A weak voice came through.

Those who were familiar with the voice trembled uncontrollably. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Everyone turned around instinctively.

From the debris of Woer Town ahead, a figure crawled out of a pit, disheveled and battered. Yet when the crowd saw the person, their eyes lit up.

Tang Zhong was seen struggling to climb out of the pit.

Peng Yuan, Zhang Changgong, and Vermilion Bird all had their eyes brighten at the sight.

They had believed Tang Zhong was dead. The heated argument with Giger earlier was thought to be a futile resistance, just like Old General Peng Yuan’s attempt—he wasn’t truly aiming to extract information from Giger. It was just an effort to intimidate him. After all, here in Yun Country, killing Hu Gego wasn’t realistic. What they hadn’t expected was that Tang Zhong was still alive.

Meanwhile, Giger and the swarm of Yun Country soldiers wore extremely grim expressions.

After all, they had witnessed countless rockets fired and bombs detonated.

Woer Town had been obliterated by this firepower, leveled to nothing but rubble. Yet unexpectedly, the man who was inside the town had managed to survive.

"This... How is this possible?" Giger muttered in disbelief.

Soon, Giger realized another alarming issue—Tang Zhong’s survival posed a mortal threat to him. If Tang Zhong revealed what he had discovered about Hu Gego, their "Life" plan would be completely ruined.

It could not happen, no matter the cost. Giger clenched his fists tightly in panic. Tang Zhong had to die, no matter what.

But with Peng Yuan’s group now present, any attempt to kill Tang Zhong seemed increasingly unattainable.

At this moment, Tang Zhong, frail and barely able to speak, asked weakly, "General Peng, why are you all here?"

Peng Yuan felt an indescribable surge of emotion upon seeing Tang Zhong alive. For him, this was a massive stroke of luck.

The ninety-year-old general rushed to Tang Zhong’s side and said, "Don’t move!"

The others also gathered around Tang Zhong, helping him up.

Even Meng Wuxiang, known for his refined and composed demeanor, was visibly shaking as he hugged Tang Zhong tightly.

"Good... At least you’re alive!" Zhang Changgong exclaimed with excitement.

Tang Zhong’s lips were pale, his face ghastly. Struggling to emerge from the pit, he felt a wave of relief wash over him upon seeing his comrades. Being surrounded by his own people meant he could finally let his guard down and rest.

His body slumped to the ground. He was utterly exhausted, and all he wanted was to sleep.

Old General Peng Yuan quickly caught him as he fell. Though he didn’t know the full extent of Tang Zhong’s ordeal, he was certain Tang Zhong had suffered immense hardships—this state was proof enough.

"Rest well, just sleep!"

Being alive was already a miracle.

In the distance, Giger’s mind raced with schemes to eliminate Tang Zhong. Tang Zhong absolutely could not survive.

Suddenly, Giger stepped forward, having thought of a plan, and shouted at Peng Yuan, "Old man, hand over that young man!"

There was no way Peng Yuan would comply. Coldly, he retorted, "That young man is one of mine; why should I hand him over?"

"Because this is Yun Country, and Woer Town is a military base of Yun Country. That young man emerged from our military base with knowledge of its secrets. He may be a spy, and we need to detain him immediately!" Giger declared.

That was his ploy—to ensure Tang Zhong couldn’t leave. Killing him would be ideal, but keeping him under control would also suffice.

Even if Woer Town was strictly not a military base, Giger’s word made it one.

The ultimate goal was preserving the secrecy of their "Life" plan.

"Get lost!" Peng Yuan barked in response.

"What did you say?" Giger’s face darkened.

"I said get lost! Didn’t you hear me? Giger, I don’t care what you’ve done to this young man in the past. But now, whatever schemes you have, forget it. This young man is under my protection!" Peng Yuan proclaimed defiantly.

Years ago, Peng Yuan had failed to save Lian Qiang. This time, he would not let Tang Zhong meet the same fate.

Giger’s expression turned even sourer. This was entirely out of character for Peng Yuan. Previously, Peng Yuan wouldn’t have resisted in situations like this, but now he was standing firm.

"Old man, this is a military base. Are you saying the Dragon Group intends to meddle?" Giger asked coldly.

"Wherever this young man goes, I will take him. Even if it were your White House, I’d still take him!" Peng Yuan roared.

Giger froze, realizing the dire situation. But this was Yun Country’s territory. "You wouldn’t dare—"

"You’re asking if I dare?" Peng Yuan suddenly raised his gun and aimed it at Giger. "I’ll ask you again—do you think I wouldn’t dare?"

Giger immediately backed down, his brow furrowed. Peng Yuan, the notoriously hot-headed general of Xuan Country, had an international reputation for his audacity. This man wasn’t bluffing—he would pull the trigger.

"Why aren’t you speaking now? I’ll ask again—when I take this man, do you have any objections?" Peng Yuan continued.

Zhang Changgong and the other martial artists remained silent, fully trusting Peng Yuan’s lead. After all, the old general had been a renowned participant in the Anti-Japanese War.

"No... no objections!" Giger replied timidly.

He truly didn’t dare protest. Whoever held the power of life and death held the advantage, and now Peng Yuan, armed, had all the power.

"Then we’re leaving!" Peng Yuan grinned suddenly.

"Everyone, let’s go!" he shouted.

Giger remained silent, trembling with fear while Peng Yuan kept the gun aimed at him. The old general’s marksmanship during the Anti-Japanese War was legendary.

Peng Yuan, Zhang Changgong, and their group carried Tang Zhong into a car, preparing to leave.

But as the car engine roared to life, Peng Yuan suddenly moved his gun’s trigger.

Giger and his men froze in shock, instinctively scrambling to dodge.

However, no bullets emerged from the barrel.

The gun was empty.

Peng Yuan, already seated in the car, leaned out the window and smiled at Giger. "Giger, that was just another joke. See you next time!"

With that, the vehicle sped off into the distance.

Giger remained rooted in place, trembling in rage. He stomped furiously, clutching a binoculars in his hand. Without thinking, he smashed it to the ground, shattering it into pieces.

He had been utterly played with. Moments ago, he had clearly seen Peng Yuan loading the gun, so how could it have been empty? That old man must have pulled some trick.

"Giger, what should we do now?" One of his underlings cautiously asked. He dared not ask anything else, fearing Giger’s wrath might be turned on him.

"Leave!" Giger replied coldly. The only thought occupying his mind now was ensuring Tang Zhong’s death before the "Life" plan was revealed. That project could never see the light of day.