The wild boar writhed on the ground, rolling a few times. As Luo Tiezhu landed, it coughed up bloody foam and went still. The soldiers rushed forward, hoisting their captain up, shouting in ecstasy, "Captain, you killed it! You actually killed the boar!"
Despite his injuries, Luo felt exhilarated. That final strike had been pure catharsis. A faint flow of true qi stirred within him, a euphoric sensation washing over his heart. He, too, could cultivate inner strength.
Seeing Luo fell the boar with one punch, Lei Zhengyang exhaled in relief. Wu Xiaomin and Lei Qiuping, trailing behind, also relaxed. Wu whispered, "Zhengyang, I'm impressed. One boar pushed Tiezhu to the brink—he nearly became the first soldier to die under a pig's hooves."
Lei Qiuping, puzzled, said, "Something's off. That last punch had insane force, and Tiezhu's bulky—how'd he leap ten meters? Did he break through?"
Lei turned, nodding slightly. "Exactly. Luo Tiezhu's tapped into his body's energy. If I'm right, he's started generating true qi."
Wu's eyes lit up. "Zhengyang, for real?"
Qiuping chimed in, "It's gotta be. Otherwise, he couldn't have killed that boar. I nearly lost to one myself once—I know the strength that punch required."
"You fought a boar?" Wu pounced on the comment. "When? Why didn't you tell me?"
Qiuping grumbled, "Blame Zhengyang. During my training, he tossed a Viagra-dosed boar into a cave with me. I almost got assaulted."
Wu's face flushed, and she glared at him. "Shameless!"
Qiuping grinned, unfazed. "Relax, I don't need Viagra to be plenty strong."
Wu, over thirty and still single, couldn't handle the brazen flirting. She turned and bolted.
Qiuping chased after her, calling, "Don't run! I'm serious—wanna test it?"
Thick-skinned didn't begin to cover it. In the depths of this jungle, Third Aunt-to-be might just lose her virtue.
Lei Zhengyang lounged on a tree branch, munching on a roasted rabbit. No spices, but it tasted damn good. Sated, he'd patrol the squads next, so maintaining stamina was priority one—a lesson burned into him from past jungle training.
Bringing the soldiers here was a desperate move. To secure a top spot in the year-end competition, they needed a massive leap in skill. He hoped they'd survive this crucible.
A month after Lei left the capital, a bombshell hit. A researcher involved in X-substance studies was ambushed, and his critical files—containing the latest breakthroughs—vanished. If leaked, X-substance's secrecy would collapse, dealing a catastrophic blow to the nation.
National Security mobilized, sealing airports and stations, locking down the city. They pinpointed three Western "tourists" carrying the files, but the arrest went awry. The trio were covert foreign operatives. At the cost of five dead and three wounded, only one was killed. The other two slipped the net.
Worse, intel revealed the world's six major powers had dispatched their elite solo operatives to the capital. The situation grew dire. With the highest authority's approval, the Saber Team took charge, tasked with recovering the files at any cost.
The two surviving "tourists"' affiliations were unclear, but the foreign operatives' presence—whether to aid the fugitives or fish in troubled waters—was for X-substance. The Saber Team had to find the duo before these elites, and fast. If the files fell into foreign hands, retrieval would be near impossible.
Through coordinated efforts, National Security and Saber Team turned the fugitives into desperate runaways, scattering in panic. But complications piled up, and the targets vanished into a dense forest 50 kilometers west of the capital, escalating the crisis.
If the files were transferred, capturing the fugitives would mean nothing—they'd walk free, leaving no evidence. The top brass was livid, and Saber Team faced its first rebuke. As its leader, Saber's Charm felt the pressure mounting.
In the capital military district's war room, a map of the region glowed on-screen. A poised female secretary, pointer in hand, briefed, "This forest connects to the Yilin Mountains—half primal jungle, half rugged woodland. Based on timing, the fugitives likely entered the Yilin range, which spans over 100 kilometers. Fog disrupts signals, making it nearly impossible to track them precisely."
The room's lights flicked on, revealing a commanding middle-aged man in the front row. His broad back alone radiated authority. Cropped hair, large ears—he was clearly a high-ranking figure.
"Knife, should we deploy troops for a manhunt?" asked a general behind him, his shoulder insignia marking him as a lieutenant general, likely a deputy commander. "The chief's furious. We can't afford another failure."
"A hundred kilometers? How many troops would that take?" the middle-aged man, Knife, replied. "Making a spectacle for two people would be a laughingstock." He stood, and everyone followed suit. Turning, his stern face was devoid of warmth. "Cold Wind!"
"Here!" A lean, vigorous young man snapped to attention, a member of Saber's capital division, codenamed Cold Wind.
"Assemble the Capital Guard Saber Unit. In one hour, enter the Yilin Mountains. Recover the stolen files at all costs. Anyone who interferes—kill without mercy!" Knife's voice dripped with lethal intent. Cold Wind saluted sharply. "Yes, Captain, I'm on it!"
"Captain," a woman spoke up, turning to reveal the stunning Hua Yunyue. Even facing her father, she showed no trace of softness in public, addressing him formally as "Captain."
Knife glanced at her. "What is it?"
"There's a special forces team training in the Yilin Mountains right now. They could be useful."
Her words stunned the room. No one else had this intel. The deputy commander asked, "Xiaoyue, which unit?"
"The Fifth Military Academy's special forces."
Hua Yunyue knew because she'd been tasked with monitoring Lei Zhengyang, tracking his every move. With her senior sister as his constant shadow, nothing Lei did escaped her notice. She wouldn't have spoken up if the situation weren't dire and solutions scarce.
The deputy commander's face fell. "Xiaoyue, that's unlikely to help. You saw the airport shootout—three operatives tore through National Security like paper. Their strength is unreal, and now with elite agents from multiple nations joining, the Fifth Academy's team can't stop them. Let's not sacrifice them needlessly. We should order their withdrawal to avoid an attack."
The room nodded in agreement. If the main military district struggled, a mere academy branch was outclassed. Everyone knew their capabilities.
Even Knife seemed to concur, but Hua Yunyue stepped forward. "Captain, reconsider. The instructor leading this training is Lei Zhengyang."
Knife's eyes flickered with surprise, a glint of interest in his deep gaze. That Lei kid.
Lei had changed dramatically and was the mind behind X-substance. Rumor had it even the Lin family's Lin Kuang wasn't his match. After a month in the Yilin Mountains, his team would be acclimated—a potential asset.
"Yunyue, join Cold Wind," Knife ordered. "Your mission is to relay my orders to the Fifth Academy's team. They're to assist Saber in completing this task."
Thrilled her suggestion was accepted, Hua Yunyue saluted eagerly.
She wanted her father to see she'd grown—not just able to protect herself but her younger sister, too. She could live with her. This mission was her test.
Knife had a real name, but as the military's sharpest blade, "Knife" had become his identity. Everyone who knew him used it, and he'd grown accustomed to it.
As Hua Yunyue left, the deputy commander asked, "Knife, did I hear Lei Zhengyang? Not that Lei family's useless playboy, right?"
Knife offered no explanation. The deputy's clearance didn't grant access to that truth.