"It's on fire!"
The formerly silent camp.
Just as the native priest was about to rest, piercing screams suddenly came from outside.
"Fire? Where is the fire?"
The noise shattered the priest's nerves. Upon hearing about the fire, he hurriedly got up and rushed outside.
As soon as he opened the door, the priest was utterly shocked.
All he saw was that the entire village was already ablaze with flaming billows in the sky, especially the eastern houses which were worst hit. At this moment, countless tribespeople and their families were fleeing in chaos.
The priest's mind was in turmoil, his features twisted together. Grabbing a native who was trying to put out the fire, he exclaimed, "How did the fire start?"
The native was stunned and quickly replied, "The enemies broke through the barricade!"
"Enemies?!"
The priest's body shook. Pushing the man aside, he staggered and looked into the distance.
And with that glance, the priest's face turned even paler.
While the surrounding fire sources might still be controllable, up ahead had already turned into a sea of flames.
Trees surrounded the camp, a natural barrier against enemies in the past, but now this wall of trees became a colossal chasm, completely cutting off the camp's connection with the outside.
Did someone set the fire?
The priest grew a bit anxious yet remained composed.
Reason told him this was no mere accident but a deliberate act of arson!
Yet, who set the fire didn't matter anymore. What mattered now was to quickly gather people and escape from here, before the outer trees burned fully, leading the camp to utter destruction.
What a vicious plot!
They aim to annihilate my entire household!
The priest clenched his teeth, his chest filled with an almost tearing pain!
He took a deep breath and shouted forcefully, "Everyone, come to me!"
"We can't put out this fire! If you want to live, come over here, we're breaking out!"
The priest's face was extremely dark, his brows furrowed, his anger striking fear deep within hearts.
Fear awakened some people's minds. Some natives calmed down, organized their families, and gathered together.
The number of people gradually increased, and the priest glanced at the surrounding distressed crowd, feeling as though a knife was twisted in his heart.
Taking a final look at the ruined camp, the priest gritted his teeth and roared, "We can't save the camp anymore; don't panic! We're breaking out now!"
Years of efforts were destroyed all at once, the priest's heart filled with indescribable bitterness.
But as long as he's alive, there's hope.
As long as they charge out, he could still have a chance to turn things around.
Despite feeling an infinite reluctance, the priest still stepped forward, leading everyone out of the village.
............
Fire.
Fire everywhere. The raging flames rendered the entire daytime into a yellow haze, and panic-stricken screams mixed with faint cries for help came from the nearby camp.
Zhang Jianxiong watched everything coldly.
He told himself this was not the time for sympathy; these creatures killed were not humans but simply a group of enemies.
Zhang Jianxiong, during peacetime, was a leader mixed in the underworld, and scenes of slaughter were all too familiar to him.
Not as experienced as Wei Xun.
Not as capable as Xu Zhe.
In this situation, Zhang Jianxiong could only rely on merit to gain Chen Feng's attention, thereby securing opportunities for advancement.
The flames obstructed most people's hope of escape.
Yet, there would still be some lucky ones who survive, and a bloody battle is inevitable.
Time ticked away second by second.
With a shout rising up.
The natives, long gathered, ran towards them from afar.
They charged forth recklessly through the raging flames, each face fraught with chaos and urgency. Upon seeing the enemy in person, their faces turned frenzied, and they raised weapons, rushing towards the warriors.
However, nobody knew that awaiting them wasn't salvage, but a grim road to death with no light.
"Raise your guns!"
Zhang Jianxiong's face was ice-cold, and his eyes were filled with a chilling, icy aura, as if venting the darkest emotions within him, he shouted with all his might:
"Fire!"