Black Shark could already predict that Peng Bird had arrived and was lurking in the dark, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, but hadn’t launched an attack yet.
One reason was exactly like the rumors outside said: Peng Bird saw him using innocent people as human shields and had scruples, so he didn’t attack at the first mont. That fit the image of Peng Bird in the rumors.
The other reason was that Peng Bird and his people had burned a lot of stamina, and were now in the middle of recovering.
Next ca the problem, one Black Shark had to treat with extre caution.
If the other side really was recovering their strength, that was anything but good news for Black Shark.
If Peng Bird and the others returned to peak condition, it would be a disaster for Black Shark.
He’d lost so many n just to tire Peng Bird and the others out a little; if he let them recover to their original state, then with the pitiful strength he had left, how could he possibly be their match?
If it ca down to a head‑on fight, wouldn’t that be suicide?
"Lord Black Shark, what are you worried about?" Mahavi asked, his expression puzzled.
"We’re exhausted, but the enemy’s not much better off. While we’re resting, the enemy will also seize the ti to rest. When we clash again, we won’t have the confidence to disengage and run. They’ll definitely catch up, and then our fate will be grim." Black Shark’s gloomy assessnt wasn’t without reason.
"At this point, overthinking it is useless. We can only take it one step at a ti." Mahavi said helplessly, "What you said makes sense. We’ve lost so many n and fought so many engagents just to make the enemy burn a lot of stamina during their pursuit. If they recover faster while we’re resting, then once they attack or chase again, our disadvantage will be even more obvious."
He paused, then continued, "But there’s nothing we can do about it. The enemy is stronger than us; we have no choice but to admit that."
"I’m thinking about where the enemy will be waiting for us. It’s very possible they’re still in the direction they were chasing us from. But will they just stay behind us and keep up the chase?" Black Shark pondered, worried. "What if they appear along our escape route? Wouldn’t that be trouble?"
"We have to think this through. If we try to pull back and the enemy has already set up an ambush along our retreat route, we’ll be in serious danger." Mahavi’s face instantly tightened, turning extrely solemn.
"There are only so many ways out. We can only try to push out of these mountains. If we go deeper into the forest, that’s just asking to die." Black Shark knew there was danger ahead, but he still had to risk moving outward. Fantasizing about heading back into the forest ant giving up any hope of survival. Once the enemy spotted them, it would be a dead end.
Besides, Hawk had already arranged follow‑up support; Black Shark had to reach the designated rendezvous point.
Only then could he live. Any other option, no matter how he played it, wasn’t just risky—it was a road to certain death.
...
From a forested ridge in the distance, Ye Fan’s team of seven overlooked the village within their line of sight.
The village trampled by Black Shark and the others had beco a brutal, deathly place.
Corpses lay strewn across the ground.
The villagers who’d been tied up with ropes and used as living human shields were clearly visible in their sights.
Every innocent face was frozen in a twisted mix of hatred and terror. They could see that clearly, and that only made their anger burn hotter and their contempt for Black Shark’s cold‑blooded thods even deeper.
"Those beasts are too damn ruthless, actually going after ordinary innocents. They deserve to die." Zhang Lu cursed furiously.
Yang Shu and the others were seething as well. Even though this wasn’t on ho soil but inside D Country, and all the victims were D Country civilians, anyone with a conscience would feel pity and sympathy for the weak when faced with sothing like this.
Shen Tingting forced down her rage and killing intent and said unwillingly, "The enemy is hiding behind innocent villagers. We can’t see clearly what’s going on inside the houses; we can only make out a few signs of enemy movent."
"Instructor, what should we do next?" Zhang Kui asked. "If we launch an attack, we can definitely wipe them out and completely eliminate Black Shark’s last group. But if we do that, those innocent villagers will probably all die because of our sudden assault."
They couldn’t ignore that concern. Standing by while innocents suffered was hardly righteous or moral.
If those innocents died because of their attack—if the villagers were killed by Black Shark and the others as a result—then they would bla themselves. They weren’t cold and heartless like Black Shark’s people.
"The enemy has burned a lot of energy. Their stamina has taken a heavy hit; they’re definitely seizing this ti to rest and recover." Ye Fan said calmly, "We’ve also been fighting and chasing for a long ti. We’re tired to a degree too and need rest. We’ll take a breather. Once the enemy moves, we’ll make our move. It won’t be too late."
"Use stillness to control movent—let them move first, then we strike later and take the initiative. That’s a good approach." Qian Weiguo said. "We’ll stay hidden. Once they leave the village, they’re dead for sure."
They would wait for the enemy to act, wait for them to rest up and release the villagers, then make their move.
Ambushing the enemy on their retreat route would be the best option.
"Black Shark won’t retreat deeper into the forest. We’ll set up an ambush on the routes leading out of the mountains. Split into three teams, pick your ambush positions, and wait for them to bite." Ye Fan said matter‑of‑factly, "If Black Shark really does try to head deeper into the forest, then we’ll have plenty of ti to encircle and kill him."
"If that’s the plan, then let’s move." Zhang Lu said.
"If we do this, won’t it make the enemy suspicious?" Yang Shu frowned. "Rember, our current cover identities are killers. The instructor is Peng Bird, and we’re Peng Bird’s subordinates. We can’t act on emotion. If we back off and hesitate just because innocent villagers are in our way, doesn’t that expose us and prove we’re not real killers?"
That was indeed a flaw. How could a killer pass up such a great chance to finish off Black Shark?
They should ignore the villagers’ lives and seize the opportunity to hit Black Shark and get rid of him. That was what Peng Bird, by rights, should do.
"There’s definitely a chance they’ll get suspicious, but we’ll talk about that after we’ve set up along Black Shark’s retreat route." Ye Fan said indifferently, "When the ti cos, we’ll look for opportunities to shoot. As for innocent casualties—if they’re unavoidable, then they’re unavoidable."
PS: Still in the middle of a power outage. It’s already the next day. I did everything I could to get two Chapters out. Looks like there’ll be outages again in the next day or two. I’ll do my best to keep updates from breaking. Let’s go!
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