Deep inside the cave.

The gunfire stopped briefly.

Apart from the spies who had fled frantically earlier, the remaining people are now in a standoff between two groups.

A group of soldiers in uniform had come from the other side of the mountain and sneaked into the cave under the cover of night.

The other group consisted of armed spies who were putting up a stubborn resistance.

The wolfhounds that had been guarding the passage were now lying on the ground, covered in blood and riddled with bullet holes; they were already dead.

Most of the soldiers were concentrated in the cave area behind the wolfhounds, forming a tight defensive line of fire, while Jiang Linchuan and the captured soldiers had been rescued.

The spies retreated to the dungeon area where the villagers were imprisoned, using the cages and walls as cover.

During the chaos caused by the explosion, the soldiers took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, killing many unsuspecting spies, while others were frightened and fled in all directions.

But as the chaos gradually subsided, the remaining spies quickly regained their professional training. They used innocent villagers in the dungeon as hostages to temporarily stabilize the situation and prevent the soldiers from launching a rash attack.

The soldier leading the team was a middle-aged man. He gripped his pistol tightly, staring intently at the spies and hostages opposite him. He turned to Jiang Linchuan and asked in a low voice, "Commander Jiang, what should we do now? They have hostages, so we can't make a move."

Jiang Linchuan, having just escaped his captivity and put on his clothes, asked in a deep voice, "How many enemies were killed in the raid just now?"

"About three or four, and some others managed to escape in the chaos," the soldier quickly replied. "Unfortunately, the leader who was pretending to be the village chief got away. Someone took a bullet for him, so he should have already escaped the cave."

Jiang Linchuan frowned slightly, and after a moment of silence, he gave a deep order, "The explosives outside can be detonated. Also, when will the next team arrive?"

They deliberately chose the time when these spies were meeting to detonate the bomb; the explosion was not only to create chaos, but also to signal the next group.

Once they receive the signal, they will immediately set off from their hiding place in the back mountain and enter the village to launch a pincer attack on the cave. At that time, none of these spies will be able to escape!

"Commander Jiang, according to our previous estimates, the next team will arrive in twenty minutes at the latest."

Their original plan was to use these twenty minutes to control their leader, use him as a hostage to pressure the others into releasing the villagers.

However, to everyone's surprise, these spies were extremely loyal to their leader, and some were even willing to die to protect him.

As for those ordinary spies, even if they escape temporarily, they won't cause any trouble.

Without this stronghold, they are like stray dogs.

Once the military's search network is deployed, they will all be found sooner or later.

They simply couldn't resist.

But who would have thought that the leader would be so lucky and actually escape?

Now that there's still time before the next team arrives, the situation is becoming somewhat passive!

Jiang Linchuan waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the hostages. "Don't panic, the safety of the hostages is the priority. Let's confront them first, stabilize the situation, and then make our move when our people arrive and form a pincer movement. As for the escaped leader, he can't hide forever; we'll have a chance to catch him later."

The captain nodded in agreement, "Understood!"

At this moment, the spies who had escaped in the chaos earlier had disappeared, and the gunshots and screams had ceased.

The surroundings were completely silent, and there wasn't a single person in sight.

The man in black lay alone on the ground, the excruciating pain in his calf preventing him from getting up; he could only struggle in vain.

Xu Xinghe observed for a moment and, after confirming that no other spies would come, stepped out from behind the wall without hesitation and walked quickly to the man in black.

The most important thing right now is to subdue this man carrying the evidence, lest things get complicated.

Without uttering any unnecessary words, she raised the gun in her hand and slammed the hard butt of the gun into the back of the man in black's head.

With a muffled thud, the man in black didn't even have time to utter a sound before his eyes rolled back and he instantly fainted.

Xu Xinghe cautiously scanned her surroundings again, making sure there was nothing unusual before bending down to pick up the water tank that had fallen to the side.

With a thought, she put it into her spatial storage, then grabbed the man in black's arm and dragged him toward the house where they had just been hiding.

She had been staying near this house and was certain that no other spies had come here, so it was safe for the time being.

After dragging the man in black into the courtyard, she closed the gate behind her, took out a rope she had prepared beforehand from her bundle, and tied the man's hands and feet tightly.

After doing all this, she filled a basin with cold water and splashed it all over the face of the man in black.

With a splash, the icy water sent a shiver down the spine of the man in black, instantly bringing him back to his senses.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of cold eyes.

Xu Xinghe looked down at him and asked, "Tell me, what happened in the cave?"

The man in black stared intently at her. "I don't know!"

Seeing the hostile look in Xu Xinghe's eyes, he immediately changed his tune. "Miss, I know you're definitely not a soldier; we don't accept female soldiers here. We have no grudge against each other. If you're willing to let me go, I'll give you a large sum of money, enough to ensure you'll live a worry-free life for the rest of your days! Any amount is fine, just name your price!"

Xu Xinghe wasn't buying it. She raised the butt of her gun again and slammed it hard into his mouth!

"ah!"

A piercing scream shattered the silence.

The man in black's lip was instantly cut open, blood gushing out, and a tooth mixed with blood and foam fell out of his mouth and landed on the ground.

The intense pain made him tremble all over. The look in his eyes when he looked at Xu Xinghe was no longer tempting, but filled with resentment and murderous intent, as if he wanted to devour her alive!