126: Edge of Death

Wearing a cloak, Yuhelai slowly entered the tent. He raised his cross-shaped eyes, scanned the Heavenly Ring Soldiers who were still discussing, and said:

"Li Aoz escaped."

His words drew everyone's attention. Several majors sneered and turned to whisper among themselves:

"Is this the assassin the Hojo Family hired at a high price?"

"He boasted before he made his move, 'He won't live past today, get the Black Whale ready!'—but didn't that guy Li Aoz still manage to escape?"

"Li Aoz was chased all the way by our Heavenly Ring Soldiers. Are these individual powerhouses just sitting around doing nothing? A dignified Gamma-rank expert, fighting five against one and still getting two killed. Don't the clan members feel ashamed?"

"Don't say that, Mr. Ishimura... He's from the Hojo Family, so let's be more discreet. Before, even a retainer of the young Kimi was so rude that he didn't dare to say a word."

"In fact, the whole thing went wrong because the Hojo Family provoked Li Aoz, Li Aoz even took the opportunity to steal our nuclear bombs—how will the world view us if the Hojo Family fails? Kuroda-kun, why are you still protecting these clans at a time like this!"

Unfazed by their mockery, "White Shark" Yuhelai simply turned to look at the young Military Department, Quan Xianzhong, a bald man with small eyes and an unattractive appearance. Yuhelai shrugged, his purpose clear:

"The mission is complete. Hand over the Black Whale to me."

"White Shark, your completion seems to be different from what we Heavenly Ring People understand."

Quan Xianzhong his eyes and began to criticize. "Our request was for you to intercept Li Aoz, and now you're telling us he's escaped and even asking for a reward? Forgive my bluntness, but isn't your behavior a bit too shameless!"

The discord between the army and the clans had a long history, but Yuhelai had no interest in it. He served a noble, Hidden Society, and if it weren't for Horst, he would never want to be commanded by a bunch of unqualified, primitive monkeys trapped on the surface of their home planet.

They are short-sighted and foolish, speak crudely and arrogantly, are always conservative, and always recklessly bold.

For Yuhelai, if it weren't for the Bellringer Threading the Needle him to the Black Knight, defeating him, and finally fulfilling the White Knight's destiny, Yuhelai wouldn't have wanted to haggle with these long-winded Heavenly Ring People.

"My mission was to intercept them. I've already taken action. Whether I could stop them or not is another matter."

Yuhelai spoke, he couldn't resist adding a sarcastic remark, "You sent five Gamma-rank and still couldn't deal with Li Aoz. I was able to stop him until you were able to detect his biosignals. In any case, I'm much more useful than some people who had five against one and ended up with two of them killed."

"If that's your attitude, then we can't meet your demands."

With a whoosh, Yuhelai suddenly raised his sword and held it to his own neck. In response to Quan Xianzhong's reply, he simply said, "Is that so? Then you'd better think it over. Tonight, the north wind is at level six. My poisonous blood can spread throughout the entire encampment within ten minutes, and you will definitely not have time to kill me before then."

The officers were furious, and one of them slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "How dare you threaten us?"

"The weak deserve to be threatened—that's a famous saying of you Heavenly Ring People."

Yuhelai grinned, revealing a mouthful of shark-like teeth:

"You are all important figures who have reaped considerable benefits from the war. You don't want to be poisoned to death so inexplicably, do you? You haven't even wanted to use the wealth and resources you've plundered from the Outland and the Frostplate Empire. You don't want to just hand it over to others, do you? You've always been at odds with the clan. Once you're dead, will it be a big deal for the clan to control your families?"

"You beast..."

"No, no, no, sharks are cartilaginous fish. You descendants of bony fish are not worthy to be compared to me."

Faced with this guy's threat, the Sky Ring officer was helpless and could only curse the Hojo Family in his heart for letting the wolf into the house.

How could they possibly send a monster that is both powerful and covered in toxins to the core area of Heavenly Ring Nation?

There's only one principle in this world. "How can one allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed?" No one would willingly invite someone to stay at their place.

The officers of Sky Ring fell silent for a moment. Quan Xiaojiang maintained the calm and composure expected of a soldier and quickly analyzed the current situation.

White Shark is from Outland. Although it is unknown where his skills come from or why his body is full of poisonous blood, he is still a member of the clan.

As things stand, soldiers cannot possibly fight against clans.

"White Shark, you're exaggerating. Sky Ring is a hospitable people who value the spirit of contracts. As long as we don't break the law, we naturally won't go back on our word."

"Really? I remember you said at the beginning that you would never fight the Red Arrow People, right? What else did you say? Former Prime Minister Jin Zhongxin -shin repeatedly stated that the Frostplate Citizen are our important partners, and that the Outland is just a poor, remote place, what is there to rob—"

Yuhelai, who came from a vicious Outland, had no interest in the Quan Xiaojiang's bureaucratic manner and instead spoke in a thick volume of books.

"Oh, what? What are you talking about?"

However, Quan Xianzhong disagreed, saying calmly:

"Those are mistakes made by people in the past, what does that have to do with our generation now?"

This sentence almost made Yuhelai, the White Knight of the Hidden Society, lose his composure.

He looked at Quan Xianzhong again and again, and after a long while, he said, "There's a reason why you monkeys are trapped on the earth. You always demand that those who shouldn't reflect reflect every day, while those who should reflect never do."

"What's the meaning?"

"It means that you people of Azure Planet are truly pathetic, forever trapped in the vicious cycle of history. No wonder you are all unqualified; that's precisely why you are unqualified, unqualified."

Yuhelai was too lazy to explain further to these barbarians:

"Connect me to Qiongan Capital. If you don't give me the Black Whale, I'll go to downtown Qiongan Capital and slit my wrists. Don't be ungrateful, you natives."

"... Wait a moment."

Now that things have come to this, Quan Xiaojiang has realized that Yuhelai is not willing to reason with them at all, so he had his men contact the General Staff in Kyoto.

During the communication, Yuhelai would occasionally make a gesture as if he were about to break his skin, or slowly rub his tongue with his sharp teeth, as if he might bite his tongue and let the poisonous blood spill out, killing everyone.

"Yes, that's how it is. He specifically demanded that we keep our promise and transfer the prisoners to him..."

The liaison officer was very careful with his words; the safety of the entire army rested on his shoulders, and he tried his best not to provoke Yuhelai.

"Huh? How could that be?"

The next moment, upon hearing the call resume, the liaison officer, who had been walking on eggshells, turned pale and exclaimed in horror, "Hello! Are you kidding me?"

Yuhelai raised his head slightly and looked at the liaison officer, whose face was filled with panic and even anger.

"What do you mean... Shiratori Town Prison was broken into?"

His cross-shaped pupils moved, and a strange light shone through them.

"And... what about Gretwar Night Song?"

The liaison officer noticed the stares of those around him, felt a chill run down his spine, and his voice trembled:

"... They were rescued by the Red Squad."

Bang! The officers were startled by the commotion. Looking up, they saw a white shark fin rapidly moving across the distant horizon, leaving only a lightning-fast silhouette.

"Gentlemen, although we've gotten rid of that troublesome fellow, our mission isn't over yet." Quan Xiaojiang calmed himself down and said, "Li Aoz is still on the run, it's time for us to move out as well."

"We've been humiliated by these individual powerhouses time and time again. Now it's time to show them what the truth is!"

One general was so angry he gritted his teeth:

"These self-important bloodsuckers are nothing without the country's resources; they're just a bunch of rotting flesh clinging to life."

"The Heavenly Ring Nation lost two Gamma-rank this time, but it's not a big deal." Quan Xiaojiang nodded. "This may be an opportunity. Those who died were all powerful members of their clans. Now it's time for our people to go up."

"Good idea. I'll suggest to the General Staff that we unfreeze the two military Gamma-rank powerhouses."

"About the White Shark..."

"He's causing trouble for the Red Squad, and he's from the clan." Quan Xiaojiang's gaze was profound. "Anyway, it won't harm us soldiers. As long as we can eliminate Li Aoz, it would be best to capture him alive. The military's prestige will rise to its peak immediately, surpassing that of the clan."

"Gentlemen, this is an excellent opportunity."

Seeing the commanders' eyes gradually burning with fervor, Quan Xianzhong didn't forget to add fuel to the fire, "Down with these family tycoons who monopolize national resources and the favor of the Ring King, and truly make our soldiers the favorites of the Ring King."

"The family is declining, their commercial hegemony should end, His Majesty the Ring King will surely favor the army that is loyal to him, and sooner or later he will know that we are the true patriots and subjects."

"Gentlemen, don't you want to be able to enter a shrine after you die and enjoy incense offerings for all eternity? How can a bunch of chaebols, who are all good-for-nothings, be considered superior to us, the iron-blooded soldiers who have fought with real swords and spears? Don't you want to earn as much money as the chaebols, have vast tracts of fertile land, an endless supply of servants, and your own property, mines, businesses, and estates?"

Seeing that everyone was already eager to make their move, Quan Xiaojiang knew he had chosen the right path.

Having just survived the threat of clan assassins, anti-clan sentiment is now at its peak.

A flame can be lit with just a gentle breath.

"If we can take down Li Aoz now, everything will be fine. We might actually be able to overturn the group's position!"

"Then what are we waiting for!" a general said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "I have a great plan."

The natural disasters in the distance were already brewing, but for the soldiers of the 4th Mobile Regiment under the 12th Division of the Sky Ring Army, they were nothing to fear compared to the natural disasters.

Five thousand fully equipped Heavenly Ring Warrior knelt down, placing their rifles and longswords on their thighs. Each of them lowered their heads, their tactical goggles and breathing masks glowing with a slow, orange light, as the torrential rain mixed with snow and sand, creating a suffocating mud, poured over them.

"Today, our Sky Ring has suffered a great humiliation. His Majesty the Ring King and his people are in a state of fear and anxiety. With foreign enemies invading, I must take action and let people see the determination of the Heavenly Ring People!"

The warriors bowed their heads and shouted in unison:

"Hey, hooray!"

As a first-class Class A division, Sky Ring's most elite field force, Sky Ring places great emphasis on the spirit of this unit. A Onmyoji in white armor stepped into the ranks of the samurai, hands behind his back, head held high, and loudly reprimanded:

"Do not ask where your logistics are. You are warriors of the Ring King. He is a king, a god! You are the children of the god. Do not ask who your enemies are! Think of His Majesty the Ring King's expectations of you. Anyone who opposes His Majesty the Ring King is an evil that cannot exist."

"Hey, hooray!"

The Onmyoji donned his fox-like mask and raised his arm, shouting, "Let those disrespectful bastards witness the resolve of the Heavenly Ring People! Let his filthy blood irrigate our land! You have no other choice but to either wash away your humiliation with blood or die in glory! There are no weaklings in Sky Ring. That Red Arrow bastard from the den of Frostplate Women will surely shatter his courage at the sight of you! Your Majesty, the Ring King, may your lineage last forever, may you live long and prosper!"

"Hey, hooray!"

One by one, the warriors picked up rifles and longswords, their full- Exoskeleton Armor rapidly assembling and retracting, their faceplates popping out six green electronic eyes, cold and precise like machines.

Bang bang, bang bang——

The warriors marched in perfect unison, boarding their vehicles in an orderly and swift manner. The Mobile Armor flashed their warning lights in succession, and the fighter jets took off from the runway and plunged into the torrential rain, flying along the edge of the natural disaster.

By the divine mandate of our Emperor, the vast blue sea displays his majesty; I will not hesitate to face mountains of corpses and seas of blood, I am willing to die to protect the country and defend the Emperor!

Slay all those who disrespect the world, and cultivate the land for eternity;

The hidden dragon has never been useless; wielding this jade dragon, it defies the majesty of Heaven.

Stimulated by the fervent singing, the warriors' blood boiled, and they shouted:

"Long live!"

The veil between heaven and earth was torn apart. The Heavenly Ring Warrior were an absolutely fearsome Combat Power on the Azure Planet. Their wild beastly nature and fearless spirit once caused serious damage to the two nations of Frostplate and Red Arrow.

Few military units retain the tradition of cold weapon training and widespread use of cybernetic implants as well as the Heavenly Ring People. As a result, in close-quarters urban warfare, the samurai are fearless, and together with Ninja infiltration units, they carry out assassinations and sabotage. Other countries are almost unable to withstand the Heavenly Ring People ' rapid assaults.

What's even more frightening is that Sky Ring itself is Great Power, with a clan group like the Hojo Family in its own country. Its technological foundation is by no means inferior, and its heavy industrial base is incredibly solid, making it easy for them to build war machines.

Equipped with Internal Circulation System and fully intelligent exoskeletons from head to toe, they would be a considerable burden for other countries. At the very least, the Sky Ring troops are fully equipped, with each platoon having at least two Mobile Armor to provide advance and fire support.

For other countries, deploying Mobile Armor is tantamount to waging a war of annihilation. However, the soldiers of Sky Ring have basically all received vehicle crew training, and if necessary, they can all be transformed into armored troops.

Five Mobile Armor, under the cover of the natural disaster, set off at 2 a. m. No one could detect their whereabouts. With the radio media constantly broadcasting reports on the disaster situation in the country, and with the constant hypnosis and encouragement from the Great Onmyoji, their morale remained at its peak.

Du Zexin witnessed all of this.