Chapter 208: 208, Feudal superstition is not credible (Requesting guaranteed monthly votes)

"Squad Leader, what should we do about this goat..." someone asked.

But before the words were finished, Li Qingzheng interrupted: "Don't call me Squad Leader—call me Wolf King! What mountain are we on again? Ah, right, Kunshan! From now on, I am the Wolf King of Kunshan!"

Chen Wudi, standing nearby, asked, "Master, should we fight this demon?"

"Not yet," Ren Xiaosu replied.

Chen Wudi understood—the unspoken meaning was that they might need to fight later. "Then, Master, when do we eat the goat... slurp."

"Now," Ren Xiaosu heard the sound of Chen Wudi inhaling sharply, and his face nearly darkened.

As the group skinned the goat, cut meat, and lit a fire, Wang Yuchang, the curious male student, watched Ren Xiaosu and whispered, "Squad Leader, last time the wolf pack appeared, you swiftly carried back a giant rabbit in the heavy snow. Now the wolf pack has sent us a goat again—this is too coincidental."

Chen Wudi and the other students turned to stare at Ren Xiaosu, but Wang Yuchang's voice was low, audible only to them.

Ren Xiaosu glanced at the gazes around him and laughed, "Haha, it is quite a coincidence."

It wasn't a coincidence, but there was no other choice—the atmosphere had already reached this point...

Wang Yuchang asked, "Squad Leader, was that rabbit also sent by the wolf pack? That's why you said we didn't need to worry about them."

Ren Xiaosu thought these students were indeed clever—any small detail and they guessed the truth. He whispered, "This must not be spoken of outside."

After all, dealing with the wolf pack was a matter that could raise eyebrows if revealed. Since Li Qingzheng was willing to take the blame, he was happy to let him.

But Wang Yuchang said, "Should we send a gift in return?"

"I don't think so," Ren Xiaosu mused. "We don't have anything to offer them anyway."

That evening, the entire squad sat around a bonfire at the outpost, the aroma of lamb overwhelming. The refugees, starved for days and given no food since being conscripted, began to cry as they ate.

Those of them drafted into the private army, like Li Qingzheng, had once been unable to afford meat. He sighed, "When I first heard we were coming to the outpost, I felt uneasy. This place is like a penal colony—no village ahead, no town behind. If we encountered danger, we'd be cannon fodder."

Ren Xiaosu glanced at him, surprised by his clear understanding, though he had never shown it before.

Li Qingzheng continued, "But now, thinking about it, having meat every meal isn't bad. Lamb is delicious!"

"We have firearms—we can hunt," Ren Xiaosu suggested.

"Our firearms are meant for the enemy," Li Qingzheng countered.

Ren Xiaosu analyzed, "Look, we have only a dozen guns. If the enemy comes, what can a dozen guns do?"

"That seems right," Li Qingzheng replied after a moment's thought.

The students suddenly noticed that Ren Xiaosu had a unique way of persuading people...

At that moment, Li Qingzheng gnawed on a lamb leg and laughed, "I heard the big shots in the Bastion eat grilled meat every day. They even prepare lemons and onions beforehand, eating meat rare—five percent done, with juices still dripping!"

Lemons were rare these days, but everyone had heard of them, though none had tasted one. They were said to be extremely sour. Onions, however, were still common.

Chen Wudi whispered, "Master, why do they need lemons and onions for grilled meat?"

Ren Xiaosu pondered, "Probably to squeeze them into others' eyes, so they can grab meat while the others blink."

Chen Wudi: "???"

The others stared at Ren Xiaosu, expressionless. Li Qingzheng exclaimed, "Are you serious..."

Just then, lights appeared on the mountain road. Li Qingzheng stood abruptly, "Who would come to this godforsaken place at this hour?"

A lone jeep approached, its headlights blinding them. In the wilderness, such a small group was hardly intimidating. Normally, caravans traveled in convoys, so two isolated jeeps were even more peculiar.

Everyone at the outpost gathered at the doorway, Li Qingzheng and the armed soldiers shouldering their guns.

When the jeep arrived, the dazzling lights glared directly at Ren Xiaosu and the others, as if ignoring their discomfort.

Two figures jumped out of the vehicle. Ren Xiaosu noticed their uniforms were Li's military attire, but the fabric was finer than any he had seen before.

Wait—he had seen it once before, on the commander of the combat brigade.

Upon seeing the shoulder patches, Li Qingzheng immediately saluted, "Welcome, Colonel, to inspect our outpost."

The two officers had fair skin and noble bearing. Their boots squeaked in the snow, and they wore black leather gloves.

Yet their faces were unusually young.

One of them, spotting the grilled lamb, smiled, "I didn't expect you to live so comfortably. After inspecting dozens of outposts, the others are miserable, but you're at ease. Bring two chairs."

He led the other officer inside. Li Qingzheng had two chairs brought for them, intending to sit on the ground himself.

But as his buttocks touched the ground, the officer frowned, "Did I tell you to sit? Stand aside."

He removed his gloves and began carving the lamb, taking a bite and grimacing, "The seasoning isn't right—it's terrible. Ptooey."

Ren Xiaosu watched in horror as the man spat out the lamb and saliva onto the entire roasted goat. How could they eat now?

But his first instinct was to stop Chen Wudi. Ren Xiaosu whispered, "Don't act rashly. Wait until we're alone, then deal with them."

As the firelight flickered, Ren Xiaosu noticed a silver glint in the officers' eyes. He realized they might have some backing—otherwise, why would they venture out alone so late? Their lack of heavy weapons suggested they weren't entirely unprepared.

The two officers wiped their hands on the snow and put their gloves back on. The leader said calmly, "Guard your outpost well. Report any enemy activity immediately. Any delay, and you'll face a military tribunal. The outcome is inevitable—execution."

Li Qingzheng nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, we'll guard the outpost."

The two climbed back into their vehicle. The engine roared, and the anti-skid chains carved deep grooves in the snow.

All their good moods vanished. Someone asked, "Just let them go like that?"

Li Qingzheng waved helplessly, "Put out the fire and go to sleep. What else can we do? In this world, human lives are worth less than dogs. They're Li's kin!"

"What about the goat?" someone asked.

"We'll cut off the part they spat on and continue eating," Li Qingzheng explained. The refugees had long since developed a habit of swallowing their grievances—anger and frustration mattered little when survival was at stake.

As he walked inside, Ren Xiaosu addressed the others, "You all go rest. We'll clean up."

The "we" referred to Chen Wudi and the students, everyone understood.

Though the students were diligent, no one questioned further.

After everyone entered the hut to rest, Ren Xiaosu said, "Take your time cleaning. I'll step out for a moment."

The students' eyes lit up at this, "Squad Leader is awesome!"

...

The jeep crept along the mountain road. Even with anti-skid chains, they couldn't speed in the snow, especially downhill.

Jazz music played inside. The officer in the passenger seat chuckled, switching to another tape, "Seeing their fearful expressions, I truly feel the Li Consortium's grip on this land."

"Their angry yet restrained eyes—how fascinating."

"This time, we should qualify for the second phase of synchronization. Then we can inject more nanorobots into our bodies. I heard a Li scion in Bastion 107 has already entered the second phase."

"No rush. This is just the beginning."

Scions of noble families are naturally gifted and wise, receiving the finest education and learning the truth of the world. If all roads lead to Rome, they were born in Rome itself.

Yet if the Li family could spawn a demon like Li Shen Ta, they could create more demons—only one was lonely, the others were not.

As they spoke, something descended from the sky like a shadow. Both men paled, but they reacted swiftly, leaping from the car at the same time!

A thunderous crash—a shadow from above tore the jeep in two. Sparks from the black blade slicing through the vehicle lit up the night!

Ren Xiaosu watched silently from the hillside, surprised by the officers' speed. After jumping, they collided with the mountain, yet showed no signs of fractures or injury.

The two officers rose from the ground, brushing snow from their bodies. One sneered, "The outpost people?"

They are not fools; those who would ambush them here must come from the outpost. Yet they had not anticipated that even in that ramshackle outpost, there would be an extraordinary being.

A military officer removed his gloves, feeling the silver torrent surging through his bloodstream. The subtle new life forms followed his will, gathering within him until his blood too turned silver.

"New power—you are the first supernatural being to face it. You should feel honored..."

The words were cut short. His pupils barely registered the black shadow vanishing abruptly from the car roof, before a cold hand clamped around his neck. A gentle twist, and his head fell.

Ren Xiaosu sighed, thinking he should have let Luo Ran witness this scene, to prove that feudal superstitions were unreliable...

When the shadow vanished again, another officer turned to flee into the wilderness, only to be instantly pursued by the figure behind him.

A crack echoed as the shadow struck the opponent's spine with a punch. Ren Xiaosu clearly sensed that the spine seemed to harbor some special force attempting to disperse the impact through rapid, rhythmic movements, but the shadow's strength was too great!

Before the opponent could organize a defense, he had already begun to crumble.

Ren Xiaosu slowly emerged from the woods. He had observed early on a lake at the mountain's waist, perfect for discarding the bodies and the car. Though carrying the car over would be strenuous for the shadow, it was over a ton in weight.

Ren Xiaosu had never used a knife, fearing bloodstains, but the opponent proved unexpectedly fragile. Initially, the two men's arrogant demeanor had made him very cautious, yet this punch landed as if striking air...

Just like when he faced Chen, he had intended to unleash a spectacular battle, but before he could exert himself, the opponent had already fallen...

The atmosphere had reached this point; it felt like a waste of emotion...

Yet the next moment, Ren Xiaosu suddenly noticed a silvery glow seeping from the two men's bodies, seemingly guided by his will.

Ren Xiaosu was stunned to realize he might... be able to control them.

...

I looked at the monthly tickets, relieved to think I wouldn't have to update today, but in the middle of the night, Lu Lu notified me—44,000 monthly tickets. Well, this is the update I promised...

Also, requesting July's guaranteed monthly tickets.