Chapter 012
Chapter 12: The Encirclement
Wang Jie’s gaze was cold as two figures gripped his arms, dragging him forward like a prisoner. If this were the wilderness, those men would have been dead by now.
But with the current situation at the base being so complicated, he had no choice but to endure. He could only hope none of his acquaintances saw him.
Outside the eastern gate of the base, the Hundred-Person Team had gathered. A designated area had been set up, and no one could interfere with the preparations.
Wang Jie and Grey Claw were both brought here.
Grey Claw, however, did not meet the required standards and was eliminated. Wang Jie expected the same for himself. After all, he had only demonstrated two seals to the outside world. But Zhao Clan’s man had called him a guide, and then, with the moon plant incident, they had attributed the responsibility to him, speculating that he might have the ability to track the moon plant’s movements.
Though it sounded like nonsense, Wang Jie was temporarily assigned to this task.
Eliminating the moon plant was the highest priority, and even the slightest contribution would be taken seriously.
For Wang Jie, this was nothing but bad luck.
He purposely found a corner to hide in.
More and more people entered, and soon, Wang Jie noticed Lian Fei from the Southern Base, her face grim. It was clear she wasn’t here voluntarily either.
The Leading Pillar group had arrived. Wang Jie glanced at the middle-aged man being treated courteously and then silently turned his eyes away.
There were already over sixty people present.
Wang Jie would be staying here tonight. The next day, Feng Yu arrived, accompanied by another captain, a fierce-looking man with a cigar in his mouth.
An hour later, Hong Jian arrived, followed by Yan Si.
Hong Jian’s arrival signaled that the mission was about to begin.
And now, Wang Jie was brought before Hong Jian.
Wang Jie couldn’t help but feel helpless. He really was being taken seriously.
“Was it you who led Zhao Clan’s group to the moon plant’s location?” Hong Jian asked, scrutinizing Wang Jie.
Feng Yu stood behind him, surprised to meet Wang Jie again so soon. This person was indeed diligent, constantly leading teams into the wilderness, and had a lot of luck on his side.
Wang Jie sighed in resignation. “I just led them to a safe spot. I never expected the moon plant to appear there.”
Hong Jian waved his hand. “Take us to that location.”
Wang Jie had no choice but to lead the way.
“Captain, isn’t it unlikely that the moon plant would appear in the same place twice?” Feng Yu asked.
Hong Jian answered, “I’m more curious about why Zhao Clan’s six-seal expert couldn’t bring their young master back. Normally, if the moon plant appeared, there would be signs. Even if he couldn’t save the young master, he shouldn’t have fallen in that spot.”
“Are you suspecting something?” Feng Yu glanced at Wang Jie’s back, remembering the person who had defeated her in the small house that day.
Hong Jian shook his head. “Let’s wait and see.”
Yan Si didn’t ask about the route. On the surface, Hong Jian was in charge. He had recovered, and as a seven-seal cultivator, it was unclear who was stronger.
The Golden Hill Base people clearly preferred to listen to Hong Jian’s orders.
Wang Jie was pushed to the forefront to lead.
People from the Southern Base immediately recognized him. Several had seen him before.
“Young miss, it’s him. He’s the one who sent out the false signal that led us to battle the mutated vines. We lost one of our brothers and had to seek refuge in Golden Hill Base,” a young man whispered to Lian Fei, the same one who had given Wang Jie the signal device.
Lian Fei’s cold eyes locked onto Wang Jie. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him get away.”
On the ground, a massive pit stretched deep and endless. Surrounding it were ruins, not a single intact piece of earth to be found. This was the location where the moon plant had appeared and swallowed Zhao Clan’s group.
Wang Jie stood on a shard of metal, a piece of an armored vehicle.
“This is it.”
Hong Jian ordered people to search the surroundings. Zhao Clan’s people looked somber, silently searching for something.
The night that Zhao Clan had perished coincided with the beast tide that struck Golden Hill Base. They had been unable to go out, and when they returned the next day to search, there was nothing left.
Wang Jie kept his distance, standing apart from the others.
The man from Zhao Clan had brought him here merely to vent his frustration, not because he truly believed Wang Jie was responsible for the death of their young master. In his view, Wang Jie didn’t have the strength to do such a thing.
Only Feng Yu’s gaze remained fixed on Wang Jie, never leaving him.
Wang Jie had avoided Hu Guan’s deadly trap for the Southern Base, as well as the moon plant. Though it seemed like a coincidence, his luck was almost too good to be true.
Nothing could be found in the surroundings.
As night deepened, it became impossible to pinpoint the moon plant’s location. Hong Jian gave the order to set up camp nearby and wait.
Wait for the moon plant to appear.
Another round of full moon.
Wang Jie looked up. Every time a full moon appeared, it was accompanied by bloodshed and death.
Footsteps sounded behind him. People from the Southern Base were approaching, led by Lian Fei.
Wang Jie glanced at her.
They had met once before, but last time, she hadn’t recognized him.
“Why did you lie to us?” Lian Fei asked, her voice cold. The young man behind her growled, his gaze filled with hostility.
Wang Jie glanced around and pretended to be frightened. “Don’t be foolish. This is Golden Hill Base, not your Southern Base.”
“I’m asking you why you lied to us!” The young man barked again, his voice loud enough for others to hear.
Feng Yu arrived just then, and her brow furrowed. She hadn’t been tricked by Wang Jie after all; it seemed Hu Guan had indeed used the signal device. The person who had defeated her in the house that day must have been someone else. Seeing more people gathering, she turned and walked away.
Wang Jie swallowed, looking panicked. “I didn’t mean to. I accidentally ended up in that area. I was trying to hide, but then the mutated plant attacked. I thought I couldn’t escape, so I tried to signal you, but luckily, some cultivators were fighting nearby and drew the mutated plant away. By then, the signal device had already activated.”
The young man, enraged, stormed forward and grabbed Wang Jie by the collar, glaring at him. “Do you realize what you’ve done? Because of you, we were forced to take refuge in Golden Hill Base, and now we’re stuck in this damn encirclement mission. You’ve caused so much damage that even selling your whole family wouldn’t be enough to make up for it.”
Wang Jie’s face turned pale as he was thrown to the ground.
Lian Fei’s cold eyes locked onto him, and a white ruler appeared in her hand, radiating a murderous intent.
No one dared stop her.
In this era, death was too commonplace, and Lian Fei’s group was far from weak.
At that moment, someone arrived to stop her from acting. “He’s just a small guide. No need to trouble the young miss over such a trivial matter,” the middle-aged man from the Leading Pillar group said.
Lian Fei and her group were surprised. “Uncle Wu?”
The middle-aged man nodded and smiled. “I didn’t expect to run into you all the way out here in Golden Hill Base. You must be chasing Hu Guan, right?”
Lian Fei nodded. “That bastard dared steal the Hibiscus Tears. He deserves to die without a whole corpse.”
“This has nothing to do with him,” Uncle Wu remarked.
Lian Fei recounted the events.
Uncle Wu glanced at Wang Jie, then at Lian Fei. “You’re not from Golden Hill Base, and you’re participating in the moon plant encirclement. Killing him now would cause more harm than good.”
Lian Fei understood. “But if we don’t kill him, I won’t be able to swallow this anger.”
Uncle Wu said, “Do you think he’ll make it out alive after this moon plant encirclement?”
Lian Fei looked at Wang Jie, thought for a moment, and nodded. “I understand now. Thank you for the advice, Uncle Wu.” She turned to leave, but not before casting a curious glance at the middle-aged man. “What’s his connection to the Leading Pillar group?”
She wasn’t foolish. No one would help someone without a reason, and this man wouldn’t have helped her for no reason.
“He’s one of the orphans the Leading Pillar group rescued. It just so happens I took them to Golden Hill Base that time,” Uncle Wu explained.
Lian Fei nodded and left.
The Leading Pillar group had helped countless people in the early days of the apocalypse. It was said they had once been a logistics company with millions of employees, controlling the most detailed transport routes and holding the most resources in their warehouses. When the apocalypse came, they used these advantages to rise to the top, becoming a massive power.
Even so, they had continued to rescue orphans and do what good they could.
Just how many orphans they had saved was impossible to count.
Wang Jie, appearing young enough, could easily pass for one of them.
After Lian Fei’s group left, Wang Jie stood up, brushing off the dust from his clothes, and glanced at Uncle Wu. “Long time no see, Uncle Wu.”
Uncle Wu gave him a deep look, said nothing, and walked away.
Wang Jie lowered his head again, brushing off the dust, hiding the complicated emotions in his eyes.
At the edge of the massive pit, Hong Jian and Yan Si stood, not paying attention to the conflict in the corner.
“Is the Leading Pillar group the largest conglomerate on Blue Star? They control the most cataclysm materials, right?” Yan Si asked.
Hong Jian shook his head. “A few years ago, yes. Now, I’m not sure. The five major bases are also gathering cataclysm materials.”
Yan Si’s gaze flickered. “Even if it’s not as much as the five major bases, it can’t be far behind.”
Hong Jian didn’t comment further on the topic. “Today is the fifth day. What happens if we can’t kill the moon plant?”
Yan Si’s voice turned cold. “Golden Hill Base is done for.”
Hong Jian frowned. “Golden Hill Base has the moon plant and mutated eagles. Other bases have them too.”
Yan Si didn’t care. “That’s not my concern. I’ve told you enough. When the five days are up, if we can’t kill the moon plant, it will undergo a transformation, along with other mutated plants and beasts. That’s when the real trial begins.”
“Whether you people from Blue Star survive the trial, how many of you make it, that’s up to your own luck.”
“I can help you, but you have to help me too. Otherwise, even if you survive, you’ll be war slaves.”
Hong Jian’s face grew grim.
The wilderness was unnervingly quiet, a stark contrast to the usual.
Wang Jie was most aware of this because he had spent years in the wilderness. He raised his hand, sensing the change in the air’s imprint energy.
The earth trembled.
To the north, a massive moon plant rose from the ground, its tendrils reaching toward the moon, growing taller and taller.
Hong Jian immediately gave the order to set off.
The moon plant had appeared.
Everyone’s gaze hardened, some filled with apprehension, others with fear, but there was no retreat. This was the strongest mutated plant outside Golden Hill Base, and it had to be killed in this encounter.
Hong Jian had experience with moon plant encirclements. He immediately gave orders: “Team one, stay at the front and attack from a distance. Don’t retreat. Keep attacking, no matter what happens. Do not stop.”
“Teams two and three will feign an attack from the sides, limiting the moon plant’s limbs.”
These two teams were led by the six-seal captain Big Beard and Feng Yu.
The rest, led by Hong Jian, Yan Si, Wu Fei, and other six-seal experts, would directly attack the top of the moon plant—the head, which had sharp teeth.
“Remember, no one is allowed to retreat. Only advance. Anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy,” Hong Jian’s voice rang out, and everyone, wearing their earpieces, heard his determination.
“Kill.”