Chapter 52: 【o(￣︶￣)o】
Liu Zhongyuan finally caught up to the other side of the mountain, luckily he saw the snowy owl hovering not far away in the sky, not in a distant place.
So, did Qin Jiulin already kill or subdue the black and white giant tiger over there?
Liu Zhongyuan sped up and headed towards that direction, finally spotting Qin Jiulin. Qin Jiulin was now covered in blood, with his fur stained with a lot of blood. His fierce eyes were fixed on Liu Zhongyuan as he approached.
Only after recognizing the familiar python did Qin Jiulin slowly relax, releasing the neck of the black and white giant tiger that he had been biting tightly and throwing its body aside.
Qin Jiulin was unexpectedly able to directly bite off the neck of the black and white giant tiger. When Liu Zhongyuan arrived, he didn’t immediately transform into his human form. Instead, he walked around the area to ensure there were no problems before transforming.
“Jiulin, are you really that fierce? You killed it just like that?”
Qin Jiulin replied, “It’s not a particularly formidable tiger.”
He lay on the ground, catching his breath. When he saw Liu Zhongyuan approach and transform into his human form, he continued, “This black and white giant tiger may be formidable to others or other beastmen, but I happen to be a bit stronger than it.”
Liu Zhongyuan draped his coat over Qin Jiulin’s body. “Just a bit stronger? In my opinion, you’re much stronger. You pinned it down and killed it in such a short time. We came out today, and we can go back today!”
Qin Jiulin responded, “Why not have ourselves a feast with this prey?”
Liu Zhongyuan asked, “Feast on your own kind?”
Qin Jiulin smirked, “Aren’t you my kind?”
Liu Zhongyuan blinked, “Ah, it seems so. If we encounter a fully regressed snake-like creature in the future, I’ll have to eat it too, hahaha…”
Qin Jiulin said, “Let’s go, we should go back first. The smell of blood here is too strong. If we stay too long, it might attract other things.”
Liu Zhongyuan got straight to the point, no time wasted. “Alright, let’s go now.”
He transformed into his animal form, wrapped the body of the giant tiger around himself, and let Qin Jiulin sit on top of his head. He wagged his tail in the direction of Qi Yue in the sky, signaling that they were heading back.
Qi Yue let out a cry and began to fly back. Liu Zhongyuan followed slowly behind. Now that their mission was complete, there was no need to rush. They just needed to make it back to the street before it got dark.
After all, they couldn’t stay overnight in the wilderness. Why choose the outdoors when there were comfortable places to rest and sleep?
And so, when they returned to the street, the sky hadn’t completely darkened yet. The soldiers patrolling the outskirts of the street were wide-eyed in disbelief when they saw how quickly they had returned.
Especially when they saw the black and white striped giant tiger on top of the serpent’s head, it was even more unbelievable. This kind of tiger clearly had a high level of regression!
In the wilderness, it would be difficult to even defeat or locate it, let alone kill it. Yet, these three individuals managed to accomplish it in just one day!
“They’re amazing… Is this the strength of the Variant Beastmen Squad?”
“No, it’s the strength of these three individuals!”
“You’re right. In the military, there’s another variant beastmen team made up of three members, but when they carried out their first mission, one of them returned injured in the middle.”
“Afterwards, it seems that the captain went out to wrap up the mission. Although he’s quite capable, compared to the three of us here, his strength is not enough.”
“Alright, stop talking and continue patrolling!”
“Yes, sir!”
Though everyone was still nervous, the soldiers here visibly breathed a sigh of relief after Liu Zhongyuan and his team returned. After all, having such a powerful force back provided an extra layer of security for them.
Liu Zhongyuan’s team quickly found out about the completion of their second mission, as communication between military units is normal.
Gao Siyang, clearly not expecting their speed, said, “Alright, I got it. Tell them to rest for a couple of days, and I’ll arrange the next mission for them as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Captain!”
After ending the communication, the team leader went to convey the captain’s message to Liu Zhongyuan and his team. Liu Zhongyuan nodded at him, “Okay, we’ll stay here for the next two days. If there are any mission requests, just let us know directly.”
Then they closed the door and went back inside. There was meat cooking in there. This was completely regressed prey meat, after all. The three of them could eat a whole one and sustain themselves for two or three days.
Liu Zhongyuan collected the remaining fur, claws, and teeth, and handed them all over to the soldiers stationed there. “Take these things. Please take care of the fur and send it back to us once it’s properly processed. You can keep the rest.”
The soldiers naturally welcomed such items. Although the fur of the giant tiger was indeed valuable, compared to other things, it was the least valuable.
After all, fur was just decoration, while the remaining claws and teeth could be made into weapons, which were the most necessary items for their military at this stage.
Qin Jiulin said, “We don’t have anything to do for the next two days.”
Qi Yue yawned and unconsciously said, “Isn’t there supposed to be hellish training…?”
Ah!
Qi Yue suddenly realized halfway through his words that he might have said something he shouldn’t. What does he mean by hellish training? He didn’t want to do any training!
But it was too late, because Liu Zhongyuan and Qin Jiulin had heard everything he said.
Qin Jiulin blinked in surprise, “I didn’t expect you to be so enthusiastic. Since that’s the case, let’s go now. After all, we have plenty of free time before the next mission. We can’t just sleep all day at home.”
Qi Yue wanted to say that he enjoys sleeping soundly and it’s no problem for him to sleep for two days at home. He had no objections at all, so why did he have to say something mean earlier?
Liu Zhongyuan looked at Qi Yue with a smirk, “What’s wrong? Are you saying you don’t want to? You were the one who brought it up first, and I thought you were so eager to become stronger, but now…”
Qi Yue swallowed a gulp of saliva, “Why wouldn’t I want to? Didn’t we agree that I was the one who brought it up? Since that’s the case, let’s hurry up and go!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and walked ahead, with Liu Zhongyuan and Qin Jiulin following behind, exchanging teasing glances. Sometimes, playing a little prank on the kid can be fun.
After briefly explaining the situation to the military stationed on this side of the street, they naturally had no objections. After all, they needed daily special training, and even with patrol and guard duty, their training wouldn’t be neglected.
Of course, for Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan, what they needed most was physical fitness and the cultivation of combat skills. So they excluded everything else and focused only on what was relevant to that.
For the military training, Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan could keep up after the first day, but it was quite difficult for Qi Yue. He had no idea why he had to face all of this in the first place.
When he returned in the evening, he collapsed onto the bed, not even able to move a finger…
Qin Jiulin stood in the corridor and casually closed the door. “Qi Yue seems a bit tired, huh?”
Liu Zhongyuan replied, “I think it’s more than just a bit tired. He’s exceptionally exhausted.”
Qin Jiulin said, “Well, should we go easy on him then?”
Qi Yue, who was lying on the bed inside the room and could hear their conversation because the door wasn’t closed tightly, perked up his ears upon hearing this.
Liu Zhongyuan said, “Ah? Is that necessary? He’s just not used to it for now. Once some time passes, he’ll get used to it. We can’t go easy on him.”
Qin Jiulin thought he made a valid point. “You’re right. Let’s go then. After a tiring day, let’s not disturb Qi Yue’s rest. We don’t want him to oversleep tomorrow.”
Liu Zhongyuan agreed, “Let’s go.”
Before leaving, they also closed the door.
Qi Yue, feeling extremely disappointed, suddenly realized upon hearing the sound of the door closing that they knew the door wasn’t closed! So, were they intentionally having that conversation for him to hear?
These two cunning adults! They were playing with him!
Qi Yue angrily punched the bed, but not even a sound came out.
All three of them had their own separate rooms. Liu Zhongyuan stood outside Qin Jiulin’s room and didn’t want to leave.
Qin Jiulin frowned, “Are you going back to rest?”
Liu Zhongyuan smiled and said, “Why are you in such a hurry?”
Qin Jiulin didn’t understand, “Do you have something else to do?”
Liu Zhongyuan grinned, “It’s so dark and windy tonight, isn’t it perfect for doing some…”
With a bang, he watched helplessly as the person in front of him closed the door. He blinked his eyes in confusion, then regained his composure, but still awkwardly touched his nose.
Indeed, Qin Jiulin, being a more reserved person, couldn’t take jokes lightly. Look, he got angry and embarrassed.
Liu Zhongyuan chuckled and returned to his own room. Rest was rest, after all. He felt a bit tired and would continue to work hard after waking up tomorrow!
While they were resting, many people in the military camp couldn’t sleep, especially Gao Siyang and his two deputy captains, as well as Xia Liansheng and the other two.
Xia Liansheng was still in the tent. Xi Sihan’s injuries were recovering quite well, and she would be able to move freely in a few days. Cheng Tianxiang was satisfied with this.
Xi Sihan said, “Captain, it’s already dark. You should go back and rest.”
Xia Liansheng replied, “No rush. Before you recover, Captain Gao won’t assign us another mission. I’ll stay here and take care of you, it’s no trouble.”
Cheng Tianxiang took the things from his hand, “Alright, Captain, you should go back. It’s not quite appropriate for a grown man like you to stay here at this late hour. Sister Sihan, I’ll take good care of you!”
Xia Liansheng thought about it and agreed, “Since that’s the case, I’ll leave first. You two should rest early too.”
Xi Sihan said, “Take care, Captain.”
After Xia Liansheng left, Cheng Tianxiang specifically went out to check and made sure he had really left before returning to the tent and complaining, “Oh my, our Captain is really ambitious!”
Xi Sihan agreed, “Yes, the two of us can’t keep up with his speed and ideas.”
Cheng Tianxiang said, “If he had joined another team, he definitely wouldn’t be like this. But it can’t be helped, we two girls are just lacking in experience!”
Xi Sihan added, “The Captain is probably not satisfied.”
Cheng Tianxiang pouted, “What if he’s still not satisfied? Your injury hasn’t healed yet. Do you want him to send you on a mission while you’re still injured? What if something even more serious happens?”
At this point, Cheng Tianxiang had a bad feeling in her heart. “The captain values the missions so much. If in the future, he had to choose between executing a mission and our safety, there’s a high chance he would choose the mission, right?”
Xi Sihan widened her eyes slightly, “It shouldn’t be like that!”
“If something happens to us, wouldn’t it delay him from carrying out the mission? After all, the squad is understaffed and wouldn’t be able to handle dangerous missions…”
Cheng Tianxiang thought for a moment, “You’re right. If we have problems, it would still delay him. It’s better to work together with us on the missions.”
“While that’s true, I still have concerns. Today, I saw something outside that made me worried…”
“What is it?” Xi Sihan asked.
Cheng Tianxiang continued, “Well, when we were having lunch in the cafeteria, I saw the captain eating there.”
“So what?” Xi Sihan asked.
“Oh my, let me finish!” Cheng Tianxiang said.
“Alright, go ahead. I won’t interrupt,” Xi Sihan replied.
Cheng Tianxiang whispered, “At that time, I was also eating, sitting in a corner. I saw the captain come in to eat, he didn’t see me, and I didn’t go over to greet him.”
“At that time, the soldiers in the cafeteria were discussing how another squad had already completed their second extremely dangerous mission and returned in the evening, having left in the morning!”
“They were constantly praising their strength, especially mentioning that their squad was much stronger than this squad staying in the military camp.”
“When the captain heard them say that, he tensed up completely! It was a bit scary.”
Xi Sihan said, “Oh, I see. So the captain is quite ambitious…”
“If this was in the past, we could call it ambition, but can it be the same now? In the current situation, going out on missions is like gambling with our lives!”
“When I was coming back, I specifically asked the other squad about their second mission. Can you guess what I found out?”
“Could it be that it was a very difficult mission?” Xi Sihan asked.
“Xi Sihan, in that squad, there’s a variant beastman user named Qin Jiulin, who can transform into a giant tiger. You know about him, right?”
Xi Sihan replied, “I know. I had the privilege of seeing him before, and he’s truly awe-inspiring, so intimidating. If I were to encounter a giant tiger like that in the wilderness, I’m sure I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Cheng Tianxiang said, “Their second mission was to drive away or hunt down a giant tiger in the wilderness, similar in size to that one, but with black and white fur! It’s said to have a high degree of atavism, almost complete atavism.”
Xi Sihan’s smile faded slightly from her face, “Really?”
Cheng Tianxiang replied, “How could it be false?”
Xi Sihan pondered for a moment, “I think if their strength is truly at that level, it would be very unwise for the captain to compare us three with them. I don’t think we can measure up.”
Cheng Tianxiang agreed, “I also think we can’t measure up, and besides, we’re two girls against three grown men, even though one of them is a seventeen-year-old boy, but still, he’s a man.”
Xi Sihan said, “…sometimes, strength doesn’t seem to have much to do with gender, right?”
Cheng Tianxiang replied, “But many times, it does matter a lot.”
Xi Sihan said, “Alright, alright, this matter doesn’t concern us much. Going forward on missions, our priority should be to protect ourselves, right?”
Cheng Tianxiang nodded contentedly, “Of course, that’s the way to go.”
They resumed talking about other things, completely unaware that a dark figure had silently left from not far away, as if they hadn’t heard the conversation between the two inside the tent.
Gao Siyang looked at the two people in front of him and said, “The strength of Liu Zhongyuan’s team is even stronger than we initially thought. They managed to reach the territory of the black-and-white giant tiger, hunt it down, and return with its body, all within a single day’s time.”
Fu Haiyang commented, “Indeed, we underestimated their strength. So, should we assign that mission to them next?”
Gao Siyang hesitated for a moment and asked, “Fei Yang, what do you think?”
Wu Fei Yang stroked his chin and replied, “How about we give them another mission with a higher level of danger? If they handle it well, then we can discuss the previous mission with them and see if they’re willing to accept it.”
Gao Siyang sighed, “That makes sense. This mission is so dangerous that they should decide for themselves whether or not to accept it… Alright, let’s do that. In a couple of days, we’ll give Liu Zhongyuan’s team another mission with a higher level of difficulty. And what about Xia Liansheng’s situation?”
Fu Haiyang answered, “Xi Sihan hasn’t fully recovered yet. It’ll probably take another two or three days.”
Wu Fei Yang added, “It’s good that the person is fine. A variant beastman user is truly an invaluable existence. They’re a bit weak now, but they’ll gradually become stronger with time.”
Wu Fei Yang said, “I know, but… those two girls seemed a bit dissatisfied with Xia Liansheng at first, as if they blamed him for the injuries suffered by the team members.”
Fu Haiyang replied, “I asked about the specifics, and it’s not really Xia Liansheng’s fault. It’s just a series of coincidences and bad luck.”
Gao Siyang remained silent.
Fu Haiyang continued, “Actually, Xia Liansheng came to me earlier today, asking if he could have a solo mission. He seemed quite anxious.”
Gao Siyang raised an eyebrow, “It’s not good to be so impatient.”
Wu Fei Yang asked, “Is he really that ambitious?”
Fu Haiyang replied, “He… he’s just too impulsive. If he continues like this, it might lead to unfavorable situations during missions.”
Gao Siyang said, “Don’t agree to his request. Let’s wait until Xi Sihan fully recovers and then give them another mission. We should also pay attention to Xia Liansheng’s attitude.”
“If he continues to be this impatient, we might have to split up the team or appoint a new leader.”
They wanted the team members who execute missions to be steady and cautious, taking their time to complete the tasks. It’s fine if they’re a bit slow, as long as they don’t intentionally sacrifice themselves for the success of the mission.
Gao Siyang added, “If they had the same strength as Liu Zhongyuan’s team, then it would be fine for them to be a bit faster, but they don’t have that level of ability…”
Gao Siyang waved his hand, “Alright, it’s getting late now. Go rest, and we’ll discuss tomorrow what kind of mission we should give to Liu Zhongyuan’s team.”
After exchanging glances, the two bowed to Gao Siyang and left. Gao Siyang sat on a chair, rubbed his temples, and then walked over to the simple makeshift bed behind him, where he lay down.
“Ah… so tired!”
Gao Siyang closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. However, Xia Liansheng, who was currently lying in his own tent, couldn’t sleep at all. Everything was making him feel restless!
As the target, Qin Jiulin was no longer in the camp. After inquiring, Xia Liansheng found out that some soldiers from the camp had been stationed at the location where Qin Jiulin and his team completed their first mission to reclaim the lost territory. The three of them were also there, providing minimal security.
Meanwhile, Xia Liansheng was still stuck in the camp! The target mission was not nearby, so he couldn’t make contact with Qin Jiulin. How could he bring Qin Jiulin back to his side?
And that Liu Zhongyuan… something was off. If those two were allowed to stay together, then there would be no chance for him at all, would there?
The more he thought about it, the more awake he became. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When he finally sat up, he thought of Qin Jiuzhen, “Maybe I should go find Xiao Zhen…”
It’s quite late, and Qin Jiuzhen might already be asleep, but Xia Liansheng decided to go and check anyway, hoping for some luck.
As he approached the tent where Qin Jiuzhen was staying, he actually saw Qin Jiuzhen sitting on a small rock outside.
Xia Liansheng walked over, somewhat surprised, and whispered, “Xiao Zhen?”
Qin Jiuzhen couldn’t sleep because of his father’s snoring, so he came out to get some fresh air. He didn’t expect Xia Liansheng to come looking for him!
He stood up excitedly and quickly walked up to Xia Liansheng, his voice carrying a hint of tears, “Lian Sheng ge…”
Xia Liansheng didn’t know what had happened, but he held Qin Jiuzhen tightly in his arms, full of concern. “Don’t be scared, I’m here!”
The night gradually faded away, and the eastern sky began to reveal a faint light. In just a short while, it was bright.
Qin Shanzhou looked at his son still sleeping in bed. “This kid slept so soundly today?”
Yao Meimei replied, “Ah, he must have been kept awake by your snoring last night, that’s why he woke up late.”
Qin Shanzhou snorted, “Hmph, even if I snore loudly, I’m still his own father!”
Yao Meimei suddenly thought of something, “Since Xiao Zhen couldn’t wake up in the morning, should we bring him some food later?”
Qin Shanzhou responded, “Why bring him food? The cafeteria serves meals from 6 am to 8 pm. If he’s hungry, he can just go there himself.”
Yao Meimei agreed, “You’re right. Then where’s your mother?”
Qin Shanzhou thought of the two old people lying inside and disdainfully muttered, “Those two stubborn old folks.”
