Chapter 931: Chapter 931

Captain Feng finished speaking and stormed off with his men. At this point, regardless of the outcome, he'd made an enemy of Ye Qing.

Ye Qing helplessly watched Captain Feng and his group leave. These men hadn't experienced real combat; they'd only taken part in a few drills and now acted as if they were invincible. They had no idea how brutal true warfare could be. Those mercenaries, on the other hand, had been through real battles and possessed astonishing combat abilities. This batch of Special Forces underestimated the mercenaries, but in the end, it'd undoubtedly be the Special Forces who would suffer.

Still, these men weren't Ye Qing's subordinates, and he couldn't control them. The positions Ye Qing had pointed out to them were relatively safe and could protect them to some extent. He hoped that once they went up the mountain, they would follow his instructions and head to those positions in advance, which would be beneficial to Ye Qing. However, if any other unexpected situations arose, it could spell big trouble!

Sighing, Ye Qing decided not to concern himself with Captain Feng's group anymore and turned to Black Bear and King of Explosives to discuss the rescue operation on the mountain. These two were the real assets Ye Qing could rely on, the key allies in his plan!

On the way, Ye Qing thought up a detailed plan. Once the trio divided their roles, Black Bear and King of Explosives headed up the mountain separately. Meanwhile, Ye Qing switched into the bulletproof vest brought by Zhao Chengshuang, tucked two handguns onto his person, and followed a mountain path toward Wang Yue Pavilion.

As soon as Ye Qing reached mid-mountain, the mercenaries spotted him and immediately informed their commander.

The commander, hiding at a spot near the summit, flashed a cold smile when he heard about Ye Qing's approach. He picked up his walkie-talkie and said in a deep voice, "Attention, everyone! Ye is already on the mountain. Ye is already on the mountain. All units remain on high alert. No matter what, we're leaving him here today!"

"Rest assured, Commander. Even if he's unnaturally lucky, he won't escape death this time!" a sneering voice replied from the walkie-talkie. "I've planted plenty of detonators at the edge of that protruding boulder near Wang Yue Pavilion. That Ye's definitely going to Wang Yue Pavilion to rescue that whore. If we can't kill him outright, detonating those explosives will shatter that boulder. He'll fall off the cliff along with Wang Yue Pavilion. Thirty meters down—if the crash doesn't kill him, the fall will!"

"Excellent!" The commander's eyes gleamed with icy determination. This time, they were fully prepared—to kill Ye Qing once and for all.

Soon, Ye Qing arrived at the mountainside, less than a kilometer from Wang Yue Pavilion. He could clearly see the situation around Wang Yue Pavilion from this distance.

Inside Wang Yue Pavilion sat a woman, unmistakably Ou Keren, tied to one of the pavilion's pillars. It was obvious that she was being used as bait to lure Ye Qing. The area surrounding Wang Yue Pavilion was completely open. If Ye Qing went there, he wouldn't have anywhere to hide from bullets. Yet, Ye Qing had no choice but to go—there was no alternative.

At this point, Ye Qing became even more vigilant. While observing the situation around Wang Yue Pavilion, he kept a close eye on his surroundings, alert for sudden attacks. Especially snipers—he paid extra attention to those. As he moved, he deliberately stuck close to larger rocks in an attempt to minimize exposure to sniper scopes.

Behind a small hill, the commander watched Ye Qing through binoculars. Seeing Ye Qing move in such a cautious manner, he sneered, "That Ye is really careful, trying to avoid us. Hmph, no matter how he sneaks around here, when he gets to Wang Yue Pavilion, he'll still meet his death! That area's so open—I'd like to see what he uses to shield himself!"

Beside him, someone whispered, "The snipers are already in position. Once the shot aligns, they'll finish him with one round!"

"Perfect!" The commander sneered and ordered, "Let them aim at Ye. No… wait, hold off and—"

Before the commander could finish, a frantic voice echoed through the walkie-talkie: "Commander! Bad news! We've spotted scouts, likely Huaxia's Special Forces!"

"What?" The commander's expression shifted, and he growled, "Huaxia's Special Forces showed up too? Damn it! The police must've teamed up with the military!"

"Commander, what do we do now? The scouts are already surveying our positions!"

"Move ahead of schedule! Kill those scouts first!" The commander barked his order. "Have the snipers continue targeting Ye. If Ye hesitates to rescue Ou Keren, shoot her instead—force him to come forward!"

Ye Qing cautiously continued advancing toward Wang Yue Pavilion. But when he was still a hundred meters away, a gunshot suddenly echoed from a small hill to his right.

Ye Qing's expression darkened, and he immediately dove behind a large rock for cover. Turning his head, he saw someone tumble down the hill—a member of the Special Forces that Captain Feng had brought!

"Damn it!" Ye Qing couldn't help but curse. The direction this person had gone wasn't one of the positions Ye Qing had specified. Clearly, Captain Feng had altered the plan midway, ignoring Ye Qing's designated locations and sending someone to reconnoiter the mercenaries instead—only for them to be discovered!

In the distance, Captain Feng and his men were anxiously awaiting updates from the scout. Indeed, Feng hadn't followed Ye Qing's instructions about hiding positions. He didn't want to be bossed around by Ye Qing. So, upon scaling the mountain, Feng immediately executed his own plan, dispatching scouts to survey the enemy's positions. He aimed to gather intel on the mercenaries, then strike in one decisive blow—a move that would earn him great credit and humiliate Ye Qing.

But the situation took a completely unexpected turn. The scout hadn't even sent back any information before being killed. Watching the scout tumble grotesquely down the slope, Captain Feng's face paled as he shouted, "Quick, rescue him!"

Several Special Forces soldiers immediately burst out from their hiding spots, rushing to retrieve the fallen scout.

"Get back! Retreat! Take cover!" Ye Qing gestured hastily at them, trying to stop them. But it was too late. Another gunshot cracked, and a second soldier fell.

The remaining Special Forces quickly dove to the ground, but the mercenaries' gunfire didn't relent. One more soldier was struck, leaving the survivors frozen in shock, unsure of their next move.

Captain Feng stood dumbstruck; he hadn't imagined that his once-prized team could crumble so easily. He hadn't even spotted where the shooter was hiding, yet three men had already fallen on his side.

Finally, he understood the truth in Ye Qing's warnings—these mercenaries weren't simple at all. But realizing that now was far too late!

The mercenaries' gunfire kept coming, hitting two more soldiers. This time, however, the Special Forces managed to react faster, dragging the injured behind a large rock for cover.

Seeing his teammates covered in blood, the reality of actual combat finally hit the Special Forces. In exercises, they had never seen so much blood; this was on a completely different level than drills.

"Captain, what… what do we do now?" One soldier gasped, looking to Captain Feng for answers.

But Feng was stunned speechless. He had no experience dealing with the horror of real, flesh-and-blood combat.

"Retreat downhill! There's an ambulance at the base!" Ye Qing called from the distance, urging them to take the wounded and retreat.

Feng finally snapped out of his daze and shouted, "Yes, yes! Retreat! Get down the mountain! Call the ambulance!"

"What about Mr. Ye?" one soldier asked anxiously. "Our mission…"

Feng responded hurriedly, "We can't handle these mercenaries! Save the wounded first! That's the priority!"

With Feng's orders, the remaining soldiers wasted no time, hastily carrying the injured and heading downhill. Luckily, they hadn't ventured too far forward, and the abundance of rocks nearby shielded them from further attacks by the mercenaries, allowing them to evacuate safely.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing was still crouched behind the large rock, knowing that at least a dozen gun barrels were now aimed at his position. Originally, his plan was to reach Wang Yue Pavilion, rescue Ou Keren, and then deal with other matters. But Feng's reckless actions had ignited the battle prematurely. Since the mercenaries had already begun their assault, they wouldn't stop now. Even moving toward Wang Yue Pavilion was problematic, let alone rescuing Ou Keren.

As Ye Qing hid behind the rock, another gunshot rang out. This time, the bullet struck one of the pillars of Wang Yue Pavilion.

Ye Qing's face stiffened, understanding the shot was a warning. The mercenaries were pressuring him to rescue Ou Keren quickly, or they'd kill her.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Qing gritted his teeth and sprang from behind the rock, darting in a zigzag pattern straight toward Wang Yue Pavilion.

Ye Qing's sudden movement seemed to provoke the mercenaries, who immediately began firing at him. However, Ye Qing's speed and erratic path made it difficult to aim. Most of the bullets missed, with only one or two grazing him—but his bulletproof vest absorbed the hits, leaving him unaffected.

Seeing this, the mercenary commander frowned and growled, "He's wearing a bulletproof vest. Aim for the head!"

Aiming for the head was far harder, and Ye Qing managed to make it to Wang Yue Pavilion without taking another bullet. However, now his predicament grew worse. To free Ou Keren, he would have to stop moving and focus on unlocking her chains. If he didn't, the mercenaries might kill her at any second.

"Let's see where you run now!" The commander emerged from his hiding spot, sneering, "Kill him now!"

The mercenaries stepped out of cover as well, raising their rifles to target Ye Qing inside Wang Yue Pavilion. They treated him as if he were already dead.