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墨書 Inktalez
"Shut up." Wu Wentao muttered softly, taking a couple of steps forward to stand side by side with Ming Junwei. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "There's no need for that. We took the supplies; you should hide in the woods for a while. We'll leave once we're done."
As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere in the forest became tense. Wasn't this clearly a provocation?
Yang Chun Yue, caught in the middle, felt quite troubled. The signal flare only indicated they had found their destination, but it didn't convey any information about this place. She had hoped both sides could meet amicably, but it seemed the situation was escalating quickly, with hostility brewing after just a few words.
"Sister Fei, things are complicated. This batch of supplies..." Yang Chun Yue's face showed her distress as she opened her mouth but didn't know how to continue. Logically, she should just tell the truth, but given the current situation, it felt like she might be suspected of betrayal, leaving her in a difficult position.
"Chun Yue, are they controlling you?" the woman asked.
"No." Yang Chun Yue's eyes darted around; she thought to herself that if they were going to doubt her, so be it. She quickly added, "They saved Doudou and Dapeng."
After a moment of silence in the woods, it seemed the woman had eased her heavy hostility. With a shout, several capable men and women emerged from the surrounding trees, faces painted with camouflage paint and armed with knives and sticks, charging forward with fierce determination.
Wu Wentao raised an eyebrow and turned to Ming Junwei. "Did you see that? They're quite professional; they must be from The Establishment."
"Not necessarily," Ming Junwei shrugged helplessly. "It doesn't look like we can negotiate."
Yang Chun Yue sighed in relief and hurried toward the tall woman leading the group. The latter responded with a comforting hug and whispered something in her ear. Ying Doudou and Dapeng followed closely behind, proudly returning to their team.
Jiao Ziqian sat off to the side, chuckling silently; the trio looked completely different from the main force.
Both sides maintained their standoff, guns pointed at each other without anyone backing down. The foreigners looked disdainful, sneering coldly while their opponents wore expressions of hostility, ready to fight at any moment. Ming Junwei sighed and waved his hand to signal his people to lower their weapons. Although the militia was confused, they didn’t question further and complied with his orders while keeping a watchful eye on their adversaries.
Yang Chun Yue and Ying Doudou became temporary mediators, pointing out details to the leading woman about everything that had transpired. Of course, some parts were omitted—like the cave incident involving Ying Doudou and Jiao Ziqian.
After a moment, the woman nodded gently and instructed her people to lower their guns as well. She followed Yang Chun Yue up a slope and stood before Ming Junwei and Wu Wentao. Wu Wentao pursed his lips and took a step back, handing over the conversation to Ming Junwei; it was better for leaders to communicate one-on-one since he wasn't particularly eloquent—negotiations weren't his strong suit.
However, Ming Junwei did not intend to represent both sides temporarily. He directly extended his hand and shook hands with the woman, introducing himself, "Ming Junwei, team leader. This is Wu Wentao, the team leader."
Wu Wentao was taken aback for a moment but quickly reacted, secretly amused by Ming Junwei's cunning. With a neutral expression, he stepped forward to shake hands with the woman.
The tall woman glanced at Yang Chun Yue with slightly different-colored eyes, cleared her throat, and replied, "Fang Fei, but I'm not the team leader; the team leader hasn't arrived yet."
Not being the team leader doesn't mean you're impressive.
Seemingly noticing the confusion on their faces, Fang Fei smiled lightly and said, "The team leader is behind and will be here soon."
"What are they doing? How much longer do we have to wait?" Wu Wentao's tone grew somewhat impatient. Did this person think they were a national leader who had to make a grand entrance?
Fang Fei didn't seem bothered by it. She invited everyone to come up and rest without hiding anything, directly responding, "The team leader found a horse farm and will be here shortly."
Ming Junwei and the others exchanged glances, their expressions changing in unison.
" Jiu Jiu, don't push yourself." On the mountain path, Luo Yu followed closely behind Song Jiu, concern evident in his eyes. Noticing his hurried steps, he spoke up, "You’re injured."
"It's nothing," Song Jiu replied calmly, without a hint of emotion.
On the surface, it seemed he had already distanced himself from the death of Dream Fan. However, everyone, including Old Lin, understood that Song Jiu was merely forcing himself to numb his feelings. No matter how indifferent his face appeared, it couldn't conceal the deep sorrow in his eyes. Old Lin sighed and said nothing more. The usually talkative man was unusually subdued today—not only lamenting for that quirky girl but also feeling a shared pain.
Big Peony had nearly lost half her face from a blow from Song Jiu's gun butt. Initially, this woman was extremely uncooperative and even attempted to fight back to the death, refusing to lead the way. Song Jiu neither hit her nor scolded her; he completely ignored her resistance and simply said one sentence calmly.
"If you want everyone to accompany you to the grave, then let's go back now."
Big Peony compromised. Although her eyes were still filled with hatred, she no longer resisted and silently took on the role of a guide.
Interestingly, it was Lin Daozhang who first discovered the traces of the horses. However, at that time, no one believed him. Looking back, if Wu Wentao and the others had listened to Song Jiu and taken it seriously, perhaps the series of events that followed could have been avoided. Unfortunately, reality has no 'what ifs,' only the helplessness of regret. The fleeting shadows of the horses led everyone into the vast wilderness; now that the dust had settled, it was time for the horses to lead them out again.
"How many horses are there?" Song Jiu asked.
Big Peony held her breath. Initially reluctant to answer, she thought better of it and said in a low voice, "Seven or eight horses, plus a few donkeys."
"Old Lin, did you see any horses when you came in?" Song Jiu asked again.
Lin Daozhang frowned in thought and replied, "I can't remember clearly. It was dark and chaotic at that time; I didn't pay much attention."
"I think there were some," Luo Yu recalled. Someone had shouted something about cavalry, and they had seen horse manure on the road, indicating that there were indeed horses moving around.
"With so many supplies, a few horses probably won't be enough to pull everything," Luo Yu said, licking his lips and frowning. "Should I go further out to see if there's a usable cart?"
"No need," Song Jiu gently shook his head. "We can find a cart on the road that can carry cargo; let the horses pull it."
Old Lin and Luo Yu's eyes brightened as their tightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit. They realized they had been overthinking it. This way seemed better; it appeared that Song Jiu was not completely numbed by other matters—he was still thinking clearly. At least for now, he had buried the issue of Dream Fan deep within himself and it would not affect his judgment or actions.
After more than ten minutes of brisk walking, Song Jiu suddenly stopped and raised his hand to signal the two to be alert. He squinted through the rustling branches and leaves towards a steep mountain path about ten meters away.
"How much farther?" Song Jiu asked in a low voice.
"We're almost there, just ahead," Big Peony replied irritably.
Song Jiu frowned, listened for a moment, and turned back to ask, "Do you have your gun?"
Luo Yu pulled out his pistol and handed it to him. Old Lin only brought a Steel Saw Blade; he was more skilled with a knife.
" Jiu Jiu, could it be Yang Chun Yue's people?" Luo Yu quietly reminded them. The two sides weren't exactly at odds yet, but if they clashed over the horses, it could lead to more trouble down the line.
Song Jiu pondered for a moment and felt there was a possibility. He signaled to continue forward, crossing a slippery path. Just as he was about to find a high point to observe, he heard several whinnies from Xilulilu horses approaching. Before he could determine the direction, the rustling of grass intensified, and the sound of hooves came straight toward them.
"Be careful," Song Jiu warned, tossing Big Peony's chain to Luo Yu. He chambered a round and instinctively fired in the direction of the hoofbeats.
Bang!
The bullet pierced through the underbrush and embedded itself in the ground, scattering some brush and leaves.
Hoo~
Xilulilu~~
As the hoofbeats faded, footsteps began to emerge from the dense grass along the mountain path, accompanied by the sound of clinking metal.
A rugged male voice echoed from the direction of the sound of hooves, accompanied by the rustling of branches as they were sliced away by a sharp weapon. A tall horse appeared before the group, and atop it sat a spirited young man with dark skin and striking features, holding a slender dagger and casting a disdainful gaze at the three wary individuals.
Song Jiu and his companions stood on slightly elevated ground, while the horse moved restlessly under the young man's control, occasionally snorting. Before the young man could finish speaking, seven or eight burly men emerged from the rustling trees behind him, their faces painted and armed with knives and guns.
"Just a reminder," Song Jiu said as he holstered his gun, meeting the young man's sharp gaze with indifference. "Black Gun, you're already dead."
"Hah," the young man on horseback raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard a joke. He swung his leg over and jumped down from the horse, tauntingly asking, "Say that again."
"Are you with Yang Chun Yue?" Song Jiu ignored his provocation and the weapons held by those behind him, directly stating, "They're waiting for you up ahead. Don't waste time."
"Who are you?" The young man twirled his wrist, performing a flourish with his knife before sheathing it smoothly behind his back.
Song Jiu shrugged nonchalantly, signaling Luo Yu and Old Lin to follow him as he walked forward. "I'm here for the horse; you can go ahead."
Luo Yu and Old Lin remained vigilant of their surroundings as they stepped up to follow Song Jiu. The young man's expression turned strange, but he did not block their path. Crossing his arms, he said, "The horse is mine."
"I'll say it again: they're waiting for you up ahead," Song Jiu replied impatiently, turning to stare at the young man. He glanced at the tall horse beside him and added, "That one belongs to you; I want the rest."
"Hah, what if I don't give it to you?" The young man chuckled, waving his hand for his men to lower their weapons as he curiously sized up Song Jiu.
"You have to give it to me whether you like it or not." Song Jiu turned away without further comment and walked straight toward the group blocking their path. The men exchanged glances with the young man, who waved them aside.
"Hey," the young man mounted his horse again and called out, "Kid, I'll be waiting for you up ahead. And I'll say it again: that horse is mine; you can have the donkey."
Song Jiu glanced back at the Young Man, who was about the same age as him. His eyelids twitched slightly, but he said nothing and turned to leave.
"What does that mean?" a Gunman rushed over, looking puzzled. "Why not just chop him up?"
"Didn’t you hear? Chun Yue and the others are waiting," the Young Man replied, as if it were obvious, waving for everyone to head up the mountain.
"What about the horse?" The Gunman was baffled by his leader's nonchalant attitude.
"What do you mean, what about it? I already said it's mine."
"He said it's his too."
"Stop whining and hurry up." The Young Man slapped him on the back, laughed a few times, mounted his horse, and watched the group of men and women walk towards the stables. He sneered, "Let's see what he's capable of to take something from me. Damn it, he looks so familiar."
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