Published: February 10, 2025
“Is this the place?” Lu Yi looked at the small village nestled among the green mountains and clear waters in the distance, asking his subordinate with some confusion.
“The information we received pointed to this location,” the subordinate confirmed after checking carefully.
As the spokesperson for the Cloud Summit Merchant Group, Lu Yi had a formidable battle team at his command. Since their work involved dealing with outsiders, they often found themselves in areas dominated by external forces, and the evolutionary levels of the group members were quite high.
Underestimating them due to the nature of their team often came at a heavy cost.
To put it simply, Lu Yi's merchant group had over two thousand members, a number that was comparable to that of some medium-sized forces, and their equipment was also better than the average level in Cloud Summit.
This was quite normal, as merchant teams faced far more dangers than other battle teams that stayed close to the villa. They not only had to deal with the ever-present threat of mutated life forms but also had to guard against their own kind, who might covet the wealth of the merchant group.
In fact, compared to other merchant groups, Cloud Summit had a larger reputation. Anyone in the know understood that when the Cloud Summit Merchant Group set out, they carried many Evolution Potions and quality equipment, and on their return journey, they had an abundance of magic crystals and various valuable items.
The lure of wealth was compelling; under such significant temptation, not every force could maintain their respect for Cloud Summit Villa, and it was inevitable that some would act impulsively. Hence, having a strong military presence was a necessary condition for traveling in such lands.
Of course, impulsiveness came with consequences. Therefore, when faced with robbery, Lu Yi's merchant group never held back; they killed anyone they could.
Only then could they instill a sense of fear in those who were itching for trouble.
Lu Yi had been out of the villa for some time, and after receiving an order a few days ago, he arrived at the destination today.
“Team One, go in and take a look. Teams Two and Three, provide cover. The rest of you, secure the convoy.” Lu Yi issued his commands, and around nine hundred people split into three groups, entering the village ahead in succession.
About ten minutes later, several warriors returned to report that it was safe inside.
Lu Yi immediately led his team into the village.
Although it was called a village, the layout was quite good, and it likely had a certain reputation during peacetime. The village had an impressive stone gate, and the houses were arranged in rows of two-story buildings. It was evident that there had been good greenery here before the apocalypse, and remnants of flower beds and lawns could still be seen.
The village was not large, consisting of only eight rows, with ten to twelve buildings in each row, totaling around a hundred households.
“Uncle Lu, come over here and take a look.”
The captain of Team One ran over at this moment, gesturing for Lu Yi to follow him. Lu Yi felt a bit surprised and instructed the others to thoroughly clear the village and set up sentries before following the Team One captain to the westernmost villa.
Before entering, Lu Yi caught a whiff of an unpleasant odor and immediately felt alert.
Upon entering the villa, he saw a scene that made his brow furrow.
In the spacious central hall, there were piles of unknown bodies, all burned to a state of charred remains. The foul odor came from these bodies.
“After some counting, it seems there are about two hundred people. Although they’ve been severely burned, it’s still possible to tell that these individuals were killed first and then moved here to be burned collectively,” the Team One captain explained.
Hearing the captain say so much, Lu Yi quickly scanned the surroundings and the ceiling, finding no signs of being scorched by fire.
“It must be some sort of controllable flame ability,” the Team One captain continued to explain appropriately.