The man with the machete looked Li Ke up and down with a hint of envy: "This is our territory. Once you enter our territory, you have to join us. If you don't want to suffer, hand over your backpack and take off your helmet and clothes."

The man with the bow and arrow calmed his breathing and pointed the arrow at Li Ke again: "Be obedient and hand over your backpack, or I'll send you to the Western Paradise!"

Li Ke looked at the arrow, and under the expectant gaze of the other party, she suddenly raised her hand, and a mini pistol appeared in her palm. The bullet she fired pierced the other party's head in an instant. Under the other party's unseeing gaze, Li Ke quickly turned her hand and shot the person holding the machete to death.

Time seemed to freeze for a second. The guards and the people they had driven over stopped and began to retreat instinctively. This time, the initiative fell into Li Ke's hands.

She raised her gun and pointed it at the people who were retreating: "Behave yourselves, none of you are allowed to hide, or you will end up like those two."

The pistol was far more effective than the outdated clubs and knives they carried. Sure enough, the men dared not retreat any further, while the women and children huddled on the ground to minimize their presence. Some of the bolder ones secretly cast expectant glances at Li Ke.

Li Ke pointed the gun at the five men: "Come out and throw what you're holding aside."

The men obediently came out and threw their clubs and knives on the ground. However, they were a little slow. Li Ke squinted and fired a shot at one of the men with an unruly look in his eyes. The bullet pierced his palm, and the man was stunned for a moment before raising his hand and letting out a scream.

Li Ke pointed the gun at him and said coldly, "Don't shout again, or I'll send you away right now."

The man's face contorted in pain, and upon hearing Li Ke's words, he could only clench his lips tightly, his face contorted, and dare not utter another sound.

Li Ke spoke again: "Take off their chains."

One of the men replied in a low voice, "They can't be removed. These chains are welded in place, and there's no key. There's nothing we can do."

Li Ke's gaze shifted to the main road, where the cars seemed to have disappeared: "Kneel down with your hands behind your back and answer my questions properly. How many cars did you bring? How many companions did you have? Did they go back to your hideout to get reinforcements?"

Under the threat of gunfire, the men knelt down with their hands on their heads. The same man spoke first: "Three cars came, each with a driver. We have over a thousand people in our base. If you're alone, you can join us. With your skills, the boss will definitely value you and give you a high position. Everyone's just trying to survive. We only wanted to ask you some questions; we didn't mean to kill you."

Li Ke asked coldly, "Among the more than one thousand people you mentioned, are these people who are locked up included?"

Before the man could speak, a boy's voice interrupted, "There weren't a thousand people. He had over two hundred and eighty companions, and he captured over five hundred people, including us. They were capturing women and children everywhere, and men too, but they would separate the men from the women and children."

Li Ke looked at the boy who was speaking. He was small, about twelve or thirteen years old, with very short hair, some of which had fallen out, revealing his scalp. His eyes were bright, but his hands and feet, like everyone else's, were badly burned, with many large and small scars.