Chapter Seventy-Eight: Battlefield

The retreating boss and his men ended up on Wolf Bear Mountain, quite by accident. As they ran through the forest, they hadn’t settled on a destination, but in the end, the boss decided on Wolf Bear Mountain. It seemed he thought this place was no worse than any other—since their previous location had been discovered, he might as well relinquish it.

Only upon arriving did the boss realize this was a sacred ground. Last time, he had come alone and only taken a cursory look around, but now, thinking carefully, Wolf Bear Mountain was the perfect spot for a fight—a hidden place, well-suited for their needs.

It was time to settle accounts. They lacked the foresight to plan, and would only stumble upon such a place by chance. If others had been here, did it mean someone had kept secrets from him?

The boss sat down carelessly, his face dark as he glared at the battered remnants of his followers.

"Did you see anyone here before? Did anyone report to me? Why was I kept in the dark?" His stern voice echoed across the mountain, where only wolves and bears might hear.

Han kept silent. All he wanted now was Qianyin; he longed to see her. Tonight, he realized that if he stayed with the boss, he’d inevitably run into Qianyin again and again, and perhaps even be forced to raise his hand against her. That was the last thing he wanted. But he had promised the boss he’d remain by his side—he could not go back on his word.

The Flower Thief looked uneasy; at last, the boss was pursuing the matter. Should he step forward and confess, or hope to escape blame?

"Sir, someone did come by a few days ago. We thought they were tourists, so we didn’t inform you," one man ventured, his eyes flickering toward the Flower Thief, yet not betraying him, merely stating that outsiders had come.

The Flower Thief finally breathed a silent sigh of relief. If he had been exposed, it would be his corpse lying out there in the clearing.

"In the future, every matter, no matter how small, must be reported to me. I’ve been busy with other things and forgot to keep an eye on you all," the boss said through gritted teeth, his anger barely contained. If the other bosses hadn’t left already, and this had been discovered, the others would surely have severed all ties with him.

"Understood," everyone replied in unison, their voices so loud they nearly startled the wild beasts nearby.

"There are wolves and bears here. Don’t attack them at will—they live in groups. If you encounter them, you know what to do. If someone discovers this place before our base is complete, you all know what the consequences will be." The boss’s tone was severe; he did not want such mistakes repeated.

He turned his attention to the terrain, searching for a spot free of wild beasts where he could begin rebuilding his base.

Back at the Mo family’s residence, the four of them were exhausted. After bathing, each collapsed into bed, plunging the house into a rare peace. Everyone slept deeply and serenely.

In the dead of night, Liu Fei and Xiao Qi received orders, forcing them to drag themselves from their beds, faces full of complaint. What hour was this, and these people still refused to let them sleep? They gathered at the police station and quickly drove west.

The whole way, both yawned incessantly, struggling with the unfamiliarity of a night mission.

"Focus on your driving! If you get us in a crash, we’ll end up dead right here," Xiao Qi grumbled. She was entitled to yawn—after all, a girl who didn’t get enough sleep would lose her looks.

Liu Fei said nothing. He was only kind to Mo Lan; the rest of the girls received no such courtesy.

Seeing his silence, Xiao Qi fumed inwardly, her sleepiness vanishing as she glared daggers at Liu Fei. These men were too much. It was one thing to fawn over Mo Lan when she was around, but now that she was gone, could they not be a little kinder to her?

"Either you drive or you keep quiet," Liu Fei shot back, irritated by her glare. He couldn’t vent his frustration at work, but he could at least unleash it on her.

Xiao Qi was angry, but they were nearly at the wilderness now, and she didn’t want to argue. They were here for duty, after all, not personal quarrels.

They drove as far as the road would take them, and only when it became impassable did they reluctantly get out and walk. After a short trek, they arrived at a wide-open space littered with bodies—forty or fifty in all, each face hidden by a mask.

Both were shocked by the sight. They checked the bodies and found that all were dead. The external wounds alone were not fatal; prying open their mouths revealed the heavy scent of poison. Who had these men fought with?

Xiao Qi had no intention of transporting these corpses in her car. She called the chief.

"Uncle, there are forty or fifty bodies here. The two of us can’t move them. Send some people tomorrow. There aren’t many clues; they were all poisoned. The wounds aren’t fatal," she reported, very certain, and now too tired to investigate further.

The chief, roused by another call in the middle of the night, knew there’d be no sleep for him. Frowning deeply, he still managed a single "Alright."

Liu Fei looked over the corpses—mostly young men, few older faces. Why would so many choose to come here and fight? Who were their opponents? Who had reported the scene?

"I’ve told my uncle—take me home, I’m exhausted. Let’s go," Xiao Qi said, eager to leave the chilling, desolate place. Every gust of wind sent a shiver down her spine, as if someone were watching her.

Indeed, someone was watching. In the temple nearby, Han silently observed the entire scene. He had come looking for Qianyin, but unexpectedly, two police officers had arrived late at night.

He heard their conversation but had no intention of confronting them; they had done him no harm. He watched quietly, thinking that perhaps, in days to come, their paths would cross more and more often.

"Did you know this was the first crime scene Mo Lan and Captain An Feng investigated together?" Liu Fei mused aloud, considering why this place had been chosen for a fight. Could it be related to them?

"I know, but can you stop bringing them up? I’m not chasing after An Feng anymore—can’t you leave me be?" Xiao Qi protested, annoyed at the constant mention of Mo Lan and An Feng. She had already decided to let go.

Liu Fei cast her a strange glance; they clearly had different priorities. Seeing no point in further conversation, he turned and headed down the mountain to drive back and rest.