By the time the food was served, the soldiers had already finished eating.

An Moxue took a bite of what was supposedly a specialty dish, and it almost overwhelmed her—it was too sweet. She picked up the barley tea beside her and downed it in a few gulps. As soon as she put it down, someone refilled her cup.

Wu Sicheng, holding the teapot in his hand, said, "Comrade, you should eat this fish! I specifically ordered it salty and told them not to add sugar, maybe that will make it better."

Several comrades looked at him with strange, unusual enthusiasm, something he wasn't usually like. They exchanged glances, communicating silently.

Xu Qingfeng knew that An Moxue and Wu Sicheng knew each other, and assumed that he recognized her and was taking extra care of her. He didn't think much of it and added, "The dishes here are all on the sweeter side. If you don't like them, try this fish."

An Moxue glared at him. With outsiders present, she didn't want to embarrass him. Why didn't you say so earlier, Cai Tian?

Finally, An Moxue pointed to the plate of fish in front of her and said, "Captain, I really can't stand that sickeningly sweet food. Why don't you eat it? I'll just make do with this fish. What do you think?"

He thought it wasn't very good!

But a good man doesn't argue with a woman, saying, "You eat, I'll eat the other dishes, it's the same."

After finishing their meal, the group returned to the guesthouse. Xu Qingfeng, An Moxue, and Wu Sicheng went into a room together.

An Moxue said, "Now tell me!"

Xu Qingfeng spoke first: "Hummingbird, as you know, we found a clue in a border smuggling case a few years ago, one of which was about Maple Leaf Temple. But no matter how much we investigated, we didn't find any useful leads. The trail always went cold at crucial moments, which was obviously suspicious. This time, a newcomer also found a clue, but she disappeared. Before she disappeared, she left behind a key point: Maple Leaf Temple. Later, some of her companions went there, and they all disappeared. The organization had no choice but to contact you."

Wu Sicheng said, "I received a case about spies related to Maple Leaf Temple, but the people who went in, like your people, have also disappeared. That's why the organization sent me here. One of the people I brought this time knows a little about poisons. And all of them practice ancient martial arts."

An Moxue knew this as soon as she met a few people, but she never expected that someone would know about poisons.

"So, is that why we settled here instead of going straight to Maple Leaf Town?"

“Yes, we’re afraid of being monitored. This isn’t the closest town to Maple Leaf Town, so it won’t arouse too much suspicion. To be on the safe side, we should walk to that small town. Even a bicycle would attract attention there, so a military vehicle is definitely out of the question.”

An Moxue asked, unwilling to give up, "Captain, am I the only one on our side?"

Xu Qingfeng disagreed, saying, "Isn't there me? How can you talk about yourself? I'm in charge of gathering information, and you're in charge of the operation."

Well! It's still her own fault. Let me feel sorry for myself for a second!

She's destined to go it alone; she doesn't deserve any partners!

After learning the total number of people, An Moxue asked, "What is the main objective of this operation?"

Xu Qingfeng said, "First, save lives; second, find out the truth. Of course, saving lives is the top priority."

After he finished speaking, Wu Sicheng nodded.

An Moxue looked at the two of them and asked, "How many people have gone missing?"

Xu Qingfeng said, "We have thirty-eight comrades."

Wu Sicheng said, "There are forty soldiers."

An Moxue's eyes widened as she looked at the two of them with an incredulous expression. She asked, "Did I hear that right? There are seventy-eight people in total, so why are we the only three being rescued, along with the three outside? There should be more rescues!"

The two of them shook their heads together and said, "No, this was a decision made by two departments."

"Why?" An Moxue didn't understand. Since so many people had already gone missing, shouldn't more people be sent to rescue them?

At this point, Xu Qingfeng also didn't know what the outcome would be. "Because of its special nature, it seems like no matter how many ordinary soldiers go in, they're just being thrown in. No matter how strong a soldier's combat ability is, once they're in, they disappear without a trace. That's one of the reasons we called you back for the rescue."

An Moxue looked at Wu Sicheng and said, "Yes, so the three people I brought this time are: one knows a little about poison, one knows a little about the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and one has a strong premonition. They all know ancient martial arts."

An Moxue thought of the Nalan family's ancestral graves. She thought that perhaps there were other places in the world that were just like there, with some strange things, which was not surprising.

As for whether they can rescue anyone this time, she doesn't know.

An Moxue asked, "Who were those people who went in?"

Xu Qingfeng took out a list, and Wu Sicheng also took out a list, and handed them both to An Moxue.

Then, Xu Qingfeng said, "After the operation, you five will be the forwards, and I'll be in charge of gathering information. That'll be six of us. Is there anything you need to prepare?"

After reviewing both lists, An Moxue said, "No, we can leave anytime."

What a joke! She's carrying a backpack! She can just take it from inside.

Wu Sicheng said, "Okay, let's set off once the three of them bring back the rations."

The three returned, checked out of their rooms, and distributed the supplies in the car. Xu Qingfeng drove the car to the local armed forces department, and the six of them, carrying their bags, quickly walked along the mountain road.

They were all seasoned veterans who had fought countless battles. During the mission, they didn't utter a single unnecessary word; marching was their top priority.

An Moxue hadn't walked like this in a long time, and it felt like she had returned to the training camp, which made her feel a little nostalgic.

She walked up to Xu Qingfeng and asked, "Captain, when will we arrive?"

Xu Qingfeng glanced at his watch and said, "At this speed, we should be able to reach the vicinity of Maple Leaf Temple by nightfall."

"Okay." After saying that, he went to the back.

And so, as darkness fell, the group of six stopped. Xu Qingfeng took out a map, shone a flashlight on it, and pointed to a spot, saying, "According to the directions, we're roughly in this location now. Maple Leaf Temple is just ahead, and we're about to reach the place where everyone disappeared. Let's rest for a bit, eat something, and set off in ten minutes. Does anyone have any objections?"

"No," the five people answered in hushed tones.

An Moxue casually found a tree branch and sat down, leisurely eating the steamed bun in her hand with great relish. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was eating the most delicious food in the world!

Wu Sicheng climbed to another branch of the tree, right next to An Moxue. He took out a tea mug, poured out the malted milk powder inside, and handed it to An Moxue.

An Moxue looked around, took the drink, and took a big gulp. It had been too long, and the malted milk powder was already lukewarm, but it was still much better than eating dry steamed buns.

Wu Sicheng looked at her and asked, "Have you been injured these past few years?" In the darkness, they couldn't see each other's expressions.

An Moxue, biting into her steamed bun, replied, "No, I'm doing quite well, really doing great."

Wu Sicheng looked at her, and although he couldn't see the expression on her face, he could hear the lightness in her voice, which reassured him a lot. His voice was deep and alluring: "Then you don't want to ask me how I'm doing?"