Outside the camp.

Chen Wen ran wildly with the animals, finally stopping on the mountain.

He leaned against the rock, gasping for breath.

"So, is it what you wanted?"

The Golden Eagle asked curiously.

Chen Wen held the map he had been clenching the whole way.

He opened the map slowly under the reflected light of the snow.

"Just as I thought!"

Chen Wen looked at the white and black marks on the map representing the terrain of rivers and mountains, and the golden mining spots.

His eyes gleamed with joy.

Seeing Chen Wen's expression, both the Golden Eagle and the Snowy Owl genuinely felt happy for him.

"Let's go! Pick up the lynx, and let's find a place to hide!"

Chen Wen said, immediately spreading his wings.

He turned his head to glance at the Black Wolf King, waving his hand.

For now, he no longer needed the help of the Black Wolf King, and this pack of gray wolves could continue their journey.

The Black Wolf King howled as he watched Chen Wen fly away without looking back.

It seemed like a farewell to Chen Wen.

...

Back at the temporary camp.

Chen Wen called for the lynx and selected some food.

Then he led the three animals, searching for a hidden place for short-term survival.

Meanwhile, at the camp, due to Chen Wen's night raid, the mercenaries engaged in a fierce conflict.

Many of the mercenaries were loyal to the Black captain, and when they saw the lieutenant tying up the captain, they assumed it was because the lieutenant coveted the treasure.

Thus, just as the lieutenant tried to explain.

They launched a sudden attack!

The unexpected ambush caused some panic on the lieutenant's side.

The first wave of casualties appeared.

But soon, the mercenaries with the lieutenant began to fight back.

After a violent exchange of fire.

Both sides calmed down.

Someone started asking questions, and seeing their heavier casualties, the lieutenant's side did not want to continue fighting.

After a brief communication, the other side, reasoning the release of the captain, spared the lieutenant's group and provided them with some supplies, allowing them to leave.

Of course, the lieutenant's side didn't want to agree, and couldn't agree.

Because during the first exchange of fire, the Black captain, being tied and unable to move, didn't manage to hide in time.

He was shot multiple times, and it seemed he had more air going out than coming in, likely not going to make it.

This left the lieutenant quite helpless.

After truthfully informing the other side of the situation, the temporary representative from the other side dropped his gun and approached.

Once confirming that the Black captain was beyond saving.

The representative chose to pledge allegiance to the lieutenant with the remaining people.

The lieutenant realized that whether it was fighting further or seizing the gold, it wasn't feasible with his decimated forces.

So he accepted the allegiance.

After a brief conflict, the two groups of mercenaries became comrades once again.

However, they were no longer as intimate as before.

Instead, clear factions formed.

"Captain, what should we do now?"

Once the now white lieutenant, now captain, finished counting the mercenaries.

The temporary representative asked.

The white captain sighed, looking at the man with a peculiar expression: "What should we do? Let's leave with the gold. We only have fifteen able brothers left, and seven unable to move. If we stay here, we'll surely be killed by any rescue team that comes!"

The representative lowered his head, not daring to speak.

He was the first to open fire.

"See if we can salvage the fifth box of gold tonight. If we can, we'll take it with us. If not, we'll just leave with the four boxes of gold."

The white captain instructed: "Get everyone moving, concentrate on guarding the gold. Leave those guys alone, they're unarmed and don't dare to come over."

"We'll leave at dawn."

The mercenaries remained silent.

This was the best plan now.

Over four hundred kilograms of gold, even shared among them, was still substantial.

At this point, the representative mentioned: "What about the seven injured..."

"Leave them some food, and we'll go."

The white captain was also ruthless, knowing full well this wasn't the time to have a bleeding heart.

He decisively abandoned the injured mercenaries.

Though this decision would reduce their burden, it left the remaining mercenaries feeling somewhat disheartened.

But no matter what, after the captain's death and internal strife, the team reunited once again.

...

"What's happening outside?"

In the mineshaft, a few survivors were quite panicked.

Trapped here, they had no idea what was happening outside, nor what they should do about it.

But as their mercenary guards left, Hua Yun and Jenny, who weren't locked up, snuck out and had a brief exchange with the staff.

After gaining some understanding of what had happened, they returned to the camp.

"It's chaos outside!"

Jenny whispered to Yang Feng: "The mercenaries have turned on each other. Quite a few are dead, even that Black captain is dead."

Yang Feng was startled at the news.

He asked, "What should we do then?"

"Wait for them to leave. I saw the mercenaries packing up, ready to go."

Hua Yun said on the side.

Jenny nodded: "There's nothing much we can do if we go out now. It's better to stay put and wait for the mercenaries to leave on their own."

"What about the gold..."

Yang Feng was still somewhat unwilling to let it go.

Hua Yun glanced at him with some disdain: "At a time like this, you're still thinking about the gold? It's good enough that we're safe."

"You told Chen Wen that it was greed that got you into this mess, and I thought you had repented."

Yang Feng let out an awkward laugh: "Ha, what's done is done. But speaking of Chen Wen, I think he must be having a tough time these days. When the mercenaries leave and if he sees it, he might come back."

Hua Yun shook her head: "Him? He's probably better off than we are. Our supplies were stored in the forest and not taken by the mercenaries, so he won't go hungry."

"It's just that after the mercenaries leave, it'll be difficult to find him. Also, I'm wondering if he might follow the Yukon River back to the second town for help. Given Chen Wen's survival skills, if he has a sled, getting back to the second town isn't that hard."

This made Jenny and Yang Feng exchange a look.

"Impossible, I think Chen Wen is about as capable as Jenny. It's really unrealistic for him to go back alone."

Yang Feng said, obviously not convinced.

Jenny glared at Yang Feng, what's that supposed to mean, as capable as me?

...

A night passed.

The mercenaries, according to the plan, loaded the newly recovered fifth box of gold onto a sled.

They took their weapons, pulling the sled, traversing through the valley towards the second town.

Five mercenaries were in the second town, keeping an escape route open for them.

As long as they made it to the second town, they could leave safely.

So, all the mercenaries were putting in full effort, moving forward.

Meanwhile, on the same morning.

Chen Wen yawned, rising from his shelter.

He was judging the direction based on the map: "This seems to be the direction to the second town. What if I just head back to the second town?"

Chen Wen suddenly thought.

Heading back to the second town, there was a police station and a railway station and the like.

The town was actually the safest, and he could fully clear his name.

After all, if he returned to the town, how could he have been the one who took the map?

The timing wouldn't match up at all.

Chen Wen thought about it and felt it could actually work.

After all, he dared not return to the camp, as the mercenaries, having lost the map, would definitely search everywhere for any suspicious persons.

So, he decided to leave.

Chen Wen hesitated a bit, choosing not to act during the day.

Flying in the daytime made him a conspicuous target.

It would be much safer to fly under the cover of night.

With his night vision, Chen Wen wasn't worried about flying in the wrong direction at night.

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