The sunrise on the ice plains is always rather indistinct, but in places where human evolved gather, the sounds alone can tell whether the day has begun.
At a certain moment, the camp, which had been quiet for hours, became bustling with noise again.
After a night's rest, Zienge's injuries had improved further, and his mental state was better than before. After tidying up, he went to greet the powerful warrior from the East.
But the guard who stopped him informed him that Ye Zhongming was busy and couldnât see him yet.
Zienge had no choice but to leave, feeling frustrated. After some thought, he took his men to the frontline camp of the human alliance to see if there was a chance to recruit some people into his team.
Inside Ye Zhongmingâs tent, Xia Bai, Red Hair, Xiao Min, Xiao Xuan, and a few others were present. However, everyone looked at Red Hair with some helplessness.
Red Hair smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but this was his decision. You know I have to listen to him."
Xia Bai and Red Hair usually got along well. Though neither spoke much, they shared a silent understanding. Seeing Red Hair like this, Xia Bai couldnât bring herself to be angry, but her brows remained tightly furrowed as her fingers slid along the long handle of her black scythe, deep in thought.
"But... but the boss is going alone. Itâs too dangerous. Even though heâs there to help, how would those mutant creatures know? You said there are nearly twenty level-eight creatures inside. Can that black cat really stop them if they want to harm him?"
Xiao Min was nominally one of the deputy captains of the Female Guard, but since Xia Bai rarely involved herself in management, everyone knew Xiao Min was the de facto leader. Due to the guardâs strength and Ye Zhongmingâs trust, her status in Cloud Peak was quite high.
Under normal circumstances, Xiao Min wouldnât speak to Red Hair like thisâRed Hairâs strength and relationship with Ye Zhongming were undeniable.
But now, she was anxious. Ye Zhongming had entered Yakutsk alone, a place teeming with countless mutant creatures. Even if all of Cloud Peak were there, they might only barely achieve victory. For Ye Zhongming to go alone? The danger was enough to drive anyone mad.
The man who carried the glory and disgrace of Cloud Peak was risking his life recklessly. Xiao Min couldnât help but resent her boss a little in her heart.
Red Hair wasnât angry either. "Since he made this decision, he must be confident. Even though none of us went, Yellow Ball was with him, and there were two ice birds and Yangos in the sky. If danger arises, they can handle it. I..."
She tapped her slender, pale finger against her temple. "...can sense it here. If something really goes wrong, weâll go rescue him."
Xiao Xuan listened quietly as the others spoke. In such a setting, merely being allowed inside the tent was a recognition of his future potential, but he had no place to speak up yet. Still, that didnât stop him from understanding the situation.
The boss... actually went into Yakutsk?
Isnât that place super dangerous? But... he should be fine, right?
No one in the tent spoke further. All they could do now was wait.
However, the silence didnât last long before it was broken by noise outside.
The group exchanged glances and stepped out of the tent, seeing a crowd gathered at the entrance of the Cloud Peak camp.
Several whistles rang out as they approached before they even reached the spot.
Handling such matters wasnât something Xia Bai or Red Hair would do, so Xiao Min took the lead. She asked their own people in a low voice what was happening.
It turned out these were evolved under Pei Jiaâs command. Drunk, they had noticed many clean, well-kept women in the Cloud Peak camp and decided to cause trouble. Even if no one understood their words, their expressions and gestures clarified their intentions.
Most of the Female Guard had dark pasts theyâd rather forget, so facing such humiliation made it hard for them to stay calm. The female guards on duty at the entrance wore terrifyingly gloomy expressions. If Xiao Min gave the order, theyâd twist these menâs heads off without hesitation.
Some of the juvenile soldiers were also seething with anger. Due to Black Dragon Cityâs geographical location, some of them understood foreign languages.
Xiao Min glanced back at Xia Bai and Red Hair, who nodded, signaling for her to handle it.
"Whereâs Old Man and his team?"
Though Xiao Min was also furious, with Ye Zhongming absent, it was best to avoid conflict if possible. Too many variables could jeopardize their entire plan.
She wanted Old Manâs team to mediate, to explain that Cloud Peak had been placed here under Pei Jiaâs protection.
But the juvenile soldiers said a few members of Old Manâs team had gone out earlier. When the conflict started, Old Man had left to find Pei Jiaâsince he spoke the language, he could explain things properly.
Xiao Min nodded, then spoke a few sentences in English. Whether these men genuinely didnât understand or were pretending, they continued making lewd gestures at the Female Guard women, even escalating their behavior.
Anger flashed in Xiao Minâs eyes. Suddenly, she drew the battle blade from her back and slashed it toward the ground in front of the camp.
As an eight-star evolved with a complete set of professions, skills, and bloodlines, the power of her strike was immense. The blade left a fissure over a meter deep in the ground.
After the strike, regardless of whether these men understood, she coldly declared, "Cross this line, and you die." Then she led her people back into the camp.