Chapter 458 Foreign Enemies (Combined Chapter)

"Kill!"

In the training ground in Rotten Town, shouts shook the sky.

Leather boots stepped on the ground, splashing mud and water on the trouser legs of the militiamen, but they didn't care at all and began to practice the next move in an orderly manner.

What they held in their hands were not wooden swords and bamboo spears for training, but real gold and iron weapons that could be used on the battlefield.

In each round and movement, there was a dance of breaking wind.

On the reviewing stand, A Chi and Lu Meng, who was carrying a heavy sword, stood side by side.

"How is it?" A Chi turned to the envoy beside him, and his words were not without pride, "It's still acceptable."

Originally, the main force of the Hound Gang had been exhausted in Shark Village.

Only some remnants remained in Rotten Town.

But with the customs of the people in Rotten Town, even if only a small group of people were pulled out and trained in their spare time, they could quickly form combat effectiveness.

"It's really good." Lu Meng affirmed, "Compared to the militia of Skinning Town, they are not much inferior."

When hearing the first half of the sentence, Ah Chi still had a smile on his face, but when he heard him mention the Skinning People, the smile froze a little.

"The Skinning People and... the Hound Gang were indeed the two most powerful gangs in our swamp in the past. The two families have been rivals for many years." He cast his eyes back to the training ground below, "Perhaps this is why they have many things in common."

The Skinning People have been trained in the insect tide for many years.

Rotten Town, on the other hand, faces threats from outside the swamp.

Those who stand out from them are naturally much more powerful than the average.

Lu Meng nodded in agreement.

This is also the reason why he chose to borrow the power of the Skinners to fight against the Hound Gang... In the past order, the Double Blade Group controlled medical care, the Black Converters controlled the casino money industry, the Stone Rat Group was responsible for grassroots governance, the Skinners defended against the insect tide and operated logistics smuggling, and the Hound Gang, as the nominal overlord, had to maintain order and resist foreign enemies...

Even the Swamp Ninjas, who attacked merchants in the dense forest, were also a form of eliminating external influences, and formed a symbiotic relationship with several major gangs.

It can be said that this is the ecology of the swamp.

It is not to say that the major gangs are born to do this, but since there is this ecological niche and demand, if you don’t occupy it, someone else will occupy it, and this pattern will naturally form.

For example, now, Lu Meng manages the swamp.

All of the above goals must be achieved at the same time, and the establishment of the Medical Department is one of the attempts - otherwise, it would be too funny if some of the rare high-tech medical resources in the wasteland were used to do human experiments.

And the Rotten Town is undoubtedly the first line of defense against external invasion.

Unless there is an insider and the smuggling is successful.

Otherwise, once a large-scale army wants to invade the swamp, the first place that is most likely and easiest to reach is here, which can be said to be the gateway to the swamp.

Not to mention whether the enemy can continue to advance after conquering Rotten Town - after all, there are swamp ninjas cooperating with the terrain to attack and obstruct, and play the defensive advantages of the dense forest and black swamp.

But at least, it is also a thorn in the throat.

It seems that someone is always watching, losing the initiative and becoming a hidden danger.

Therefore, Rotten Town must be recovered.

So much so that Lu Meng left many important matters and came in person after learning that persuading surrender was blocked -

But...

He looked at A Chi, the former cadre of the Hound Gang and the current city lord who manages Rotten Town.

The other party said that he wanted to talk to him.

But he brought him, the "envoy", to the training ground... Is it a demonstration?

However, Rotten Town produces building materials, and the city defense built is also unique in the swamp. Even if it is just newly trained militia, with sufficient manpower and high-handedness, it really has the capital to persist.

——The premise is that the enemy attacks from outside.

Lu Meng remained calm.

The militiamen had just finished training and were resting. Some veterans from the Hound Gang heard him comparing himself with his "old rival" the Skinner, and they were a little dissatisfied.

But as soon as he looked up, he saw the young man carrying a heavy sword as tall as a person.

He retracted his neck and stopped talking.

He felt itchy on the back of his neck.

"Brother Special Envoy." A Chi turned around and looked at Lu Meng, "What kind of person is the Red King?"

"Hmm?" Lu Meng didn't expect the other party to ask such a question.

From his position... it's really hard to answer.

Do I need to put myself in the perspective of A Quan or Alan?

"What do you mean?" He asked back.

"Can he... hold on to the throne of the swamp?" It was really offensive to say such things in front of his subordinates and envoys, but Achi still spoke frankly, "How long can he hold on?"

"What do you mean?"

Achi was a little surprised that the envoy was not angry because of his offense. After all, it is said that the Red King has a high reputation in the coalition forces... In this case, he continued:

"The Red King occupied Shark Village, and the Skinners and even the Water Tribe surrendered to him. This is a fact... But this alone is not enough."

"His current strength is only slightly stronger than the Hound Gang... in our past heyday."

"In that war, the internal friction in the swamp was too serious."

Although the coalition forces now occupy almost the entire swamp, they did not rely on strong attacks. In essence, it was because the gangs in various places were already empty, and it would take a lot of troops to disperse and garrison, so Lu Meng did not leave many people in the 'capital' of Shark Village.

That is, there was no foreign enemy for the time being, so there was no chaos.

Although the five major gangs in the past were divided, once they encountered external enemies, they could still unite and form a force that could not be underestimated. This is the role of the alliance.

If it were not for the reason for this alliance, it would be to deal with the Water Tribe.

They could even hire the help of the Swamp Ninja.

But now, although the coalition is united and there is no internal fighting, the main force is still the Skinners and Swamp Ninjas... less than half of the past.

I heard that the Red King also has an army of Broken Horned People, who are quite loved by the Swamp People and are training new troops... but it takes time after all.

As for the rumors about the "Lord of Blood" -

Even Achi thinks it is nonsense.

"Oh?" Lu Meng's eyes lit up.

He didn't expect that an ordinary Hound Gang cadre would have such insight. He pointed out the dilemma he faced in a few words. There was no big mistake except for the incomplete information.

It seems that Da Gelin ordered him to stay in the Hound Gang's hometown and take on the important task - this person was not chosen in vain.

Ah Chi naturally didn't know what he was thinking, and just said:

"In the swamp, the Red King is naturally the strongest. Even Lord Da Glin fell under his sword. No one can compete with him regardless of power and strength - but what if it is an invasion by foreign enemies?"

"Rotten Town will become a battlefield."

"By then, will he become a swamp king... or return to Shark Village and be his chieftain."

At this point, Ah Chi no longer looked at Lu Meng.

It's better to say that he was talking to himself, telling the doubts that had been lingering in his heart rather than asking the envoy.

If, with the power of the Red King, he can't resist foreign enemies.

Then Rotten Town, which is on the front line, will only become a victim.

Instead of this, it would be better to...

"Lord Chi said so," Lu Meng smiled, "It seems that there is an imaginary enemy in your heart."

"Uh." Ah Chi was exposed by this and had to say: "Have you heard that in the Shak Kingdom, the town of Scone once launched an expedition to the border land, but ended up in defeat..."

"I know, the King of Sand, right?"

Not only did he know, he even had a friend who had experienced the war.

That expedition was indeed strange.

Scone Town was hasty in preparation, eager for success, and the city lord leaked military secrets; while the enemy sand bandits were united under the leadership of the King of Sand, and used the terrain to ambush and assassinate, which was not a traditional desert bandit tactic.

The key is that in the final battle.

There was also a headless skull army from the 'Land of Revenge' to participate.

Let the sand bandits, who were originally weaker, turn the tables in one fell swoop.

With the power of the great victory over the Shak army, the King of Sand was unrivaled in the border area. Countless refugees, hungry bandits, and soldiers from mountain strongholds fled to him and gathered in the sand.

"Uh." Ah Chi originally asked a question just to prepare a topic, but he didn't expect the other party to really answer it. He choked again and looked at the envoy suspiciously.

Even he himself only found out part of the situation under the half-introduction and half-threat of the man in black, combined with the advantage of Rotten Town at the junction of the two places.

How did you know?

Even an envoy knew the news... Could it be that he was the one who was isolated?

But he reacted quickly.

These... should be the knowledge of the Red King, but he delivered them to his envoys in advance in case of emergency.

In this case -

"Yes," Ah Chi's eyes lit up and frankly admitted: "The King of Sand's ambition is not limited to this. Although he once defeated the army of Scone Town, it is impossible for him to really invade the Shak Kingdom or the Holy Empire with war-level garrisons."

Shak's invincible five people and the senior judge of the Holy Kingdom.

For ordinary forces, it is a dimensionality reduction attack.

"So, if he wants to expand further--"

The direction can only be the swamp in the "civil strife".

It is even rumored that the Sand King has already received the news and is ready to send troops. There are hundreds of handprints sent to the Sand King Tower representing the sand bandits of various mountain strongholds... just to wait for the melee in the swamp to end, and when they are empty, they will go south in one fell swoop.

However, when the winner of the alliance was not Da Gelin, the Sand King did not expect that his planned opponent had died. He was happy and surprised, and he was quite suspicious whether this was a trick of the hound to fake his death. In order to confirm the news, he delayed for a long time.

Otherwise, when the messenger of the hound gang rushed back to the rotten town.

The sand bandit coalition was already at the gates of the city.

"Haha!" Unexpectedly, Lu Meng suddenly interrupted A Chi and waved his hand, saying, "We also know that the position of Rotten Town is dangerous. There is no need to make up such reasons to raise your own value. Don't worry, the assistance I brought today will not be cut off in the future."

"As for these nonsense... Lord Chi, there is no need to say anything."

"You!" A Chi was angry and annoyed.

He didn't expect that this envoy, who had been quite sharp, would say such a thing.

How could he joke about Rotten Town!

He lifted his military robe and turned away.

He only left a sentence, "Then please do as you please, and send the envoy out of the city tomorrow."

Lu Meng smiled.

But in the corner of his sight, he noticed a captain wearing the uniform of the Rotten Town guard. He originally lowered his head to guard on one side, but at this moment, as A Chi left, this person turned around and left without a word - but not in the same direction.

The strange thing is that the surrounding militia seemed to be accustomed to it and didn't feel anything unusual.

Or, they didn't find it at all.

"Advanced stealth skills..." he muttered.

Disguise, assassination, concealment... including making people subconsciously ignore their existence and turn a blind eye.

Combining movements, control of body functions and even psychology - those who can do it are either masters of stealth who have reached perfection, or those who are influenced by the environment and take extreme measures.

Coincidentally, Lu Meng himself has come into contact with two masters of stealth.

Including himself.

The evening sun shone on him, casting a slanted reflection on the training ground. Night was about to fall, and Lu Meng followed the Rotten Town guards who came to entertain him and whose attitude was not very good because of the change in the boss's face, to his temporary residence.

…

…

“He saved his life.” In the dark room, the man in black chuckled after listening to the report of his subordinates who were disguised as the guards of Rotten Town, “It seems that the people of Shark Village don’t believe those ‘nonsenses’.”

“Lord Bozan,” the subordinate expressed his doubts, “Although many people in the town are wavering and secretly support us… But I think the city lord is still loyal to the swamp, and he will be killed sooner or later.”

“He just misses his home more,” Bozan pondered, “but you have a point.”

In fact, Achi’s delay also made him more anxious and dissatisfied.

Originally, when he learned that it was Silver Shadow who led the envoys, he had an idea to wait for Achi to invite them into the city, and then secretly kill the leader—in the swamp coalition, even the affairs officer who controlled an important town died here, and no matter how shaken the Rotten Town was, it would be impossible to defend itself.

Even if Achi knew the truth.

Ordinary people would worry about possible retaliation and completely turn to his side.

Of course, Bozan would kill Achi to silence him at that time.

And the reason why he was confident... he could kill anyone he wanted-

Berzan, who was dressed in black, turned his wrist and a sharp ninja sword appeared in his hand. On the handle of the sword were two black snakes intertwined-the symbol of the Black Dragon Ninja.

It was Bozan who got the true teachings of the dying Shadow Man, but did not return to the Water Tribe. Instead, he went to the borderland in one fell swoop, established the Black Dragon Ninja Group, and opened up another path. He was so free.

Even the Sand King.

When fighting against the Shak army, he had to rely on his special assassins.

Among the many allies of the Sand King in the borderland, the Black Dragon Ninja Group was also the most important one and was treated with great courtesy-except for the fact that he was not allowed to enter the headquarters Sand King Tower for confidentiality, Bozan felt that he and the Sand King were equal.

He was already very satisfied.

But he didn't expect...

Another guy who claimed to be the inheritor of the Shadow Man had become the king of the swamp without knowing it. In comparison, he, the real guy, felt a little uncomfortable.

Therefore, Bozan wanted to see.

What kind of place is that old guy thinking about before he dies?

That’s why he volunteered to come to Rotten Town.

He didn’t want to prove his identity, after all, he didn’t even bring the inscription blade.

In terms of stealth assassination, he is one of the only two strongest people in the borderland - the other is his own wife from the church. She is unexpectedly talented and is better than the master. When he goes out, his wife stays at home, and the inscription blade is also in her hands.

No need for the inscription blade.

Using the means of the shadow man, it’s easy to capture the swamp people, isn’t it?

However, I didn’t expect... Ah Chi actually refused Silver Shadow to enter the city, which disrupted Bozan’s previous plan. If it was just to assassinate an ordinary envoy... would it not be enough?

“Got it.” Bozan thought of a way and ordered: “Do it tonight.”