Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 91: Chapter 82: You’re Using the Supernatural in a Martial Dao World?

P.S. [This Chapter is entirely fictional and does not involve any real-world factors. Please do not draw any parallels!!!]

...

A little over ten minutes later, two modified cars quietly left the city and headed north. They sped through a tunnel over two hundred meters long before shooting out the other side, plunging into the northern region of Yu Yang, an area filled with rolling hills of withered, yellow grass.

Inside the car.

The light was dim.

Wan Ze fiddled with a black handgun provided by Liu Zhengming’s team. It was cold to the touch, with the distinct feel of metal. He turned it over and over, studying it with a natural sense of curiosity.

”First time holding a gun?” Liu Zhengming asked with a smile from the front passenger seat, having noticed his movements in the rearview mirror.

”Not exactly the first time... I found one before, but I’ve always trained in the martial arts at a dojo, so I never had a chance to use one,” Wan Ze answered honestly, looking up. His palm rubbed against the anti-slip grip of the gun. ’I wonder if a bullet of this caliber could be stopped by the Effect of my Horizontal Training Technique.’

”If you’re interested in firearms, I can recommend a shooting club. They have professional equipment and reliable instructors... We could go together for fun sometime,” Liu Zhengming said with a smile, his attitude toward Wan Ze much warmer than before.

He had just finished speaking when Zhai Jia cut him off. ”We can have fun later, but Boss Liu, let’s first deal with the little rats tailing us... You’ve been too careless. The mission hasn’t even started, and we already have a tail.”

Liu Zhengming’s expression darkened.

Just as he was about to retort, Zhai Jia seemed to spot something. He suddenly wrenched the steering wheel, sending the car into a drift on the highway. The front of the car spun a full one hundred and eighty degrees, and they went from driving forward to sliding in reverse, squarely facing a black sedan about twenty meters away.

The headlights blared, as bright as day.

It forced the car behind them completely into the open.

At that very moment, someone in the passenger seat of the other car was raising a gun to take aim.

”Shit!”

Liu Zhengming drew his gun in a flash. He was faster, not even bothering to aim.

BANG! BANG! A controlled burst!

Zhai Jia was an incredible driver. The moment he gave Liu Zhengming a clear shot, he swerved, nimbly putting distance between them. He executed a wide, arcing fishtail, dodging the other car as it charged forward to ram them.

CRASH!!!

The other car spun out of control and crashed into the greenbelt on the side of the road. It only came to a complete stop when it hit a large tree. The front of the car was severely caved in, its hood twisted and jutting upward, billowing smoke.

The entire skirmish, from start to finish, was over in the span of three to five breaths.

Clean and efficient.

Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

Wan Ze hadn’t even gotten out of the car, and the fight was already over. He couldn’t help but reflect on the team’s coordination.

”Only two people in the car. The driver was shot in the head—no vital signs. This one... is still breathing and conscious,” one of the team members reported.

Liu Zhengming’s expression remained unchanged, but he deliberately glanced at Wan Ze. Seeing that he showed no trace of fear, another flicker of appreciation appeared in his eyes.

Then, he looked toward the captured man, his eyes turning cold and sharp. He gave a silent, chilling smile.

Moments later.

He returned and got back into the passenger seat.

”Don’t worry, those two aren’t with tonight’s target. They’re just local scavengers who thought we were fat sheep.”

Zhai Jia didn’t ask for details; such minor incidents were clearly beneath his concern. Instead, he teased, ”Boss Liu, your marksmanship is getting a little rusty.”

”Cut the crap,” Liu Zhengming snapped.

Zhai Jia chuckled slyly.

The group started the cars again.

This time, no one else spoke.

Wan Ze watched Zhai Jia at the wheel and Liu Zhengming in the passenger seat. Sensing how seriously they were taking the upcoming battle, he decided to close his eyes and rest his mind.

’With two Refining Viscera masters here, there’s not much for me to do anyway.’

The cars sped up considerably this time. They occasionally passed a few villages, and scattered, dim yellow lights flashed by the windows.

An unknown amount of time passed.

”We’re here,” Zhai Jia said.

Wan Ze opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the darkness before looking out the window.

They had stopped on a gentle slope next to a patch of woods. With no lights around, it was pitch-black.

However, not far down the slope, he could see a cluster of low-rise residential buildings. There were about five of them, all completely dark, looking as if they had been abandoned long ago.

”This residential area is slated for demolition. That abandoned hall just ahead is their den,” Liu Zhengming said in a low voice, raising a pair of compact binoculars.

Zhai Jia gave a soft laugh. ”You really think they’ll just sit there waiting for us? After everything that happened this morning?”

Liu Zhengming turned his head to look at him. ”You can’t judge this pack of completely brainwashed lunatics by normal standards. To them, martyrdom may be a glory. Be careful of any masters who might be hiding in the shadows...”

”Fine. The usual plan, then?” Zhai Jia asked.

Liu Zhengming nodded and said without turning back, ”This mission, we leave no survivors! Anyone who resists is to be killed on sight!”

Standing behind the two of them, Wan Ze saw everything clearly.

Beneath the night sky, the heavens were filled with grim, gray clouds.

The wind was strong. This low-hanging layer of clouds was slowly moving, and the moon flickered in and out of view.

”Let’s move.”

Liu Zhengming gave his equipment one last check, then issued the command.

The eight-person team began to advance under the cover of darkness.

They had thought this would be a game of cat and mouse, but when the eight of them arrived at the hall entrance, they found a shocking scene. Inside sat more than fifty figures, all dressed in identical, off-white linen robes. Each one was kneeling on the ground, motionless as a string puppet.

On the stage.

A middle-aged man stood on the stage. His curly black hair was combed meticulously. He held a black, leather-bound book of unknown origin high in the air, waving his arms excitedly while speaking in the Ancient Iloco Language.