Chapter 12: Encirclement and Slaughter
Wang Jie’s gaze was cold. Two men gripped his arms, escorting him like a prisoner. If they had been outside the base, these people would have been long dead.
However, the current situation in the base was too complicated. He could only endure it, hoping that none of his acquaintances would see him in this state.
A battalion of a hundred men gathered outside the eastern gate of Golden Hill Base. A section of the area was cordoned off, with strict orders that no one was to disturb them.
Wang Jie and Gray Claw were both brought here.
Gray Claw was deemed unqualified and was immediately eliminated. Wang Jie assumed he would share the same fate—after all, he had only displayed the strength of two seals. However, a man from the Zhao Clan insisted that he was a Guide, further accusing him of leading the Zhao hunting team to their doom at the hands of the Moon Plant. Based on this, they speculated that he might have the ability to locate the creature’s lair.
It was utter nonsense, but even so, Wang Jie found himself temporarily detained.
The hunt for the Moon Plant was of utmost importance. Any possible contribution, no matter how small, would be taken seriously.
To Wang Jie, this was nothing but misfortune.
He deliberately found a quiet corner to stay out of sight.
More and more people arrived. Before long, he saw Lian Fei leading a group from Southern Base, her expression grim. Clearly, she wasn’t here by choice either.
Then came the men from Leading Pillar Group. Wang Jie glanced at the middle-aged man being treated with excessive courtesy and quickly looked away.
The gathering had grown to over sixty people.
That night, Wang Jie was forced to sleep in the camp. By dawn, Feng Yu arrived, bringing another captain with her—a rugged man with a cigar between his lips, exuding an air of menace.
An hour later, Hong Sword appeared, accompanied by Flame Four.
Hong Sword’s arrival signaled their imminent departure.
And Wang Jie was brought before him.
He was speechless. They were actually taking him seriously.
“You were the one leading the Zhao Clan’s hunting team when they were devoured by the Moon Plant?” Hong Sword scrutinized Wang Jie as he spoke.
Standing behind Hong Sword, Feng Yu was surprised to run into Wang Jie again so soon. This man was relentless—constantly venturing into the wilderness. His luck was unbelievable.
Wang Jie sighed. “I only guided them to a campsite. How could I have known the Moon Plant would emerge right there?”
Hong Sword said simply, “Take us to that place.”
Wang Jie had no choice but to lead the way.
“Captain, a Moon Plant rarely appears in the same location twice,” Feng Yu pointed out.
“I just want to see why the Zhao Clan’s six-seal expert failed to escape with their young master,” Hong Sword replied. “With the commotion a Moon Plant creates, even if he couldn’t save the young master, he should have survived.”
“You suspect foul play?” Feng Yu glanced at Wang Jie’s back, recalling the mysterious figure in the ruined house that day.
Hong Sword shook his head. “We’ll see soon enough.”
Flame Four didn’t question the route. Officially, Hong Sword was in command. Having recovered from his injuries, he was now back to his peak—both were at the seven-seal level, and it was uncertain who was stronger.
The warriors from Golden Hill Base clearly preferred to follow Hong Sword’s lead.
Since Wang Jie was guiding them, he was naturally placed at the front.
The Southern Base warriors quickly recognized him. More than one of them had seen him before.
“Miss, it’s him! He’s the one who sent out the fake signal, tricking us into battling the mutant vines. We lost a brother because of it and were forced to enter Golden Hill Base,” a young man whispered into Lian Fei’s ear.
Lian Fei’s eyes turned icy as she glared at Wang Jie. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him get away with this.”
The land before them was a vast ruin. A colossal pit gaped open, unfathomably deep. The surrounding area was in utter devastation—not a single intact patch of ground remained. This was the site where the Moon Plant had devoured the Zhao Clan’s team that night.
Wang Jie stepped onto a fragment of metal plating—a piece of a destroyed armored vehicle.
“This is the place.”
Hong Sword ordered his men to survey the area. The warriors from the Zhao Clan searched in silence, their faces etched with sorrow, looking for any traces of their lost comrades.
That night had been chaotic—the Beast Tide had struck Golden Hill Base, leaving them no time to send reinforcements. By the time they searched the area the following day, just like now, there was nothing left.
Wang Jie kept his distance.
The Zhao Clan warrior who had dragged him here had merely done so out of frustration. He didn’t truly believe Wang Jie had caused their young master’s death—after all, Wang Jie didn’t have that kind of strength.
Only Feng Yu kept glancing at Wang Jie.
He had avoided Hu Guan’s trap, a scheme that should have been a guaranteed death sentence from the Southern Base. Then, he had survived the Moon Plant’s attack. A coincidence? His luck was a little too good.
The search yielded nothing.
As night fell, the Moon Plant’s location remained elusive. Hong Sword gave the order to camp nearby and wait.
Wait for the Moon Plant to emerge.
Another full moon hung in the sky.
Wang Jie looked up. Every full moon brought slaughter and death.
Behind him, footsteps approached—the warriors from the Southern Base. Lian Fei was leading them.
Wang Jie met her gaze.
They had met once before, but last time, she hadn’t recognized him.
“Why did you deceive us?” the young man behind Lian Fei demanded, his voice filled with icy fury.
Wang Jie glanced around, feigning fear. “You better not try anything here. This is Golden Hill Base, not Southern Base.”
“I asked you, why did you deceive us?!” the young man barked, his voice louder this time, drawing attention.
Feng Yu also arrived. Hearing this, her brow furrowed.
So, he really had activated the signal device where Hu Guan had told him to. He hadn’t lied to her.
That meant the man in the ruined house that night wasn’t him.
As more people turned to look, she chose to walk away.
Wang Jie swallowed nervously, his face filled with panic. “I didn’t mean to. At that time, I happened to be in that area by accident. I was just looking for a place to hide, but then I was attacked by a mutated plant. I thought I wouldn’t be able to escape, so I tried to lure you all here. I never expected there to be cultivators fighting nearby. They ended up drawing the mutated plant away. But by then, my signal device was already activated, so…”
The young man’s fury erupted as he stepped forward, grabbing Wang Jie by the collar and glaring at him with a deathly intensity. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? Because of you, we had no choice but to enter Golden Hill Base, no choice but to take part in this damned siege. Even if we sold your entire family, it wouldn’t be enough to make up for these losses!”
Wang Jie’s face turned pale as he was thrown onto the ground, hitting the dirt with a heavy thud.
Lian Fei coldly fixed her gaze on him, a white ruler appearing in her hand, emanating a chilling murderous intent.
No one dared to intervene.
In this era, death was all too common. Lian Fei and her group were not weaklings, and no one would stand in their way.
Just as she was about to strike, a figure appeared and halted her hand.
“He’s just a small-time guide. There’s no need for Young Miss Lian to dirty her hands,” the newcomer said.
It was the middle-aged man from Leading Pillar Group.
Lian Fei and the others turned in surprise. “Uncle Wu?”
The man nodded to her with a smile. “Didn’t expect to run into you at such a distant Golden Hill Base. I assume you’re here chasing Hu Guan?”
Lian Fei nodded. “That bastard dared to steal the Hibiscus Tears. He will die without a corpse left behind.”
“And what does that have to do with this one?” Wu Fei asked.
Lian Fei briefly explained the situation.
Wu Fei glanced at Wang Jie, then back at Lian Fei. “You aren’t from Golden Hill Base, yet you joined the Hundred-Man Siege against the Moon Plant. Killing someone now would create unnecessary trouble.”
Lian Fei understood but frowned. “But letting him live is a hard pill to swallow.”
Wu Fei smiled faintly. “Do you think he can survive the Moon Plant siege?”
Lian Fei looked at Wang Jie and pondered for a moment before nodding. “I understand now. Thank you, Uncle Wu.” With that, she turned to leave but couldn’t help but glance back at the middle-aged man curiously. “What connection does he have with Leading Pillar Group?”
She wasn’t stupid. No one helped another for no reason, and Wu Fei certainly wasn’t the type to consider her feelings.
“He was one of the many orphans we rescued,” Wu Fei said simply. “Back then, I was the one who brought them to Golden Hill Base.”
Lian Fei nodded thoughtfully and left.
Leading Pillar Group had helped countless people during the early days of the apocalypse. It was said that before the fall, they specialized in logistics and transportation, boasting over a million employees and the most extensive transport routes. When the world fell into chaos, they used their resources to rise to the top, becoming an unstoppable force.
Even now, they continued rescuing orphans and doing what good they could. No one knew exactly how many they had saved.
Judging by Wang Jie’s age, it made sense.
Once Lian Fei and her group left, Wang Jie slowly got up, dusting off his clothes. He glanced at Wu Fei.
“Long time no see, Uncle Wu.”
Wu Fei studied him for a long moment but said nothing before turning and walking away.
Wang Jie lowered his gaze, patting off the last of the dust to conceal the complex emotions in his eyes.
At the edge of a massive crater, Hong Sword and Flame Four stood in silence, ignoring the earlier commotion.
“That Leading Pillar Group you speak of, it’s the largest financial power on Blue Star, right? Then they must control the most Cataclysm Materials as well,” Flame Four asked.
Hong Sword shook his head. “They were the largest a few years ago. Whether that still holds true, I don’t know. The Five Major Bases are also collecting Cataclysm Materials now.”
Flame Four’s eyes glinted. “Even if they’re no longer number one, they can’t be far behind.”
Hong Sword changed the subject. “Today marks the fifth day. If we don’t kill the Moon Plant, what will happen?”
Flame Four’s voice was cold. “Then Golden Hill Base is finished.”
Hong Sword frowned. “The Moon Plant, Mutated Eagles, and more exist across various bases. This isn’t unique to Golden Hill Base.”
Flame Four was indifferent. “That’s not my concern. I’ve already told you everything you need to know. When the fifth day ends, if the Moon Plant isn’t slain, it will evolve. Along with it, so will every other mutated plant and creature. That is when the real Trial begins.”
“Whether you Blue Star people can survive this Trial, and how many of you will make it, depends on your fate.”
“I can help you, but only if you help me. Otherwise, even if you endure, you’ll all end up as war slaves.”
Hong Sword’s expression darkened.
The wilderness was eerily quiet—far more so than usual.
Wang Jie sensed it most. He had spent years traveling these lands, and as he lifted his palm, he could feel that even the Seal Power drifting in the air had changed.
The ground trembled.
From the north, the Moon Plant erupted from beneath the earth, stretching toward the moonlight, growing taller and taller.
Hong Sword immediately gave the order.
“Move out!”
The Moon Plant had appeared.
Every gaze turned sharp, filled with either apprehension or fear. But none could retreat. This was the strongest mutated plant outside Golden Hill Base, and it had to die.
Hong Sword had led several sieges against the Moon Plant before. Without hesitation, he commanded:
“First group, ranged attacks! Position yourselves directly in front of it! Don’t retreat! No matter what happens, keep attacking! Never stop!”
“Second and third groups, flank it! Restrict the movement of its branches and leaves!”
Captain Big Beard and Captain Feng Yu, both Six Seal warriors, led these groups.
As for Hong Sword himself, Flame Four, Wu Fei, and the other Six Seal experts, they would charge directly for the plant’s core—the monstrous head lined with razor-sharp teeth.
“Remember!” Hong Sword’s voice was ice-cold. “No one retreats! We only advance! Anyone who dares step back—death without mercy!”
“Kill!”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation