Chapter 163: Hidden Sweeping Monk, the Military's Shock

I think you won't shed tears until you see the coffin.

Kuang Xie's eyes narrowed, his expression turning extremely vicious.

The dark gun barrel was aimed at the village head: "You say you've already got one foot in the coffin—what are you doing here stirring up trouble? Isn't that just asking for death?"

The moment his words hit the ground, he didn't want to waste more breath, and certainly couldn't let these villagers escape, so he went all out.

He pulled the trigger!

"Bang!"

With a gunshot, the village head's face changed, but seeing the bullet flying at him, before he could react, it seemed his body's instinct took over, some mysterious force guiding him; his body shifted slightly to the side, he heard a swish past his ear, and actually dodged the bullet!

"?"

The other villagers froze, then their expressions turned to utter shock.

However, what surprised them wasn't that the village head could dodge the bullet.

But rather, the bullet that had just sped through midair appeared to them as if slowed down, they could clearly see its trajectory and even predict where it would land.

The villagers were all like that, let alone the village head, so just now nobody showed worry, because they knew the village head would definitely dodge that bullet.

"Nice shot!"

In the next instant, a few cheers came from the villagers' ranks.

At the same time, everyone vaguely sensed something, their breathing grew hurried; only today did they fully realize the Mountain God had bestowed upon them a tremendous fortune!

The abilities they possessed were far more than just a simple boost in physical fitness; they were far stronger than they had imagined.

Indeed, it was exactly as they had thought.

Because they had long stayed near Longyuan Mountain, receiving the mountain's spiritual blessings and having been bestowed favors more than once, their physical abilities in every aspect were even stronger than Sun Zhenbang's.

At that moment, Kuang Xie opposite, seeing the unharmed village head, also looked astonished, frozen in place, never expecting to miss.

At that moment he still hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation.

His companion beside him jeered: "What's going on, your aim is terrible—you can't even kill an old man?"

Kuang Xie's face full of malice: "What nonsense are you spouting? It's just that the light was too dim; I was off by only a few inches."

After saying that he gave a cold snort, aimed again at the village head and pulled the trigger; with a bang, yet the village head effortlessly dodged, as if they were playing around, his face not flushed, his breath not labored.

You should know the village head is already over fifty, with a large patch of white hair, yet from his agile movements he seems completely mismatched to his age—vigorous, his condition even appears better than that of a youngster.

Meanwhile, the surrounding villagers remained standing still, watching the spectacle, their attitude utterly leisurely.

"Oh dear, they still say our village head is just an old bag of bones, yet some people can't even hit an old man—they must be getting dim-sighted."

A villager spoke up with a sarcastic tone, and someone nearby chimed in agreement.

"That's right, look at that aim—our family's big yellow dog could shoot better than him."

"Oh, don't insult Big Yellow—if he knew, he'd be heartbroken."

The two went back and forth, making Kuang Xie furious, his eyes blood-red, his expression ferocious: "You all go die for me!"

"Bang bang bang!"

Regardless of everything, he aimed at the source of the sound and fired several shots in succession.

The bullets hit the ground, kicking up countless dust; the villagers remained unharmed, not a single one fell, merely looking scornfully at the few.

Seeing this scene, Du Feng and the others' faces turned from blue to red, as colorful as a palette.

As spies, whether it was reconnaissance, counter‑reconnaissance awareness, or marksmanship, they had undergone comprehensive strict training.

Not to say they were sharpshooters hitting every shot, but at least eight out of ten bullets would find their mark.

Yet now, in this inconspicuous little village, they have suffered two major blunders—exposed as soon as they appeared, and now every shot misses, not even hitting a person!

Du Feng glanced at the furious Kuang Xie beside him; even he couldn't help wondering if Kuang Xie had some problem.

Kuang Xie moved his lips, whispering: "Chief, it's these villagers, these villagers are strange."

Du Feng's gaze turned ice‑cold: "You still have the nerve to speak? I see it's just that you're utterly useless."

His expression fell upon the villagers, full of gloom: "If that's the case, then don't blame me for unleashing a massacre."

A glance signalled, and the others raised their pistols, aiming at the villagers.

Regardless of how the village head had dodged before, under this concentrated fire these people would absolutely have no chance of survival.

Yet the villagers weren't stupid either; seeing the situation turn urgent, they reacted immediately.

"Oh no!"

Wu Yuan reached into his pocket, felt something, and without thinking threw it out.

"Swish"

In the air came the sound of a Sharp Instrument tearing through space; a fleeting shadow, swift as thunder, shot toward Du Feng and the others before they could even realize what it was.

"Ah!"

All that was heard was a miserable scream from Kuang Xie's side; his pistol fell to the ground, his hand bloody, a black small fruit struck his tiger's mouth, embedding into the wound, instantly turning his flesh into a bloody mess.

This is the fruit of a herbal plant; Wu Yuan had originally intended to collect it for medicine, never expecting to leave it in his pocket and just now toss it out casually.

He couldn't help squeezing the fruit's exterior—it was extremely soft; throwing it out shouldn't cause bleeding, not even break the skin, yet it actually produced such tremendous lethal force!

"Doctor Wu, you're amazing—I never expected you to have such a trick up your sleeve!"

The other villagers looked at Wu Yuan with newfound respect, thinking they couldn't achieve this, and all gave thumbs up.

"Low‑key."

Wu Yuan seemed to think of something; he subconsciously glanced at the village head, only to see the village head also looking at him, noticing his gaze, and even nodding.

Several people recalled the mysterious sound they had heard earlier at the mountain foot; could that be the reason their physical qualities are stronger than those of other villagers?

But now is not the time to talk about that.

Wu Yuan's actions had completely infuriated Du Feng and the others.

"Damn it, wipe out all these villagers!"

Originally, Dufeng didn't want to make a big deal of things, planning to sneak quietly into the mountains, but now his anger kept rising, and he couldn't care less about that.

The village chief and Wu Yuan and others were not willing to show weakness; at this moment they could be said to be full of vigor, 'Just you? Even with guns, what can you do?'

"Bang bang bang!"

Accompanied by continuous gunfire, thick gunpowder smoke spread over the mountain foot; this night was destined to be anything but peaceful.

Dufeng and the others merely relied on having guns in their hands, but they quickly discovered that guns were utterly useless against these villagers.

Those villagers were as nimble as monkeys that had become spirits, always able to dodge their bullets.

Sometimes, just a slight sideways turn or a flick of the head was enough for a bullet to whistle past.

This is simply more outrageous than any sci-fi movie!

What is most astonishing is that among them were not a few women and elders who actually possessed extraordinary skills, as if they were hidden masters.

Amidst the hail of bullets, several figures like ghosts swiftly approached Dufeng, Kuangxie, and the others.

These were precisely the village chief, Wu Yuan, and a few villagers; if observed carefully, one would find that these people, whether in speed or reaction ability, were faster than the other villagers.

They were exactly those who had previously heard Ye Qin's lecture at Mountain Base; although they hadn't heard it completely clearly, combining with the purple Qi within their bodies, it subtly brought about many changes in their physiques.

Watching the village chief and others closing in from the flanks, Dufeng broke out in a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, his earlier air of certainty gone.

Really, it's uncanny!

Even though the bullets were aimed at them, these people managed to dodge them from unexpected angles.

"Boss, what should we do? The bullets seem useless against them."

"These villagers couldn't possibly be police or military in disguise, could they? Their aim must be to lure us into a trap."

"Cut the crap."

Dufeng and the others even started conjuring conspiracy theories, but no matter how you looked at it, these people seemed like ordinary villagers, having nothing to do with the police or military.

Moreover, even those who had received professional training could not possibly dodge bullets so accurately; this simply exceeds human capability.

Soon the bullets in the handguns ran out.

Dufeng flung his handgun to the ground, "I don't believe it—I'll end up falling into your hands today."

Having said that, he charged at the nearest Wu Yuan, dagger in hand, as if he could split the very air in two.

Dufeng's speed was great, but could it possibly be faster than a bullet?

In Wu Yuan's eyes, he seemed riddled with openings from head to toe.

Seeing Dufeng's fist about to reach him, Wu Yuan snatched backhanded, like an eagle grabbing a chick, and instantly twisted Dufeng into a pretzel.

The villagers nearby were not to be outdone either; indeed, an eighty-something-year-old old man leapt up and sprang to Kuangxie's front, shouting "Hey!" and kicked him straight in the solar plexus.

How terrifying the villagers' physical fitness has become!

Even the old men in the village can lug huge boulders, walking with a spring in their step!

With that kick, the old man caused Kuangxie to feel a bloody taste surging in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Watching this scene, Dufeng and the others' expressions turned as if they had seen a ghost, their faces growing even more grim.

The commotion at the mountain foot soon startled awake the creatures in the mountains.

In the darkness, countless pairs of eerie green eyes lit up, like lanterns hung in the night sky, all turning their gaze toward the direction of the mountain foot.

Ye Qin released his mental sense for a moment, and immediately knew what was happening at the mountain foot.

The animals chattered, especially the Northeast Tiger, which, upon seeing someone bullying the villagers, immediately wanted to rush forth to uphold justice, but Ye Qin stopped it.

"Roar——"

"They can handle it; don't worry. If they really can't, you can still go down to help later."

The villagers had undergone the baptism of the purple Qi from the east; their physiques could no longer be judged by ordinary standards, and now a group of villagers dealing with these six people should be more than enough.

"Roar roar roar——"

Looking at the Northeast Tiger's gloating expression, Ye Qin instantly knew what it was thinking.

"Don't think about going down the mountain to join the fun; having the villagers around is enough."

Waves of tragic cries drifted through the mountains, but they were not coming from the villagers; however, this commotion didn't last long, and whether at Mountain Base or on the mountain, peace gradually returned.

The night deepened, slowly enveloping the mountains.

……

Police station.

Since it was already late at night, only a few police officers were on duty, chatting to while away the long night, when a sudden roar of an engine broke the original silence.

"Roar——"

"What's happening outside?"

"Come on, let's go check it out."

The rumbling sound approached from afar, and under the dim streetlights one could see several tractors driving toward the police station; the tractors were like elderly people, coughing after just a few steps, and the disturbance was very noticeable in the night.

After seeing clearly who was on the tractors, several police officers were stunned.

As the only police station in the vicinity, they were naturally familiar with Longyuan Village.

After all, this village was quite famous in the area.

"Village chief, why are you stirring up a crowd in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

The village chief and the villagers jumped down from the tractors, their faces full of excitement and exhilaration.

"A few people wanted to storm the mountain, and they were still holding guns——"

Before he could finish speaking, several officers' faces changed: "What? Something like this actually happened? I need to report this up the chain immediately and arrest them!"

They thought the village chief and his group had come to file a report, and were about to pull out their phones, but the village chief stopped them, waving his hand and saying, "No need to arrest them."

"Have these people run away?"

The village chief said leisurely, "We've already brought these people over!"

The police officers suspected the village chief was joking, stammering as they spoke: "Village chief, you're just kidding, right? Those people actually have guns."

A villager nearby, hearing this, couldn't help puff out his chest: "So what if they have guns——"

The village chief glanced at him; the villager seemed to realize something and didn't continue speaking.

The police officers didn't notice their interaction, because at that moment they saw a person trussed up fivefold on the tractor, already unconscious, and fell silent instantly.

These people were armed with guns, obviously not ordinary; it was beyond the precinct's ability to handle, so they immediately notified the police bureau and handed it over to higher authorities for resolution.

Moreover, Sun Zhenbang had previously given a heads-up: any incident occurring on Longyuan Mountain should be reported immediately.

Beep—

In less than half an hour, the piercing siren shattered the quiet night, arriving at the police station in a hurry.

The person who got out of the car was none other than Sun Zhenbang; upon receiving the news, he rushed over immediately.

The Poison Hornet and Mad Scorpion, among others, were transferred to a vehicle specially used for detaining criminals; given the gravity of the matter, the villagers also had to go along.

The villagers in the car, seeing Sun Zhenbang's solemn expression, also sensed that the matter was extraordinary; the village chief couldn't help asking: "Officer Sun, what exactly are these people's identities?"

Sun Zhenbang gave them a deep look; having dealt with the villagers many times, he saw no need to hide anything, and this wasn't especially confidential anyway.

"If I'm not mistaken, these people are likely spies sent by M Country."

Even before arriving, Sun Zhenbang had already received word from the military that spies had infiltrated Wu Du and were likely to target Longyuan Mountain.

But what kind of place is Longyuan Mountain?

The Mountain God sits in command; it's a place where those who enter never return.

Let alone a few spies, Sun Zhenbang doubted even if an army came, there would be nothing they could do.

So Sun Zhenbang wasn't particularly worried; he imagined these people's fate would be the same as that of the poachers, lawbreakers, tomb robbers, and the like— the Mountain God would let no wicked person off.

But he couldn't say that out loud, so he could only keep it to himself at the time.

"What? They're spies!"

Upon hearing Sun Zhenbang's answer, Village Chief Wu Yuan and the others were shocked; they had thought these people were bandits or lawbreakers, never expecting them to be spies.

The village chief couldn't help clicking his tongue: "Good grief, what are spies doing running to our Longyuan Mountain for?"

"Apart from an ancient tomb, Longyuan Mountain doesn't really have anything important."

The villagers were somewhat puzzled.

However, going into more detail would involve classified information, which Sun Zhenbang couldn't disclose fully; for the villagers, some things are better left unknown.

Sun Zhenbang changed the subject: "By the way, why are these people still alive?"

Judging by the Mountain God's usual methods, these people should already be cold; what we should be seeing are their corpses.

Looking at their faces and wounds now, they are all superficial injuries; they appear to have been beaten badly, bruised and swollen, quite miserable, but not like the Mountain God's handiwork.

Could it be that——

A speculation arose in Sun Zhenbang's mind, and he looked at the villagers in astonishment.

Upon hearing this, the village chief couldn't help breaking into a smile, somewhat proudly.

"Officer Sun, look at what you're saying— we're not ruthless killers; they definitely could stay alive."

Even though he already had a suspicion, hearing it from the villagers still left Sun Zhenbang somewhat shocked.

"Did you lot capture these people with your own hands? Without alarming the Mountain God?!"

The village chief nodded: "Last time, if it weren't for those two running fast, we could have shown our prowess earlier; now, running into these stubborn few is a rare chance, and we might as well have done the Mountain God a good deed."

Besides Sun Zhenbang, there was no one else in the police car; after getting along for a long time, the villagers had come to regard him as one of their own, so they spoke without reservation.

When the purple aura came from the east, Sun Zhenbang was also on the scene, personally witnessing the changes in the village; his body, too, had undergone transformation.

The village chief sized up Sun Zhenbang's expression; seeing him accept the fact quickly, he thought perhaps something similar had happened to him as well, so he wasn't surprised.

Sun Zhenbang nodded and said meaningfully:

"This matter involves foreign spies, already alerting the military; since you subdued these spies, surely someone will come to question you later."

Although he spoke vaguely, the village chief understood the subtext: "Don't worry, Officer Sun; we ourselves know what should and shouldn't be said."

Wu Yuan also chimed in: "Besides, even if we spoke, no one might believe us."

If anyone learned that these villagers' bodies had been altered, they'd inevitably get other ideas, inviting unnecessary trouble. Although the Mountain God protects us, it's better to have less than more.

Therefore, it's better to keep this matter concealed forever.

As for why not kill them to silence them?

After all, they are just ordinary villagers who worship the Mountain God— how could they have such a ruthless heart? As for asking the Mountain God to destroy corpses and erase traces, the villagers wouldn't even dare to think of it.

Afterwards, the two sides exchanged a smile; everything remained unspoken.

At the same time, the Wu Du defense zone.

The military acted swiftly; shortly after learning of the spy situation, they deployed immediately.

In the vehicle, everyone's expressions were somewhat solemn.

This time the team was led by Major Yu Zheng, tall and broad-shouldered, with a square face, wearing a crisp uniform that made him stand like a sturdy pine on a cliff.

"According to the latest intelligence, these people are likely carrying firearms, so the villagers at the mountain's base are in great danger; if a conflict breaks out, the villagers will surely be injured."

Sitting beside him was a young man with gold-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge, looking refined and somewhat scholarly— his subordinate, Fan Xuanzi.

Fan Xuanzi frowned slightly, then slowly pushed up his glasses.

"I don't quite understand; since Longyuan Mountain is so highly valued by the government and has been listed as a prohibited area, sealed off, why not increase troop strength to defend it? Instead, a few villagers are left to guard the perimeter."

Jiang Hao also strongly agreed with this view: "Yeah, the local government is just too strange; if something really happened, even more villagers wouldn't help."

Yu Zheng flipped through the materials on Longyuan Mountain in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said: "The data says Longyuan Mountain has seen many strange occurrences, with some mysterious force present; to prevent further changes, they carried out a mountain closure."

Fan Zhixian and Jiang Hao exchanged a glance, both expressing disbelief, as did the other few people in the vehicle.

Jiang Hao couldn't help complaining: "This is nonsense— just because of this reason they don't send people to defend? Put up a sign, use a fence to enclose the mountain, what good is that?"

They had never personally experienced this, and the education they received would not lead them to believe such things, so they were utterly bewildered by the local government's actions.

"It's even more unbelievable that the higher-ups actually agreed to this."

"If it were truly that important, logically they should have deployed heavy troops to guard it, to ensure the people's safety."

Compared to the few young people, Ye Qin appeared much more composed.

"The local government's actions surely have their own justification; the higher-ups have no objections, so we can't say much—now the key is Longyuan Mountain."

"The mountain closure is outside their jurisdiction; even if Ye Qin and the others had more opinions, the situation is already set."

"Now the key is to clarify the situation with these spies, and also ensure the safety of the villagers at the mountain foot."

"Hope we don't drag innocent civilians into this."

As everyone was discussing the situation on Longyuan Mountain, Ye Qin's phone suddenly rang.

Not knowing what was said on the other end, he stared slightly, then after a moment replied, "Okay, I understand."

Fan Zhixian curiously asked, "Major, who called?"

"The Wu Du Police Bureau said they've already caught those spies."

Jiang Hao was somewhat surprised, "The Wu Du Police Bureau acted so quickly—this speed is impressive!"

Ye Qin also found it strange, but the phone call wasn't clear, and he didn't ask for details; he said, "Let's go to the police bureau first."

The group could only change direction, abandoning the trip to Longyuan Mountain and heading to the urban area instead.

They soon arrived at the Wu Du Police Bureau; it was already late at night, the whole city sunk into sleep, but because the case involved foreign spies, the bureau was lit up and on high alert, and upon seeing Ye Qin and the others arrive, they immediately came forward to greet them.

"Hello, Major Ye."

Ye Qin nodded, exchanged pleasantries, then sincerely praised: "Your Wu Du Police Bureau is truly impressive—you responded swiftly and caught the spies right away, helping us a great deal; otherwise this affair would have been hard to wrap up, fortunately it was just a false alarm."

Even now Ye Qin still feels lingering fear; if the spies really caused a disturbance, not only would he suffer, but even the superiors would be implicated.

Fortunately the Wu Du Police Bureau came through, resolving the crisis immediately, and thus also helped the Wu Du Defense Zone survive an ordeal.

"By the way, the villagers at the mountain foot shouldn't have been hurt, right?"

Ye Qin hurriedly asked.

But as soon as he said that, the police officers' expressions turned odd, even somewhat unnatural, and nobody spoke.

Noticing the strange atmosphere, Yu Zheng and the others looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.

Could it be that a villager was injured during the arrest operation? Even if someone was injured, these Police's expressions shouldn't be like that.

Only Sun Zhenbang remained calm, stepped forward and explained: "The villagers at the Mountain Foot were unharmed; this time they also made a contribution, capturing the spy. In fact, our Police 749 Bureau didn't contribute much."

Yu Zheng and the others finally understood why those Police had such expressions; perhaps they had misunderstood.

For a moment, the military personnel also wore bewildered expressions.

"The villagers captured them? How did they manage that?"

Sun Zhenbang nodded, "Yes, when we received the news and rushed over, everything was already over."

Trying to conceal this would be futile; it's better to openly admit it, which is also why the villagers voluntarily handed over the spy—hiding and showing only part would instead appear guilty.

Sun Zhenbang brought the people into the interrogation room; seeing the spies' miserable state, the military personnel fell silent once again.

Was it their intelligence that was wrong, or has this world become fantastical?

"Major, are these people really sent by the CIA? They're not just amateurs, are they? Could our intelligence be wrong?"

The CIA is an important intelligence organization of M Country; it can be said to be internationally renowned, and those who come out of it are all experts—not necessarily omnipotent, but at least top-tier.

But looking at the few people in the interrogation room, with bruised and swollen faces, they were quite disheveled—where is there any semblance of special agents or spies?

Even a formidable expert from the CIA could actually be subdued by villagers—saying that outright would be nothing short of a fantasy.

Could it be that these people's identities are fundamentally fake, a smokescreen released by the CIA?

But soon Yu Zheng's side overturned that theory.

"The identities of these people have been investigated; they are definitely sent by the CIA, the captain's codename is Poison Bee, and he is the person in charge of this operation."

Yu Zheng had heard the codename Poison Bee before, but because it was mysterious and extremely cunning, the information they had obtained was very little.

They only knew he was a person of Daxia, but had long been bribed and brainwashed by M Country, assisting them in their work; the military had always wanted to capture them, yet had no means to do so.

Now we finally get to see the true face of Poison Bee, never expecting it to be under such circumstances.

"This actually is Poison Bee?"

Yu Zheng's usually composed face showed a hint of surprise.

According to the situation at the time, these people still had guns in their hands; then the question arises: how did these villagers manage to subdue, bare-handed, these six gun-wielding, agile spies?

Countless questions arose in the minds of the military personnel.

Yu Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "Let's go, let's go in and meet them."

At this moment, Poison Bee and the others had already awakened; after seeing their surroundings clearly, they showed expressions of despair.

Never expected to capsize in a gutter, actually ending up in the hands of a group of villagers.

I don't know whether it was due to excessive stimulation or a broken head, but upon seeing Yu Zheng and the others arrive, they began to shout incessantly.

"That group of villagers is strange! They're not ordinary people; not even bullets can hit them, their strength is astonishingly great, and some villagers even throw hidden weapons—they're practically monsters!"

"Damn, fuck! How did we end up in their hands?"

"What exactly are you people of Daxia researching—weather weapons or human genetics?"

Their words were incoherent, even more so utterly confused; the military personnel's expressions were full of doubt, and they coldly rebuked: "What are you saying?"

Poison Bee glared malevolently at Yu Zheng and the others.

They had originally intended to go up the mountain to investigate weather weapons, but before they could even ascend, they were intercepted by the villagers, who gave them a stern lesson—so to speak, causing immense psychological trauma.

They even couldn't help but start entertaining conspiracy theories.

"I get it now—you people of Daxia aren't researching weather weapons at all; you're conducting illegal human experiments! Those villagers are the devils you've created through modification!"

The more Poison Bee thought about it, the more plausible this possibility seemed; otherwise, how could one explain the villagers' supernormal behavior—how could ordinary people dodge bullets, and even possess boundless strength?

It's a shame you all talk about benevolence and righteousness, yet you secretly did this kind of thing; if it were spread internationally, other countries would definitely not let you off.

The military and police were speechless; they never expected that Du Feng and the others would have such thick skin, even turning around to take the moral high ground and condemn them, with some words being unbearable to hear.

Jiang Hao couldn't help but say: "Stop spouting nonsense here! What human experiments? They're completely made up! Don't think splashing a few buckets of dirty water on us can cover up your crimes!"

Fan Zhixuan looks gentle and refined, but his mouth is vicious.

The CIA is getting worse and worse; they actually sent a few trash like you over—do they have no one usable inside? How much ability can a few traitors have, that they can't even beat villagers? I think you might as well go farm.

Those words hit home; Du Feng and the others' faces turned red, whether from anger or shame they couldn't tell, they couldn't catch their breath and almost fainted.

There's a reason for this! If we hadn't been careless and underestimated the enemy, how could we have ended up like this?

Jiang Hao remained calm and said: "Put bluntly, you're just useless; look for the cause in yourselves. The CIA is also useless, and you still want to be spies? You might as well go back to the United States and raise pigs."

Du Feng and the others were so angry they fell silent, suddenly feeling some regret; if they had known from the start that the village hid hidden talents, they would definitely have kept their distance.

However, they couldn't have foreseen this, nor did they expect that they would not be defeated by the Great Xia authorities but instead be captured by a group of villagers.

Du Feng coldly laughed: "There's nothing left to say now that we're in your hands; do whatever you want—kill or cut as you please!"

Seeing that they were unwilling to cooperate, Yu Zheng spoke in a calm tone, yet his words carried great authority.

You probably haven't realized your situation; as intelligence operatives, you should know what exposure entails. Now only two paths lie before you: death or making amends through merit.

Du Feng snorted: "Making amends? Sounds nice, but if we speak up, we'll die even faster!"

Great Xia shows no leniency toward spies; Du Feng and the others know they can't escape, but they still have utilitarian value, so the military won't dispose of them immediately.

Yu Zheng's eyes were deep and unfathomable; at the negotiating table, what mattered was patience—whoever couldn't hold back and revealed their chips first would lose half.

If the CIA knew you weren't dead but had been captured, they wouldn't go to great trouble to send people to rescue you; you should be more familiar with their style— to them, you're already expendable.

Do you think they would be lenient toward expendable assets?

Yu Zheng's face was calm, but his words revealed sharp intent.

Du Feng and the others' expressions shifted slightly; after regaining composure, they quickly grew calm—now in the military's hands, their fate certainly won't be good.

In the interrogation and negotiation, winning hearts is key; seeing Du Feng and the others' expressions, Yu Zheng knew they were wavering and hurried to press the advantage.

So now you only have one path: cooperate honestly, and perhaps there's still a way to survive.

Du Feng's expression turned grim, his tone doubtful: "Can you guarantee that if we confess everything, you'll spare our lives?"

Of course I can't guarantee that.

Seeing Du Feng's sudden change in expression, Yu Zheng shifted his tone: "But if you refuse to cooperate, I think you definitely won't survive."

The spies exchanged glances, their expressions hesitant; if Yu Zheng readily agreed, they'd surely suspect him, for agreeing too easily surely hides another plot.

Already at a dead end, it's better to fight for a chance at life.

They now have no other option; people seek life, not death.

Du Feng nodded: "Alright, I'll tell you everything I know!"

Half an hour later.

After walking out of the interrogation room, Yu Zheng frowned, continually pondering what Du Feng and the others had said.

You said, what do these people's words mean?

According to Du Feng and the others' statements, they initially acted on CIA orders, indeed coming to investigate meteorological weapons, but later it turned out to involve human experiments as well.

They also disclosed quite a bit about the CIA, though they aren't core members and have long been based domestically, so they didn't access any major secrets, but it's better than nothing.

However, this information needs to be vetted for truthfulness, to prevent them from fabricating stories just to save their lives.

This bunch is hard to say; they seem honest now, but who knows what hidden motives they have— their words are half true, half false, so further investigation is needed.

Yu Zheng nodded: "I think the same."

Jiang Hao stroked his chin, eyes glinting with interest: "But the villagers they mentioned possess boundless strength and agile movements— what secret lies behind this?"

Could someone be posing as villagers?

We can't rule that out; we'll need to go see those villagers ourselves to find out.

How could unarmed people subdue spies? This is indeed a puzzling point, very strange.

The military soon also saw the villagers Du Feng mentioned; having earlier heard Du Feng's group describe heavenly flowers raining down, dodging bullets, throwing hidden weapons barehanded, they couldn't help but be curious.

Upon seeing Lu Mountain's true appearance, they were instantly disappointed.

The villagers were all quite old, even including an elderly grandfather.

Each looked utterly ordinary, completely unimaginable as to how they could subdue armed, well-trained spies.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Jiang Hao couldn't help muttering, "Just this?"

Fan Zhixuan lowered his voice: "You can't judge a person by appearance alone; perhaps they're true masters who hide their strength— after all, they're mountain guardians, haven't you heard of the Young Forest monk who sweeps the floor?"

On the other hand, Yu Zheng remained composed, stepped forward and took the village chief's hand: "Hello, I heard you captured these people— thank you very much."

(End of chapter)