The Top-Tier Alpha Is Lured and Captured by a Green Tea Merman - Chapter 13

After hearing all of this, the soldiers—who had still been clinging to a sliver of hope—felt their legs go weak. With a heavy thud, they knelt before Pei Yan.

“We really didn’t know it was you. We beg Commander Pei to be the bigger person and forgive us.”

“Oh?” Pei Yan played with the gun in his hand, looking down from his height at the people prostrating on the ground. “If I were someone else right now, wouldn’t our positions be reversed?”

“But we are just subordinates following orders; we have no choice.”

“That’s right! We have elderly parents and young children to support. If we don’t follow orders, we’ll be dismissed. We can’t afford that.”

“Commander Pei, we know we were wrong. It won’t happen again. Please, spare us.”

Listening to their wails, Pei Yan remained cold.

“I will not dispose of you privately. However, I will report everything you have done to your superiors and have you punished according to the regulations.”

Upon hearing this, the soldiers slumped to the ground in a state of powerless exhaustion, the light completely vanishing from their eyes.

It was over. Everything was over.

“However,” Pei Yan continued, “if you actively cooperate with the investigation, I will ask your superiors to handle your cases with leniency. At the very least, you won’t be expelled.”

The soldiers looked up sharply. “We will definitely cooperate! Thank you, Commander Pei!”

Pei Yan dispatched someone to give Liu Xiao a simple bandage. This man was still useful to him; he couldn’t let him die just yet.

To the side, Xiao Yang, Qi Lan, and the others were dumbfounded.

First was Xiao Yang. He excitedly broke free from his parents’ grasp. “Big brother, you’re so amazing! I want to be just as amazing as you in the future.”

Pei Yan patted his head. “Xiao Yang is so brave; you certainly will be.”

Mo Lu licked his dry lips, unable to squeeze out more than a few words for a long time. “I…”

The thought of a Commander of the Alliance helping him harvest rice, wash dishes, and carry water made his entire body turn stiff.

Pei Yan chuckled softly. “Brother Mo, please don’t be afraid. Just treat me normally. Also, I had my reasons for concealing my identity before; it wasn’t intentional. I apologize to you.”

As he spoke, he moved to bow toward Mo Lu and Qi Lan, but Mo Lu reached out to stop him.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t! You did nothing wrong. I…”

Seeing Mo Lu becoming incoherent, Qi Lan stepped in.

“We understand. After all, when you’re in an unfamiliar place, it’s only natural to be cautious. I should be thanking you for rescuing our entire village.”

It was a joke—compared to their King, this Mr. Pei was incredibly easy to talk to, kind, and approachable.

About an hour later, Second Lieutenant Cao arrived with his team.

Pei Yan frowned slightly.

Didn’t he bring a few too many people?

“Are you Second Lieutenant Cao?” Pei Yan spoke first to inquire.

Cao Ke did not respond. He glanced at the pale-faced Liu Xiao, who had been settled to the side. In his mind echoed the instruction his superior had repeated: “Find a time to secretly take him out.” A murderous intent gradually brewed in his eyes.

Pei Yan keenly sensed this and immediately grew alert.

In the midst of the tense, stalemate atmosphere, Cao Ke smiled. Now was not the best time.

“You must be Commander Pei. I am Cao Ke, sent by the Lord to pick you up.”

“…”

Pei Yan did not relax. After all, that man truly wanted to kill him just now.

Of course, it wasn’t that Cao Ke didn’t want to now, but rather that he was temporarily hiding his killing intent. There was no doubt that once Pei Yan followed them, this man would do everything possible to manufacture an accident or simply dispose of him directly.

He couldn’t go with these people.

But if he didn’t go, he feared it would implicate the villagers of Qingshui Village.

“Brother…”

Xie Yu had also realized these people were problematic and secretly tugged at the palm of Pei Yan’s hand.

Pei Yan gripped his hand back, patting it gently. “Stay here and wait. I’ll be back soon.”

“Brother…”

“Be good. I’ll come to get you once I’ve handled this.”

Pei Yan stopped him from speaking further. He gave him a gentle smile and mouthed silently: “Trust me.”

Xie Yu stood with a dark expression, watching Pei Yan being whisked away, surrounded by Cao Ke’s group.

Liu Xiao was also carried away on a stretcher by the soldiers.

As a fellow merman, Qi Lan naturally sensed Cao Ke’s murderous intent; it was their instinct and intuition as beasts.

“My King…”

He whispered softly to Xie Yu, who was already in a state of violent agitation. The gap in rank and power made him tremble before this King, instinctively wanting to submit.

“I am going to find him,” Xie Yu said.

Qi Lan hesitated. “But he told you to stay here…”

Xie Yu turned his eyes toward him. In an instant, his pupils turned into vertical slits. Qi Lan immediately shut his mouth.

The King was no longer thinking rationally.

At that moment, the sound of disciplined footsteps rang out.

Xie Yu looked up.

Under Cao Ke’s lead, Pei Yan arrived at the place where their vehicles were parked.

Cao Ke’s face was full of apology. “Commander Pei, I am truly sorry. The base’s starship resources are tight and couldn’t be dispatched in time. I ask for Commander Pei’s understanding.”

Pei Yan flashed a fake smile. “It’s fine. It’s only right to prioritize the people’s needs in all matters. I don’t mind.”

“That’s good, that’s good…” Cao Ke repeated several times. He then reached out his hand, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Commander Pei, please get in.”

Seeing Cao Ke turn around to go to another vehicle, Pei Yan raised an eyebrow and called out, “Second Lieutenant Cao, don’t leave! Let’s ride together. There are wounded here who will definitely need a whole car, so vehicles will be tight. Don’t bother squeezing in with your subordinates; it’ll only make them uncomfortable.”

Cao Ke: “…”

A flash of anger crossed his eyes, but he forced a smile back onto his face as he turned around stiffly. His words carried a hint of gritted teeth: “Very well, Commander Pei. Whatever you say.”

The journey was peaceful enough, except that halfway through, a tire blew out. To a discerning eye, it was obvious the nails on the ground had been placed there intentionally. Furthermore, there were tents conveniently prepared in the trunk; the whole thing was full of holes.

Cao Ke acted shocked. “Oh my, Commander Pei! I don’t know which brat put nails here and popped the tire. It’s lucky we have tents ready in the trunk. Let’s find a place nearby to rest for the night. I’ll contact headquarters and have them arrange for another vehicle as soon as possible.”

To maintain his persona of having let his guard down, Pei Yan didn’t expose him. He played along to see exactly how this man planned to deal with him.

“Alright, sorry for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all, no trouble at all.”

And so, with the efforts of the soldiers, several tents were set up.

Cao Ke pointed to a large one and said, “Commander Pei, that’s the tent for you to sleep in tonight. I specifically had them set it up to the side so those subordinates won’t disturb you at night.”

Pei Yan sneered inwardly. He could probably guess what method Cao Ke was going to use, but he didn’t show it. “Good. I happened to want some peace and quiet. You are quite thoughtful, Second Lieutenant Cao.”

Cao Ke smiled and bowed. “It is my honor to satisfy Commander Pei.”

But in his mind, he thought: Sleep, sleep, go to sleep and never wake up!

Night fell.

A rustling sound came from outside the tent. Two soldiers stealthily approached Pei Yan’s tent, cold light glinting from the blades in their hands. Their eyes, reflected in the metal, were filled with malice.

When Xie Yu and Lu Xiao arrived, all they saw were soaring flames and a group of disheveled, panicked soldiers. The scene was chaotic.

Lu Xiao grabbed a soldier by the collar and demanded, “Where is Pei Yan!”

The soldier was terrified by his gaze and felt like crying. “I don’t know! I just heard that Commander Pei’s tent suddenly exploded and caught fire, and then our tents were caught in it too. I…”

Lu Xiao’s face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling. “No… it can’t be…”

“Where was his tent?!” he continued to press.

Seeing that he was not in a right state of mind, the soldier slowly pointed to a spot.

Lu Xiao let go and stumbled toward that direction.

The tent was burned beyond recognition, sparks flying everywhere. Without a second thought, Lu Xiao moved to rush inside, but his subordinates grabbed him by the waist just in time.

“Major General Lu, don’t be impulsive!”

Xie Yu scanned the surroundings, his expression remaining relatively calm.

He could feel that his brother was still alive, but he didn’t know exactly where he was.

Cao Ke approached, covered in ash. When he saw Lu Xiao, a momentary look of panic crossed his face, but he immediately suppressed it.

“Major General Lu, why are you here?”

Lu Xiao’s eyes were ice-cold as he drew his gun and pointed it at Cao Ke’s head. “How is it that only Pei Yan’s tent exploded and caught fire?”

“Please investigate clearly, Major General. I don’t know either!” Cao Ke broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly knelt. “Perhaps it was the mercenary group. They hate us base soldiers and officers the most. Maybe they saw that Commander Pei’s tent was further away and acted on a whim…”

In any case, the man was dead now. How he died was entirely up to what Cao Ke said.

At that moment, a voice tinged with a laugh drifted over. “Second Lieutenant Cao, do you really not know?”

Both Lu Xiao and Xie Yu froze.

Cao Ke instinctively shook his head, but then his body stiffened as he realized what had happened. He slowly looked toward the source of the voice.

He saw Pei Yan walking out from the woods, dragging a bound soldier whose mouth was stuffed with a cloth.

He casually tossed the soldier in front of Cao Ke. Looking at his terror-stricken face, Pei Yan placed a foot on the soldier and looked down at him. “Second Lieutenant Cao, you don’t seem very happy to see me alive.”

Cao Ke swallowed hard, forcing himself to look at him. “N-No. It’s wonderful that Commander Pei is alright.”

Pei Yan chuckled, kicked the soldier at his feet, and asked, “Second Lieutenant Cao, do you know this person?”

Cao Ke: “N-No, I don’t.”

“Is that so?” Pei Yan said curiously. “But he said he knows you. He even said you told him to…”

“He’s lying!” Cao Ke barked. Realizing his tone was too sharp, he calmed himself slightly and continued, “I have so many soldiers under me, how could I know which one he is?”

“Is that so? But that’s just your side of the story.”

“My word is enough! He must be someone sent by the Zerg to stir up trouble. Watch me execute him right now!”

As he spoke, Cao Ke drew his gun to finish off the soldier, but Pei Yan kicked it away. He pulled the cloth out of the soldier’s mouth. “You heard that, right? He’s pinning all the blame on you. Are you still going to stay tight-lipped and throw your life away for him?”

Cao Ke couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

The soldier spat forcefully toward him. “I was so loyal to you that I even killed for you, yet you have no sense of honor and want to kill me to silence me! I was wrong about you!”

He then looked at Pei Yan. “I’m willing to talk. He was the one who instructed me to do it.”

Seeing that the secret was out, Cao Ke panicked. “I was also ordered by—”

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a loud bang. A bloody hole instantly appeared in Cao Ke’s head, and he dropped dead on the spot.