Chapter 441: Cleaning Up
Chapter 441: Cleaning Up
Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque finally confirmed that their opponents were no longer a threat, and only then did they relax and look up at Chen Chuan.
They saw him walking slowly towards them, holding a long sword, with an iron mask dangling from his waist. A faint white mist rose from his body, and although he wasn't intentionally projecting his biological field, an invisible oppressive force emanated from him.
Yuan Qiuyuan swallowed hard, trying to calm his breathing. He stared at the mask, unable to resist asking, "Captain, is it done?"
Chen Chuan approached them and nodded, "It's done, but there are still some loose ends to take care of."
Yuan Qiuyuan stepped forward, clicking his tongue, "This is the Iron Demon. Those at the base were terrified just by talking about him. And that aura just now, wow, it's quite impressive." He reached out and tapped the mask, "Look, it's been taken care of by us."
Qin Qingque corrected him seriously, "It was the captain who took care of it."
"Well, the captain said we're a squad. If it wasn't for you two helping to restrain them, I wouldn't have been able to handle the Iron Demon so smoothly."
Yuan Qiuyuan straightened up, but then he snorted, "I know what you're saying, captain. I'm aware of who has the real skills. I'll only acknowledge those who truly deserve it."
Qin Qingque didn't say anything, but her expression conveyed the same sentiment.
Chen Chuan smiled and then reminded them, "You should pay attention to your Vitality Index."
After all, they were outdoors, without the field domain connection from the base. If they were too far apart, they wouldn't be able to see each other's Vitality Index. As he approached, he noticed that both of them had reached a level above twenty, but fortunately, they hadn't crossed the warning line. It seemed they were consciously controlling their indices.
Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque's hearts skipped a beat, and they both acknowledged. During the battle, they had been on edge, but now that they relaxed, they realized their indices were rising again. They quickly focused on their breathing techniques to bring the numbers down.
At this moment, they couldn't help but glance at Chen Chuan's index, which was still at zero, and they were even more impressed.
They knew that the index could be lowered, but the further it went down, the harder it became. Chen Chuan had just fought the Iron Demon, and the pressure he faced was likely greater than theirs. Yet, within minutes of ending the battle, his index had already returned to zero. His self-control and bodily restraint were truly astonishing.
Just then, Chen Chuan suddenly sensed something, and Yuan and Qin also noticed it. The three of them turned to look towards the remaining cavalry, who had gathered together, facing them and organizing their formation. In a short while, they assumed a charging stance.
Yuan Qiuyuan was puzzled, "What are they trying to do? Do they think they can charge at us with those numbers?"
A group of second-tier cavalry against the three of them, third-tier combatants—were they seeking death? Were these soldiers so loyal to the Iron Demon?
Qin Qingque observed for a moment, then spoke to Chen Chuan, "Captain, they're blocking the front, but I noticed they have hooks and ropes. They might not be intending to attack us but to retrieve the bodies on the ground."
"We can't let them have those. Those are our spoils of war."
Yuan Qiuyuan shouted and immediately ran towards the off-road vehicle. He reached the car, leaped onto the top, and grabbed the machine gun, "Captain, leave this minor task to us. Let us show our capabilities too."
"Then it's up to you."
"Alright, watch me. I've received training for this."
"I'll drive," said Qin Qingque, quickly getting into the car. Soon, the vehicle roared to life and headed towards the cavalry.
Seeing the approaching vehicle, the cavalry's formation momentarily scattered, but they quickly regrouped and charged forward on their horses.
Chen Chuan shook his head; these men probably knew the consequences of charging against a machine gun. Even the armored, implanted warhorses couldn't withstand heavy machine-gun fire.
However, these men had no other choice. According to the imperial military tradition, it seemed that when a superior died, the guards had to decapitate them. If they couldn't retrieve the body, the entire squad would be held accountable. Moreover, this squad was personally formed by the Iron Demon, so their loyalty was unquestionable.
Soon, the sound of machine-gun fire, the whinnies of horses, and the thud of heavy objects falling filled the air, all drowned by the dust cloud rising from the scene.
Chen Chuan paid no attention. He stood by the riverbank, his sword planted in the ground, gazing at the flowing water. His mind, however, was on the changes he had observed in the Iron Demon.
He believed that true perfection in spirit and body wasn't what the Iron Demon possessed.
Indeed, when they first encountered the Iron Demon, his spirit, body, and the application of his force techniques seemed flawless in every aspect. But in reality, these were all loose ends. As they clashed, it became increasingly difficult for the Iron Demon to coordinate all these aspects.
Was it a lack of some unifying force, or did the existence of something within him hinder his abilities?
Chen Chuan thought it might be both.
But what, then, was true perfection?
About half an hour later, the sounds outside gradually subsided, and the off-road vehicle returned through the rolling dust. As the dust settled, a scene of devastation was revealed—a gruesome mix of human and equine body parts scattered across the ground, indistinguishable from each other.
The vehicle stopped in front of them, and Yuan Qiuyuan jumped down from the top, saying, "Captain, we've taken care of everything. But the numbers don't quite add up."
Qin Qingque emerged from the driver's cabin and said, "Captain, initially, there were two squads heading towards our rear. They were probably searching for a shallow river crossing to flank us, but they shouldn't have arrived yet."
Chen Chuan said, "Since we're out here to eradicate them, let's try to clean them up. It's no big deal if we don't catch them. These people won't be able to escape."
"Yes, sir."
The two team members responded in unison. After this victorious battle, their morale was high, and they had developed a deep respect for Chen Chuan.
However, the first order of business was to deal with the aftermath. It was crucial to completely incinerate the bodies of the Iron Demons to prevent any future troubles.
Additionally, the armor, official seals, and other important belongings of the Iron Demons and their subordinates needed to be collected and brought back as proof of their identities.
After everything was taken care of, another half-hour had passed. Still, there was no sign of the cavalry squad that had split off. If they hadn't made it back yet, it was likely they had received a warning and scattered. Nonetheless, Chen Chuan decided to pursue them.
Chen Chuan glanced at the dying flames, ensuring that everything had been reduced to ashes. Then, he turned away and said, "Let's go."
Qin Qingque took a few steps forward, opened the car door for Chen Chuan, and saluted, "Captain, please get in the car."
Chen Chuan nodded and got into the vehicle. As the car started moving, he glanced at the sky. Including the time spent before and after the battle, the entire engagement had lasted around three hours.
He hadn't anticipated the battle to end so quickly. Initially, he had considered the possibility of a stalemate leading to a prolonged fight that might even last until nightfall.
Although he had made preparations, including marking the ritual on his teammates' outer garments, the critical factor was the Vitality Index, which was highly unpredictable.
However, based on the battle's outcome, the Iron Demons had no intention of prolonging the fight. Perhaps they feared the night or were eager to settle the score before being flanked.
The intelligence deception obtained from Advisor Rao had proven to be incredibly useful, playing a pivotal role in the operation. It might even help expose an informant.
Chen Chuan asked, "Executive Officer Qin, did those cavalrymen have portable radios on them?"
Qin Qingque replied, "Captain, no, they must have transferred them beforehand. If they learned that the Iron Demon was killed, they'd likely destroy the radios to cover their tracks."
Chen Chuan said, "We won't push it." It wasn't their responsibility anyway. If they could help find clues, great; if not, it didn't matter. They just needed to fulfill their duties.
As they followed the cavalry's trail, they found that the squad had been there but had dispersed and retreated.
After discussing it, they decided that the remaining cavalrymen no longer posed a significant threat, so they didn't pursue them further.
Chen Chuan said, "Executive Officer Qin, you can send a report to the rear and thank Advisor Rao while you're at it." He knew that intelligence deception wasn't a simple matter, and Advisor Rao had taken a risk.
"Yes, Captain," Qin Qingque replied.
Back at the 73rd base camp, Advisor Rao had been waiting anxiously by the radio, concerned for Chen Chuan and his team.
As Chen Chuan had suspected, intelligence deception was a tactic to be used at critical moments. If it didn't yield results, he would be held accountable.
At that moment, the telegraph operator looked up and said, "Advisor, we've received a telegram."
"It's here? Hurry!" Advisor Rao urged, relieved that the telegram meant no one was hurt, and the worst-case scenario had been averted.
As the telegraph operator wrote down the code, Advisor Rao didn't need to translate it. He took the paper and read it directly, his eyes widening, his hands trembling, and his face beaming with joy.
However, after reading it several times, he became unsure and sent a reply to confirm. After two exchanges, the other party confirmed that they would bring back the Iron Demon's head and personal belongings, allowing Advisor Rao to finally relax.
With a smile on his face, he instructed the telegraph operator, "Send a report to the command center, tell them..."
He slowed his speech to ensure clarity, "Confirmed. This morning, around 10 a.m., the Iron Demon and its subordinates encountered our elite squad's proactive attack at the middle section of River Segment 24."
He paused.
"After nearly two hours of intense battle, the Iron Demon and two Imperial Warriors under its command were successfully beheaded, and over thirty elite cavalrymen were annihilated, with only a dozen escaping."
Note: The squad was led by First-Level Executor Chen Chuan, including members Yuan Qiuyuan, Qin Qingque, Tactical Advisor Rao Qili, and others..."
Advisor Rao glanced at his watch, "The time is November 26th, 2:23 p.m." He looked up at the telegraph operator, "Send the report as is."
...
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Chapter end
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