Chapter 189: Deteriorating Situation
At dusk, two guardians and their attendant returned to the safe house in City K. A man and a woman, both young, stood awkwardly in the lobby of a jade shop on the first floor.
They belonged to the Gao family lineage, but due to their lower qualifications, they couldn’t even enter the霸府. Now that Xiang Zuxing had encountered trouble, they had few choices and could only continue following Guo Hao.
“…We’ve gathered most of the information. Ban Jie guessed correctly; the border leading to the old street has recently been sealed by dark sentinels. The only remaining route is to head towards City T, enter the Wild Man Mountain from the west, and then take a detour south to reach the old street.”
“The Luo family has refused to have any further contact with us, and the local knights from the Luo family are very unfriendly; we shouldn’t count on them.”
The central command has now been taken over by Elder Chu’s people. I’ve contacted them privately; most are still observing, with only five people explicitly willing to come, but only one is a knight, the other four are attendants. I think this is all we can expect.”
Xiao Hai and the three knights from the霸府, now in plain clothes, wiped the sweat from their foreheads as they briefed Jiang Yan and others on the latest situation.
“City T… that’s quite a detour. The terrain of Wild Man Mountain is complicated and hard to navigate, but it is indeed more concealed.”
Meng Huai gently rubbed his chin in thought.
“Let’s hurry and prepare, bringing as much ammunition and medicine as possible. Everyone should move to City T tonight. Xiao Hai, you go ahead and choose a place to stay in City T.”
“You two will stay in City B, lock this place down, and find another inconspicuous place to stay while you await the arrival of others. If there are any issues, directly contact Xiao Hai or me.”
Jiang Yan and Meng Huai exchanged glances and gave direct instructions.
Leaving two attendants to guard City B, the rest rerouted to City T. Although this would greatly extend their journey, it was their only choice for now.
After all, the dark arrows’ southwestern round battles and the border sealing areas this quarter were located directly towards the highly sensitive old street direction.
…
In the afternoon, a military aircraft from the southern surveillance area gradually landed at the military airport in the northern suburbs of City C. Han Guowei stepped off the plane with a grim expression and boarded a military vehicle that had long been waiting.
Earlier that morning, Han Guowei had just officially taken office in the southern surveillance area. During a mid-to-senior-level staff meeting that had just begun, he received some terrifying news—early this morning, Han Jieqian encountered a traffic accident on the highway in City L of Province S and was severely injured and unconscious.
The car accident of a minor intelligence officer from the dark arrows shouldn’t have caused much of a stir on its own, but considering another major event that occurred around the same time, along with Han Jieqian’s identity as a sacrificial pawn, this accident became increasingly suspect.
In less than an hour, the military vehicle raced to the Army General Hospital in City C. Han Guowei’s rank allowed him to move smoothly and directly to a special ward.
As he entered the room, Han Guowei was taken aback; not only were there the Chief of Staff from the Western Surveillance Area, Zhen Guangquan, and the Director of Intelligence, Li, but also his cousin Han Qia, as well as Ye Zhijun from the Headquarters Intelligence Bureau.
It seemed Han Qia had also hurried to City C from the capital, but it surprised him that Ye Zhijun had also appeared without a word.
“Commander Han.”
“Old Han.”
“Third Brother…”
In the ward, Zhen Guangquan and the others stood up and made room, while Han Qia remained sitting at the head of the bed, wiping her eyes and looking very downcast.
Surrounded by everyone, Han Jieqian lay on the hospital bed, almost wrapped up in gauze like a rice dumpling, with blood seeping from several places.
“Commander Han, don’t worry. The director just said that Xiao Han is no longer in danger. Aside from fractures in his right arm and left leg, he only has some superficial injuries with no internal bleeding.”
Zhen Guangquan stood up and began to explain the injuries to Han Guowei while gently patting Han Qia’s shoulder in comfort.
In terms of position, Han Jieqian was just a newly appointed second lieutenant, but from another perspective, he was the last male of the Han family lineage, which was enough for Zhen Guangquan to put aside his work to show concern.
Looking around the room, Han Guowei nodded at Han Qia, then sat down, gently touching Han Jieqian’s hand that was exposed from under the blanket, slowly regaining his calm expression.
He shifted his gaze from Han Jieqian to Zhen Guangquan, offering a faint smile: “Chief of Staff Zhen, Director Li, very good. The operation of the Western Surveillance Area this time was quite perfect! Today, I used your preliminary intelligence work as an example at the staff meeting; many details are worth promoting throughout the army.”
Han Guowei’s praise made Zhen Guangquan and Director Li stand a little straighter, looking pleased.
“You guys must still have a lot of follow-up work to do; I’ll take care of things here… By the way, Old Ye, I have something to discuss with you later.”
After saying that, Han Guowei gave Ye Zhijun a subtle nod.
Zhen Guangquan and Director Li exchanged glances, with the former comforting Han Qia a few more times before the two stepped out of the ward one after the other.
Watching Zhen Guangquan’s retreating figure, Han Guowei let out a soft snort through his nose, his expression slightly darkening.
“Third Brother, can we let Xiao Jie withdraw from the special confidential operations team… I’m really afraid of what might happen…”
Once the people from the Western Surveillance Area left, the scene was filled with members of the special confidential operations team, and only then did Han Qia begin to cry quietly.
“Comrade Han Qia, everyone who enters the special confidential operations team has taken an oath! Although you are Jieqian’s mother, you are also a veteran member of the special confidential operations team. Don’t let some emotions affect your work!”
“Every child is a treasure to their family. How do you think other comrades feel about this? How can we turn back in the face of difficulties?”
Han Guowei’s face remained stern as he showed a serious expression to his cousin, his tone a bit harsh.
Han Qia did not argue back; she simply covered her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbed quietly.
“Old Han, don’t be like this. This isn’t a workplace; a mother’s concern for her child is natural, and it’s entirely reasonable to have emotions about it!”
Ye Zhijun hurriedly stepped forward to place a hand on Han Guowei’s shoulder, repeatedly sighing, “How about this, Vice Minister Han is here watching; let’s go outside and talk.”
Hearing the Director of the Intelligence Bureau say this, Han Guowei could only nod.
A few minutes later, Ye Zhijun and Han Guowei appeared in a small garden of the Army General Hospital, surrounded by armed guards with no one else around.
“The Wang family has united the hidden alliance. While attacking the Black Dragon Society’s stronghold, they encountered air strikes from the Western Surveillance Area. Currently, the scene is still being cleared, and it’s estimated that at least five viscounts and four barons have died in this multi-site air strike… I absolutely do not believe this is merely a coincidence.”
“Yesterday during the day, Xiao Jie applied to me for an urgent contact with the Wang family, but the feedback was that there was no action. Clearly, there was an insider leak at the senior levels of the Wang family. This scheme was too sinister; the dark arrows have indeed become the accomplices of some people!”
“Over at Wu Zhongxian’s place, an emergency response meeting is being held for the intelligence regarding the Wang family. We need to quickly classify this incident.”
As he spoke, Ye Zhijun’s expression was very grim, even somewhat dejected, “Let’s not talk about the hidden alliance, which has no connections. But the Wang family is different; if they fall out with the dark arrows, it will indeed shake the foundations of domestic security that have been stable for decades.”
“Currently, the battle reports from the Western Surveillance Area are being compiled, and they will be sent to headquarters in a few days. Wu Zhongxian must handle this well. As for Xiao Jie, I feel that he might have foreseen that this was a conspiracy to destroy the relationship between the dark arrows and the Wang family, which is why he was targeted for assassination or intimidation.”
“Old Han, Zhen Guangquan’s actions coincidentally align with those of the Wang family, both in terms of time and place—it’s shockingly consistent. I suggest we don’t wait any longer, find a reason to transfer Zhen Guangquan away from his current position, for instance, to serve as deputy director at the training center, isolating him from frontline operations, and then slowly investigate.”
The major operation in the morning appeared to have been a great success, enough to invigorate the entire army. However, only a few hours later, almost all of the dark arrows’ higher-ups who were privy to more sensitive information, especially the special confidential operations team, were left dumbfounded.
The communication initiated by the Wang family was quite vague, but Ye Zhijun immediately perceived their attitude: the Wang family was preparing to withdraw.
Although the internal issues within the Wang family were among the direct reasons for this heavy blow, the dark arrows appeared innocent but had undeniably angered the Wang family.
No, the timing is too sensitive; it would be like startling a snake. Superficially, this is one of the few good results since the establishment of the Western Surveillance Area—a top-tier A-level mission accomplished cleanly and efficiently, with no casualties, regardless of how you look at it, it was a credit to Zhen Guangquan’s frontline leadership.
Han Guowei quickly waved his hand and sighed repeatedly, “Old Ye, right now, the destructive power of insiders is visibly increasing. Xiao Jie previously mentioned that even if there are insiders in the Western Surveillance Area, they are merely executors. The core malignant tumor lies within the headquarters.”
This is related to the success or failure of our efforts to obstruct the ancestor’s plans, concerning the advancement of several strategic tasks and the safety of our assets.
Saying this, Han Guowei stood from the bench, looking towards the south: “Right now in the south, the Liang family’s internal chaos is clearly being manipulated by the external blood clan forces. The Frankenstein agent has been utilized by the Black Blood Clan, resulting in heavy losses for the Wang family, which has lost control of the situation. We must take action ourselves.”
Old Ye, don’t you have a feeling that there are hidden hands behind the scenes trying to plunge China into turmoil and division, forcing the dark arrows into a frantic state… This is reminiscent of the tactics used by the Tanaka family in Japan over eighty years ago.
Someone has long embedded dark lines within various factions in Huaguo. I truly didn’t expect that even the higher-ups of the Wang family would have an insider… This time, it’s truly a coordinated attack.
As their conversation reached this point, both fell silent, as if there was no better solution at hand.
Old Han, how about you, in the capacity of the Han family, privately communicate with the Wang family to explain things?
A few minutes later, Ye Zhijun cautiously raised his head and spoke softly to Han Guowei, who was resting with his eyes closed.
It’s taboo, we shouldn’t!
Han Guowei didn’t open his eyes, but the helpless expression at the corner of his mouth was clearly visible: “Anyone who gets played like this can’t simply let it go. This time the dark arrows were used to carry out someone else’s agenda. The loss of high-end combat power for the Wang family is almost equivalent to the total of two large viscount families.
If you also consider their recent losses in the south, it’s nearly half of what was experienced in that war eighty years ago—this has only been a few months.
The key is, I really can’t pick out any issues with the Western Surveillance Area on the surface; how am I supposed to explain this to them… Should I tell them that the dark arrows also have insiders, collaborating with others to stab them in the back?
Right now, the critical sacrificial pawn is severely injured and unconscious. It’s likely we’ll soon reach a point of no return. However, we have yet to even see the shadow of the legendary queen.”
After saying this, Han Guowei donned his military cap and stood up, walking outside.
Now, Han Guowei regretted not taking seriously the doubts raised by Han Jieqian concerning Zhen Guangquan’s preparation for battle; he had instead focused his attention on the south.
In the late night, Jiang Yan and the others finally arrived at Ding City, a hundred and fifty kilometers west of City B.
This city directly faces the border town of the Wild Man Mountain in northern Myanmar, boasting several national-level border ports. Decades ago, the Chinese expeditionary forces and the Japanese army fought a bloody battle here during the anti-Japanese war.
Even today, remnants of that old battlefield around Ding City occasionally yield various shells, aerial bombs, or corpses left over from the great war. The remnants of the past are still vivid, making one feel as if time had flowed back, leaving them heartbroken.
After settling in briefly, Meng Huai proposed to go check the border area, and naturally, Jiang Yan chose to accompany him, even though it was nearing midnight.
However, curiously, as soon as the car reached the outskirts, Meng Huai turned onto another road rather than the agreed-upon direction toward the border.
“First, we’ll go to a place to retrieve something that might be useful in the future.”
Seeing Jiang Yan’s confusion, Meng Huai explained slightly.
Jiang Yan silently nodded, not pressing further. However, Meng Huai’s mysterious demeanor was somewhat unexpected for her.
In Jiang Yan’s impression, this former captain of the Xuanjia Brigade typically conducted himself in an organized manner, adhering strictly to routines without indulging in mysterious undertakings, and rarely springing any surprises.
Before Meng Huai regained his composure, Jiang Yan had not heard that he had any personal items left in City T after the Blood Invasion, even though this was the range where Meng Huai participated in the southwestern round battle.
On March 9, Monday, at 1 AM, City T, a jurisdiction of City B in Y Province, Botanical Garden.
The botanical garden had long been closed, but a pair of young men and women in outdoor gear appeared in front of the gate.
They easily scaled the gate, and the tourist center was empty, illuminated only by a few dim lights. In one corner of the hall, a row of electronic self-service lockers emitted a faint signal.
After carefully checking the corners of the hall for surveillance cameras and confirming none were present, Meng Huai nodded to himself.
“Wait here for a moment; I’ll be right back.”
Meng Huai took Jiang Yan’s hand, led her to a bench, gently patted her shoulder, and then began to scan the row of electronic self-service lockers.
Did he store something here after the Blood Invasion? Watching Meng Huai’s retreating figure, Jiang Yan’s suspicions grew.
The storage of backup confidential phones follows a specialized rotation rule. After a month, the support department of the special confidential operations team changes the storage location for confidential phones. At this moment, Meng Huai stood in front of dozens of storage lockers, mentally calculating the current storage number.
A minute later, Meng Huai reached for a specific locker’s electronic lock, entering the passcode.
A faint click of unlocking sounded as the locker opened, revealing an inconspicuous small cloth bag.
Feeling the contours of the contents through the bag and weighing it in his hand to confirm, Meng Huai finally let out a long breath of relief.
Leaving the botanical garden, they strolled slowly along the dimly lit street like a couple out for a midnight walk.
“Meng Huai, what is this?”
Staring at the small bag he held, Jiang Yan couldn’t help but ask, a sense of unease blossoming in her heart.
Turning to glance at the black-haired girl, Meng Huai hesitated, then smiled gently: “It’s something that can protect us; it’s a temporary secret. I’ll tell you more about it later.”
“Jiang Yan, right now, I really don’t care whether I’m an ordinary person or a blood clan member. Doing the right thing should be more important to me. Maybe this isn’t what Wan Jie or you want to see, but right now, I can’t choose.”
“If, in the future, you can’t accept it, I can disappear… but for now, I am a part of the Hyacinth; I can help you.”
As Meng Huai spoke, he stopped and turned to face the girl, his voice surprisingly relaxed and calm.
“Don’t…”
Jiang Yan lowered her head, hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out to link her arm with Meng Huai’s, her face burning.
“Don’t look at me… keep walking.”
Sensing her gaze, Jiang Yan dared not look up, her voice so soft that she could barely hear it herself.
On their way to the parking lot, Meng Huai began to recount little everyday anecdotes from the dark arrows, mostly involving mishaps from when he first joined the Xuanjia Brigade.
These little stories, Meng Huai had never shared with anyone, prompting Jiang Yan to envision an image of a clumsy, inexperienced rookie.
These small moments of warmth and relaxation amidst urgency and unease were incredibly precious.
Jiang Yan even thought that Meng Huai, in peaceful and uneventful times, was a rigid oddity, yet he displayed a varying degree of calmness and ease under pressure.
She remembered before the operation in City D, he spoke a lot on the transport plane.
When gravely ill, he unexpectedly invited her to watch a movie, and even now, he remained the same.
Meng Huai was a person who could only show a normal personality under high pressure, and he retained this even when he was sober.
Hmm, actually quite quirky… As they walked, Jiang Yan suddenly laughed.
“Ha ha, do you find it funny too? Back then, when I participated in my first real combat, I didn’t even release the safety on the grenade and went out, and the old captain locked me up for a day…”
Meng Huai turned back, touched his slightly warm face.
“I’m not laughing at this…”
Jiang Yan blushed again, dodging his gaze.
Ahead, they could already see the parking lot, and Jiang Yan suddenly thought that this stretch of road felt too short; if only it could be longer and time could flow slower, how great would that be.
…
Jiang Yan and Meng Huai’s on-site inspections of the areas around the border of City D traversed several locations and lasted for hours until dawn, resulting in numerous hand-drawn simple maps.
One must admit that as the new head of the Xuanjia Brigade, Meng Huai had a strong overall military acumen, particularly in map operations and intelligence reconnaissance. For Jiang Yan, all the practical military skills she possessed stemmed from Meng Huai’s guidance.
The main battlefield for this round of dark arrows’ southwestern conflict was directed towards the old street area, where the border control toward Wild Man Mountain was relatively lax, providing an opportunity for Jiang Yan and others to cross.
Moreover, the ongoing turmoil in the old street area of northern Myanmar was escalating, with many wandering blood clan members and black blood clan forces getting involved. Underground smuggling activities around Wild Man Mountain had decreased significantly, which also reduced the risk of exposure for Jiang Yan and the others.
Every day that Guo Hao remains at the old street increases the danger level, so Jiang Yan decided to take advantage of the daytime for rest and plan to stealthily cross the border that night.
