If not for this explosion, perhaps no one would have seen these uniformed generals!
Dragon Pavilion was known as the cradle of generals. Even the cooks, who were looked down upon, were all one-star generals. Today, twenty generals stood lined up, shocking everyone!
No one believed they were wearing their uniforms casually. Wearing them carried responsibility, so their epaulets truly represented their ranks.
"Yuan Gang, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Dragon Pavilion, wears three stars on his shoulders, holding the rank of Three-Star General Venerable. He has participated in over a hundred battles, big and small. If he weren't still with the Dragon Pavilion, he would likely be a commander in another military branch, holding a four-star rank."
Ye Longlin spoke slowly, explaining the identity of the man before them.
After speaking, he continued his order.
"Yuan Gang, remove your jacket."
"Yes!"
Yuan Gang removed his jacket, revealing a physique of a standard special forces soldier.
His muscles bulged, and both his chest and abdominal muscles gave the impression of being able to tear through anything at any moment, radiating explosive power!
But on his upper body, there were numerous circular wounds, and lacerations several tens of centimeters, even dozens of centimeters long, that pierced through his chest and abdomen.
Scars were a man's medals; scars were a soldier's honor!
These scars represented the greatest and most numerous honors they had earned over the years, an undeniable truth for anyone present.
"He has a total of fifty-six wounds, thirteen of which are fatal, nineteen are severe injuries, and countless others."
What truly shocked and horrified them was that his waist was wrapped in bandages, which had become soaked in blood due to strenuous activity.
His arms were also wrapped in bandages, similarly stained with blood.
"Night Wolf, remove your jacket!"
"Night Wolf, a confidant under Xuan Niao, wears two stars on his shoulders, with forty-six wounds."
"Black Dragon, commander of the Divine Dragon Guard, wears one star on his shoulders, with forty-two wounds."
"Vulture..."
Ye Longlin spoke slowly, reciting codenames. He could recall precisely how many wounds each person bore and the battles in which they sustained them.
"I am the only one left from the first generation of the Dragon Pavilion. They are all now the second generation of Dragon Pavilion soldiers; the first generation has been wiped out!
Two years ago, as conflict reignited, the Dragon Pavilion's standing army of 800,000 was reduced to 600,000.
If Chang'an turns out as we anticipate, the remaining 600,000 of the Dragon Pavilion's standing army will likely be reduced to 200,000!
These are the 'culprits' you wish to execute. Yes, even though you seek revenge, to avenge your loved ones, I understand that sentiment. However, I must say, they are not the culprits.
If any of you still wish to kill the person before you, you may open fire at any time. I will bear all responsibility!
This incident is something I never wished to see, nor did I want any ordinary people to die, yet it happened. I am truly sorry."
Ye Longlin spoke with conviction and a hint of resignation. He reiterated that if they wished to kill them, the soldiers of the Dragon Pavilion would not flinch.
"I give up."
"Marshal Ye, this only gives me a reason not to kill him. I still want an explanation."
After a moment of contemplation, one individual spoke, lowering his firearm.
Ye Longlin shook his head. "It is regrettable, but this is a classified matter. Until the final battle concludes, it cannot be disclosed. My apologies."
Although unsatisfied with this explanation, they were also helpless. Ye Longlin genuinely could not reveal the details, and the matter was indeed sensitive, especially with the possibility of members of the Dark Hall lurking among them.
The crowd gradually calmed down. They looked at the bare-chested men before them, truly awestruck by the visual impact of so many standing together.
Moreover, Ye Longlin's words resonated like thunder, silencing them.
Indeed, given his status, his willingness to stand there and say so much was, in a way, a great concession.
Besides, even if they were allowed to kill them, would they dare?
Setting aside the question of courage, what would be the consequence even if they did? Could they bring their loved ones back to life?
No.
And they would also bear the charge of murder. Despite the other party's power, they dared not proceed.
"Alright, everyone, disperse. Come here to register. After registration, any expenses incurred for hotels due to housing issues will be covered by the Chang'an City Mayor's Building. Please wait patiently for further notification."
"We will certainly provide a satisfactory response. You can trust us on this."
Wu Xing's words were met with resigned expressions from everyone. After all, this was the only way forward. To put it bluntly, the incident had already occurred, and they could only await the resolution.
"Everyone, salute!"
Ye Longlin's voice was firm. All the Dragon Pavilion soldiers present snapped to attention and saluted.
Then, under Wu Xing's arrangements, everyone slowly dispersed.
Only then did Ye Longlin enter the residential area and gaze at the two buildings that had been reduced to ruins. He remained silent for a long time, his expression filled with sorrow.
After all, so many people had died inexplicably in their homes. No one could accept such a tragedy.
"Has the casualty count been determined?"
Ye Longlin asked, his expression grim. If it weren't wartime, this incident alone would be enough to have him removed from his position.
Xuan Niao replied, "Rescue efforts are ongoing. It will take considerable time to compile the complete statistics. However, based on the current figures, the casualties are substantial, with fifty confirmed so far, forty of whom are dead.
Only a small number survived due to luck, but they are all severely injured."
A cold glint appeared in Ye Longlin's eyes. "You don't need to worry about this matter anymore. I will have the阎王殿 (Yan Wang Dian) handle it. They don't deserve to live!"
He was no saint. Since they had committed such acts, they had to be prepared for retaliation. They likely intended this incident as a warning, suggesting that if he escalated things further, the next victims might not be so few.
But was Ye Longlin someone who was easily intimidated?
Since things had escalated to this point openly, they would play dirty. Assassination!
"You two should rest for now. Once the阎王殿 takes over, you won't need to be involved. They play dirty, so we'll play dirty too."