Jiangcheng.
Inside a mountain cave, the half-dead Xiao Bi was being propped up to pick a lock. This formidable iron door, it was clear, couldn't be forced open; a professional was needed.
Of the twenty-person team, Xiao Bi was the only professional.
"Don't move, and stay quiet."
Xiao Bi pressed his ear against the iron door, meticulously turning the dial of the combination lock. He looked like a true expert, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he relished the sensation. Everyone present held their breath, afraid to make a sound. Some even stopped breathing altogether.
One minute.
Two minutes...
Just as Xiao Bi's hand began to tremble, on the verge of completing his task, Shan Ge, who had been holding it in so intensely he was practically green in the face, chose that very moment to let out a loud fart.
"Pfft—"
The sound echoed through the cave.
"Damn it!"
"Who did that?"
"My God, couldn't you hold it in for a bit longer?"
Everyone present voiced their displeasure.
"Sorry, hehehe!"
Shan Ge sheepishly raised his hand.
"Oh my!"
"That fart..."
"Really packs a punch!"
Seeing it was Shan Ge, no one dared to say anything more. After all, he was practically the chief strategist. But this fart was something else – not only loud, but incredibly potent.
"You bastard!"
Xiao Bi, who had been half-dead moments before, suddenly found a surge of energy. He slapped Shan Ge on the back of the head, furiously cursing, "Did you shit yourself or something? I'm suffocating here!"
"Quick, quick, continue."
Shan Ge had no defense; he himself was covering his nose.
While one side of the iron door was occupied with the lock-picking and being engulfed by the foul odor, unbeknownst to them, on the other side, a man stood facing the door, his brow furrowed in thought.
This man was Xiao Bahuang.
And this side of the iron door...
was the command center of the Xiao family army.
Beihai City, North Pass.
The enemy and our forces were separated by three hundred meters, their formations spread out, yet neither side had opened fire. This unspoken understanding, beyond the grasp of ordinary soldiers, was well understood by the senior officers.
On our side of the front line.
Hu Lai and Lu Cheng walked to the forefront.
Without the need for binoculars, they could see a group emerging from the enemy ranks: approximately three hundred soldiers from the Wu Kingdom, escorting roughly two hundred women and children at gunpoint.
"Damn it, you sons of bitches!"
"These beasts, so shameless!"
Even though they had anticipated this, seeing the scene with their own eyes still filled Hu Lai and Lu Cheng with rage. To fight a war and then resort to using civilians was the height of depravity.
A few minutes later...
The opposing side had ceased their advance.
Close-up.
Over a hundred women and over a hundred children, all covered in dirt and bearing wounds, were kicked to the ground by the Wu Kingdom soldiers. Pointing their guns at them, they were forced to kneel in two rows.
Children in the front.
Women in the back.
"Kneel properly!"
"Anyone who dares to move will be shot."
"Damn it, don't you dare look up."
The bandit soldiers from the Wu Kingdom were truly worse than beasts. In front of our forces, they used their rifle butts to smash the civilians on the ground, not sparing even children who had just learned to walk.
"Listen up, on the other side."
The wild dog from the Wu Kingdom stepped forward.
With his left hand on his hip and a pistol in his right, he shouted towards our positions, "These women and children are casualties of your actions. If you don't want them to die, surrender immediately."
Upon hearing this.
Our front line erupted.
"What?"
"Bastards, harming civilians?"
"I'm going to kill them."
"Commander, attack!"
"Commander, I volunteer to be the vanguard..."
Witnessing this, the soldiers' anger flared. The officers, even more enraged, rushed towards their commander, requesting to be deployed.
"Everyone, calm down, no need to make noise!"
Hu Lai waved his hand, and silence fell.
Hu Lai picked up a megaphone and spoke sternly to the enemy forces, "War is a clash between soldiers. You threaten us with civilians, have you no shame?"
"I'll fuck your mother!"
The wild dog on the other side, emboldened by his position, roared back, "Either surrender, or watch them die with your own eyes. Hu Lai, you're just a mercenary, why are you pretending to be a patriotic hero?"
"Who are you? Dare to give your name?"
Hu Lai maintained his composure.
"My codename is Wild Dog, company commander of the Wu Kingdom's First Reconnaissance Company. I won't hide it from you, I massacred the people of that small town, and I captured these people too, hahaha!"
Wild Dog laughed maniacally as he spoke.
"Wild Dog, I've got you noted."
Hu Lai nodded slightly and shouted again, "You dog, go ask your commander if he truly intends to do this. Don't blame me for not giving you a chance; you will pay a price for this."
"Bullshit, Hu Lai, stop acting tough. What I say is what the commander says. From now on, if you don't surrender within one minute, I will kill one woman or child."
Hu Lai gestured with his hand.
His soldiers raised their rifles.
"Help us!"
"Save us, please."
"I don't want to die!"
"Mommy, I want Mommy..."
The terrified and abused women and children could no longer hold back their sobs and cries, but they dared not move, knowing that any movement would be their end.
"Cry!"
"Hahaha, cry your hearts out!"
"You'll be dead soon."
Wild Dog's subordinates were devoid of humanity. Witnessing the plight of the women and children, they showed no pity, instead finding it amusing. Many of the bandit soldiers erupted in laughter.
Seeing this.
Many of our soldiers wept.
As soldiers, they were ready to charge into battle, but everyone knew that if they attacked now, those innocent people would surely die. What could they do? What else could they possibly do?
Gradually...
A wave of commotion swept through our ranks!
"Division Commander?"
"Army Commander?"
"What do we do? What do we do?"
"I'll tear them to pieces!"
A large group of officers surrounded them, shouting.
Lu Cheng looked at Hu Lai.
Hu Lai nodded slightly. He raised the megaphone again and shouted to the enemy, "Xiao Sihai, the officers of the Xiao family, I'm giving you one minute to release those innocent people."
As soon as the words left his mouth.
A group emerged from the enemy ranks.
Xiao Sihai, Bao Sha, Shan Mao, and officers of the Xiao family, officers of the Ri Ri Kingdom, and officers of the Wu Kingdom. The commander-in-chief, along with dozens of senior officers, had come to personally oversee the operation.
"Xiao Sihai, are you sure you want to do this?"
Hu Lai asked again, with his last remaining patience.
There was no response.
Xiao Sihai stood with his hands behind his back.
The officers of the Xiao family remained unmoved.
"The minute is up."
Wild Dog suddenly raised his pistol.
In the next second.
A civilian might be shot dead.
"Stop, don't do anything rash."
Hu Lai suddenly raised his voice.
"Ah hahahaha!"
Wild Dog burst into laughter, shouting arrogantly, "Now you're scared, but it's too late. I always keep my word. I said one person per minute, and I won't wait an extra minute."
"Young masters, make an appearance!"
Hu Lai suddenly said, his voice ice-cold.
"Bring them out!"
Lu Cheng, who had been waiting impatiently, shouted with his arm raised.
From our front-line position, a roar of indignant fury erupted. Lao Teng of the Asura Sect, along with dozens of fighters, dragged out over thirty disheveled young masters.
"Kneel!"
"Kneel before me."
"Beat them."
The people from the Asura Sect became extremely violent.
They proceeded to kick and beat the young masters.