Urban Martial Saint

Captain Feng was also taken aback as he looked at the place Ye Qing pointed to and said, ”Mr. Ye, pardon my bluntness. First, they said they didn’t want to see police. If Cheng Shuang goes over, it might provoke them and lead to innocent hostages being killed. Second, that cliff is thirty meters from the top to the bottom, and you can’t see anything from below. How could they possibly hide at the bottom of that cliff?”

Ye Qing said in a low voice, ”They’re not hiding at the bottom of the cliff. My worry is that they’ll use this route to escape!”

”What kind of joke is this?” Captain Feng scoffed. ”Do you think they have wings and can fly down from here?”

”What if they use ropes?” Ye Qing countered.

”This…” Captain Feng was momentarily speechless; he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

”I’ll dispatch men right away!” Without hesitation, Zhao Chengshuang was ready to head out.

”Wait!” Ye Qing pulled him back and said seriously, ”Remember, once your men are in position, surround them from afar and under no circumstances approach the cliff!”

”Why?” Zhao Chengshuang asked curiously.

”If you get too close, wouldn’t the mercenaries spot you?” Captain Feng said.

”Exactly!” Zhao Chengshuang slapped his thigh and responded quickly, ”I got it. I’ll expand the perimeter as much as possible and make sure they don’t notice us!”

Watching Zhao Chengshuang depart, Ye Qing scratched his head. He wasn’t actually worried about the mercenaries spotting Zhao Chengshuang. After all, in the pitch-black night, looking down from Wang Yue Pavilion was just darkness—you couldn’t see anything below. Ye Qing wasn’t concerned about proximity; he was actually worried about something else.

Captain Feng obviously didn’t know what Ye Qing was thinking. He stared at the map and said, ”Following your logic, that means the mercenaries are definitely still there. At this point, the key is finding them first, isn’t it?”

Ye Qing gave Captain Feng a glance and said in a low voice, ”We’ll adapt once we’re there. Time is running out, Captain Feng. I need you to bring your men and come with me!”

Although Captain Feng wasn’t happy, he had no choice but to follow Ye Qing—it was, after all, an order from Zhao Chengshuang’s father.

Meanwhile, Black Bear and King of Explosives got ready and joined Ye Qing in a vehicle. Captain Feng’s team of Special Forces boarded another vehicle, forming a convoy with one car leading and another following, heading straight for Wang Yue Pavilion. As for Zhao Chengshuang, he was following Ye Qing’s instructions, deploying personnel beneath the cliff to establish a perimeter.

Inside the vehicle, Black Bear was in the driver’s seat while King of Explosives fiddled with two black beads in the back. Those beads looked plain, but even Ye Qing didn’t dare touch them lightly. They were extremely potent bombs. If detonated, everyone in the car would be done for. King of Explosives had plenty more deadly explosives hidden on him, perfectly living up to his nickname!

”Ye brothers, that Captain Feng… I feel like he’s more of a liability than an asset,” King of Explosives said quietly.

Ye Qing nodded slightly and replied in a low voice, ”They’ve only experienced drills, not real battles—they lack proper combat experience.”

”This isn’t just about lack of experience. He’s all talk, overconfident in theory without any practical application!” King of Explosives scoffed. ”His methods won’t work against the Toxic Eel Mercenary Corps. These guys have strong anti-reconnaissance skills; regular scouts won’t be able to track them. Ye brothers, you’ll need to keep an eye on this lot and make sure they don’t mess things up!”

Ye Qing said nothing. He had already noticed the issues King of Explosives pointed out. Still, given Captain Feng’s personality, Ye Qing knew he had little control over him. For now, Ye Qing only hoped Feng wouldn’t cause trouble—anything beyond that would be a blessing!

As Ye Qing kept silent, Black Bear, who was driving, suddenly sighed and said, ”If only Eagle Eye, Green Wolf, and Toad were here, this would be much easier!”

Hearing this, Ye Qing couldn’t help but sigh as well. Back on the border, his old team of Special Forces had truly seen it all in combat. If they were here, handling the Toxic Eel Mercenaries would be a walk in the park. With his team in place, they could have crushed the mercenaries during the first engagement itself.

But now, only Ye Qing and Black Bear were present. Ye Qing, as the strategic leader, excelled at planning, while Black Bear was best at close-quarters combat. However, they lacked key roles for scouting and long-range support. This battle would be somewhat challenging. Thankfully, King of Explosives was here to share the load, alleviating some of the pressure.

After approximately 45 minutes, Ye Qing and the team reached the base of Wang Yue Pavilion’s mountain. Ye Qing didn’t proceed directly up the mountain but stopped in a small grove two kilometers away from the mountain base.

Captain Feng’s team was following behind in their vehicle. Seeing Ye Qing abruptly stop, Captain Feng immediately got out of his car and asked suspiciously, ”Why did you stop? Did the car break down?”

Ye Qing waved him off, stepped out of the car, and approached him, speaking in a low voice, ”If we keep driving forward, the mercenaries might have scouts stationed nearby. It’s better to go on foot—the vehicles are too conspicuous. Also, your men shouldn’t follow me. They don’t know you’re coming to assist, and if they spot you, they might kill the hostages in retaliation!”

Captain Feng scoffed, ”Then why don’t you wait here while we go settle them and rescue the hostages ourselves?”

Ye Qing felt exasperated and replied, ”Captain Feng, these mercenaries are cunning. Locating their exact position won’t be easy. I believe we shouldn’t rush in blindly. The best strategy is to lure them out first.”

”Lure them out? How?” Captain Feng asked, glaring. ”Don’t tell me we wait here for them to come to us? Stop joking around. If we wait for them to come, those hostages might already be dead!”

Ye Qing shook his head and explained, ”No, not wait for them. I’ll go alone. If they see me approaching, they might reveal themselves, giving us a chance to strike.”

Black Bear immediately objected, ”Captain, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone. Let me come with you!”

”Not necessary!” Ye Qing waved him off and said, ”They’re after me. If you come along, it might ruin the plan!”

Captain Feng and his men exchanged glances, scratching their heads. Feng asked incredulously, ”You… You’re saying you want to go alone to Wang Yue Pavilion and lure them out? Mr. Ye, are you insane? Going alone to Wang Yue Pavilion is basically suicide! They have guns—how many lives do you have?”

”Don’t worry about me; I have my ways.” Ye Qing looked at Captain Feng seriously and continued, ”The critical part is you. After I lure them out, it’s crucial that you neutralize them as quickly as possible. So I need you to secure the best attack positions before I reach Wang Yue Pavilion.”

”The best attack positions? What do you mean?” Captain Feng asked, puzzled.

Ye Qing took out a map and marked a few spots in red. ”These positions are the best places for an assault. The mercenaries are unlikely to hide there, but these spots allow you to reach the battlefield quickest. Just make sure you’re there before I arrive at Wang Yue Pavilion.”

Captain Feng examined the positions and frowned, ”These are the best attack spots? How do you know no one is stationed there? How are we supposed to reach the battlefield quickly if they’re hiding far away? If we guess wrong, how do we attack effectively?”

Ye Qing responded, ”Around Wang Yue Pavilion are areas that are easy to defend but hard to attack. If you were the mercenaries, would you hide in exposed places or fortified ones? These spots are relatively exposed, making them unlikely places for skilled mercenaries to hide. Plus, these locations are strategically positioned near potential hiding spots, ensuring quick access to the battlefield if a fight breaks out.”

Ye Qing pointed to the map and elaborated as Captain Feng scrutinized the positions. Reluctantly, Captain Feng admitted Ye Qing’s reasoning made sense. Still, he felt annoyed—he hadn’t seen through these nuances, but Ye Qing had, making him feel incompetent.

”This is all theoretical; battlefield conditions change constantly. Who knows if you’re actually right?” Captain Feng grumbled. ”If you’re wrong, it won’t just cost hostage lives—it could jeopardize my men as well!”

”Follow my plan, and it won’t be wrong!” Ye Qing said confidently.

”That’s bold talk!” Captain Feng mocked, ”What if you’re wrong? What then?”

Ye Qing sighed inwardly. Dealing with someone like Feng really was exhausting.

”Captain Feng, Cheng Shuang made it clear earlier: you’re here to follow my orders!” Ye Qing said firmly. ”And now I’m telling you this is a direct order—you must lead your men to those positions before I reach Wang Yue Pavilion!”

Captain Feng glared at Ye Qing angrily but couldn’t argue back. Orders were orders, and as soldiers, they couldn’t defy military commands.

Captain Feng took several deep breaths, forcing down his anger and replied in a low voice, ”Alright, we’ll follow your orders. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—if your plan fails, Mr. Ye, you’ll be the one taking the blame!”