Yu Heng reported everything they knew to Huang Wen. Gutian Town was under the siege, by an army consist of close to a million of zombies and led by hundreds of elite fighter.
Fortunately, at least three PLA infantry division was stationed in Gutian Town, they defended the town courageously. That was why, so far, the army of zombies was prevented from entering the town. If only the army had armored division with them, they would easily break through the siege.
Currently it was turning into battle of attrition, the zombies couldn't get in and those in Gutian Town couldn't get out.
"I didn't know there is PLA's infantry divisions stationed in Gutian or near Gutian.", Huang Wen scratched his head.
"Must be happened after the changes.", answered one of the leader named Yie Tang.
"We don't know how long they've been under the siege, but if they can't get reinforcement or supplies, soon or later they will be forced to surrender.", said Yu Heng.
"Hmm... since the changes, electronic devices began acting weird and its getting worse by day. At first we still could use radio communication, then even the radio communication's range grew smaller, and now no electronic device working anymore. Even if this infantry division in Gutian Town is part of a bigger army, they will have a hard time to ask for reinforcement.", said Huang Wen.
"It is like something changes in the air.", said another, his name is Jian Bao, he was one of two who were sent to scout over Gutian.
Huang Wen chose him and another one, because they were more sensitive to spiritual existence compared the other leader. The other one, Mi Fang also had his third eye opened.
Mi Fang nodded his head and suddenly asked Huang Wen, "Leader Huang, I know it's a bit out of topic, but I'm curious about your training. It seems that you're meditating every day and the last few days you're doing close door training. Today when I see you, I could see your aura grow even stronger. Some of our men think that you don't hunt zombies anymore because they hardly give experience but I'm thinking that you find a way to improve yourself through other means. Am I right?"
Huang Wen a bit hesitated but decided to answer, "Sort of ..., I found that the same power we got when we kill a zombies or demon, could also be cultivated from the air around us."
Deng Zheng said, "Isn't it similar to Qigong practice? I've been practicing Taichi for years, lately, after the changes, my practice give a different result. I could actually feel the energy circulating in me. I hardly sense it before the changes."
"It seems when the gate between the demon realm and our realm opened, whatever element that was from the world on that side, began to enter and fuse with our world. That's why magic and stuff that's out of legend and myth, now become possible.", said Jian Bao.
"Don't you think that maybe tens of thousands ago. The age when those legends and myths happened. Our world also connected to the demon's world. Or perhaps even it was one world in the beginning? And by someone or somehow, it was separated and that's when all those magic and supra natural thing became nothing but a fantasy and at the same time, the universe became more stable. It give the right condition for science to flourished.", Yie Tang gave his opinion excitedly, it was one of his favorite subject.
"That quite make sense, these magic things, make the energy around us unstable. Sensitive device like electronic become useless. I had to throw away may laptops and mobile, they just don't work anymore.", said Jian Bao.
"Right, and we all feel it, whatever it is, it grew denser from day to day. I believed, that's why at first, there is no demon lord. Simply because the environment couldn't sustain them at that time. The magic in the air isn't strong enough for them to live in our world.", Yie Tang spoke energetically.
"As much as I enjoy this talk, but its nothing but speculation. And whatever it is, it doesn't change the fact that we're having a town filled with human under the siege of zombies who are led by human traitors.",Yan Chou grumbled.
Some of the other leaders who were close to him before the changes, chuckled. They knew that Yan Chou really hate the talk about the changes. Before the changes, he was skeptical and cynical to any claim of supra natural events, the changes really hit him hard in the face. Not only there was zombie, fairies and demon. Now, people also used magical skill like fireball, healing and other supra natural ability out of fantasy world. But there was something else about Yan Chou and they were waiting for him to show it.
"Uhm..., Leader Huang, since it is possible to something similar to experience point by meditating. Does it means we could learn skill by meditation as well? Is that what you're trying to do when you did close door training?", Yan Chou asked.
That was the new aspect of Yan Chou after the changes, he was one of those who were deeply interested in finding out and learning new skills. He interrupted the talk about how the changes, changed the world, because he was desperately curious of Huang Wen's skill. He spent quite a fortune to buy skill books. He already used all the three active slots. He had few passive skills as well. When he heard the rumors that people could learn new skills by actually went through training, he was extremely excited.
Huang Wen smiled, he like most of them. Aside from Yu Heng and Mi Fang, the other leaders seemed quite simple in mind. Not that they were stupid, but rather they were not interested in the power structure within Zhang Hu's little kingdom. Yu Heng and Mi Fang seemed to have a deeper insight, but Huang Wen didn't feel any hostility from them too.
So after gave it a thought, he couldn't see why he should keep it as a secret and he told them the similar thing he told Zhang Tian Yi and the others, in the past.
"Is that so? So that's why Leader Huang always meditate every night. How about the close door training? Did Leader Huang made a new discovery? Some new skills?", Yan Chou excitedly asked, the other also interested and listened attentively.
Huang Wen just laughed and said, "Well, not really. Let's talk about the siege of Gutian first, perhaps when we have more free time, I'll tell you what happened during my close door training."
They laughed when they saw Yan Chou's disappointment, but quickly turned serious once they talked about the siege of Gutian Town.
"Mi Fang, Jian Bao, when you watched over the situation in Gutian Town, are there some skirmishes happened during those time? Any attempt from the army inside Gutian to break through the siege? Or the other way around?", Huang Wen asked.
"Yes, actually that's how we able to conclude that there is a PLA infantry division in Gutian. We've watched them the past three days and once a day, the zombies attack the town. They will fight for an hour or so and then retreat.", Jian Bao answered.
Huang Wen wondered, "Why they do that? Why not commit one large scale attack at once?"
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"We thought about that too, we thought some possibilities. First, maybe they want those in Gutian to surrender rather than slaughtered by the zombies. Maybe those traitors just don't have the guts to put everything in one big gamble. Maybe they're waiting a larger force.", Yu Heng answered.
"I think there are many possibilities, actually we want to send some men to sneak into their camp and get some information.", said Deng Zheng.
Huang Wen shook his head, "Don't, its too dangerous... we're not playing a game or an actor in some spy movies. It won't be that easy to sneak into important or strategic location inside an enemy camp. What if there are many high level human or demon within the rank of our enemy?"
Yu Heng nodded his head, "That's what I said too. We decided to wait for you, but since you stayed in your close door training, longer than your prediction, we're a bit worry. When you called us earlier, we're having a meeting to decide, whether we should interrupt your training or act on our own."
Huang Wen sighed apologetically, "Sorry, it took longer than I thought. I planned to spend two days but it was harder than I thought."
Yu Heng quickly spoke, "No, please don't miss understand. I'm not saying that we blame you. It's just that we're kind of lost for what we should do here."
Huang Wen nodded his head, "I understand, now let me think about it."
He was thinking quietly, while his men waiting for him to give them instructions.
A few minutes later Huang Wen said, "Alright, first, this situation in Gutian Town might be part of something bigger. It might even affect our people in Nanping. The first thing I want us to do, is to send people to Nanping and let them know about this siege in Gutian Town. They should at least, need to prepare for an attack from Fuzhou."
They nodded their head and waited.
Huang Wen pointed at Mi Fang, "Mi Fang, I want you and your men, return to Nanping and report everything you saw at Gutian Town. Tell Master Zhang Hu, we haven't had a more detailed information and I'm not asking for a reinforcement here. I just want them to know the situation here in Gutian Town."
Mi Fang nodded, "Understood, when should I leave?"
Huang Wen said, "Now, I'm afraid my close door training already waste us few days. So return to Nanping now, travel safely. I ask you to go because you're quite sensitive to demon's presence. Don't get caught in any fight."
Mi Fang nodded his head once again, "Understood, if so, then I'm leaving now."
Huang Wen nodded, "Be careful. God speed."
Mi Fang stood and slightly bowed to everyone before left the house to pick up his men. They left that village that day and returned to Nanping immediately.
Back to the meeting, Huang Wen gave his second instruction, "The next thing I want us to do, is to spread a spy network around the road between the enemy main camp to Fuzhou. This big army of zombies, most likely, could only be, the army under the demon lord in Fuzhou. If it's true, then most likely there will be messengers who send report every certain period to Fuzhou."
"We will set up our main head quarter in this small village and make a schedule, so that, at any time, there is always two teams who watch for the road between the enemy main camp and Fuzhou."
"You want to tackle the messenger and take the report from them?", Yu Heng asked.
Huang Wen nodded, "Yes, I'm hoping that from the report, we would be able to roughly tell, what's their intention and the scale of their plan."
"But it might incite their suspicion of our existence.", said Mi Fang.
"It should take about 2 or 3 days to travel from here to Fuzhou, which means, they won't expect a reply for 4-5 days. We should already have a plan by then.", said Huang Wen.
Mi Fang nodded his head and then asked, "Then, how about those in Gutian Town?"
Huang Wen said, "I plan to breakthrough the siege from another direction, away from this village and enter Gutian Town to contact their leader."
Everyone was surprised to hear that, Yan Chou asked, "Leader Huang, are you sure? That's almost a million of zombies there."
"A million is the total, but they are spread around to surround Gutian Town. At most, I just need to fight through thousands of zombies. That won't be a problem. Besides, don't you want to see some of my new skills?", Huang Wen laughed.
Yan Chou watched Huang Wen with wide opened eyes, "So you do have a new skill..."
"Now, let me get a rest, tomorrow morning, I'll break through the siege and enter Gutian Town.", said Huang Wen, he was ready to end the meeting.
"Leader Huang, wait a minute. How about our mission?", Yu Heng stopped Huang Wen and asked.
Huang Wen was quiet for few moments before he answered, "Of my family... my village actually still tens of kilometers north of Gutian Town....
"But we already here, how could I blind myself from Gutian Town's predicament? Besides, since there is an army stationed in Gutian Town, there is a good chance that people from nearby are gathered here in Gutian Town."
They listened to Huang Wen's answer and felt satisfied. It was easier to risk your life, when you believe you're risking it for some noble purpose. At least that's how it worked, for some people. Some other might think it was foolish, and could only risk their life for their own achievement. But since Zhang Hu had this certain image about him, those who decided to serve him tend to have this altruism in mind. That's why people said, birds of the same feathers flocked together.
Or maybe it was Zhang Hu or Yue Rang who carefully selected those with such character to serve under Huang Wen's command. Or it was a coincidence. Who could say for sure which one is the true reason? But it did happened that so far, those who had contact with Huang Wen, tend to have this kind of altruism.
Now, did Huang Wen was this kind of person since the beginning? An altruistic heroic personality or at least he had the delusion of becoming one?
Did he acted that way, to earn their sympathy? Or did they affected his personality and slowly changed him into such character? Was it intentional in Zhang Hu's part? Was it fate that decided it happened that way? One could only speculate, one could only watch as the story told. But let asked ourselves this, was there any person in this world who didn't narrate himself as a hero in his own story of life?
Even the worst most sadistic, most perverted, criminal in prison, when narrated the story of his life, wouldn't he become either hero or victim in his own story? Although some might have a skewed definition of a hero and proudly told how they murdered or raped their victims.
Next : Chapter 64.