Reincarnation Paradise Park

Chapter 227: Chapter 37: Will

”Chirp chirp~”

The Night Forest is the territory of wild beasts, with various carnivores roaming the forest, and poisonous insects and rodents also emerging from their nests.

Su Xiao crouched on a tree branch, not far away the Revolution Army Headquarters was brightly lit, and large groups of guards patrolled nearby.

The Revolutionary army’s attire was uniform, and their formations were orderly, looking nothing like miscellaneous troops; this was a battle-hardened unit.

After an hour of observation, Su Xiao discovered that the number of Revolutionary army patrols exceeded one hundred, with a large military camp behind the colossal ancient castle, suggesting a force of at least two thousand or more.

And this was just the permanent troops. If all the nearby army was mobilized, there would be tens of thousands at the very least.

Su Xiao dared not underestimate this scale of army, as a well-drilled troop wielding long weapons was different from ghouls; once encircled in a military formation, he wouldn’t last five minutes before dying.

Su Xiao planned to infiltrate the Revolution Army Headquarters, with the goal of gathering Imperial tools and causing destruction, leaving traces of the Empire’s troops at the scene.

If the headquarters were discovered, the Revolutionary army had only two choices: launch a full-scale attack on the Imperial Capital or retreat.

At this moment, the Revolutionary army had been preparing for war with the Empire, so the likelihood of relocating their headquarters was low.

If the Revolutionary army’s scale was not large now, relocating the headquarters wouldn’t be a problem, but now they had nearly formed a national organization, with a standing army nearing a million; relocating the headquarters would be a huge blow to morale, so the Revolutionary army would only accelerate their decisive battle with the Empire.

Su Xiao wanted this situation to occur.

Once war broke out, the walls outside the Imperial Capital would be the defensive line, and Ace’s army wasn’t to be underestimated. When the time came, the battle would last anywhere from half a month to two or three months.

A war-torn Imperial Capital was the ideal environment for Su Xiao, who never forgot there was another extremely powerful General within the Royal Palace.

Jumping down from the tree, Su Xiao’s figure disappeared into the pitch-black forest.

Ten minutes later, at the military camp behind the Revolutionary Army Headquarters.

Su Xiao stealthily infiltrated the camp, intending to capture a minor leader to understand the general situation of the Revolutionary Army Headquarters; infiltrating without any intelligence would be suicide.

The person he needed to capture shouldn’t hold too high a position, but also not too low.

He couldn’t touch the patrolling soldiers of the Revolutionary army, as they weren’t mere earthworms, and the sudden disappearance of a patrolling soldier would soon be noticed.

Solders at rest in the rear, however, wouldn’t be missed until at least the following morning.

Avoiding the patrol squads in the camp, Su Xiao began to sense and investigate near each tent.

Finding a mid-level officer was a technical task, but fortunately, the Revolutionary army uniforms had markings.

Su Xiao quickly selected a target, deployed anesthetic, then entered the tent to snatch the person, completing the action in no more than two minutes.

...

In the Primitive Forest near the Revolutionary Army Headquarters, a middle-aged man dressed in pajamas was bound hand and foot, his mouth gagged, struggling on the ground with leaves all over him.

”No point in struggling, this is at least a kilometer from the Revolutionary Army Headquarters, unless you’re a lion, they won’t hear you.”

Even with trees blocking sound, at most someone yelling desperately would be heard a few hundred meters away, half a kilometer at best with a loud voice, so Su Xiao pulled the rag from the middle-aged officer’s mouth.

”Empire’s... Assassination Squad.”

The middle-aged officer’s voice was hoarse, and his lips trembled; he knew how miserable it was to fall into the hands of the Assassination Squad, especially when the other side wanted information from him.

”No need to be nervous, although I have a habit of killing, I don’t have a penchant for torture. Answer a few questions, and I’ll send you on your way.”

Leaving someone alive after capture is the stupidest behavior, especially since he planned to infiltrate the Revolutionary Army Headquarters shortly.

”I, I won’t talk, wait and see, once we overthrow the Empire, you Assassination Squad won’t have a good end either.”

The middle-aged officer made a gesture to bite his tongue, but Su Xiao just smiled at him without stopping him.

Biting off your tongue doesn’t lead to death, and the middle-aged officer knew this, but fearing he couldn’t withstand the interrogation, he chose to give up his ability to speak.

Su Xiao didn’t care if the officer could speak or not, as he could still write, right? This officer might be brave in battle, but he was not professional in interrogation.

”Hmph.”

After a muffled groan, blood oozed from the middle-aged officer’s mouth corner as tears and snot flowed, realizing biting his tongue was more painful than imagined; he gave up after biting only a third deep.

”Go on, I admire your bravery. If you succeed in biting it off, I’ll give you a quick death. There are several thousand in your camp; I can always capture another. I don’t believe every Revolutionary army member is this tough.”

The vision of the middle-aged officer Terry blurred, the pain causing him to lose judgment.

”Spark Priestley, quite a long name, hmm? Lives in a nearby village, has a daughter and two sons, with the eldest son also in the army.”

Su Xiao threw away the file in his hand, which he had found in the tent.

”This is a family photo, right? Imagine what happens if I visit your family.”

Su Xiao held a photograph up to the middle-aged officer, whose emotions were unstable, growling muffled roars, eyes blazing with a fury that seemed to want to incinerate Su Xiao.

”Ever heard the saying ’A family should perish together’—isn’t that correct, Terry?”

The body of the middle-aged officer Terry froze.

”N-not correct.”

Terry’s voice was muffled, his speaking impaired by the tongue injury.

”How about this: I ask, you answer. Refuse, and I’ll kill your eldest son right now. Lie, and I’ll kill your wife. Half-truths, I’ll kill your daughter. Oh, your daughter is quite pretty, so let’s not kill her.”

Terry’s eyes revealed despair.

”I-I’ll talk.”

Before joining the Revolutionary army, Terry was just a farmer who became a squad leader through spirit and bravery, but under Su Xiao’s psychological manipulation, Terry succumbed to fear.

Su Xiao never laid a hand on Terry, lacking skill in physically torturing enemies, being more adept at crushing their will.

”That’s better.”

As Su Xiao spoke, he shredded the photo, and Terry’s eyes were filled with excitement, perhaps suggesting Su Xiao wouldn’t harm his family.

Pure despair only numbs, but the faintest hope amidst despair changes everything.

”How many people are there at the Revolutionary Army Headquarters? Including everyone, cooks and laborers.”

Terry opened and closed his mouth, failing to say anything for a long time.

”Give me ten minutes, I’ll bring your eldest son here.”

”Twelve thousand!”

Terry shouted, saliva spilling from his mouth, repeatedly apologizing in his heart.

’It’s for my family, it’s for my family...’

Terry kept repeating this to ease his guilt.

”I don’t quite believe you; better fetch your eldest son.”

Su Xiao slowly proceeded towards the Revolutionary Army Headquarters.

”There really are twelve thousand! Oh yes, over nine thousand are out on missions, returning by noon tomorrow. The rest are the permanent troops, with about a few hundred officers. Believe me, I’m not lying. You damn bastard, come back, stay away from the camp!”

In the end, Terry shouted angrily.

”Oh? That’s fine. Let’s continue.”