Chapter 6: My Plan Is Simple!

Zhang Tao felt a searing pain explode in his head, an indescribable terror surging through him. He spun around in alarm.

In that instant, a twisted, bloodthirsty face filled his vision—hideous, savage, terrifying beyond words.

Unable to suppress his mounting fear any longer, Zhang Tao let out a piercing scream.

At the same moment, elsewhere in the reeds, Zhang Zuolin paced back and forth, nervously glancing at his watch.

“Damn it, what’s taking Zhang Tao and Cheng Zhen so long? How could it take this much time to find one person?” he muttered.

No sooner had the words left his lips than a blood-curdling scream ripped through the reeds.

“What the hell was that? That cry... it sounded so ghastly, as if someone were being flayed alive!”

“Hush! Why does that voice sound so familiar? Ah, I remember now—that was Zhang Tao!”

“Damn it, the devils must have caught him! What do we do?”

Listening to the anxious chatter of his men, Zhang Zuolin’s expression darkened.

It was well known how cruel the devils were to prisoners. Zhang Zuolin recalled, with a shudder, the time he had been invited to visit the Kwantung Army. In a pigsty, he had seen a repulsive pig, disturbingly humanlike, scrambling with the other pigs for scraps of food. When his adjutant asked their host what breed the pig was, the Japanese officer had laughed, “Zhang-san, that’s one of your kind!”

At first, Zhang Zuolin thought he was being insulted. Only when the pig raised its head and he saw a grown man’s face did he realize, with horror, that it truly was one of his own countrymen.

Haunted by this memory, Zhang Zuolin’s heart ached. He took a deep breath and cursed under his breath:

“Damn it! No matter what, we must rescue them! Even if I have to put Zhang Tao down with my own gun, I won’t let him be tortured to death!”

“That’s right! The Commander is right! We can’t let our comrades die such a humiliating death!”

“A general dies a hundred deaths on the battlefield, wrapped in his horse’s hide! Kill! Kill! Kill!”

In an instant, the wavering morale surged back to life. The guards quickly formed an assault team, rallying around Zhang Zuolin, and charged toward the direction of Zhang Tao’s screams.

But just as they parted the reeds, they ran straight into Jiang Bai and his two companions.

Within their line of sight, Jiang Bai strode forward, bare-armed and broad-shouldered, his body smeared with blood, seven or eight rifles slung across his back.

Behind him, Cheng Zhen, ashen-faced and trembling, carried the unconscious Zhang Tao, trailing along like a frightened lackey—a pitiful sight, especially for a man once so tall and imposing. It made one itch to give him a solid kick.

Yet Zhang Tao seemed entirely unharmed.

Everyone was baffled. Weren’t they supposed to have been captured by the devils? Tortured beyond recognition? Yet Zhang Tao looked as if nothing had happened, merely sleeping soundly.

Puzzled, Zhang Zuolin turned to Cheng Zhen. “Cheng Zhen, is Zhang Tao unhurt?”

Cheng Zhen shook his head.

“Did he fall into a swamp?”

Cheng Zhen shook his head again.

Zhang Zuolin snapped, “Then what was that awful scream just now?”

Before Cheng Zhen could answer, Jiang Bai spoke up, “We’re not entirely sure. By the time I reached Zhang Tao, he was already unconscious.”

“Isn’t that right, Cheng Zhen?” Jiang Bai turned his head, attempting a friendly smile.

But the effect was the opposite. To Cheng Zhen, Jiang Bai’s smile was the very grin of a demon.

“Aaah!” Cheng Zhen shrieked, his legs buckling, and he collapsed in a dead faint under the stunned gazes of all.

“What’s going on here?” someone asked.

Jiang Bai shrugged. “Maybe they’re just exhausted?”

Yet inwardly, he too was at a loss. Why did these two seasoned soldiers fear him so?

If they were ordinary folk, it would be understandable—they’d be terrified by the sight of him, blood-soaked and grim. But these two were battle-hardened veterans. Zhang Tao even wore a medal engraved with “Brave in Battle,” awarded for killing three bandits in a single campaign.

And yet, this elite soldier had lost his wits in Jiang Bai’s presence. It made no sense.

Suddenly, the system’s voice chimed in, providing the answer:

[Ding! Host, please be aware that after your continuous slaughter of enemies, you have accumulated an intense aura of bloodlust.]

[When your bloodlust reaches a certain threshold, your gaze alone can intimidate foes and exert an overwhelming predatory pressure.]

Jiang Bai understood at last. In the lower corner of the blue screen, red letters appeared:

[Current Bloodlust: 70 Points. Aura “Blood-soaked Executioner” unlocked!]

Aura Name: Blood-soaked Executioner.
Aura Effect: Increases attack power by 10%, decreases attack power of nearby enemies by 10%. Exerts a powerful deterrent effect on the weak-minded.
Note: While this aura is active, the host is more susceptible to bloodlust, becoming cold and ruthless.

After reading the description, Jiang Bai finally understood. Clearly, Zhang Tao and Cheng Zhen must have witnessed his earlier butchery of the enemy soldiers, shattering their nerves. Coupled with the effects of the Blood-soaked Executioner aura, their spirits collapsed, leading to this awkward scene.

In terms of effect, the power of this aura was immense. Compared to the 20% boost to his attack, it was a tremendous advantage.

As for the supposed negative side effect, Jiang Bai considered it more of a boon. After all, on a battlefield where life and death hung by a thread, only the ruthless survived.

Just as Jiang Bai was reflecting on his gains, Zhang Zuolin hesitated, then asked, “Wait a minute, you’re Jiang Bai, aren’t you?! How the hell did you know the devils were going to blow up our train?”

Jiang Bai wiped the grime from his face and replied with a smile, “Yes, Commander, I am Colonel Jiang Bai.”

He then recounted his prearranged explanation: while inspecting the boiler, he had inadvertently overheard a conversation between enemy spies and was discovered. Fighting his way out to report the intelligence, he set in motion the events that followed.

After hearing Jiang Bai’s story, Zhang Zuolin nodded approvingly, his gaze filled with admiration.

“Jiang Bai, what do you think we should do next to get out of this predicament?”

With his question, every eye turned expectantly to Jiang Bai.