Celestial Human Diagram-Chapter 148 - 132: Raid

Chen Chuan looked toward the other sentry tower. He saw the man there was still standing, but his expression was stiff. He immediately knew Ren Xiaotian had succeeded on his end as well.

He looked down from the watchtower and flashed his flashlight outward twice. At the same moment, Ren Xiaotian in the opposite sentry tower also sent a signal.

Wei Chang’an and Cai Si had already snuck close by. Seeing that the others had succeeded, they boldly climbed up and, one on the left and one on the right, easily dispatched the two guards at the gate posts.

Just then, Chen Chuan noticed something. He glanced down and saw a two-man patrol team rounding a corner from one side, holding a flashlight. Seeing them from above, he signaled down below with his hand and flashed his flashlight twice to the side.

Wei Chang’an understood at once. He dropped low, instantly disappearing from sight. A moment later, just as the patrol reached the corner, Wei Chang’an suddenly emerged from the shadows. He reached out and squeezed their necks, then, lifting both men, he walked a few steps forward around the bend before tossing them aside.

’Clean,’ Chen Chuan thought.

At about the same time, the patrol on the other side was also found and quickly cleaned up by Cai Si.

Chen Chuan could tell that the guards here weren’t very vigilant; they seemed extremely lax.

This was actually quite normal. Daily skirmishes in the wilderness were fought with guns and crossbows, with little in the way of physical combat. As long as the camp entrance was secure, it was nearly impossible for anyone to sneak past the heavily trapped outer perimeter undetected. Besides, these men were bandits, not soldiers; they naturally lacked any strict discipline.

After all the patrols were dealt with, Wei Chang’an stepped out and signaled outwards with his flashlight. The rest of the team waiting outside then streamed through the main gate and into the camp.

Chen Chuan then scanned his surroundings. Not far from the bandit’s corpse lay a modified rifle and a crossbow. He thought for a moment, picked up the rifle, inspected it, and slung it over his back before climbing down from the sentry tower.

Once he was on the ground, Ren Xiaotian walked over. "There were two men sleeping in the car. They’ve been taken care of."

Chen Chuan nodded. He hadn’t expected anyone to be sleeping in the car; it was impossible to tell from the outside. ’Senior Brother Ren is as reliable as ever,’ he thought.

He thought for a moment. "Senior Brother Ren, I’ll have to trouble you to take some men and watch the rear."

There was a road behind the camp. If attacked, the bandits would likely try to escape that way. He’d only be at ease with Ren Xiaotian guarding it.

Ren Xiaotian said, "Leave it to me." After a brief discussion, he took two of the men Wei Chang’an had brought and left the camp to block the bandits’ escape route.

After clearing the outer sentry posts, Chen Chuan had everyone spread out and begin moving into the camp’s interior.

Although there were many tents, new and old, scattered widely apart, telling if they were occupied was actually quite simple. Most of the occupied tents had a lamp hanging inside, or at the very least, a cable running into them.

Chen Chuan walked to the entrance of a barracks tent and immediately sensed three breathing patterns inside. Two of them were whispering to each other.

He listened for a while and realized they were just two grunts. Their conversation was about how much they’d get after this job was done and where they’d go to have fun. Eight or nine out of every ten sentences were curses, mixed with some incomprehensible slang, likely a holdover from the Maka language.

He slowly lifted the tent flap and entered. His steps were light and his movements relaxed and natural, so the men inside initially thought a companion was walking in. By the time they saw him clearly and looks of terror appeared on their faces, he was already in front of them. He gently pressed down on their heads, and they collapsed backward without a sound.

The last person in the tent was lying down, engrossed in a pin-up magazine, completely unaware of the movement beside him.

Chen Chuan walked over, flicked his foot out, and lightly tapped the man on the side of the head with his toe. The man’s hands immediately went limp, and the magazine fell onto his face. Chen Chuan then walked out, calmly heading toward another lit tent.

As he walked, he could hear faint, short, and subtle grunts and thuds from his surroundings. The others were also in motion.

At that very moment, in one of the innermost tents, a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes. He stood up, stuck a short club behind his back, and walked out holding a coiled whip in his right hand.

Not far from him was the largest barracks in the entire camp. Inside, the leader, Mi Tai, known as "Desolate Eagle," was speaking with his second-in-command, You’an, "the Poisonous Snake," while holding a translated telegram.

"The exchange delegation might be moving out tomorrow, so they want us at the rendezvous point tomorrow as well."

You’an said in surprise, "Tomorrow? Wasn’t the day after tomorrow the agreed-upon date? Besides, aren’t they being watched by the people from Yangzhi City? Can they even get away?"

Mi Tai said, "The telegram says that someone in Maka Country contacted a high-ranking official in Dashun. They’re putting pressure on the Yangzhi City Administrative Affairs Hall. Moving it up by a day won’t be hard. If all goes well, we can set out with the boys tomorrow to meet them."

At this, he put down the telegram. "As long as we deliver the goods, we’ll gain fame and status for this achievement. The boys won’t have to fight and die in the wasteland anymore."

You’an, however, was unconvinced. "Boss, it’s the same everywhere. Aren’t we just being dogs for the higher-ups? But since we’re the same people, maybe they’ll throw us a bigger piece of meat?"

Mi Tai said, "Don’t be so pessimistic. If we can get this thing back, we’ll be heroes to the Maka People. Once we have a reputation, they’ll have to treat us with a little more respect."

You’an said, "Out here, you’re the boss. Back there, you’ll be a nobody."

Mi Tai pointed to his chest and said in a low voice, "I grew up in the wilderness. Very few make it to my age. I can feel it. If I keep going like this, I don’t know when, but I’ll die in some corner. It will be a worthless death, and no one will ever know.

But if I go back, no matter what I do, it’ll be for my country. Even if I die, at least I’ll leave a name behind."

You’an said, "Alright. I’ve said it before: since it’s your decision, Boss, I’ll follow you to the end. You saved my life, after all."

Mi Tai clapped him on the shoulder. "Brother, get the other thing ready too, just in case."

You’an’s eyes flickered. "Boss, are you worried they’ll burn the bridge after crossing it?"

Mi Tai said in a low voice, "If they don’t make good on their promise, we’ll have something to threaten them with. It’s unlikely they’d do that, but we have to be prepared."

You’an said, "Don’t worry, Boss. I’ve had it ready for a while. But it’s best if we don’t have to go that far. Otherwise, even if you go back, Boss, you’ll have made some powerful enemies."

Just then, a voice came from the guard at the barracks entrance. "Who’s there?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Mi Tai was instantly on alert. He drew his gun, and he and You’an split up, moving to the entrance. He peeked out cautiously and saw a tall, middle-aged Maka man, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the whip in the man’s hand and asked, "Qi Sai Duma, what are you doing out here?"

Qi Sai looked outside and said, "There are people in the camp."

Mi Tai was shocked. His eyes darted back and forth a few times. He was decisive. He immediately took out a whistle and blew it forcefully. In an instant, the entire camp was jolted awake.

When they heard the sharp, successive whistle blasts coming from deeper within the camp, Chen Chuan and his team immediately knew they had been discovered.

Seeing that they were discovered, they stopped holding back. They immediately took out Smoke Bombs and threw them toward the centermost area of the camp. Plumes of smoke instantly billowed up within the camp.

The devices were extremely effective. Caught in a sudden attack with their vision obscured, the bandits in the camp panicked and fell into chaos.

The bandits knew they were under attack and had been infiltrated. Unsure how many assailants there were, some panicked, raised their guns, and started firing wildly while shouting at the top of their lungs, as if afraid no one would know where they were.

Chen Chuan’s side didn’t hesitate, returning fire from all directions.

Mi Tai heard the sound of Datuo-style rifles and saw the relatively rare Smoke Bombs. He couldn’t help but feel a jolt of alarm and said anxiously, "Could it be those greyhounds from Yangzhi City? Have we been exposed?"

You’an was calmer. He listened carefully. "Five or six guns at most. It’s probably not the Patrol Bureau. It could be a commission company. The style fits, too—sneaking in without anyone noticing."

Mi Tai swore. "A commission company? Could it be about that shipment we hijacked last time?"

You’an said with a grim face, "I don’t know. Boss, I’ll go check the rear. We can’t let them cut off our escape."

Mi Tai said, "Good," and squeezed his shoulder hard. "Brother, I’m counting on you for the rear!" You’an immediately waved his hand, gathering a few men at the entrance and rushing toward the back.

At this moment, the middle-aged man named Qi Sai walked out step by step. Mi Tai saw him but didn’t stop him. He felt both admiration and a bit of fear for this man from Maka Country who had been sent to instruct them in Fighting Skills.

Outside, Luo Kaiyuan listened for the source of the shouts and gunshots. He suddenly raised his rifle and pressed the trigger, and a man fell. He quickly left his position, simultaneously pulling the bolt, ejecting the shell casing, and pushing a new round into the chamber. Then, after a moment of identification, he fired again, and another man fell instantly.

Feng Xiaochi had never used a gun, so he was self-aware enough to hide in a concealed corner and fire secretly with his crossbow. This way, whether he hit or missed, he wouldn’t give away his position.

As for Wei Chang’an, he was a veteran. He found a spot with good cover and carefully searched for targets. His Spear Technique was also quite good; whenever he fired, he was sure to hit his mark.

But just as he fired another shot, he suddenly felt a sense of danger. He rolled aside, just in time to see the shadow of a whip lash past where he’d been hiding. CRACK! It split the sturdy barricade. The force of the wind rushing past him made his skin sting.

While rolling, he fired a shot back into the smoke, but there was no sound from that direction.

He then crouched in place without moving, holding his gun with both hands and aiming forward. His grip was perfectly steady, his gaze focused and calm.

After a few breaths, he suddenly snapped his head to the side and threw his body sideways, firing two quick shots in the process. BANG! BANG! Despite his quick dodge, a thin bloody line appeared on his cheek, stinging painfully.

After completing the roll, he dodged to the other side, narrowly and somewhat clumsily avoiding another lash of the whip. He was sure his shot had hit the target, but the person was unharmed. This meant his assailant must be wearing Protective Clothing.

Just when he thought things were looking bad, the attacks suddenly stopped.

He looked up and could make out a tall, powerful, but not bulky figure. Just then, the person suddenly swatted a hand out, deflecting a Crossbow Arrow aimed at their head. But just as this person was about to continue toward Wei Chang’an, they suddenly froze and looked in a different direction.

At the other end of the passage, Chen Chuan was walking over. As he walked, he tossed aside the rifle in his hand, its magazine now empty. He then took the Snow Monarch Blade from his back and thrust its scabbard into the ground. As he stepped forward, he slowly drew the blade free.

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