Feint East, Strike West

After Heizi left, Datou used the cover of night to make his way beneath the rear wall of the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group's compound.

He found a concealed corner and completely hid himself in the darkness, leaving only his eyes exposed as he vigilantly watched the activity atop the wall.

This was the greatest gamble of his life. If he won, the world would be his oyster, and he could even latch onto the mighty Desert Iron Mercenary Group. If he lost, he would be doomed beyond redemption, with not even bones left behind.

Time dragged on in agonizing seconds. At last, a pale strip of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon.

A burst of noisy commotion faintly drifted over from the direction of the compound's front gate, shattering the morning silence.

The noise grew louder and louder, as though some sort of dispute had broken out.

Datou jolted awake. Peeking out, he indeed saw the two guards who had been patrolling near the rear wall chatting as they hurried toward the front gate.

It worked!

Delighted, Datou knew that Heizi had successfully conveyed the plan and that Brother Qing Mo's actors were already in place.

He suppressed his excitement and waited patiently for a little longer, making sure no one else was nearby.

He stood and stretched his stiff limbs, took a deep breath, then ran forward a few steps. Using both hands and feet, he scaled the courtyard wall like an agile ape, utterly silent.

Meanwhile, at the front gate of the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group's compound.

Three members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group blocked the entrance. Their bodies were wrapped in thick bandages stained with spots of blood, and their faces were pale.

"Stop! Who are you people?!" The two guards held spears and blocked the three men, shouting sternly.

"Who are we?" The man in the lead was named Li Hu, one of Diao Zhen's closest brothers in life.

He abruptly tore open the front of his clothes, revealing a vicious scar that ran from his shoulder to his abdomen. Pointing at his chest, he said with boundless fury:

"Open your dog eyes and take a good look! You still have the nerve to ask who we are? If the brothers of our Desert Iron Mercenary Group hadn't risked their lives to cover the retreat of you ungrateful bastards, would you sons of bitches still be standing here safe and sound?"

"My poor dozen-plus brothers! They were torn limb from limb alive by the Snake-People just to save cowards like you! And your commander Luo Tai thinks he can send us away with a mere handful of gold coins? Huh? Let me tell you, this isn't over!"

"That's right! This isn't over!" the two companions behind him roared in unison.

This accusation, steeped in blood and tears, made the two guards' faces shift between green and white, their eyes filled with helplessness and embarrassment.

The Poison Dragon Mercenary Group truly was in the wrong over this matter. What they had done was utterly disgraceful.

As low-ranking members, they also felt that the group's upper management had made a shameless decision, but what did that have to do with them?

It was Vice Commander Lin Qi who had made the decision. They were merely gate guards who had never even left Stone Desert City. This was simply a disaster they had done nothing to deserve!

One of the guards forced out a smile and tried to placate them. "Brothers, please calm down first. Regarding this matter... sigh, we are also deeply sorry. The group will certainly give you a satisfactory explanation, but..."

"I don't want your explanation!" Li Hu did not listen to him at all. He shoved the guard aside, spraying spittle across his face.

"Tell Luo Tai and Lin Qi to get the hell out here! I want to ask them face-to-face whether their consciences have been eaten by dogs!

I want to ask them whether the wronged souls of my brothers haunt them in their dreams at night!"

Seeing this, the guards knew there was no way to settle the matter peacefully. They could only say helplessly, "Commander Luo Tai and Vice Commander Lin Qi both happen to be away from the mercenary group today. Please come back another day."

They truly did not know where the commanders had gone. Neither commander had been seen since early that morning.

"What do you mean, away from the mercenary group? I'd say they did something shameful and are too scared to show their faces, so they've hidden away like turtles!"

"Everyone in your Poison Dragon Mercenary Group, from top to bottom, is a pack of spineless cowards!"

Seizing the opportunity, Li Hu and the other two began cursing loudly. All manner of filthy insults poured from their mouths.

The guards had already been stewing in anger over the abuse they had endured these past few days. Now that someone was pointing at their noses and calling them cowards, how could they possibly tolerate it?

Their expressions immediately turned ugly.

"I already told you, the commanders aren't here today! Leave immediately, or don't blame us for being rude!"

"Rude? Good, very good!" Li Hu laughed in fury. "I'm going in today. Let's see just how rude you ungrateful bastards dare be to the people who saved your lives!"

With that, the three tried to force their way inside.

The guards hurried forward to stop them, and the men began shoving each other.

Amid the chaos, one guard panicked and used a little too much force. He shoved the already wounded Li Hu, making him stagger before falling flat on his backside.

That single shove seemed to flip some unseen switch.

Seeing this, the other two mercenaries did not hesitate for even a second. They immediately let out exaggerated cries and fell stiffly to the ground as well.

"They're beating people! They're beating people! The Poison Dragon Mercenary Group repays kindness with hatred and attacks people in broad daylight!"

"Is there no law? No justice?! Our Desert Iron Mercenary Group brothers haven't even gone cold in their graves. We only came to seek an explanation, yet they... they actually attacked us! Everyone, come and judge for yourselves!"

"Ah! My poor brothers! You died such unjust deaths! We can't even seek justice for you, and now we're being beaten by these beasts!"

The three men lay on the ground, rolling around, pounding their chests, and wailing to the heavens. This was no act—they truly felt wronged over the deaths of their brothers.

Such a huge commotion quickly drew over all the nearby vendors and passersby, who surrounded the scene three layers deep, leaving not even a drop of water able to pass through.

"Eh? Aren't those Li Hu and the others from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group? How did they get beaten so badly?"

"You haven't heard? The Desert Iron people came to demand an explanation for their dead brothers, but the Poison Dragon Mercenary Group people started beating them without a word! They were already injured, so this has probably made their wounds even worse. How pitiful!"

"Damn it, what beasts! Someone saved your lives, and not only are you not grateful, you turn around and beat them like this?"

"How could Stone Desert City produce such scum? They're simply the shame of the mercenary world!"

The onlookers did not know the truth, but from the very beginning, the scales in their hearts had tipped toward the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, the apparent victims.

For a time, accusations and curses surged toward the two guards like a tidal wave.

"N-No, it wasn't like that! We didn't beat anyone!"

"They tried to force their way in. I only gave him a light push—he fell down by himself!"

The two guards were instantly dumbfounded. Their faces flushed bright red as they tried to explain themselves, utterly unable to clear their names.

But their voices were quickly drowned out by the angry uproar, and no one believed a word they said.

Seeing that the situation was about to spiral out of control, one of the guards completely panicked. He shoved his companion and said urgently, "We can't hold them back! Quick! Go inside and call someone out!"