A border county town.
Its indigenous population numbered no more than a hundred thousand, yet it hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees, many hailing from a smaller northern nation, all displaced by war and forced to seek refuge in areas close to the Dragon Kingdom.
What had once been a relatively peaceful existence.
Was plunged into a nightmare overnight.
A band of Wuguo bandits stormed the county town the previous night, first driving away the local security forces, then commencing an all-night spree of arson, murder, and looting. The town had now fallen, transformed into hell.
"Son of a bitch!"
Leng Shao cursed instinctively.
"This is inhumane!"
Brother Shan exclaimed, his brow furrowed.
"Damn it, this must be the work of those Wuguo scum. Brother-in-law, I'll be your vanguard. We fight them on sight. Wuguo bandits are beasts, we don't need to hold back."
Young brother-in-law Lin Bin was equally agitated.
"Mm."
Ye Zixiao's expression turned icy as he ordered, "Tell the brothers to split into small teams for reconnaissance. If you spot any Wuguo bandits, signal immediately. I want to annihilate these scoundrels."
"Understood!"
"Disperse and seek the enemy. Watch out for snipers."
"Brothers, let's go!"
Leng Shao and Brother Shan immediately issued their commands.
The thousand-strong contingent split into ten teams, led by their respective captains, spreading out into the county town, which resembled a ruin, moving towards the sporadic sounds of gunfire.
Leng Shao's team moved the fastest.
Brother Shan's team was not far behind.
One hothead, one seemingly eccentric character; while they appeared unreliable in everyday life, in matters of great importance, these two were remarkably resolute. When it came to killing enemies, they never hesitated.
"Let's go!"
Ye Zixiao, with Lin Bin, Bai Ling'er, and over a dozen guards, advanced along the county town's main road. The bandit suppression operation commenced from this very moment.
Along the way.
Most houses had collapsed.
Along the way.
Bloody corpses were everywhere.
Not far off, a large pit was filled with bodies. Several children, aged five or six, were searching for their families. Their cries had grown hoarse, yet they continued to weep.
"Mommy, I want Mommy!"
"I'm scared, wahhhh!"
"Daddy, Daddy, where are you?"
"Wuwuwu, wuwuwu..."
The plaintive cries of the children deeply pained Ye Zixiao. Even the usually flippant Lin Bin and the mischievous Bai Ling'er were moved to tears by the sight.
"So pitiful!"
Bai Ling'er, tears streaming down her face, asked the soldiers for some food and called the children out of the pit. She led them into a dilapidated house and shared the food with them.
"My darlings, you must be good and stay here quietly. Don't shout or make noise. Big sister will go find your parents for you, okay?" Bai Ling'er coaxed them gently.
The children nodded repeatedly. They likely didn't realize their parents were already dead. They ate the food greedily, and a glimmer of hope appeared on their dirty little faces.
The children truly believed.
This sister could bring back their parents.
However, Bai Ling'er knew all too well that these children's families were likely gone forever. The only recourse now was for the children to hide and await rescue from the Dragon Kingdom's army.
Before the Dragon Kingdom's army arrived.
The Wuguo bandits would surely flee.
Therefore, Ye Zixiao's thousand-strong force could not afford to care for these unfortunate children. They had to quickly locate the main bandit force and annihilate them, avenging these pitiable souls.
Continuing forward...
Along both sides of the street, in dilapidated houses, small heads occasionally peeked out, or the eyes of the elderly appeared vacant. Most of the young people were already corpses!
The eastern district of the county town.
An area with intact buildings.
Approximately a thousand Wuguo bandit soldiers had temporarily set up camp here. The camp was filled with carousing soldiers, many with women in their arms.
These women were all refugees from the town.
To survive, they dared not resist.
One woman, in her nervousness, accidentally spilled a soldier's drink. The soldier then pressed her head to the ground and ground it with his military boot. The woman screamed in agonizing pain.
"Hahaha, how amusing."
"Damn it, can't you not hurt her face?"
"It's the same without a face!"
"Drink up, hurry and drink!"
A dozen soldiers, gathered together, laughed heartily while drinking as they watched the tortured woman. In their eyes, these refugees were not even human.
The male refugees were directly massacred.
The female refugees became playthings.
The Wuguo bandit soldiers fully displayed their perverted nature. They had not had their fill of killing after a night, and they continued to torment and kill any woman deemed unattractive as a game.
In the camp.
Women's screams were everywhere!
No one pitied them.
The only response was laughter.
Inside the building.
A burly, broad-shouldered man was crudely putting on his pants. On the bed opposite him lay the corpses of two women. They had been tortured for a long time and had ultimately failed to escape death.
"Master Hu, are you satisfied?"
A lackey rushed in and asked with a smile.
"Damn it, they're all like utility poles, no fun at all. Go, find me some who can dance, preferably those with some flair. I've had a bit to drink and can continue."
The coarse man spoke like a beast.
His name was Shan Hu, an officer of the Wuguo's largest private armed force, the Mountain Cat Legion. Shan Hu was known for his cruelty, especially towards women; his methods were no longer human!
Inside the building.
Women's corpses were everywhere.
Some officers were even engaged in group activities. They were like a pack of demons, killing refugees all night without feeling tired or weary. They were drunk, continuing to extinguish their humanity...
About a hundred meters away from the building.
Two men were crouched on a rooftop.
One was Leng Shao, the other Brother Shan. After splitting up, both men had almost simultaneously discovered the enemy's main base and quickly converged, climbing onto the rooftop to observe the situation.
"Son of a bitch!"
Leng Shao gritted his teeth and whispered furiously, "Those Wuguo bandits are not human at all, they're worse than beasts. Xiao Shan, I can't hold back anymore. I'm going to go finish them."
"Leng Shao, be careful first. We only have two hundred men, and the enemy has at least a thousand. Plus, there are so many captives being held. If we attack rashly, we might endanger innocent lives."
Chief of Staff Brother Shan remained relatively calm.
"Quick, notify Brother Xiao."
"Alright!"
Brother Shan immediately called Ye Zixiao.
Two kilometers away from the enemy base, Ye Zixiao was wiping blood from a child's face. He subconsciously answered the phone and asked, "What, have you found them?"
"Brother Xiao, we've found them. The enemy numbers over a thousand. They're drinking and tormenting the refugee women. Leng Shao wants to attack directly. Do you have any orders?" Brother Shan's voice was hurried.
"Bastards!"
Ye Zixiao's rage flared. After a pause, he ordered, "Notify all teams to surround the enemy first. I will be the vanguard this time. I will personally charge in and chop up these mongrels."
"Yes!"
Brother Shan hung up the phone.
He then immediately contacted the other fraternal units.
About half an hour later, the Ye family army, dispersed throughout the small county town, cautiously advanced from all directions according to the coordinates provided by Brother Shan, finally reaching their encircling positions.
Ye Zixiao was also very close.
Inside the enemy camp, within the building, after downing a bottle of white wine, Shan Hu brought two newly captured women into the room where corpses lay on the bed, intending to continue his bestial acts.
This wretch, worse than an animal.
Had completely lost all humanity!