Chapter 277: Desperate Love (Part 3)
June 22, 3 AM.
Northeast of D City, Province S, Guanyin Mountain.
The largest building of the summer resort was still lit. In the main hall, a middle-aged man was slowly pacing back and forth.
“Uncle Fourth, the ancestor has awakened. You may enter now.”
The door leading from the main hall to the back room finally opened, and the housekeeper respectfully bowed to Uncle Fourth.
Uncle Fourth adjusted his clothing and, under the guide’s lead, took a winding path to the living room of the old Duke Wang.
The door swung wide open, revealing a kindly old woman seated on a colorfully ornate couch, a gentle smile gracing her face.
The ancestor has moved, but the action was still quite restrained. Little Twelve has lost his capture and is now waiting for your instructions.
Uncle Fourth stood at the center of the room, smiling as he pointed to his phone.
“Hey, a girl from Wan and a boy from Li. The Han family is not to be trifled with, pushing our old lady to show her cards… However, as Wan said before, although the Wang family seems large and prosperous, if it comes to confront that European bloodline in alliance with them, we must be prepared to risk everything we have.”
“But to completely eliminate the hidden dangers of the ancestral plan, relying solely on the Wang family is not enough. We must bring in more people. We must also drop all psychological burdens and work with the Wang family… Oh, oh… Right, Uncle Fourth, how do they say it in English?”
The old woman rubbed her temples, her expression confused, as though her thoughts had stumbled.
Uncle Fourth awkwardly touched his nose, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly:
“All-in…”
“Yes! Oh, right! That’s the way!”
The old woman clapped her hands, her eyes squinting with delight, as if she had suddenly aged a hundred years less.
Uncle Fourth also smiled, though it was quite forced.
He had absolute trust and obedience to his family’s ancestor, but thinking about the huge price the Wang family would have to pay made him feel uneasy.
Although the intensity was still far from the last world war, in just the past year, the Wang family’s losses had exceeded the total of the last fifty years, and they had not been able to avoid the phenomenon of an aging workforce.
“Uncle Fourth, do you think the Wang family is acting unwisely?”
As her hand rose, someone presented her with a teacup. The old woman adjusted the lid and gently poured the tea, her peripheral vision assessing Uncle Fourth’s expression.
Uncle Fourth nodded, and a second later, shook his head: “You’re right. Unless we completely resolve the ancestral issue, the pressure on the Wang family will only increase. In this world, the families that can afford to be stand-offs are the Dengs, the Suns, the Liangs, or the Zhous, but definitely not the Wang family. It’s better to gamble.”
Ancestor, sometimes I think, actually, China is the same; with no way out, Han Zhongliang’s actions might not be entirely wrong after all…
“I’m glad you see it that way. Tomorrow, reply to the James family, send someone to meet me in China… Now, it’s time to talk business with Dark Arrow.”
The old woman nodded with satisfaction and then turned to the housekeeper next to her.
An old flip phone was handed over, and a few seconds later, everyone except Uncle Fourth exited the living room.
“Hello, this is the Social Hotline of the Political Work Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense. Do you have any questions or opinions to submit…”
…
The urgent ring of the phone echoed in the dark bedroom, waking the soundly sleeping Wu Zhongxian.
The bedside lamp turned on, and Wu Zhongxian, bleary-eyed, grabbed the phone, but just after a few seconds of listening, he suddenly jolted awake and quickly snatched his shirt from the nightstand.
“Old Wu… how old are you now, still rushing to work in the middle of the night?”
His wife was also awakened, her face etched with worry as she gently grasped Wu Zhongxian’s arm.
“Ha ha, I’m just taking a call in the study, not working overtime.”
Wu Zhongxian smiled as he patted his wife’s arm, dressed quickly, and stepped out.
In the study lined with several phones, Wu Zhongxian swiftly reached for one: “This is Wu Zhongxian; please connect me to the confidential call we just missed.”
A few seconds later, a kind voice from an old woman came through the receiver.
“Hello, Mr. Wu? Sorry to bother you, I am from the Wang family, my surname is Wang…”
Wu Zhongxian’s pupils constricted, and he quickly pressed the record button next to him, taking a deep breath before speaking respectfully, “Hello, elder; I am Wu Zhongxian. Please go ahead…”
For a full three minutes, Wu Zhongxian remained silent, just listening.
Don’t worry; I’ll contact Han Wei right away! I’ll give you my personal number to stay in touch!
After hanging up, Wu Zhongxian contemplated for a few seconds before dialing another number.
“Hello, Old Han, oh, the plane just landed, huh… There’s something I need to tell you. Take a moment to evaluate this…”
In less than a minute, Wu Zhongxian briefly recounted the mysterious phone call from the Wang family.
…That’s the situation; you handle it at your discretion. I’ll wait for your response at the office.
Setting the phone down, Wu Zhongxian swiftly grabbed a mobile phone: “Office hall, this is Wu Zhongxian; send a car to wait downstairs at my house immediately!”
…
3:30 AM, Longquan Mountain.
From hundreds to thousands of meters, numerous drones hovered in the night sky, almost surveilling the valley estate without blind spots.
About thirty minutes prior, all gunfire had ceased abruptly. Inside the main building of Hyacinth Manor, aside from a few footsteps, it was eerily silent.
The assault initiated by Dark Arrow at 2 AM had finally halted before the sixth floor; the upper three floors and the lower five had all been secured by Dark Arrow.
On the sixth floor, the last dozen or so members of Hyacinth were crammed together, seven of whom had fallen into a coma from excessive intake of anesthetics.
“Heh… heh…”
At the staircase entry, Jiang Yao, braced against a rifle, was half-kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily, her black dress dotted with dark red bloodstains.
Having reached what felt like the third phase of a queen’s transformation, Jiang Yao was experiencing a short-lived burst of full power, plagued by pain and signs of chaotic energy surfacing.
However, Jiang Yao’s fearless actions severely suppressed Blood Dragon Team’s assault, especially her reverse search for guards, preventing Hyacinth’s final line of defense from collapsing.
Dark Arrow clearly dared not strike lethally, yet the trapped members of Hyacinth were absolutely unable to escape.
Heh heh, hahahaha… come out if you have guts, don’t just cower there like a turtle; I can’t kill you all…
Another mouthful of blood spurted out, Jiang Yao clutched her abdomen, slowly standing upright, and issued a wild laugh towards the smoke-filled staircase.
“Xiao Yao, you mustn’t bleed! Don’t bleed!”
Little Ai, tears streaming down her face, tightly embraced Jiang Yao.
“Xiao Yao, go rest in the room; we’ll hold the fort here.”
Little Hai also rushed up, and together with Little Ai, they forcibly pulled back Jiang Yao’s swaying body.
Zhao Peng stood in the center of the corridor, watching Little Hai carry Jiang Yao back into the room, his expression devoid of emotion.
Zhao Peng, the emergency evacuation route over there has also been blocked.
At the corridor’s end, Liang Tai approached, his face covered in dirt, signaling behind him: “It was too urgent at the time, and we could only grab less than ten gas masks.”
Old Liang, check the remaining ammunition for everyone; don’t waste it, buy us some time. I have a feeling this won’t be simple… Only knights should remain to defend this area; everyone else retreat to the elevator.”
You handle the defense, I’ll check on how Wan Jie is doing.
Zhao Peng glanced at his watch, then took his weapon and walked toward the other end of the corridor.
Wan Yue’s private suite had become the last bastion for Hyacinth.
In the living room lay seven unconscious individuals, including the severely injured Xiao Ling.
This Hyacinth knight, who had lost someone dear, had participated in the battle despite her wounds but soon lost her ability to move under the assault of the anesthetic smoke bomb.
Just two hours earlier, the original evacuation plan had been interrupted by Wan Yue’s sudden dormancy anomaly; it remained uncorrected until Dark Arrow’s encirclement was formally implemented.
In the end, only Xiao Miao and Xiao Xi, two knights unpracticed in battle, had led nearly twenty Little Blood Servants or attendants to retreat early, while the others defended inside the building, choosing to face the end with Wan Yue.
A month ago, some of these individuals had fought alongside Dark Arrow and the Wang family, but now they were ruthlessly hunted like a farcical tragedy.
Currently, the ones still standing were not counting the five knights: Little Ai, Little Ying, Little Hai, and four attendants.
Of these, the severely injured Little Hai could only be considered half a combat force.
“What’s happening with Wan Jie?”
The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and Xiao Dong was still busy inside. Zhao Peng gently knocked at the door, not daring to peek inside.
“I don’t know! I really don’t know!”
Sitting beside the bed, Xiao Dong seemed to be on the brink of collapse, her hair disheveled, speaking incoherently, desperately shaking her head.
The intermittent beeping of medical machines continued, and the power bank in the corner showed less than twenty percent battery remaining.
Once the power ran out, without the assistance of modern medical instruments, Xiao Dong would be completely unable to monitor Wan Yue’s condition.
On the bed, Wan Yue lay on her back, expression calm, skin as red as a boiled shrimp. Her once deep and heavy chaotic aura flickered intermittently, with uncontrolled pheromones swirling about the room like mischievous sprites wreaking havoc.
If this occurred during a knight’s ascension sleep, such abnormal symptoms indicated a likely failure of the ascension, with great potential for death.
“Zhao Ge, why did Dark Arrow try to exterminate us all… Aren’t we allies of the Wang family? Why are they still observing…”
Xiao Dong was kneeling on the floor, murmuring to herself,
“Xiao Dong, hang in there a bit longer. I believe the Wang family won’t stand idly by!”
Zhao Peng pushed the door open, stepped a few closer, glanced at the sleeping Wan Yue, squatted down, and gently placed his right hand on Xiao Dong’s shoulder.
…
The elevator hall on the third floor had been set up by the Blood Guard as a temporary rest area. Seven or eight Dark Arrow injured lay against the wall, with one person on the ground undergoing emergency surgery from a medic.
How is Old Yan doing? Should we transfer to a rear hospital?
The Blood Guard approached, removing his fully enclosed helmet, squatting next to the medic.
The critically injured man lying there was one of the two existing barons of the Blood Dragon Team; as for Li Hongjun and the other baron, they had gone missing after the Qin Kingdom campaign.
Instructor, Captain Yan has multiple fractures, and the broken bones have already injured his internal organs. I must treat him first before he can be transported!
The medic wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking anxious.
The Blood Guard slightly nodded, stood up, gazing down the distant corridor, then sighed heavily.
That Jiang Yao was simply terrifying; even with just a sliver of combat strength left, she had grievously wounded the Blood Dragon Team’s baron, leaving several knights with broken limbs.
In just a month, the essence of the core of the Blood Dragon Team, accumulated over forty years, had already halved.
As for the Blood Guard himself, under Jiang Yao’s unreasonable pressure, his once-proud illusion abilities had also plummeted, leaving him nearly unable to inflict any substantial effects on Jiang Yao.
Rest for another fifteen minutes, then initiate the third round of attacks! Starting now, in necessary situations, I allow you to use lethal force!
The Blood Guard issued new orders to the surrounding Dark Arrow officers, and his expression gradually hardened.
“Chief Han!”
As the Blood Guard issued the latest combat order, a young Dark Arrow officer approached from the end of the corridor, carrying a closed helmet. Nearby, soldiers from the Xuanjia Squad stood at attention.
Seeing Han Jieli approaching unarmed, the Blood Guard was somewhat irritated:
“The anesthetic smoke lingering in the air also affects ordinary people; aren’t you worried about getting sick if you don’t protect yourself properly?!”
“Chief Han, war is no child’s play. If we hadn’t maintained restraint and followed your combat plans, the battle would have ended long ago!”
As he spoke, the Blood Guard punched the wall.
Wan Yue was in dormancy, and Zhao Peng was just a newly advanced baron for a few months. Was that Jiang Yao really that formidable?
Han Jieli surveyed the numerous injured, his expression calm: “Hyacinth has probably lost most of its people by now, right? Where is Meng Gou?”
The support team for Team Tao went to the fire escape on the fifth floor.
The Blood Guard sat down to one side, rubbed his body for a long time, only to realize he hadn’t brought any cigarettes, and thus pointed irritably in a direction.
“Chief Han, unidentified vehicles are breaching the blockade!”
Suddenly, Han Jieli’s shoulder communicator emitted an urgent call.
Breaching the blockade… Alright, I understand. Notify all blocking units not to use lethal weapons; I’m coming down immediately!
Han Jieli paused, and just two seconds later, something suddenly struck him, and he quickly turned to walk towards the stairwell.
…
On the mountain road leading into the heart of Longling Mountain, it resembled a swarm of bees, with SUVs racing frantically.
A hundred meters back, police vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and military light assault vehicles followed closely, several of various specifications.
In the driver’s seat, Xiao Guo’s face was pale as she gripped the steering wheel tightly, the gas pedal nearly floored.
In the passenger seat, Jiang Yan, clad in Hyacinth’s gray and black combat uniform, leaned half-awake against the seat, her breathing ragged.
“Yan Jie, don’t scare me… don’t scare me!”
Feeling the faint and weak breath from her companion, along with that weak and chaotic pheromone, Xiao Guo began to cry.
“Replace him…”
Jiang Yan, half-closing her eyes, murmured softly, the chasing lights reflected in the rearview mirror dancing within her red-and-white pupils.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan seemed to regain clarity, her body straightening as her eyes widened, fixated on the road ahead.
“Xiao Yao’s boiling blood has disappeared… Xiao Guo, accelerate now!”
At that moment, Jiang Yan paying no heed to Xiao Guo’s crumbling emotions, began to check her gear as if preparing for a routine field drill, swift and composed.
Finally, around the bend ahead, a wide array of lights appeared; it was the headlights of over twenty special armored vehicles forming a blanket of white light, akin to a giant blocking Jiang Yan’s path.
“Yan Jie, why did you come here? Why!”
Xiao Guo was incoherent, crying and shouting.
The SUV slammed to a halt, the heavy chassis spinning on the ground, its tires producing billowing smoke and releasing a burning smell.
Jiang Yan jumped out of the car, radiating a fierce aura, and charged towards the defensive line formed by the Dark Arrow convoy.
Countless blood-melting anesthetic rounds shot in from all directions, the black-haired girl weaving through the hail of bullets like a shadow, her focus solely on the distant dark building of Hyacinth Manor.
The inherent high mobility of Caucasian bloodlines, combined with the fluidity of the Altai bloodlines, equipped Jiang Yan with unprecedented explosiveness and maneuverability, allowing her to breach the first armored vehicle blockade in mere seconds.
As the second line of defense formed from dozens of special bulletproof shields pressed upon her, the anesthetic smoke bombs she carried detonated nearby.
The dark, boiling aura, tinged with bloodlust, swept across both Xuanjia and Blood Dragon teams, rendering any soldier unable to withstand the deluge of murderous pheromones unleashed by her.
Under violent impact, several knights of the Blood Dragon team were flung away, either knocked unconscious on the spot or collapsing to the ground, vomiting blood incessantly.
The Blood Guard also rushed in; with a single strike, his arm was broken, then Jiang Yan, gripping his ankle, smashed him against a nearby Dongfeng Mengshi assault vehicle like a plaything.
In the Blood Guard’s mind, a memory he would never forget began to surface.
That was over half a month ago, when Fujiwara Koushan transformed into a Frankenstein-like monster, emanating a willingness to consume all life on earth. And this was even more intense.
“Withdraw… Retreat!”
Before losing consciousness, the Blood Guard used up all his strength to shout his last command. His gradually fading vision reflected the shadow of the girl, akin to a black death.
“Could it be I guessed wrong… No, I won’t believe it!”
Han Jieli stood outside the command vehicle, gazing at the battlefield beset with casualties, widening his eyes and clenching his fists.
In the square of Hyacinth Manor, the Dark Arrow troops retreated like a tide, forging a fan-shaped encirclement; within a radius of thirty meters, no one dared to take the lead.
A few more anesthetic smoke bombs landed within the encirclement, and amidst the dispersing pale smoke, Jiang Yan knelt on the ground, gasping heavily.
“Xiao Yao…”
The boiling blood aura on Jiang Yan extinguished, her eyes once again misting over, her hand reaching out, tremblingly pointing towards the building.
The black-haired girl’s face began to exhibit dark, veiny patterns as her neck visibly developed a large area of festering wounds.
Not far away, Xiao Guo was also struck by several blood-melting anesthetic rounds and was captured by nylon nets shot from multiple net guns, losing her ability to resist.
“Xiao Yan!”
From a sixth-floor window of the manor building, Little Ai leaned out halfway, crying loudly.
“Prepare!”
Han Jieli took a deep breath and raised one hand.
Dozens of weapons simultaneously aimed at the black-haired girl within the encircled area; as soon as Han Jieli’s arm fell, the Dark Arrow troops would lie in wait to execute her, already disadvantaged.
Han Jieli wasn’t sure if he had misjudged, but facing the on the verge of breakdown queen before him, he had no choice.
A tall, black figure rushed in from the direction of the building, right hand gripping a shimmering silver dagger.
The tall Dark Arrow warrior entered the encirclement, and the impending metallic storm he was about to unleash was abruptly halted.
Jiang Yan propped herself up, drawing out her dagger from her side, swaying unsteadily, coldly gazing at the new challenger.
The tall man before her was covered in an all-encompassing combat suit, with a diving mask-like helmet obscuring his face, preventing her from seeing what he looked like.
“小瑶, 我来救你……”
Jiang Yan coughed up a mouthful of blood, forced a bitter smile, and struggled to step closer to the tall Dark Arrow warrior.
Without her boiling blood, Jiang Yan’s attacks felt incredibly weak. The towering warrior merely tilted slightly to the side, dodging her approach.
Jiang Yan attempted slow, retaliatory slashes; her dagger was blocked by her opponent.
In that moment, Jiang Yan resembled a sickly child futilely confronting a strong adult.
The tall warrior grabbed Jiang Yan’s right hand, rendering her incapable of further attacks.
“Let go of me…”
Jiang Yan continued striking at the chest of the tall warrior with her left hand, even lowering her head to bite down on his arm. Unfortunately, her pitiful strength posed no threat against the special protective gear.
The tall warrior pressed down on the neck area, a faint hissing sound following afterward as the sealed helmet was removed, revealing a delicate, boyish face.
“Ha ha… you lied to me…”
Jiang Yan finally caught sight of his face; tears streamed down her face, and the dagger in her right hand fell to the ground, her left hand beginning to claw at his chest and neck.
Meng Huai tightly gripped Jiang Yan’s right hand, offering no resistance as her left fingernails scratched his face, unyielding, eyes filled with confusion and pain.
“Meng Huai, just let me die…”
Jiang Yan’s body went limp, collapsing against Meng Huai, slowly sliding down.
Meng Huai lifted Jiang Yan’s body, turning to walk towards Han Jieli, while the surrounding Dark Arrow officers stepped aside.
Gently placing Jiang Yan’s body down on the rear side of the command vehicle, Meng Huai approached the dazed Han Jieli, offering a slight smile, suddenly pulling out a handgun from the side of his thigh, and pressing it against Han Jieli’s head.
The sudden turn of events left everyone befuddled; after a few seconds of collective dumbfoundedness, dozens of weapons once again aimed at Meng Huai.
“Let them go, release Jiang Yao.”
Meng Huai glanced at the human wall dozens of meters away, his expression unchanged.
“Brother Meng, it isn’t a matter of whether I have the authority…”
“Release Jiang Yao!” Meng Huai shouted angrily, his expression fierce, voice piercing, for Han Jieli was the last male heir of the Han family, ready to trade his life for Jiang Yao!
“Ha ha, that won’t happen; I’m just a member of Dark Arrow.”
Han Jieli replied with a faint smile, his emotions surprisingly stable, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
“Chief Han, Instructor Tu, the latest command from headquarters!”
A communications officer trembled as he leaned halfway out of the command vehicle: “The Chief of Staff and Commander Han have jointly issued to cease operation, cease operation!”
Time appeared to freeze; whether it was the members of the customs probing out of the mansion building, or the tight encirclement of Dark Arrow soldiers, silence enveloped them.
Brother Meng, I bet right!
Haha! I bet right!
Han Jieli suddenly laughed, frenziedly waving his arms and shouting.
…
In the manor building, sixth floor.
In the corridor, Little Ai and the others erupted in cheers, everyone overjoyed, embracing one another.
Inside the room, Xiao Dong turned her head, somewhat bewildered by the sudden celebratory atmosphere outside.
At the head of the bed, Xiao Dong rolled over, her eyelashes fluttering again, and a few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes, a smug smile on her lips.
The medical machines, which had been clamoring for over two hours, suddenly fell silent, as if collectively losing power.
“Ugh, what a mess; what kind of drugs did you all use? You’re going to wear me out…”
Wan Yue sat up, stretching her arms, loosening her alluring waist as though she had merely taken a light afternoon nap.
Xiao Dong’s body stiffened; she gradually turned around, staring in a daze at the beautiful woman in front of her, her mouth gaping open.
Wan Jie… wow!
Xiao Dong’s throat tightened, and she directly lunged toward Wan Yue, bursting into tears.
