Chapter 45 Run! It's watching you!
The southwestern border region is covered by primeval jungles.
Locals call this place the "Black Widow Forest," a forbidden area that is so remote that even maps haven't dared to fully depict it.
The canopy of the giant tree stretched out, blocking out the sun. Sunlight was cut into fragments, falling sporadically onto the thick humus soil.
The air was humid and hot, sticky like glue, clinging to the skin.
The stench of earth, the putrid smell of plants, and the foul odor of wild animals mingled together to create a suffocating miasma.
Lu Zhanting and his "Sharp Sword" squad have been trekking through this jungle for three days.
The group of twenty people moved silently, like ghosts.
Their faces were covered by paint, and their combat uniforms blended into the environment.
There is no language.
A complex and precise set of sign language is their only means of communication.
Lu Zhanting walked at the front.
He swiftly and cleanly severed the vines with his machete.
Footsteps sank into the slippery mud, making no sound whatsoever.
His gaze swept across the surroundings, not missing a single shadow.
This jungle is far more dangerous than the information describes.
Half an hour earlier, the scout "Monkey" on the flank almost stepped on some deadly poison.
It was a bamboo viper disguised as a withered branch.
At the last moment, Lu Zhanting's scabbard pierced through precisely, pinning the snake's head firmly to the ground.
The snake was small, its emerald green body convulsing violently, its triangular head staring blankly into death.
"Everyone check your feet, beware of disguised poisons." Lu Zhanting's sign language was simple and clear.
The march slowed down, and everyone's nerves were on edge.
The deeper you go, the more eerie the atmosphere becomes.
They discovered traces left by the missing team.
A discarded compressed biscuit packaging bag.
A branch with a fresh cut.
The distance is getting shorter.
Danger is also approaching.
“Captain, look.” Tracking expert “Hound” crouched down and pointed to a bush.
The bushes were knocked down by brute force, leaving several blurry drag marks on the soil.
On a broad leaf nearby, a dark brown stain of blood had congealed.
Lu Zhanting walked over, picked up a little bit with his finger, and brought it to the tip of his nose.
There was no putrid smell.
"Blood from within the last three days," he concluded.
“There was a battle here.” The hound pointed to the trunk of a tree nearby, where a deformed bullet was embedded.
Lu Zhanting's face darkened.
The missing squad engaged the enemy here.
"All personnel on alert, proceed with the search."
The new orders were issued, and the troops instantly dispersed, forming a well-organized and efficient battle network.
Just then, the "Wolf Fang" warning talisman worn close to Lu Zhanting's neck suddenly felt a chill without warning.
It's not hot, it's ice.
Bone-chilling ice.
His pupils contracted, and he instantly gestured: "Stop! Take cover!"
Almost simultaneously, communications soldier "Bailin" pointed sharply to his headset, his sign language urgent: Communication interrupted! Magnetic field anomaly!
All team members immediately took cover, pointing their guns in all directions.
The jungle fell silent.
The noisy chirping of insects and birds that had been just moments before vanished instantly.
The wind stopped.
The leaves remained completely still.
The light was being swallowed up by something unseen, and the surroundings were rapidly darkening.
A suffocating sense of oppression gripped everyone's throats.
Lu Zhanting leaned against a giant banyan tree, gripping his steel gun tightly.
Something is watching them.
Not human.
It is a... older, purer form of malice.
He reached into his training uniform and grasped the cold "wolf fang".
Wanqing...
He silently recited the name in his heart.
The image of that small face in the capital city appeared before his eyes, and his heart, which had been pounding wildly due to the unknown danger, miraculously calmed down.
He had promised her that he would return alive.
Then we must go back.
Gods, Buddhas, ghosts, and monsters—whoever dares to block his way, he will carve a bloody path through them!
**
The Lu Family Compound in Beijing.
It was late at night.
The study in the east wing was brightly lit.
Su Wanqing sat at the table, with a detailed map of the capital city spread out in front of her.
Ever since she learned from Shen Man that something had happened on the southwestern border, her heart had been hanging in suspense.
She forced herself to calm down, handled accounts, studied prescriptions, and even went to the textile factory to guide new dyeing processes.
She filled herself up completely, leaving no room for idle thoughts.
But as night fell, the agonizing worry would overwhelm her like a tidal wave.
She stroked her chest repeatedly.
There, another "warning sign" was hanging.
This is her connection with Lu Zhanting. As long as his talisman doesn't encounter fatal danger, hers won't react.
It remains warm and moist at this moment.
This was her only reassurance.
But waiting is not her style.
She had to do something.
The next morning, instead of going to the factory, she changed into simple clothes and went alone to the teahouse called "Forget Worries".
Uncle He lay in a rocking chair, listening to storytelling on the radio.
Upon seeing Su Wanqing, a flicker of surprise crossed his cloudy eyes, which quickly returned to calm.
"Your sister-in-law is here." He sat up and pointed to the stool opposite him.
"Uncle He," Su Wanqing said, sitting down and getting straight to the point, "I'd like to ask you about something."
"you say."
"I'm planning to go into the medicinal herb business. I've heard that rare herbs are produced in the southwestern border region," Su Wanqing said calmly, like a pure businessman. "But things have been tense lately. Has something happened over there?"
She didn't mention Lu Zhanting or the mission; she only talked about business.
Uncle He gave her a deep look. This new granddaughter-in-law was more composed than he had expected.
He remained silent for a moment, then stood up and closed the wooden door of the teahouse.
“Sister-in-law, there’s no need to beat around the bush.” He sat down again and lowered his voice. “I understand you’re worried about Zhan Ting.”
Su Wanqing's heart tightened.
“Zhan Ting’s mission is top secret, I don’t know the details,” Uncle He continued, “but I have heard some rumors about it.”
"What rumors are you talking about?" she pressed.
"About two weeks ago, a group of people infiltrated the southwest from the Golden Triangle. There were about twenty of them, all of them top-notch experts, well-equipped, and their whereabouts were elusive."
Who is it?
“Desperados. The most notorious mercenary group in the world, ‘Hellhounds.’ Their leader is called ‘The Butcher,’ a ruthless madman who kills without blinking an eye. They’ll do anything for money.” Uncle He’s expression was extremely grave. “It’s said that this time they’ve been commissioned by a major buyer to come to our territory to find something.”
"thing?"
“I don’t know. All I know is that they are active in the vicinity of the Black Widow Forest. Our patrol teams from several border outposts have encountered them and suffered heavy losses.”
Uncle He's words confirmed Shen Man's warning.
Su Wanqing's heart sank to the bottom.
Hellhound, butcher.
The name alone is reeking of bloodshed.
Lu Zhanting was about to face a group of war machines.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law." Uncle He saw her worry and comforted her, "You and I both know Zhan Ting's abilities. His 'swordsmen' are the elite of the elite. A bunch of mercenaries can't turn the world upside down."
Su Wanqing nodded and said nothing more.
She knew this was comforting.
In a real battlefield, any accident can be fatal.
But Uncle He's words gave her a second reassurance.
Knowing who the enemy is is always better than facing a fog of mystery.
She stood up and thanked him solemnly, "Thank you, Uncle He. Please keep today's matter a secret."
"nature."
After leaving the teahouse, Su Wanqing felt calmer.
Fear stems from the unknown.
Now, the enemy is "Hellhound," and the target is "Black Widow Forest."
Her brain started working at lightning speed.
She locked herself in her room and frantically read through those ancient medical books and miscellaneous notes.
She wants to find all the records about the "Black Widow Forest".
Poisonous insects, miasma, legends, taboos...
She couldn't be on the battlefield in person, but she wanted to build the strongest intelligence support for him.
Even a single sentence or an inconspicuous record could save his life at a crucial moment.
**
Meanwhile, in the southwestern jungle.
The eerie sense of oppression lasted for ten minutes, then disappeared without warning.
Communication has been restored.
The magnetic field is normal.
The chirping of insects and the calls of birds rang out again.
It all seemed like an illusion.
But the backs of all the "Sharp Sword" team members were soaked with cold sweat.
"Keep moving forward." Lu Zhanting's command was even colder than before.
The caravan had traveled another two kilometers when the hunting dogs in front suddenly stopped and signaled that they had spotted the target.
Lu Zhanting strode forward and pushed aside the bushes.
The scene before him caused his pupils to contract sharply.
Valley, camp, slaughterhouse.
Seven or eight corpses lay scattered about.
They were all dressed in American jungle warfare uniforms, tactical vests, and radios hanging from their ears.
They are mercenaries of "Hellhound".
Shell casings littered the camp, and the ground was torn apart by explosions. A fierce battle had taken place here.
"Captain, none of our men are here." A team member quickly checked the body and returned to report.
Lu Zhanting nodded, his gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield.
The way these mercenaries died was very strange.
A few people had gunshot wounds, but most had no wounds.
They were bleeding from all seven orifices, their expressions contorted, as if they had been scared to death by something.
In the center of the camp, there was a deep crater that had been blown open.
Fragments of metal instruments were scattered around the edge of the pit.
"Captain, we've found something here!"
The sound came from the other side of the valley.
Lu Zhanting immediately led his men to the scene.
Beneath the vine-covered mountain wall lies a cleverly disguised cave.
At the entrance of the cave, a soldier wearing his own training uniform sat leaning against something.
His abdominal wound was festering and blackened, his breathing was weak, his face was ashen, and his life was slipping away.
They are members of the missing team.
Lu Zhanting immediately squatted down and took out morphine.
The soldier seemed to sense someone approaching and used his last bit of strength to open his eyes.
Upon seeing the military rank on Lu Zhanting's shoulder, a final, desperate glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.
"Captain... Captain..." he stammered, "Quick... Run... It's... a trap..."
"Hold on! Reinforcements have arrived!" Lu Zhanting said in a deep voice while treating his wounds.
“It’s no use…” Black blood trickled from the soldier’s mouth. “That thing… it’s alive… it… it can control minds…”
"What is that?!" Lu Zhanting pressed.
“It was…underground…we dug it out…everyone went mad…killing each other…”
The soldier's pupils began to dilate. He gripped Lu Zhanting's arm tightly, and with his last strength, he roared:
"Run!... Don't look back!... It's watching you..."
Before he could finish speaking, his head suddenly lolled to the side, and he died.
Lu Zhanting's heart sank to the bottom.
Alive? Mind control?
He stood up and turned his gaze back to the deep pit in the center of the camp.
At that very moment, the "wolf fang" on his chest suddenly became scalding hot!
It wasn't warm, it was burning! It was the excruciating pain of a branding iron pressed against flesh!
Deadly danger!
"retreat--!"
Lu Zhanting let out a heart-wrenching roar.
It's too late.
The earth began to tremble violently.
From the deep pit in the center of the camp came a sickening "squeaking" sound.
Something enormous is crawling out from underground.
An indescribable, violent, and insane thought swept across the entire valley in an instant, savagely crashing into the brains of every "Sharp Sword" team member!
"ah!!"
The two closest team members instantly clutched their heads and screamed in agony, their eyes bulging with blood vessels. They even raised their guns, turned them around, and aimed them at their comrades!
Bang! Bang!
Lu Zhanting's gun flashed, and the bullet accurately severed their arms that were holding the guns.
"Everyone! Bite your tongues! Guard your consciousness! Move closer to me!" He roared with all his might, his voice booming.
That crazy thought was also impacting his brain, and countless bloody and brutal illusions exploded before his eyes.
But he clung desperately to a sliver of clarity.
The excruciating pain kept him conscious.
The excruciating pain of biting the tip of my tongue.
The excruciating pain of my chest being burned by the "wolf fangs".
A single thought became his only barrier.
He wants to go back.
He wanted to go back alive to see Su Wanqing.
He saw it.
Within that deep pit, a monster formed from countless twisted vines and writhing flesh was slowly rising.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com