Chapter 51 Chapter 51 The Right Time, Right Place, and Right People
A white waterfall splashes from the top of the mountain, and a green river flows into the valley.
As the sun rose and set, they walked and stopped, and each day they walked for no more than half a day, and they did not encounter any other teams along the way.
Usually, they would set up their tents at high places, even if there was a cliff behind them. This would be a desperate situation for others, but it would be safer for them.
This was not the case tonight, as there was a supply point near a sea of flowers, the last stop before entering the safe zone. As the safe zone narrowed, the teams inevitably gathered and clashed.
Maybe tonight will bring the last peace and leisure.
Xu Shanshan hasn't realized it yet and is looking forward to the upcoming journey.
She was worried at first that there might be another trap there, but after trying it out, she found that everything was calm and the storage box buried underground was full, indicating that no one had been there before.
Accompanying them day and night, she gradually became familiar with the sentries and developed a bedtime ritual of cuddling up to each other, cheek to cheek, vividly demonstrating what it means to be "dependent on others."
In the middle of the night, she sat up, and the man next to her suddenly jumped up, making people wonder whether he was really asleep or whether the last accident made him nervous.
Xia Guangli: "You're awake."
"My chest feels a bit tight, I want to stand outside for a while."
Xia Guangli: "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
She shook her head, she was not sick. She only saw an orange crescent moon hanging in the sky outside the window. The dark night sky made it impossible to see the gentle slope of the sea of flowers in the distance.
Xu Shanshan: "Did you steal my air?"
Xia Guangli turned on the car lights and was about to check the ventilation system when he suddenly heard these words. He felt very wronged and did not refute. The next second he began to think about whether this conclusion was valid.
"Idiot." Xu Shanshan patted his shoulder. It was just a joke, but she felt a little depressed.
She stroked the little peregrine falcon's head. Its eyelids were closed, indicating it was fast asleep. She whispered, "I'll stand by the car door for a while."
The warm orange light illuminated the inside and outside of the off-road vehicle. The front and rear lights were turned on. She put on her shoes and socks, clung to the frame, and got out carefully.
At the same time, several kilometers away, two high-powered telescopes emerged from the haystack. The man focused them with both hands, and a clear view gradually emerged.
"Found it."
Although they were later than expected, they still arrived here. Ares took his position and looked into the distance through the lens, and suddenly saw two people talking.
Her figure was very conspicuous and her movements were clear, which made Ares' heart excited. He raised his head and thought of the last unpleasant parting, feeling sad.
The little cheetah on the side broke the silence. Falk also wanted to see the legendary guide, but when he saw that he was occupying the seat, he squeezed past without even looking at him.
Falk whispered, "Captain, if you don't want to see it, just let it go."
Ares looked at it with a puzzled look on his face, frowning, "Who said I don't want to look anymore?" He raised his hand to remove it from the tripod, held it with both hands, and looked at it carefully. The scale in the mirror showed the distance between the two people at the moment.
After being met with a cold reception, Volk went to look for someone else, "Who has finished reading it and can show it to me too?" After asking around, no one answered him. He tugged at the shoulder of the brother next to him, but was pushed away with one hand.
"Hey—" He muttered in dissatisfaction. Bullying, huh? Suddenly, a Porro Prism was pushed in front of him. It turned out to be the vice-captain.
Shao Jiang: "For you."
He took it with a smile, "Thank you, Deputy Captain."
In the circular field of vision, there was only a graceful figure. She raised her head and looked around. In an instant, she looked here, her eyes focused, as if she was looking at him.
Falk's heart stopped for a moment, but she immediately moved away. There was no way she could detect them. The night was the best cover. But she couldn't help but savor that glimpse.
Xu Shanshan stood by the car and stretched, looking at the man leaning forward to check the air intake. Not wanting him to misunderstand, she added, "I'm not really blaming you."
Xia Guangli chuckled and opened the shell with his fingers. He knew that she didn't despise him. If he really took away her breath, then... then he would just take a small breath. In short, he would stay by her side.
The man nodded and said, "Okay."
The light attracted the sentry on duty to look over here. He saw two people interacting, and only mosquitoes were moving around. On the other side of the mountain, in the bushes, leaves rustled. He looked over vigilantly and saw a wild mouse chewing grass seeds.
Suddenly a strong wind blew, and the white gauze flew off the chair, stretching and flowing, passing over her back and flying high into the sky.
"Huh?"
She stretched out her hand to grab it, trying to catch it in her hand, but the wind was blowing so fast that the bird jumped out from under her hand within a foot of her reach, fell down again, and rolled in the haystack.
"Shanshan——" a voice came from behind.
She didn't look back, but bent forward and picked it up from the ground. It floated up again and tumbled twice in the air.
Xu Shanshan ran forward subconsciously. When the wind died down, she quickened her pace, trying to bring it back. In the dim light, she could still see clearly.
Finally caught, Xu Shanshan stood up with her knees supported, looked back, and saw the man standing not far away. He heard the sound, looked up and saw her leaving, put down the work in his hands, jumped down and ran towards her.
The hot air sprayed on her face. He stood with his hands on his hips, blocking the light so that her expression could not be seen. Xu Shanshan turned sideways and looked at the gauze stained with grass debris in the light.
"It escaped," she explained.
Song Xiaoyu breathed a sigh of relief and took the troublesome white cloth. The tall figure leaned forward, his face resting on his thick chest, and another firm hug ensued.
The man's hands were clasped behind his back, his fingers clasping the fabric tightly, creating several layers of wrinkles. A warm breath flowed from his head to his shoulders, and he seemed very nervous.
After a while, the man relaxed, took her hand and walked back.
Seeing the two men return to the car, the doors closed, the curtains extended, and nothing could be seen. Falk put down the binoculars and said to himself, "So close."
Turning around, he saw the captain's sullen face, his eyes sharp and cold, and the corners of his mouth drooping, completing his transformation from a resentful husband to a murderer.
He couldn't help but cough. "I think that man has a shifty look. He's a mean-spirited person with many tricks. He's really shameless in pulling strings."
Shao Jiang made a shushing gesture, and then he looked at the captain with his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to eat someone. If his spirit body was still outside, he would probably have breathed heavily.
He made a zippering gesture at his lips to indicate that he would remain quiet.
In the car, she sat and looked at the dismantled air inlet. The woman's beautiful face was reflected in Xia Guangli's pupils. They just looked at each other until she came to her senses and looked sideways.
"Is this fixed?"
Xia Guangli tilted his head uncomfortably, pursed his lips, and reached forward, looking very busy. "Almost done."
"Okay, I'll accompany you." She sat aside, helped sort and arrange things, and handed over parts and tools.
The headlights came on and two people appeared. The headlights went out and the man did not come out of the door. The relationship between the two parties was self-evident.
Ares was leaning against a tree. Before going to bed, Shao Jiang planned to talk to him to avoid impulsive behavior tomorrow that would lead to failure.
Before he could speak, the man raised his eyes and gave him an indifferent look. There was no resentment, only determination. "Tomorrow."
Shao Jiang: "Yeah."
Together with the remnants of the troops who had defected, several people discussed the battle plan, and the smoke of war was rising.
The next day.
Last night’s strong wind seemed like an ominous sign. In the early morning, the wind was biting coldly on the hills. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, covering the entire sky, and a storm was about to come.
The convoy was arranged, with Xu Shanshan's vehicle in the center.
The SUV was driving on the road with its taillights on, and the first vehicle braked suddenly, causing a series of reactions from the rear.
Fastened by her seatbelt, she avoided the collision. Curiously, she leaned out and clung to the back of the driver's seat to look forward. "What happened?"
Soon, we learned from the pager that the car in front had fallen into a mud pit and the road had collapsed. Everyone worked together to lift the front of the car and take a detour.
Drops of rain gathered on the car windows, forming a layer of mist inside the windows, and fog came up again. The view of the road ahead was no longer clear, and each car was separated by a certain distance to maintain safety.
Suddenly, there was a sharp collision sound from the pager. Xia Guangli called out twice, but there was no response. Something was wrong, so he stopped the car immediately, unbuckled his seat belt, and checked his helmet and weapons.
Before getting off the bus, he turned around and warned Song Xiaoyu and Xiao Han, "If anything unexpected happens, you take the guide and leave first. We will gather at point 135."
The man's voice came through the pager and echoed in the car again. She clenched her palms nervously, only to see him get out of the car and walk into the white fog.
Feeling anxious, she waited, but the man's voice seemed to have disappeared. After a long time, only a brief noise was heard, which quickly disappeared.
The people behind her didn't come up to ask, so Song Xiaoyu didn't wait any longer. He unbuckled his seat belt, took out the helmet and raincoat from the storage compartment, put them on her, and began to pack his luggage.
She swallowed, feeling somewhat bewildered. It was her first time facing an emergency, and her voice trembled. "Are we leaving?"
Song Xiaoyu nodded. He and Xiao Han worked together, quickly packed their luggage, and opened the car door from the other side. Xiao Han got out of the car first and held up a shield.
After Song Xiaoyu got out of the car, she waited by the door, blocking the back of the door. She moved on the seat cushion when something suddenly hit her from behind. Xiao Han's body fell down and disappeared from sight.
What had attacked him?
Time was urgent, and while she was distracted, Song Xiaoyu directly grabbed her lower back and dragged her by her knees. While summoning his spirit body, he also transformed into a half-beast and took off directly without caring about Xiao Han who was knocked down.
The flapping of wings created a strong wind, and the raindrops hit the raincoat, making a dripping sound. The water droplets fell from the brim of the hat and hit the tip of the nose.
She shut up and put her arm around the back of the man's neck, hoping he wouldn't exert too much effort. With a burst of acceleration, her position rose sharply. With another roar, the figure of a strange sentry emerged from the fog.
A tiger pounced on me. It could jump so high. Its five claws were spread out, its mouth was grinning, revealing its thick fangs. The tiger's roar made my body shudder and my limbs stiffen.
This was an ambush, and the special weather provided them with convenience, making it impossible for the head and tail to communicate with each other. Thunderstorms were not conducive to flying, which was another advantage.
The eagle's body was not as big as the tiger's, but it was not afraid at all. It flapped its wings and flew out from the fog, and its hooked claws accurately hooked towards the tiger's eyes. The tiger raised its foot to block it, and Song Xiaoyu took this opportunity to continue flying high into the sky.
There were flashes of lightning and thunder, and a bright light illuminated the entire sky, striking the distant valley. Purple thunder was brewing among the clouds. Xu Shanshan was very scared. She saw blood flowing on the ground and gradually being diluted by the water.
The thunder was deafening, as if it was right next to her ears. She couldn't help but retract one hand, plug her ears, and bury her head in the man's shoulder.
Song Xiaoyu: "It's okay, you can close your eyes."
She couldn't help but ask: "What about Xiao Han and the others..."
After his attack failed, his spirit body also climbed up along the air current and came to his side. It had almost panoramic vision and could take in the surrounding environment. "Don't worry, he will catch up."
Song Xiaoyu saw the attackers clearly. When the lightning shone on one of their faces, the familiar fleeing defeated general already understood the whole process. The other party had the upper hand, but they still had the strength to organize a retreat.
If they reacted quickly, the people from the Cat League would not be able to stop them, even though the process was difficult.
Just as he said, after a while, another bird emerged from the clouds and Xiao Han caught up with it.
He suffered a head injury, with three deep scratches on his face, his skin torn and flesh exposed. He could only open one eye, but he was still conscious thanks to the protection of the helmet.
The bird supporting him was a snowy owl. As Xiao Han approached, he told them that Xia Guangli was still alive and asked them to take the guide away as soon as possible and to be careful, as many people were still there.
This is good news. In this case, they have to find a place to shelter from the rain and then meet at their destination. Flying high in the sky during a thunderstorm is really not a good idea.
She still couldn't help but look back, but apart from Xiao Han, she didn't see anyone else, and she couldn't help but worry.
Why do they?
She didn't ask the question out loud, as she already had the answer in her mind. In this exercise, they were enemies.
Flying at full speed, the strong wind brought a chill that made his whole body feel cold. After the spirit body caught up, Song Xiaoyu let it carry the two of them.
Xiao Han's condition worsened, his wings gradually became soaked, his flying ability decreased, and the turbulent airflow caused him to fall again and again. Although he managed to climb, he was already in danger of hypothermia and falling. To avoid accidents, they landed to avoid the rain.
They were already twenty kilometers away.
The three men bent over and walked into the cave, their bodies soaked. Their hair, clothes, and pants were all stuck to their bodies. Their pants were tucked tightly into their shoes, but water still seeped in.
Xiao Han had consumed the most physical energy. As soon as he sat down, he leaned weakly against the rock wall with his eyes closed.
The two birds of prey swung their bodies at the entrance of the cave, and raindrops were swung onto the cave wall. Their feathers were wet and looked shrunk.
Song Xiaoyu found some dry clothes and changed Xiao Han into them first. He rolled up a towel and placed it behind his head. He laid him down, dried his body, and then disinfected, stopped the bleeding, and bandaged him.
The wound on the man's face was severe, and he asked her to help press one side. She put her fingers on her cheek and felt her skin tremble.
The blood was a little slippery. The man told her to hold on tight and not let go. She could only bite the bullet and fix herself on the edge of the bone, while the bloody wound hurt her heart every second.
Xiao Han just smiled, looked at her with his intact eye, and said weakly, "I'm fine..."
Tears welled up in her eyes, and as soon as she lowered her head, they rolled down due to gravity. She gritted her teeth and didn't wipe them away until Song Xiaoyu wrapped him up.
She released her strength, knelt on one side with her legs crooked, and covered her face with her hands. When she thought that they might all be seriously injured, she couldn't help sobbing.
Song Xiaoyu looked at her, then at the two little birds at the entrance of the cave. He crossed his arms, grabbed the corner of his shirt, and lifted it up, revealing his muscular upper body. Xiao Han was injured now, and he couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.
When Xu Shanshan raised her eyes, she saw him unbuckling his belt. She sobbed twice, turned around to avoid suspicion, wiped away her tears, and silently vowed in her heart that she must take revenge. If she had the chance, she would kill the attacking team and the person who commanded the operation.
When the tissue was handed to her, she had already comforted herself and said, "Thank you."
She took off her raincoat and put it aside. While looking for a thermal pad, Song Xiaoyu explained that it must be the cooperation between the cat team and the remnants of the carnivorous plants.
When he offered it to her, she refused, "I'm not cold, give it to him."
She was basically not exposed to the rain, and her body temperature dried her in a short while.
The Cat Team, someone came to her mind. Wasn't that Ares' team? He seemed to be...
"Ares and Shao Jiang are the current commanders."
Song Xiaoyu's words confirmed her guess, but he didn't say everything. In previous years, they would not have faced off in the early stages. The two strong teams would have been tit-for-tat, and in the end both sides would have suffered losses, and the other team would have reaped the benefits.
This year is different, she may be the variable.
"Ares." She bit out the name, and the image of the man appeared in front of her. How could he?
Unable to bear it any longer, she turned her head to look at Xiao Han, her eyes closed, her lips pale, the skin on her fingers wrinkled, and her hair all wet, like a bunch of barbs.
She looked at Song Xiaoyu again, slowly closed her eyes, lowered her head, and put her hands on her waist where a gun was placed. She made up her mind that if they met again, they would be enemies.
She wouldn't hesitate to shoot, Ares.
At the battle scene, a fierce battle is inevitable.
Despite his quick reaction, Xia Guangli was still injured in the surprise attack. The worst thing was that his hand was broken.
The spirit body fought back many times, but he couldn't get airborne, his flexibility was greatly reduced, and he was consumed again and again.
The ground is the territory of the Marine Corps.
Metal sticks knocked on the car windows one by one. Ares checked the inside of the car from the front to the back, but he still didn't see the person he was looking for, and looked unhappy.
On the chaotic battlefield, the spirits confronted each other tensely. When fighting on the ground, they had the advantage, but when the group took off into the air, the situation became balanced.
But Ares didn't care. Halfway through his journey, he met Shao Jiang, who told him: She had left.
From his description, the accompanying person was Song Xiaoyu, the noisy man he remembered.
They didn't achieve their intended purpose, but it wasn't a complete failure either. They left some people behind, especially the man who slept with her.
Ares was filled with rage and summoned his spirit body. The black mist condensed into a lion, which raised its head and roared.
He walked up to Xia Guangli. The man obviously recognized him, pulled out a gun and tried to shoot him. Ares swung his stick forward and hit his wrist with a bone-breaking sound.
Xia Guangli screamed miserably. He had a strong scent of her on him, although some of it was washed away by the rain. The black lion moved forward, ready to attack. A phantom swooped down at a speed of several hundred kilometers per hour and rushed towards his back.
The black fog dispersed, then wrapped itself into a ball and took shape again, rushing towards the falling meteor at an extremely fast speed.
Ares did not look back, but continued to move forward. He was full of confidence. The two fought with each other, but the superiority and inferiority were obvious.
The air combat team flew away, not wanting to fight again, waiting for another day. The few sentries left behind had already turned into white light, leaving behind only a few trucks of supplies.
The others gradually gathered around to watch this final showdown. Punches pounded against the opponent, who gradually lost the strength to fight back, yet he didn't stop. The bird couldn't fly, its neck bitten in the mouth, leaving only painful whimpers.
Seeing him getting harder, Falk quietly poked the deputy captain, "Isn't this bad?"
They also had to meet people after they went out. Shao Jiang saw a long tail growing behind him and knew that he was not very rational, so he tried to dissuade him.
"Stop, Ares, we have to keep him alive and interrogate him about his location."
The man raised his hand, but did not wave it again. Instead, he slowly lowered it, hitting the ground, leaving a dent. When he looked up again, his eyes were bloodshot.
The others went over to drag the limp man away, while Shao Jiang was worried about his old friend. He said, "Go get some guide Su."
"No."
Shao Jiang: "You don't want to scare her, do you?"
Thinking of meeting in the future, the man clenched his fists and his spirit body wagged its tail in annoyance, but he finally gave up, which made Shao Jiang breathe a sigh of relief.
In the cave.
Not long after, Xiao Han developed a fever. They could only use the existing medicines, followed by a simple dinner. Fortunately, he woke up two hours later.
Xiao Han first caught a glimpse of a familiar thin and long face, but it was not the person he was meeting. He slowly turned his head and saw the tour guide. He felt dizzy and raised his right hand slightly.
"Shan..."
Xu Shanshan excitedly held his hand, put it against her cheek, and said slowly and clearly, "I'm fine."
Song Xiaoyu watched the two of them being so affectionate from the side. After checking his body, he walked out silently. The rain had stopped, but it was not safe. They would have to move after he got better.
But misfortunes came one after another. Not long after Xiao Han woke up, he vomited out some liquid food he was fed. Then he developed a high fever. The footsteps became more and more obvious, and the person coming was not a small animal.
A dark shadow covered the cave entrance.
They came so quickly from such a long distance? He stood up and walked out.
But what fell from above was not an agile lion or tiger, but a "black blind man" - an Asian black bear.
The owner of the spirit body followed behind, and when he saw someone in the distance, he greeted from a distance: "Sorry, I'm just passing by."
The black bear scratched at the entrance of the cave, and the soil fell off. It smelled the blood and sweet scent, put its two front paws on the ground, walked on all fours, and ran into the cave.
The eagle took two steps, and the space was narrow, so it stood in front to block it, but the opponent was unmoved. It simply pried open the bear's paw. Even if it was attacked, it only blocked the vital parts and then crawled forward.
Seeing someone coming, Xu Shanshan pulled out her pistol and pointed it at the bear. She was afraid that it would hurt Xiao Han, but also worried about accidentally injuring someone else, so she warned sternly, "Don't come any closer."
The black bear covered with black fur stood on its legs, trying to stand up, making a surrender gesture, with a V-shaped white spot on its chest, but because its head hit the top, it fell down again, lying on the ground and touching its head.
It has a stout body, small ears, and is covered with long hair, while its face looks as if it has been shaved. Its circumference decreases from the thighs to the heels, and its feet are thick with wide pads.
The visitor did not want to get into a conflict, and hurriedly said that he had just strayed in, and called on the spirit to try to take it away, but the bear just lay on the ground pretending to be dead.
Moreover, when her gaze shifted away, it moved forward as if no one saw it. Due to its proximity, it was attacked by the eagle from time to time, but it just waved its paws to pry it away, its eyes rolling around with a cunning look.
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