Amidst raging flames and deafening battle cries within the camp, Xue Dong and I stood facing each other, along with four men in black from the opposing side, all stunned into silence.
The two sides didn't hold out for very long. After about two seconds, I saw one of them reach for his waist and decisively throw out a throwing knife. Then, Xue Dong reacted quickly and pulled me to run behind the shack next to us.
I thought that encountering the other side would definitely lead to a fierce battle, but as soon as I took cover, I heard the words "Don't shoot" from the other side. Then a man lowered his voice and said, "Friends over there, we all know why we're here. We're all earning our living through our own abilities. You don't want to ruin your job, do you?"
The shack between us couldn't provide any bulletproof protection, and at that moment I was afraid the man was trying to trick me into talking so he could pinpoint the location and fire, so I didn't answer.
The man waited two seconds and continued, "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as your agreement. Let's stop arguing and go our separate ways."
After he finished speaking, footsteps came from the shack, but soon there was no more sound.
Xue Dong used his knife to pry open the branches and leaves of the shack, glanced across the street using his night vision goggles, and nodded to me: "Those people are gone."
“They have guns. If we try to take them by force, we'll be at a disadvantage. We need to find a way to expose their location to the villagers and make them fight each other.”
I shared my thoughts, got up from the ground, and walked around to the front.
In just a minute or two, the village's defenses had been breached by the attackers. Xue Dong and I had just found a relatively safe hiding place when the group that attacked the camp rushed to the vicinity of the council hall.
"brush!"
As a powerful flashlight was switched on, the area in front of the council chamber was illuminated as bright as day. At the same time, a male voice shouted: "Fellow villagers of Ping'an Village, we are here today not to be your enemies. As long as you are willing to tell us the way to the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace, we promise to leave now and will never harm anyone again!"
“Our clan has guarded this place for thousands of years. Protecting the temple is our destiny. How could we be afraid of death?”
The sixth uncle, who was in charge of command, shouted in a booming voice: "Children of the village, kill all the invading enemies!"
"Release the arrows!"
As the shouts rang out, those hiding behind their shields drew their bows and began firing at the crowd.
I had witnessed the accuracy of the village people's archery firsthand with Miao Xiaoxian. As the arrows rained down on the crowd, two screams echoed from the darkness on the other side.
"Bang! Bang!"
Gunshots rang out, and the man who had shouted was also enraged by the actions of the villagers: "You're asking for it! Charge in! Anyone who dares to resist will be killed on sight!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the lights shining on the council chamber suddenly went out, followed by a loud bang in front of the council chamber, which was instantly filled with smoke.
"It's tear gas."
Seeing the billowing dust from the camp, Xue Dong took the crossbow off his shoulder: "These people are equipped with far more advanced equipment than us. Looks like we've run into trouble!"
"They are men in black robes."
By this time, I had already guessed who these people were: "They possess firearms and act without any scruples or bottom lines; only the people in black robes could do such a thing."
The people of Ping'an Village had been isolated from the outside world for many years and knew almost nothing about it. Faced with the tear gas thrown by the black-robed group, they soon started coughing incessantly, and their formation became chaotic.
At the same time, the black-robed attackers seized the opportunity and, under the cover of smoke, began their assault on the council chamber.
"Stop them!"
Sixth Uncle in the crowd pulled off his belt to cover his mouth and nose, picked up a large knife, and charged forward first.
Immediately afterwards, the group of men in black wearing gas masks rushed forward, and a bloody melee ensued.
I watched the fierce battle in the distance, and the sixth uncle leading the charge, before fixing my gaze on the council chamber.
I didn't see the clan chief appear from beginning to end; it was Uncle Liu who was directing the villagers, which made me feel a little uneasy.
As more and more smoke grenades and tear gas canisters were thrown at the council chamber, the surrounding area was shrouded in thick smoke, gradually obscuring everyone's figures. I could only see their location through thermal imaging.
Suddenly, several figures took advantage of the billowing smoke and quickly made their way towards the council chamber.
I saw these people appear, quickly load a bullet into the signal gun, aim it, and pull the trigger.
"call out!"
The flare pierced the darkness and shot into the thick smoke, illuminating the surrounding smoke.
The bright light emitted by the flare instantly attracted the attention of many people. I saw a group of people from Ping'an Village being drawn to the flare, and I patted Xue Dong on the arm: "The opportunity has come, let's go!"
Xue Dong didn't move from his spot, but pointed to the sky and said, "Wait, Mr. Duan, look up!"
I looked in the direction Xue Dong was pointing and saw many triangular hang gliders flying in the sky, rushing towards the camp amidst the chaos.
"Damn it, how many people did the black-robed man prepare?!"
Seeing the people falling from the sky, I quickened my pace: "These people are even more difficult to deal with than those from the village tribe. Let's make our move before they do."
Although the thermal imaging devices that Xue Dong and I wore were able to see the location of other people in the smoke, they could not penetrate the smoke to see the surrounding terrain.
At this moment, the black-robed men and the people of Ping'an Village were completely entangled in battle, and all around me were the sounds of roaring, cursing, and wailing.
I ran for more than ten meters through the thick smoke, and by the light of the torches I could see the outer wall of the council chamber. I swung my knife and cut the hemp ropes securing the wall, then kicked the tree branches on the wall twice, and crawled through the hole in the wall.
The drafty exterior walls of the council chamber did little to block the smoke, and the room was filled with smoke as well. I scanned the room, and the thermal imaging only revealed a tiny oil lamp on the table.
Xue Dong, who followed closely behind, saw that the room was empty and turned on his flashlight to shine inside.
The room was very spacious, with only a table in the very center and a wall behind it.
Seeing that I couldn't find what I wanted in the outer room, I grabbed the knife and ran towards the back room.
"Bang!"
As soon as I took a step, a village guard crashed through the wall and fell in front of me. Immediately afterward, an attacker wielding a machete rushed out and slashed at him.
"when!"
I saw the man's movements, swung my arm to block his knife, and Xue Dong rushed up and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back into the room behind.
Seeing that the villagers' hands were empty, I felt that the item was likely in the room behind, so I chased after them again.
I ran along the collapsed wall to the back room, where I saw a burly man, over two meters tall and as big as a bear, carrying a large package and running out, shouting, "Got it! Let's get out!"
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