"Hurry, keep up!"
Deep in the wild forest, beams from several flashlights pierced the fading darkness.
Night was drawing to an end, and a faint glimmer of light was already visible on the distant mountains.
Rabbits fled, foxes darted away, and beasts cleared the path as more than thirty nimble figures moved swiftly through the dense woods.
Though their pace was hurried, they quietly maintained a tactical formation, moving in groups of three. Muzzles were angled slightly upward, gleaming bayonets glinted with cold steel, and every man was equipped with grenades. In the very center, one man carried a bazooka on his shoulder while another bore twenty to thirty kilograms of explosives. All maintained calm expressions, uttering not a single word.
At a sudden rustle, someone's eyes flicked sideways, sharp as a blade. The bayonet in his hand flicked forward and withdrew in a flash of cold light. Without pausing for even an instant, he bounded forward with the squad, plunging deeper into the mountains.
Just as the squad moved past, a pit viper, its head previously raised with tongue flicking, tumbled from a tree trunk, its head pierced through.
The rapid, hurried footsteps sounded like the roll of drums.
Qin Yuhu brought up the rear, his face tense as he kept close pace. Beside him was Yan Lingyun. The girl ran until her face was flushed and her breath ragged, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on, her eyes frantically searching the trees for trail markers.
In truth, there was no need for her guidance. These seasoned veterans were already tracking the marks left behind by Lian Youming on their own.
*That reckless brat.*
Qin Yuhu showed little expression on his face, but anxiety gnawed at him, paired with rising fury.
He had cautioned the boy a thousand times, yet Lian Youming never took it to heart, always finding ways to stir up trouble.
This time was even more outrageous—he had actually gone after desperate outlaws like Xie Laosan.
Glancing at his own empty right sleeve, a terrifying aura of hostility suddenly flared in Qin Yuhu's eye.
Last time, a momentary lapse in vigilance combined with unfavorable terrain had cost him dearly, costing him several fine soldiers he had trained. This time, no matter what, he was going to vent that pent-up fury and wipe out these lawless scum.
The veterans were likewise holding back a fiery rage, their eyes burning with battle lust.
Yet even with everyone pushed to their utmost vigilance and making no stops along the way, they were deep in the Greater Khingan Range under cover of night. They had to hurry as best they could, and needing Yan Lingyun to confirm the direction had cost them precious time.
Only when dawn broke over the horizon and the first light spilled across the sky did the group finally arrive at their destination.
A morning breeze swept past, faintly carrying the scent of blood and the acrid smell of burnt smoke.
"Director Qin, look at this..." someone called out in a low voice.
Qin Yuhu followed the sound and saw a corpse lying among the grass, severed at the waist and with its upper torso hacked into a bloody pulp.
Looking at the head, its bloodshot eyes staring wide in death, someone was already comparing it to the sketch on a wanted poster.
"It matches. Bai Fu."
Qin Yuhu nodded, took a pistol handed to him by a soldier beside him, and instructed, "If anyone inside resists, shoot to kill on the spot."
With those words, the squad immediately split into three-man teams, sweeping around both flanks of the birch forest in a pincer movement. Others swiftly climbed to higher ground, seeking vantage points to set up sniper rifles.
"Uncle Qin, will Lian Youming be all right?"
Seeing such a formidable formation, Yan Lingyun turned deathly pale, her heart pounding with dread.
Qin Yuhu remained silent for a moment before saying quietly, "It depends on that boy's luck."
As for Lian Youming, Qin Yuhu felt he could hardly read him these days. At first, though the kid had loved causing trouble, he had still been predictable. But ever since he carried him down from that mountain, it felt as though the boy was hiding something.
*Dammit, even if he survived, I'm definitely breaking one of his legs this time to teach him a lesson he won't forget.*
Still, their bond ran deep. Everyone had a few secrets; as long as the boy hadn't strayed from the right path, none of it truly mattered.
Anxious for Lian Youming's safety, Qin Yuhu wasted no time and led Yan Lingyun briskly into the woods.
The squad bypassed the dense trees and emerged from the birch grove. When they took in the scene before them, fury flared in every man present. Seeing the mangled, unrecognizable female corpse on the ground and the two children curled up asleep nearby, their eyes turned bloodshot with rage as they swept their gaze around for any signs of the living.
"Over here!"
Before long, Lei Hu's corpse was discovered as well.
Not far off by a campfire sat a figure caked in mud and blood.
Seeing them arrive, Lian Youming beamed with relief and started to wave. But the moment he moved, a wall of muzzles snapped in his direction, all aimed squarely at him.
Facing that row of dark gun barrels, the smile on Lian Youming's face froze instantly. A chill ran down his spine as if he had been plunged into an icy pool. He gave a sheepish grin and called out toward the one-armed figure, "Uncle Qin!"
Qin Yuhu looked at the bodies on the ground, then at Lian Youming making faces at him. His expression shifted through a flurry of emotions, caught between relief and rage. Finally, with a dark scowl, he beckoned, "Come over here. I have questions for you."
Lian Youming hurriedly squeezed past the row of rifle barrels and followed Qin Yuhu to the side. "Uncle, that's got to be a reinforced platoon, right? Tsk-tsk."
He was still talking with an irreverent grin when Qin Yuhu suddenly whipped around, already holding a leather belt he had drawn, lashing it out with sharp cracks.
Lian Youming watched it come. With his current physical conditioning, even a beating with sticks and clubs would only smart for a brief moment.
"Ouch! What are you doing?"
Still, he had to put on a show. Lian Youming deliberately dodged to the side and yelled out in pain a couple of times.
Qin Yuhu put his full weight behind each strike, swinging with wide arcs as spit flew from his mouth. "Can't you spare me some worry? If anything happened to you, how would I face your parents?!"
Dodging about, Lian Youming let out a sigh. "Ah, I couldn't help it! Seeing that mangled corpse and those two little kids, I just couldn't swallow that anger... Besides, if I'd backed down, would you have respected me? I wouldn't have been able to look myself in the mirror."
"Bullshit!"
Qin Yuhu glared fiercely with his one eye, about to scold him further, when a gasp sounded. A figure came stumbling over, grabbing Lian Youming's hand and looking him up and down.
"Lian Youming, are... are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Yan Lingyun was thoroughly exhausted from the trek. Her temples were soaked with sweat, her forehead dripping, and her face drained of color. Though she was panting heavily, she was entirely consumed with concern for his injuries.
Watching this, Qin Yuhu swallowed back the harsh words on the tip of his tongue.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Looking at the girl's pale lips and the sweat glistening on her cheeks, Lian Youming's gaze softened considerably. He instinctively moved to wipe her brow, but seeing his blood-smeared hands, he pulled back.
He blinked and smiled. "Little sister, you're worn out, aren't you? Don't worry, your big brother will carry you back on his back later."
Yan Lingyun, whose eyes had been filled with worry, suddenly froze upon hearing this. Blushing, she ducked her head and muttered in a voice as soft as a mosquito, "You little bastard... What kind of situation is this, and you're still running your mouth?"
"Ahem, cough..." Beside them, Qin Yuhu could not help but frown and clear his throat twice.
Only then did Yan Lingyun come to her senses, hurriedly stepping aside with her head lowered.
Qin Yuhu adopted a grave expression. "First tell me: how did those two die? And where is Xie Laosan?"
Lian Youming made no attempt to conceal the main points, briefly explaining how Xie Laosan, Lei Hu, and Bai Yuan had turned on one another, ending with the three of them mutually destroying each other while he had narrowly survived through sheer luck.
Hearing that Xie Laosan had already been burned to ashes by Lian Youming, Qin Yuhu felt thoroughly relieved and did not bother pressing into the details of the fight.
Lian Youming thought for a moment and added, "There's one more thing."
"What else?" Qin Yuhu's gaze sharpened slightly.
Pondering for a second, Lian Youming broke into a strange smile. "Uncle, if I turn in a map of the Kwantung Army underground fortress, what kind of reward could I get for it?"
This decision was not made on a whim. If the White Lotus Sect had been hunting Xie Laosan, word of his death would inevitably spread before long. As the sole survivor of this clash, Lian Youming would almost certainly be dragged into it.
The White Lotus Sect alone was one thing; they were like vermin in the gutter, unable to face the light of day. What truly concerned him was the possibility of formidable martial artists within the military ranks.
Thinking of his father's comrade who practiced the Eagle Claw martial art, along with Zhongnanhai bodyguards like Gong Wu'er, how could a vast nation like this lack powerful figures to keep order?
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the White Lotus Sect dared not operate openly, and many of their members did not even dare remain within the country, fleeing overseas instead.
Therefore, since this matter was bound to come to light sooner or later, rather than waiting for someone to come knocking on his door to confront him, it was better to hand it over proactively. Not only could he leverage it for benefits, but it would also divert the White Lotus Sect's attention. More importantly, the map inside that jade box was far from ordinary...
Hearing this, Qin Yuhu was stunned at first. Then his solitary eye snapped wide open, and he blurted out, "Where's the map?!"
Chapter 32