Chapter Seventy-Four: The Words Su Yun Once Spoke

Qin Feng sprinted swiftly, his speed so great that fleeting afterimages trailed behind him through the jungle.

“Rat-tat-tat!” Bullets rained down in a relentless barrage, as if intent on annihilating everything in their path. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder, and the oppressive atmosphere sent chills down one’s spine. Leaves scattered wildly in the forest, birds took flight in panic, and the sense of imminent danger was palpable. More than once, Qin Feng narrowly dodged a bullet, his quick reflexes and lightning speed saving him from harm. He was keenly aware of the enemy’s overwhelming firepower, which only spurred him to run faster. He told himself, again and again, that he had to survive.

In that desperate moment, a vision flashed in his mind—a delicate silhouette: Su Yun. He seemed to see her smiling at him, and he too broke into a faint smile. Suddenly, his whole body surged with renewed strength. Digging his feet into the ground, he shot forward like an arrow, all the while firing his gun in sweeping arcs to keep his pursuers at bay. His speed forced the enemy to scatter for cover, none daring to get too close.

The pursuing soldiers, wary of Qin Feng’s fierce resistance and hindered by the dense trees, found it difficult to gain the upper hand. Among them, Zhang Cheng also ran at a remarkable pace.

“Faster, faster—still faster,” Qin Feng urged himself inwardly. He sensed that he could push his speed further. Sprinting relentlessly, he managed to slip past the encircling maneuver of the two enemy groups, continuing his flight through the thick forest.

After running for more than half an hour, Qin Feng noticed that his pursuers were gradually thinning out. Just then, he spotted a dozen or so bodies ahead, sprawled on the ground. Approaching cautiously, he saw they were armed bandits, with hand grenades scattered around them.

His mind raced as he eyed the grenades, and suddenly an idea sparked. “That's it—I can rig these grenades as booby traps and give those pursuers a nasty surprise. It’ll be an ambush they never expect; I’m sure these armed bandits never thought of that.”

With a grin, Qin Feng quickly gathered the grenades. Surveying his surroundings, he finally settled on a dense shrub as the ideal spot. He reasoned that the pursuers, upon seeing their fallen comrades, would come to investigate—and the thicket was right along their path. They would surely check inside, and when they did... it would be the perfect moment to strike.

Qin Feng carefully set up the grenades as booby traps, tying them with thin vines within the shrubbery, creating a trap with a radius of over twenty meters. He felt confident in his handiwork; whether the plan would work now rested on the effectiveness of these traps.

“With these traps set, it’s up to those pursuers now. If they set them off, well, congratulations to them,” he thought with a smirk. After finishing his preparations, he heard the sounds of the enemy drawing closer. Judging by the noise, it wouldn’t be long before they arrived.

The corner of his mouth curled up as he dashed away. After fleeing for another five hundred meters or so, thunderous explosions erupted from the forest behind him. Glancing back, Qin Feng saw thick smoke billowing among the trees. He let out a cold laugh and pressed onward.

Perhaps the traps had neutralized the threat, or maybe his formidable combat prowess had unnerved the survivors, but the pursuit soon dwindled. The enemy dared not chase him any further and eventually retreated.

Qin Feng continued his run through the forest. For a long stretch, he saw no sign of pursuit and finally allowed himself to relax. Leaning against a great tree, he rested briefly before climbing up into the canopy. From his vantage point, he carefully checked his bearings and planned his route. Then, with the energy of a wild tiger, he raced forward, swift and powerful, exuding an extraordinary presence.

After about an hour and a half, Qin Feng reached a mountain ridge. The trees here towered high, their dense foliage obscuring the view in all directions. The ridge connected to an endless mountain range, stretching as far as the eye could see. Qin Feng took cover behind a tree, retrieved some compressed biscuits from his pack, and ate.

“Thank goodness I still have food,” he thought with relief, grateful that his rations had not been lost in the chaos.

As he replenished his strength, he surveyed the silent forest. Aside from the trees, there was nothing else—no sign of life or movement. A pang of worry struck him. Where had his captain and the others gone? Were they safe? Where could they be hiding now?

“My strength is almost restored.” After about ten minutes of rest, Qin Feng felt his stamina return. He continued along the ridge, and a memory of Su Yun’s instructions flashed through his mind—her advice on the safest paths to take. Reassured, he pressed on with more confidence, a soft smile gracing his lips. The feeling of being cared for, he realized, was truly comforting.

After roughly thirty more minutes of walking, Qin Feng entered the heart of the mountains. Surveying the area, he saw nothing but lush, thriving forest—vital and dense, stretching in every direction. The rendezvous point was still some distance away.

The surroundings were eerily quiet. Leaves drifted down on the cold winter wind, lending the forest an air of desolation. The chill seeped into his bones, and Qin Feng drew his coat tighter around himself before proceeding with caution toward the rendezvous.

Suddenly, he halted. Scattered ahead were enemy weapons, abandoned on the ground.

He did not rush to pick them up. Instinct warned him of danger.

He remembered Su Yun’s words: “Never pick up enemy weapons lightly on the battlefield. There might be hidden booby traps—deadly and unpredictable. The slightest touch could trigger an explosion.”

Qin Feng studied the weapons intently, suspecting they were more than they seemed. He resisted the urge to touch them, heeding Su Yun’s advice: on the battlefield, vigilance is paramount. Only by staying alert could he respond to any threat and successfully complete his mission.

He knew that absolute safety did not exist in war. Only through constant, careful observation could one detect and neutralize danger—and only then could one hope to accomplish the task at hand.