Chapter 191: Greed is a Deadly Poison
The villagers of Xu Family Town suffered heavy casualties, with the ground littered with the wounded. Though they were alive, their agony was worse than death. Some had their feet impaled by the traps and were trying to pull out the nail boards to stop the bleeding. The boards were not just studded with smooth nails but also with threaded screws. Any forceful attempt to remove them only made things worse, tearing the flesh like barbed hooks.
"How did it come to this?" they wondered. They had always been victorious in their skirmishes around Xu Family Town, never facing such a humiliating defeat.
Finally, someone realized the core issue. "Chunlei didn't come!" The moment this was said, everyone understood. Xu Chunlei, with his ability to manipulate ice and snow, was like a cheat code in these wintry conditions. Their strength had never been their own; it was always because they had Xu Chunlei.
The leaders of the teams, with grim faces, decided to temporarily retreat. They approached Xu Dongsheng. "Village Chief, we need Chunlei! There’s still over a hundred meters to go, and we don't know how many more traps are hidden beneath the snow. We need Chunlei to clear the way!"
Everyone started speaking at once, urging Xu Dongsheng to call for Xu Chunlei. Xu Dongsheng’s expression soured. He had harshly scolded Xu Chunlei earlier, calling him a coward and declaring that Xu Family Town could take down the shelter without him. Now, after the first wave of attacks, the villagers were at a loss.
In the shelter's second-floor window, Zhang Yi, holding his sniper rifle, watched silently. "Why hasn’t the ice and snow ability user made a move yet?" There were too many people for him to identify the ability user. If the user revealed themselves, Zhang Yi could quickly target them. The distance from the villa to the frontline of the villagers was less than 200 meters. Even if the ability user was cautious and attacked from a greater distance, as long as it was within 2000 meters, Zhang Yi could still take the shot.
"Hurry up and come," Zhang Yi muttered.
Meanwhile, Xu Dongsheng faced mounting pressure from the villagers. Asking him to seek help from Xu Chunlei? The thought of a grandfather begging his grandson was unbearable. He gritted his teeth, unable to bring himself to do it.
The villagers were apprehensive, but Xu Dongsheng handed his binoculars to a nearby man. "Take a good look inside that villa."
The man eagerly took the binoculars and looked towards the villa. Through the brightly lit windows, he saw a lavish interior, warm and inviting. He saw two stunningly beautiful women sitting at a table, eating and occasionally glancing outside. The table was covered with delicious, steaming food.
"Gulp—" The man swallowed several times, drooling over the food and the women. Others grabbed the binoculars, each seeing something they desired: food, a warm and comfortable home, and the beautiful women.
"If you can get past those traps, everything in that villa is yours!" Xu Dongsheng declared, pointing at the villa less than 200 meters away. The villagers were tempted. Returning home after losing so many people felt unacceptable.
"But the traps and bombs in the snow—how do we deal with them?" someone cautiously asked. Another suggested, "Let’s call Chunlei. His abilities can clear the snow, exposing all the traps."
Nods of agreement followed. Xu Dongsheng’s face reddened. As the elder of the Xu family and the village chief, his pride was at stake. Asking Chunlei for help was out of the question.
"Humph! Cowards!" he spat. "It seems without Chunlei, the rest of you are useless! If anyone is scared, go back and spare us the shame!"
His harsh words stung the villagers, who felt both ashamed and angry. "We’re not cowards, Grandpa!" a young man shouted. "I’ll capture Zhang Yi myself!"
Driven by anger, the young men grabbed their tools and turned to clear the traps. Xu Dongsheng nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit! Be careful, and these traps will be nothing!"
Learning from the first wave, the villagers became more cautious. They started throwing chunks of ice ahead of them, triggering traps from a distance and paving a safer path. Zhang Yi watched their efforts from the shelter’s second floor, noting their strategy.
"The ingenuity of common folk," he thought. "This method will neutralize many of the traps. But high-tech traps won't be so easily overcome."
The villagers moved forward, clearing more traps and even triggering a few grenades, which boosted their confidence. Xu Dongsheng smiled triumphantly. "Keep moving! Hunters, stay ready. If Zhang Yi fires, shoot back immediately!"
Xu Dongsheng’s cousin, Xu Dongping, an old hunter, grinned, holding his ancient rifle. "Don’t worry. If he shows his face, I’ll put a hole in his head!"