Free Web NovelChapter 1409: Chapter 883: They’re Here_3
The Five Guardians are roughly at Upper Ghost Level strength, while the other person is estimated to be capped at Middle Ghost Level, so he can be held back by me, leaving the Five Guardians to be dealt with by the other two directors.
Unless absolutely necessary, Yang Xiao doesn’t plan to make a personal move; he still has the Mirror Ghost.
After repeated verifications, Yang Xiao has become very confident in the Mirror Ghost, believing that even an Angel Envoy one level higher than himself would find it difficult to defeat the Mirror Ghost in a short time.
The road to Chuanzhe City turned out to be longer than Yang Xiao anticipated. By the time they arrived at a small town about ten miles outside Chuanzhe City, dusk was already upon them.
They didn’t enter the city center as there was no need. The mine was located to the northwest of the town they stopped in.
To avoid alerting the enemies, the main force was waiting outside the town, while only a few, including Yang Xiao, had the clearance to come and meet in the town.
In an unremarkable civilian house, Yang Xiao met Deputy Director Hong Qiang, who had arrived earlier, along with another elderly man with gray hair but a very spirited demeanor. freёweɓnovel.com
The elderly man leaned on a cane as if he had a lame leg, but his pace was not slow at all.
"Director Yang, let me introduce you. This is Director Sun from the Chuaze Public Office," Deputy Director Hong Qiang said with a smile, introducing both sides.
"Director Sun, I’ve heard so much about you. You’re a senior, and I have to ask for your assistance this time," Yang Xiao humbly greeted Director Sun.
Although all three of them held the position of Deputy Director, their ranks differed. Vice Director Sun was lower in rank but was high-functioning, being a second-level full-time while Yang Xiao and Deputy Director Hong Qiang were both second-level deputies.
According to rank, Vice Director Sun was equivalent to Yang Xiao’s own Director Nalan.
Furthermore, because the area was originally under the jurisdiction of the Chuaze Patrol Bureau, there was no dispute over Vice Director Sun leading this operation.
"Director Hong, Director Yang, we’ll chat later. The priority is to eliminate this group of Evil Cultivators first."
Following that, the three approached a table, where a map lay clearly marking the surroundings of the mine, as well as several roads leading to it.
Yang Xiao noticed that marks had been made with a red pen on those roads, suggesting that guards were likely in place, ensuring no one would escape tonight.
"We’ve been aware of this base for a long time but didn’t clear it out because we were waiting for the big fish. Now we believe the big fish has taken the bait. Our informant snapped this photo."
As he spoke, Vice Director Sun pulled out a photo from under the map. The photo was blurry, evidently taken secretly, showing a person standing outside a tin house smoking. Even with a miner’s cap on, his dark and gaunt face was discernible.
"This person is named Zhang Faca, a Half-step Ghost Level Angel Envoy, holding some status within the Withered Bone Pavilion. He’s a confidant of the Five Guardians. His appearance here strongly indicates that the Five Guardians are also very likely hiding here."
The action plan was simple: leave enough people to block the main routes in and out of the mine, while the rest, led by Vice Director Sun, would strike directly at the hideout of the Evil Cultivators.
Vice Director Sun specially pointed out that the Evil Cultivators were using hundreds of miners as cover. In a desperate situation, they were likely to take miners hostage.
"We will ensure the miners’ safety as much as possible, but it’s impossible to clear this group of Evil Cultivators without any bloodshed. I hope you two are prepared," Vice Director Sun said seriously.
Yang Xiao understood this point well, as it was a common discussion. When he joined the Lin’an Patrol Office, Nalan Shuo had advised him directly: they were part of the Patrol Defense Office, not police. Their primary goal was eliminating Evil Cultivators and minimizing larger conflicts, rather than worrying over the lives of a few hostages.
One must know that any Evil Cultivator who escapes is extremely dangerous, as they could trigger a supernatural event anytime with the Magic Artifacts they possess.
However, these words were meant for internal discussion only. Publicly, the stance was still people-oriented. Vice Director Sun’s remarks were directed at Yang Xiao, reminding him to keep quiet afterward.
Even if it costs some miners’ lives, these Evil Cultivators must die today.
One of Yang Xiao’s great qualities is that he listens well, something both Nalan Shuo and Elder Sheng have praised him for.
"When does the operation start?" This was Yang Xiao’s main concern.
"Half past three in the morning. That’s when people are in their deepest sleep. Our informant will first handle the two sentinels and a few dogs," Vice Director Sun explained. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
With the operation plan finalized, it was time to rest. There was still a long time before 3:30 AM.
They had a simple meal and then separated to rest, though staying within the same small courtyard.
The night guards left behind were elite, including a Ghost-level Apostle. However, his spiritual power was only slightly stronger than Song Ziming, the notorious lover of human skin collections.
Yang Xiao didn’t know the exact position of this person but guessed he might be a team leader.
After a long day, Yang Xiao was utterly exhausted. He initially planned just to lie down without sleeping, merely to rest his mind. But as soon as his head hit the pillow, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness surged over him.
Realizing something was wrong, Yang Xiao tried his best to resist. He struggled to sit up, but halfway through, his mind went blank, and he flopped back onto the bed, twisting his head as he fell into a deep sleep.
