Chapter 54: Ambush Trio

"Why?" Chu Yunsheng said without any fluctuation in his voice.

Ding Yan climbed up the field ridge and pointed to a place not far away. There, many men, women, and children were lying on the cold ground, carefully digging for earthworms and even field mice frozen in the soil. Every time they caught one, they quickly stuffed it into their mouths or hid it at their waists.

He raised his voice and said, "The world has changed, the rules have changed, and the order has changed. The world is full of crawling creatures and monsters. What can we do? To survive, we must either become stronger or transform into something like them!"

Everyone understood this logic, but Chu Yunsheng remained noncommittal.

Ding Yan turned his head and smiled, "You should remember what we saw at the black bread factory. Now, it's not just bugs; who knows what else is out there. Xiao Yao and I just want to survive, to become stronger, to live on. More and more people are awakening, and we are fortunate to be among the first. I can guarantee that the future will belong to the awakened warriors. No matter how powerful the military is, they cannot stop this fact unless there is an incredible breakthrough in technology."

Chu Yunsheng said calmly, "Maybe you're right, but that's still not a reason for you to help me."

Ding Yan jumped down from the field ridge and said solemnly, "You are the strangest and most unique of all the awakened ones I've seen. Before today, you never showed any ice or fire abilities. You can slay the red-armored bugs with just a sword, and your armor can even block the fatal attacks of the long-faced man.

"But that's not important. What's important is that today, you can use a pistol to unleash the power of dark energy, just like me!

"Also, your friend Yu Xiaohai, in the battle with the tentacle monster, he was the least injured, even though he's not particularly strong. Don't you find it strange that even the flying bugs didn't tear him apart on the spot?"

Chu Yunsheng immediately became alert and glared at him, "You've been watching us all along?"

Ding Yan said calmly, "Anyone who pays attention would notice, it's not surprising. I told you that you've brought us a shock. To me, the shock wasn't just your powerful attack ability, but more so your ability to recover energy so quickly after killing a tentacle monster. I've never seen anyone do that before!"

Chu Yunsheng hadn't expected Ding Yan to discover so much from his observations. However, since he had decided to join the guard team, he had anticipated that someone might notice his differences, and he wasn't particularly concerned.

Ding Yan continued, "Xiao Yao and I don't want to know your secrets. Each awakened one has their own secrets, and no one wants others to know too much. We just want to cooperate with you. I'll be the mole, and you just need to provide us with some life-saving items like what Yu Xiaohai has."

Chu Yunsheng wanted a mole, which would make his tracking easier, especially when he encountered bugs, so he wouldn't lose his target due to a battle.

However, he was still wary of Ding Yan. If it were Yao Xiang, he might have believed him, but with Ding Yan, he always felt that the man wasn't trustworthy.

Ding Yan smiled self-mockingly, "Brother Chu, I know you don't trust me, but I have no choice. I can't let Yao Xiang be the mole; he's a training fanatic and too honest. If he goes, he'll be discovered in no time and won't survive. To be honest, Brother Chu, do you think I need to lie to you?"

Chu Yunsheng was taken aback. Reflecting on it, he realized that Ding Yan had no real reason to lie to him. Ding Yan could have gone directly to the military and set a trap for him, without the need for this extra step, and certainly without placing Yao Xiang by his side.

Having thought it through, Chu Yunsheng didn't say much. Sealing some Six Jia Talismans wouldn't cost him much energy, and he could even hide his life information in the talismans, allowing him to instantly collapse them in a critical moment.

However, he wasn't ready to give Ding Yan the Fire Soldier Talisman to enhance the power of his pistol. His trust in Ding Yan wasn't that high, and he would consider it later.

Chu Yunsheng smiled and said, "I hope we cooperate well!"

Ding Yan patted Yao Xiang's shoulder and nodded, "I hope we all survive to reach Jinling City!"

Yao Xiang hadn't spoken the whole time. He seemed to trust Ding Yan a lot. Chu Yunsheng wasn't that interested in probing their past, but he imagined it wasn't smooth sailing.

At this point, with the agreement reached, Yao Xiang said happily, "Brother Chu, you're really amazing. You know, I dream of reaching that level of cultivation!"

Chu Yunsheng shook his head and sat back down on the field ridge with the two of them. "Since we're cooperating, I'll be straightforward. I can provide you with a defensive energy shield similar to the one the red-armored bugs have, but it has time limits. The strength of the defense is proportional to your own abilities, but it can at least withstand the simultaneous attack of two red-armored bugs. Three would be dangerous."

Even Ding Yan, who had been speculating about Chu Yunsheng's abilities, was amazed. He had never heard of humans being able to create such an energy shield. Most defenses relied on ice or fire abilities, with ice warriors generally having higher defenses and fire warriors having higher attacks.

Chu Yunsheng ignored their surprise. Time was pressing, and he continued, "You both know that I must kill the long-faced man to avenge my brother. But the long-faced man is very powerful, and a sneak attack won't work. He has many loyal followers. To kill him, we need to eliminate these people first!"

Ding Yan fiddled with his pistol and asked, "How do you plan to eliminate them?"

Chu Yunsheng snorted, "Commander Du will soon gather all his elite forces and set out, separating from the crowd. The journey from here to Jinling City is hundreds of kilometers, and they will encounter countless monsters, with inevitable casualties. Once they are worn down, I will ambush their team in the midst of their battles, weakening their defenses or hindering their escape, indirectly leading to their deaths by the monsters!"

Ding Yan nodded, "That's a good plan, but we need to choose the right place to start the ambush. We can't act too close to Jinling City, nor too early. We need to base it on their casualties. I'll find a way to inform you of the intelligence, and you can decide the timing based on your abilities."

Chu Yunsheng smiled, having a mole was indeed convenient. To save time, he took out some canned food and bread, letting Ding Yan and Yao Xiang eat while he quickly sealed a Six Jia Talisman on them, concealing his aura. He didn't explain much, as Ding Yan had said, each awakened one had their own secrets.

"I need a crossbow or a bow! Do you know if there's an archery club in Kun City?" Chu Yunsheng asked, hoping for a lucky break.

Ding Yan thought for a moment but shook his head, "I know many clubs in Kun City, but I haven't heard much about archery. If you must, you and Yao Xiang can infiltrate the city. There should still be some locals who haven't escaped, and you can ask them. I'll leave marks along the way so you won't get lost."

Chu Yunsheng sighed, "That's the only way. It's getting late, let's get moving."

Ding Yan patted the dirt off his clothes and said, "I'll go to Commander Du first. You follow behind, but be careful and don't get too close."

Watching Ding Yan disappear into the dim crowd, Chu Yunsheng suddenly wondered if it was worth it for Ding Yan to take such a risk to become a mole, just for a Six Jia Talisman.

Perhaps Ding Yan was confident it was a small matter, or perhaps he hoped to exchange for more from him in the future!

Who could say for sure.