Chapter Sixteen: Another Group of Terrifying People Appears

Yet, over the course of that month, Zhang Desen gradually became a local legend.

The reason was clear: unlike in his original universe, the area surrounding Zhang Desen’s temporary base on Nanping Mountain was far from peaceful. Bandits infested the region. While searching for Tang Shijie, Zhang Desen would often take the opportunity to strike at these outlaws. He did not merely confront those caught in the act of robbery; rather, after gathering intelligence on the various bandit strongholds, he would choose an opportune moment to infiltrate their hideouts, abduct the chieftains, and force them to announce the dissolution of their gangs. In this way, he systematically eradicated numerous dens of bandits.

Thus, many of these outlaw strongholds simply vanished without a trace. Moreover, after destroying a bandit lair, Zhang Desen would distribute most of the loot to the poor villagers nearby, keeping only what he needed for emergencies, and would vanish without leaving his name behind. He always wore a gas mask and other gear during these actions.

No one ever saw his face, and the local people, unfamiliar with the military uniform from his own universe, found his attire both strange and mysterious. In time, they gave him a nickname: “The Hero in Odd Garb.”

Stories about this enigmatic hero’s chivalrous deeds abounded, growing ever more fantastic and exaggerated with each telling, to the point where many tales bore little resemblance to the truth. Zhang Desen found these rumors amusing, but he welcomed the moniker—it would serve as a convenient introduction in the future. As for the more outlandish accounts, he let them be; he only needed to do what he thought was right.

Though Zhang Desen distributed much of the seized wealth to the poor, over time, the remainder accumulated, and his own fortune swelled to an impressive scale, so much so that his temporary base could barely contain it all. This surprised him—he had never expected to amass such wealth, and on such a scale. What was even more remarkable was that he had accomplished all of this without once resorting to firearms; at most, he had used the bayonet of his Type 95 assault rifle.

Checking the time—nine o’clock in the morning—Zhang Desen glanced outside. Though the sky was overcast and the wind brisk, there were no signs of impending rain. The lack of sunlight made the temperature quite comfortable.

He didn’t bother with the thermometer and instead opened the microwave on his ship to heat up a military ration for breakfast. Once he finished eating, he planned to resume his search for Tang Shijie. The latest signals indicated that Tang was somewhere in the vicinity. Soon, the meal was ready. Zhang Desen opened the can and began to eat contentedly.

Halfway through his breakfast, however, he heard a cry for help coming from the mountain path to the left of his base’s entrance—a woman’s voice. Startled, he immediately grabbed his Type 95 rifle and his Altas sidearm before moving out to investigate.

In the past month, Zhang Desen’s extraordinary efforts had greatly reduced the number of bandit strongholds nearby, bringing newfound peace to the region. As a result, more and more people now traveled through the area. And since, both in his own universe and in this one, Nanping Mountain was famed for its scenery, visitors began flocking here—nobles’ sons and daughters among them.

Some came in hopes of encountering the legendary Hero in Odd Garb, eager to meet their idol. Rumors of his prowess had even drawn the attention of powerful officials, who came seeking to recruit him into their households as a family retainer. In short, the place was bustling.

Yet, thanks to the dense forest shielding his base, even though many passed along the nearby path up the mountain, few noticed the hidden camp among the trees.

But now, trouble had arrived again, much to Zhang Desen’s annoyance. Had the bandits returned already?

The mountain path in question lay fifty meters below the elevation of his base, on the left-hand slope. Although close by, the thick forest ensured that travelers rarely strayed far enough to discover the base.

With the sudden cry for help, Zhang Desen suspected someone had run afoul of bandits once more. Without wasting time on reconnaissance, he swiftly concealed himself in the forest by the path. From his vantage point, he saw a group of more than a dozen people—some armed with slingshots, blowpipes, or sticky poles—surrounding two young women.

At the center, a young man, his back to Zhang Desen, blocked the women’s way and said, “Come into the woods with me. I have much to say to you.”

The young lady, her face flushed with anger, protested, “Isn’t this supposed to be a law-abiding world? On what grounds do you bully people so brazenly?”

Zhang Desen took a moment to study her. She was truly beautiful: an oval face, fair skin, and delicate features—striking enough to attract unwanted attention.

The young man grinned lewdly. “Ah, my dear, let me tell you—my father is the Privy Councillor Qian Qiu. Being with me is your good fortune. Where do you live? Come with me now, and I’ll send word to your family immediately.”

Truly shameless, thought Zhang Desen. He had heard enough. Without hesitation, he burst from the trees—his face hidden behind his gas mask.

Bursting into the open, Zhang Desen floored two of the thugs with a punch each, then seized the young man by the shoulder, spun him around, and shouted, “Molesting an innocent woman! Do you have any sense of the law?”

“The law?” came the bewildered reply. They were more accustomed to speaking of “royal authority,” not “law”—but in the end, they wielded power with impunity, barely caring about the difference.

The young man, seeing the masked stranger, shouted, “What’s it to you? Ah, so you’re the Hero in Odd Garb! I warn you, mind your own business! My father is Qian the Privy Councillor of Daxing. If you cross me, you’ll die with no place to be buried—understand?”

Zhang Desen sneered. “It’s you I’m after, you scum!”

With that, he punched the young man square in the nose, breaking it and knocking out three of his front teeth. A follow-up elbow strike rendered him unconscious.

The rest of the gang, finally shaken from their stupor, rushed forward to assist. But, accustomed as they were to bullying the weak, they were no match for a special forces soldier. In an instant, they were all defeated.

Only then did Zhang Desen realize he might have gone a bit overboard. The young woman, however, quickly seized his hand. “Come, let’s go! He said he’s the Privy Councillor’s son, Young Master Qian. I don’t doubt it. If we linger, they’ll send people to take revenge.”

“Privy Councillor? Damn it—” Zhang Desen started to say.

“Let’s leave first!” she urged.

With no better option, Zhang Desen followed her and her maid down the mountain. He was relieved that he hadn’t left too many clues behind; otherwise, there could have been serious trouble. As they neared the foot of the mountain, Zhang Desen stopped abruptly.

“Miss, we are but strangers passing by—let us part ways here. Since he never saw my face clearly, you should be careful. Best to call the authorities—oh, I mean, report to the magistrate.”

The young woman replied, “Thank you, sir, for saving us. But we cannot seek official help. The Qian family is powerful, with the Privy Councillor at its head. Apart from His Majesty and Prime Minister Zhang, no one could touch them. Yet Prime Minister Zhang has been too grief-stricken by his son’s death to manage affairs, and the Emperor is distracted by war. Sir, you did not know? Oh, I see now—your attire marks you as a stranger to these lands.”

“No matter where I’m from, you must be careful in the future,” Zhang Desen said, preparing to leave.

“Wait, good sir!” she called after him. “If you have nowhere to go, why not come to my home? My family is well-to-do, and that Young Master Qian does not know who I am. If you hide with us for a time, he will not find you, and all will be well. My father is the Liu whom people call Master Liu. I have long admired the Hero in Odd Garb and often come here in hopes of meeting you. Today, accompanied only by my maid, I encountered trouble and was lucky enough to be rescued by you. Forgive me if I have caused you any embarrassment.”

So, Zhang Desen realized, he had acquired a loyal admirer. Not bad. Still, he shook his head. “No need. I have my own plans. Farewell!”

The young woman called out urgently, “Wait! My name is Liu Yuting. Sir, may I see your face and know your name? Wait—”

But Zhang Desen felt it was best to leave quickly. Since she said she could get home safely, he did not want to risk lingering.

Taking a different path, he returned to his base, planning to observe the fallen Young Master Qian and his retinue from a distance, and to resume his search for Tang Shijie. But what he saw astonished him.

A mysterious flying object was descending toward the spot where Young Master Qian and his men lay. The craft was not large—about fifty meters in diameter—but its very appearance filled Zhang Desen with a sense of impending crisis, the gravest since his arrival in the multiverse.

There was no time to hesitate. His training as a special forces operative kicked in. First, he rushed into his base and activated the ship’s plasma stealth system, setting it to maximum power to hide the base from all radar and advanced detection.

This plasma stealth technology worked by generating a plasma cloud over the surface of vehicles or equipment, allowing them to evade electromagnetic detection. Plasma, an ionized gas, is the fourth state of matter—composed of positive ions, free electrons, and neutral atoms. Examples on Earth include the ionosphere at eighty to four hundred kilometers altitude, the hot core of flames and electric arcs, rocket exhaust, and meteor trails.

The system came online, and the base vanished from sight.

Next, Zhang Desen activated the radar, constantly tracking the position of the flying object. He switched on all the base’s cameras, ensuring at least one stayed trained on himself. Past accounts of close encounters suggested that some abductees had their memories erased; to guard against this, Zhang Desen wanted to record every second of his experience, minimizing the risk of something happening without his knowledge.

He took out his previously unused pulse weapon and set it to maximum power. He placed a vibration sensor on the ground to monitor for any unusual movements toward the base. He also donned a multi-spectral observation device that combined thermal imaging, night vision, and other sensors. The ship’s onboard pulse weapons were trained on the entrance, ready for anything.

Fortunately, the ship had been flown in backward when it entered the cave to establish the base, so its nose was aimed directly at the entrance—convenient in this situation.

With preparations complete, Zhang Desen launched a drone to stealthily observe the strange craft.

He saw the unidentified object descending: five meters, four meters, three, two, one. It touched down. Its hatch opened, and several humanoid figures emerged.

What shocked Zhang Desen most was that these were not wearing sealed spacesuits, as described in past reports. Instead, their appearance was unmistakably that of the Kongren—ape-men.

This disturbed Zhang Desen deeply, for he had encountered Kongren in this universe before, but they had always used primitive weapons. How could Kongren suddenly appear with such advanced technology? Could there be another group of Kongren? Was this linked to the mysterious flying object he had encountered and tracked before coming to Nanping Mountain? What were their intentions?

Zhang Desen realized he needed to pay much closer attention to the composition of the various civilizations on this version of Earth.