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The cavalry hoisted Da Biao onto the seat and jumped in, with Jia Jia quickly following suit.
In another vehicle, Da Fu Ge, Jiu Ye, and Fu Qinqin got in, and Cai Bi slammed down on the accelerator.
Lu Fei Fan also pressed the gas pedal, twisting open a hand grenade and tossing it into the box full of grenades before hurling it out of the car. With the pedal to the metal, the vehicle surged forward, reaching an incredible speed as the herd of boars was only about thirty meters behind them.
“Get down!”
The cavalry shouted.
Before the words had fully left their mouths, a deafening explosion erupted from behind!
Boom! Boom! Boom—
A massive fireball engulfed the herd of boars in front of them, and countless cries of agony echoed from the explosion's aftermath. The ground shook violently, and the explosions continued as an entire box of hand grenades detonated, at least momentarily halting the frenzied advance of the Arrowback Pig herd.
Lu Fei Fan and Cai Bi drove without a moment's hesitation, racing across the Gobi wilderness. A few boars were still in pursuit, with numerous arrow spikes whizzing past them; their projectile range was comparable to that of a compound bow.
Aside from Lu Fei Fan and Cai Bi at the wheel, everyone else in the vehicle continuously fired backward, taking down the nearest Arrowback Pigs that approached.
It wasn't until they had driven nearly twenty kilometers that they finally vanished from the pursuit of the herd.
“Stop!” The cavalry commanded.
Lu Fei Fan slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a sudden halt. Everyone instinctively lurched forward, while the cavalry dashed out ten meters before realizing that Cai Bi had stopped. Cai Bi quickly reversed back.
Finally steadying the vehicle, he was the first to jump out and rush forward.
"Quick, take a look," the horseman signaled for Cai Bi to check Da Biao's injuries.
Lu Fei Fan then noticed Da Biao's condition; his face was pale and he had already slipped into unconsciousness. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood, and several Arrow Spikes were embedded in his back!
Cai Bi pulled out the Arrow Spikes, dipped his fingers in the blood on them to examine it closely, even bringing it near his nose to smell.
"Lift him down and lay him on the ground," Cai Bi said gravely, then turned and ran to the nearby cart to retrieve his pack.
Everyone gathered around.
The horseman and Jia Jia carried Da Biao down while Fu Qinqin found a sleeping bag to lay on the ground. Each person's face was filled with anxiety and concern.
Lu Fei Fan wanted to ask what had happened in Shangu, why those Arrowback Pigs had chased them out.
However, the current atmosphere was not suitable for questions; after all, Da Biao's injuries looked life-threatening. At least Lu Fei Fan could guess this from Cai Bi's serious demeanor.
Cai Bi tore off Da Biao's clothing and quickly administered a strong antivenom serum to his arm, instructing Jia Jia and Captain to turn him over.
Da Biao's back was already darkened, the poison spreading like thick ink from the wounds of the Arrow Spikes.
"Da Biao really hit the jackpot," Cai Bi said, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he swiftly drew his dagger. He made cross cuts at the wounds, allowing the congealed blood to flow out.
When the blood that flowed out was no longer so dark, Cai Bi sucked a few mouthfuls and spat them out. Finally, Captain hurriedly handed him clean water to rinse his mouth.
Cai Bi rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a bottle of alcohol, pouring it over the wounds to cleanse them before starting to apply medicine.
"If he can make it through tonight, then everything will be fine. If not, then things will take a turn for the worse..." Cai Bi and Da Fu Ge worked together to bandage Da Biao's wounds, not daring to go any further.
"The serum we injected earlier..." Jiu Ye asked, holding onto a glimmer of hope.
"Let's treat this like a dead horse being used as a live one. We don't know if the serum will work. If it's snake venom, this serum might be more effective. But if it's from an Arrowback Pig, then we can only leave it to fate; its toxin is far stronger than that of the Crimson-eyed Serpent King." After finishing the bandaging, Cai Bi and Da Fu Ge, along with others, lifted Da Biao onto the vehicle.
With someone injured in the team, the atmosphere grew heavy and somber.
Da Biao's good nature had everyone in the team deep in thought. If it weren't for the captain ordering them to leave this place, the mood would have become even more oppressive.
The Special Operations Team temporarily found a spot to rest. Da Biao's injuries were not suitable for jostling around, and now the captain was discussing with Da Fu whether to return or continue with their mission, resulting in a moment of disagreement.
Fu Qinqin and Jia Jia went off to find water and food while Jiu Ye sat by the fire with a can he had brought along. He watched as Cai Bi periodically checked on Da Biao's condition; given the current situation, it seemed stable.
Close to the neighboring mountain range, the temperature seemed to drop suddenly. To maintain Da Biao's body temperature, they had no choice but to start a fire.
Lu Fei Fan sat next to Jiu Ye and handed him an old, battered can. Jiu Ye took it and sniffed—it was alcohol.
Not caring much about it, he took a swig, forcing himself to endure the burning sensation in his throat. Lu Fei Fan nudged him with his shoulder, signaling him not to push himself too hard, before he began drinking his own share in silence.
"I should have been the one injured," he suddenly said.
It turned out that their team had split into two groups upon entering Shangu. Da Biao was paired with Fu Qinqin and Jiu Ye while Jia Jia teamed up with Da Fu Ge and the horsemen. Initially, everything seemed fine as they ventured into Shangu, but they soon discovered three wrecked SUVs!
The vehicles were destroyed and lay scattered within Shangu. Beside them was a campsite that looked eerily chaotic, as if it had been suddenly attacked. They found six corpses that appeared to have been dead for some time.
It was as if they had been ambushed by some ferocious beast.
"Ambushed by a beast?" Lu Fei Fan thought it was not unusual in this wilderness. Could it have been the work of the Thunderfang Wolf?
"No, we examined those corpses. The fatal wounds on them were all gunshot wounds! They were shot in the head or the chest; these people were definitely killed at close range. The assailant was ruthless, and their marksmanship showed no mercy—just a straightforward execution," Jiu Ye shook his head and explained.
"Just as we were puzzled, a strange, piercing sound of static filled the camp, and then the first wave of scattered Arrowback Pig arrows came raining down. I saw some gold and silver ornaments on one of the corpses, so... later, Da Biao pushed me aside and took five poisoned arrows himself."
At this point, Jiu Ye seemed to feel quite uncomfortable, wishing he could have been the one injured. The bond of brotherhood made him feel guilty for not being able to protect his comrade on the battlefield.
If it weren't for his momentary greed back then, he wouldn't have dragged his brother into this mess.
"Then countless Arrowback Pigs surged in from all directions. We fought while retreating. We never expected there would be so many of them; that Shangu seemed like a pig den, filled with these beasts," Jiu Ye cursed under his breath.
"This feels almost like a trap," Lu Fei Fan sensed something amiss. He had no evidence, but from Jiu Ye's description of the scene, it was possible that those who had died were somehow connected to the Arrowback Pigs. Everything was just speculation in his mind without any proof to back it up.
After understanding what had happened with Shangu, Lu Fei Fan comforted Jiu Ye a few times. Now only Da Biao could pull through; otherwise, this guilt would follow Jiu Ye for a lifetime.
During lunch with the team, the horse team and Da Fu Ge, the two captains, seemed to have reached a decision regarding whether to continue the mission or send Da Biao back.
They unanimously decided to send someone back with Cai Bi to the base, but it wouldn't be a direct assignment; rather...
"I don't want to assign anyone because it feels unfair to everyone. We've decided to draw lots. No matter who it is—even if I draw the short straw—they will be responsible for taking Da Biao back to the base and ensuring his safety. Furthermore, if the Special Operations Team completes this mission, their earnings won't be deducted because they are responsible for escorting Da Biao back; they will still receive their bonuses according to the usual distribution," said the horse team leader before signaling Da Fu Ge to prepare for the drawing.
The method for drawing lots was simple: Da Fu Ge took eight bullets and marked one of them at the bottom. He then shuffled them up and stood them upright in a pile for the team members to draw from randomly.
Each person took a bullet, and in the end, only three bullets remained. Da Fu Ge, Lu Fei Fan, and the horse team had not yet taken theirs. The three exchanged glances and then, in perfect harmony, reached out to grab the nearest bullet in front of them at the same time.
Lu Fei Fan picked up his bullet and looked at the bottom...
"Who got it?" Da Fu Ge scanned the crowd, while the horse team also looked around. Clearly, they were not among the lucky two.
Everyone exchanged puzzled looks. Lu Fei Fan closed his eyes and touched his nose before slowly raising his hand.
"I have it." Lu Fei Fan handed his bullet to the horse team.
This left everyone momentarily stunned. The horse team glanced at the bullet Lu Fei Fan offered, noticing a distinct mark on its base—evidently, it was the two intersecting marks that Da Fu Ge had carved into the bullets earlier.
Da Fu Ge patted Lu Fei Fan on the shoulder. The horse team stared at him, unsure of how to respond.
"Captain, why don't you let me go back?" Jiu Ye volunteered, feeling responsible for Da Biao's injury.
"No."
But before the horse team could reply, Lu Fei Fan preemptively rejected Jiu Ye's suggestion.
"I'll go back instead," Lu Fei Fan said as he looked up at the horse team, having made up his mind.
Jiu Ye wanted to say something more, but the horse team gestured for him to hold off. Then he turned to Lu Fei Fan and asked seriously and cautiously once more.
"Are you sure?"
“Hmm.” Lu Fei Fan nodded, showing no intention of changing his mind.
“Alright.” The horse team also made their decision.
Then the horse team got up, allowing Jia Jia and Da Fu Ge to prepare a carriage for Lu Fei Fan, while Cai Bi secured Da Biao onto the vehicle.
Jiu Ye approached Lu Fei Fan again after the captain left, trying to persuade him.
“Zai, don’t be stubborn. The journey is so long; let me take Da Biao back instead.” Jiu Ye seemed quite worried.
“Don’t worry, I will safely deliver Da Biao to the base. I guarantee with my life and integrity that he will be fine.” Lu Fei Fan was confident because he had the 'Gods' Armor.' If any danger arose, he could simply carry Da Biao on his back and fly straight back; even an anti-air Ballistic Missile would likely struggle to intercept him.
Jiu Ye wanted to say something else, but Lu Fei Fan raised his hand to stop him.
“Trust me. No one is more suitable than I am,” Lu Fei Fan said.
Jiu Ye looked at Lu Fei Fan, seemingly still weighing the decision. This was not a moment for impulsiveness; it was a matter of Da Biao's life.
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