Chapter 347 - 234: Another Accident

Chapter 347: Chapter 234: Another Accident

"Grab your gear and all the wolf carcasses. We’re heading down the mountain."

"Yes, sir!"

The men roared in agreement, their morale soaring.

The north wind howled, and the setting sun was the color of blood.

The group marched out of the mountains toward a village at their base, a Golden Roc soaring in the sky above.

By the time the sky was about to turn completely dark, Xiaojin was already back in its cage. Zhao Wendong and his men finally laid eyes on the village Xiaojin had discovered—a place much smaller than Dragon King Pond.

"What do you think, Brother Li? Do you recognize this village?"

Li Dawei looked around and shook his head. "It’s definitely not part of our Commune. We’ll just have to ask around. Let’s all get a good night’s sleep here, and we’ll head home tomorrow."

Zhao Wendong nodded and smiled at the men behind him. "Brothers, we’ll find lodging in this village for the night! We head home tomorrow!"

"Alright!"

The men cheered in unison, filled with anticipation. The past few days in the mountains had left every one of them exhausted.

RAT-TAT-TAT—!

A sudden burst of gunfire erupted from the village. Zhao Wendong roared.

"Get down!"

The men instantly dove onto the snowy ground, their regular training paying off. After waiting a moment and confirming the shots weren’t aimed at them, Zhao Wendong looked at Li Dawei, his expression a mixture of shock and doubt. Li Dawei’s face was just as grim as he spoke slowly.

"Submachine guns. Military-grade. The shots came from inside the village."

Zhao Wendong nodded. ’Something’s happened in the village,’ he thought. The militia brigades from the production teams didn’t have that kind of firepower. For submachine guns to show up in a village like this, and be fired... no matter the reason, this was serious.

"I’ll go check it out. The rest of you, don’t move."

Zhao Wendong started to get up but was pulled back by Li Dawei.

"Brother Dong, I’m a veteran, and I’m the special commissioner. Besides, this world can afford to lose me, but it can’t afford to lose you. I’m going!"

Without waiting for a reply, he was already on his feet, darting nimbly toward the village.

"Everyone up! Gather the wolf carcasses and any gear we don’t need. You wounded men, watch our things. The rest of you, prepare for combat!"

Zhao Wendong’s voice was steady and calm, instantly infusing the militiamen with boundless strength. They had all started to panic—facing armed men was completely different from facing wolves, especially men with submachine guns. But then they remembered they were led by their captain, a man who always worked miracles. Confidence surged back through them, and their limbs once again obeyed their commands.

After a long wait, just as Zhao Wendong was about to lead his men into the village, Li Dawei finally returned.

"There are seven or eight of them. I can’t understand their language. They’ve rounded up all the villagers and locked them in what looks like a warehouse."

His face was grim as he finished, his expression savage. He continued slowly.

"The villagers must have resisted just now. They opened fire. I think... I think one of them was killed."

"Fuck."

"Motherfuckers!"

"Ungrateful bastards! Animals!"

Hearing this, the men erupted in furious curses. In that instant, all fear vanished from their eyes, replaced by the burning flames of vengeance for their countrymen.

"Captain, let’s kill them!"

"Yeah! Avenge our people!"

Zhao Wendong held up a hand, silencing the men. He looked at Li Dawei. "That’s all of them?"

"Yeah, that’s right! They didn’t post any lookouts. They probably never imagined a large, armed group like us would show up this late."

Everyone understood what he meant. Normally, a militia’s weapons were kept under lock and key. Dragon King Pond was the exception. Zhao Wendong had always insisted his men keep their own weapons, requiring them to practice in their spare time and often organizing training drills. It was pure chance that they were returning from a wolf hunt now. No other production team would have stood a chance against these seven or eight men.

"Are they all in one place?"

"No. There’s one man on guard outside the warehouse. The rest are in the building next to it."

"Alright, I got it."

"Everyone, huddle up. Here’s the plan."

"Damn it, we have to fight them!"

"It’s a shame they took our weapons."

"We have to avenge our captain!"

The village’s oldest resident, Second Grandpa, opened his mouth to speak several times, but always stopped, his eyes filled with tears. He knew what those men were looking for, but he didn’t dare say it. Telling them wouldn’t save anyone; on the contrary, it would likely put them all in even greater danger.

Outside, a short young man guarding the warehouse door let out a disdainful sneer. They could understand a little of the local dialect. ’This bunch is still dreaming about revenge?’ he thought. ’First thing tomorrow morning, we’re pulling out. Who’s going to stop us?’

Suddenly, a sound came from the side. The short man whipped the submachine gun in his hands toward the noise. He caught a fleeting glimpse of a large yellow dog—Dahuang—but the movement was so fast he couldn’t be sure if it was a dog or something else.

"What the hell was that? It was huge!"

He muttered to himself and turned his head back, only to see a cold glint of light. Li Dawei’s dagger sliced mercilessly across his throat. With practiced skill, Li Dawei clamped a hand over the young man’s mouth, silencing any sound he might make.

Zhao Wendong gave him a thumbs-up, then waved his hand to the men behind him. He raised his rifle, aiming at the door of the adjacent building, from which constant shouts and clamor could be heard.

The militiamen from Dragon King Pond, each carrying a bundle of corn stalks, quietly placed them at the base of the building’s walls. Soon, they had piled the stalks high, surrounding the entire structure.

Just then, the door opened. A man from the neighboring country stepped out, likely to relieve the guard Li Dawei had just dispatched. What greeted him was a volley of gunfire.

BANG! BANG! BANG—!

Zhao Wendong pulled the trigger without hesitation, firing three shots in quick succession. Each round slammed into the man’s chest, sending the unprepared man flying back inside. A cry of alarm erupted from within the building, the kerosene lamp was extinguished, and the door was slammed shut.

Li Dawei gave Zhao Wendong a thumbs-up in return. ’Brother Dong, you’re amazing!’ he thought. The enemy’s reaction was exactly as Zhao Wendong had predicted. ’So, they want to turtle up and hold their ground? Well, we’ll just have to roast them in their shell!’