Chapter 532: Fish and Net III
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Du Feng was overjoyed – the fighters were right on time! Even a Level 8 shooter could not stand against an attack from so many fighter aircrafts. This was why even Level 8 shooters would cave in to the power of an entire country. A high Level shooter was stronger when armed with a high spec fighter.
Aerial advantage, higher velocities and stronger firepower – these were all the advantages that an aircraft would gain over an armed shooter. A whole squad of fighters was an even staggering enemy. This formation, usually reserved for an actual war, was now deployed for battle.
Sha Ya stayed calm. She had spread her parapsychic sensing range to the maximum.
High in the sky, the fighters came closer and closer. The low humming sound was now loud enough to shake the ground.
Sha Ya focused her gaze and pointed her gun up. She fired once, the laser beam shooting through the clouds.
Bang! A fighter exploded into a fireball the air. The red fiery mass expanded like a blossoming flower.
The explosion was completely unexpected. No one thought that the shooter would fire first when the odds were very much against her favour. The aircraft formation was momentarily disturbed.
Du Feng signalled to his men to prepare to retreat. If they gain distance away from the terrifying woman, the fighters would be able to shoot freely without worrying about friendly fire. Sha Ya was busy dealing with the aircrafts to notice them.
Du Feng and his soldiers had worked together for a long time. They understood him immediately.
Just when they were prepared to leave, a silhouette suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
When Ye Chong saw the fighters, he knew that their situation was about to get worse. If they come within the fighters' range of fire, they would never be able to escape, no matter how strong they were. The enemy would be merciless against them. They will have to face a full blown aerial attack. Even Ye Chong could not survive that.
Hence, Ye Chong made his move.
Ye Chong hid in the shadows like an assassin. It was now time to make the killing move.
He dashed out like a leopard, powerful and agile.
His target was Du Feng. From the conversation between the man and Sha Ya, he knew that the man was the leader of the other side. These were professional military men. He noticed that, perhaps even before Sha Ya. As someone who had led an army before, he could recognize the military characteristics of these people.
This made Ye Chong act more carefuly. Military men were skilled in combat, especially in coordinated movements. Soldiers in a group played distinct roles when in combat. This meant that the more people involved, the harder it was for them to coordinate. Group coordination was also what differentiated military personnel from the common people. When fighting one-on-one, the difference in strength was not obvious; pitch them against each other in groups, and the military men will win for sure.
Ye Chogn moved quickly, but the veterans could still notice something was amiss. These soldiers had survived actual wars, and that made them more sensitive to their surroundings.
They all turned nervous.
This was the crucial moment, a moment of life and death. Ye Chong did not hold back.
He moved, quick as lightning, strong as thunder!
With his upper body bent forward, Ye Chong charged towards the soldiers in front of him, intending to bulldoze right through them. His body posture unchanged as his shoulder ran into one of the soldiers. His shoulder muscles vibrated quickly, and the soldier was flung away, crying out as he did towards the side.
Ye Chong inclined his body slightly and sped up, moving through the soldiers like a sharp knife.
The soldiers cried out in rage and dear. The situation plunged into chaos.
All the soldiers that Ye Chong passed by would fall. No one was a match against his one-strike attack. He was now like a human-shaped fighter. He could control every single part of his body to act as a weapon.
An attack without reserve from Ye Chong was terrifying! Blue lines danced in his vision as he moved quickly amongst his enemies, and Ye Chong would always find the perfect opening to strike out.
A Jie expert was the pinnacle of a combat expert's achievement. This kind of close range attack was perfect for one to fully demonstrate his powers.
In just the blink of an eye, Ye Chong found his way to Du Feng. Behind him was a trail, wide enough for one person. On both sides of the trail were dozens of soldiers, lying silent on the ground. Ye Chong never left anyone alive when he fought like he meant it.
The fighters were already angled downwards, a signal that they were about to start shooting.
Ye Chong moved without delay. He closed in towards Du Feng and wrapped his right hand around the man's neck, gripping tightly onto his throat.
The sudden turn of events took all the soldiers aback. Even Du Feng could not manage a reaction before he felt Ye Chong's hand around his throat, and felt himself lifted up in the air.
With his left hand around Du Feng's waist and his right hand clasping the man's throat, Ye Chong retreated backwards quickly. The muscles on his back wriggled like snakes, repelling anything that came in its way.
The aircrafts were even closer now! Ye Chong felt a strong and dangerous pressure coming down on him, like when he was in Celest, during the battle in Dual Forest.
In the next moment, he found way his to Sha Ya's side.
By then, the closest fighter was less than two kilometres away from them. This was close enough for the fighter to start shooting.
Ye Chong was unafraid. He kept his hand firmly on Du Feng's throat. Du Feng's face was turning blue, but he could not even make a sound. He tried to break free, but the other man was too strong for him.
Standing besides Sha Ya, Ye Chong's expression was cold and emotionless. The killing intent emanating from him now troubled even Sha Ya.
The fighters did not seem to slow down. They were still coming at full speed. The sight of aircrafts coming down from above at high speeds was a tremendous pressure on the enemy, an effective strategy to weaken the other side's morale. Every soldier well versed in military tactics would know this. Even so, few could stand straight without flinching when seeing the fighters approaching. Only a shooter with a strong mind could face this pressure.
Photon grenades rained down heavily. Sha Ya's eyes shined brightly. Ye Chong remained emotionless and unmoved.
Tak tak tak tak tak! The photon grenades hit the ground around Ye Chong and Sha Ya. Sha Ya frowned slightly, turning her face to avoid the rocks that came flying from the ground.
Ye Chong stood still like a statue, allowing the rocks to hit his face. His right arm was extended straight, his hand around Du Feng's throat.
One by one, the fighters flew past their heads. The photon grenades came like heavily. Ye Chong and Sha Ya were surrounded by potholes in the ground all around them. The flat earth had been repeatedly assaulted and worked to a loose layer of soil.
Ye Chong remained in his posture. When Li Gui arrived, Du Feng was already half conscious. Li Gui immediately ordered for the fighters to stop firing.
Ye Chong finally let his hand go slightly loose. Du Feng inhaled sharply for new air and woke up. Once he was awake, he felt like yelling. However, the other man seemed to know what was about to happen. The hand tightened on his throat again, and Du Feng could no longer make a sound.
Li Gui saw the interaction between them. He knew that they were against a difficult foe this time, a very stubborn one. Both of them were very strong. Li Gui could see immediately that the woman was a Level 8 shooter. The man, however, puzzled him.
If this man had not come out and snatch Du Feng, Li Gui would never know that someone was hiding in the dark. The man was like a shadow, with seemingly inhuman strength. Li Gui remembered the latter clearly.
Li Gui had seem combat experts before, but their moves were only mostly for show. They would overpower normal people, but definitely not shooters.
This man had broken through layers of defence to reach Du Feng. There were no less than a hundred soldiers around him when it happened. From the beginning, no one seemed to be able to stop this man. Li Gui had inspected the soldiers on the ground. They were all dead from a single attack.
Li Gui was surprised by the other party's ruthlessness. It reminded Li Gui of the killing machines from the military's special division. They were rumoured to be cold blooded killers who were trained to kill with a single attack. They were also cruel and merciless, prioritizing their mission above all others.
Should he ask the man about his identity? Li Gui thought not. Even if the man was from this special division, they were ordered to never expose themselves.
Li Gui went silent for a while before finally speaking up, "Your conditions?"
Li Gui believed that the man must recognize their current positions. A person who could assess the situation and strike where it hurts would not be oblivious to these things.
"Why do you trespass my place?" Ye Chong could not figure it out.
Li Gui answered truthfully, "It was a military drill."
This answer was obviously not enough for Ye Chong and Sha Ya. It was only natural for them to defend their house when it was invaded by armed troops in the middle of the night! Having a drill session on private property was just ridiculous.
However, Ye Chong had no wish to inquire further. He signalled for Sha Ya to take over. Sha Ya was more experienced in dealing with these matters.
Sha Ya considered for a moment, the said, "Have your soldiers leave the manor immediately. No one is allowed to enter this place again without our permission."
"Agreed," Li Gui replied after some thought. In any case, their priority was to save Du Feng first. Making a verbal agreement was not hard for him.
Sha Ya looked into Li Gui's eyes and said, "You must swear this by your honour as a shooter."
Li Gui was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"This will encourage trust on both sides," Sha Ya explained calmly. She was a seasoned combatant, and would not be so easily soothed.
Li Gui went quiet for a while, then vowed solemnly, "I, Li Gui, swear by my honour as a shooter that I will carry out the terms of this agreement diligently, else my parapsychic abilities will vanish completely."
Sha Ya nodded, satisfied. Swearing by one's honour as a shooter was a significant gesture that no one would think of going against.
Ye Chong released Du Feng to Li Gui after that.
To Sha Ya, the matter was considered settled. Ye Chong felt differently. He was certain that the soldiers would return as he had seen the strong desire for revenge in Du Feng's eyes. Ye Chong was familiar with that look. He wanted to just kill Du Feng and end the whole incident. People like the Brigade Commander would always be a threat, waiting to strike again.
However, not was the right time. He looked up at the fighters circling his manor. If he had set up his defence system here, Ye Chong was confident that he could take down all those aircrafts.
Time was running short. Ye Chong felt danger pushing itself closer and closer towards him.
…
Du Feng had awakened halfway through their journey back. He was not injured. He walked beside Li Gui, looking exasperated. The entire army moved without a sound. They were still shaken by losing so many comrades in a very short time.
Li Gui understood Du Feng. He advised his friend, "Don't be consumed by revenge. Those two were too strong, we can't take them on. There's nothing we can do about our defeat."
Du Feng kept silent. He knew that. Even so, regret and hatred occupied his thoughts. If only he did not allow those soldiers to enter the manor, all of this could have been avoided. If only he was not so hasty, choosing to investigate the newcomers' background instead of rushing things, they would not have suffered like this.
80 lives were lost! Du Feng's heart ached at the thought. Many of those soldiers were even more senior than him.
There was nothing he could do now. If he had not been caught, those two would definitely have been shot to bits by the fighters! However, even this last hope of revenge was lost. Du Feng regretted it so much that he wanted to cry.
Having worked together for so long, of course Li Gu knew what Du Feng was feeling. He consoled the man, "Just let go of this matter. We'll take it slow, there will be a chance for revenge later." Both he and Du Feng could not just nothing about the 80 lives they had lost.
But … But …
Du Feng recalled Li Gui's vow, and felt dispirited. He was a shooter too. Of course he knew how important that vow was. He would never seek revenge while having Li Gui pay the price.
Li Gui seemed to read Du Feng's mind. He smiled and said, "It looks like you guys still haven't understand what I meant by my vow earlier. I am not useless, but I will never become a shooter again. If that's the case, what does it matter if I lose my parapsychic abilities?"
Du Feng stopped in his tracks. He felt a deep sadness rising in him. He wanted to say something, but could not find the words to express himself. His eyes turned moist.
"Gui, do you think we're right or wrong in doing this?" After staying quiet for a long time, Du Feng asked suddenly.
Li Gui considered that for a moment and said, "Old Du, it's pointless to think about being right or wrong at this point. Now that we're here, it's hard to say who's right or wrong. Indeed, we've been reckless, but now that so many of our brothers have died, how can we be at peace if we don't do something for them?"
"Right," Du Feng lowered his head and responded quietly.
Suddenly, a soldier came rushing towards them from the front.
"What is it?" Du Feng and Li Gui were the first to notice that something was wrong.
The soldier approached the two men and reported through gasping breaths, "Sir, the – the Legion Legate and his troops are here in our camp. He asked to see both of you immediately."
…
With the soldiers gone, Ye Chong no longer felt like going to sleep. Sha Ya was the same. Kristen surprised everyone by sleeping through the entire ordeal.
Hence, Ye Chong stayed up thinking about how to quickly set up a defence system that could protect them as soon as possible. Sha Ya practised meditation in her own space.
As the day grew brighter, Ye Chong took Sha Ya and Kristen with him and entered Su City again. He decided to start building the manor's defence system starting today.
Ye Chong already had information on around 3,112 items in his database. These were all common materials that did not cost much. With better understanding of the properties of these materials, he was now better equipped to choose the best materials for different purposes. Knowing which material and which properties were suitable to build weapons, for example, was basic and necessary knowledge.
Ye Chong quickly made a shopping list. Money was not an issue to him now. He also ordered raw materials that could only be found in Su City, since there was greater variety here. Ye Chong's database was about to expand again.
With the raw materials handled, Ye Chong moved on to the next step. He flew a huge transport aircraft to his manor.
This was Ye Chong's first time seeing a transport aircraft. It was large and bulky, slower than a fighter, but steadier.
By the time he landed, the materials were all delivered and stored in the empty buildings. These elegant and refined buildings were now reduced to warehouses.
Kristen wanted to see how Ye Chong built his weapons, but was dragged away and locked outside instead.
It had to be done. Ye Chong knew that his methods must be kept secret!