Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 41-45

Qi Lili had a boyfriend who was a fishing enthusiast. The two had met in university. During their time at school, she would often accompany him on fishing trips—not just to commercial fishing grounds, but also to all the nearby rivers and lakes, both big and small. Most of the time, it was her accompanying her boyfriend, and even if she wanted to go shopping on the weekend, she had to inform him in advance.

 

Her friends couldn’t understand it and asked her what she saw in a boyfriend like that.

 

“He’s handsome!” Qi Lili cupped her face and smiled like a love-struck girl.

 

And indeed, her boyfriend was very handsome, the kind that would turn heads when walking down the street. On top of that, he came from a good family background, and countless girls had pursued him growing up. But in the end, she was the one who won him over, which made Qi Lili feel extremely proud. She never missed a chance to brag about him. She was very accommodating toward this boyfriend who gave her face. Want to go fishing on the weekend and skip shopping? No problem! Over time, she even developed an interest in fishing herself, and the two became even more in sync.

 

Three years of university flew by, and soon it was graduation season. Her boyfriend, Gao Wei, became increasingly obsessed with fishing. Ordinary fish no longer satisfied him, so he started aiming for big fish. However, with increased human activity, environmental damage, and overfishing, big fish had become a rare sight.

 

To fulfill this long-standing wish, Gao Wei decided to take their graduation trip to the place with the most large freshwater fish—Jiudu River. At first, Qi Lili was very reluctant. She didn’t follow the news much, but even she had heard of the infamous Heduo District. Even if she didn’t know the exact situation, she knew the place was chaotic.

 

However, after a barrage of sweet talk from Gao Wei and his promise to buy her the latest Pamela-brand handbag once they returned, she eventually agreed.

 

There was a direct flight from their city to Shantong City, near the Huguer border. After landing, they handled the visa procedures, rested for one night, and then set off for Jiudu River the next day. There were local tour groups available, but since Gao Wei came for fishing, he naturally couldn’t go with a group. The two wandered along the shore for over half an hour and finally found a Chinese cargo ship. After negotiating a price with the shipowner, they set off that very afternoon.

 

Qi Lili had initially felt uneasy, but as the boat drifted downstream, the breathtaking scenery on both shores gradually enchanted her. With only the sounds of birds and insects and not a single human figure in sight, she slowly relaxed.

 

As the sun set and night fell, Gao Wei had the shipowner slow the boat down in hopes of finding a good spot, since large fish were more likely to bite at night. Around the middle of the fifth bend of the Jiudu River, he found an ideal location.

 

The cargo ship turned off its engine and came to a stop. Gao Wei brought out his gear to the deck and began setting up. After a few trial attempts, he found a suitable spot to cast his line, then sat down motionless.

 

Time passed slowly. A few fish nibbled at the hook during this period, but they were all small ones. Gao Wei wasn’t anxious—fishing was a test of patience, and catching a big fish was especially rare.

 

The moon rose higher in the sky. Just as the prime fishing time was about to end and he was getting ready to pack up and try again tomorrow, a sound came from ahead, slicing through the silence of the night and drawing closer.

 

“It’s a speedboat! Get back here now!” the shipowner ran out of the cabin to shout, then quickly returned to start the engine. At this time of night, regular people wouldn’t be driving speedboats around—it was safest to leave quickly.

 

As it turned out, the shipowner’s instincts were correct. The newcomers were definitely not ordinary people. The speedboat had four people on board. Their outfits didn’t give much away, but their weapons were real. Upon spotting the cargo ship, they fired a shot into the air and ordered them to stop.

 

If they had only been carrying knives, the shipowner might’ve taken a chance. But with guns involved, he didn’t dare resist and stopped the boat immediately. Naturally, Gao Wei and Qi Lili were also captured.

 

River bandits were rampant along the Jiudu River, and nearly every cargo ship traveling this route had encountered them. These people were only after money and usually left after robbing, so the shipowner and his crew weren’t too scared—just complained about their bad luck. But Gao Wei and Qi Lili, who had grown up in safe and stable environments, were nearly scared to death when faced with the black muzzle of a gun.

 

The ship, originally heading downstream, turned back after the robbery and began moving upstream along the way it came.

 

The riverside scenery during the day was beautiful, but at night it became rather eerie. Whenever the wind blew, the trees on the cliffs would sway like grasping demons. Strange calls rang out from unknown sources, sending chills down spines.

 

Qi Lili, Gao Wei, and the others were bound hand and foot and locked in a corner of the cabin. The two clung to each other, trembling uncontrollably.

 

“This is all your fault! Coming to Jiudu River of all places! If you’d just listened to me, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” Qi Lili whispered angrily, her voice choked with sobs and filled with resentment.

 

Though most of what she said was true, Gao Wei was in a terrible mood too and didn’t feel like comforting her. He snapped back, “Shut up! If you really had guts, you wouldn’t have come at all! What’s the point of saying this now?!”

 

Without thinking, Qi Lili retorted, “If you hadn’t begged me, I wouldn’t have come in the first place!”

 

Gao Wei sneered, “Stop pretending. You only came because of the money!”

 

The shipowner’s wife couldn’t stand it anymore and tried to calm them, “Both of you stop arguing. They only want money—just give it to them, and everything will be fine.”

 

But neither of them listened. Their argument escalated, and they even dredged up past grievances. What started as a minor quarrel quickly snowballed in this high-stress situation. If arguments aren’t stopped in time, they often turn physical. The others on the ship found the couple’s argument baffling and gave up trying to intervene. Predictably, the two eventually started fighting.

 

There’s a natural strength difference between men and women. Gao Wei had the upper hand, but Qi Lili wasn’t easy to deal with either. Even with her hands and feet tied, she still managed to strike back. Her long nails scratched several marks onto Gao Wei’s face, and he also kicked her more than once.

 

The bandits outside heard the commotion and came in. Upon seeing the pair fighting wildly, they didn’t get angry—instead, they cheered them on. After a while, one of the bandits, perhaps feeling it wasn’t exciting enough, pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes binding Gao Wei, telling him to “go all out.”

 

Qi Lili had already been at a disadvantage. Now that Gao Wei was untied, she had no advantage left. He grabbed her by the hair and began punching and kicking her viciously. Gao Wei seemed to go insane, attacking her like an enemy, each strike filled with rage.

 

Qi Lili finally became afraid and began wailing for mercy. But her screams only drove him further into madness. The other bandits also became excited. What started with one coming in soon turned into three. They spoke an unfamiliar language, but their tone and expressions showed their excitement clearly.

 

Things had escalated beyond control. The shipowner and others dared not speak anymore. Unable to stop it, they turned their heads away. But the girl’s screams still echoed in their ears.

 

The cries for mercy and the mad laughter intertwined and spread across the river, carried by the wind into the distance, more chilling than the natural sounds along the banks.

 

Fei Hu gathered his team and quickly drew up a plan. After sailing for about ten minutes, there was still no sign of the cargo ship. As for the sounds, the river was never quiet—either it was animal calls or something else, but nothing sounded like cries.

 

Even those like Er Tiao, who never believed Jing Ling to begin with, weren’t the only ones having doubts—Fei Hu was beginning to question it too.

 

“Jiang Yang…” He stepped into the cabin, intending to ask for an update, but saw Jing Ling feeding the bird—the same one as before. When Jing Ling heard him, he turned around and said, “Almost there. Once we get past that big bend up ahead, we’ll see it.”

 

His calm expression and tone were so steady that it made people believe him instinctively.

 

Fei Hu stared at him for a few seconds, then turned and returned to the deck.

 

Sure enough, as they approached the large bend, they could faintly hear something—desperate crying, weak and distant.

 

They had studied this stretch many times before and knew there was a calm patch of water near the big bend. The trees there grew exceptionally dense and drooped over the water’s surface. Since it was on the shadowed side, it was practically a natural hiding spot. Fei Hu had the boat head toward it, cut the engine, and waited silently for the enemy to approach.

 

Soon, a cargo ship came into view. All its signal lights were normal. In the beam of the ship’s searchlight, a person could be seen standing on deck, clearly holding a gun based on his posture. Cries for help and laughter came from the cabin.

 

The cargo ship drew closer, entering firing range. But Fei Hu didn’t dare give the order to shoot. They hadn’t anticipated this kind of emergency and didn’t equip suppressors. If they fired, the enemy would immediately be alerted.

 

As he weighed his options, a voice spoke up beside him: “Need help?”

 

Fei Hu turned his head—it was Jiang Yang.

 

“What kind of help could you offer? Go back to the cabin,” he said.

 

Jiang Yang didn’t get angry. He asked again, “You want to take out the lookout on the bow, right? Hard to keep him alive, but killing him is easier. So, want help?”

 

Fei Hu stared at him for a few seconds and asked, “What could you possibly do?”

 

As soon as he spoke, Jiang Yang suddenly had a cold, glinting dagger in his hand. He aimed at the enemy deck and threw it.

 

Even though the enemy ship looked close, it was actually at least ten meters away. And it was nighttime, with poor visibility—hitting the target accurately was no easy feat. Even if you had ties to the Li family, it didn’t mean you were some hidden martial arts master straight out of a drama!

 

Fei Hu instinctively wanted to mock him—but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the silhouette on the enemy deck collapse without warning.

 

One strike. Instant kill.

 

Fei Hu and the other team members: “!!!”

 

 

 

 

Chapter 42

 

Actually, when he first saw Jiang Yang, Fei Hu’s initial reaction was rejection. That skinny little frame, arms and legs that looked like they had barely any meat on them—his height was the only thing barely passable. But what use was that? Even as a bamboo pole for rowing across the Jiudu River, he’d be considered too short! Later, when the higher-ups introduced him as someone connected to the Li family, his attitude changed. Wasn’t that essentially an intelligence officer? A little weak and bookish was understandable.

 

But now this so-called bookish intelligence officer, in the dead of night and without any kind of aiming equipment, had taken down the sentry on the other boat with a single strike from more than ten meters away.

 

Fei Hu had mixed feelings. Sure, there’s that saying—don’t judge a book by its cover—but he still wanted to know how exactly the guy managed it. This wasn’t like throwing darts. There wasn’t some huge target you could aim at, and if you missed once, try again and again. This was a one-hit kill with no time for the enemy to raise the alarm. The requirements were way too high. There were only a few lethal spots: the head, throat, or heart—none of which were easy to hit under such conditions.

 

But now wasn’t the time for questions. The top priority was to handle the immediate situation. Thanks to the noise on the boat, the sentry’s death hadn’t been discovered yet, but the cargo ship was gradually moving farther away. If they didn’t seize the opportunity now, trying to chase it later would risk being discovered.

 

Fei Hu’s thoughts raced—it only took a moment. He reined in his thoughts and was about to make the next move when he saw Jiang Yang quickly grab a rope, tie something to it, then toss it toward the cargo ship. He then held onto the rope and slid off the boat, entering the water without a sound.

 

The moon slipped out from behind the clouds, casting a pale, cool glow across the earth once more. By the time Fei Hu came back to his senses, he could only barely make out a small, bobbing shadow on the river.

 

“Jiang Yang! Jiang Yang! Get back here!” he shouted in a low voice.

 

But the person had already swum far off and, naturally, couldn’t reply.

 

“Captain, what do we do now?” the others asked.

 

“Damn it! Wild recruits are always like this—no organization, no discipline!” Fei Hu punched the railing hard in frustration. “What else can we do? Just wait and see for now. Keep a safe distance and follow. We’ll come up with a plan if things go south!”

 

Although the stretch of Jiudu River here was relatively calm, it wasn’t some shallow pond or small stream. And it was nighttime—no one could say what might be lurking underwater. Plus, they were going against the current. A person’s swimming speed couldn’t keep up with a moving ship. Under these conditions, Fei Hu naturally didn’t dare order the rest of the team to jump into the water to chase.

 

Jing Ling considered himself a decent swimmer, but even for him, catching up to a normally cruising cargo ship against the current would be a real challenge. 

He might try it under normal circumstances, but this clearly wasn’t the time for playing around. Luckily, the fishing boat had ropes long enough. He tied one to a pre-prepared throwing object and tossed it toward the stern of the cargo ship. The rope caught the railing smoothly, and after testing to confirm it was secure, he jumped into the water.

 

At the end of March, beginning of April, the Jiudu River’s temperature was barely tolerable for the human body. Jing Ling gripped the rope and kept moving closer to the cargo ship, quickly reaching its side. He grabbed the gunwale, flipped himself over, and climbed aboard. His whole body was soaked, clothes clinging tightly to his skin, dripping with water.

 

Now closer, he could hear the sounds on board more clearly. One person begging for mercy, another committing violence, two watching silently, and several others whose breathing could be heard—presumably the crew. There was a faint scent of bl00d wafting from the cabin, and the injured girl likely wasn’t in good shape.

 

Jing Ling held his dagger and silently crept forward. Peeking through the crack of a small window, he saw the scene inside just as he had guessed.

 

In opposite corners of the room, on one side was a man assaulting a curled-up girl, her hoarse voice constantly pleading for mercy as she was beaten and cursed at. There was a coil of rope by his feet—she appeared to be a hostage untied by the bandits, not one of them. On the other side were the tied-up crew members, either turning their heads away or bowing them, unable to watch. Two other bandits, dressed in ordinary clothes, stood with their backs to him, laughing wildly—their laughter leaking out through the small window.

These people had absolutely no sense of vigilance.

 

Jing Ling quietly pushed open the small window, supported himself on the sill, jumped in, and chopped the sides of the two men’s necks with his hand. In the blink of an eye, both collapsed.

 

The rest of the people in the cabin finally reacted, eyes full of surprise and joy.

 

“Save… help me…” the girl in the corner reached out to him weakly upon seeing him.

 

Jing Ling raised a finger to his lips and then pointed upward, signaling everyone to stay quiet. Once the crew nodded in understanding, he walked over to the other corner, grabbed the arm of the man about to strike, yanked him aside forcefully. From the side, his face looked decent, though sweat had drenched the hair on his forehead and his face still twisted in a hideous expression.

 

“Trash,” Jing Ling muttered, punching him in the face, kneeing him in the stomach, then delivering another chop to the neck—knocking him out cold.

 

“Who’s piloting the boat?” Jing Ling asked quietly as he cut the ropes on the hostages.

 

“A bandit,” replied a man in his late thirties or forties.

 

“Who’s the captain? Come with me in a moment. Follow behind me—it’s okay if you’re slow. I’ll call you in once I’ve handled the guy.” As he spoke, the hostages were all untied. He got up and went over to untie the girl.

 

The girl’s state was beyond words—“disheveled” didn’t even begin to describe it. Her face was unrecognizable, and her exposed skin was covered in horrifying wounds.

 

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll get you to a hospital soon,” Jing Ling said gently.

 

She nodded repeatedly, sobbing uncontrollably.

 

Jing Ling trusted his own strength, so he didn’t worry about the three unconscious men. He brought the captain straight to the cockpit. Again, these people had virtually no alertness—Jing Ling entered the cockpit and the guy inside, still piloting the ship, thought it was a comrade. He turned and asked casually what was up.

 

Using the same trick, Jing Ling chopped him unconscious and dragged him out by the collar. He called the captain inside to take over and told him to send a signal to the trailing boat.

 

Jiang Yang had been gone for a while. Though things were still quiet on the other boat, Fei Hu was starting to get nervous. Just as he was debating whether to follow, the cargo ship suddenly changed its signal lights, and its speed slowed down. For bandits, this kind of behavior was unnecessary—so it clearly meant the situation was now under control.

 

“You little bastard!” Fei Hu ccursed, but his tone relaxed. He turned and shouted, “Speed up and catch up!”

 

The fishing boat accelerated and soon pulled up alongside the cargo ship. The agile team members jumped over and entered the cabin in an orderly fashion. The first thing they saw was three large men tied up near the bulkhead, followed by the seated crew members, and finally Jiang Yang, softly comforting the girl, with a man lying unconscious beneath his feet.

 

“What happened?” Flying Tiger asked.

 

“A piece of scum even filthier than the bandits,” Jiang Yang replied casually. After comforting the girl a bit more, he looked up and asked, “Where’s Da Bao? Bring it over.”

 

Flying Tiger raised an eyebrow. “Got something?”

 

“Just a suspicion—not confirmed yet.”

 

Fei Hu didn’t ask more. He turned and shouted, “Sanbing, bring Da Bao over!”

 

“Roger!” someone outside answered. Soon, Da Bao was brought in. As soon as it entered, it pounced on Jiang Yang, climbing on his knees and licking his hands enthusiastically—scaring the girl nearby.

 

“Alright, good boy. We’ll play later. Go search the boat first.” Jiang Yang patted its head. The moment he said “good boy,” it obediently sat down, waited for him to finish speaking, then gave two snorts, stood up, and started sniffing around the floor. After a full sweep of the cabin, it went straight outside.

 

Fei Hu had someone follow Da Bao as it circled the boat. Eventually, in a corner of the cockpit, they found something—a tightly wrapped package. After unwrapping the outer layer, there was another waterproof layer inside. Opening it revealed the contents.

 

Roughly one kilogram of drugs, seemingly a sample.

 

Which meant, the group that hijacked the boat weren’t just regular bandits—they were drug traffickers.

 

While Sanbing was reporting in, Fei Hu was examining the corpse of the first thug taken down. A 12cm blade had stabbed straight into the temple, piercing the brain and killing instantly. The result was even more shocking than he expected.

 

Siwan, who had come up with him, gasped when he saw it. “My god! That aim is insane! Never would’ve guessed!” Although he hadn’t said anything bad about Jiang Yang before, he had looked down on him, thinking the guy would only hold them back. But now? Jiang Yang clearly outclassed them all.

 

“Now you’ve seen it—there’s always someone better out there!” Fei Hu stood up and patted Siwan on the shoulder. “Alright, let’s go check out the ‘surprise’ Da Bao found.”

 

As they spoke and prepared to return to the cabin, they ran into Jiang Yang at the door, with the familiar little bird perched on his shoulder. “There’s a boat following us—coming fast. Not sure if it’s coming for the cargo.”

 

 

Chapter 43

 

 

The little bird was a native of the Fifth Great Bend of the Jiudu River. It had been alive for about two years and had seen its fair share of fishing and cargo boats traveling up and down the river. However, its species wasn’t particularly intelligent—just smart enough to distinguish between boats, humans, and dangerous weapons. As for recognizing specific types of boats or people, that was beyond its abilities.

 

When Jing Ling’s group had just entered the Fifth Great Bend section of the Jiudu River, the bird had flown onto their boat. Jing Ling, with nothing better to do, had teased it a bit, and then casually sent it ahead to scout.

 

The little creature, having received a bit of kindness from Jing Ling, flew back and forth several times. This time, it brought back news again and even hopped twice on Da Bao’s head, indicating that it had seen someone.

 

A fast-moving boat with something resembling a police dog on board—Jing Ling leaned toward the idea that it was a military vessel, and this stretch of river was within Huguer’s territory.

 

“One kilogram of goods is already enough for a life sentence domestically. But things are different here. If the people coming after us are from the Huguer military and they even brought a police dog, launching an operation in the middle of the night just for that small amount of goods seems excessive. It’s more likely they’re coming for someone. Captain, I think you should take another good look at those people,” Jing Ling suggested.

 

This analysis wasn’t unreasonable. Fei Hu nodded and led his men into the cabin, turning over and carefully inspecting the drug dealers who had been knocked unconscious and tied up together. But nothing seemed off.

 

“They’re all just small fry,” Fei Hu said, casually tossing them back.

 

Upon hearing this, Jing Ling walked over and squatted down to take a look. Although Fei Hu had already said there was nothing wrong, he still felt something was off. His gaze lingered on one of the drug dealers’ faces for a moment, finally stopping behind the ear.

 

“Almost forgot,” he said with a smile. He reached out and touched the spot. Sure enough, he felt an uneven patch. He pinched the protruding piece with two fingers and pulled hard. With a ripping sound, the disguise on the drug dealer’s face was peeled away. Visually, it looked as though a layer of skin had been torn off his face, but in reality, it was just a human-skin mask. Jing Ling himself was also wearing such a disguise. Thinking of this, he reached for the man’s hair—sure enough, it was a wig, and it came off easily.

 

Jing Ling held the man’s head up to face Fei Hu. “Captain, take another look.”

 

Fei Hu was speechless. “How did you notice?”

 

“Coincidence,” Jing Ling brushed it off lightly.

 

Fei Hu didn’t ask further and stared carefully at the drug dealers who had been stripped of their disguises, comparing their faces to his memory. He quickly recognized one. “Connie—one of the top subordinates of Roz, a key member of Marcus’s core team, a major drug lord in the Heduo District. He’s usually responsible for helping transport drugs and gathering intelligence.”

 

As for the other three, Jing Ling stripped them again. Their faces were real and unaltered—they were still just minor characters. But catching Connie alone was already a big enough catch.

 

“Captain, what do you think about that boat coming up behind us?” Jing Ling asked.

 

Fei Hu thought for a moment. “I think your earlier guess might be right. Connie might not be as important as the core members, but he still knows a lot. If the people following us really are from the Huguer military, it’s very likely they’re after him. Honestly, the best way would be to wake them up and get them to talk, but these guys are tough nuts to crack. We won’t get anything out of them in a short time.”

 

“They probably don’t know about us or this fishing boat. Here’s the plan—transfer everyone from this boat to the fishing boat and head back at full speed. We’ll dock this cargo boat and prepare in advance. If anything goes wrong, we retreat to shore immediately. Now that we’ve got him, we’re not letting him slip away!”

 

“Yes!” the others responded.

 

They docked the ship, and about twenty minutes later, a boat appeared on the river. Sure enough, it was the Huguer military. As if they already knew there was a boat docked onshore, the searchlights swept directly toward it. The cargo ship, which had turned off all its lights to try and slip by unnoticed, was instantly exposed.

 

A voice soon boomed from the military ship. Someone in the group, fluent in Huguer’s language, translated it: the military had received an anonymous tip-off claiming that there were large quantities of drugs hidden on board and demanded everyone cooperate for inspection.

 

Jing Ling and Fei Hu exchanged glances.

 

“Something’s wrong,” Fei Hu said in a low voice. Not to mention the cargo ship had been hijacked by drug dealers halfway through, Da Bao had already searched the entire vessel and only found about one kilogram of goods. They had originally thought the military was after the three drug dealers. But now, with the Huguer military claiming the cargo ship had large quantities of drugs based on a tip-off, it smelled more like a setup between officials and criminals.

 

“Er Tiao, Sanbing, Siwan—keep an eye on those three drug dealers! Everyone prepare to retreat! If they bring the dogs, Jiang Yang, deal with them as needed!”

 

“Got it!”

 

The loudspeaker repeated the message four or five times before their side turned the lights on and used the speaker to offer a defense. When falsely accused of something they didn’t do, most people’s first reaction is to shout their innocence. However, barely two seconds after they spoke, the other side suddenly opened fire without warning. The S-80 series machine guns chattered violently, startling birds and beasts in the forest.

 

“F*ck, these bastards!” Only Qi Wan could speak Huguer among them, so naturally, the shouting had to be done by him. But they hadn’t expected the military to act so irrationally—no explanation, just bullets. It was obvious they were trying to silence witnesses. Bullets slammed into the metal cabin walls, the sound enough to make your scalp go numb. While cursing, Qi Wan didn’t waste time—he leaped from the cabin, stepped onto the railing, and dashed ashore, joining Fei Hu and the others in fleeing into the woods.

 

To avoid being detected, none of them dared use lights. They felt their way forward in the dark while dragging three unconscious and bound men. The gunfire continued for almost five minutes, but they hadn’t gotten very far. Jing Ling, with his sharp hearing, picked up on movement from the riverbank. About eight members of the Huguer military had already landed, preparing to pursue with a police dog.

 

He summoned the scouting bird. “Xiao Xiao, go on ahead and lead the way. Don’t fly too fast.” Then he spoke to Da Bao at his feet, “Da Bao, follow Xiao Xiao and guide the others.”

 

“Tweet tweet.”

 

“Woof.”

 

Two sounds of reply.

 

Fei Hu asked, “Jiang Yang, what are you trying to do?! They’re military—not the same as those drug dealers. You can’t touch them!”

 

Jing Ling smiled. “Don’t be so nervous, Captain. I’ve always been a man of peace. Didn’t you tell me earlier to take care of their dog? I’m just going to do that now. You all go on ahead—remember to follow Xiao Xiao and Da Bao. I’ll catch up soon.”

 

“Nervous my ass! You stay with the team and don’t go anywhere!” Fei Hu growled. But it was no use. By the time he finished speaking, the man had vanished. Only the slight trembling of nearby plants showed where he’d left.

 

“Little bastard! Can’t you follow orders even once?” Fei Hu gritted his teeth. 

 

These were real soldiers they were dealing with now—well-prepared, and with police dogs. This wasn’t like facing a few amateur drug dealers.

 

“Er Tiao, lead the group. I’ll go check on him!” he ordered, then took off after Jing Ling.

 

While the main group took five minutes to retreat, Jing Ling circled back in less than a minute. The night posed no obstacle to him, and he moved through the trees, avoiding terrain that might slow him down. But because the enemy had a dog, he couldn’t get too close. Armed and ready to shoot at the slightest provocation, even someone made of iron wouldn’t survive, let alone someone of flesh and bl00d.

 

Compared to their side, sneaking away in total darkness, the enemy pursued brazenly, lights blazing and led by a police dog. At this pace, they’d catch up soon.

 

Jing Ling hid on a tree about ten meters away, eyes locked on the police dog running in front. In his hand was the same kind of dagger he’d used to take out the sentry before. Ten meters… nine… eight… The police dog, previously nose-down and charging ahead, suddenly stopped and raised its head, looking in Jing Ling’s direction.

 

Now!

 

The moment the dog made a sound, Jing Ling’s dagger flew out, piercing through its mouth and straight into its brain. A clean kill.

 

He didn’t even need to check the outcome—it was what he’d expected. The instant the knife left his hand, he turned and ran. Sure enough, less than five seconds later, gunfire erupted behind him, riddling the area where he had just been hiding. Had he stayed, he would’ve been turned into a sieve.

 

Now that the dog was gone, and it was night, the enemy had no advantage. If he wanted, he could take out the entire squad by himself. But Jing Ling had no interest in killing, and the captain had said not to touch them. Their whole squad had entered Huguer under false identities. Their weapons were locally sourced, of all kinds, from various countries—but none were domestic. This was to ensure that if anything went wrong and they were exposed, they wouldn’t leave evidence that could trigger a diplomatic incident.

 

As expected, after a minute of blind shooting and careful searching, the enemy found nothing and didn’t dare continue forward. Confirming this, Jing Ling returned to rejoin the team. On the way, he ran into Fei Hu, who had come to help. After Jing Ling informed him that the dog had been dealt with, Fei Hu, though clearly furious, only gave him a half-hearted scolding before they continued on together.

 

 

Chapter 44

 

 

After shaking off the pursuit of the Huguer military, the team continued forward for a while before finding a hidden cave to spend the night.

 

There was no shortage of firewood in the forest. Xiao Wu wandered casually outside the cave entrance for a bit and returned with a huge bundle. He dug a pit in the ground, laid down a handful of dry leaves, then piled the firewood on top. With a flick of the lighter, the fire caught. Bright flames rose up, driving away the darkness in the cave and spreading a gentle warmth throughout.

 

The three drug traffickers woke up from all the commotion. After a few seconds of dazedness, they fully came to their senses and realized their situation. Seeing the unfamiliar faces around them, they started cursing in a torrent of unintelligible words.

 

No one could understand them, so they left it to Qi Wan to communicate.

 

Sure enough, just as Fei Hu had said before, those who dared to get into the drug business and make a name for themselves were all tough nuts to crack. Qi Wan asked questions for a long time without getting a single useful piece of information. Instead, he received an onslaught of unabashed insults.

 

“Damn, these three bastards! They saw my Eastern face and heard our language, figured out our nationality, and instantly became brazen!”

 

People from the Republic had a reputation for being mild and reasonable—unlike some countries on the neighboring continent, where beating someone half to death over a disagreement was no big deal.

 

“Captain, what should we do?” Qi Wan asked, making a gesture to indicate taking action.

 

Fei Hu shook his head immediately. “No. If they won’t talk, then forget it. We’ll find a way to send them back tomorrow—how to handle them will be decided by higher-ups.”

 

“Damn it!” Qi Wan cursed angrily.

 

Jing Ling had been watching the entire exchange. He reached out and poked Fei Hu. “Captain, can I have a word?”

 

Fei Hu glanced at him, stood up silently, and followed him outside the cave.

 

It was late at night. The occasional chirping of unknown insects echoed intermittently. A gust of wind rustled the leaves and swayed the branches.

 

“What is it?” Fei Hu asked directly.

 

“That guy called Connie seems to understand our language. When Er Tiao mentioned the Huguer military, his breathing suddenly quickened. You noticed it too, right? The military’s behavior was suspicious. They said they received an anonymous tip about drugs on the cargo ship, but right after Qi Wan spoke, they opened fire—it felt more like a cleanup than a drug bust. What struck me was the word ‘large quantity,’ yet we only found one kilogram. Don’t you think something’s off?”

 

“I’m thinking—what if Connie and his group had prepared a large shipment in advance, hijacked the cargo ship to load it, and then contacted the Huguer military for a drug bust? The two sides colluding for mutual benefit—and framing us in the process?”

 

Fei Hu fell silent for a moment after Jing Ling’s analysis, then asked, “Are you saying that batch of goods might be nearby?”

 

Jing Ling nodded. “Judging by the movements of both parties, it’s highly likely.”

 

“But the area is too large. With just a few of us, there’s no way to search it all, and the others won’t talk.”

 

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me. I’m different from you guys—I’m just a civilian. Breaking the rules once in a while is expected.”

 

“…Be careful. Don’t go too far.”

 

“Alright.”

 

After speaking, the two returned to the cave. Without another word, Jing Ling grabbed Connie by the collar and dragged him out. Sensing something was wrong, Connie tried to shout, but Jing Ling tore off a strip of his sleeve, rolled it up, and stuffed it in his mouth. Er Tiao and the others looked instinctively at Fei Hu, who remained silent—clearly giving tacit approval. So they didn’t interfere. The remaining two drug traffickers also started shouting, and they were silenced in the same way.

 

Jing Ling took the man out and returned in less than half an hour. Connie didn’t seem to have any visible injuries, just an odd expression.

 

Fei Hu was about to ask what happened when Jing Ling tossed the man onto the ground and looked at him.

 

“There’s over a million pills hidden somewhere along the riverbank nearby. They were stolen by Marcus from Saint Zachary. Our suspicions were correct—they used the goods to strike a deal with the Huguer military, and the meeting was set for tonight. Just before I climbed aboard the ship, Connie had reported everything to Rhodes, who then contacted the Huguer military, who had already been prepared.”

 

“Now that I’ve captured these three, the deal can’t go through. Both sides are probably in a panic and will likely send someone soon to patch things up. So if we don’t want to be surrounded, we have to move immediately—and contact HQ for reinforcements.”

 

The news was explosive. It took Fei Hu and the others several seconds to process it. Then came a chorus of curses, followed by immediate action. They put out the fire, packed up, grabbed the traffickers, and fled.

 

Jing Ling was preparing to split from the group again—but not alone. This time, he took Xiao Wu and Liu Bing with him. He had a rough idea of where the goods were and wanted to try intercepting them. Even if they couldn’t take them away, hiding or destroying them would be fine—letting those people get them back would be a disaster. Of course, if they could bring them back, all the better—ironclad evidence.

 

So the team split up. Fei Hu took the others, including the three traffickers, Xiao Xiao, and Da Bao, and left. Jing Ling took the two others to intercept the goods.

 

It was deep into the night—perfect for sleep. But Old Master Jiang had been woken up, because something had gone wrong with the special task force he had sent out. He had expected bad news—but surprisingly, it wasn’t.

 

“Not only did he learn the Li family’s skills, but he’s even surpassed them. He’s never received special training, yet his performance is on par with Fei Hu’s team. Just how much more is that kid hiding?” Old Master Jiang sat on the sofa in his robe, fingers lightly tapping the side table, the soft sound exceptionally loud in the quiet room.

 

Standing beside him was the old butler who had served the Jiang family for many years—once a comrade who had fought by his side. He took a bullet for him, lost the use of his right leg, and had to retire.

 

“By all accounts, someone his age shouldn’t have such extensive skills. We even investigated his background. On the surface, everything looked complete and normal—but the most crucial part was missing. But you know how those families are—none of them are as simple as they appear.”

 

Old Master Jiang chuckled, though his smile was tinged with sorrow. “Yes, not simple. Otherwise, what happened twenty years ago wouldn’t have occurred. He was sent out this time to capture one of the fish that slipped through the net back then, but something unexpected happened on the way. Gallop and the others resurfaced after all these years to strike a deal with Marcus—but Marcus made such a huge blunder, they’ll have to clean it up first. Whether or not Fei Hu’s team has been exposed, Gallop will reassess whether Marcus is still a reliable partner.”

 

“Once we intervene, it’ll spook the snake. Gallop’s level of caution—we’ve chased him for ten years and still haven’t caught him. Getting another shot? Who knows when.”

 

Sigh…

 

“Forget it. Once this matter is settled, have him return. Tell the eldest to change his identity. Ensure everything’s airtight,” Old Master Jiang ordered.

 

“Yes, Chief,” the butler responded.

 

April 2nd — Clear weather.

 

Tan Yunshu woke up early as usual, jogged a few laps around the dormitory area, and returned for a quick shower. After changing, she headed to class.

 

For most people, this course was just a way to earn credits. But because it was scheduled early in the morning, the classroom was littered with students asleep at their desks. The lecturer, an old professor, entered and walked straight to the podium, ignoring the slumped crowd and starting his lecture as usual.

 

Only a few students were listening attentively—Tan Yunshu was one of them. She always paid close attention, jotting down confusing points to ask about after class. But today’s lecture was straightforward, and the hour passed quickly. When the bell rang, the sleeping students woke en masse and surged out the door like a tide.

 

Tan Yunshu took her time organizing her books. Just then, her phone rang—it was an unknown number, but marked by many as a courier. She rarely shopped online, and lately hadn’t at all, so she was puzzled but still answered.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Is this Tan Yunshu? You have a package. I’m downstairs at your dorm—please come pick it up.”

 

The caller knew her name, meaning it wasn’t a wrong number. She hesitated. “I haven’t bought anything recently—can you tell me who the sender is?”

 

The girl on the other end readily replied, “Sender is Jing Ling. ‘Jing’ as in scenery, ‘Ling’ as in feather. Ordered from our shop online a week ago, requested delivery today.”

 

“…Alright, I’ll be right there.”

 

To be honest, lots of people sent her things. If she accepted everything, her dorm would be overflowing. So she never accepted gifts—except this one wasn’t from just anyone.

 

It was from Jing Ling.

 

The walk from the classroom to the dorm took about eight minutes. She walked a bit faster and got there in six. From a distance, she saw a massive stuffed bear—estimated to be 2.5 meters tall—pure white without a single blemish. Most girls liked plush toys, and since this was in front of the girls’ dorm, a crowd had naturally gathered to gawk.

 

Tan Yunshu’s eyes narrowed, and her steps paused. A few seconds later, she continued walking. When she reached the bear, her phone rang again. At the same time, a head poked out from behind the bear and tentatively asked, “Tan Yunshu?” She nodded.

 

“This is the card from the sender.” The courier girl freed a hand to pass her the card. “May I have your dorm number? The sender asked for door-to-door delivery.”

 

“502, thank you.” Tan Yunshu took the card. When she opened it, there was only one line—Do you like it?

 

It was handwritten. The writing didn’t match his appearance at all—powerful, vigorous strokes that pierced the paper.

 

Seeing those three words, Tan Yunshu felt a sudden flutter in her chest. She wanted to ask—what did he mean by this? Sending such a thing today—was it a coincidence, or…

 

Even as her mind raced, her hands moved decisively. She found the number and called. After two rings, it was answered.

 

“Jing Ling, what do you mean by this?” she asked.

 

“Yunshu, happy birthday!” came the boy’s warm voice.

 

In that moment, she felt her heart completely surrender.

 

“How did you know?” Her ID said April 5th, but her real birthday was April 2nd—something an aunt who’d cared for her for years had told her. The woman had treated her well until a few years ago when her son made something of himself and took her home to enjoy life.

 

“I…”

 

Tat-tat-tat—BOOM—

 

“Jiang Yang, what the hell are you doing?! Do you know the situation right now and you’re still on the phone? You got a death wish?!”

 

Suddenly, the background turned chaotic.

 

“What’s going on?” Tan Yunshu asked urgently.

 

In a foreign land she couldn’t see, someone was walking through a hail of bullets. Gun in hand, firing continuously—each pull of the trigger took down an enemy. Amid the thunder of gunfire, the voice remained calm and gentle: “Nothing. My roommate’s got the speakers on watching a movie.”

 

 

Chapter 45

 

 

As the “roommate who turns on speakerphone to watch movies,” Er Tiao took several seconds to realize that he was “watching a movie”—no, wait, he was in a movie. He felt completely unwell.

 

They had accidentally uncovered the dirty dealings between Marcus and the Huguer military and now had a key witness in their grasp. If they could successfully bring this person back home for trial, it would be an international sensation of a case, and the consequences for both parties would be entirely predictable. As a result, both sides were desperately hunting them down. From disembarking the ship until now, their team had been hiding and dodging through this dense jungle all through the night and into the morning.

 

Late last night, after confirming the situation, the team split into two groups. Fei Hu took three drug traffickers and headed east toward Mount Karal, which was thirty kilometers away. Their contact was waiting at the mountaintop, along with three helicopters on standby. Meanwhile, Jing Ling took two others to destroy the stash.

 

1.5 million pills sounded like a lot, but it was actually only about 150 kilograms. Hidden somewhere in a vast jungle stretching out of sight and in the dead of night, finding it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Of the four traffickers, only two knew the exact location—Connie and another who was already dead. But since Connie was an important witness, they couldn’t risk putting him in danger, so they had to find the stash on their own.

 

When they set out, Wu Tiao and Liu Bing didn’t hold out much hope. However, reality proved to be far simpler than they expected. Jing Ling led the way in front, barely pausing at all, walking for nearly twenty minutes straight before stopping and muttering a few words into the air. Then came the sound of birds flapping their wings, and the second “Xiao Xiao” appeared, acting as a guide and leading them directly to the drug stash—a hidden pit by a stream running through the jungle into the Jiudu River. There were three bags, just enough for each of them to carry one and go.

 

Shortly after they left with the evidence, Marcus’s men arrived, heading straight for the hiding spot. When they found the drugs missing, they ordered their people to scatter and search. These men were well-prepared, not only bringing plenty of manpower but also several dogs.

 

Thanks to the native birds in the jungle leading the way, Jing Ling’s group managed to avoid being caught but couldn’t shake off the pursuers. After being chased for several kilometers by the dogs, Jing Ling lost patience. He borrowed Wu Tiao’s gun on the spot, turned around, and shot the dogs. Since the enemy forces were spread out, their firepower was also scattered, making this round of dog-killing even easier than the last.

 

Without the dogs leading the way, the enemy could only rely on experience and instinct to guess their path—and naturally, they were shaken off.

 

Jing Ling’s group soon reunited with Fei Hu’s team. Though the straight-line distance between Mount Karal and their landing point was about thirty kilometers, it was much farther on foot. The jungle environment was complicated—not just because of the dense vegetation but also because of the overdeveloped tributaries of the Jiudu River. After fording one stream and walking only a short distance, they’d encounter another small river ahead.

 

Initially, Fei Hu’s group crossed directly, but after nearly becoming crocodile snacks at a shallow stretch, they obediently started taking detours. This inevitably slowed them down—despite walking a long way, their actual progress in straight-line distance was minimal. It wasn’t until Jing Ling caught up and took the lead again that their pace picked back up.

 

Even after traveling all night through the jungle and waterways, they had only covered half the distance. They finally survived the perilous night, but daylight didn’t bring any relief. The number of pursuers had increased again—now not only Marcus’s men, but also the military had joined in. More than a dozen police dogs and several speedboats were now roaming the jungle waterways, nicknamed the “Death Maze.”

 

Even though Jing Ling’s group was already being extremely cautious, they were still discovered at the foot of the mountain.

 

A fierce battle was inevitable.

 

They not only had to fight the enemy but also act like nothing was going on—drawing closer to Mount Karal without letting the enemy notice their objective. This clearly tested their acting skills.

 

The enemy outnumbered them and outgunned them completely. Their bullets came down like rain—ratatatatatat in a crazed sweep. Forced into miserable hiding, they could only occasionally return fire. And it wasn’t just bullets—they had grenades too. One might be tossed their way at any moment, and if they couldn’t dodge in time, this would be the end.

 

The battle had been going on for nearly half an hour. They had long since run out of ammunition and supplies, now relying entirely on looting corpses for resupply. The only thing to be thankful for was that aside from Sanbing taking a bullet to the arm, the remaining eight were unharmed.

 

They were getting closer to the mountaintop, and the enemy was closing in. If things kept going like this, they would be surrounded before reaching the summit. Fei Hu had no choice but to split the team again—one group would rush to the summit with the witness and evidence, while the other would act as a decoy to lure the enemy away. He originally intended to stay behind with Er Tiao, but Jing Ling volunteered and took Er Tiao down the mountain instead.

 

Under their deliberate misdirection, most of the enemy was drawn away. But the two of them had now gone from near the summit back to the mountain’s base. Returning would now be near impossible.

 

Er Tiao was already regretting not leaving a will earlier, when from the corner of his eye, he saw Jing Ling suddenly switch his gun to his left hand. With his right hand free, he pulled a phone from his pocket and put it to his ear.

 

“Yunshu, happy birthday.”

 

“Of course I asked someone.”

 

Just then, the enemy spotted them. A burst of machine-gun fire ripped through the air, and a grenade was tossed toward Jing Ling’s location. For a split second, Er Tiao’s heart stopped. But Jing Ling simply turned his body sideways and raised a leg—kicking the grenade right back.

 

A loud boom erupted nearby, followed by agonized screams.

 

Er Tiao stood frozen. When he snapped back to reality, he couldn’t help shouting, “Jiang Yang, what the hell are you doing?! You’re making phone calls in this situation—are you out of your mind?!”

 

Just then, Jing Ling raised his gun and aimed it at him. Er Tiao panicked—until the trigger was pulled and the bullet whizzed past his head. Something fell behind him. He turned to look—it was one of Marcus’s men. A gentle voice behind him said, “It’s fine. Roommate turned on the speakerphone to watch a movie.”

 

Er Tiao felt like he was going to pass out. The two of them had just lured away over twenty enemies. They were outnumbered ten to one and completely outgunned, at risk of being killed at any second—yet this was the moment his teammate casually answered a call, sounding utterly calm, and even spun such a ridiculous excuse.

 

Watching a movie? Why not just say you’re playing real-life CS?!

 

“He’s more timid than a pinhole. Gets scared watching war movies. I was the only one in the dorm, so I got pulled in to help. But the movie’s almost over. I’ll call you back later. Bye.”

 

Er “more timid than a pinhole” Tiao stared blankly as Jing Ling hung up the call, tucked the phone back in his pocket, walked past him, squatted down to loot a body, and acquired one pistol and one magazine. After replacing the empty magazine in his current gun, he stood in front of Er Tiao with a pistol in each hand, calmly saying, “The movie’s over.” Before Er Tiao could react, Jing Ling grabbed a tree branch, leapt up in a few swift moves, and used the trees to swing from one to the next. In less than ten seconds, he was completely out of sight—only the swaying branches remained as proof of his passage.

 

—

 

Later, when Er Tiao was training new recruits, he would tell them about this experience. He omitted the classified parts and only talked about the rear guard episode—how a man named Jiang Yang had calmly taken a phone call amid a rain of bullets, left behind the words “the movie’s over,” and then charged into enemy territory alone, 1v20, taking them all down.

 

The rookies never believed him and joked that he had watched too many over-the-top dramas. He only smiled and never argued.

 

Because everything he experienced—was more unbelievable than anything in those dramas.