Fame in a Single Battle!

Northern Qingshi County. Out in the wilderness far beyond the town borders, a party of roughly a hundred people hurried northward. The mountain road leading north was exceptionally rugged, rising and falling over undulating terrain. Gravel and shattered concrete littered the way, leaving only the barely recognizable remnants of an old highway. And less than two kilometers out of the county seat, even this pitted ruin of concrete veered off into an adjacent mountain. The players didn't follow the highway, choosing instead to advance in a straight line. Since most trade routes traversing River Valley Province ran between the eastern and western provinces, almost no travelers took this mountain trail. Lush vegetation and birds and beasts darting through the woods flanked their path the entire way. En route to their objective, the group even ran into three multi-legged beasts. Squirming monsters flailing tentacles, they looked like clumps of flesh sewn together. Slippery, rotten skin made them resemble piles of mud from a distance. If not for the fanged maws gaping open, few would imagine these creatures were fierce beasts capable of swallowing a whole two-headed ox. To prevent gunshots from giving away their location, Lao Bai ordered everyone to keep their safeties on, and upon spotting the multi-legged beasts, instructed Fang Chang to take them down one by one with a bow. Having lost some time on the road, when the Burning Corps and Silver Corps reached their mission objective, the sun was already hanging high overhead. It was currently one in the afternoon. Clearing the gentle slope directly ahead brought a valley tucked between two ridges into view. This was Pine Valley. It was said that in the early Era of Prosperity, this place had been a wasteland. Later, with the breakthrough in controlled nuclear fusion, the Human Alliance solved its energy bottleneck and had more funding than it knew what to do with. To stimulate the economy and protect the environment, massive terraforming projects were approved, bringing vast pine forests to this land. Now, however, not a single trace of human existence remained. "...Digging here is gonna suck," Silver Sword muttered, poking the ground with his entrenching shovel. Staring at the turf ahead, he looked thoroughly pained. The terrain was solid, but there were far too many stunted trees and shrubs on the slope, with a sprawling pine forest extending further downhill. Digging trenches wasn't just throwing down a pair of ditches; the depth and width had to be precise, and even the layout mattered. Otherwise, they'd just be digging bullseyes for enemy artillery, leaving anyone hunkered inside to be either shredded by shrapnel or pulverized by shockwaves. Walking alongside, Ye Shi couldn't resist chiming in. "...Setting up a position here won't make supply runs easy either. Feels like we ran into more mutants along the way than we ever saw in Yuanxi Town." "Easy or not, this is the best spot. We've got high ground, we've got line of sight..." Standing on the slope, Lao Bai surveyed their surroundings through binoculars, marked the start and end points for the trench, and then looked at Silver Sword, who was leading the detachment. "Dig as much as you can. Our boys will pitch in too." With that, Lao Bai turned to Ye Shi. "I'll leave scouting the perimeter to you." Knowing Lao Bai would use him as a ward, Ye Shi had already slung his sniper rifle over his back without being asked. "Sigh, that's all us Perception builds are good for... Kuangfeng, come keep me company. Sitting in a hole by myself is boring as hell." "Sure." Kuangfeng nodded without wasting words, slung on his drone backpack, and headed down the slope with Ye Shi. With assignments handed out, the group set to work, huffing and puffing. That was how hardcore this game was: you couldn't just hold left-click and AFK to dig a hole; you had to shovel it out scoop by scoop. Fortunately, fatigue in this game wasn't as punishing as in reality, and since everyone was playing a gene-enhanced clone, nobody actually felt exhausted. Watching the fortifications take shape bit by bit through their collective toil brought a solid sense of accomplishment. Especially with the thought that these trenches would help them KS plenty of extra kills, everyone shoveled with renewed vigor. The Silver Corps only had twenty men, so to speed up construction, Lao Bai loaned them half of his men while the rest deployed to set up a perimeter. Over on the reverse slope, Fang Chang was crouched on the ground, studying the map on his VM. Seeing Fang Chang staring intently at the screen with furrowed brows, Lao Bai walked over and asked, "How's it looking? Spot anything?" "Yeah. Setting up our position here definitely carries serious risks." Rubbing his chin with his index finger, Fang Chang picked up a twig from the ground and sketched a rough diagram in the dirt. "...Our current position is only ten kilometers from southern Xizhou City, right smack between Xizhou City and Qingshi County. If the Fang Clan simply sets up a few 100mm artillery pieces back home, they can easily drop shells right on our heads." The maximum range of a 100mm gun was around fifteen kilometers. The Legion's millennium had previously used the exact same cannons in Yumu District to shell the Pioneer land fortress's encampment—now Changjiu Farm. They knew the firepower, range, and other specs of that artillery inside and out. "Do they have radios?" Mosquito asked curiously, stroking his chin as he ambled over to watch. Unlike direct fire, indirect fire without forward spotters correcting impact points was basically useless. Fang Chang replied, "Radios aren't rare tech; it's just a matter of numbers. If they have artillery, they're not going to lack a single transmitter. There's a much more serious issue we need to consider: if their frontline units call in fire support... a few bare trenches won't hold. We need to reinforce the trenches with timber and dig tunnels and artillery shelters inside them." Recognizing the problem as well, Lao Bai said seriously, "I'll assign two ten-man squads to fell trees immediately." Fang Chang nodded. "Yeah, make it fast. Ten kilometers of mountain road... at most, it'll take them an hour or two." As they spoke, Ye Shi's voice came over the comms. "...A marauder unit is heading straight for our position! Looks like two or three hundred... no, more like five or six hundred." Five to six hundred men! Lao Bai's expression tightened slightly. "What about equipment? Any vehicles?" Ye Shi paused for a moment before replying, "...No vehicles spotted, no engine noise either. They're moving in a straight line, probably cutting straight through the forest! Estimated arrival at your position in fifteen minutes at most." Hearing there were no vehicles, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Lao Bai tapped his exoskeleton helmet twice to switch to the squad leader voice channel. "All squads, heads up. A marauder force is approaching our position, roughly five centuries strong, estimated arrival within fifteen minutes. "I need everyone to lead your squad members to the waypoints marked on your map right away. We will engage them right on this slope!" The squad leaders responded in unison, "Copy!" The moment the order went out, Lao Bai opened the tactical map and placed beacons for each squad along the contour lines. Although they were using a map from two hundred years ago and the terrain had shifted slightly over time, the discrepancy was minor. Those who could lead squads were veteran players, highly adaptable in the field. The near-hundred players of the Burning Corps immediately split into ten squads, fanning out under their squad leaders across a front nearly a kilometer wide. As for Scavenger, he stuck to his usual tactics, slipping ahead into the pine forest to lie in ambush, concealing his bloodthirsty pupils and steel claws. Trench digging came to a halt. The Silver Corps temporarily pulled back from the position. Watching the veterans move with agile, orderly coordination, Silver Sword said with undisguised envy, "Damn, are these guys all military vets?" Silver Hand gave a subtle look. "Do you think there's any difference between them and active duty?" "Hiss... put it that way, and you've got a point. Feels like after playing this game long enough, you learn how to do everything." Silver Dad shook his head sagely and chimed in, "I've realized traditional studio gameplay doesn't cut it in this game. We need to change our mindset." Hearing this, both Silver Hand and Silver Sword rolled their eyes in unison. How was that any different from stating the obvious? Even armchair spectators knew that much... The veterans on the slope had already finished setting up their defense and ceased their idle chatter. At that moment, Iron Tooth, frantically rushing back, had no clue that his unit's movements had already been caught in a scout's crosshairs. Not that he had the luxury to care. Following that previous dense rumble, no further sound had drifted from the south. In a situation like this, either the enemy had run out of ammo, or they were preparing to charge. Iron Tooth was anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Under his original plan, covering twenty kilometers should have taken two to three hours at most. Yet not long into the march, the five-hundred-man column had stretched out like a sausage. Straggling and halting, they had dragged their feet until one in the afternoon just to cover half the distance. The remaining ten kilometers would likely take another hour or two. Seeing these bastards still dragging their heels, Iron Tooth couldn't help roaring, "Move your fucking asses! "If I catch anyone dragging their feet and holding everyone back, I'll whip him twenty times myself!" The threat had a slight effect. Only slight, though. The marauders trailing behind him didn't know this new commander. Before being assigned under Lion Fang, they had belonged to their own cliques and chiefs. While they appeared to form a single army, they were more like a cluster of small and large tribes mashed together. What bound them wasn't discipline or conviction, but personal prestige—or raw strength. Unless broken and tamed like wild beasts, one could hardly expect any real organization from such people. "Confirmed enemy commander... likely the one shouting the loudest." Lying prone among the ruined highway on the flanking hillside, Ye Shi had already locked his sights onto the man barking orders down below. There were too many obstructions in the pine woods, and the range was considerable. Without absolute certainty of a hit, he wouldn't pull the trigger recklessly. "Target marked." Wearing headphones, Kuangfeng kept his eyes closed. Through the neural interface, his consciousness was linked to the quadcopter drone hovering in the sky, looking down on the forest below through its camera. A red target box was highlighted over Iron Tooth's head. The same target box popped up on the helmet visors of his teammates' Type 5 and Type 6 exoskeletons. Utterly oblivious to what had just been placed on him, Iron Tooth hurried forward, leading his men out of the pine forest. The moment he emerged from the trees, his heart clenched, sensing something instinctively off. Up on the hillside haystack not far off, a fleeting reflection flashed in his eyes. Yet by the time he realized the danger, it was already too late. A gunshot rang out from the mountain to his rear left. A sharp, searing agony ripped through his thigh, throwing him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground. Before the marauders could react, tongues of fire suddenly burst from the hillside directly ahead. "Open fire!" Lao Bai roared, pulling the trigger first from his prone position on the slope. Over seventy assault rifles and more than twenty light machine guns opened up simultaneously. Bullets whistled through the air like a torrential downpour! Bathed in the storm of lead, the marauders were tossed about like frail skiffs in a squall, swept aside by streams of glowing orange tracer rounds. In moments, casualties piled up across the ground. The sudden onslaught left them utterly dazed. None of them had anticipated walking into an ambush here, let alone grasped who could possibly be ambushing them. Wasn't Qingshi County right up ahead? Wasn't that the Lion Fang Clan's territory? Why were their own people shooting at them? They couldn't fathom who was hitting them, and never in their wildest dreams did they suspect the survivors from the northern outskirts of Qingquan City. That place was simply too far away—at least nearly a hundred kilometers separated them. Besides, even if a fight broke out, it was supposed to be them crushing the survivors, not the other way around! "Cease fire! Fuck, cease fire! We're reinforcements sent by Lord Gold Tooth! Shit! These aren't friendly troops!" "Open fire! Fire!" One marauder had just screamed out when, before he could return fire, two rounds punched through his chest, dropping him silently to the ground. The rest fired blindly as they fell back, but the incoming fire suppressed them so completely they couldn't even raise their heads. "Don't try to trade shots with them! Fall back into the woods!" "Aaargh! My arm!" "Fuck!" Gunfire echoed through the valley. The battle had devolved into a one-sided slaughter. At the foot of the slope, marauders scrambled desperately for the tree line. The occasional fool who tried firing back at the slope was quickly riddled like a sieve by the plunging fire. Less than thirty percent of the marauders managed to flee into the forest. Yet their nightmare was only beginning. Unable to hold back any longer, Scavenger let out a bloodthirsty roar. His heavily muscled legs pushed off with explosive force, hurtling him into the fleeing crowd like an artillery shell. "Die, you pieces of trash!" His twin steel claws struck like lightning. A casual swipe sent a pair of heads flying. Caught in the gaze of those amber eyes, the fleeing marauders felt their souls nearly leave their bodies. A Deathclaw?! And it had steel welded onto its claws?! Not just its claws—its chest, thighs, head, and every vital area across its body were clad in steel plating! Desperately fighting his terror, a marauder leveled his PU-9 at the massive lizard, screaming hysterically as he pulled the trigger. Yet emptying an entire magazine accomplished nothing. Instead, the lizard overtook him in a flash, cleaving both man and gun clean in two with a single claw swipe. Another marauder hauled out a Panzerfaust rocket launcher, but no sooner had he shouldered the tube than a distant bullet blew his head apart. "Aaargh!" "Monster!" "Help! Somebody help me!" "Get lost! Don't block my way!" Cries of agony filled the woods. Unable to contain their terror any longer, the marauders who had been retreating in clumps lost all remaining cohesion and morale, scattering in frantic flight for their lives. "Tch! Not a single one can put up a fight." Flicking the blood from his claws, Scavenger cast an arrogant glance at the scattering marauders, let out a howl, and charged after them with tail whipping. Seeing the timing was right, Lao Bai, prone atop the slope, raised a clenched fist toward the other squad leaders, then pumped it forcefully forward. "Charge, boys!" "Don't let these rats get away!" ... A basin of cold water splashed across his face. Iron Tooth slowly blinked open blurred eyes. The dark, damp, chilly air reeked of sewer stench. A light shining straight into his face forced him to keep his head down, leaving him able to see only his bandaged thigh and his arms shackled to the armrests of a chair. The surroundings looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he was. Then, a voice came from in front of him. "Iron Tooth. Direct bloodline of the Fang Clan, centurion under Lion Fang." Hearing his name called, Iron Tooth instinctively raised his head. Squinting against the blinding white glare, he saw a suit of azure power armor. His eyes narrowed slightly into slits. "...Who are you? No... who are you people?" Chu Guang smiled faintly. "You just came raiding our doorstep at the beginning of the year. Have you forgotten already after four months?" Iron Tooth froze. The next moment, disbelief and shock flooded his face. "You... you're the survivors from the northern outskirts of Qingquan City?!" How could survivors from the northern outskirts of Qingquan City be between Xizhou City and Qingshi County? Could it be... Iron Tooth finally recognized the place—it was none other than the dungeon where they kept their slaves. Dread slowly crept across his face, exposed under the glare of the spotlight. He seemed to have finally realized his current predicament. Chu Guang had no intention of wasting explanations on a minor pawn, nor did he bother making theatrical threats. Looking at the fear-stricken face before him, Chu Guang spoke concisely, "Who we are is none of your concern. From now on, I ask, you answer. "Naturally, I'll be asking others the exact same questions. "If you don't want to die, you'd best tell me the truth." ... North of Dawn City. Fifty trucks slowly pulled to a stop on the northwest side of Changjiu Farm. A ragged crowd stepped down from the vehicles, nervously walking toward nearby tents under the escort of the Administrator's Guards. A few tables were set up before the tent entrance, with medical personnel in hazmat suits seated behind them. In the center sat a large boiling cauldron. Catching the aroma drifting from the pot, not only did the survivors salivate, but even the guards accompanying them from the trucks couldn't help swallowing hard. Seeing the approaching guards and guessing they hadn't eaten either, the cook tossed his ladle in the pot and said with a grin, "Brother, care for a bowl? I just had one myself—tastes amazing!" Although it was green wheat porridge intended for refugees, fat trimmings were typically rendered at the bottom for oil, and after simmering for hours, the scent was genuinely appetizing. Lyu Bei shook his head. "No thanks. I'll just eat dry rations on the road. Do you have cakes here?" "We've got cakes, but that green wheat cake doesn't taste like much..." "It's fine. Give me one." Although Lyu Bei was famished, he hadn't forgotten the duty the Administrator had entrusted to him. Taking the paper-wrapped cake from the cook, Lyu Bei crossed the open area with the cauldron, carrying the roster toward the tent. Old Luka stood waiting for him there. Lyu Bei saluted and handed over the roster. "Here is the survivors' roster... six hundred and seventy-one people in total. Only eighty percent know their names, and less than half remember where they came from." Taking the list from the youth, Old Luka glanced it over and nodded. "Leave the rest to me. Go quickly to protect the Administrator." Hearing Old Luka say this, Lyu Bei looked slightly embarrassed. Protect the Administrator? Right. The scene in the dungeon earlier, where the Administrator crushed a live grenade with his bare hand, had left an indelible impression on him. To the point where he couldn't help wondering whether the Guard unit actually being the Administrator's bodyguards was merely an assumption they made about themselves... The survivors rescued from Qingshi County were temporarily handed over to Logistics. As medical staff led by Heya took temperatures and checked their health conditions, residents on North Street also witnessed the scene. Onlookers gathered, murmuring and discussing among themselves: "Didn't the trucks just leave this morning? How are they already back?" "Where did all these people getting off the trucks come from?" "Looking at their clothes, they look like slaves..." "Slaves?! From the Bone Chewer tribe?! Did our troops take Xizhou City?!" "No way!" "It's probably Qingshi County... I remember a whole millennium was stationed there. Ten to one, they captured Qingshi County!" Compared to taking Xizhou City, the capture of Qingshi County was slightly easier to swallow. Even so, people's faces were filled with surprise—even outright disbelief. Old Hook, running his inn, wore an equally shocked expression. That was an entire millennium! This time there was no heavy snow to aid them, and they were fighting on the enemy's home turf. In a single morning, the New Alliance's soldiers had not only routed Lion Fang's force on the open battlefield, but they had even hauled the spoils back from the front line... Even knowing how formidable those blue jackets were in combat, he was still shaken by the sheer speed. It wasn't just local residents; Sun Shiqi, the traveling merchant from outside, felt the same shock. When the dozens of trucks rolled back in, he had been haggling with clerks at the trading post. Hearing the commotion outside, many people waiting in line stepped out to watch the spectacle. Sun Shiqi craned his neck to look, and once he made out what was happening, surprise flashed across his face. "It's... already over?" Yet the trucks didn't seem to be carrying soldiers, but a mass of people whose identities were unclear. They looked like liberated slaves. Standing behind the counter, Shuanghe smiled, her voice sweet and pleasant. "Our Administrator has declared that he will not cease war against the marauders until those vermin are wiped from the map." Wiped from the map? Right. Which map? The Human Alliance's map or the New Alliance's map? Sun Shiqi scoffed internally, but said nothing of it. He was here to conduct business, not to pick fights. "Is that so? My utmost respect to him; what a noble ideal. To witness the rise of a leader who embodies both virtue and capability is the honor of a lifetime. To be frank, I despise those marauders just as much as you do. Those scoundrels never play by the rules... By the way, could you knock a little off the ammo price? I'm planning to buy extra ammunition to fight those wretched marauders." Shuanghe maintained her beaming smile. "Afraid not! This is already our best discount." Seeing that the flattery he had wracked his brains to conjure had achieved nothing, Sun Shiqi could only pull out his bank card with a wince of pain. "Fine, fine... charge it." ... Red River Town. Horseshoe Chamber of Commerce headquarters, President's office. Staring at the telegram sent from northern Dawn City, Sim's face was a mask of disbelief. Just this morning he had received a telegram stating that the New Alliance had declared war on the Fang Clan. Yet here it was, only afternoon, and trucks loaded with spoils were already returning from the front? Was something wrong with the telegram, or had his own eyes failed him? For a moment, Sim couldn't tell. "New Alliance Army suspected to have captured Qingshi County. Fang Clan chiliarch Lion Fang captured and escorted to Dawn City Prison by the Administrator's Guards; trial scheduled to begin shortly..." Too fast! Slowly setting the telegram on the desk, Sim paced to the window and pinched the bridge of his nose. The war had broken out as he anticipated, but the speed of its progression surpassed his wildest imagination. A neighbor beating the Bone Chewer tribe to a pulp was certainly good news. Red River Town was also at war with the Bone Chewers. Any advantage the New Alliance gained in their war against the Fang Clan would make the Snake Clan in TS City clench their buttholes tight. And the Horseshoe Trading Company could take the opportunity to rake in wartime profits. Yet what Sim hadn't expected was that their neighbor would be so absurdly powerful. That Lion Fang, who had carved a bloody path all the way from the central reaches of River Valley Province to the south, hadn't even lasted a single day against their assault... "...An entire millennium wiped out in half a day, and during an assault on fortified positions at that." Gazing out at the street bustling with merchants and travelers, Sim sank into deep thought. Perhaps... He needed to re-evaluate the strength of this powerful neighbor... ... Sim was not the only one re-evaluating the strength of this formidable neighbor. Upon hearing that the New Alliance had taken Qingshi County in under half a day, his "old friend" Dempsey had already quietly dissolved his "alliance" with the Horseshoe Trading Company in his mind. Elsewhere, the council of Junk City convened an emergency session to debate whether to establish diplomatic ties with this suddenly prominent powerhouse, and what Boulder City's attitude toward the incident would be. As for Boulder City itself? There seemed to be no reaction. Whether toward the Bone Chewer tribe or the rising New Alliance in the northern suburbs, the Castellan dwelling within the Great Wall appeared entirely unconcerned. Perhaps there were matters far more deserving of their attention... However, even if the upper crust of Boulder City remained indifferent to the affairs between the New Alliance and the Bone Chewers, that didn't stop rumors from running wild in the streets and taverns. While stunned by this epic victory, people couldn't help growing curious about this young, rising faction. Without a doubt, this textbook triumph had cemented the New Alliance's prestige far and wide... At the same time, in Sixin District of Xizhou City. Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Skull Crusher Gold Tooth initially assumed his ears were deceiving him. Only after making the subordinate repeat the report did his face, dark to the point of turning greenish, darken into a scowl. "Useless trash! "A thousand men, holed up in a county seat building fortifications for four whole months, and they couldn't even hold out for a single morning!" His fist slammed violently onto the armrest of his chair, the furious roar sending the flames in a nearby brazier flickering violently. The hall was terrifyingly quiet. No one spoke. The Church of the Torch apostle in his exoskeleton couldn't be bothered to comment, while the chiliarchs, holding their breath, dreaded drawing their chieftain's wrath onto themselves. Gold Tooth gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked, feeling as though his heart were bleeding. An entire millennium! And Lion Fang, who led it, was his direct kin. Now, not only was Qingshi County lost, but the five hundred reinforcements he had dispatched had been swallowed up as well. Even if he felt no pity for their miserable lives, losing all that gear made him ache. "...I swear, I'll crush the skulls of those blue gophers, peel their skins to make a sofa, and carve their bones into a toilet bowl!" His roaring voice echoed through the hall. Once the chieftain had vented enough, the military counselor standing beside him, Dillon, cleared his throat softly. Though he was rather curious what a toilet bowl made of bones would look like, this clearly wasn't the time to bring it up. "...Qingshi County is only twenty kilometers from us. The blue jackets from the northern outskirts have pushed the front right under our noses, and it took them less than half a day. "Regardless of how they accomplished it, their military strength has exceeded our expectations... This is certainly not something one or two planes could pull off. They might have a dozen, or even several dozen aircraft, and must possess at least a motorized century and over twenty artillery pieces to capture Qingshi County in such a short window." To be fair, even with all that, it should have been exceedingly difficult. Dillon didn't know Lion Fang well, but Bernie, who served alongside Lion Fang, had previously been an officer under Dillon's command. He knew Bernie's competence very well. Especially his defensive fortification capabilities. Given Bernie's caliber, he shouldn't have failed to hold off a hastily assembled motorized force. Even having lost air superiority, holding out for ten days to half a month should have posed no problem. Unless... Someone had mapped their positions down to the last detail. At that thought, Dillon's eyes flickered slightly, a seed of vigilance taking root in his mind. The remnants of the old civilization scattered across the wasteland were always the biggest wildcard. And a vault, as the favored child of the old civilization, was undeniably the most likely source of such wildcards. If the enemy possessed some form of reconnaissance technology left over from the Human Alliance era, this war was going to be an uphill battle... Gold Tooth looked at his counselor. "Do you have any good recommendations?" Dillon pondered for a moment before speaking. "My advice is to concentrate our forces and supporting fire, launching a high-density, high-intensity offensive in short order before they can consolidate their foothold in Qingshi County! "They have already developed full industrial capabilities. If this war drags into a war of attrition, the tide will inevitably turn against us." Uren, who had remained silent all along, suddenly chimed in. "My thoughts align with this former Legion officer. Frankly, it's not just that I'm eager to recover the black box; if this war drags on, I worry you won't be able to win." His voice carried a tinge of mockery. Or rather, blame. After all, as early as a month and a half ago, he had been urging them to march out. Yet these people dragged their feet again and again, stalling until their front teeth were knocked out before remembering they had fists of their own. The truth, however, always bred hostility. The instant Uren finished speaking, hostile glares immediately converged on him. Gold Tooth's expression darkened as well. Yet this man was an honored guest from the Church of the Torch, not his subordinate, so he couldn't easily reprimand him. The Bone Chewer tribe needed the psychic interference equipment provided by the Church of the Torch; the mutants running amok on the battlefield were their trump card, and he had even used that equipment to forge a special unit. Anyone else uttering those words would have been decapitated on the spot, but this man he dared not touch, nor could he afford to. "Why bother with so many men?" Burly Bear Fang stepped forward, his meaty, flesh-creased face filled with contempt. Cupping his hands, he looked at Gold Tooth on the seat and rumbled, "I am willing to share Chief's burden. Give me ten days, and I will bring you the heads of those gophers!" Hearing this, Uren couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle. "You'd be leading your men to their graves." Infuriated by the scoff, Bear Fang glared at him, his vicious eyes narrowing dangerously. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Nothing much," Uren said expressionlessly, completely unfazed by the menacing glare, and continued calmly, "Never mind Qingshi County. If you can pull out that fishbone lodged right in your front teeth at Pine Valley, I'll look at you with respect." Bear Fang laughed in exasperation and was about to fire back threats, but the chieftain on the chair cut him off. "Enough! Stop your fucking bickering!" Irritated, Gold Tooth slapped the armrest of his seat. Massaging his temples in thought for a moment, he flicked his index finger forward. "...I'll give you ten days. Take that Pine Valley or whatever it's called, and drag some blue jackets back while you're at it." Seeing his chance to shine, Bear Fang rejoiced inwardly and bowed his head to accept the order. "Yes, Chief!"