If it wasn’t for the fact that he needed the Chinese males as slaves to do the hard labour, and the Chinese females to be treated as playthings, he would have killed them all long ago.
It was precisely because he had killed too many Chinese slaves, that he had to raise the issue of buying some Chinese slaves from Li Guangyi, in exchange for a huge amount of rations, just so he could replenish his ranks of work and sex slaves.
Wuyan Hong’s eyes darted about with a ferocity, as he gritted his teeth and barked:
An Nishun, go and check the current location of the Chinese Association. This time, once I know where they are, I’m gonna make sure they’re wiped out!!
An Nishun immediately replied respectfully:
Yes! Liege!
Under Wuyan Hong’s commands, the various reconnaissance and intelligence soldiers set out as they made their way to the different locations of the Chinese Association.
The Wolf Fang Battalion soldiers were also sent out, specially to check the surrounding towns, to search for traces of Yue Zhong and the Chinese Association.
Wuyan Hong also ceased his training in the woods, and instead, he started arranging for the genocide of the Chinese.
Under the pressure and forceful suppression of the Great Empire of Vietnam, the surrounding Chinese factions were smashed. The Chinese survivors were all captured and became Wuyan Hong’s slaves. The difference in power of both sides were too great, up against an absolute power, the Chinese had no way of retaliating.
As for Yue Zhong, who had conquered Nandu Town and exterminated the troops of Li Xiaoli, he brought the spoils of war and survivors out and joined the rest of Wei Ningguo’s troop. After that, they abandoned the small town of the Freemasons, and everyone headed north, entering the forests to join with the Chinese Association.
You’re awake! How do you feel?
After concussing for 3 days, she finally blinked her eyes open, and immediately saw Yue Zhong beside her.
This lady felt extremely touched, before she closed her eyes and checked her body status, before revealing an excited smile:
Master, my Spirit has risen by 20 points. Now it’s at 26 points!!
Good!!
Yue Zhong gazed at Ming Jiajia and smiled gently, before he pondered a while, and took out a bottle filled with Snake Birth Fruit Juice and handed it to Ming Jiajia before saying:
This can let you become an Evolver, if you feel that you can be loyal to me for your entire life, you may drink it. If you feel that you can’t do it, I won’t force you. I can give you your freedom as well. I will put it bluntly first, if you dare to betray me once you gain strength, I will definitely not let you off!
Ming Jiajia received it as her face showed an expression of resolution, and immediately gulped the contents, before using her sweet voice to say:
Master, rest assured, in this lifetime, Jiajia is yours.
Chapter 149: Chinese Association’s Conclave Meeting!
The moment Ming Jiajia drank the Snake Birth Fruit juice, she started to run a fever, and fainted yet again.
Yue Zhong left White Bones to stand guard over Ming Jiajia, before striding out of the room.
At this time, Li Guangguo and Zheng Minghe were training their subordinates, all the Chinese survivors and the Vietnamese survivors were following the strict training regime diligently.
Yue Zhong was Chinese, and in this foreign land where ethnicity was important, he could only find it in himself to trust his fellow Chinese. Therefore, every single one of the 700+ survivors, regardless of their gender, were drafted into his army, and were undergoing the strict training. These Chinese survivors had undergone so much torment and humiliation, everyone of them having braved the worst. They had no complaints with regards to Yue Zhong’s training.
The women did not put on any dainty airs like the ladies of before the apocalypse, many choosing to go through the same tough training as the men. Those who did not go through the training, it was not that they did not want to, instead, their body constitution did not allow them to withstand that kind of rigorous regime.
Yue Zhong observed every single soldier who was standing under the hot sun and going through the training with a resolute look on their face, and he nodded with satisfaction. These women had all been on the receiving end of cruel torment, not only did they not eat their fill, they had to endure rape. Now that they possessed the chance to gain their dignity and strength, everyone grasped at that chance with a fervor, some even more outstanding than the male soldiers of before the apocalypse.
Yue Zhong was a bit of a male chauvinist, and believed that waging war was a man’s job, and disliked pulling the women into it. However, in these parts of the world where the Chinese were the minority, he had no choice but to train them up and equip them as well. Otherwise, he would land himself in an awkward situation with insufficient troops.
Yue Zhong’s establishment had a small number of Vietnamese survivors as well, however, these Vietnamese that he used were all people with families and loved ones. This way, he could lower their desire to betray him. Even then, he did not dare use too many Vietnamese, otherwise, if they all revolted, he would have a problem in his hands.
Yue Zhong looked at those Chinese survivors training diligently under the hot sun and he frowned slightly, and thought to himself in regret:
What a pity! If only there was a Type 2 Mutant Beast carcass!
If there was sufficient Type 2 Mutant Beast Meat, then those survivors could swiftly regain their vitality, and could engage in tougher and more rigorous training, enhancing their battle potential.
At the same time when Yue Zhong was overseeing the training of the Chinese survivors, the upper brass of the Chinese Association was currently engaged in a conclave meeting.
Shu Wenyan lightly sighed:
He only disappeared for a few days, and suddenly amassed a group of over a thousand people. He sure has some ability!
Yue Zhong had borrowed a 100 Chinese Association members, but came back with more citizens than the current Chinese Association, and at the same time, he gained a battalion and a company’s worth of equipment. The upper brass of the Chinese Association were all dumbfounded.
Chen San humphed with a little discontentment:
Hmph!! That group that Yue Zhong brought back is at most a gathering of some random trash, how can they compete with the elites of our Chinese Association!! He may have a thousand or more people, but we just need 200 to completely overwhelm him!!
The troops that Yue Zhong had recently integrated were in fact a mob of untrained people, not only were they lacking in military training, they had no battle experience as well. They definitely could not match against the warriors of the Chinese Association.
Feng Qingtian had an imposing look as he retorted:
That may be true, but they had obtained plenty of equipment and weapons, and are currently undergoing training by Yue Zhong that monster. With just 2 to 3 months of training, they will become a formidable force.
Liu Niujin had a relaxed look:
Isn’t that fine for us! They are also of one mind, and want to exterminate that Wuyan Hong. If they become stronger, and are our allies, the pressure on us would be greatly diminished.
Wuyan Hong was after all the greatest enemy of the Chinese Association. In Vietnam where there were Vietnamese survivors everywhere, even if the Chinese Association tried their best to expand, they would not be able to match Wuyan Hong. With enough time, provided that nothing goes wrong within Wuyan Hong’s forces, they would only grow bigger and stronger, yet the Chinese Association would only become smaller and weaker.
Luo Mingyin had a deadpan face as he spoke grimly:
However, this Yue Zhong may not be some saint himself. The moment he saw Peng Lingbo, he killed him mercilessly and subjugated his forces. Once he fully established himself, what if he does the same to us as well?
Hearing this, everyone fell silent. The moment Yue Zhong met Peng Lingbo, he had executed him, and forcefully conquered his subordinates, and even gave the kill order for those Vietnamese survivors who had surrendered. All these proved that he was definitely a ruthless and decisive person, which led the upper brass of the Chinese Association to be nervous. It was true that Yue Zhong was Wuyan Hong’s enemy, but who could guarantee that he would be the Chinese Association’s friend for long?
Luo Yi’s eyes flashed, and he proposed an extremely vicious idea:
Why not kill him now. Then swallow his people, how about that? Like that, our Chinese Association would have 4 battalion’s worth of equipment and 3,000 some people. Even if that Wuyan Hong sent another 3 battalions to attack us, we would be able to defend and retreat.
The moment those words came out from Luo Yi, many of the officials felt their hearts shudder. If they could successfully pull it off, and swallow his subordinates, then the overall strength of the Chinese Association would increase by a huge margin. In this post apocalyptic world, other than one’s own strength, everything else was superficial. Attacking other factions, swallowing other troops, it was not like the Chinese Association had not engaged in such acts before.
Shu Wenyan’s brows lifted, as he sternly reprimanded:
No way! Luo Yi, we’re Yue Zhong’s allies. He had saved our skin once, we can’t do something so immoral. Don’t ever mention this again. The next time you do, you’ll be subjected to punishment.
Hearing Shu Wenyan’s words, there were a few of the officials present who broke into a relieved smile, some even let out a breath of relief. Not everyone had treacherous thoughts after all.
Yes!! President!!
Luo Yi had a look of embarrassment as he replied, before keeping silent.
Niu Wei, who was in charge of logistics and supply, asked:
President! Yue Zhong has just sent men to reclaim the 2 infantry battalions’ worth of equipment. Do we give them up or not?
Shu Wenyan laughed lightly:
Of course, those equipment were left by him here, under our care. Now that he’s here to take it back, we have to return it. We can’t offend our ally.
Niu Wei nodded a little reluctantly:
Yes!
It was after all 2 battalions’ worth of equipment. This represented a huge strength for any faction, Niu Wei was naturally unwilling to return those to Yue Zhong.
After the wrapping up of discussion on a few more matters, the rest of the upper brass dismissed themselves one by one, leaving only the 2 vice-presidents with Shu Wenyan.
Wenyan! Why didn’t you agree with Luo Yi’s proposition! I want to know the truth!
Wang Xingchun looked at Shu Wenyan and asked in a low voice. He knew that the Shu Wenyan in front of him wasn’t some upright virtuous and honorable man. Those kinds of characters could not possibly survive in this harsh world, let alone build up a power in an antagonistic country.
After Wang Xingchun heard Luo Yi’s suggestion, he was extremely tempted, and wanted to get rid of Yue Zhong as well, and swallow his subordinates and equipment.
Wen Shuyan reached out to lift his cup of tea, as he gracefully took a sip, then replied mildly:
Xingchun! Let me ask you, if you want to kill Yue Zhong, how confident are you of accomplishing it?
Wang Xingchun frowned, as he contemplated silently for quite a while, before replying:
Based on the reports from Zheng Qiang and the rest, if we were to attempt an assassination, 3 of us would have a 70% chance of defeating him. However, if he were to still be hiding more tricks up his sleeves, then it would be hard to kill him. Instead, we might accidentally alert him to our intentions. If it were a frontal confrontation, if we want to kill him, we don’t stand a chance.
Precisely! Defeating him may be easy! But killing him would definitely be extremely difficult. If we’re unable to kill him successfully, then he would become our Chinese Association’s strongest enemy. Right now, we share a common enemy Wuyan Hong, killing between ourselves will only benefit that Vietnamese beast. Yue Zhong’s troops are still weak, if he want to deal with Wuyan Hong, he also requires working hand in hand with us. Within the near future, he definitely would not do anything to us. Unless we’re weak like the Freemasons and not willing to fight against Wuyan Hong. Therefore, at least until Wuyan Hong is wiped out, our allied relationship would definitely be sturdy.
Shu Wenyan’s eyes flashed with a strange glint, as he presented his conjecture on Yue Zhong’s thinking.
In fact, Yue Zhong had not any designs on the Chinese Association, simply because the pressure of Wuyan Hong’s forces was too huge. He needed a strong ally who could fight to attract the attention of Wuyan Hong. Peng Lingbo and his Freemasons was practically a joke, there was no use for them in the bigger picture, therefore he had casually exterminated them, and swallowed their forces.
Tiger Chu suddenly asked:
What if Wuyan Hong is truly wiped out by Yue Zhong?
Shu Wenyan smiled dumbly:
If he could really exterminate Wuyan Hong, then our Chinese Association can just rely on him. This is Vietnam we’re talking about, if Yue Zhong wants to take command of this place, he would need to rely on us Chinese. When we first established the Chinese Association, it was to fight for us Chinese to retain our dignity and livelihood. If he can do it better than us, then there’s nothing wrong with throwing in with him.
Tiger Chu and Wang Xingchun pondered silently before nodding in agreement. If Yue Zhong could really exterminate Wuyan Hong, continuing to fight against Yue Zhong would be like a mantis trying to stop a car. Furthermore, Yue Zhong was Chinese, having another Chinese person as a leader, there was nothing wrong with that. Of course, this was all based on the assumption that Yue Zhong did have the capabilities to take Wuyan Hong down. If not, they would not rely on a useless character as well.
After the meeting of the upper brass of the Chinese Association, they returned the items to Yue Zhong without much ado. Even the 300 tonnes of rations were sent to Yue Zhong quickly. With such handling, Yue Zhong felt a little taken aback, he had thought that there would be delays, even to the point of having to exercise some force to get them back.
After an entire day, Ming Jiajia was finally starting to stir from her coma.
How’s your condition now?
Yue Zhong sat at the window in Ming Jiajia’s room. He looked at her who had just woken up, asking in a concerned tone.
Chapter 150: The Only Chance!
Ming Jiajia lifted her head to see Yue Zhong sitting beside her, and her heart leapt with joy, before she closed her eyes to sense the changes in her body. She then quickly said:
Master! The 6 attributes are now like this, Strength 12, Agility 11, Spirit 43, Stamina 10, Endurance 10, Vitality 11. I’ve become a Spirit-based Evolver, and have learnt the Level 3 Skill [ Summon Shadow Wolf] and the Level 3 passive Skill [Affinity].
After becoming an Evolver, every part of the body’s constitution would gain enhancements. Even if it’s a child, after turning into an Evolver, her current constitution would be better than other normal people. It was the case for Yao yao then, and is the same case for Ming Jiajia now, they both possess bodies stronger than even an adult.
When Yue Zhong heard that Ming Jiajia had obtained 2 skills, his eyes shined with delight, obviously Ming Jiajia was a genius who possessed some potential as well, that was how she managed to comprehend 2 skills at once.
Yue Zhong had used the Snake Birth Fruit juice to help others to evolve, but those Evolvers had only gained a skill upon Evolution, unlike Ming Jiajia who gained 2.
Yue Zhong’s eyes retracted and he said:
Oh!! Let’s summon out your beast to have a look!
Yes!
Ming Jiajia replied docilely, before waving her little hands, and activated her [Summon Shadow Wolf]. A demon wolf appeared noiselessly out of thin air, its fur entirely black as night, as it stared at Yue Zhong silently while it stood beside Ming Jiajia, giving off an impression that it would snap anytime.
Yue Zhong looked at the Shadow Wolf and asked Ming Jiajia:
What are its abilities?
While walking in the shadows, it’s hard for people to detect it, it also has the [Pursuit] ability.
Ming Jiajia thought for awhile, before waving her hand at the Shadow Wolf.
The Shadow Wolf and Ming Jiajia were connected through thought, and it walked to the shadows at a corner. The moment it came into contact with the shadow, its body seemed to twist and meld into the shadow on the wall.
Yue Zhong had kept his eyes focused on the Shadow Wolf, and even though he thought he was mentally prepared, he still could not see the Shadow Wolf. His heart went cold, and his gaze focused once again on the shadow, barely making out the existence of the wolf. As long as his attention was shifted away just slightly, he would not be able to see it anymore.
Yue Zhong asked Ming Jiajia:
How many of them can you summon?
If this type of Shadow Wolf could be summoned in numbers, then in the dark of the night, they would be a fearsome force. It could stay hidden noiseless within the shadows, and could easily rip out the throats of normal people.
Ming Jiajia thought for a while before replying:
This Shadow Wolf requires 10 Spirit points per summon, maintaining it requires 2 Spirit points every 10 minutes. Therefore, my maximum capacity is 3 Shadow Wolves with a time limit of 10 minutes.
Yue Zhong continued asking:
Then what about the [Affinity] ability?
The [Affinity] ability had never been dropped even after Yue Zhong had killed so many Mutant Beasts, it was definitely somewhat special.
Ming Jiajia furrowed her brows slightly:
This skill doesn’t have much use, it only increases the goodwill that Mutant Beasts will have for me.
Yue Zhong continued asking:
Can it be used to tame Mutant Beasts?
If it could be used to tame Mutant Beasts, then it was an useful skill. Otherwise, it was just of a small help.
Ming Jiajia observed her skill carefully, before replying:
Nope! It can only increase the affection levels, so Mutant Beasts would not attack me. However, the skill is useless against the more aggressive types and those that do not possess some intelligence.
Yue Zhong thought for a while, then said:
Alright! Time for breakfast!
Yes! Master!
Ming Jiajia replied obediently, before picking up the food beside her and starting to munch on it.
Chen Yao, Ming Jiajia and Gan Tao: as of now Yue Zhong had 3 Evolvers with him, but none of them were going to be of help against Wuyan Hong. As for the rest, Yue Zhong could turn them into Evolvers, but their loyalty was questionable.
Boss Yue!
Zheng Minghe walked into the room and looked strangely at Yue Zhong who was sitting beside Ming Jiajia, as he saluted respectfully.
Yue Zhong nodded lightly and asked Zheng Minghe:
The thing I asked you to check, how is it?
Zheng Minghe reported:
The surrounding areas have all been locked down by Wuyan Hong. Furthermore, I’ve received news from the Chinese Association that the nearby Chinese factions have been facing extermination by Wuyan Hong. Many Vietnamese survivors have joined Wuyan Hong’s side as well.
Wuyan Hong had suffered a huge loss, with Yue Zhong having decimated 4 of his battalions. However, with just an order, he could totally wipe out a huge number of Chinese factions, while absorbing the Vietnamese survivors himself. He was recovering his power and extending his reach. After all, they were in Vietnam, and as a Vietnamese, he had the influence.
Yue Zhong then asked:
Can the Chinese Association get messages to the rest of the Chinese factions?
Zheng Minghe had a grim look as he shook his head:
Not possible! Those that the Chinese Association can reach have already been swept by Wuyan Hong. Those who have not been wiped out have all hidden within the forest, and communications with them have been lost.
Seems like we’re all alone?
Yue Zhong’s eyes flashed, his heart felt like it was pressed down by a huge stone, as he softly spoke out.
In this area, there was only the Chinese Association and Yue Zhong’s establishment that were still struggling in the forest. If things continued on like this, it would only be a matter of time before Wuyan Hong’s troops discover them. Once they were discovered, they would be awaiting the full scale assault from his troops. Although the survivors under Yue Zhong all possessed high morale, their training was not sufficient to prepare them to withstand the attack from Wuyan Hong.
Trying to expand one’s own power in a foreign land was simply too hard. Especially since they were at the northern areas where the Vietnamese still disliked the Chinese, if it were the south, Yue Zhong’s expansion would have gone smoother.
Yue Zhong finally asked:
What about other intelligence?
Zheng Minghe hesitated a while before saying:
I caught someone, from his mouth, I’ve obtained information that Li Guangyi had already allied with Wuyan Hong, and had agreed to be under him. Also, I’m unsure when it happened, but Li Guangyi had borrowed 2 battalions of soldiers from Wuyan Hong.
Something must have happened!! This is also our chance!! Maybe our only chance!!
Yue Zhong frowned, as his mind started racing.
But what kind of event? Li Guangyi’s also someone with 10 battalions! How could he lower his head to borrow from Wuyan Hong? Oh right! A zombie horde! There must be some movement from the zombies around Gaoping City. Otherwise Li Guangyi wouldn’t be that nervous!!
Yue Zhong analyzed the situation and thought through the possible scenarios faced by Li Guangyi, before coming to this conclusion on the most fearsome enemy.
The zombies are the enemies of all humankind. Gaoping City itself had over 500,000 zombies near it. With only 10 battalions of 4,000 over soldiers, and the majority being new soldiers, coupled with the fact that there was still friction between the soldiers of the battalions, wanting to deal with a horde of 500,000 zombies would be a problem. In terms of power, Li Guangyi’s troops could never compare to Wuyan Hong’s troops, therefore that was the only plausible reason for Li Guangyi to submit to Wuyan Hong.
After thinking through all this, Yue Zhong immediately stood up and made for the Chinese Association’s direction.
Shu Wenyan heard Yue Zhong’s suggestions, and his eyes flashed with shock, and his brows furrowed:
What?! Yue Zhong, you want us to go with you and launch an attack on the north! Do you know what you’re saying?! The north is Li Guangyi’s territory. Right now, Wuyan Hong’s forces are out there everywhere searching for our tracks. The moment Li Guangyi send some troops to block us, Wuyan Hong can cut us off from behind, and the end result is unimaginable.
Liu Niujin could not resist and exclaim:
Yue Zhong! Are you crazy? It’s not that you’re not unclear of our strength. Everyone of us added together would still not be enough to deal with Li Guangyi. As long as he deploys a few battalions, it would be enough to block us.
Everyone’s gazes landed on Yue Zhong.
Yue Zhong said in a deep voice:
I’ve not gone crazy! This is our only chance!! Li Guangyi had borrowed 2 battalions from Wuyan Hong, and I reckon that it’s to deal with the zombie horde in Gaoping City. Under such circumstances, he most likely has no time to deal with us. As long as we can eradicate the forces sent by Wuyan Hong, we can break out of this encirclement and make for Guangxi from Gaoping City!
Wang Xingchun frowned and looked at Yue Zhong:
Yue Zhong, you said it yourself. Li Guangyi had borrowed the troops on speculation that it was to deal with the zombie horde. What if it’s not, and instead, it’s in preparation to deal with us?
Hu Yan stared at Yue Zhong:
If that’s the case, I’m afraid our entire Association will perish! All 2,000-plus of us will become corpses!
Yue Zhong looked at Shu Wenyan and replied mildly:
I know that! However, staying here is not an option! Just a bit more time spent here, Wuyan Hong’s forces will come by sooner or later. By that time, unless we hide further in the forest where the Type 2’s and Type 3’s are, or we’ll have to clash with him.
Based on our current power right now, we definitely would perish under either option. Going towards Gaoping City and launching an attack is our only way out now. My decision is set, regardless of what you guys say, I’ll be attacking after a day. Wenyan, what are your plans?
Fighting towards Gaoping City was definitely risky, Yue Zhong knew that with the slightest error, this establishment of Chinese would definitely die. However, it was the only chance they could afford to do something, otherwise, there would be no other chance for survival in the future.
