Chapter 69

In the dense forest

The atmosphere was oppressively silent, like the stillness before a storm.

Heavy gasps and the wounded's stifled groans...

They were the only sounds!

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the dying Iron Crow Army prisoner.

As if trying to dig the truth out of his cold corpse.

Chen Wen half-knelt on the ground, ignoring the blood all over him.

He stared intently into those hollow eyes and repeated his question.

His voice low and urgent:

"Speak! Who ordered you?"

"Why slaughter the innocent?"

"What crime did the people of Zhang Jia Ao commit?"

The Iron Crow Army soldier's pupils were already somewhat scattered, his life ebbing rapidly.

From his throat came a "ho-ho" sound, like a broken bellows.

Chen Wen's questioning seemed to trigger some lingering response mechanism deep in his consciousness.

His lips moved unconsciously, uttering some broken, blurred syllables.

"…Master…by order…"

His voice was so weak it was almost blown away by the wind.

Chen Wen's heart jolted, and he leaned in closer:

"Master? Who is the master?"

"…Crystal…ore…must…be…collected…"

The prisoner's gaze drifted blankly into the void, as if looking at some nonexistent place.

"…Great undertaking…needed…"

Crystal ore! Nether Energy Crystal Ore!

Surely it's for this!

Chen Wen urgently asked:

"What is collecting the crystal ore for? What great undertaking?"

But the prisoner's train of thought seemed to have shifted.

A faint, almost mechanical flicker crossed his face.

As if some preset program had been triggered.

"…Purge…deviators…plan…cannot…be…obstructed…"

Purge the deviators!

These five words were like ice picks, viciously stabbing into Chen Wen's heart!

The hint in Li Chongxin's was confirmed!

He instantly understood:

There is a vast and ruthless force pushing forward a massive 'plan'.

This plan requires Nether Energy Crystal Ore and demands that events unfold according to their design.

Any existence that might hinder or deviate from this plan.

Whether village, faction, or individual.

Will be marked as a 'deviator'!

And subjected to merciless 'purging'!

Zhang Jia Ao might merely be one of countless purging targets.

Perhaps merely because of its location.

Or perhaps because it happens to possess crystal ore fragments, which is enough to be deemed 'deviant'!

"…Northern…exalted one…covenant…"

The prisoner's voice grew ever lower, his words more fragmented.

"…Zhongyuan…unification…plan…must…be…completed…"

The exalted one of the north? The covenant?

Does it refer to the Khitan or the Northern Han?

Chen Wen's heart shuddered!

Now I see!

Behind the Iron Crow Army lies a collusion between northern forces and some mysterious 'master'!

They harbor a grand plan to unify Zhongyuan!

And the Iron Crow Army is the darkest, bloodiest blade executing that plan!

Anyone who refuses to obey or inadvertently blocks the way will be swept away by that blade!

Just then, the prisoner's body jerked violently.

In his scattered gaze flashed a flicker of abnormal ferocity, as if some hidden seal had been triggered.

His voice suddenly became a bit clearer, yet carried an inhuman coldness and resolve.

No longer delirium, but more like a death warrior's final proclamation:

"…Eliminate…deviators…"

His gaze seemed to gather the last of his strength, staring fixedly at Chen Wen.

Although still empty, it made Chen Wen feel a chill as if locked onto by a venomous snake.

Before the words finished, the captive suddenly opened his mouth, and a stream of dark red blood mixed with black-purple clots gushed out.

Obviously he had taken some kind of deadly poison or an internal restriction had fully erupted.

He tilted his head, and his last breath was cut off.

He died.

He died so cleanly, so decisively.

It was like a self-termination carried out to keep the secret.

The forest was utterly silent.

The team members stared at each other, their faces filled with shock and anger.

They didn't fully understand the captive's words before his death.

But the words "master", "clean", "northern side's superior", and "unification plan".

Taken together, they were enough to make them realize how terrifying the enemy they faced was.

That was an entity that regarded all living beings as ants.

A ruthless group that could slaughter cities and villages at will for some grand scheme!

"Chief…… they, they are simply not human!"

A team member said through gritted teeth, fists clenched.

Chen Wen slowly rose to his feet, his face so dark it seemed water could drip from it.

Shock and fury intertwined in his heart.

Earlier speculations were confirmed, and the situation was even worse than imagined.

The Iron Crow Army and the forces behind it actually aimed to conquer the whole world!

They had a tight plan and would spare no cost to eliminate obstacles.

Has the rise of Jiao Tu Zhen also drawn their attention?

Marked as needing "cleaning" — deviators or obstacles?

Thinking this, Chen Wen felt a huge sense of crisis and urgency.

The previous battle was merely a touch on the corner of this huge iceberg.

The real storm is still ahead.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions.

He swept his gaze over the shocked and angry team members, then said in a low voice:

"Do you all understand?"

"We face a pack of ambitious jackals who treat human lives like grass!"

"They collude with the Northern Barbarians, dreaming to swallow Zhongyuan; those who comply prosper, those who resist perish!"

"Zhang Jia Ao is a bloody example!"

He paused, then raised his voice.

With resolve:

"But we are not coming away empty-handed today!"

"We know their ambition, we know their cruelty, we know their collusion with the northern side!"

"This information is our capital to survive and keep fighting them!"

"To prevent Zhang Jia Ao's tragedy from happening in our Jiao Tu Zhen, or elsewhere."

"We must become stronger to thwart their schemes!"

His words were like fire, igniting the team members' fighting spirit and sense of duty.

"Yes, the stronger and more cruel the enemy, the less room they have to retreat!"

"Treat the wounds, just bandage them. We return immediately! We must bring the news back as fast as possible!"

Chen Wen gave the order.

The captive's death likely already alerted the enemy.

The team members sprang into action.

Chen Wen then took one last look at the captive who had poisoned himself to death.

Plan…… cleaning……

These two words echoed repeatedly in his heart.

He realized what he was up against.

It was an immensely huge, tightly organized opponent with no scruples.

The road ahead will surely be filled with bloody storms.