bookrandom Chapter 640 The Wrath of the War-Weary
Chapter 640 The Wrath of the War-Weary
"My lord... don't be impulsive!"
Simmons abruptly raised his hands in a Fontainebleau salute, his voice sharp with tension.
"We are not enemies of courtyard number 5905, really not!"
He was panting heavily, his eyes scanning back and forth between Mo Chen and the several plant spirit warriors.
Cold sweat dripped down Simmons' temples and onto the ground.
"Master, you guessed correctly. Qianming and Shunjue are indeed traitors of the Empire. They were once scouts of the Empire's 59th Army."
Simmons took a deep breath, as if to expel all the stale air from his chest: "But Qianming and Shunjue are definitely not the kind of defectors you think they are! They didn't defect to the enemy, they didn't betray them, but..."
His voice still trembled, but it carried a resolute determination: "To live!"
Seeing that Mo Chen and the plant warriors did not make a move, Simmons quickly continued, "If they were spies sent by the Empire, they would have started their operation as soon as they entered Courtyard 5905."
Mo Chen remained expressionless, but deep within his calm, deep eyes, there seemed to be a very slight shift in his expression.
Simmons keenly sensed the shift in the tide, gritted his teeth, and decided to stake the fate of the three of them entirely on this gamble.
“Master, Qianming and Shunjue have long been disgusted with war, which is why they chose to leave the Imperial Army and become wanderers. Even now, they are still hiding from their former comrades and from those Cleansers who are more troublesome than hyenas.”
Mo Chen crossed his arms and said softly, "Evidence?"
Qianming leaped off the terrace, landed steadily, exchanged a glance with Shunjue, and then each took out a nameplate.
That was proof that they had served in the Imperial 59th Army, with their rank and affiliation engraved on it.
Qianming spoke first: "Simmons is right."
Shunjue nodded: "We didn't coerce him."
The two men gently placed their weapons on the ground to indicate that they had no intention of being hostile to Courtyard 5905.
Shunjue's voice was very hoarse, but exceptionally clear: "If we were the Empire's lackeys, we would not allow you to surround us."
Qianming chimed in, "We don't have any other ideas, we just want to find a place where we can settle down."
Seeing this, Simmons also unloaded the sniper rifle from his back and placed it next to his two companions' weapons.
He looked directly at Mo Chen and pleaded in a low voice, "Master, they saved my life. In the ruined city, they pulled me back from the brink of death. If they are enemies, why would they help a complete stranger, a plant spirit?"
Mo Chen's gaze swept back and forth between the three people's faces and their weapons, remaining silent for a long time.
After a moment, he slowly said, "As you all know, two nameplates and one side of the story are not enough to convince me."
Simmons' tone became urgent: "Master, if you are willing to give us a chance, we are willing to prove our loyalty to you and the courtyard."
Mo Chen thought for a moment, then made a gesture. The four plant spirit warriors around him restrained their killing intent, but still maintained a vigilant posture.
"Come inside, I can give you a chance to have a proper talk."
Mo Chen's suggestion eased the tense atmosphere. Simmons nodded with relief and led everyone into the residence.
Stepping into the spacious but simple living room, Mo Chen did not sit down, but went to the bedside.
The four plant spirit warriors each found a spot, seemingly random, but in reality, they firmly sealed off the entire area.
"Sit down. Since we're going to have a chat, let's get this straight."
After gesturing for the three to sit on the sofa, Mo Chen posed his first question to Simmons: "Why plead for the 'enemy'?"
Simmons did not answer Mo Chen's question immediately.
"They saved my life in the ruined city."
His voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible weariness: "I participated in the punitive expedition launched by the Federation's 59th Army against the Empire's 59th Army a year ago. During the battle, I became separated from my own troops and was also pursued by monsters from the ruined city."
Simmons's eyes were unfocused, as if he could see that all-consuming darkness again: "The monsters' skins are thicker than the shields of the Nut Plant Spirits. They are very difficult to kill, and I was just a lone sniper who could only run for my life. I was covered in wounds and hid for several days. My communicator broke and my plant spirit power was almost exhausted."
He subconsciously pressed a spot below his left rib, where, through his clothes, he could see a hideous scar that had long since healed.
"Another day passed, and in the middle of the night, they discovered me."
Simmons' Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse: "I thought I was going to die, and I even wanted to beg those monsters to give me a quick death, but just when I was about to die, Qianming and Shunjue shot them down and saved me."
He continued, "Later I learned that they were deserters who were tired of the war and had voluntarily left the Imperial Army. They left not to join anyone, but to stop killing. Thanks to Qianming and Shunjue, I have survived until now this year."
With his hands outstretched and palms facing up, Simmons said, word by word, "If they wanted to harm me, they would have had plenty of opportunities. Why did I end up wandering in this ruined city with a burden in the first place?"
Listening to Simmons's heartfelt words, Mo Chen's fingertips gently tapped the window frame, his gaze shifting from Simmons's face to Qian Ming and Shun Jue.
The "eyes and ears" duo were looking down, but their backs were ramrod straight.
"So, Sergeant Simmons."
Mo Chen's tone remained calm, only less cold: "Are you planning to use your own life to vouch for them?"
Upon hearing this, Simmons nodded without hesitation: "That's right, Master. If Qianming and Shunjue betray you and Courtyard No. 5905, I am willing to bear all the consequences, whether it is death or any other punishment, without any objection."
The living room fell silent, and the four plant spirit warriors cast curious or intriguing glances at them.
The wind howled outside the window, whipping up a few withered leaves that slapped against the glass.
Mo Chen stopped tapping on the window frame and took out the two nameplates that Qianming and Shunjue had just handed him.
They gleamed with a cold, hard light, like two epitaphs burying the past.
Mo Chen stroked the two nameplates for a moment, then casually tossed them back to Qian Ming and Shun Jue.
"Qianming, Shunjue, if I ordered you to shoot low-level zombies, would you pull the trigger?"
The two men caught the nameplate, paused for a moment, and then nodded in unison.
"So, if the target changes to Imperial soldiers, those high-ranking undead, who were your former comrades, would you still choose to fire?"
This question was clearly more tricky than the previous one, after all, for Qianming and Shunjue, it meant pulling the trigger on their own compatriots.
However, to everyone's surprise, Qianming and Shunjue answered without the slightest hesitation.
The former held the nameplate tightly in his palm, as if he wanted to crush and tear apart that past.
He raised his head, and his eyes, which had been slightly gloomy, were now unusually bright, even carrying a hint of resolute sharpness.
“Sir, they are not our comrades.”
The latter replied, his voice still hoarse, yet carrying a chilling calm: "When they choose to continue serving that corrupt empire, and when they raise their guns to shoot innocent civilians under orders from their superiors, they cease to be human, but monsters in human skin, 'tumors' more deserving of death than those low-level zombies."
Qianming tucked the nameplate into his pocket and placed it close to his heart: "We fled the Empire not to betray it, but to avoid associating with those inhuman beasts."
"If you order us to shoot them."
Shunjue paused for a moment, a cold smile curving his lips: "Even without your order, we will use bullets to show them what the wrath of 'war-weary' is."