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The people from the Jincheng Military Region have already been rescued, and the large rescue contingent from the rear is quickly catching up. Qin Fang naturally doesn't need to worry about them anymore.

However, he has yet to find any trace of his brother-in-law Tang Cheng, and his heart is filled with unease.

If not for the fact that Tang Cheng's name in the friend list remains lit, indicating to Qin Fang that he's still alive, he might have seriously worried about Tang Cheng's safety.

Even so, Qin Fang cannot be certain that Tang Cheng's situation is safe.

Perhaps he has experienced the same ordeal as the Jincheng Military Region group, forced into a hidden and perilous position by mercenaries. Two days have already passed, and Qin Fang has no idea how much longer they can hold on...

Following the coordinates provided by Captain Jiao of the Jincheng Military Region, Qin Fang quickly advanced in pursuit. Although these were details from over two days ago, he had no other leads. Treating the dead horse as a living one was his only option—perhaps he might stumble upon a crucial clue.

Qin Fang didn't dare waste even a moment and darted through the forest swiftly. Soon, he stumbled upon a peculiar location and instinctively stopped for a closer inspection.

"Someone camped here... There was a fierce firefight..."

Traces were left on the ground—fresh ones, likely made recently...

Trees in the surrounding area bore visible bullet marks, and remnants of shell casings scattered across the ground confirmed a firefight had occurred here. Judging by the spread of bullets, it must have been exceptionally intense!

"It was Brother Tang and his team..."

The location matched the coordinates provided by Captain Jiao, and the fresh traces convinced Qin Fang that this site was highly likely connected to Tang Cheng and his team.

Whether it was Tang Cheng's squad ambushing the mercenary group or the mercenaries besieging Tang Cheng's squad was unclear. Qin Fang could discern only this much, and reconstructing the events was beyond his abilities...

"Having a lead is better than nothing..."

The clues here were at least two days old, and Tang Cheng's current whereabouts remained a mystery. Yet Qin Fang felt it was a step forward compared to his prior aimless search.

He immediately began meticulously inspecting the area. Based on the tracks left on the ground, he started tracing the retreat path of one party. When Tang Cheng's squad clashed with the mercenary group, regardless of the outcome, one side would have retreated—a direction the other side would inevitably pursue.

This direction was certainly part of the route Tang Cheng's team had traveled. If he followed it closely, Qin Fang might truly uncover Tang Cheng's location.

"Damn it, one of the parties scattered..."

But after tracking for over two hours, Qin Fang was shocked to discover the ground traces had become disorganized, and the distribution of shell casings had grown more scattered. His expression turned grim.

Based on the information Qin Fang had gathered so far, the scattered party was likely Tang Cheng's squad. The number of mercenaries far outnumbered Tang Cheng's team...

Being dispersed meant that their tracks became chaotic—over a dozen individuals splitting into over a dozen trails. Unless Qin Fang could divide himself into ten, his only option was to painstakingly track each path one by one.

It was a gamble with luck—a one-in-ten chance to directly find Tang Cheng, but an overwhelming risk of choosing the wrong direction.

"Damn it..."

Facing this setback, Qin Fang couldn't help but wear a bitter expression.

It wasn't the hard work that worried him; it was the fear that if he delayed, Tang Cheng's predicament would worsen.

"Wait, someone's here..."

Just as Qin Fang was uncertain about his next move, movement suddenly appeared on his mini-map. Someone had entered his map's monitoring range.

Without hesitation, Qin Fang moved swiftly, climbing a dense tree like an agile monkey. Using the thick foliage as cover, he completely concealed his figure...

Red dots on the map increased in number, gradually all falling within his map's monitoring range. There were roughly twenty to thirty people.

"Could this be the mercenary group?"

Discovering such a large group, Qin Fang's tension rose briefly. Instinctively, he checked the friend list and confirmed that Tang Cheng's name was still lit. Only then did he exhale slightly in relief.

Tang Cheng's team only had around ten people, which clearly did not match this larger number. Therefore, the newcomers were most likely mercenaries. They were seemingly also the only group that could gather in such numbers.

This realization made Qin Fang slightly apprehensive. He also considered the direction they came from; they were likely chasing Tang Cheng's team. Though the reason for their return remained unclear, Qin Fang was determined to investigate this path.

"Huh..."

As these people drew closer, Qin Fang began using his Scouting Skill on them one by one, ensuring his assumptions were correct. Suddenly, something surprised him.

"Brother Tietou?"

Qin Fang froze momentarily. He had been preparing himself to encounter either mercenaries or Anlang Government Army soldiers, but unexpectedly, he spotted a familiar face among the group.

Tang Cheng's troops included several members Qin Fang was quite familiar with. During his week of training alongside them, they had bonded and even sparred. Naturally, their faces were recognizable.

Among this group of strangers, Qin Fang surprisingly saw one familiar figure—Tang Cheng's soldier Iron Head. Due to his bald head, everyone nicknamed him so.

The discovery instantly lifted Qin Fang's spirits...

Unable to locate Tang Cheng's team, Qin Fang had been puzzled. Unexpectedly, a clue had now found him; there was no way he would let it slip.

Cautiously, Qin Fang peeked out, creeping closer with slow, deliberate movements, ensuring he didn't alert the group, especially since he still hadn't figured out their intentions.

This was reasonable—though Iron Head was someone Qin Fang trusted, he was currently mixed in with unknown individuals. Qin Fang had to remain cautious.

While the likelihood of Iron Head betraying Tang Cheng was low, it wasn't impossible. Recklessly intervening wouldn't be a choice a wise person would make.

As Qin Fang mulled over the situation, the group entered his line of sight.

"Anlang Government Army?"

Despite not having seen their uniforms before, Qin Fang didn't hesitate to identify them as Anlang Government Army soldiers the moment they appeared.

He had encountered the mercenaries' outfits before and had fought and killed enough of them to recognize their gear easily.

This group was neither Tang Cheng's special forces squad nor mercenaries. They were entirely uniformed—in no uncertain terms, members of the Anlang Government Army...

Among them was Iron Head, walking with his hands tightly tied behind him. His tattered appearance, coupled with fresh wounds still bleeding and bruises spread across his face, clearly indicated he had suffered severe beatings...

Upon witnessing this scene, Qin Fang immediately understood why Iron Head was with them—he had undoubtedly been captured by the Anlang soldiers.

Anlang people were hostile to Dragon Country people, particularly the government army, infamous for extortion against Dragon-Anlang border traders—ruthless and greedy...

Now that a Dragon Country soldier had fallen into their hands, one could only imagine his miserable fate. To have survived this long could already be considered fortunate.

Normally, when Dragon Country military personnel were captured by the Anlang Government Army, their ends were brutally tragic. They would suffer relentless torture before being mercilessly executed.

"I have to rescue him..."

Conflicts between the two armies were irrelevant to Qin Fang, but he couldn't stand idly by as Iron Head fell into the hands of these soldiers.

Not only was Iron Head's relationship with Qin Fang strong, but as the only contact to track Tang Cheng, saving him became even more imperative...

"Twenty-six men... No notable experts... Seems like the situation isn't too dire!"

Having formulated his plan, Qin Fang carefully employed his Scouting Skill to examine the group's capabilities. Only then did he ease his tension slightly.

"Eight, seven, six... Three, two, one... Strike!"

Drafting a simple strategy, Qin Fang counted down and waited until the group stepped into his range before he leaped down from the tree swiftly...

Bang bang bang~~

Naturally, Qin Fang didn't hold back. Guns in both hands, he fired at the enemies as he descended.

At the same time...

Swoosh~~

An invisible shockwave burst from beneath Qin Fang's feet, spreading outward in a circular pattern...

Qin Fang's "One Against Hundred" title-triggered area-of-effect skill activated!

The Anlang soldiers couldn't have expected anyone to ambush them at this time. Not only were several immediately hit by bullets but the sudden shockwave slammed into their chests like a heavy hammer...

The closest ring of soldiers to Qin Fang bore the brunt of the ambush and suffered from his Heavy Strike...

Each of their chests emitted a dull thud, and they staggered backward, unable to maintain their balance, inevitably collapsing to the ground...(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes—your support is my greatest motivation.)

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