The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
Jian Lan returned at this moment.
She had her treasured heavy sniper rifle slung over her left shoulder and six stacked helmets in her right hand, rushing back in a hurry. Seeing Ling Chen holding Ye Xiao, she froze in place, "What's going on? Is the old man—oops, Chen Ge—acting spoiled?"
Ling Chen straightened up with his arm still around Ye Xiao's shoulder, and gave Jian Lan a cold glance, "Looking for trouble?"
Jian Lan instinctively straightened her back and quickly denied three times in a row, "No, not at all, really not!"
She realized that if she joked around any further, it might lead to consequences she absolutely didn't want to face. So, she quickly slipped away, "Ah, I'll go check on those supplies!"
After taking a couple of steps, she turned back out of camaraderie and nudged Jiang Cancan with her elbow, "Come on, Can Can, you come with me!"
With those two gone, Jiang Mu looked at Ling Chen, "Chen Ge, how should we handle Fang Wenzhe?"
"Follow the standard procedure. Whether it's for the sacrifices of Soaring Dragon or the people outside D Zone, we need to give them an explanation." Ling Chen never left room for others to criticize him on such matters.
Jiang Mu nodded, "Alright, I'll go set up the recording equipment."
"Mm, I'll be there in a bit." Ling Chen turned his head and asked Ye Xiao, "Weren't you hungry? Let's go find you something to eat."
Ye Xiao was about to nod when he suddenly remembered, "The nutrient solution Can Can gave me earlier, I didn't have a pocket to put it in, so I left it on a tree." He pointed, "That one with the flowers."
Ling Chen followed his finger and looked over, "Alright, once we're done here, I'll go with you to get it back."
At the edge of the armored vehicle, Jian Lan poked her head out and sighed, "That was terrifying! All I did was interrupt his moment of affection, and the look he gave me was like he wanted to skin me alive!" She vigorously rubbed her arms as she spoke.
Jiang Cancan also poked his head out to watch as Ling Chen led Ye Xiao towards their armored vehicle, and affirmed, "He won't. Chen Ge doesn't have time to deal with you."
Jian Lan: "...Even though that's probably true, do you have to be so blunt?"
Jiang Mu walked over and interrupted their banter, "We're interrogating Fang Wenzhe in five minutes. Everyone needs to be present, so make sure you're there." After saying that, he left.
Jiang Cancan was reminded of something and slapped his forehead, "Damn, I almost forgot! You guys actually kept me in the dark about the act and not even a single hint! If it weren't for my own cleverness, hmph!"
Jian Lan plucked a blade of grass and stuck it in her mouth while rolling her eyes, "Tell you? And then wait for it to be exposed?"
So annoying! Jiang Cancan left Jian Lan behind while clutching his shattered heart, and chased after Jiang Mu.
Five minutes later, Ling Chen jumped down from the armored vehicle, with Ye Xiao following behind and holding a bowl of self-heating rice and a box of sweet milk that Ling Chen helped carry.
Ling Chen explained to him, "During missions, if there's a traitor or a spy and they can't be sent back to the military court, the highest-ranking officer present is allowed to judge and execute them under the supervision of all members, depending on the severity of the situation. However, video evidence must be recorded, and a report must be submitted afterward."
Ye Xiao clumsily used his chopsticks and asked Ling Chen after listening, "So, are you the highest-ranking officer here?"
Ling Chen ran a hand through his hair and nodded, "Of course." He pointed to Jian Lan and the others, "The promotion system in the Second Division is different from other parts of the military zone. It's all based on military merits. That's why Jian Lan and the others became officers shortly after joining the Second Division."
Ling Chen led Ye Xiao to a spot where they wouldn't be caught on camera and gestured to Jiang Mu, "We can start now."
Jiang Mu turned on the recording equipment and aimed the camera at Fang Wenzhe.
Ling Chen's voice was unusually serious, "Time: the evening of June 16th. Location: D Zone. Person in charge: Ling Chen, rank: Brigadier General, ID number: E311. End of report."
Then, Ling Chen looked at Fang Wenzhe, "You can speak now."
Fang Wenzhe was sitting on the ground, one hand clutching his chest. He struggled to lift his eyelids and stared at Ling Chen, his voice hoarse, "What do you want me to say?"
Ling Chen reverted to his usual lazy demeanor. He didn't respond directly but instead said, "I hate trouble, so I follow the rules to keep things simple. If you test my patience, what are the rules?"
His tone rose, sharp and tough with a hint of lawlessness, "So, will you speak on your own, or will you wait until I make you talk?"
Fang Wenzhe coughed before tilting his head back and closing his eyes in defeat, "...I'll talk."
Ling Chen held Ye Xiao's sweet milk in one hand and kept the other in his pocket, speaking in a deep voice, "Please describe in detail how you collaborated with Holy Judgement to cause the deaths of your eight comrades." After saying this, he gave Jiang Cancan a meaningful look.
Jiang Cancan took out the nine identity tags and bullet casings they had found earlier.
Fang Wenzhe laughed when he saw them, "So you found these? No wonder you suspected me from the start..."
His gaze swept over the tags, and his smile faded, "There's nothing much to say. I caused their deaths. After entering D Zone, I gave our location to Holy Judgement. On the night of the 31st, it was raining heavily—a perfect opportunity for an ambush. A squad from Holy Judgement came to meet me and caught Soaring Dragon off guard. But those fools from Soaring Dragon didn't believe I was a traitor even in their dying moments. Isn't that stupid?"
No one answered him.
Jiang Cancan turned his face away with his eyes red.
Ling Chen's tone remained unchanged, "Second question: what was your purpose in following Jian Lan here?"
"It was a mission." Fang Wenzhe said with his face pale. "I originally planned to fake injuries and the appearance of being tortured, then find a way to infiltrate your team. I didn't expect my luck to be so good—the squad that was supposed to meet me ran into Jian Lan but couldn't win, and was wiped out while I was in the back of the vehicle recovering from my injuries. When I realized it was her, I just followed along."
He wheezed for a moment, then continued, "Holy Judgement wanted to capture you alive to get the Data Probe and the coordinates the command center gave you. I just had to coordinate from the inside. Once the mission was completed, I could request a rescue from the military zone and leave D Zone."
He sighed, "Who would have thought that Konins and the others would also fall into your hands? Unreliable."
Ling Chen listened with half his attention, while the other half was entirely focused on Ye Xiao. Watching him finish his meal, Ling Chen then opened a carton of sweetened milk and handed it over. Once Ye Xiao had it in his hands, Ling Chen asked his third question, "When did you get in touch with the Holy Judgement? Who was the contact, and what was the method? Be clear about everything."
Fang Wenzhe asked with a hint of malice, "Ling Zihui, are you really sure you want to know?"
Ling Chen lowered his eyelids and said, "Speak."
Fang Wenzhe smirked wickedly, "Four years ago, I agreed to Holy Judgement's recruitment. A week later, I was selected into Soaring Dragon. In less than half a year, I was promoted to the head of the actin team. Pretty fast, huh?"
He coughed a few more times, gasping for breath, "Anyway, I won't live to see the nightfall. For the sake of those fools in Soaring Dragon, I'll give you a piece of information. There's always been someone in the military district who's been in contact with me. My selection into Soaring Dragon, my promotion, and even this coincidental mission into D Zone were all arranged by him. I don't know who he really is, but he must be high-ranking."
He grinned with his teeth stained with blood, "I can't wait to see you hypocrites start suspecting and doubting each other!"
Overcome with emotion, Fang Wenzhe coughed violently, blood frothing at the corners of his mouth but he ignored it and just continued to laugh.
Ling Chen watched Fang Wenzhe for a moment, then turned to Ye Xiao, who was earnestly drinking the sweet milk, and said, "Come here."
Thinking Ling Chen also wanted a sip, Ye Xiao directly brought the carton to his lips.
Ling Chen lowered his head, "Good boy, you drink it. I won't." After saying this, he pressed Ye Xiao's head against his chest and covered his ears with his hands. Making sure Ye Xiao could neither hear nor see, he then turned to Jiang Cancan and Jian Lan, "Which one of you will do it?"
They exchanged glances, and Jiang Cancan took out his gun before aiming it at Fang Wenzhe's temple. He took a deep breath with his eyes red, "A soldier shouldn't die by the gun of his comrade."
Meanwhile, Ye Xiao was sheltered in Ling Chen's embrace, the steady heartbeat in his ears, the rough hand and warm chest completely isolating him from the bloody scene. He thought to himself that he wasn't actually afraid of such things; he had experienced many more bloody and horrifying scenes.
But at this moment, his grip on the scabbard relaxed and the sweet taste of milk on his tongue. This warm embrace made him reluctant to leave—it felt like being protected in the safest corner of the world.
Jiang Cancan put away his gun and turned off the camera. Ling Chen took out a small bottle of baijiu he had found earlier, squatted on the ground, and poured the liquor into the soil, "The vengeance is done. Let's drink to you."
As the liquor seeped into the soil, Ling Chen stood up, his back straight, and knocked three times on his left chest with his right hand, "May our comrades be heroes in life and legends in death."
After saying this, he drew his pistol, aimed it at the sky, and fired a shot. Following the gunshot, Ling Chen solemnly straightened his attire, then clicked his heels together and saluted with a standard military gesture.
Beside him, Jiang Mu, Jiang Cancan, and Jian Lan also stood solemnly with their fingers together and saluted in a military manner to honor the departed souls.
When the torrential rain poured down, Ling Chen and the others had already driven their vehicle to higher ground.
There was not a single glimmer of light around, and the armored vehicle, coated with a special layer, was hidden amidst the dense foliage, completely inconspicuous. The relentless patter of raindrops on the roof of the vehicle was incredibly distracting.
Jiang Mu sat in the driver's seat while wearing noise-canceling headphones and focused on tinkering with the equipment. He was preparing to extract and organize data from the instruments they had dismantled from the Holy Judgement's armored vehicle overnight.
Jiang Cancan and Jian Lan, brimming with excess energy, decided to take advantage of the night and the heavy rain to practice shooting under adverse weather conditions to keep their skills sharp. After grabbing night-vision goggles, they disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Only Ling Chen was neither focused on his duties nor striving for improvement. Instead, he had plucked a handful of grass and was meticulously crafting a grass-woven bird.
Ye Xiao squatted beside him while hugging his knees and watching intently. He already held two finished birds in his hands and occasionally helped Ling Chen with small tasks, such as—
Ling Chen: "Ye Xiao, I'm thirsty."
Ye Xiao quickly fetched the military canteen, unscrewed the cap, and carefully fed Ling Chen some water. Afterward, he tightened the cap and placed it back.
Squatting down again, Ye Xiao watched as the bird's wings gradually took shape in Ling Chen's hands. He asked curiously, "Captain, did we eat something too salty tonight?"
Ling Chen: "Why do you ask?"
Ye Xiao: "Because in the past hour, you've already drunk water nine times, roughly every six minutes."
Ling Chen's hands paused.
He found the question difficult to answer—what was so appealing about plain water? He wasn't thirsty, nor did he want to drink. He just liked it when Ye Xiao fed him water.
He couldn't possibly answer that way—such a thought was far too inconsistent with core values. So Ling Chen simply ignored the question and didn't respond. However, he didn't ask Ye Xiao to feed him water as frequently afterward.
He sped up and finished the bird in his hands before handing it to Ye Xiao. "There, now our Ye Xiao can sleep with three little birds tonight."
Embarrassed that his thoughts had been exposed, Ye Xiao's ears turned slightly red.
Ling Chen pinched his warm earlobe, then stood up to clean the grass scraps off the ground. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a set of clothes before handing them to Ye Xiao. "Your clothes are a bit dirty. Change into these."
Ye Xiao was already accustomed to wearing Ling Chen's clothes. He reached out to take them, then crossed his arms to grab the hem of his shirt and pulled it off directly.
In the dim light of the vehicle's rear compartment, the numerous scars covering Ye Xiao's body were starkly visible. Ling Chen's throat tightened. Leaning against the compartment wall, he asked softly, "Did these wounds... hurt?" As soon as he asked, he felt it was a pointless question—of course scars hurt.
Ye Xiao had initially planned to answer, "They don't hurt." but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered what Ling Chen had said before—that he could act spoiled with him. Hesitating, Ye Xiao opened his mouth and replied, "They hurt a little."
But he still wasn't very good at acting spoiled. He simply pointed to a scar about the length of a finger below his left collarbone. "This one hurt the most. I thought I was going to die, but I survived."
Then, his finger moved downward to point to a mark on the right side of his abdomen. "This one hurt too. It got infected and took a long time to heal. I had a low fever for a while, and the pain would wake me up in the middle of the night."
At this moment, Ling Chen felt his heart had become a target, hit by one bullet after another, with each shot incredibly precise. He stood up, took a clean set of clothes, and carefully helped Ye Xiao dress, treating him as if he were a fragile treasure.
In the middle of the night, the heavy rain showed no signs of stopping.
When Jiang Cancan and Jian Lan dragged themselves back, utterly exhausted, Ye Xiao was already asleep while wrapped in Ling Chen's oversized combat uniform jacket and his head resting on Ling Chen's thigh. In his hand, he held three delicately woven grass birds.
Hearing the commotion, Ling Chen opened his eyes.
He looked at his subordinates who were covered in mud, leaves, and rainwater, and then at Ye Xiao, who was peacefully sleeping on his thigh.
He thought to himself that indeed, Little Fuzzball was the most well-behaved.
Early the next morning, the rain that had poured all night finally stopped, leaving puddles everywhere.
Ye Xiao got up early to practice drawing and sheathing his blade, mechanically repeating the movements. Suddenly, Jiang Cancan ran past him like a gust of wind with his loud shouts echoing in the wind, "I refuse! Don’t even think about touching a single hair on Can Ye’s head!"
Ye Xiao continued his practice without pause, but his eyes followed Jiang Cancan as he darted around. Jian Lan finished a set of punches and stood beside Ye Xiao, crossing her arms with a smirk. "Oh, how unfortunate. His hair must have grown long again, and Chen Ge caught him."
Among the Second Division, the most dreaded task was having their hair grow too long with no place to get it cut. Because whenever that happened, Ling Chen would seize the opportunity to cut their hair.
However, Ling Chen, who was skilled with all kinds of firearms, cold weapons, and hot weapons, had a haircutting technique that had remained disastrously bad for eight years. Thus, Jiang Cancan, whose hair grew as fast as weeds, always suffered the most.
Ye Xiao sheathed his Water Cutter and stood thoughtfully for a moment before grabbing his Long Blade and heading to find Ling Chen. "Captain, I want to get a haircut."
Jiang Cancan, standing nearby, widened his eyes and gave Ye Xiao a look that screamed, "Are you out of your mind?" "Little friend, think twice! You don’t have to sacrifice yourself to save your Can Can brother from this misery!"
Ling Chen examined Ye Xiao’s hair, which had indeed grown a bit. He asked, "What did you usually do when your hair got long before?"
Ye Xiao waved his Long Blade. "I used Water Cutter to trim it."
Jiang Cancan: "..."
Jian Lan: "Well, that’s just as straightforward and brutal as Chen Ge. But even with a bad haircut, Little friend’s looks can carry it off."
Ling Chen smirked and ruffled Ye Xiao’s hair. "Come on, Captain will give you a haircut."
Half an hour later, Ye Xiao appeared before them with his new haircut. Jiang Cancan was so shocked he dropped his water bottle. "Holy crap, is this... really our Chen Ge’s work?"
Ye Xiao’s hair had been trimmed shorter by Ling Chen, revealing his handsome brows and ears. The hair at the back of his head was also neatly cut, with the pale nape of his neck subtly disappearing into his collar. Most importantly, the layers of his hair were perfectly even, with no uneven or jagged sections!
Jiang Cancan covered his own buzz cut with both hands while stunned. "Why is there such a big difference?"
Jian Lan sighed, "Well, it’s the treatment of a little treasure."
Jiang Cancan: "Then what about us? What treatment do we get?"
Jiang Mu replied, "Eighteenth-rate lackeys."
Jiang Cancan thought, ‘That’s just too damn accurate!’
In the end, Jiang Cancan succumbed to Ling Chen's icy gaze with his uneven crew cut flopping as he slumped next to Jiang Mu, looking utterly defeated.
At nine in the morning, the group continued their journey upstream along the river.
Jian Lan drove at the front, while Jiang Mu, sporting dark circles from staying up late, rubbed his temples and too preoccupied to care about Jiang Cancan insistently sitting close to him. He methodically explained, "The Holy Judgement's seventh team received orders to head straight to the central area of D Zone. But the fifth team was different—their target was also the central area of D Zone, yet they took a detour to this location."
Ling Chen's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the red dot marked on the 3D map. "The research institute?"
Jiang Mu nodded. "Yes, the same biological research institute we blew up before. Based on the time difference, by the time they arrived, they would have only seen the ruins of the institute. Besides the institute, there are two other locations, but we’re not sure what they are yet."
"Mark those two locations." Ling Chen said while rubbing his fingers together.
He realized that Holy Judgement was playing a complex game, but the clues he had found were scattered and disorganized, making it impossible to piece them together. For now, he had no choice but to set them aside.
By a little past three in the afternoon, the car finally arrived at the seventh marked location. Jiang Cancan hoisted the K57 and got out of the car before stretching in the damp river breeze. "Once we finish here, there are only two more spots left. We’ll be out of D Zone in no time!"
Jian Lan, sitting on a rock by the water, frowned at his words. "What’s so great about that? Once we’re out, my old man’s gonna start pressuring me to find a partner. I mean, I’m a guy—no, wait, a woman. What’s the point of marrying a man? So I can beat him up every day?"
Jiang Cancan burst into laughter at the last sentence. "Oh man, you’re such a dangerous person. You’re better off staying single forever!"
Jian Lan’s family had a proud lineage—five generations of generals. A history that dazzled anyone who heard it but with that came an equally fierce family tradition.
When Jian Lan was born, the family was overjoyed, thinking they finally had a cute little girl after so long. But they were also at a loss because they had no experience raising a girl.
The result of their inexperience was that by the age of seven, Jian Lan had already beaten up all the kids in the compound and sending them crying home to their mothers. She claimed a piece of tattered cloth as her flag and declared herself the ruler of the compound. For nearly a decade, she reigned as the undisputed boss, with no room in her life for frilly dresses or dolls.
When she came of age, inspired by the family motto, "Loyal bones buried in green hills, hot blood spilled across rivers and mountains," Jian Lan happily enlisted and was thriving in the military.
After joining the Second Division, her new hobby became comparing abs with Jiang Cancan, and her most frequent phrase turned into, "I’m a damn man—no, a woman—and I’m not afraid to pick up a gun and fight. Why are you still acting so girly?"
Jiang Cancan thought the only thing that could prove Jian Lan’s feminine identity was the small floral backpack she used to carry parts of her heavy sniper rifle, but even that had gone missing.
Just then, Jiang Mu waved at them from the corner of his eye. Jiang Cancan dragged the listless Jian Lan over. "Xiao Mu, have we confirmed the location?"
"Alright, it's confirmed, it's at the bottom of the river. Although this is the source of the river, the water is still quite deep. We'll need someone to dive down to install the detector at the designated coordinates," Jiang Mu reported the data on water depth and flow rate, then asked Ling Chen, "Chen Ge, who's going down?"
Ling Chen took off his combat uniform jacket and handed it to Ye Xiao to hold. "I'm going in. You all stay on the shore and wait." he said.
After that, he returned to the armored vehicle to grab a self-supplied oxygen respirator, put on the mask, and jumped straight into the water.
Ye Xiao sat on a rock with a piece of candy in his mouth and his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the spot where Ling Chen had entered the water. On the screen of the device in Jiang Mu's hand, there was a rapidly moving red dot, representing Ling Chen.
Seeing Ye Xiao's tension, Jiang Cancan comforted him, "Little friend, don't worry. Chen Ge is really good at diving. Back when the Second Division competed with other special forces, Chen Ge always crushed them, taking first place every time. Once, he even held his breath for a full ten minutes."
Ye Xiao nodded as his expression relaxed slightly, but his eyes remained fixed on the water's surface.
Two minutes later, the device suddenly emitted a "hissing" sound. Ye Xiao, as if pricked, stood up abruptly. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Mu's face instantly turned grim. He frowned at the data displayed on the screen. "The Data Stream is fluctuating violently. A mini-monster has spawned."
Ye Xiao's hand gripping the knife sheath tightened instantly, but he managed to keep his voice calm. "Specific location?"
Jiang Mu's fingers rapidly tapped on the screen, and a few seconds later, he reported, "In the river, within a hundred meters of the coordinates."
Ye Xiao shoved the jacket he was holding into Jiang Cancan's arms, grabbed Water Cutter, and jumped straight into the river.
…….
Ling Chen was well-trained in diving. He descended quickly and soon reached the location marked by Jiang Mu.
Once there, he took out a small blue square that was about the size of a fingernail, and pressed it into the silt at the riverbed. Soon, the area around the blue square turned transparent, with Data Streams and codes rapidly flashing through it. After about ten seconds, the blue square dissolved, and everything returned to normal.
After confirming the installation, Ling Chen pushed off the riverbed and prepared to ascend. At that moment, the sense of danger honed from years of navigating perilous situations made his heart tighten. His hand instinctively reached for the gun holster.
Underwater, visibility was low, and subtle movements were hard to detect. But a few seconds later, he saw the enemy clearly—a massive blue jellyfish.
The jellyfish had a translucent, umbrella-shaped body and glowing with a fluorescent blue light that was strikingly vivid underwater. Its floating tentacles resembled ribbons, giving it a high aesthetic appeal.
But Ling Chen wasn't in the mood to appreciate it. He only felt incredibly unlucky.
How could he run into a spawned monster just by diving? Was it because he'd been having too many thoughts that went against core values lately?
As he pondered, he drew the underwater assault rifle and military knife from the holster before kicking to ascend—if he could get up, he would; if not, he'd fight.
But as it turned out, reality rarely goes as planned.
The blue jellyfish, having noticed his presence, sent a tentacle shooting toward him, clearly marking him as prey.
Ling Chen, gripping the military knife in his right hand, slashed with such force that he cleanly severed the translucent tentacle that was about to strike his face. The severed part quickly dissipated in the water.
In this situation, ascending was no longer an option.
Ling Chen decided to engage the blue jellyfish in close combat—the bullets had limited range, and with only twenty rounds, he had to conserve them.
However, the underwater environment was not his domain.
The jellyfish's tentacles were extremely flexible, swaying like seaweed with the current, and being semi-transparent, their movements were hard to detect with the naked eye. Ling Chen relied on his instincts to dodge several times. Moreover, underwater combat was extremely draining, and prolonged fighting was not in his favor.
Ling Chen made a decision.
He spun the Military Knife in his hand, took a deep breath, and lunged toward the jellyfish. Midway, his ankle was ensnared by a tentacle, but he ignored it and kept pressing closer and closer—Bang!
The water suddenly rippled as a bullet from the underwater rifle, propelled by the current, embedded itself into the jellyfish's bell.
Likely in pain, the tentacle wrapped around Ling Chen's ankle tightened abruptly.
Ling Chen's hand holding the gun trembled, but he struggled to maintain his balance and quickly steadying the gun again.
Seizing the opportunity, he fired four consecutive bullets at the blue jellyfish. Where the bullets hit the bell, tiny thread-like fragments floated away like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind before soon dissipating in the water.
When Ye Xiao dove underwater, he saw Ling Chen in a standoff with a large jellyfish. He sped up as he maneuvering nimbly behind Ling Chen, then dove deeper wbile drawing his Long Blade from the water. With a "swish," the blade sliced through the water, and the tentacle wrapped around Ling Chen's ankle was immediately severed.
Ling Chen noticed the movement and looked down to see Ye Xiao. He was so furious that he wanted to grab the man and give him a beating.
Ye Xiao pretended not to notice Ling Chen's glare and swiftly charged toward the jellyfish with the unsheathed Long Blade stirring the water.
He first floated upward and quickly circled to the back of the jellyfish. Ling Chen understood his intention and stayed in place while making noise to attract the jellyfish's attention and create an opening for Ye Xiao.
Once again, Ling Chen cleanly severed the semi-transparent tentacles attacking him, all the while keeping an eye on Ye Xiao. However, faster than they had anticipated, the jellyfish soon detected Ye Xiao, who had positioned himself above and behind it. In an instant, nearly ten semi-transparent tentacles shot toward Ye Xiao to quickly wrap around his entire body.
Seeing this, the veins in Ling Chen's temples nearly burst. His heart raced as he kicked forward to charge recklessly toward Ye Xiao's position while firing at the cluster of tentacles.
For a few seconds, Ling Chen's mind went blank and only consumed by the thought that Ye Xiao must not die—he absolutely could not die!
At that moment, Ling Chen was like a demon god that kept cutting down anything in his path. When he reached the semi-transparent "cocoon", he gripped the Military Knife with all his strength and severed the tentacles. The force was so great that his palm split open and blood seeped into the river water.
But he seemed to feel no pain as his trembling hands used the knife to peel away the semi-transparent tentacles enveloping Ye Xiao.
He then pulled Ye Xiao into his arms before frantically placing his own breathing apparatus over Ye Xiao's face and fumbling twice before succeeding. At the same time, he maneuvered them both to evade another attack from the jellyfish.
After checking to ensure Ye Xiao was unharmed, Ling Chen finally released him and gave a signal. Seeing Ye Xiao nod, Ling Chen quickly dove downward. As the jellyfish's remaining tentacles all surged toward him, Ye Xiao seized the opportunity. Gripping the Water Cutter and thrusting it forcefully into the jellyfish's bell. Tiny bubbles and currents swirled around the Long Blade as the blade's light descended upon the jellyfish's surface.
Ye Xiao's strike was delivered with immense force and pierced straight through the jellyfish's entire bell-shaped body. Without letting up on the strength in his hands, he gripped the hilt of the Long Blade tightly with his entire body sinking as he drove the blade downward in a slanting cut. With a "shick" sound, the Long Blade tore a large gash into the jellyfish's body.
Ling Chen quickly closed the distance while firing the remaining bullets into the wound Ye Xiao had created. The ammunition exploded within, and soon, after a series of "thud" sounds, the jellyfish's fluorescent blue bell-shaped body was utterly destroyed.
The entire process took less than a minute, yet it felt like an eternity.
After confirming that the entire jellyfish had disintegrated into ash and vanished into the water, Ling Chen sheathed his Military Knife and underwater rifle. However, in the blink of an eye, he noticed that Ye Xiao seemed to have lost all strength with his limbs floating limply in the water and the Long Blade slipping from his grasp. His black hair drifted around him, making his pale face appear even more ghostly.
Ling Chen's pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks. Before he could even process what was happening, he had already kicked off the water and rushing toward Ye Xiao. He grabbed him under the arms, retrieved the Long Blade, and swiftly began ascending with Ye Xiao in his arms.
With a splash, the two broke the surface of the water.
Ignoring the metallic taste of blood in his own mouth, Ling Chen immediately removed Ye Xiao's breathing mask and reached out to check his breathing.
Feeling the warm, moist breath against his fingers—it wasn't an illusion—Ling Chen's eyes stung with a mix of fear and relief, as if he had just regained something precious.
‘Thank goodness, thank goodness you're okay.’
With his heartstrings finally loosened, Ling Chen now had the presence of mind to glance toward the shore.
The shore was littered with rocks and gravel while Jian Lan and the others stood with their guns raised, facing off against a group of people.
Ling Chen took one look and knew they weren't from Holy Judgement. Recalling the intel from the command center, he guessed they were likely one of the three mercenary teams that had entered the area.
But he didn't have time to deal with them now. Carrying Ye Xiao, he quickly made his way to the shore. "Jiang Mu, come here. He's passed out."
As Jiang Mu hurried over, Ling Chen stepped forward to stand in front of Jian Lan and the others.
At this moment, Ling Chen was completely soaked, but having just dealt with the jellyfish underwater, his fierce aura was fully unleashed.
He strode forward in his thick-soled military boots, took Jiang Cancan's K57 in hand, and fired a shot into the ground with his face filled with arrogance and menace. "I've got someone to save here, so no time to waste on you. If you've got business, wait quietly. Anyone who causes trouble, I'll crush them!"
With that, Ling Chen didn't give a second thought to the mercenaries' reactions. He tossed the gun back to Jiang Cancan and ordered, "You and Jian Lan, talk to them."
Jiang Cancan caught the gun and nodded. "Yes, sir."
Ling Chen hurried over to check on Ye Xiao. Jiang Mu had just put down his medical scanner. "He was wearing your breathing mask, so he's only slightly oxygen-deprived. The blood test shows he was exposed to a biological toxin, which is why he passed out."
Ling Chen wiped the water from his face, his voice heavy. "We encountered a mini-monster in the river—a blue jellyfish. Ye Xiao got wrapped up in its tentacles. That's probably when he was poisoned."
Jiang Mu nodded. "The toxin isn't strong enough to be life-threatening, but he might experience recurring fever. There's medicine in the vehicle. Mix it with water according to the instructions and use it to clean his skin. That should alleviate the symptoms."
Ling Chen crouched down and carefully gathered Ye Xiao into his arms. His tense jaw gestured toward the group of mercenaries. "They're your responsibility now."
Jiang Mu nodded. "Don't worry."
Ling Chen carried Ye Xiao back into the vehicle.
He first laid his own clothes on the ground, quickly found the medicinal solution from the medical kit, mixed it with water, and then tossed a soft towel into the solution. As he began to remove Ye Xiao's clothes, he silently recited the eight disciplines in his mind.
After discarding the clothes to the side, the red marks left by the bindings on Ye Xiao's body were fully exposed.
He was very thin and with pale skin, making the red marks particularly glaring. Ling Chen's breath hitched, and he quickly reached for the towel soaked in the medicinal solution before meticulously cleaning Ye Xiao's body and hair.
After using four towels and four basins of water, Ling Chen finally washed away all the residual venom from Ye Xiao's skin. Worried that he might be uncomfortable, Ling Chen took a dry towel and carefully wiped the water off Ye Xiao from head to toe.
Although Ye Xiao's body was covered with many scars, his natural skin was pale and smooth, with lean and long limbs. Beneath the thin layer of muscles lay a terrifying strength. Ling Chen dared not use too much force and controlled his strength as he gently wiped. Once he confirmed that Ye Xiao was dry, Ling Chen found a soft blanket and carefully wrapped him in it. After changing into clean clothes himself, Ling Chen held Ye Xiao in his arms, warming him with his body heat.
No gunshots were heard from outside, so it seemed there were no major issues. Leaning against the vehicle wall, Ling Chen belatedly felt a wave of soreness and fatigue wash over his entire body. He nuzzled Ye Xiao's hair, which carried the scent of medicine, and a sense of dread surged from the depths of his heart like molten lava.
Ling Chen reached up and gently pinched Ye Xiao's cool cheek, "Why are you so foolish? Why didn't you wait for me on the shore?" As he spoke, the image of Ye Xiao earnestly talking to him flashed in his mind. Ling Chen paused before continuing, "I know, you said you wouldn't wait for me, that you would come find me. But our Ye Xiao, you're really so foolish."
Ling Chen had always been the one others relied on. He was accustomed to standing firmer than anyone else and always shielding those in front—yet this Little Fuzzball had repeatedly protected him from behind.
He ruffled the fine black hair of the person in his arms and in the end, couldn't resist kissing Ye Xiao's forehead before he whispered softly, "Be good, sleep well. Your Captain will watch over you."
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