"Uh..."
The members of the Loulan, Sharp Blade, and Snow Mountain squads were stunned as Jiang Wuming spoke, his face etched with a plea.
This was not the young man they remembered.
Their memories of him came from news that had once shaken the global martial arts world, from videos of bloody battles, and from witnessing him sweep aside foreign martial arts geniuses at the East Sea Martial Arts Academy.
Forceful.
Uncompromising.
Never retreating!
This was their understanding of the young man.
Yet, at this moment, for him, who had always been strong and iron-willed, to utter the word "please" to them, how could they not be shocked?!
Beyond the shock, they felt a deep sadness.
They knew he was a man of deep loyalty and emotion, and that he considered them friends and brothers, which was why he was acting this way.
"Brother Wuming, although I'm also very unhappy with that bastard Gu Tianlong and wish you could cut him down with a single sword strike, killing him would ruin your life."
After the initial shock, Ye Kunlun was the first to speak, trying to dissuade him.
"That's right, Brother Wuming. In the hearts of many, including mine, you are the future of the Martial Department and Long Country. The future Martial Department needs you at its helm! You don't need to ruin your future for Gu Tianlong!" Wang Tuo also chimed in.
"Jiang Wuming, enduring for a moment brings peace, and taking a step back opens up a wider world. There are no perfectly sealed walls in this world; Gu Tianlong will eventually reveal his true colors." Ye Feng also tried to persuade him.
"Thank you, I appreciate your good intentions, but my decision is made."
Jiang Wuming expressed his gratitude and reiterated his stance.
Swish, swish, swish...
Upon hearing Jiang Wuming's words again, the expressions of Ye Kunlun, Ye Feng, Wang Tuo, and the others changed.
Even though they had considered the possibility that they might not be able to persuade Jiang Wuming, his firm declaration still surprised them, and also filled them with concern and hesitation.
"Jiang Wuming, I know about your Zhanlong Squad's situation. Elder Wu specifically interrogated Gu Tianlong and conducted an investigation. In fact, the investigation is still ongoing. Please believe that as long as there is sufficient evidence, the Martial Department will severely punish Gu Tianlong!"
The captain of the White Tiger Squad said with a solemn expression.
"I believe you, but my brothers and I cannot produce evidence. Well, at that time, I was only focused on killing the enemy and bringing my brothers back alive; I wasn't thinking about preserving evidence."
Jiang Wuming turned his gaze to the captain of the White Tiger Squad and slowly said,
"As for the investigation. Twenty years ago, the Zhao family colluded with foreign enemies and murdered my mother. The Martial Department, lacking evidence, did not punish the culprits, forcing my father to purge the Zhao family!
Then, because of a promise, my father sacrificed his life to protect Loulan Ancient City, but no one investigated the truth.
Or rather, everyone knew what the truth was, but without evidence, the real mastermind continued to evade justice, and my mother's wronged soul has never found peace, right?!"
"—"
The captain of the White Tiger Squad was speechless.
So were the other thirty-five members of the Dragon Guard.
They had all heard about the events of that year and could even infer who the real mastermind was.
The members of the Loulan, Snow Mountain, and Sharp Blade squads also fell silent.
They looked at the young man before them, filled with sympathy and understanding—if the young man hadn't been pushed to a dead end, he wouldn't have led his team to kill Gu Tianlong!
The young man feared that history would repeat itself.
Moreover, Gu Tianlong was watching from not far away, as if observing a troupe of monkeys perform.
"Brother Wuming, I'm blocking you here only to persuade you. Since your decision is made, there's no need for me to stand here! Snow Mountain Squad, let's go!"
As Jiang Wuming finished speaking, Ye Kunlun spoke again. With a wave of his hand, he signaled his team members to leave.
Whoosh!
The other members of the Snow Mountain Squad had wanted to leave long ago. Hearing Ye Kunlun's words, they quickly followed.
"Wang Tuo's blade, the Loulan Squad's blade, will never be raised against comrades!"
Seeing this, Wang Tuo also left directly.
The entire Loulan Squad was left with only him.
Mo Ling, An Lutuo, and Lin Xiao had already moved aside earlier.
Ye Feng looked hesitant.
From an emotional perspective, he could understand Jiang Wuming and didn't want to stop him, but from a rational perspective, he felt he had to.
This was both due to his superior's orders and because, deep down, he had already come to regard Jiang Wuming as family, like his own cousin.
He didn't want Jiang Wuming to make a small mistake that would cost him dearly!
The thirty-six Dragon Guard members stood there, unmoving, silently expressing their stance.
"You all know about the Zhanlong Squad's ordeal, but you're unaware of some details. Let me tell you.
First, we encountered over forty foreign enemies in the canyon, including eight Four-star War Gods, three of whom were at the tenth level!
My boss single-handedly took them all down!
In fact, if my boss hadn't been protecting us weaklings, he could have killed all the enemies without sustaining any injuries!"
Seeing this scene, Qin Xiaozhi stepped forward and said in a deep voice.
Swish, swish, swish...
Hearing Qin Xiaozhi's words in surprise, not only the thirty-six Dragon Guard members but also the members of the Loulan, Sharp Blade, and Snow Mountain squads were all stunned.
Although they were aware of the Zhanlong Squad's achievements in the canyon battle, as Qin Xiaozhi said, they only knew the general outcome, not the specifics.
They couldn't imagine how Jiang Wuming, a mere Three-star War God, had accomplished all this!
"I'm saying the previous statement not to threaten you, but simply to state a fact: with my boss's strength, it would be effortless to break through your blockade!"
Qin Xiaozhi continued, "The reason he didn't do so is that, in his heart, you are his comrades, and he didn't and wouldn't attack his comrades.
This is the second point I want to make.
After the canyon battle, when I deduced from the information revealed by the foreign enemies and our experiences that Gu Tianlong had set a trap for us, for safety, I ordered the destruction of all the Zhanlong Squad's communication devices.
Then, I waited for my boss to wake up and let him make the decision.
He led the team back to the front-line command post, even though he knew Gu Tianlong had set a trap for us, because he chose to believe the Martial Department would give them justice, and he didn't want to cause warriors like yourselves to lose faith in the Martial Department.
However, the outcome disappointed him. Therefore, he chose to act himself.
As for your future, the Marshal of the Martial Department, and so on, my boss has never cared about any of it!
In fact, a large part of his willingness to form the Zhanlong Squad was to help me achieve my life goal!
In the canyon battle, Wei Xia was pierced through the chest by an enemy's war spear and nearly died. My boss fought so hard that his meridians ruptured, his internal organs cracked, and he almost exploded!
At this very moment, you are blocking us here, and the culprit, Gu Tianlong, is not far away, watching as if at a monkey show, anticipating a fight between us.
Do you want him to have his way?
Don't you find this ironic?"
Silence.
The thirty-six Dragon Guard members and the members of the Sharp Blade Squad led by Ye Feng fell silent once more.
Under the lights, they looked at the young man's calm face, knowing that behind that calmness lay an extreme fury!
Just then, another voice rang out.
"If it were a year ago, when he first returned to Long Country, he wouldn't have said a word, and you all would have ended up as corpses!"
The girl who had always been like the young man's shadow stepped forward and said coldly.
"Captain Jiang Wuming, are you certain there is no second option?"
The captain of the White Tiger Squad's pupils contracted. He gazed at Jiang Wuming and asked again.
Whoosh!
Jiang Wuming responded to the White Tiger Squad captain by taking off his combat backpack, opening it in front of everyone, and taking out two medals.
One was for the Zhanlong Squad, and the other was his own.
The golden medals dazzled in the light.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, the young man discarded the medals that symbolized supreme honor!
Clink! Clink!
The golden medals landed on the ground with a crisp sound.
Huh?
The sound was clear, and the thirty-six Dragon Guard members and the members of the Sharp Blade, Loulan, and Snow Mountain squads were all taken aback: What was Jiang Wuming doing?
"I never aspired to be a hero, nor do I consider myself a hero, but I've participated in many battles and led the Zhanlong Squad to achieve some merits. The medals are proof of that.
Today, can I pave a path with my merits?"
The next moment.
The young man provided the answer.
Under the lights.
The young man's expression was calm, and he still spoke in a tone of negotiation, even a plea.
Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink!
As the young man finished speaking, four more crisp sounds were heard.
Qin Xiaozhi, Xing Tian, Huangfu Weixia, and Dongfang Xiaoyao all discarded their respective medals.
For Dongfang Xiaoyao and Xing Tian, the medals were worthless.
For Qin Xiaozhi and Huangfu Weixia, the medals had once been their pride and their family's glory.
However, at this moment, like the young man, they resolutely discarded their medals!
"Jiang Wuming, I was once a soldier, and now I am a warrior of the Martial Department. In my life, I have never disobeyed an order from a superior. Today, I will make an exception for you—Sharp Blade Squad, withdraw!"
Seeing this, the hesitation on Ye Feng's face vanished. He no longer insisted and made his decision.
As he said, this was the only time in his life he had ever disobeyed a superior's order!
With that, Ye Feng led the members of the Sharp Blade Squad to the side.
The thirty-six Dragon Guard members struggled internally, their expressions hesitant, but they still did not move aside.
"How tragic it is for someone called a hero and the future of the Martial Department and even Long Country to be unable to protect those by his side?
If the national medals, which represent supreme honor, cannot pave a path of justice, then what meaning does protection hold?!"
Just then, another voice rang out.
The voice came from behind Jiang Wuming and his group.
The speaker was dressed as a doctor.
Li Lianyi.
The girl had rushed here just in time for the battle and was witnessing for the first time the young man's desperate plea for a path of justice.
This made her heartache, made her sad, and made her indignant!
"Merits pave the way, Dragon Guards yield!!"
The captain of the White Tiger Squad's heart pounded upon hearing this. His expression shifted several times before he finally shouted.
Whoosh!
As the words fell, the thirty-six Dragon Guard members simultaneously parted, clearing a path of justice.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The young man, leading the Zhanlong Squad, stepped onto the path of justice and lunged towards Gu Tianlong, who was watching the scene unfold in front of the helicopter!
...