"They shouldn't be from the Sanctuary Army. Everyone, hold your fire for now; let me communicate with them," Captain Guan said as he got out of the vehicle and shouted at the people in the small truck, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The two individuals in white from the small truck did not respond but began to whisper to each other. After a moment, one of the white-clad individuals opened the truck door and got out. The crowd turned to look, revealing a middle-aged man of slightly stout build, around forty to fifty years old.

The middle-aged man wore a stern expression, his head held high, exuding an air of authority. He was dressed in a long white robe and held a silver staff nearly as tall as himself.

After stepping out of the truck, the man first sized up Captain Guan and the people in the armored vehicle, then questioned, "Who are you? Are you military personnel?"

Captain Guan was taken aback. Uncertain of the man's identity, he hesitated to answer directly and replied vaguely, "We are just passersby. Are you... are you from the Sanctuary Army?"

The middle-aged man slowly shook his head. Seeing him deny this, Captain Guan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Since you are not military personnel, how about this? Let's just part ways peacefully, and you may leave."

The middle-aged man did not respond but glanced at another individual in white inside the truck. The other white-clad person nodded slowly in response. Then the middle-aged man turned to Captain Guan and said, "Alright." He then returned to the truck.

"Everyone, put away your weapons and let them pass," Captain Guan instructed the others, not wanting to escalate the situation with the white-clad individuals. The small truck slowly moved forward, brushing past the two armored vehicles and continuing on its way.

At that moment, a strange "thump thump" sound came from the back of the small truck, accompanied by a faint female voice from inside the truck, "Open the door, let me out, please let me go!"

In the quiet underground tunnel, the echo made the voice, though weak, clear enough for everyone to hear.

"Did you hear that? It seems like there's a woman trapped in the truck," A Bing said.

"Yes, I heard it too. That woman seems to be forcibly confined in there. Could these two be kidnappers?" Captain Guan replied.

"It could also be a case of abduction; they might be planning to assault her," said an unnamed rebel member.

Kallen, upon hearing this, immediately became furious, "What?! These two guys actually kidnapped a woman? I'm going to stop them!"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Suddenly, Rulu, who had been silent, spoke up, "Wait, Kallen, it's best if we don't get involved with these two."

"Why?" Captain Guan asked, looking at Rulu with confusion.

"Look at their attire; they should be locals from the Sanctuary, directly serving the royal family," Rulu said, his expression serious as he stared at the two individuals in white on the truck.

Captain Guan was even more puzzled, "How could locals from the Sanctuary be here? How do you know their identities, Rulu?"

Rulu replied, "I can't explain the details right now, but we should avoid getting involved with them; otherwise, we'll attract serious trouble."

"I understand." After the previous encounter with the Sanctuary Army, Captain Guan trusted Rulu's words and instructed everyone not to obstruct the small truck, allowing it to continue on its way.

After the small truck had traveled about twenty to thirty meters, it suddenly came to a stop with a screech, and the truck's door opened. The two individuals in white got out.

"Hey, they're coming this way!" A Bing exclaimed, and the others turned to look back.

The two white-clad individuals slowly approached the direction of the rebels. The crowd could clearly see their appearances; besides the middle-aged man with the silver staff, the other individual was an elderly man, thin and frail, around sixty to seventy years old.

The old man had long white hair and a long white beard, wearing a faint smile that made him seem very amiable. He also held a golden staff made of metal.

Captain Guan cautiously leaned forward and asked the two elders, "May I ask if you need anything?"

The two white-clad individuals did not respond to Captain Guan's question. The white-haired old man seemed to be talking to himself, saying, "Ah, as I get older, I can't seem to remember things. How did His Majesty the Emperor instruct us to handle this matter back then?"

The other middle-aged white-clad man replied, "According to the Great Mage, His Majesty the Emperor ordered us that this matter must not be disclosed to anyone. Our identities cannot be revealed; if even a hint of it leaks, we will face severe punishment and can never return to the Sanctuary."

"Ah, I remember now; it was indeed like that," the white-haired old man suddenly exclaimed as if recalling something. "His Majesty the Emperor did say so, but... now it seems these people already know our identities. What should we do?"

The middle-aged white-clad man maintained a stern expression and calmly said, "That's easy. Dead men tell no tales. As long as they disappear from this world, no information will leak out."

"Yes, yes, that's right; that's how it should be," the white-haired old man smiled joyfully, but a chilling light flashed in his eyes.

Hearing the conversation between the two, the rebels felt a chill run down their spines. A Bing shouted angrily at them, "What are you two old geezers talking about? Are you looking to die?"

"Don't mind them; drive, let's get out of here!" Rulu suddenly showed a look of panic on his face and urged urgently.

Captain Guan was very surprised. During the previous battle with the Sanctuary Army, Rulu had never shown such fear. Now, he was in a panic over two frail old men, which was quite strange.

Though he didn't understand why Rulu was so terrified of these two, Captain Guan still said, "Drive, let's go!"

The two armored vehicles immediately started up and moved forward.

"Hehe, you think you can leave?!" The white-haired old man chuckled. He waved the golden staff in his hand, and suddenly, the two armored vehicles lifted off the ground with a whoosh, hovering two meters in the air. With the wheels off the ground, the armored vehicles spun in mid-air, unable to move at all.