CHAPTER 317: CHAPTER 179: INFILTRATING THE ENEMY CAMP

Although he is the commander, he has only recently become a Hunter Soldier, so he still needs to seek advice from everyone, especially from old hands like Zong Ren.

This time they were acting on orders from the Emperor of Great Zhou, which were essentially commands; failure to complete them would have consequences. If viewed from the perspective of the mission, their task was already accomplished.

The map of the Purple Gold Vein had been found, and that too without losing a single soldier, which could be considered the perfect outcome.

As long as they return to Yujing with the ore vein map, they can report back, but the consequences of submitting the map can be well imagined.

Emperor Zhou, Ye Chengtian, will definitely order the army to seize the Purple Gold Vein, and under such circumstances, whether the vein can be recaptured is another matter.

The gang of mysterious bandits will surely kill the captured villagers to eliminate witnesses.

Such an outcome is clearly something Yun Canglang and the others would not like to see.

Moreover, even if they bring the news back to Yujing, it would take nearly a month back and forth, by which time the vein might be mined out.

"Hehe, I think we might as well just march directly to that mining area. What Demon Beasts, what bandits, in front of me, are matters of mere moments," spoke Zong Ren grandly. As a Holy Beast Summoner, he really doesn’t see ordinary enemies as a threat.

"How about this, Zong Ren, you first let your Bat King’s ’grandbabies’ scout the mining area to survey the situation and confirm the number of the opponents before we make any decisions," Yun Sheng also felt that the ore vein map should not be submitted for the time being.

The pressure of the Dragon Claw Bat King was truly astonishing. To avoid alerting the mysterious people, Yun Sheng asked Zong Ren to temporarily withdraw the Dragon Claw Bat King back into the Beast Space.

Zong Ren could use the Bat King to control some low-level bats and released a few under the cover of night.

By the next morning, the bats had brought back some news.

Zong Ren engaged in a squeaking conversation with the bats, and his expression became grave.

"Master, things are a bit tricky," Zong Ren scratched his head. He originally thought that having his Demon Beasts at hand, he wouldn’t need to fear any mysterious people, but the bats found that several Thunder Burst Magic Arrays were set up around the mining area.

The Thunder Burst Magic Array is not just any Magic Array; it’s created using the astonishingly powerful Thunder Magic Elements.

This type of Magic Array is often used in mountainous regions for stone mining, powerful enough to cleave mountains and split the earth.

It’s also applied in some large-scale battles, where if properly set up and in absence of the opponent’s Mages, it can ambush enemy forces on the battlefield.

Futhermore, the mining area is active day and night, with dead bodies continuously being transported out, including men, women, and even the bodies of young children.

Hearing Zong Ren say this, even Yun Canglang, who is accustomed to life and death on the battlefield, couldn’t help but show anger on his face.

These mysterious people are too inhumane.

Not only that, as per the bats, among this gang of mysterious people were Magicians, Martial Artists, and several Summoners, comprising a strictly organized and well-disciplined force, clearly a result of careful planning.

"I can only find out so much. The bats also dare not delve deep into the mining area; if they trigger the Thunder Burst Magic Array, even my Dragon Claw Bat King would be blown to bits," Zong Ren couldn’t help feeling fortunate that he listened to Yun Sheng’s advice yesterday and didn’t rashly let the Bat King enter the mining area, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Hearing Master Zong say this, not to mention us, even if the army went personally, I’m afraid it would be difficult to break through. If the other side is forced into a corner, they might trigger the Thunder Burst Magic Array, and the villagers inside would most likely face certain death," Yun Canglang pondered.

"How about we sneak in? Since it’s hard to break through from the outside, why not think of a way from the inside?" Yun Sheng suddenly suggested.

"Break through from the inside? No, that’s too dangerous. Besides, our group is too conspicuous," the people of the Sky Hunting Corps are all former military personnel, though now they are Hunter Soldiers, the military demeanor and behavior are quite obvious. The enemy would definitely notice.

"Not too many people, just a few of us will do. I, Huang Que, and Liu Zi, the three of us are still young, with subtle fighting spirit and magic waves, making us the best candidates. Liu Zi has also been to the mining area and is more familiar with the local situation," Yun Sheng was very curious about the Thunder Burst Magic Array in the mining area.

Yun Sheng had already thoroughly inquired Liu Zi, who mentioned that the abduction of villagers had been happening frequently over the past half month.

According to the ore vein map, the Purple Gold Vein stretches about half a mile and is several meters deep. The opponents definitely intend to abduct enough labor to mine out the vein before the Great Zhou or other countries notice.

Considering the casualties in the mining area, people die every day, these mysterious people will surely abduct more villagers.

The several villages near Nanya Town, especially the two adjacent to Jingkou Village, are most likely to become the targets of abduction.

"It’s too dangerous, the other side has over a thousand people, including some powerful mages and martial artists," Yun Canglang was very reluctant to let Yun Sheng risk himself; he’d rather sneak in himself.

But Yun Sheng’s reasoning was not unfounded, as there were indeed no more suitable candidates around.

With his elder brother’s fate uncertain, he has a duty to take good care of Sheng’er.

"Uncle, if we don’t act quickly, the over a thousand villagers being abducted will be doomed. Moreover, I am a famous doctor. By sneaking in, I can minimize the casualties among the villagers. Even if we can’t rescue the villagers, we can buy some time for you to come up with a more reliable solution," Yun Sheng also stood his ground,

The lives of over a thousand villagers weighed heavily on Yun Canglang’s heart.

"It’s an emergency, General," just as Yun Canglang hesitated, Zhou Quan walked in, "Last night, another village’s residents disappeared, over two hundred people, not one left."

"Uncle, we cannot let the tragedy of the Yun Family Army happen again!" Yun Sheng’s words struck Yun Canglang’s heart like an arrow.

He finally made up his mind: "Sheng’er, but you must promise Uncle, not to act recklessly, and inform Uncle about everything first."

Knowing that Yun Sheng and others were willing to infiltrate the mining area, Liu Zi was both joyful and worried, but ultimately, his concern for his parents and villagers prevailed, and he reached a village near Jingkou Village called Zhou Village with Yun Sheng and Huang Que that night.

The Hunters of the Sky Hunting Corps were ambushed near Zhou Village, watching carefully.

For secrecy, Yun Sheng only informed the village chief of Zhou Village.

The old village chief was initially skeptical, but when he heard about the hunting corps Yun Sheng belonged to, which used to be the Yun Family Army, he immediately dispelled his doubts.

Although Yun Canglang had been defeated in battle, he fought until the last moment to protect the villagers at the frontier. The villagers at the border cherished the kindness of the Yun Family Army and the General Mansion in their hearts.

The three of them then changed into the outfits of the local youths, and to facilitate their actions, Yun Sheng continued to dress as a young boy, Que’er also changed into men’s clothing, and the three of them patiently waited in the village.

**Thank you Bei Yu and Ni Chang for the reward. Regarding updates, I am not a full-time author like some. I work 6 days a week and only write at night. Given Divine Doctor’s poor current metrics, I would fail if I went full-time. I will keep updates stable and boost releases when featured**