Volume Two: Expedition! Chapter Seventy-Three: The Devil’s Forest

After Masao Nakamura proposed the second plan, the conference room fell silent at once.

Zhao Tian’s expression was grave. “Sir Nakamura, evacuating by ship seems rather unwise. The mutated creatures in the sea are now numerous and widespread; transport by ship is far too dangerous.”

Masao Nakamura managed a wry smile. “We had similar debates during our own internal discussions. Shipping is slow and fraught with risk—at best, it’s a last resort.”

“Indeed, sea transport is too slow. The round trip would take much longer than air transport,” Zhao Tian nodded.

“We only propose this as a measure of desperation. We have no aircraft to spare, and I doubt your country has many left either. I can't imagine you’d commit all your remaining planes just for us. With only a handful of planes, ships might actually be more efficient. Furthermore, we have contingency plans to minimize the risks during transport.”

“Let’s hear them,” Zhao Tian said.

“First, we can seize the opportunity to act during rainfall over nearby seas, avoiding those zones as we move. Second, we’ll retrofit the ships with discharge devices—high voltage to electrocute the mutated sea creatures. Third, and most crucially, the Sword Immortal himself. With him overseeing the operation, the risk is minimized to the greatest extent. We can handle the lesser mutated creatures ourselves—only the most dangerous ones would require the Sword Immortal’s intervention.”

Having laid out his proposal, Masao Nakamura leaned back, waiting for Zhao Tian and the others to raise objections or add their own suggestions.

As the saying goes, three humble cobblers together are wiser than Zhuge Liang; there is strength in numbers. The attentive observer knows that, in the face of hardship, the wise always seek counsel. Whether in politics or business, when faced with a dilemma, the first step is always to convene and discuss solutions, not for the leader to act alone and arbitrarily.

Unity brings strength. The collision of different minds sparks ideas far more agile than any one person could produce.

Having listened, Zhao Tian felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier. All of Masao Nakamura’s proposals hinged upon the presence of the Sword Immortal from Huaxia—he was always the linchpin. Yet now, this crucial figure had vanished, leaving only Zhao Tian and the rest of the War God Squad, who amounted to little more than bystanders.

If something truly happened to their chief, who could say what these Japanese, so long suppressed, would do when they lost their final hope? Would they, in their rage and despair, turn on Zhao Tian and his men?

The thought brought a cold sweat to Zhao Tian’s forehead. If the Japanese truly decided to kill them, they were trapped deep in enemy territory—among two hundred thousand of them, no less. All he could do was pray their chief would return soon, and nothing had gone wrong.

Noticing Zhao Tian’s odd demeanor, Masao Nakamura asked with concern, “Mr. Zhao, are you feeling unwell? You look quite pale.”

Zhao Tian snapped back to himself and forced a smile. “Perhaps it’s just the change in water and climate, but it’s nothing serious. Let’s continue the meeting. We’ve noted down the ship transport proposal—let’s move to the next one.”

Masao Nakamura, a straightforward man, didn’t notice Zhao Tian’s unease and took him at his word. “If you’re not well, we could discuss the rest tomorrow—much of this still requires input from the Sword Immortal.”

“That’s unnecessary, it’s only a minor discomfort. Let’s continue. We still have to report to our superiors tonight.” Zhao Tian refused without hesitation.

Masao Nakamura nodded with a smile and produced the notebook containing the third proposal. Only then did the Japanese officers and politicians in attendance exchange subtle glances, each noticing the same uncertainty in the others.

“Mr. Zhao, this third and final proposal is our contingency plan—the worst-case scenario. It’s for the future of our people, so I hope you won’t mock us for it,” Masao Nakamura said after a long look at the notebook, sighing.

Zhao Tian was in no mood to mock the Japanese. The moment they discovered the Sword Immortal’s disappearance, he could well imagine these smiling Japanese transforming into devils. He only wanted the meeting to end quickly so he could confer with his chief.

“You’re too serious. Please, go ahead.”

“We will only use the third plan if the first two are impossible. If mass evacuation cannot be realized, we will select a group of elite talents and one thousand boys and one thousand girls to go to your country. That way, the four transport planes you sent will suffice—quick, convenient, and it will ensure the continuation of our Japanese nation.”

Hearing this, the War God Squad members exchanged odd looks. They were reminded of a famous incident from history, whose main characters were the illustrious First Emperor of Qin and the notorious charlatan Xu Fu, who claimed he could commune with the gods.

The Japanese present, oblivious to what the Huaxia delegation was thinking, mistook their strange expressions for mockery. They felt both embarrassed and a touch resentful—hadn’t they agreed not to laugh? Why make it so obvious?

Zhao Tian coughed twice, signaling the others to rein in their reactions. If the Japanese decided to settle old scores along with new, it would be best to keep a low profile. Besides, without that extraordinary man, even the four precious planes of the third plan would be useless.

Chief, oh Chief, where have you gone? How could someone so powerful simply vanish?

“Sir Nakamura, I understand your feelings. Far from mocking this proposal, we deeply respect your nation’s resolve. We’ve recorded everything and will discuss it urgently upon our return, hoping to reach a decision swiftly,” Zhao Tian said, maintaining a smile though inwardly uneasy.

The meeting concluded, and both sides shook hands. As Zhao Tian and his group were about to leave the conference room, he turned back as if casually remembering something. “Oh yes, Sir Nakamura, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Oh? Mr. Zhao, please ask. I will answer to the best of my ability.”

“It’s like this: your country’s disaster is far more severe than elsewhere, so the Sword Immortal went out to investigate as soon as he arrived. We kept in close contact with him, but today, as he passed through a certain area, our signal was interrupted. When communication resumed, the Sword Immortal asked me to inquire if there was anything unusual near that location—so he could investigate further.”

Masao Nakamura frowned. “A signal interruption? Could it be the terrain?”

Zhao Tian smiled. “That’s unlikely. You may have forgotten—the Sword Immortal can fly. His speed exceeds the speed of sound, and even at high altitude, he couldn’t receive a signal. That’s why we’re asking.”

Masao Nakamura’s face filled with admiration. “The Sword Immortal truly is a remarkable figure. Mr. Zhao, in which direction did he go?”

“Due west.”

Due west… Masao Nakamura pondered deeply. Suddenly, a staff officer approached and whispered something in his ear, causing his expression to change.

“Mr. Zhao, do you know the precise location?” Masao Nakamura asked, his tone serious.

Feigning a brief inquiry with his companions, Zhao Tian replied offhand with a set of coordinates.

The Japanese officers checked their strategic map and, having confirmed something, passed the result to Masao Nakamura. His brow furrowed immediately. “Mr. Zhao, it seems my guess was correct. The place where the Sword Immortal lost contact is exactly that location.”

Hearing the words “lost contact,” Zhao Tian broke out in a cold sweat, but kept his composure. “Oh? What sort of place is it?”

“The Devil’s Forest! A truly terrifying place, overgrown with mutated plants that devour anything entering the woods—including the mutated creatures themselves.”

A man-eating forest!

Zhao Tian drew a sharp breath, exchanging a startled glance with Yin Peng. Both seemed to have the same dreadful thought.