One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Nie Lingfeng walked over, his eyes cold as he looked at the three incapacitated Japanese ninjas on the ground. These ninjas were clearly a professional reconnaissance/assassination team, lurking here not only to ambush them, but also likely to capture prisoners or gather intelligence. It seemed that other forces had also noticed their movements and had begun clearing the area.

Just as he was pondering how to deal with the ninjas, Erzhuang's urgent voice suddenly came through his earpiece: "Watch out! To the northeast, about 300 meters away, there are four rapidly moving heat sources approaching! They're moving very fast, they're not ordinary people! To the southwest, about 200 meters away, there are two more! They might have been alerted by the fight just now!"

Nie Lingfeng's eyes narrowed, and he made a decisive decision: "Clean up the traces, take this poisoned person with you, knock the other two unconscious and leave them here, we're leaving immediately! Chu Lan!"

"Understood!" Zhang Chulan replied, his eyes darting around as a plan suddenly formed in his mind. He first used his Qi to shatter the two fallen shuriken, then quickly walked to the ninja who had been poisoned by Chen Duo, bent down, and rummaged through his body a few times, pulling out a wallet-like object containing some Japanese yen, identification documents, and a miniature communicator. He picked up the communicator, pressed the call button, then pinched his nose and shouted into the communicator in extremely fluent Japanese with a slight Kansai accent, speaking rapidly and angrily:

"Moshi moshi! This is 'Kagemaru'! We've been ambushed by a powerful, unidentified enemy! They appear to be elite members of the 'Snowfield Fang' from the Bear Kingdom! They used some kind of powerful paralyzing toxin and bizarre martial arts techniques! We've lost two men! Again, ambushed by the 'Snowfield Fang'! Requesting backup! Location:..."

He gave a general location, which was a little south of where they were now, then smashed the communicator on the ground and kicked a nearby pebble to create the illusion of a fight and chaos.

After doing all this, Zhang Chulan grinned at the stunned crowd and said quickly in a low voice in Chinese, "Fram the Russians! Let them fight like dogs! Let's go!"

A hint of approval flashed in Nie Lingfeng's eyes. This kid certainly has a lot of clever ideas! Without further hesitation, he gestured to Chen Duo. Chen Duo moved her finger, and the poisoned ninja twitched, falling into a deep coma. Nie Lingfeng lifted him up with one hand, carrying him under his arm like a chick.

"Withdraw! Follow the backup route, heading towards the chemical plant, full speed ahead!"

Without further hesitation, everyone quickly left the scene and disappeared into the vast snowy night, following the route re-planned by Erzhuang. Only two knocked-out Sakura ninjas were left behind, along with deliberately created "evidence" pointing to "Bear Country's 'Snowfield Fang'".

Less than a minute after they left, several figures darted into the area from different directions like cheetahs. Four of them, dressed in white snow camouflage suits, were tall and had fierce eyes; they were members of the "Snowfield Fangs" from the Bear Kingdom. The other two, wearing black bodysuits and moving elusively, were infiltrators from the "Freedom Vanguard" from the Eagle Kingdom.

Upon meeting, both sides paused for a moment, then immediately and warily distanced themselves, pointing their weapons at each other.

The leader of "Fangs of the Snowfield," a bald, burly man with a face covered in hideous scars, glanced at the unconscious Sakura ninja on the ground and the shattered communicator, and growled in broken English, "You did this?"

The two members of "Freedom Vanguard" exchanged a glance. One of them shrugged and replied in fluent English, "We just arrived. Looks like someone got here faster than us, and... they're trying to cause us some trouble."

The scarred, burly man's face was grim. He crouched down to examine the injuries of the two Sakura ninjas, then glanced at the signs of a "fierce fight" and the indicative "evidence" around him. He sneered, "A clumsy trick. But it's good that the Sakura scum is dead." He stood up and waved to his companion, "Let's go! To the chemical plant! We can't let that bastard Bald Bear and the other rats get there first!"

The members of "Snowfield Fang" quickly left. The two members of "Freedom Vanguard" looked thoughtfully in the direction they left, then glanced at the ninja on the ground.

"Interesting... It seems that besides us, there are at least two other groups that have their eyes on this place. One group killed the Sakura people and framed the Russians. The other group... is it the Russians themselves, or someone else?" one of them said in a low voice, his voice distorted through his mask.

"Whoever it is, the target is the missile. Follow them and act accordingly," the other man said coldly. The two figures flashed and disappeared into the darkness.

Meanwhile, hundreds of meters away, Nie Lingfeng and his group were lying in ambush on the roof of an abandoned factory, observing the relatively densely lit industrial area in the west of the city through night vision goggles.

"Erzhuang, how was the performance just now?" Zhang Chulan asked smugly in the channel.

"The effect is outstanding!" Erzhuang's voice was laced with laughter. "The Russians and the Americans met. The Russians really do believe that the Japanese were killed by the Americans or someone else, but they don't seem to believe it entirely. However, the seeds of conflict have been sown. The Americans seem more interested in the 'third group.' Also, there seems to be a little disruption in communications in Japan. They probably received a distress signal from 'Kagemaru,' hehe."

"Well done, Chu Lan," Nie Lingfeng rarely praised. This tactic of diverting trouble, though simple, often proved surprisingly effective in such chaotic situations. At the very least, it diverted some of their attention, creating even more chaos.

"However, you need to speed things up," Erzhuang said seriously. "I just detected a strong, brief electromagnetic pulse coming from the direction of the chemical plant. Then the low-frequency vibration signal disappeared for thirty seconds, and then reappeared, this time at a faster frequency! Also, Bald Bear's men are gathering at the chemical plant; there are quite a few of them, and they're carrying heavy weapons. Furthermore, small-scale riots and clashes have started in several parts of the city, seemingly between different factions. Uncle Gao and his men have also caused quite a stir on the border, and some of Bald Bear's men have been transferred there. The chemical plant's defenses are relatively weak now, making it a good opportunity to infiltrate!"

"Received. Lao Meng, how's it going on your end?"

"The first phase of 'gift' delivery is complete. Surveillance shows that several patrol teams near the target area have started to show symptoms of scratching and yawning, but it's not obvious yet," Lao Meng reported.

"Alright. We're ready to infiltrate the chemical plant. Erzhuang, plan the best route for us and shield us from surveillance. Lao Meng, once we're inside, if there's an opportunity, release the second phase of the 'gift' into the ventilation and water systems inside the chemical plant. The dosage can be larger."

"Understood!" they both replied simultaneously.

Nie Lingfeng looked towards the abandoned factory area in the distance, which lay like a steel behemoth in the darkness, where he could vaguely see scattered lights and the beams of patrolling flashlights. He took a deep breath of the cold air, his eyes sharp as knives.

"action!"

At 4:20 a.m., west of Ussuriysk, outside an abandoned chemical plant.

The massive, rusty factory wall stood like a silent giant in the night. The wall was high, with remnants of broken barbed wire still clinging to it. A few searchlights swept listlessly across the empty factory grounds and snow-covered roads, but clearly, the guards' focus lay elsewhere, deeper within.

Nie Lingfeng and the others crept silently against a section of the wall in the shade, like geckos. It was near an abandoned drain; the iron fence was rusted and damaged, leaving only a gap large enough for a person to crawl through, covered by thick snow and withered vines.

"This is it. Inside the walled area is the old warehouse area, with relatively few guards. Passing through the warehouse area leads to the main factory area. The vibration signal source is underground, and the entrance may be hidden in a workshop or office building. Note that there are a few mobile guards and fixed cameras inside. I have temporarily blocked the camera signals, but you will need to deal with the guards yourselves. Also, there may be residual toxic chemicals in some areas inside the chemical plant, so be careful." Erzhuang's voice clearly guided through the headset.

"Understood. Baby, clear the way," Nie Lingfeng whispered.

Feng Baobao nodded, and with the agility of a cat, she was the first to slip into the drain, landing silently. She cautiously surveyed her surroundings and gave a safe signal. The others followed in single file.

The abandoned warehouse area was piled high with rusty equipment and miscellaneous items, and the air was thick with a strange, mixed odor of rust, machine oil, and chemical reagents. The snow was much thinner here, and the ground was a potholed concrete surface. In the distance, the crunching of patrolling guards on the snow and the occasional conversations in heavily accented Russian could be heard.

"Two guards are approaching from the left passage. There's a fixed sentry at the right fork in the road, and he's dozing off. I suggest you take the middle path and go straight through, but watch out for the overhead beams," Erzhuang reported in real time.

Everyone held their breath, using the shadows and abandoned equipment as cover, quickly moving deeper into the factory area. Nie Lingfeng, carrying the unconscious Sakura ninja, moved without being hindered. Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu stood guard on either side, while Daoist Wang Ye calculated with his fingers, avoiding any remaining energy nodes that might trigger alarms. Chen Duo released several smaller Gu worms, like miniature drones, to scout further ahead.

After eliminating a few scattered, lone guards (Feng Baobao used the back of her knife, and Zhang Lingyu used Yin Lightning to paralyze them cleanly and efficiently), the group safely crossed the warehouse area and arrived at the edge of the main factory area. Here stood massive, long-dormant reaction towers, cracking furnaces, and a crisscrossing network of pipes, casting menacing shadows in the night. In the distance, a relatively intact five-story office building emitted a dense concentration of lights, with several SUVs parked in front and guards on duty.

"The source of the vibration signal is directly beneath that office building, at a depth of about twenty meters. There are at least thirty signs of life inside the building, distributed across different floors. There is a suspected sniper on the roof. The underground entrance should be inside the building, but we need to go inside to investigate its exact location," Erzhuang said.

"Twenty meters underground... It seems there's more to this chemical plant than meets the eye." Nie Lingfeng pondered. "We can't launch a direct assault. Bao Bao, Chu Lan, Ling Yu, the three of you, sneak up through the side pipes and maintenance ladders, eliminate the rooftop snipers and guards on the high ground, take control of the rooftop, and establish a perimeter. Wang Ye, Chen Duo, come in with me from the front. Duo'er, use your Gu to make the guards on the first floor 'quiet' for a while."

"Yes," the crowd responded in hushed tones.

Without uttering a sound, Feng Baobao vanished into the shadow of the massive pipes beside her, like a weightless ghost. Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu followed closely behind, the three of them using the intricate network of pipes and steel frames to silently make their way to the side of the office building.

Nie Lingfeng, Wang Ye, and Chen Duo approached the office building from the main entrance, using abandoned vehicles and bushes as cover. Chen Duo flicked her finger, and several almost invisible tiny flying insects, like dust blown by the wind, drifted leisurely towards the two guards who were smoking and chatting at the entrance of the office building.

A few seconds later, the two guards suddenly felt their eyelids grow incredibly heavy and their heads spin. Before they could react, their bodies went limp, and they slid against the wall to the ground, emitting soft snores. Chen Duo's Gu worms could not only kill, but also instantly induce a deep sleep.

"Done. The hypnotic gu will last for about half an hour," Chen Duo whispered.