Chapter 5, The Mysterious Old Witch

It is unclear why the scar-faced man's stern expression suddenly relaxed a bit at this moment, yet he still said: "The initiative is no longer in your hands; you lack the ability to guarantee his safety."

"Is it better to boast later? What exactly is your purpose for entering this uninhabited zone? Is it really just for a soldier?" Scarface squinted his eyes and said

This blow was quite heavy, and Lu Yufan lay on the ground gasping for breath for a while before he barely managed to sit up. He sneered, "Damn it, if you have the guts, give me back my gun. I don't need much, just five bullets are enough to take you all down."

I have this ability

He nodded calmly and said: "I do not wish to cause trouble, so I will do my best to avoid harming you. However, at this moment, I cannot allow you to leave. Let us understand each other and maintain a harmonious atmosphere for mutual benefit, shall we?"

As the wizard danced, I discovered a new situation: he had bells on his ankles and wrists, both in shape and sound identical to the bells hanging from the corpse at the entrance of the black pine forest. I was immediately shocked; could this be the person who wrote the "warning slogan"?

If you cannot even ensure your own safety, how can you guarantee the safety of others

The scar-faced man looked at him with some surprise and said, "So you came here for me, is that right?"

At this point, everyone's emotions had stabilized. We were all fellow wanderers in this vast world, yet the old wizard, seeing us feasting on bear meat, transformed his sinister and cruel expression into a smile that sent shivers down our spines, asking each of us: "Is the bear meat fragrant? Is it delicious?" Everyone regarded him as insane, and no one paid him any attention.

How does one survive in such a place

The scar-faced man exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a sneer, "Why do I feel like the one being threatened by a gun is me" Upon finishing his sentence, his subordinates burst into laughter

Alright, to celebrate our acquaintance through conflict, there happens to be a roasted bear outside the forest. Let us not waste this grand feast with wine and meat.

As I watched him grinning menacingly and raising the knife to slash at Lu Yufan's face, despite my mind being in a haze, I still shouted, "Don't make a move, I will tell you about this mission." I wanted to stand up, but my legs were completely powerless; after struggling a few times, I gave up. I then saw the scar-faced figure, looking somewhat dazed, walk up to me and say, "Now speak, what are you all doing here?"

Just as we were enjoying our meal, a white shadow suddenly darted out from the forest and, like a flash of lightning, plunged into the crowd. It turned out to be an adult male wolf, which bit down hard on the shoulder of the scar-faced man and began to tear at him. Immediately, several more wild wolves sprang out from the woods, closing in in an instant. There was no time to draw our guns; we could only confront them with knives or even firewood. We found ourselves caught in the middle, yet we were spared from harm, though our weapons had been taken away, leaving us unable to assist them. Soon after, several more wild wolves emerged from the forest, closing in rapidly. There was no time to shoot; we could only defend ourselves with knives or even firewood. We were caught in the middle, yet we were spared from harm, though our weapons had been taken away, leaving us unable to assist them.

"Alright, we are here to take you back. You are safe now." I saw that he was just a child, and I used words to stabilize his emotions; this is also a psychological encouragement method used during special rescue operations for those being rescued.

Damn it, if you have the guts, go ahead and take me down; otherwise, I will definitely take you down. Lu Yufan is quite tough; at this point, he is even angrier than the scar-faced man.

Listening to my words, he laughed heartily and said, "There really is someone who understands reason." After saying this, he made a gesture, and two mercenaries brought a person in front of me. At this moment, my consciousness had returned, and I could clearly see that this person was not tall, very thin, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a face still full of youthful innocence, essentially just a half-grown child. He looked at me with a face full of fear, seemingly on the verge of tears.

"It is just to mess with your mother," Lu Yufan said while holding his stomach.

I truly did not expect that we would capture a prisoner right at the beginning of the mission; we were indeed too careless

Although I had eaten a generation of compressed biscuits and chocolate, my stomach was still growling with hunger. I had long wanted to feast, so a group of people went outside the forest and began to share this steaming roasted bear meat.

Where are our people? Hand him over

Yes, my name is Lu Xusheng

I immediately dismissed my thoughts, for a habitable area must possess numerous factors, none of which are present here. There are only three things: white-haired winds, blizzards, and black pine trees, and at most one more "specialty," which is the abundance of strange occurrences

We are here solely to search for the missing soldier. As long as you hand him over to us, we will withdraw immediately and will not interfere with your work

The old wizard jumped for half a day, then suddenly stopped with a stamp of his foot. He pointed his staff at us and chuckled, saying: "You people, intruding into the sacred realm of the gods, desecrating the divine woods, I will ensure that each of you meets a terrible end, with no return." His voice was sharp and piercing, like that of a night owl, sending chills down the spines of those who listened.

Just as I was preparing to take this opportunity to continue with some emotional appeals to encourage him to make the decision to release me, that ghostly old man suddenly let out a sharp scream, then raised the cane with the skull on top high above his head, jumping and dancing, mumbling something I couldn't understand. Yet, a thought struck me: could this be a wizard

He may have truly been "moved" by me, as he furrowed his brows for a long time without saying a word, and the noisy forest suddenly fell silent.

Due to my work, I often traverse some lofty mountains and have interacted with numerous indigenous people. Most of these individuals maintain a semblance of primitive living conditions, among which shamanic culture is particularly significant. In the eyes of these indigenous people, shamans are messengers who understand the realms of yin and yang. They can communicate directly with spirits and deities, conveying messages to the human world. However, the question arises: can anyone actually inhabit such a region as Baihezi, where the natural climate is extremely harsh?

I made an effort and tapped my head twice, saying: "Are you one of the five?"

"What exactly brings you here?" Gou Changqing asked

The scar-faced man drew a dagger from his boot and walked up to Lu Yufan, saying: "Let's see whether your mouth is tougher or my knife is."

I believe you will not harm us, because you are also a soldier. This military operation is not aimed at anyone; it is solely to search for our missing comrades. You also have comrades and should be able to understand our feelings. That punch surprisingly cleared my mind; every word I spoke was both heartfelt and reasonable, leaving him unable to refute it.

At the time of surrender, Gou Changqing, with a grim expression, asked: "Are you the group of mercenaries?"

Gou Changqing said coldly: "I."

The faint smile on the scarred face suddenly vanished, and his bull-like eyes glinted with menace as he said, "If you refuse to drink the toast, you will have to drink the penalty wine. Hold him down." Immediately, three strong young men rushed forward, grabbing Lu Yufan by the neck and pinning his arms, forcing him down into the snow. We instinctively wanted to rush over to help, but Lei Zhen was knocked unconscious by a rifle butt, and Gou Changqing was brutally kicked down into the snow. I also received a punch to the face, leaving me dizzy and falling to the ground.

The scar-faced man scrutinized the four of us in turn and asked, "Who among you is the leader?"

A mercenary raised his gun and aimed it at him, saying: "If I die a bad death, you will be the first to accompany me to the grave." In response to his threat, the old wizard merely let out an unpleasant "heh heh" laugh, seemingly not taking the man seriously at all. In a fit of anger, the mercenary pulled back the gun's bolt, ready to shoot, but the scar-faced man grasped the barrel of his gun and said: "Don't act recklessly, now is not the time." The mercenary, panting heavily, walked aside to smoke.

As soon as the words fell, the person who had pointed a gun at him turned the gun around and stabbed him hard in the stomach. Lu Yufan fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Gou Changqing and Lei Zhen immediately pointed at the scar-faced man and shouted angrily in unison, which led to more guns being aimed at the two of them

The scar-faced man calmly said: "You are not my superior, so do not speak to me in that tone. If you were the leader, you would have to ensure that your subordinates and we can coexist peacefully. If things escalate, it will be you who suffers the consequences." After a moment, he continued: "Since no one has raised any objections, I will take it that you all agree. This deal is now in effect." With that, he signaled, and everyone put away their guns. The missing young soldier also approached me, looking as if he was about to cry. I whispered to him: "In times like this, do not let yourself appear weak. You have the opportunity to speak about your comrades' experiences, but not now." He nodded, his expression filled with deep sorrow.

Lu Yufan said coldly: "The weather here is too cold, be careful that your mouth is wide open and your tongue gets frozen."