The night grew ever darker, yet the stars shone ever brighter.

After nearly an hour of rest, the transport caravan continued its journey, crossing over several mountains and then several more. Jostled about in the vehicle, Luo Xiu soon fell into a drowsy sleep.

Meanwhile, in the cloudless night sky, an armed helicopter hovered over Qiliang Mountain.

Inside the cabin, a tall, statuesque woman skillfully stripped off her clothes, tied her fragrant long hair into a ponytail, and then donned a black, skintight bodysuit. The male pilot up front swallowed hard. He wanted to sneak a peek but didn't dare make the slightest movement.

"Miss Ye... I can only take you this far. If we go any further, we'll cross the border, and that will be a huge problem."

Expressionless, Miss Ye gave a slight nod. She expertly took a wingsuit from a nearby box and put it on, followed by a helmet, before securing her parachute backpack.

"Three hundred meters higher."

"Okay." The pilot quickly pulled the control stick.

When the helicopter reached the correct altitude, Miss Ye picked up a sword and said to the pilot, "Wait for me at the usual place."

"Understood. Miss Ye, please be careful."

"Don't worry. It's just a bunch of small fry."

As the cabin door opened, Miss Ye leaped out. In the blink of an eye, her body was swallowed by the thick darkness of night. The worried pilot circled a few times, only turning the helicopter around after he had locked onto her figure with his sights.

Her graceful form was like an Elf dancing through the night. She was also like a single, stubborn snowflake tossed by the piercing wind, weaving nimbly between the towering mountains and steep gorges.

...

Dawn broke, painting the sky a fish-belly white as the land gradually regained its light.

Luo Xiu groggily opened his eyes. The convoy was now slowly traveling on a straight road. This road traversing the vast Gobi Desert wasn't wide. It was badly worn and riddled with potholes, yet it seemed to stretch on endlessly. The sunlight grew more scorching and the temperature began to rise, making the morning breeze feel oppressively hot.

Withered trees of uneven heights stood by the roadside, resembling the skeletons of mythical beasts. They were adorned with old, bleached-red strips of cloth, like tokens of some abandoned faith. Black crows perched on the deadwood, intently watching vultures scavenge the rotting corpses below. A swarm of bloodthirsty ants was also drawn to the decaying flesh.

Expressionless, Luo Xiu observed the desolate scenery.

The vehicle suddenly stopped.

Luo Xiu withdrew his gaze and saw a cluster of dilapidated buildings. The structures were not tall but were numerous, covering a wide area. In the distance, numerous hills and giant pieces of mining equipment jutted out, standing tall like cranes among chickens.

"General Luo, come out and get something to eat," Purple Mink said in a gentle voice as she tapped on the window.

After getting out of the vehicle, Luo Xiu followed Purple Mink and the others into the complex. Along the way, he saw people of all kinds—some with yellow skin, some with white, but most were Black.

Their eyes were numb, devoid of any light. Even children under ten no longer had the light of innocence in their eyes. There was only wariness and aversion toward strangers. Like young wolves, they were perpetually cunning and vicious. They were a pitiful sight, yet it was impossible to like them.

Luo Xiu asked, "What is this place?"

Walking ahead of him, Purple Mink replied, "This is Hala Town. This area used to be desolate, but over a decade ago, people discovered large salt mines here, so it gradually attracted a lot of people."

She added, "But most of the people here were brought to work, or as you might guess, they're slaves. Foreign bosses buy them for rock-bottom prices—the same for adults and children—and then hire mercenaries to manage and supervise them. They have an endless amount of work all year round. Even if they get injured or sick, they are still mercilessly whipped."

"This place has no laws, morals, or dignity. The only creed is survival."

"However, even lower than the slaves here are the prostitutes. To prevent the slave laborers from becoming completely numb, they take women with low work efficiency to that building to be used as prizes. Whoever does the most work in a day gets to spend the night in there and can choose any woman they want."

At this, Purple Mink glanced back at Luo Xiu before continuing, "Inside, the youngest girls are only in their teens and the oldest are over fifty. As for those even older... they're the corpses you saw on the road. They have no use anymore. They can't work, are riddled with gynecological diseases, and can no longer be used as prizes. Their last bit of value is to help conserve food."

Hearing this, Luo Xiu couldn't help but clench his fists.

Zhu Hongmo, who had been walking quietly beside them, smiled. "Seeing you like this, General Luo, don't tell me you're thinking of rooting out evil and bringing peace to the just?"

Luo Xiu said nothing. He did have that thought, but he also knew he couldn't do anything on his own. Even if he captured and killed all the so-called bad people, it wouldn't solve the problem.

Zhu Hongmo said, "We are not here to root out evil, nor are we here to do good deeds. Even if you save these people born in Hell, you're only saving their bodies. You can't save their souls, which have long grown numb and set in their ways. Not only will they not thank you, they'll hate you for taking away the only life they've ever known."

Xiong Zi, standing nearby, suddenly remarked with feeling, "It seems Hua Country is still the best! Everyone can live and work in peace and contentment. No matter how hard or tiring it gets, at least you won't starve, and you don't have to worry about becoming an abandoned corpse on the roadside if you can't work anymore."

Skinny Monkey nodded. "And as for those people who complain all day about not earning enough money, about having to pay mortgages and car loans, or the morons who think the world owes them something over a minor relationship problem—they're all idiots who've never seen true Hell. Everyone thinks morality and dignity are the highest ideals, but in reality, pain and hunger are the most terrifying devils."

As they spoke, the group entered a stone building where some people from Hua Country, dressed in exotic clothing, had already prepared a meal. Although it was just simple, home-cooked food with very little meat, in a place like this, it was a luxurious feast.

After the meal, the transport caravan set off again, once more entering the desolate no-man's land.

Luo Xiu remained silent for the entire time, his heart heavy as he thought about that Hell on earth.

It wasn't until sunset that Luo Xiu saw another cluster of buildings on the vast wasteland.

"We're here. This is Zuobu Town, our destination."

Zhu Hongmo glanced at Luo Xiu as he turned the steering wheel, guiding the car toward another road.

A short time later, the convoy stopped on a wide dam. In front of the dam was a huge cave with a railroad track extending from within. From a distance, it looked like the head of a buried giant sticking out, its long tongue extended.

This is probably a mine, but that's not important.

Purple Mink got out of the truck and went over to greet a few blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigners. She then returned to signal for the men from the East District to start unloading.

Luo Xiu wanted to use the opportunity to see what the cargo was, but Zhu Hongmo called him aside.

"General Luo, I have a place to take you."

Luo Xiu frowned, his curiosity piqued when he noticed Zhu Hongmo had changed into an exotic white robe.

"Where to?"

Zhu Hongmo smiled mysteriously. "Follow me and you'll find out."

...

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