Chapter 473 6: You Are Not Qualified to Ask Me

"Let's see what this commissioner from the Alliance Country is really made of."

...

VROOM!!

The black off-road vehicle tore through the dust, navigating the rugged mountain road. On the bumpy road, the black sedan trailing behind swayed slightly on its chassis as they crossed the gravel path together.

"Special Commissioner Chen, we're almost there," Yan Zhengfeng pointed out, his expression growing serious.

Lu Chao sat in the backseat and nodded, his gaze drifting toward the rolling peaks on either side and the tributary of the Red River not far ahead. After traveling continuously for most of the day, they were finally nearing their destination.

Though they had encountered some wilderness Mutant Beasts along the way, most had been repelled by the heavy firepower of their security escort. They had also witnessed the chaos of the wasteland—residents of settlements migrating due to the war between the Alliance Country and the Rebels.

As the thought crossed his mind, Lu Chao once again felt the impact of the war. Even in the wilderness, many people would inevitably be dragged into it.

Looking out the window, he watched the convoy cross a steel bridge spanning the Red River's tributary. It was a remnant of the Old Era's infrastructure, its steel frames thoroughly coated in rust. At the very end of that bridge, a magnificent mountain city quietly emerged.

Steep mountain peaks jutted out on both sides, barricading the road that passed through and creating a natural checkpoint. Iron-spiked barricades and multiple checkpoints blocked the way, while sentry posts and heavily armed warlord soldiers guarded the roadside.

The slopes on either side of the road had been almost completely flattened by human labor. Gray cement overgrown with weeds and square stone blocks paved the way, as if cladding the entire mountain in sturdy armor that extended upward. Barbed wire and electrified fences spanned midway up many parts of the slope, deterring any Mutant Beasts or travelers from climbing.

Looking up, a tall grayish-black wall stood unyielding at the peak. It was easily seven or eight meters high and stretched endlessly to the left and right, like a great wall built into the mountain range.

The grayish-black wall seemed to hide more than met the eye. It featured recessed firing holes and artillery ports, interwoven with watchtowers and walkways. Occasionally, the silhouettes of warlord soldiers could be seen patrolling, or mounting machine guns and aiming in their direction.

"Are we here?" Lu Chao's eyes flickered slightly as he shifted his gaze forward.

A slight commotion came from the barricaded road ahead. A Superpower Level warlord commander, dressed in a senior colonel's uniform, stood at the barricade on the cement road. Behind him was an armored vehicle and several pickup trucks fully loaded with warlord soldiers, all looking their way.

"Special Commissioner Chen?"

"Let's go."

Lu Chao nodded, instructing Yan Zhengfeng to proceed according to plan. Soon, the convoy slowly drove forward, and Yan Zhengfeng took the initiative to step out and negotiate with the warlord commander at the intersection.

RUSTLE RUSTLE.

Amidst the slight rustling of movement, no more than a minute or two passed before he turned back to report the details.

"He's a warlord commander of the Rock Mountain Army, named Tynil," Yan Zhengfeng said, standing by the car window with a somewhat heavy expression.

Lu Chao had remained seated in the car the entire time. Through the windshield, he saw the barricade at the checkpoint lift to let them pass. He also noticed the Black commander named Tynil sporting a mocking expression, glancing at them before leading the way.

His attitude could hardly be considered welcoming, but it was enough to reveal a problem.

"He said the other leaders and commanders are all waiting for us in the stone building inside the city.

"We just need to follow him inside..."

Yan Zhengfeng hesitated. Lu Chao knew his concerns.

The four major warlords of Fortress Mountain City had been informed of the negotiations in advance. According to standard protocol, at least one leader-level figure should have come to greet them as a show of respect. But now, there was only an ordinary Limit-Breaking Level commander leading the way.

If there was an ambush inside the city, or some malicious plot targeting them, the danger would be unpredictable once they entered. After all, the Rebels could have easily roped in the warlords here to turn the tables on them.

"Let's go," Lu Chao suddenly said.

Yan Zhengfeng paused slightly, but saw Lu Chao smile. He even casually stroked his black cat and said, "Since they want to test our courage, let them test it.

"Don't forget, the Alliance Country stands behind us."

Anyone could hear his immense confidence. All that assurance stemmed from a single word: strength.

Seeing this, Yan Zhengfeng suppressed his hesitation and nodded heavily. He immediately instructed everyone through the communication channel to keep up with the armored convoy leading the way.

VROOM!

The engines roared as the group set off once again, quickly driving onto the broad cement mountain road.

The scenery along the way receded rapidly. Lu Chao clearly saw warlord soldiers at some checkpoints casting curious glances, or displaying looks of sheer greed.

Paying them no mind, the convoy followed the warlord commander along a winding path. After weaving their way up the slope, they passed through the already open gates of the fortress.

The soldiers on the walls on either side seemed high and mighty, looking down from the watchtowers and wall corridors. Holding their machine guns, they made no attempt to hide the naked greed in their eyes.

The heavy city gates began to slowly lower immediately after they entered, cutting off their retreat as if isolating them from the rest of the world.

"This..."

An invisible chill rose in everyone's hearts.

The drivers of the negotiation convoy all wore serious expressions, while the accompanying security guards and assistants looked equally grave, instinctively gripping their respective sidearms tightly.

As for Lu Chao, his gaze shifted as well. He felt as though he was witnessing an incredibly unique wilderness world.

"Is this Fortress Mountain City?"

He looked out both sides of the car window. The flat, brownish-yellow road occasionally kicked up dust. The straight cement path led directly to the center of the city, while the roads on either side were paved with hard stone slabs.

Grayish-black stones cemented together formed bunker-like stone buildings that were three to five stories high. There were also low cement structures rising and falling unevenly, housing many wilderness residents.