After confirming that everyone was going to participate, Xu Fengji nodded with satisfaction, but still emphasised it three times. “Although this mission is relatively simple, fighting and killing still carries risks. If any of you regret it now, there is still time. Once we start, if anyone dares to retreat without permission and shake the morale of the army, we will not be lenient either. There is no need to reach the point of killing each other.”
Looking around at everyone, no one reacted.
Cao Dingkun also shouted, “Those who want to withdraw from this operation should do so now, do not dawdle and waste everyone’s time.”
Everyone looked at each other, waited a moment, and still no one withdrew.
Xu Fengji nodded again. “Good, in that case, let us divide up. According to the news from the boss, we will split into two groups and attack from the front and back simultaneously. One group will attack the front of the temple, and the other will attack from the back. Those willing to attack the front stand on my left, those willing to attack the back stand on my right.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a group of veterans exchanged knowing glances and walked to Xu Fengji’s right, indicating their willingness to be responsible for the rear attack.
The newcomers did not understand anything. Seeing this situation, they naturally thought it was safer to follow the crowd, so they also walked over, including Yu Qing and Mu Aotie.
Thus, an extremely awkward scene appeared on site. Almost everyone went to Xu Fengji’s right, leaving only Cao Dingkun on the side willing to attack the front.
Xu Fengji’s face gradually darkened. She looked coldly at the group of people and said sarcastically, “Sure enough, you are all people with good judgement. You know that a frontal attack is more dangerous, and you all like to pick soft targets. Are you going to let the two of us attack the front?”
Only then did the group of newcomers realise what the veterans’ choice was about. It turned out that a frontal attack was more dangerous. However, it could be understood. Facing the enemy head on was definitely more dangerous, and anyone would want to be safer.
The newcomers seemed to have thinner skin, and most of them felt somewhat embarrassed or uncomfortable. Even Yu Qing and Mu Aotie, looking at the empty other side, felt a bit awkward. However, when they turned around and saw the veterans remaining indifferent, they also thickened their skin and stayed.
Seeing no one answer, Xu Fengji said through gritted teeth, “You call yourselves veterans, and you have the nerve to let a group of inexperienced newcomers face the enemy?”
Someone could not help but mutter, “Second Master, did you not let us choose ourselves?”
Xu Fengji let out a sound of surprise. “Since I am the one calling the shots, I will not waste words. All veterans are responsible for the frontal attack. Third Master, you are responsible for leading the newcomers to attack from the rear.”
Cao Dingkun cupped his hands and replied, “Yes.”
He strode to the right, pushed a few veterans out, and only then did the group of veterans reluctantly walk to the left. The newcomers secretly laughed at this, but they had to admit that this Second Master handled things fairly, which made them feel even more reassured. After the personnel allocation was settled, Xu Fengji instructed Cao Dingkun again, “When you see my attack signal, immediately cooperate with my frontal offensive and launch the attack.”
Cao Dingkun cupped his hands and accepted the order again. “Yes.”
He turned around, waved to call the group of newcomers to follow him, and led them in a wide circle towards the rear of the temple.
When they were completely out of sight, someone from the group of veterans walked up to Xu Fengji. “Second Master, although this is to avenge the boss, tricking people into dying for nothing like this, once it gets out, the Scorpion Gang will be finished. I am afraid we will never be able to recruit anyone again.”
Xu Fengji glanced sideways and said indifferently, “That is true. How about all of you join me in launching the frontal attack?”
SAL
The person who spoke choked on his words, then raised his hand to rub his nose, acting as if he had heard nothing, and walked away as if it had nothing to do with him.
Others also looked around one by one, and no one responded.
Xu Fengji gave a slightly mocking hum. “Anyone can speak pretty words.”
Seeing no one make a sound, she took out a signal flare, climbed up the sand dune again, lay down and stared in the direction of the temple to observe, waiting silently and estimating the time.
The newcomers, who had gone in a large circle, sneaked to the rear of the temple under Cao Dingkun’s leadership. They lay in ambush about a mile away from the temple, also waiting silently.
Looking at the newcomers around him who looked slightly solemn, Cao Dingkun said in a low voice, “During the attack, keep your eyes open. Make sure you know who killed whom, so you can testify for each other. Do not let disputes arise when searching bodies and collecting money later.
In addition, remember this. The reason we are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, with so many people dealing with so few, is that we cannot leave a single survivor. We cannot let the clue about the Qilin Ginseng leak out. Therefore, everyone must be ruthless when making a move, and absolutely no mercy should be shown.”
Some people answered with an ‘mm’, some nodded. Yu Qing nudged Mu Aotie with his elbow, signalling him to stay close later so they could look out for each other.
The moon slowly shifted in the night sky, and time passed little by little. Lying on the sand dune, Xu Fengji estimated that they should be in position by now, so she pulled the string on the signal flare in her hand. Whoosh, a spark shot up into the sky.
Bang! A brilliant firework exploded in the night sky, highly visible.
Cao Dingkun, who was also lying behind the sand dune, stretched his neck, stood up, and waved his hand. “The Second Master has led the crowd to launch a frontal attack. Charge!”
The group immediately jumped up, rushed out of the sand dune, and quickly charged towards the temple.
Cao Dingkun was also charging, but he was just getting slower and slower.
Two sleeping eagles on the roof of the temple were also startled awake. They flew up into the air, struggling to fly high to avoid danger as they were not good at night vision.
Nan Zhu, sitting on the steps at the entrance of the shop, suddenly stood up and also saw the fireworks blooming in the distant night sky.
He suddenly turned his head and saw a group of black figures rushing from behind. They quickly arrived in front of him, startling him into quickly drawing his sword to guard.
This sudden group of people did not conflict with him upon seeing him and the Tianya Pavilion. They flew past him in the air. The group did not stop at all and continued to speed towards the place where the fireworks were blooming.
In the moonlight, Nan Zhu saw the Flying Eagle emblem on the chests of their clothes. There were about fifty or so people.
Although they did not attack him, he did not relax. Seeing them leave, he quickly picked up his sword and struck the metal pillar of the shop, producing a penetrating bang.
He was warning Baili Xin. The group did not make things difficult for him, perhaps because of his identity as a mountain porter. Bumping into Baili Xin would probably be different. Of course, he also hoped that Baili Xin could report to Old Fifteen and the others in time.
“What the hell?”
Among the Flying Eagle Gang members who had rushed past, someone turned their head sharply and asked a question.
Another person asked, “Is that mountain porter up to something?”
“I do not know.”
The leader shouted, “Do the main business first!”
Baili Xin, who was also lying on the sand dune, had just seen the fireworks in the sky extinguish. Her tears had just fallen back onto Xu Fengji and the others hiding there, when she suddenly heard the alarm sound from behind. She turned her head sharply and saw vague figures flying towards them.
Without any hesitation, using the shadow of the moon where she was, she flipped to the side on the spot and drilled into the sand dune as if escaping into the ground.
Soon, a group of figures flew over, rising and falling past. If it were a little later, Baili Xin would definitely have been discovered. It was fortunate that Nan Zhu gave the warning in time, otherwise the consequences would have been hard to predict.
When she drilled out of the sand again, it was because she heard the sound of fighting. She lay on the sand dune again to watch.
A group of Scorpion Gang veterans had already engaged in hand to hand combat with the people sent by the Flying Eagle Gang.
The Scorpion Gang veterans did not want to fight the newcomers, but the Flying Eagle Gang members did not care about anything. Whoever was wearing Scorpion Gang clothes was killed.
Xu Fengji, with her sword drawn, had already flipped and stood on the sand dune. Watching her gang members fall rapidly, her eyes were about to split with rage.
Seeing her gang members, who were outnumbered, fall one after another, she did not step forward to help. Instead, she quickly flew away and fled in panic.
Five Flying Eagle Gang members immediately shook off their opponents’ entanglement and urgently flew after her to give chase.
At the rear of the temple, the group of newcomers who had rushed to the front of the temple suddenly felt a strong and obvious abnormality.
Yu Qing, who rushed at the very front to make more money, was the first to face this abnormality. His reaction was quite fast at times. He urgently reached out and stopped Mu Aotie, who was charging alongside him.
With the two of them stopping at the front, everyone else stopped abruptly. No one dared to attack into the completely dark windows.
The temple was dead silent, without a single reacting figure.
They had clearly seen people busy inside the temple earlier. With such a large group rushing over, it was impossible for the people inside the temple not to notice. Looking back in hesitation, they realised that Cao Dingkun had not followed up. He was at the very back, and quite far behind at that.
They stared blankly at Cao Dingkun, wanting to ask what was going on.
Cao Dingkun, who was about to flee, was also staring blankly at this group of newcomers. Why had they all stopped? Why were they not attacking?
He soon realised something was wrong and discovered that there was actually no reaction from inside the temple.
He vaguely sensed that something was not right.
Suddenly, the sound of fighting came from a distance. Judging by the sound, it was probably in the direction where Xu Fengji and the others were. He suddenly turned his head and found a group of figures rushing urgently from behind, enveloping him in a fan shape.
MILING
His face changed drastically. He turned to face them and quickly retreated, rapidly moving back towards the newcomers at the temple.
The group of newcomers also heard the distant fighting and saw the people encircling them. With a slight identification, they could see that this was far more than the twenty or so people Xu Fengji had mentioned. A single glance showed there were at least fifty people.
Cao Dingkun took two leaps and landed in front of them. He shouted sternly, “Why are you not attacking?”
He had originally planned that once the attack started here and the fire was lit, he would quickly slip away.
“Cough, cough.”
A dull cough sounded from the roof of the temple.
Everyone looked up and saw a figure draped in a cloak appear on the roof. The figure’s posture in the moonlight was quite elegant. It was none other than Duan Yunyou, the leader of the Flying Eagle Gang.
“You ask them why they do not attack? Cao Dingkun, why do you not ask yourself why you are using a group of newcomers to attack while you hide at the back preparing to run away?”
Duan Yunyou laughed, and a group of people emerged from his left and right.
Two teams of people also flashed out from the temple windows, surrounding these Scorpion Gang members together with the group that arrived from behind.
Hearing this, the Scorpion Gang members all looked at Cao Dingkun with suspicion and doubt. To be honest, this fellow had not charged up with them just now, and it did indeed seem like he was planning to abandon them and flee.
Cao Dingkun was in a panic, but he forced himself to remain calm. He pointed his sword at the roof. “Brothers, do not listen to his nonsense and disrupt our own formation. We have been trapped. To capture the bandits, first capture the king. As long as we take down this villain, we can break the situation. Follow me and kill our way up.”
However, no one responded. The suspicious Scorpion Gang members clearly showed an attitude of waiting and seeing.
Duan Yunyou on the roof smiled faintly. “Cao Dingkun, you used the Qilin Ginseng as bait to chase those who had just arrived in Kuilei City to vent your personal grudge on my Flying Eagle Gang. Do you still want to treat them like fools at this point?”
His gaze swept over the group of newcomers surrounded below. “Everyone, those who do not know are not to be blamed. This is a private grudge between the Flying Eagle Gang and the Scorpion Gang. As long as you kill Cao Dingkun, I will spare your lives.”
Cao Dingkun was greatly shocked and shouted angrily, “Brothers, he is tricking you, mmph!”
Before he could even raise his sword to block, a cold light flashed, and he felt a sharp pain in his body, his strength draining away.
Looking down, he saw a sword piercing diagonally into his chest and ribs. Blood gushed out. He urgently grabbed the blade with his hand and looked up at Yu Qing, whose face was cold and angry from the sneak attack.