Embers Ad Infinitum
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Translator: CKtalon đŁđŚđĽđŻđ°đŁđŚđ.đ°đłđ¨
The man holding the watermelon knife sighed. âDonât mention it. I was forced here by Old Bat. I kept telling him to wait one more day, but he wouldnât listen!â
Jiang Baimian subconsciously wanted to ask who Old Bat was, but she rationally shut her mouth after opening it.
In fact, Shang Jianyao had planned on asking the same question. However, his logical inference told him that this would definitely damage their âbrotherhoodâ and leave the other party confused. Since they were brothers, how could he not know who Old Bat was?
He laughed. âAh... Old Bat... Why is he in such a rush?â
âWhat can he do? Isnât it all because someone is rushing him!?â The man holding the watermelon knife and the black pistol rubbed his greasy hair and said with a frown, âThose guys kill people on a dime. Who dares to be cursory with them...â
âThose guys?â Shang Jianyao deliberately revealed a confused expression. âMy last return wasnât that long ago, and something has already happened?â
Although he really wanted to ask who âthose guysâ were, Shang Jianyao stayed patient.
The man holding the watermelon knife was stunned for a moment as if he didnât expect the brother opposite him not to have returned for quite some time.
A few seconds later, he sighed again. âItâs a long story. Ever since Hyena and the rest came, we donât even have a nest to sleep in! Several elders froze to death at night.â
When he mentioned Hyena, he instinctively looked around as if he was afraid of being overheard.
Hyena... Shang Jianyao turned his head and looked at Jiang Baimian to see if his experienced team leader had heard of this nickname.
Jiang Baimianâs expression darkened a little as she nodded thoughtfully.
âF*ck that Hyenaâs mother!â Shang Jianyao deliberately cursed.
The man with the watermelon knife seemed to want to curse as well, but he ultimately didnât dare. He said unhappily, âHe doesnât have a mother.â
At this point, the manâwhose exact age wasnât discernibleârecalled something and said, âI was only a teenager back then, and Hyena hadnât become a bandit yet. I heard that his mother was eaten by a bunch of Subhumans who came from nowhere.â
Shang Jianyaoâs eyebrows slightly twitched as he blurted out a question. âWas it the Ratpeople?â
He learned from Jiang Baimian that Blackrat Townâs residents were called âRatpeopleâ by the humans around them. This was also a term filled with discrimination.
âNo.â The man holding the watermelon knife shook his head. âThat group of Ratpeople has been here for decades. They were here before I was born. They are good at harvesting and excavation. They can find and eat anything. They arenât the kind that wanders around.â
Shang Jianyao fell silent for a few seconds before asking, âWhy are Hyena and the others here?â
âT-they said that something was discovered at Yuelu Station. Old Bat asked, and Hyenaâs men werenât sure either. Theyâve sent someone to investigate.â
After the man with the watermelon knife said the word âinvestigate,â he suddenly recalled his mission. He immediately wore a glum expression. âI wonder whatâs abnormal here. If I have nothing to report today, Hyenaâs men might throw me to feed the dog.â
âDog?â Shang Jianyao subconsciously asked.
The man with the watermelon knife spat. âHyena raises a very fierce dog and treats it like his son! He also keeps saying that weâre useless and that he might as well feed us to the dog since nobody can defeat his dog in a one-on-one battle.â
After complaining, the man asked in anticipation, âBrother, what have you discovered here?â
âNothing,â Shang Jianyao replied truthfully. âThe people who set off the fireworks previously have long retreated. Nothing was left behind!â
âIs that so... Then, why did they set off fireworks? Uh... Old Bat said it was some signal explosive?â The man with the watermelon knife looked like he wanted to return.
Shang Jianyao looked in the direction the baseball-wielding man had fled in. âWho knows? Just go back. If Hyena doesnât believe you, get him to send someone else to investigate. Oh right, I scared that brother just now. Catch up with him later and help me explain.â
âSure.â The man holding the watermelon knife patted his chest. âWhen are you guys returning?â
âSoon, soon.â The corners of Shang Jianyaoâs mouth curled up bit by bit. âRemember to tell Old Bat that weâll pay Hyena a visit soon.â
âVisit...â The man holding the watermelon knife suddenly sensed that something was amiss, but he wisely gave up considering the matter when he saw the grenade launcher in Shang Jianyaoâs hands and Jiang Baimianâs assault rifle.
He quickly turned around and waved his hand. âPray we meet again.â
âPray we meet again.â Shang Jianyao waved his hand enthusiastically.
After watching the man with the watermelon knife disappear at the end of the road, Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao. âWhat? Are you still going to stand in the middle of the road, afraid that others wonât see you?â
There was no intact or formed path between the mounds and hills, but with more people traversing them, a trail naturally formed.
As she spoke, Jiang Baimian turned into a relatively obscure spot on the side of the hill.
Shang Jianyao followed and exchanged weapons with his team leader before asking, âWhoâs Hyena?â
Jiang Baimian chuckled. âHeâs a relatively famous bandit leader in the Blackmarsh Wilderness. His main activity is usually around the White Knightâs territory. He became famous more than ten years ago. He wasnât considered old back then. Itâs still a question if heâs even 30 years old now.
âHis band of bandits grew stronger bit by bit. In the beginning, there were three to four people and four to five guns. Now, there are 17 to 18 core members with plenty of firepower and good equipment. Some people suspect that Hyena controls an Old World arsenal, which is why they developed so quickly.
âIf it werenât for the fact that he doesnât occupy a relatively good mine or field, he definitely wouldnât have only 17 or 18 core subordinates. He could have expanded his forces to at least 200-300 people. This way, he can build a large settlement that he can call his own, one thatâs similar to Weed City. Then, he can consider which large faction he wants to be roped into. From then on, he would have a guarantee or be a small faction with influence.
âHeh heh, itâs also possible that Hyena finds it too tiring to have hundreds or thousands of people under him and that itâs too troublesome to manage a city. Cities also have to suffer the wrath of large factions usually. Itâs far worse than being bandits who can live a carefree life. Thatâs probably why they maintain their current scale.
âAh, yes, his real name is Lin Li.â
Shang Jianyao listened carefully and concluded, âTheyâre very suspicious, and there are more people than we expected.â
They had nearly 20 core members and at least 100 vassal members.
âThey even have armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, and rocket launchers,â Jiang Baimian added. âHowever, they probably donât have any military exoskeleton equipment, bionic artificial intelligence armor, Gauss weapons, or plasma weapons. From the looks of it, even if the rumors are true, the arsenal held by Hyena only consists of common-grade weapons. Thereâs nothing of high-quality.â
Upon seeing Shang Jianyao remain silent, Jiang Baimian smiled and said, âWith our Old Task Forceâs current strength, we do have a high chance of getting rid of this band of bandits if we launch a surprise attack. Those vassals wonât really risk their lives for Hyena as long as we donât give him a chance to command his troops. However, with their membersâ quality and equipment, we have to be prepared for at least half of us dying.â
As she spoke, Jiang Baimian turned her head to look outside their hidden spot. âBesides, there might not be a chance to launch a sneak attack. You actually let that wilderness nomad return just now. Arenât you worried that he will sense something abnormal if he changes the environment? Arenât you worried that he will report the matter and let Hyena guess that we have Awakened?â
âOtherwise? Kill him?â Shang Jianyao replied without changing his expression.
âHow soft-hearted.â Jiang Baimian scoffed. âMe too. People hailing from large factions like usâwho have never experienced the Chaotic Eraâs various disputesâtend to be soft-hearted.â
She then said, âBut if we really want to launch a sneak attack, we shouldâve completely controlled the wilderness nomad, only releasing him after this matter is over. You should already have considered this. You have always been very vigilant about when your abilities are ineffective.â
At this point, Jiang Baimian laughed. âIn conclusion, youâve already given up on the idea of attacking the bandits by yourself. What a good friend!â
âWe still canât be sure that itâs Hyenaâs group,â Shang Jianyao replied expressionlessly. âLetâs wait for the company to send the troops.â
âGood idea!â Jiang Baimian smiled and praised him.
Shang Jianyao looked around and suddenly frowned. He asked, âTeam Leader, what kind of reaction do you think Hyena and his people will react when they hear the report?â
âIâve never interacted with them before, so itâs very difficult for me to make a judgment. However, I can tell from the nickname âHyenaâ that these people are good at bullying others with their numbers. They are good at tailing, tracking, and launching sneak attacks. Although they are ruthless and cruel, they are definitely not crazy or rash.
âAh, Iâm just saying. I canât be sure, so Iâll have to verify it with Bai Chen later,â replied Jiang Baimian after some thought. âAnyway, there are only two scenarios. The first is to reverse search this area before the companyâs troops arrive, kill us investigators, and erase the corresponding traces. However, the fact that the emergency flare was a trap itself has to be taken into account. Hence, thereâs a possibility of them walking right into it.
âSecond, immediately abandon the vassals that are entrenched here and move the core members away. They donât have a lot of people and have sufficient transportation tools. They have also obtained a lot of supplies from Blackrat Town. Their movement definitely wonât be as draggy and slow as a large troop. Furthermore, there are too many areas where they can hide in the wilderness.
âAfter they figure out who the enemy is, they can migrate to other large factionsâ territories and change their region of banditry.â
Upon seeing Shang Jianyaoâs eyes light up, Jiang Baimian deliberately snorted. âAre you thinking that you will wear the exoskeleton and destroy them one by one if they dare to do a reverse search?â
Without waiting for Shang Jianyaoâs response, the tall woman with a ponytail smiled. âHow can I give you such a chance? I will obviously be the one doing the honors!â
She then changed the topic. âHowever, I believe itâs more likely that Hyena and the others wonât have any reaction.â
âWhy?â Shang Jianyao was rather puzzled.
Jiang Baimian restrained most of her smile. âThe vassalsâwho were coercedâmight not necessarily be loyal to Hyena. They canât wait for a large faction to chase away Hyena. After all, the worst that can happen to them is being captured and enslaved. Itâs better than being cannon fodder for Hyena. Besides, they have plenty of chances to escape if a fierce battle really ensues. If that Old Bat is smart, he will know what to report and what to hide.â
Shang Jianyao seemed to be in thought as he slowly nodded.
The two of them stopped discussing and continued observing their surroundings, but they didnât discover anyone suspicious.
When it was almost time for lunch, they ended their operation and returned to the hidden camp on the hill.
The day passed uneventfully. In the middle of the night, Shang Jianyaoâwho was sleeping in the tentâwas woken up by Long Yuehong. He carried the Berserker assault rifle and took over the night duty.
After patrolling the area, he cast his gaze down. He could directly see the forest and Blackrat Townâs blocked entrance.
In the dim and extremely quiet night, a boulder around the cave suddenly dropped.
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