Chapter 144: A Pack of Wolves Lurking Around

Inside the tent stood a rugged and resolute man, who frowned and said, “Young Master, we’ve been going for days without any notable achievements. This isn’t right! We should be in the heart of the Dark Nation, but we often go for hours without even spotting a shadow of a Black Blood mongrel.”

Zhao Jundu responded coolly, “It’s normal. There are at least five or six other squads active around us. The dark races aren’t fools; why would they come to their death?”

“But if this continues, our ranking will look even worse,” the man’s face showed a hint of worry, then turned fierce, “How about I take a walk around and drive those flies away!”

Zhao Jundu lifted his gaze, “Drive them away?”

Under Zhao Jundu’s piercing gaze, the man’s expression became increasingly uncomfortable. Finally, he scratched his head and muttered, “Well… it might result in a few casualties. We’re already deep in dark territory, and it’s normal for some squads to lose more people, right? Haha, just joking!”

Zhao Jundu’s face remained devoid of any smile as he asked thoughtfully, “How long has it been since we last received any news from the rear?”

The man thought for a moment and exclaimed with a start, “Seven days!”

Seven days, not too short, yet not too long. In this iron curtain of the dark territory, surrounded by packs of wolves, even with battle commanders as scouts, it was difficult to keep the rear communication line open. Although their squad wasn’t short on supplies, being cut off from outside information was like a blind beast treading through danger.

Zhao Jundu reached into his chest pocket and touched a crystal pendant, whispering, “Seven days, too long.”

The man’s mouth curled up, his smile carrying a menacing aura, “Young Master, you know I, Zhao Kuang, am a simple man, but it’s hard to believe these flies are here by coincidence. Two teams from the Bai clan, two from the Nan Gong clan, and two from other noble families. In my opinion, they aren’t here for military merit; they’re after you.”

Zhao Jundu smiled indifferently, “That’s also normal.”

Zhao Kuang’s face darkened, “Young Master, these guys are too arrogant, not putting the Zhao clan in their eyes! If we don’t show them a little force, they won’t know what respect is. Let me go out and take down a few dozen of them first.”

“Unnecessary,” Zhao Jundu pointed on the map, “Tomorrow, we set up camp here and see what’s going on.”

Zhao Kuang leaned in, puzzled, “Isn’t that the hunting ground of the Nan Gong clan’s brats?”

Zhao Jundu calmly stated, “There are no boundary markers on the ground. Wherever I, Zhao Jundu, go, it becomes the Zhao clan’s hunting ground.”

A glint of ferocity appeared in Zhao Kuang’s eyes, “I understand!”

The next morning, Zhao Jundu broke camp and set out. Just as they crossed a valley, dozens of warriors emerged from the forest, blocking Zhao Jundu’s path.

A well-groomed, thirty-something man with a neat mustache stepped forward and laughed, “Fourth Young Master Zhao, what a surprise to see you with such high spirits, visiting the Nan Gong clan’s hunting ground?”

Zhao Kuang stepped forward and barked, “From now on, this is the Zhao clan’s hunting ground. You can take your people and leave.”

The man’s face instantly changed, coldly retorting, “Fourth Young Master Zhao, what do you mean by this?”

Zhao Jundu replied coolly, “What he said is what I mean.”

The man suddenly burst into laughter, “I, Nan Gong Yuncheng, have never seen such audacity! So, Fourth Young Master Zhao, if I refuse to leave, are you going to force me out?”

“Exactly.”

Nan Gong Yuncheng was taken aback, then his anger flared, “Zhao Jundu! Even if you carry the title of the Empire’s top genius, you’re still not even a battle commander! I’m an eleventh-level battle commander. The gap between us isn’t just two levels; it’s the difference between a battle soldier and a battle commander! Hmph, a genius? A few years back, I was also a renowned prodigy in the noble families! Do you think you’re the only genius in the Empire? If you want a fight, you’ll get a taste of your Green Sky, and see how powerful it really is!”

Zhao Kuang was furious, clenching his fists with a thunderous sound, but an invisible force wall swept by, holding him in place, unable to move.

Zhao Jundu slowly approached, stopping ten meters in front of Nan Gong Yuncheng, a smile gradually forming on his lips, but his eyes were icy cold, devoid of any warmth.

With a metallic ring, Nan Gong Yuncheng instinctively drew his dual swords, assuming a combat stance. Holding the cold handles, he realized Zhao Jundu hadn’t done anything yet, and he had already drawn his swords. Wasn’t this a sign of fear?

Deciding to go all-in, Nan Gong Yuncheng roared, and the surrounding area was engulfed in a surge of power, the origin force suppression field already activated.

Zhao Jundu finally raised his hand, making a fist, and shouted, “Eight Directions Seal, activate!”

With Zhao Jundu’s clear, penetrating shout, eight pillars of purple flame shot up, trapping Nan Gong Yuncheng. Almost simultaneously, each pillar spread a misty purple aura, expanding like a net, instantly covering tens of meters, making it impossible to see what was happening inside. Field against field, the Eight Directions Seal easily overpowered the origin force suppression.

Zhao Jundu took a step forward, his figure flickered, entering the formation with one step and emerging from it with another, holding a severed head in his hand.

“In front of me, Zhao Jundu, any so-called genius is a joke.”

Behind him, the eight pillars of fire shattered, the purple aura dissipated, revealing the scene: Nan Gong Yuncheng’s headless body still standing, clutching his sword, before slowly collapsing.

The world-renowned Green Sky, always slung behind Zhao Jundu, remained unused.

The Nan Gong clan’s warriors stood frozen, their faces twisted in various expressions, and were swiftly massacred by the advancing Zhao clan warriors.

“Next, to the Bai clan.”

Outside Black Stream City, Qian Ye stood atop a peak, gazing into the distance. The outline of Black Stream City was faintly visible, but mostly shrouded in thick smoke. The sounds of cannon fire and battle cries echoed across the distant mountains.

At this moment, the battle was in full swing. From afar, several sections of the city walls were ablaze, with dark races and Dark Flame warriors fighting to the death, each meter of the wall fiercely contested.

“Is this Black Stream City? Indeed, there’s a war! But, it looks like the city’s defenders are in trouble!” Hei Yue said.

Even Hei Yue could see the problem, and Qian Ye knew it too. However, despite his anxiety, his face was calm, revealing nothing.

Qian Ye took in the entire battlefield, then suddenly turned his gaze to the distance.

Following Qian Ye’s gaze, Hei Yue saw a group of dark race soldiers appearing and rushing towards the battlefield at full speed.

Hei Yue felt even more uneasy, “What’s going on? Why haven’t I seen any reinforcements for Black Stream City?”

“No reinforcements.”

“Then how can this battle be fought?” Hei Yue scratched her head, her small face full of worry, looking at the burning city.

Qian Ye said calmly, “It won’t be easy, but it has to be done. You’ve seen the situation; you can still turn back.”

Annoyance flashed across Hei Yue’s face, “We Gao Hu people value our word. We’re not like the deceitful people of your Empire. I’ve already accepted your advance payment. How can I leave without fighting? If I do, how can I face my tribe and its warriors? No, I’m committed to this fight. If I die, remember to send my money back; my father needs it to save his life.”

These words surprised Qian Ye, and he looked at Hei Yue. Across the Empire, even among the royal clans, such people were becoming rarer.

Finally, Qian Ye nodded, “Rest assured, I will deliver it.”

After observing the battle at Black Stream City for a while, Hei Yue asked, “Why doesn’t Black Stream City try to break out or send messengers?”

From their vantage point, the dark race army divided into several camps, surrounding the city. Between the camps, there were large open areas. The dark race warriors were faster than humans, so using these open areas for a breakout would quickly be met with encirclement. Large forces couldn’t escape, but smaller groups or individual strong warriors could.

However, after observing for half a day, they saw no one attempting to escape from the city.

Qian Ye stared at the burning city, gradually understanding Song Zining’s plan.

“A good opportunity!” Seeing the majority of the dark race army starting to move, Hei Yue crouched, ready to rush towards the city. In the chaos, she had a good chance of breaking through the lines and entering the city.

“Wait.” Qian Ye held her back. Despite her mechanical assistance, she found herself unable to move, like being tied to a mountain. This shocked her, as a regular battle commander wouldn’t be able to hold her back.

“Shouldn’t we charge in now?”

“No, wait until I act, then you can rush into the city.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?” Hei Yue asked.

“No, I need to find where the dark race commander is,” Qian Ye said calmly.

“You’re crazy!” Hei Yue finally understood Qian Ye’s plan and gasped.

At that moment, on the city walls, Song Zining sat immobile, statue-like. Since the beginning of the battle, several viscounts had fallen, their grotesque masks haunting many dark race warriors.

Song Zining ignored the relentless attacks, his gaze sweeping the enemy ranks, searching for something.

Luther knew Song Zining was looking for him.

The dark race general stood among the troops, his bodyguards disguised as regular soldiers, making his position appear like an ordinary command post rather than the center of the entire dark army. As orders were issued, the dark army’s tactics changed. These subtle shifts didn’t escape Song Zining’s notice, and his eyes suddenly lit up, focusing on Luther’s area!

As Song Zining’s gaze swept over, Luther felt a searing, stabbing pain.