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Chapter 196: Snowstorm is Coming

The integration movement that was just besieging the Ursus defenders was now blocked by the Ursus army in the blink of an eye.

The key issue is that the Ursus Army Group moved too quickly, without any warning, as if it was expected that they would retreat in that direction.

Two days ago, Ursus' army blocked their retreat in advance, but fortunately they evacuated the mine in time. Ursus is still unsure of their current location, and the problems they face now are not only that there is no news from the camp and no leader, but also harassment from bounty hunters.

The bounty hunters themselves are nothing to be afraid of. With Patriot and Tallulah each leading their own men, as long as they don't run into the Ursus Army head-on, no matter how many bounty hunters come, they will just be a mob.

But they would most likely inform Ursus of the location of the Integration Movement and the guerrillas. They were originally traveling through the mountains, and once exposed, they would have no way to escape from the well-equipped Ursus army.

Scouting is very dangerous. Hong Dao's team has also suffered casualties. Ling Dengxian also joined the scout team yesterday. Scouts have to do more than just explore the way ahead. They also have to fight against the enemy, erase their tracks, and release false signs to mislead the enemy's judgment. These are all the jobs of scouts.

The relevant skills that Ling Dengxian learned in Longmen are only applicable to the city. In the field in the wasteland... he can only start from scratch.

The Patriot led the guerrillas and maintained contact with Tallulah, but in order not to cause too much noise, they only maintained a general direction and did not act together.

This also led to the fact that the treatment that Ling Dengxian had planned for the Patriot to suppress the mineralogy and eliminate the symptoms of spread had not been put on the agenda.

He was really worried about the old man's health... When he first joined the Integration Movement, the Patriot only coughed occasionally when speaking, but now it has begun to transform into the intermittent main storyline.

But now, he had to find something to do, such as stabilizing Froststar's condition. Due to the conditions of the Integration Movement, every time she used Originium skills on a large scale, there was a huge risk, and she didn't dare to go all out when she occasionally practiced with Tallulah.

As the red dragon Drake, Talulah’s talent for fire is innate...but the cost is much lower.

It is not easy for Ling Dengxian to stabilize Frost Star's mineral disease, and it will consume a lot of energy. It is better this way... so that he can try not to worry about Texas.

When he was here, he used his influence as a doctor to suppress the conflicts between the infected and the non-infected. Texas usually listened to him and did not show up in public too often. His presence was not high, but he was afraid that someone would take advantage of this.

It was difficult to conceal the fact that Texas was not infected, so they did not hide it at the beginning. After Tallulah knew about this, she had no objection. She could see that the future development of the integration movement could not be separated from the help of the outside world.

But not everyone thinks this way, especially those infected people who have celebrated the holidays with non-infected people.

Celebrating the festival is not just an ordinary thing. For those infected, it is more appropriate to interpret it as a "life-threatening disaster."

Especially the infected people in Ursus...

Human rights were taken away, and people were slaughtered for fun... Evil people were killed, and positive people were persecuted. The property that I worked hard for half my life no longer belonged to me, and even my closest relatives turned against me...

In Ursus, if you want to find a job when you can't make ends meet, you need to pass the physical examination, put on a new or old patrol uniform, kill a few infected people, and you can get half a bottle of good wine and a portion of bread to fill your stomach.

Texas came because of him, and he had to make sure she got back to Longmen safely.

It's a bit dramatic. Texas was clearly there to protect him, and she was stronger than him, but he vowed to protect her.

"Bai Ge, you seem to be worried about something?" The white-haired Carters quietly let Ling Dengxian pinch his shoulder with his hand covered with white flames. Both of them did not think that they were crossing the line, because besides the fact that he and she were in a doctor-patient relationship now, Frost Star's lesion was on his shoulder.

Ling Dengxian could barely feel her skin in the source stone crystals... He didn't know if Yelena had used her bloody fingertips to tear her skin when these parts were in crazy pain, or if her current condition had long passed that stage...

"Shuangxing... are you really not in pain? The lesions have crystallized to this extent." Ling Dengxian pursed his lips. He couldn't help it, he really couldn't help it. He felt sorry for her and cared about her... but it wasn't because she was Shuangxing.

"Well, my condition deteriorated very quickly at the beginning... I don't really have much perception now."

"Only when the mineral disease strikes, will I feel the pain that penetrates deep into my bones for the first time in a long time..."

Ling Dengxian paused.

Of course, Yelena was something he couldn't let go of. She was noble and resolute, a flower blooming gracefully on the snowy plain, and a princess cherished by the Yeti Squad and Bodrakatis.

But there is a distance between him and her after all. In the main storyline, when he watched her passing away, he was indeed distressed, silent, and regretful, but that was more out of respect and pity for a determined idealist and a fighter who fought against injustice.

There had never been day and night together between him and her, no walking side by side at night, no tender smile when she looked back at him, no nights when they could hear each other's breath, no awkward helpless looks at each other... there had never been that unforgettable snowy night.

"So what are you thinking about? You look at me weirdly sometimes... I hope it's not what I think." Shuangxing thought of something that happened by a river and glanced at Ling out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing... just a personal matter. I'll pay attention to it next time." Ling Dengxian shook his head and let go of his hand. "That's enough for today. Don't overdo it when releasing your Originium skills. I can only eliminate the Originium infection that has expanded dramatically. I can't do anything about the ones that have already taken root."

"Are you okay?" Froststar found that his voice was a little too calm.

"It's okay. I've already said it's just a personal matter and it shouldn't affect you." Ling Dengxian smiled, packed up his things and put on his shoulder bag.

"Doctor White Dove, Frost Star, look for Tallulah."

Frost Star originally wanted to ask something, but the arrival of Red Blade interrupted the conversation. As the captain of the reconnaissance team, Red Blade's task was not easy.

"What happened?"

"Talk while we walk." Hong Dao looked exhausted.

The integration movement's scouts and the guerrillas' scouts met during their investigation, and after exchanging information, they determined the turning point.

Walking out of the snowy forest, Hong Dao brought the two to the meeting place. There were fewer team leaders standing here than before the mine rescue operation. Ling Dengxian raised his eyes and met the eyes of the silver-haired leader who was the farthest away.

After being discovered by Ling Dengxian, Yuansheng Hongdao's fatigue was quickly hidden. Her eyes brightened up, but her beautiful pupils could not hide the glaring bloodshot. Tallulah was too tired.

Tallulah read his worry and gave him a forced curl of her lips, using her eyes to stop him from saying something. Ling Dengxian didn't say anything more, but walked straight towards Tallulah and stood behind her.

"White dove..."

"Start, I'm listening." Ling Dengxian pressed his palm on her back, and the white flame quietly sank into the leader's body.

Tallulah was silent for a moment. She had to admit that the white dove standing behind her did not arouse her vigilance, and she enjoyed the brief peace of mind.

She could feel the generosity of Bai Ge.

Perhaps what she lacked in her school in Ursus was such a friend.

She stopped her casual reverie.

"Everyone, thank you for the efforts of our compatriots who carried out the reconnaissance mission. We have some clues about the movements of the Ursus Army Group. Mr. Patriot took the initiative to expose his whereabouts and attracted the enemy's attention. Now we have finally found a feasible evacuation route."

"We will go further to Taros Snow Forest. The terrain is complicated. According to the roads opened by our predecessors, there are three roads. Snow Forest does not cover a large area, but it is still a three-day march. And right after it is Sunset Canyon. According to the current intelligence, the enemy has not had time to surround and block the exit of the canyon. They are limited by the terrain and cannot send an entire legion to ambush us in advance, but they may have arranged a large number of elite teams to ambush us. We must quickly check the route and find the safest way out."

"Mr. Patriot can only give us ten hours at most. The three-day journey means that once we choose the route, there will be no regrets... We can only send a vanguard to explore the way ahead."

Hong Dao gestured to speak, and after getting permission, he said, "This is the job of our reconnaissance team. We don't need to hold a special meeting, right?"

"Yes... If that were all, there would be no need for you to come here in your busy schedule. Our Ninth Squad has brought us crucial information... at the cost of your lives."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions froze. The north wind blew through the open space, and the chill crept up the cadres' backs.

"Could it be..." Someone thought of the scene in the mine. He was one of the people who entered the mine with Tallulah.

"The Ursus Internal Guard... the Emperor's sharp blade, has been confirmed to exist in this operation." Tallulah's next words confirmed their guess.

At this moment, everyone had different expressions. Most people were just afraid of the name, while a few people... had fear in their eyes.

Tallulah looked at some of the infected warriors who were at a loss, took a deep breath and explained: "The Ursus Inner Guard, the Emperor's sharp blade, is the strongest single-person combat unit in Ursus. Their powerful strength, superb swordsmanship, and strange and terrifying abilities allow them to easily slaughter several teams in a short period of time. They are the embodiment of many terrible legends. When they appear, even ice and snow will turn black, and the ground they walk on will be permanently damaged."

The clearing fell silent once again, now everyone understood the danger of this mission.

In this case... if the team without Tallulah encounters the Ursus Internal Guards, they will basically be dead.

"The exact number is unknown, but the number of Ursus's internal guards is not large, and the three roads are not short distances apart. They cannot cover all of them. What we are looking for is the road without the internal guards. As for the other enemies, we can break through the encirclement with minimal losses once Mr. Patriot supports us."

"Everyone, we only have one chance. If we fail, the elite team led by the Inner Guard will be held back even with Mr. Patriot and me. Once the Ursus Army completes the encirclement, there will be no possibility of escape." Tallulah said sincerely. She would also participate, but the other two teams, even with Frost Star, could hardly be a match for the Inner Guard.

This is an invitation to die.

"...I'll participate." The silent Ling Dengxian spoke and at the same time withdrew his hand that released the white flame.

He couldn't wait any longer. Every day or hour that passed would put Texas in more danger.

Although he kept Chi Yu, Chi Yu would sometimes disappear for inexplicable reasons and he couldn't afford the risk.

If anything happens to Texas because of this accident, it will haunt him for the rest of his life.

After Xiran left, he did not allow himself to have any regrets or remorse.

"Inner Guards... can they be stronger than Saria?" His brows were fierce. At worst, he would risk his life again.

It’s just the crystal on the back of his hand... Ling Dengxian lowered his head to take a look at the infected crystal that was as black as scales. It was not obvious before, but now everyone can see that he is infected.

The only thing he could be thankful for was that his infection was not in danger of life, but the recovery period was not as short as he had imagined.

"According to the host's infection situation... self-healing will take about a month. If there are drugs to inhibit mineralogy, it can be shortened to two weeks." When Ling Dengxian asked about this, Xiaoxie responded quickly.

Bai Ge's statement actually woke up the others. Those who came with Tallulah to attack the mine were naturally people with firm stances. Although they looked bitter now, they all knew that there was no way out.

"Life and death are determined by fate, there is no turning back."

Ling Dengxian didn't believe in fate. When no one was paying attention, he looked towards a place in the snowy forest. His expression changed back and forth between hesitation and cowardice, but in the end he chose cowardice.

It’s okay to say harsh words, but finding a way to save your life is also a serious matter.

Somewhere in the snow forest, someone noticed the gaze and stopped what he was doing. She probably understood what he meant, but...

Forget it. I'm supposed to be a dead man anyway. Since I've placed a bet on him, I've got to take a risk.

"What's more... it might be interesting to have unexpected existences like you." She turned around and saw an Agor girl with a look on her face saying "This world is so dark and this job is so tiring that I might as well die" walking out from the depths with a curved sword in her hand.

Then he greeted her with a look of despair:

"Hi... I'm Gu Fan, from a certain unscrupulous and evil organization."

A higher point further away.

"The scepter and the person?" W held his chin in his hand, puzzled. Wu beside him did not look surprised at all.

"Sure enough... Before I set off, the general told me that I would probably run into people from this organization while I was supervising him... By the way, are all their organizations like this? Aren't they afraid that people will notice them by printing such a large tag?"

"...It's strange," W narrowed his eyes. I vaguely saw a director-level figure before. She also had a mark on her body, but I couldn't remember it until I saw it now. "

"Is there a possibility that you simply have a bad memory?"

"*Mercenary greeting* I won't forget important things. That woman gave me a very special feeling. There's no reason for me to forget."

"Get ready, are you going or staying?" Anasa sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"If you stay any longer, you might face the Emperor's blade."

"……grass!"