Chapter Fifteen: Heart Sniping—Discovering the Target with Your Heart

“So, does that mean you already know the fundamentals of shooting?” Su Yun asked, noticing that Qin Feng had a grasp of basic marksmanship principles. This realization meant she could skip over the elementary steps and teach him more advanced sniping techniques, accelerating his progress as a sniper.

“Yes, I’m familiar with the Type 88 sniper rifle and understand the basics of shooting,” Qin Feng replied.

“Come, let me teach you how to estimate distances by sight. Whether you’re in the jungle, mountains, snowy peaks, at sea, or in a city—no matter the terrain—you need to master range estimation. Only by knowing the exact distance to your target can you strike effectively and eliminate your enemies more efficiently,” Su Yun said earnestly.

“When a bullet is fired, its trajectory forms an arc. For a handgun, at about fifteen meters, there’s a slight deviation visible to the naked eye, while with a rifle, it’s around seventy meters. So you need to judge the deviation based on the distance to the target. I’ll teach you a few basic ranging methods. I’ll only explain them once, so how much you retain is up to you.”

“I know this. One method is the ‘jumping eye’ technique. Using the distance between your pupils, which is roughly a tenth of your arm’s length, you measure the actual width of the object, multiply it by ten, and that gives you the distance from your position to the target.”

As Qin Feng spoke, he raised his thumb before him, recalling scenes from television where soldiers estimated distances. He began to practice, demonstrating the jumping eye method. “I used to see artillerymen on TV measuring distances with such confidence—turns out there’s real skill to it.”

“Of course. Our predecessors learned these techniques through life-and-death experience. Such methods are tried and true. You seem to know your stuff. Do you know any other methods?” Su Yun asked, her expression returning to its usual cool beauty.

“The second is pacing. You measure the distance by counting your steps, using the space between two strides.” Qin Feng continued, explaining in detail. Su Yun listened and found his explanation accurate.

This surprised Su Yun. Qin Feng had clearly studied sniping before; he was familiar with the basics, could disassemble and reassemble a rifle quickly, and knew how to measure the distance to a target—he understood many foundational principles of marksmanship.

“He truly does have the potential to become a top-tier sniper,” Su Yun thought to herself. She resolved to teach Qin Feng as much of her sniping technique as possible on their way back.

“Good, as long as you understand. Now, let me teach you advanced sniping. Pay close attention—it’s up to you how much you can learn,” Su Yun said, holding her Type 95 sniper rifle and pointing to the muzzle. “Look at the muzzle, and with the scope, plus your eyes, you have three points in a line. Align them to aim, and then you can fire at your target.”

Seeing how quickly Su Yun was teaching, Qin Feng felt something was off. He didn’t understand why she was in such a hurry. After thinking about it, he realized that Su Yun was part of a secret unit and that their return journey wouldn’t take long—less than half a day. She needed to report back as soon as possible. Time was tight. He asked, “Do you need to hurry back to report in?”

“Huh? Don’t overthink it. Focus on learning sniping,” Su Yun said, surprised, shaking her head. “I know what I’m doing, so you don’t need to worry. But time is short, so you have to make the most of it. Sniping is divided into two levels: eye-snipe and heart-snipe. Eye-snipe means aiming with your eyes and taking out the target visually. Heart-snipe is aiming by intuition. The Blood Skull mercenary you shot used this technique, including White Skull, one of their founders. You managed it without much training, which shows your potential is tremendous. You have a solid foundation—don’t waste it, understand?”

“Huh?” Qin Feng was momentarily taken aback. He thought of himself as just an ordinary border guard, unsure if he’d ever fulfill his dream or if he’d just muddle through until his three-year service ended, after which he might still get to hold a gun. Still, he didn’t want to disappoint Su Yun, so he straightened his expression and nodded seriously. “I understand.”

Su Yun looked at him intently, her gaze clear and searching, as if trying to see through his thoughts. Qin Feng felt uneasy—if he lied, he’d be letting down her expectations. He gave an awkward smile, about to explain, when Su Yun continued, “As long as you understand. Eye-snipe and heart-snipe are different levels. Eye-snipe is the basic skill every beginner must master—using your eyes to aim. Only after you’ve trained your vision to a certain level can you move on to heart-snipe.

I don’t know how you developed your heart-snipe, but since you have it, we can skip ahead. Heart-snipe means aiming with your mind and taking out your target by instinct. Do you understand?”

Su Yun explained with precision and detail, hoping to help Qin Feng better master sniping.

“I understand. It’s like using your mind as your eyes, discovering the target with your intuition—identifying its shape, position, and size—then, once it’s clear, taking the shot?” Qin Feng replied earnestly, expressing his understanding of heart-snipe.

Hearing this, a look of surprise lit up Su Yun’s face. She gazed at Qin Feng, her eyes bright with delight. She felt he was like an uncut jade—if refined, he would become something extraordinary. She nodded. “Exactly. You seem to understand heart-snipe and even have some mastery of it. I was right about your potential. All you lack is training—once you have it, your skills will improve quickly. Where did you learn this sense for heart-snipe?”

“Old Qin—the old man at home—he taught me,” Qin Feng replied modestly. He and Su Yun had been through life and death together, growing much closer and deepening their trust. Feeling there was no need to hide it, he saw Su Yun’s confusion and explained, “When I was a child, Old Qin would take me into the forest to live. He hunted with a gun and taught me some skills. Maybe the principles of shooting are all connected. He also instructed me in shooting over long distances.”

“I see. That old Qin must be remarkable. No wonder you know the jungle so well, and your understanding of firearms is deep. You have real talent and a solid foundation—it all makes sense now,” Su Yun said, her expression one of sudden realization. She looked at Qin Feng with newfound warmth and expectation.