192: Conflict (2)

Over the next two days, the Mixed Brigade's clearing operations in the three towns proceeded quite smoothly; the stubborn zombie strongholds in the town centers were eliminated one by one, and the remaining zombies were compressed into the countryside.

However, the conflict between the Mixed Brigade and the Luo Clan grew increasingly sharp. The rank-and-file personnel on both sides disliked each other, and friction occurred frequently.

Soldiers from the Mixed Brigade called the Luo Clan's defense force "bumpkins" and "local bandits," while members of the Luo Clan mocked the Mixed Brigade for their poor equipment, calling them a "co-opted ragtag army." Because the number of Evolvers on both sides was similar, large-scale conflict had not yet broken out, but the air was already thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, Council Chamber.

The atmosphere was heavy. Inside the antique hall, the mahogany tables and chairs were neatly arranged, but no one had the heart to appreciate them.

Brigade Commander Tang sat in the primary guest seat with a calm expression, but the faint electric arcs occasionally jumping from his fingertips betrayed his inner turmoil. Logistics Officer sat behind him to the side, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, her hands nervously clasped on her lap.

Sitting in the accompanying seat at the head of the table, Luo Chen, the leader of the younger generation of the Luo Clan, had a cloudy expression on his handsome face. He took a deep breath and broke the silence first, his voice cold but filled with suppressed anger: "Brigade Commander Tang, the Luo Clan has provided your army with encampments, guides, and food, and our clansmen have enthusiastically participated in battles to assist with the clearing operations. Even if we don't claim great merit, this contribution is surely not small, right?"

Brigade Commander Tang raised his eyes and met Luo Chen's gaze calmly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant: "Young Master Luo, your family's help to our army is something I, Tang, will keep in mind, and all the soldiers of the brigade are also grateful." Although his words were polite, his back was straight, showing no sign of being in the wrong or appearing weak. Both sides of the conflict were at fault, and neither was a pushover to be easily manipulated.

"Since that's the case!" Luo Hui, the hot-tempered clan elder sitting below Young Master Luo, slammed the table and stood up, causing the teacups to clatter. With his hair and beard bristling, he pointed at Brigade Commander Tang and shouted angrily, "Then why do your soldiers frequently insult our clan, calling us 'bandits' at every turn?! Do you really think our Luo Clan is easy to bully?!"

"Uncle Hui!" Luo Chen gave a low shout, using his eyes to stop Luo Hui from further outburst, but his gaze turned back to Brigade Commander Tang even sharper: "Brigade Commander Tang, clan reputation is more important than Mount Tai. Please understand this point."

Brigade Commander Tang raised an eyebrow slightly, leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and interlaced his fingers: "Oh? Then according to Young Master Luo, how should this be resolved?"

Luo Chen looked straight at Brigade Commander Tang and said word by word: "I request that your army publicly apologize and acknowledge that the Luo Clan is the legitimate self-governing body here, and by no means any bandits or outlaws!"

"Bang!" Brigade Commander Tang slammed his palm onto the solid mahogany table, leaving a clear palm print. Blue electric arcs crackled and exploded from his body, and the air in the entire council chamber seemed to freeze: "Luo Chen! Why don't you ask your own people first?! They have repeatedly made wild remarks, saying that my Mixed Brigade is a ragtag army co-opted by the official government and that our equipment is poor! How should this account be settled? Do you also need to give me an explanation!" He glared with wide eyes, his powerful Third-Tier aura released without reservation.

Luo Chen, upon hearing this, also stood up abruptly. A sharp aura, no weaker than Brigade Commander Tang's, erupted, faintly clashing with Brigade Commander Tang's thunderous pressure in the air. Although the several Luo Clan elders present were all First-Tier Evolvers, they were currently sweating profusely and finding it difficult to breathe in the gap between these two terrifying auras.

"Little Chen!" The Luo Clan Patriarch, who had been sitting in the main seat with his eyes closed to rest, finally spoke. His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority.

"Brigade Commander Tang, please calm your anger as well." The Patriarch slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two men.

With the elder speaking, Brigade Commander Tang and Luo Chen exchanged a glance, both snorted coldly, slowly restrained their auras, and sat back down, but the confrontational meaning in their eyes had not diminished in the slightest.

The Luo Clan Patriarch looked at Brigade Commander Tang with cloudy but shrewd eyes, then looked at his grandnephew, and said slowly: "Brigade Commander Tang, my meaning is this: since your army and our clansmen are not getting along and friction is constant, to avoid future disasters, please have your unit... move out of our ancestral hall's premises and find another encampment." His words were slow but carried a decisive tone.

Brigade Commander Tang took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said in a deep voice: "Moving out of the ancestral hall is fine. But I need to remind the Luo Clan Patriarch and Young Master Luo that my Red Alert Legion Commander-in-Chief, Jiang Xin, is the only high-level administrative official officially appointed by the National Government in Xijiang Province after the apocalypse! Before long, Commander-in-Chief Jiang will surely command the entire Xijiang Province! At that time, whether it is your Sword City Luo Clan or survivors in other regions, you will all be subjects under my Legion's jurisdiction and must comply with my Legion's laws!"

His words were not empty talk; the momentum of the Red Alert Legion was in its heyday, and anyone with a discerning eye knew that the Red Alert Legion replacing the provincial government was a done deal.

Luo Chen's handsome face turned completely gloomy, and his voice was cold: "Tang Qi, do you mean that my Luo Clan will have to bow down and obey your orders in the future?"

Brigade Commander Tang sneered and retorted unceremoniously: "Luo Chen, your Luo Clan only has a hundred or so Evolvers and two thousand guns; you might not even be a match for my vanguard Mixed Brigade! My Legion has five main brigades, thirty thousand elite troops, thousands of Evolvers, hundreds and thousands of tanks and armored vehicles, and even fighter jets soaring in the sky! Do you think the administrative rights of Sword City are something you can just take if you want? Or do you think that in this apocalypse, your Luo Clan can still close your doors and be local emperors?!"

"Arrogant!" Luo Chen was completely enraged and stood up abruptly, "Since Brigade Commander Tang is so confident, then I, Luo, will first learn your high-level moves! Let's see if you really have the strength to match this ambition!"

"Just what I wanted! I, Tang, also want to see just how much skill your Luo Cheng spirit has!" Brigade Commander Tang did not show weakness and stood up tall.

A certain open area of the Luo Clan.

The crowd that arrived upon hearing the news surrounded them in three layers inside and outside. The soldiers of the Mixed Brigade and the clansmen of the Luo Clan gathered on their respective sides, distinct and clearly separated. The air was filled with restlessness and the tension of a standoff.

Brigade Commander Tang and Luo Chen stood fifty meters apart, their clothes fluttering without wind.

"Brigade Commander! Beat him! Beat that pretty face of his until it's swollen!" a burly soldier from the Mixed Brigade shouted loudly, drawing roars of laughter and agreement.

"Young Master, go for it! Let these outsiders see the power of the Luo Clan spear!" The Luo Clan side was not to be outdone, with hundreds of people shouting in unison, the sound waves shaking the sky.

Only Logistics Officer pursed her lips tightly, her hands twisting her clothes tightly, looking worriedly at the tall figure in the field.

"Brigade Commander Tang, please!" Luo Chen stood with his hands behind his back, lifting his chin coldly and arrogantly.

"Haha, then excuse me!" Brigade Commander Tang laughed loudly. He did not immediately transform into a thunder dragon, but his arms were instantly covered in dark blue scales, turning into ferocious dragon claws. His figure moved like lightning as he charged toward Luo Chen first!

Luo Chen's eyes narrowed. He made a grasping motion with his right hand in the air, and a cold, ominous silver spear with five hooks appeared out of thin air. He tapped his feet, his movement as light as a swallow, and charged forward with the spear!

"Clang!" The dragon claws and the spear shaft collided for the first time, emitting the sound of metal clashing! The two figures crossed and instantly became entangled in a fight. Luo Chen's Thirty-Six Heavenly Absolute Spear Technique was very exquisite, sometimes like a spirit snake emerging from a hole, tricky and vicious; sometimes like a great river rushing, magnificent and imposing. Brigade Commander Tang, relying on the hardness of the dragon claws and the speed of thunder, either grabbed or blocked, hacked or smashed, his offensive was fierce and violent.

After a hard clash, the two were locked in a stalemate, testing their strength.

"Young Master Luo, your strength is impressive!" Brigade Commander Tang's mouth curled into an arc of high fighting spirit.

"Hmph, Brigade Commander Tang, don't just rely on your glib tongue!" Luo Chen flicked his wrist, the spear shaft rotated, cleverly breaking free from the dragon claws' restraint, and then a heavy and powerful slash fell straight down!

Brigade Commander Tang let out a low roar, the scales on his arms flashed with light and instantly expanded, crossing like two dragon-scale shields to protect his head!

"Clang!" Sparks flew everywhere! The bright silver spear was firmly blocked. Brigade Commander Tang took the opportunity to hook back with his hand, grabbing the spear shaft tightly, and the violent power of thunder rapidly conducted along the spear shaft!

Luo Chen felt a surge of intense numbness in his palm and was secretly shocked. He immediately activated his Supernatural Ability to resist, while simultaneously decisively abandoning the spear and retreating. His movement was elegant, and he instantly flashed ten meters away. That Five-Hook Divine Flying Spear also turned into light spots and dissipated, then immediately condensed in his hand again.

"How about that? Got shocked numb by our Brigade Commander, right?!" The Mixed Brigade soldiers became even more enthusiastic upon seeing this.

"Bullshit! Our Young Master hasn't even used his real skills yet!" The Luo Clan disciples immediately retorted, and the scene became increasingly noisy.

"Brigade Commander Tang really does have some strength." Luo Chen shook his slightly numb wrist, his tone remained calm, but his eyes were more focused.