The next day, the group was fully prepared.
Before leaving, Hei Zhi cupped his hands in a bow to the ten masters he had invited and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen from Wolf Fang Village, today's matter is entrusted to you all. Please be sure not to actively attack that Variant. You only need to hold it back. After Mr. Zuo and I obtain the treasure from its lair, we will come to assist. Be very careful, do not be greedy for achievement and rush in, preserving yourselves is the most important thing."
Among the ten masters, the bald, burly man leading them heard this and immediately stepped forward, patting his chest confidently: "Haha, Hei Zhi, you can rest assured. It's just a zombie with two and a half vertical stripes. We're not bragging, but our ten brothers have even killed zombies with four vertical stripes. Don't worry! Leave it to us. Let alone delaying it, even killing it wouldn't be difficult. However, we will definitely do as you say, only delay and not attack, to ensure you successfully retrieve the treasure. Go ahead, we are here, there will be no mishaps."
Zuo Feng was stunned when he heard the burly man's words, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation: This guy probably mistook a Mutated zombie for a Variant, right? And he even killed a four-striped one. If these ten people truly encountered a four-striped Variant, even if their numbers were ten times greater, they wouldn't be enough to be killed.
What they killed were probably four-striped Mutated zombies, meaning these ten fools simply didn't know that there were even more terrifying Variants above Mutated zombies.
Zuo Feng suppressed his smile and said nothing, secretly concluding - ignorance is truly terrifying.
They would gain knowledge when they saw that Variant, but unfortunately, the price would be their lives.
Hei Zhi nodded, and again earnestly urged: "You are all benefactors of my Black Lotus Base. This journey is extremely dangerous, so you must prioritize safety. If any of you suffer any harm on this trip, my heart, Hei Zhi, will not be at peace. Rest assured, after this mission is successful, the generous rewards promised to you will not be lacking, and you will all be satisfied."
The bald, burly man's eyes flashed with eagerness upon hearing this, and he nodded, saying, "Leader Hei Zhi, have someone prepare a celebration feast. When we return victorious, remember to arrange 10 beautiful women for each of our brothers."
Hei Zhi sneered inwardly: Can you even come back?
He had long prepared to take over these people's stronghold; how could he let them return alive?
Hei Zhi, however, remained expressionless, smiling as he agreed: "That is natural, I will certainly let you all enjoy yourselves to the fullest."
The group immediately embarked on their journey. For this operation, Black Lotus Base even dispatched 50 Mutants to accompany them, almost half of the base's elite forces.
Zuo Feng gained a deeper understanding of Hei Zhi's ruthlessness and secretly became more vigilant. These 50 people were of little use against the Variant; they were merely cannon fodder. Hei Zhi's calculations were truly venomous.
W City was a mountain city, surrounded by layers of mountains, making the roads rugged and difficult to travel.
The group drove for only a few tens of minutes before reaching the foot of the mountain, then proceeded on foot.
Da Yuanyuan and Xiao She Jing stayed at the foot of the mountain. Zuo Feng was still unsure how Hei Zhi planned to scheme against him, so he left the two women behind as a precaution.
Zuo Feng and Hei Zhi walked side by side, with ten burly men behind them grumbling as they trekked through the mountain forest. Behind them were the 50 Mutants, all looking serious and walking steadily.
Birdsong echoed through the forest. They had no idea what kind of desperate situation they were about to face, so there was not a hint of fear.
Hei Zhi's peripheral vision occasionally glanced at Zuo Feng. Hei Zhi had, of course, seen Zuo Feng leave his women at the foot of the mountain, which suited his intentions perfectly. Once he had killed Zuo Feng, those two exquisite women would also become his possessions.
The only trouble was, he didn't know how strong the woman with the Level Six weapon was; taking her down would probably require some effort.
Hei Zhi calculated in his mind, yet a gentle smile remained on his face.
Half an hour later, the group stopped before a steep cliff.
"Everyone, that Variant is down there."
Hei Zhi pointed to the bottom of the cliff, his tone calm but with a hidden murderous intent.
Zuo Feng looked down the cliff and sneered inwardly. Once they went down the cliff, it wouldn't be so easy to come back up. If there really was a Variant down there, with the four sides surrounded by steep cliffs, such terrain was simply a natural arena of life and death.
Hei Zhi's conspiracy was obvious. Zuo Feng remained outwardly calm, thinking to himself.
Hei Zhi would certainly have to go down as well, so how would he get back up?
Given Hei Zhi's cunning, he wouldn't put himself in danger. Zuo Feng wasn't worried about not being able to get back up; he was just curious what kind of backup plan this cunning fellow had prepared.
Hei Zhi's subordinates moved quickly, ropes were lowered, and everyone descended in turn. The mountain wind howled, the cliff was steep, and Zuo Feng gripped the rope tightly, secretly on guard. Twenty minutes later, everyone arrived at the bottom of the cliff.
Zuo Feng silently estimated that the distance between the bottom and the top of the cliff was about a hundred meters. The surrounding cliffs were like knife-cut, blocking their retreat.
Zuo Feng looked around and saw dense weeds at the bottom of the cliff. Not far away, a dozen corpses lay strewn, stained with blood, clearly the remains of Mutants who had died there earlier.
The air was filled with the putrid smell of corpses, making it nauseating.
Zuo Feng frowned, his vigilance growing.
Hei Zhi, however, remained unfazed, directing his subordinates to clear a space.
The Mutants quickly spread out, forming a perimeter.
The ten burly men now seemed to sense an ominous aura. They dropped their playful expressions, looking serious as they surveyed their surroundings, weapons gripped tightly, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
The leading burly man walked to Hei Zhi with a solemn expression, lowering his voice to ask, "Leader Hei Zhi, where is that zombie? And what's with these bodies?"
Hei Zhi's gaze swept around, then pointed to a dark cave not far away, saying calmly, "The Variant is in that cave. Those bodies are from the team we sent to investigate earlier; they were completely wiped out. You must be careful. The zombie's ability is to absorb your attacks and convert them into its own attacks, so you must remember, only delay, do not fight head-on."
Hei Zhi continued, "Soon, Mr. Zuo and I will hide near the cave entrance. All you need to do is fire one shot, and it will attract the zombie out. Mr. Zuo and I will then take the opportunity to enter the cave and steal the treasure. Gentlemen, Mr. Zuo and my lives are entrusted to you. You must hold back that zombie, otherwise, if Mr. Zuo and I get trapped in the cave, the consequences will be unimaginable."
The burly men exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
"Leader Hei Zhi, Mr. Zuo, you must also be careful!"
The leading bald big man even gave a thoughtful reminder, then quickly led his men to set up defenses.
It wasn't that he was kind-hearted, but he had also witnessed the incredible power of the Pigeon eggs. The reward Hei Zhi promised their ten brothers was those Pigeon eggs, a third of the total number obtained, so he naturally hoped Hei Zhi and Zuo Feng could successfully complete the mission.
Hei Zhi looked at Zuo Feng and whispered, "Brother Zuo, let's go! Success or failure hinges on this, we must not be careless."
His original plan did not include Zuo Feng, but who told Zuo Feng to bring two stunning beauties? If he didn't kill Zuo Feng, how could he get those two beauties?
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Hei Zhi's eyes, and he sneered inwardly: Don't blame me if you die later. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for possessing such exceptionally beautiful women.