Chapter 197 197: Slaughtering an easy victory
With Ye Fei's swift elimination of the enemy's sentries, the special forces, with their advanced training, were able to encircle the enemy without alerting them. It may have seemed absurd that a thousand could surround tens of thousands. but their mission was simple: to capture any who might escape. This, they knew, was well within their ability.
After confirming readiness with the captains. Ye Fei and Liu Junyi prepared to act. Initially. Ye Fei had intended to handle the enemy himself. but Liu Junyi insisted on joining. Though concerned, he agreed though he kept her role to assassinations along the outer edges. leaving the bulk of the battlefield to him. Liu Junyi only wanted to be by his side, so she readily accepted.
Meanwhile, the enemy began to sense something was wrong. Confident in their numbers, they hadn't expected an ambush.
Still, the enemy leader, a towering white man over two meters tall, felt uneasy as reports came in of the special forces closing in on them. "What's going on here?" he demanded, trying to quell the panic among his ranks.
The scout reported that only two hundred special forces were stationed outside their perimeter. But instead of advancing directly, they spread out in all directions. confusing the enemy leader and increasing his concern.
While he knew the numbers didn't add up. he reassured himself that. in theory. two hundred could do little against his tens of thousands.
It was then that his men's panicked murmurs made him look up. From above, a figure in camouflage was descending like a hawk into the heart of his assembled forces.
"Enemy attack! Kill him!" he shouted urgently. But he'd reacted too late. Before he could finish, Ye Fei had already landed amidst them, wielding two massive swords, launching into a frenzy that looked like something from a nightmare.
Chaos erupted where Ye Fei landed. Soldiers nearby could only watch in horror as he cleaved through their ranks. Training could not prepare them for the raw brutality unfolding in front of them. Even those farthest away could feel terror creeping up as soldiers, unable to process what they were seeing, screamed. "It's a demon!"
Ye Fei fell into an intense, almost trance-like state, seeing the enemies as mere obstacles to be cleared. Each of his swords spanned a meter and a half. making for a nearly five-meter-wide arc as he swung them. Spinning with terrifying precision, he became like a whirlwind, his swords reaping through the lines. Bullets and even grenades seemed to have no effect on him. Within minutes. hundreds lay dead in his wake.
The speed of Ye Fei's onslaught was more devastating than even a machine gun barrage. All who witnessed it, including his own comrades, were stunned by his relentless ferocity. To the special forces. Ye Fei was no longer a fellow soldier but an unstoppable force.
Tens of thousands of enemy soldiers quickly descended into utter disarray, each one terrified that the "devil" might turn his attention to them next. Yet despite their numbers, no one dared face him head-on. They desperately hoped that exhaustion would eventually force him to stop, giving them a chance to kill this terror of a man.
In the meantime, a figure flitted around the edges of the panicked horde, moving swiftly and silently. Liu Junyi, wielding twin daggers, slipped behind unsuspecting foes, ending them one by one with a silent efficiency.
Though compassionate by nature. Liu Junyi's time in combat had taught her well: mercy toward an enemy could mean death for a comrade.
As she thought of the friends who'd been wounded or killed in this mission, her determination only grew, driving her to strike down one enemy after another.
Within ten minutes. Ye Fei's relentless assault had left over a thousand soldiers dead. plunging the remaining enemies into abject terror. Those who tried to flee were swiftly intercepted, taken down by their waiting adversaries.
The battle stretched from morning until well into the afternoon. When the last enemy fell, silence reclaimed the forest. but the aftermath left behind a landscape of horror, with bodies scattered across the earth. The atmosphere was thick with unease.
Ye Fei came to himself. looking over the gruesome scene around him, a chill settling over him as he realized that thousands had died by his hand alone. Even for someone as resolute as Ye Fei, the sheer magnitude of what he'd done weighed heavily on him.
With the battle over, the captains gathered around him. pride evident on their faces. Zhang Qiang clapped Ye Fei on the back, laughing heartily. "Xiaoman, I have just one word for you-respect! Did you know? We didn't lose a single man. One thousand against ten thousand, zero casualties, and complete victory. If I told this story, they'd think I was insane. But here we are!"
Ye Fei forced a smile, though a deep unease still lingered. While the result was undeniably impressive. the reality of the battle haunted him.
Seeing Ye Fei's distress. Zhang Qiang shared a line of wisdom. "Ever heard of the song 'A Warrior's Journey'?"
"No." Ye Fei replied puzzled.
Zhang Qiang quoted a line, then laughed. "Only nine million more to go, kid."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"So. you' re saying I need to kill nine million?" Ye Fei cracked a faint smile, finding some comfort in Zhang Qiang's words. Yes, these were enemies-why feel remorse for them?
After all, how many comrades had fallen by their hands? Accepting this reality. Ye Fei felt a renewed sense of resolve.
Just then. Liu Junyi joined them. her camouflage uniform speckled with blood. She looked pleased, a spark in her eye. "Xiaoman, you won't believe it! I took down over seventy enemies. It felt amazing!"
Ye Fei teased her, pretending to step back in horror. "Seventy? Are you sure you're not developing, a bit of a hobby?"
"You' re the one with a hobby!" Liu Junyi protested. stamping her foot, though her face quickly flushed when she realized their comrades were watching. Regaining her composure, she added with pride.
"It's just revenge."
Zhang Qiang and the others had never seen this playful side of her before. They admired her poise and couldn't help but smile at her candidness.
Seeing her embarrassment. Ye Fei quickly redirected the conversation. "Aunt. we should check their headquarters. That man we saw yesterday wasn't here. I bet he knows something useful."
Liu Junyi, glad for the distraction. agreed and instructed Zhang Qiang to proceed with the plan. With that, she and Ye Fei ventured into the depths of the forest.
As they departed, the special forces set up mortars around the battlefield, prepared to fire in a planned, large-scale bombing. This was part of a strategy they'd discussed earlier-not only would it explain the sheer scope of the "1000-versus-10,000" victory. but it would also mask the secret of Ye Fei's overwhelming strength.
Anyone examining the site later would see only charred earth and shattered trees, with no indication of how the enemies had really fallen.
Ye Fei briefly considered using the enemies' corpses for his medicinal craft but decided against it. Their strength was simply too low, and any "recovery pills" he could make wouldn't be potent enough to justify the effort.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hearing the explosions of the mortars behind them. Ye Fei and Liu Junyi exchanged a look of satisfaction and moved even faster.
Soon, they reached the hidden tunnel entrance within the massive tree. With Ye Fei leading, they slipped inside. descending into the enemy's lair.
In the first underground hall, they found a single figure standing in the center: the same imposing man from yesterday. He looked at them with a cold smile. "Liu Junyi, you've come a long way. It's a pity you won't be of any use to my master."
Liu Junyi wasn't surprised he recognized her. She met his gaze and asked calmly. "Who are you? And who is your master?"
The man sneered. "Want to know? Ask the King of Hell!" He laughed, radiating confidence.
"What a bold claim." Liu Junyi replied. her voice steely. "Let's see if you' re qualified to make it." Without warning, she charged.
Ye Fei hadn't expected her to be so impulsive. but he knew she wanted to test her strength after her recent breakthroughs, so he let her have her fight.
The man grinned as she approached. throwing himself forward, fully confident. But his confidence shattered in the face of Liu Junyi's enhanced speed and skill. She drove him back within moments. her blows relentless.
The man could barely keep up, shocked at her strength. In less than twenty moves, she landed a fierce blow to his chest, sending him flying.
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The man staggered to his feet, blood at his lips, and managed a weak laugh. "So. you've been hiding your true strength all along."
"Tell me who your master is, and I might spare you," Liu Junyi replied coldly, hoping he'd surrender some information in exchange for his life.
"My life belongs to my master. Threats won't work on me!" he spat back, his face twisted in defiance. He turned and rushed to the corner, shouting: "Die with me!"