Under One Person, Engage in Black Technology

Chapter 212 Engaging the Enemy
Qiu Rang's sigh seemed to swirl in the cool air, like a withered leaf, heavy with dew, slowly drifting into the streets and alleys of Biyou Village.

The rest of the people here could all be considered 'village cadres', and although his sighing was somewhat disrespectful, it was still acceptable.

After all, he was under a lot of pressure.

The melancholy contained in that sigh was not an empty emotion without reason; rather, it was like cotton wool soaked in water, a sigh with substance, weighing heavily on the heart—all because the contrast in the scene of Biyou Village these past few days was simply too glaring.

A few days ago, how glorious was Biyou Village? With twelve people of superior spiritual cultivation presiding over it, its power was truly formidable. Not to mention ordinary extraordinary people, even the "temporary worker" team of "All-Knowing" with their bizarre and superb skills had to put away some of their arrogance when they came to the village.

The two sides clashed, and the superior strength of the upper class forced the company's group to act like the snake demon in "Calabash Brothers," not daring to confront them head-on. They could only rely on exploiting loopholes and setting traps to barely lure and defeat the twelve people one by one.

But now?

Let's start with Zhuge Qing and Fu Rong. These two pulled a last-minute defection, leaving their belongings behind and using the slogan of "for love and credit" to join "Great Future," temporarily becoming company members. Biyou Village wasn't a "concentration camp" to begin with; the rule of free movement was set by Village Chief Ma. Although it was a bit strange, there was nothing to say about it.

As for Master Zhao Guizhen, he got what he asked for and met a tragic end. Although the people of Biyou Village didn't understand why the company was targeting this person specifically, they saw that Village Chief Ma remained silent the next day, so they had some idea of ​​what was going on and stopped caring.

Ding Ziheng is even more of a figure to be reckoned with. He used to be able to dart across the treetops on the tips of leaves, his legwork as swift as the wind. Now, however, he can only sit in a wheelchair, lamenting the passing of his unrequited love, Fu Rong. It's heartbreaking to see him like this.

Perhaps in the game world, the word 'wheelchair' represents the answer to a problem, signifying power. But the real world is not a game, and Zi Huan is not the 'cold-blooded' character from the Four Great Constables. A martial arts expert sitting in a wheelchair is almost equivalent to 'losing his fighting ability'.

As for Chen Duo, although she's still alive, she's practically a traitorous ninja. During the fierce battle between Biyou Village and Nadutong yesterday, she spent the entire night shirking her duties—as the root of the problem. That detached attitude is infuriating to think about now.

When Qiu Rang thought of this, he couldn't help but look at the old locust tree at the entrance of the village again, and felt that the summer wind was as cool as the autumn wind.

His idea was actually quite normal. In the huge Biyou Village, four of the twelve people with advanced aptitude had graduated overnight, leaving only eight people.

Of the remaining eight, Master Bi was never good at fighting, and the Ghost Needle technique, supposedly capable of both healing and injuring, was completely irrelevant to a seventy- or eighty-year-old barefoot doctor like him; as for Ding Ziheng, he was in a wheelchair, and in a real fight, he would probably be less effective than an ordinary person.
After this screening, only six people can actually be considered as combat-ready.

Therefore, Qiu Rang's plan to send three people with superior roots, including himself, to investigate the situation was hardly an underestimation of the enemy.

After all, Biyou Village is currently like a bag of six cloves of garlic. Throwing out all six might be safe, but what about the village's safety? Yesterday, in order to protect the village, Village Chief Ma lost his magic weapon and also took several vicious blows from the enemy. He is currently recuperating in the village chief's room. Who will guard him?

Therefore, after much deliberation, Qiu Rang had no choice but to take a risky step – sending three cloves of garlic, including himself, to scout out the situation.

The reason why Deputy Village Chief Qiu ultimately chose to take Zhang Kun and Zhong Xiaolong along was partly due to their superior agility and movement, but considering the current situation, it was largely because there was no one else available...

Thinking of this, Qiu Rang couldn't help but sigh again, feeling as if something was blocking his heart.

'Twelve people! In just one night, the village has fallen into such dire straits.'

But as lamentable as it may be, life goes on, just like the sun always rises. Although it is certainly unpleasant to be taken advantage of or kicked when you are down when you are weak, you still have to deal with it for the sake of the village's stability.

……

Just as Wang Zhenqiu said yesterday, when extraordinary people cultivate, they will temper their minds in every way due to the hardships of cultivation, and Qiu Rang, as someone who is not so gifted, has naturally experienced such tempering as well.

So, although he was a little 'sad', it only lasted for about ten breaths before Qiu Rang came to his senses.

He pulled a slightly worn pouch from his pocket, tracing the rough texture of the pouch's opening with his fingertips, and silently prayed, "I hope this borrowed item will come in handy..."

After Zhang Kun and Zhong Xiaolong learned a little about the situation from Master Bi, Qiu Rang selected four or five more "elite disciples of Biyou Village" whose protective magic weapons were still intact and whose skills were still quite agile.

Upon hearing the news, these young people rushed over and stood there, each clutching a mass-produced magical artifact from the village. Their faces were obscured due to their habit of wearing masks, but they still stood tall.

Seeing that they were in good spirits, Qiu Rang patted them on the shoulder and said, "Very good, very energetic!"

Then he began arranging preparations for the departure. He had each member of the "short march" carry a small bag on their waist, containing several hard, solid cornbread buns that would surely stave off hunger. In addition, each of them also carried a small gourd filled with well water, just in case.

After preparations were completed, Qiu Rang took the lead and led the group out of the village.

Under his instructions, the team hadn't gone far when Zhang Kun broke away from the group.

The earth-walking immortal took a breath of air into his mouth, puffed out his cheeks slightly, and with a burst of strength, he leaped into the ground with a "whoosh," leaving only a shallow pit, which was quickly filled with loose soil blown in by the wind.

For the rest of the journey, Zhang Kun burrowed into the soil like a fish. Unless absolutely necessary, he would only emerge to catch his breath in areas with dense vegetation—the intricate root system acted as a natural barrier, concealing his figure.

Qiu ordered Zhang Kun to do this for two reasons. First, the ability of the 'Earth Immortal' was best suited for hiding, to prevent the team from being ambushed and wiped out by someone jumping out of the bushes. Second, if a real fight broke out, his hidden figure might be able to serve as a surprise weapon, delivering a fatal blow to the enemy from underground.

The group from Biyou Village didn't walk fast, maintaining only a 'fast walking' pace. For a team entirely composed of superhumans, this amount of physical exertion was practically negligible.

Perhaps everyone knew that another fight might be about to break out, so no one, including Shang Genqi, spoke. Only the sound of footsteps rustling on the dewy grass could be heard.

After walking for about thirty minutes, the terrain ahead gradually rose, and a faint buzzing sound could be heard, making people feel uneasy and anxious. When everyone looked up, they saw a small hill ahead, covered with an alarming number of bees. A dark mass of bees hovered and flew in the air, and the buzzing sound was so loud that it made their eardrums vibrate. Just by looking at this, they knew that something was definitely not normal.

Upon seeing this, Qiu Rang took out a specially made pair of goggles from his pocket and put them on. These were the goggles for controlling the [mechanical flying insects]. After he put them on, a faint red halo immediately appeared on the lenses.

He squinted and adjusted the focus, carefully observing the movements on the slope. After a moment, he raised his hand to stop everyone and said softly, "Stop."

……

This place in your province is always foggy. Although it was already noon, the fog around the hillside had not yet dissipated. It was like a layer of damp cotton wool wrapped around the grass and trees, weighing down the leaves and making the moss shiny. You could hear a "slippery" sound when you stepped on it.

The "short march" group from Biyou Village are supernatural beings, not gods. If they really charge up from this place, and the enemy ambushes them from the side or rear, it will be difficult for them to escape, and they might be wiped out.

Biyou Village has been severely weakened by the "All-Knowing" gang, making every single "ready-to-fight" member extremely valuable. Qiu Rang brought these elite disciples not to actually fight, but to maintain appearances and facilitate timely communication via mobile phone. How could he bear to let them risk their lives in such a place?

Seeing that the terrain was unfavorable, Deputy Village Chief Qiu looked around again, his eyes sweeping over the rocks and bushes that were faintly visible in the mist, and finally chose the gentlest-looking path to go around it.

About four or five minutes later, the group from Biyou Village, who had gone in a big circle, finally managed to slowly climb up the hillside.

At that moment, the bees suddenly stopped flying, as if drawn by something invisible, and gathered together in one place—and finally all landed on one person.

The man stood atop the slope, his clothes almost completely obscured by yellow and black bees. From a distance, he resembled a moving beehive, the buzzing sound emanating from him sending chills down one's spine.

Even his face was completely obscured by the crawling bees, leaving only a small gap around his eyes, through which only a tiny bit of his pupils could be vaguely seen.

Looking at his posture, he stood as straight as a pole, facing directly at the group from Biyou Village, clearly waiting for Qiu to bring them up.

Just then, a natural breeze blew from the direction of the "beeman," carrying an overly sweet fragrance, as if a whole jar of honey had been poured into the wind.

The villagers of Biyou Village subconsciously focused their Qi on their noses and wrinkled their noses, but they did not feel anything unusual. However, the sweetness in their nasal cavity was so strong that it was nauseating and even made them feel a little dizzy.

Once the wind subsided, Qiu Rang took a few deep breaths and took the opportunity to keep an eye on the bee-man, secretly matching the name to the person in his mind.

He pondered, as the saying goes, good fortune never comes in pairs, but misfortunes never come singly. No matter how skilled the other party was at beekeeping, they couldn't possibly be more ruthless than Old Meng, the "plague messenger" from yesterday. To think they could defeat so many of them in a direct confrontation here? Pure wishful thinking; they were probably planning some underhanded tricks.

Moreover, when he sent flying insects to scout earlier, he clearly saw four or five strange people besides this bee-man, but now he couldn't even see a shadow of them, and didn't know where they were hiding.

He thought to himself, 'There are plenty of fools in this world, but before you're sure someone is a fool, it's best not to actually assume they are.'

'First, find...the others.'

Yesterday, I fought with Na Du Tong, and Qiu Rang lost a lot of magical artifacts, but fortunately, this goggle was not damaged.

Using the farsightedness of his glasses, he scanned the surrounding grass and rock crevices again and quickly noticed something was wrong—in some places the grass was pressed down too firmly, not like it had fallen naturally, but rather like someone had squatted there and pressed it down.

Meanwhile, some of the flying insects that Qiu Rang released when he climbed the hillside also gave him a clue through their eyepieces—there was someone hiding there.

As if sensing Qiu Rang's fleeting gaze, the bee-covered old man suddenly spoke. His voice, muffled yet clear, came through the buzzing of the bees: "Come out, all of you. They've already spotted you and have been staring right at you. There's no point in hiding."

As soon as he finished speaking, a rustling sound came from the four hiding places on the slope, and four people jumped out one after another.

They were dressed in all sorts of different styles. These days, even the supernatural are fashionable. At first glance, you can't tell their school or background, but you can recognize the brand names they wear. One person is wearing limited edition Yeezy sneakers, another has the Hermès logo on his jacket, and yet another is carrying a travel bag, looking like an outdoor enthusiast.

Of course, the guy wearing Hermès, at least in Qiu Rang's opinion, had a jacket that looked a bit fake. As a wealthy young master in the real world, Qiu Rang certainly had that kind of discernment; after all, that guy's jacket looked far too 'durable'.

The only person on the other side who could reveal any useful information was a man dressed in a rather ancient style. He carried a Bagua mirror in his hand, its surface polished to a shine, reflecting the faint light from the mist. The man stood there, his expression serene, his breathing long and even; it was clear at a glance that he was a sorcerer who cultivated inner vision.

After regaining his composure, Qiu Rang took half a step forward and asked the five uninvited guests, "Who are you?"

But after he asked the question, no one answered for a long time. Finally, the old bee covered in bees spoke up, but instead of answering Qiu Rang's question, he asked in return, "Is this all the people you've sent?"

The 'Honey Elder' paused, as if counting people, and then said, "Six? No... no, it should be eight. Where's the other one?"

"Yes, I remember now... Luo Rong, find out who the 'Earth Immortal' is!"

As soon as he spoke, the person in the opposing team who had the Bagua mirror immediately used the Qimen Dunjia technique to stabilize the central palace, and then raised his hand to form a hand seal, with a wisp of brown Qi light flashing at his fingertips.

With a muffled boom, the ground suddenly cracked open, and a ten-meter-long earthen dragon burst forth from the earth, its scales clearly visible, its fangs bared, and its claws gripping Zhang Kun, who was lurking underground.

(End of this chapter)