Chapter 321: Chapter 294: No One Can Kill Me
They passed through the anchor point and arrived in the Urban Village.
The streets were filled with a deadly silence. People were packed shoulder to shoulder, all holding weapons—mostly a combination of short weapons and small shields.
Yang Long was inspecting his troops. He stopped to help the man in front of him fasten the white sash on his shoulder, then patted him. "Make sure they’re all tied tight. When the fighting starts, anyone without a shoulder sash is the enemy!"
"Repeat what I just said."
"Anyone not wearing a shoulder sash is the enemy!" came a low shout from the men around them.
Yang Long nodded in satisfaction.
The low shouts suddenly faltered. Many of the men before him grew restless, their eyes darting to something behind him.
Yang Long realized something and turned around.
Twenty meters behind him, a massive, jet-black dinosaur that blended perfectly with the night was approaching.
The dinosaur’s steps were surprisingly light, making almost no sound as it crossed the ground.
Coupled with its black hide, a flicker of awe flashed in Yang Long’s eyes.
His gaze fell on the figure on the dinosaur’s back.
"Chairman Qin."
Qin Ziwen said, "Mm, your team will charge in the second wave. My people will be in the first."
A trace of astonishment flashed in Yang Long’s eyes.
The news stunned him, leaving him completely bewildered.
’How could this be...?’
’The first wave is the most dangerous. I was prepared to lead a suicide squad, and now he’s telling me the Qin Alliance is going in first?’
"Yes, you just need to follow behind. After we’ve broken the enemy ranks, you’ll be responsible for cleaning up and securing the rear," Qin Ziwen nodded.
Yang Long fell silent, ashamed at how he had judged a man of honor by his own petty standards.
"Don’t you need some of my men to join the vanguard?" Yang Long asked.
"No need." Qin Ziwen shook his head.
’My brother’s Extraordinary mission has a participant limit,’ he thought. ’It’s best to use the Qin Alliance’s elite.’
After going over a few more details, Qin Ziwen went to the other side.
Qin Ziwu led an elite team of one hundred and sixty men.
Every member was clad in armor and armed with a Short Crossbow, a Long Spear, and a short blade.
At the head of the formation, three Muddy Race Fishmen sat on the ground, tearing into large chunks of meat.
They showed no nervousness about the upcoming battle, as if nothing was more important to them than eating.
Seeing his older brother approach, Qin Ziwu opened his mouth. He swallowed the "Bro" he was about to call out, changing it to, "Chairman."
Qin Ziwen had prepared many things to say, but now that the moment was here, the words wouldn’t come.
His gaze swept over everyone present. "Go bring me my armor."
Qin Ziwu realized something and quickly stood up.
Du Yu turned her head, her expression clouded with worry.
Yan Da’s eyes widened in realization, and he let out a soft "Huh?"
Yan San whispered, "Is the Master going to fight himself?"
"Looks like it."
"That’s too dangerous! A wise man doesn’t stand under a crumbling wall. The Master is invaluable, how can he join us on the front lines..."
Qin Ziwu wanted to object, but he held his tongue with so many people around. He waited until Cao Biansheng was helping Qin Ziwen into his armor. Finally unable to bear it, he strode over, shot a glare at Cao Biansheng, and said anxiously, "Brother, you can’t be a part of this madness! Anyone can go, but you can’t!"
"And why not?" Qin Ziwen glanced at his younger brother and said unhurriedly. "Are you stronger than me? Or is Xiaocao here stronger than me?"
He turned to look at Cao Biansheng, who hastily shook his head. "The Chairman’s power is god-like! He could crush me with one hand."
Qin Ziwu frowned. After a long pause, he squeezed out, "That’s different."
Qin Ziwen said coolly, "Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not doing this for you; I’m doing it for everyone. I can open a Node at any moment. If things get truly dangerous, I can open one and get everyone out in a strategic retreat."
Having put on his Mountain Armor, Qin Ziwen looked back at Cao Biansheng and handed him a Breakthrough Card.
"Go on, use it," he said. "Let’s see what your mission is. If it’s a good fit, you can knock it out during this operation."
Stunned by the sudden gift, Cao Biansheng took the Breakthrough Card and used it.
As motes of light filled the air around him, Cao Biansheng closed his eyes.
A long moment later, he opened his eyes. "Chairman, I chose a Second Gear mission: Slaughterer. Within one hour, I must personally slay one hundred strong, armed combatants of my own race."
"And those who can no longer fight back don’t count?"
"Correct. They have to still be capable of fighting."
"Then you’d better get a move on."
A hundred men might sound simple, but the reality was far more difficult. In the entire recorded history of Huaxia, only a handful of individuals had ever achieved the feat of slaying one hundred enemies in a single battle.
Cao Biansheng nodded emphatically. He knew how precious this Breakthrough Card was. His eyes grew slightly red as he clenched his fists. "I will not fail to live up to your expectations, Chairman!"
...
「Hongding Mansion.」
After the disastrous failure of the team sent out on a desperate gamble during yesterday’s storm, morale inside Hongding Mansion had plummeted.
Intense conflicts broke out that night.
Several people even secretly ran out of the building and fled towards the forest, only to be captured alive by the patrols on the perimeter.
Under interrogation, they revealed that old grudges between floors had erupted into open violence. Residents from the lower levels had stormed the top floor, breaking through the defenses and causing heavy casualties. The building was now critically low on supplies; flammable materials like gasoline had been completely used up back on the first map, the snow mountain.
The turmoil inside the mansion didn’t begin to quiet down until two in the morning.
A team of powerfully built men, clad in Armor, arrived outside the first floor of the mansion.
The glass doors at the entrance were shut tight. They were locked from the inside and further barricaded with a pile of miscellaneous junk.
In the crowd, Cao Biansheng was itching for a fight. "When do we move?"
"Wait, soon." Beside him, Qin Ziwu looked to his left, in the direction of the Urban Village.
Half a minute later, a piercing shriek suddenly split the silent night sky as a Heavy Crossbow bolt flew through the air.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
A series of thunderous impacts rocked the floors above.
The massive crashes shattered the dead of night, their sound unbearably jarring in the silence.
"Go!" Qin Ziwu roared.
The Muddy Race Fishmen at the front lifted the massive wooden logs in their hands and rammed them forward with immense force.
CRASH!
The glass of the main entrance on the first floor shattered. The heavy objects used as a barricade were shoved aside.
The vanguard charged into the building.
On the top floor, in a dimly lit room, four candles were lit in a corner.
On the floor before him, Mei Yuqing was tied spread-eagled on the ground.
Nearby was a makeshift stove with an iron griddle. Li Zecheng was humming a tune as he cooked something on it.
The building suddenly shook, causing the candlelight in the room to flicker.
Hearing the noisy and chaotic sounds from outside the door, Li Zecheng’s movements didn’t pause in the slightest.
"Hehehe... Your rescuers are here. You’re going to die with me," came Mei Yuqing’s venomous voice from the floor.
Li Zecheng ignored her. He picked up a fork, speared a piece of meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.
He closed his eyes, his body swayed, and he began to dance the tango.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. An urgent pounding came from the door. "Boss! They’re storming the building! What’s the plan?"
Li Zecheng kept his eyes closed and continued to dance. "You take some men and hold them off. I’ll be down in a bit."
When his dance was finished.
Li Zecheng straightened his suit and adjusted his glasses. "You know, before I was transported here, I was a dance instructor who had just been laid off. That day, I had gone to the studio to demand my back pay."
He pushed the door open, and a cold wind swept in. Standing in the hallway, a chilling smile spread across his face. "After I got here, the very first thing I did was butcher that boss who withheld my pay. I don’t regret a single thing I’ve done. My only regret is that I didn’t become strong enough. In this world, no one gets to kill me. The only one who can kill me is me!"
As his voice fell, Li Zecheng spread his arms.
From the forty-sixth floor, he leaped.
...
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