Chapter 875 - 875 Encounter Battle
Ye Qing and his two companions were driving back under the cover of darkness. Along the way, both Ye Qing and King of Explosives became increasingly vigilant, knowing very well that the mercenaries were certainly watching them from the shadows. They hadn't encountered any sneak attacks on the way there, which could mean that the enemy was still plotting how to deal with them; the real danger might lie in their return journey.
After half an hour's drive back, and less than five kilometers away from Shenchuan City, a small grove of trees appeared ahead. The grove was right beside the road, and although the moonlight was bright, the inside of the grove was pitch dark, invisible from the outside.
King of Explosives' expression grew even more alert. Just as he was about to turn to warn Ye Qing, he noticed that Ye Qing had already slowed down the car, clearly on alert as well.
Ye Qing was the best Special Forces member, and King of Explosives was a professional mercenary from Africa; both had a keen sense of danger. Moreover, the terrain within the grove was uneven, full of large rocks, making it an ideal site for a small-scale ambush. If the mercenaries were indeed planning a sneak attack on Ye Qing, hiding within this grove was the most likely scenario.
Ou Keren was unaware of what was happening, but she could feel the caution emanating from the two in front. She sat up straight, looking outside, not daring to speak, fearing she might disturb Ye Qing.
"Miss Ou, lie down a bit lower," whispered Ye Qing.
Obediently, Ou Keren lowered her body, so that she was entirely shielded by the car, making it impossible for anyone outside to see her inside the vehicle.
King of Explosives and Ye Qing also pressed their bodies down, trying to keep their vital parts hidden within the car. Meanwhile, they kept watchful eyes on the grove ahead. As they got closer to the grove, their nerves were stretched taut.
When they were about thirty meters away from the grove, a red light suddenly flashed in front of Ye Qing. At the same moment, King of Explosives' expression changed, and he urgently warned, "Careful, snipers!"
Ye Qing instantly jerked the steering wheel, and the vehicle began to serpentine down the road. At the same time, Ye Qing turned on the high-beam headlights, blinding the eyes of anyone lurking in the grove and concealing the specifics of the vehicle from them.
Ou Keren was hiding in the back, clutching the seat back in anxiety, having a good idea of what was happening. If snipers were involved, it was very likely that it was the Toxic Eel Mercenary Corps in action.
Ye Qing's maneuver was effective; the red light followed the car's movements but couldn't accurately target the people inside. Just as Ye Qing's car was about to break through the grove, gunshots erupted, and a bullet struck the car's front left wheel. With a bang, Ye Qing could barely keep a grip on the steering wheel as the vehicle careened sharply; the left front tire flew off almost instantly, leaving only the wheel axle to scrape against the road and ignite sparks.
With decisive action, Ye Qing gripped the steering wheel tight, spun the car around, and charged toward the direction where the red light had been coming from. The car's speed had decreased but was still significant. The sniper fired a few more shots, but they didn't harm the people inside the car, nor could they stop the vehicle. Observing this, a person sprang out from behind a rock in the grove and, clutching a long gun, turned and ran.
The runner was fortunate to be fast, for no sooner had he escaped than Ye Qing's car collided with the very rock that had been his hiding place. The rock was knocked over by the impact, and Ye Qing's car finally came to a halt.
"Run!" Ye Qing barked, kicking the car door open, grabbing Ou Keren from the back and jumping out with her, taking cover behind the giant rock.
King of Explosives' actions were barely slower than Ye Qing's. The moment he jumped out, he tossed something into the air. The object exploded in mid-flight, emitting a brilliant white light, akin to a flash grenade, illuminating the entire grove and allowing Ye Qing to see the entire surroundings clearly.
In the grove, Ye Qing could spot five individuals hiding within. The sudden appearance of the bright light clearly startled them, leaving them somewhat bewildered. However, as the light faded, Ye Qing pressed Ou Keren to the ground and sprang forward, dashing straight towards the person nearest to him.
"Modu cukor in manida!"
A Bonguk language exclamation suddenly rang out, an evident warning to the mercenaries to be cautious. As King of Explosives had said, most of the Toxic Eel Mercenaries were Bonguk people. And this particular mercenary squad was conversing in Bonguk!
Although the warning was shouted, it was still a step too late. Ye Qing had gauged the distance earlier and, when five meters away, suddenly ducked and rolled on the ground. A gunshot sounded, with a bullet whizzing past right where Ye Qing's head had been moments before.
The mercenary's reactivity wasn't bad; knowing he was closest to Ye Qing and anticipating an impending charge, he shot in Ye Qing's direction. But his precision paled in comparison to Ye Qing's meticulous planning; Ye Qing's roll not only dodged the bullet, but he also advanced right up to the man, grabbing his legs and yanking him to the ground.
"Colin tying with grass!"
The man shouted loudly, signaling to everyone that Ye Qing was at his location. Simultaneously, he reached for his pistol to aim at Ye Qing. But how could his speed compare to Ye Qing's? Before the mercenary could react, Ye Qing had already seized his wrist, snatched the gun from his hold, and landed a punch on the man's chest. A stifled groan escaped the man's lips as several ribs were shattered by Ye Qing's blow, incapacitating him from further combat. Nevertheless, Ye Qing remained cautious. For the sake of safety, he dislocated the man's arm before taking the pistol and darting behind another nearby boulder for cover.
As Ye Qing hid, two people had already run over. However, even when they arrived, they only saw the mercenary lying on the ground and couldn't find Ye Qing at all.
"Aodou kaitaisao?"
Another person loudly asked, obviously inquiring about the current situation. These mercenaries were now extremely astonished; they had thought this would be an easy task but hadn't expected to encounter such a tough nut to crack this time.
Just as the two men were about to speak, Ye Qing, hiding in the darkness, suddenly burst out like a cheetah, pouncing one of them to the ground. Before the other could react, Ye Qing had already landed a punch on the back of his head, knocking him out cold.
The man on the ground reacted very quickly, immediately raising his hand and firing a shot at Ye Qing. But in the darkness, he didn't see the situation clearly. As Ye Qing knocked the man unconscious, he had already flipped over to hide behind his body. The shot only killed his own comrade, leaving Ye Qing unscathed.
At the same time, another loud bang suddenly came from elsewhere, followed by a panicked and awkward voice: "King of Explosives!"
Ye Qing was startled; the loud noise was definitely caused by an explosion from the King of Explosives. But these people actually recognized the King of Explosives? That was completely unexpected. How renowned must the King of Explosives be in Africa if these people could identify him just from an explosion?
"Chersu!"
Another person shouted, clearly signaling everyone to retreat. Without a doubt, the appearance of the King of Explosives had put a lot of pressure on these people, and they didn't dare to linger any longer.
The mercenary on the ground immediately jumped up, shot the two mercenaries beside him to ensure they were dead, and then turned and ran.
Ye Qing hid behind a large rock and frowned upon witnessing this. These mercenaries were truly ruthless. Seeing that they wouldn't escape, they directly shot the two men to prevent any secrets from being leaked—a ruthless efficiency not matched by regular armies.
The man was crazy. To avoid being pursued by Ye Qing, he ran while firing wildly backward. Ye Qing, hidden behind the rock, could not chase after him due to the gunfire outside. Listening to the man's footsteps grow more distant, Ye Qing felt helpless. In the darkness, he couldn't see his surroundings, and with snipers lurking, he really dared not act rashly.
It wasn't until the footsteps gradually faded away and disappeared that Ye Qing slowly stood up and whispered, "Miss Ou, King of Explosives, how are you?"
"I'm fine!" The voice of the King of Explosives came from not far away. He too was a mercenary, seasoned by too many battles, and had extremely rich combat experience.
Relieved by the King of Explosives' response, Ye Qing was about to speak when a muffled grunt came from Ou Keren.
"Miss Ou!" Ye Qing's expression changed. He no longer cared about the possible snipers around and darted over, running to Ou Keren's side.
Ou Keren was still lying on the ground, her breathing obviously hurried. Ye Qing squatted beside her and, in the darkness, couldn't see her condition clearly, so he asked anxiously, "You... what happened to you? You weren't shot, were you?"
"No... I wasn't..." Ou Keren shook her head, her voice weak, "I... I think something bit me..."
"What thing?" Ye Qing's expression changed, and he immediately took out his phone and illuminated their surroundings.
Ou Keren was lying on the ground, pale, her forehead covered in cold sweat, looking very weak. Her hand was tightly pressed against her left shoulder, but Ye Qing could clearly see a bit of blood on her left shoulder.
On the other side, the King of Explosives also ran over. Seeing Ou Keren like this, he frowned and said, "Could it be a snake? There should be poisonous snakes in this grove!"
Ye Qing's expression darkened even more. He knew that there indeed were poisonous snakes in the grove, and the venom of these snakes was not to be underestimated. Seeing Ou Keren's condition, it was highly likely that she was bitten by a venomous snake. What were they to do now?