Chapter 144: Making a Deal

"My objective is simple: I intend to kill Azarias," Qin Yang said, casting a glance at him. "This seems to align perfectly with your own goals, doesn't it?"

"You want to kill Azarias? That's impossible. We've dispatched dozens of elite assassins, and not one has returned alive," the officer shouted in disbelief. "You’re dreaming."

Qin Yang offered a disdainful smile. "Don't project your own incompetence onto me."

After a brief pause, Qin Yang heard gunfire erupting outside. It was clear that the opposing mercenary group had begun their counterattack. After all, killing this group of government soldiers offered enough wealth to make the risk worthwhile. Just then, an adjutant ran up, looking agitated. "Sir, the enemy has breached the blockade and is advancing toward our position."

"What?" The officer’s expression darkened.

The combat effectiveness of the government forces had long since collapsed. Successive failures had left everyone feeling that the situation was beyond salvation. If not for the faint glimmer of faith still remaining in their hearts, they might have already perished. Furthermore, the small-scale plague outbreak in the two cities held by the government forces was a heavy blow. Currently, the soldiers were deeply grateful to those few peace volunteers who had provided the warning; had they not reported the plague and implemented emergency defenses, both cities would likely have been engulfed by the epidemic, leaving the government forces with no ability to resist whatsoever.

The officer had originally ventured out hoping to hijack some medical supplies from the rebel transport units, but he hadn't expected to run into mercenaries retreating from the southern jungles. Though they were in retreat, their combat prowess far exceeded that of his own men. With this in mind, he turned his gaze to Qin Yang and said urgently, "Sir, please, you must help us just this once."

"Help you?" Qin Yang replied with an amused tone. "I could leave here right now with Walker without a scratch. What does your survival have to do with us?"

"Sir, we share a common enemy: Azarias," the government officer pleaded. "Sir, if you truly are Ningjinanga, I beg you, please help us."

Qin Yang looked at him, rolled his neck, took the longbow from his back, and handed it to the adjutant. "Take this outside. That group of mercenaries will cease fire."

"Eh?"

The adjutant was skeptical, but with the current state of affairs, he had no other choice. Still, he dared not risk his own life, so he had a soldier carry the longbow out. The mercenaries, who were about to push through the dilapidated village, caught sight of the bow and immediately held their fire. Suddenly, they remembered who that madman who had jumped from the plane really was. Indeed, only that monster who roamed the southern jungles, snuffing out hundreds of lives with a mere flick of his hand, could be capable of such a thing. No wonder he had looked familiar.

Qin Yang walked out of the bunker, stepped between the two factions, and retrieved his longbow. "Klens, take your men and leave Nili. This is my second piece of advice to you. Even if you kill every single government official, I guarantee you won't receive a single cent."

"Qin, why should we trust your word?" a loud, booming voice came from the other side. "Although you spared us once in the jungle, that doesn't mean you can stand in the way of us making a fortune."

"I am going to kill Azarias to exact my revenge. That alone is proof enough," Qin Yang declared haughtily.

Klens was a burly man, a typical German with a stern face, though the sharp glint occasionally flashing in his eyes suggested he was a man of extraordinary cunning. He looked at his brothers-in-arms and asked, "Do you believe him?"

His subordinates offered bitter smiles.

This monster was too terrifying. Three days ago, they had been so confident that if they broke into the southern jungle and captured this man, they would receive a bounty of millions of dollars. Instead, entering the jungle felt like stepping into hell. Every morning, they would wake up to find grenades placed beside them—unarmed, but placed there nonetheless. And they had had guards posted the entire night, meaning this monster had infiltrated their camp without alerting a soul. Their trap experts had initially scoffed at the "amateur" traps, only to find them triggered in the most unlikely of places. When they grew cautious, the traps would trigger at the most unexpected moments.

Klens and his men believed that the person who set these traps was a master of psychology; he accounted for the movements of every single individual.

Of course, all of this was the handiwork of the Ghost Soldiers.

Through constant killing, the strength of the Ghost Soldiers was gradually increasing. Concealing their killing intent had also become one of their skills. If they hid their presence and slipped into a dark corner, it would be impossible to detect them even if one stood nearby, unless they watched carefully for several minutes. The butler had once said that Ghost Soldiers were natural-born assassins, ghosts of the night. Even a level-one Ghost Soldier could be a headache for anyone—their silence was the most troublesome part. Standing in the shadows, they were like transparent figures; when they moved, they were nothing more than faint, blurry outlines. Unless one was an expert with extreme vigilance, it was nearly impossible to detect their approach.

Of course, there were experts who managed to dodge their attacks, including a few in Azarias's forces, but if a Ghost Soldier failed to land a kill, they would immediately vanish. Finding them again was impossible. Some would fire shots based on instinct and experience, and during the skirmishes of the past few days, the Ghost Soldiers had faced their share of danger, but they had always escaped unscathed. High-level Ghost Soldiers possessed not just superior stealth, but other unique abilities—though that would require Qin Yang to raise his Hell rank to observe.

"Maybe we should trust him? None of us can evade his infiltration. Even if Azarias's palace is truly a fortress, it likely won't withstand his assassination attempt," one subordinate said. "Boss, I suggest we take our current earnings, claim the bounty, and leave Nili, this place of trouble. This Qin is too terrifying. He doesn't seem like a man; he’s like a demon—a demon in the dark."

The others nodded in agreement.

Klens understood. He shouted, "Qin, thank you for your advice. We are heading back to Kano now, and we will leave Nili tomorrow."

"Go," Qin Yang replied.

"Qin, we still owe you our lives. If there’s anything I can help you with, just contact me, and I will repay this debt. But remember, I only pay it back once," Klens shouted, before ordering his men to retreat with caution.

Qin Yang smiled. Germans valued their promises. Back in the jungle, he had seen them arguing with a group of rebels and other mercenaries, so he had helped them resolve the trouble. He hadn't expected to earn a promise in return. He had originally intended to wipe them out, but he liked Klens, so he had spared his men.

With Klens driven off, the government soldiers were convinced that Qin Yang was indeed the legendary Ningjinanga of the southern jungles. They felt fortunate that they hadn't resorted to force. They had heard from subordinates who had infiltrated the jungle that the rebels had planned dozens of elaborate traps, yet none had managed to keep Qin Yang contained. The officer believed his own men wouldn't be able to hold him either; after all, he had seen many masters who could fight their way out even with guns pointed at their heads.

Having resolved the trouble with the government soldiers, Qin Yang took Walker and left. This time, the government soldiers were generous enough to provide Qin Yang with a motorcycle.

This left Qin Yang feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. You blew up my plane, and you’re giving me a broken motorcycle in return? Isn't this trade a bit too one-sided? The soldiers looked embarrassed, but they didn't have many vehicles, and they were under strict surveillance, as the government forces were already at a disadvantage. Qin Yang couldn't be bothered with them anymore; he rode the motorcycle, dragging Walker, who was chained to a wooden plank, behind him.

Dozens of kilometers from Kano, Qin Yang spotted a transport truck passing by. The truck was large, and he surmised it was carrying munitions for Azarias. A thought occurred to him. He parked the motorcycle on the side of the road, forcing the truck driver to slam on the brakes. A white man with a full beard stepped out, holding a flask. He took a swig, looking tipsy, and said in English, "Kid, what are you doing?"

*Hum.*

The Tang sword flickered, and in the blink of an eye, it was pressed against his neck.

The drunkard was terrified; in the sweltering heat, cold sweat instantly broke out, and he sobered up significantly. He stammered, "I'm just a driver delivering booze. I’m just doing business. I’m neutral."

"Where are you delivering the liquor?" Qin Yang asked.

"To Kano. They ordered it," the driver said, gulping as he looked at the blade, which seemed to still carry the scent of blood.

"Very well. Let’s make a deal."