Atlas Studios

  Atlas Studios

  They could hear the sound of gunfire from far away in the dark.

  On the other side of the forest, Quan Shaoteng heard gunshots.

  “Quick! Move toward six o’clock!”


  “That way! Toward three o’clock!”


  “It’s the QBZ-95-1 assault rifle!”


  “Quick! Faster!”
……

  They were rushing back with all their might.

  The figures were moving through the dense forest.

  Xiang Wan was shrouded under gunfire. Her body was stiff, but her thoughts were all about Bai Muchuan.

  If he was in this forest, he would have heard the gunshots……

  The Dark Clan members were here, but he was nowhere in sight.

  Xiang Wan’s heart felt heavy.

  “D*mn! We’ve been tricked—there’s only a few of them!” Someone over at the enemy’s side shouted.

  “Brothers, there’s less than 10 of them there! Get them—!”


  The triad members were not that dumb. They noticed this fact after several rounds of exchange of gunfire.

  “Attack! Get them!”


  The sounds of the gunshots were intensifying; the enemy was closing in on them. Xiang Wan felt that their foes would soon eliminate them. She couldn’t suppress the stirring emotions in her stomach anymore.

  “It’s my fault.”


  There was a pause.

  “If I didn’t suggest to make fire, we would not have attracted the attention of the Dark Clan……”


  At this critical juncture, she felt regret for what she had suggested.

  However, Cheng Zheng interrupted Xiang Wan from reproaching herself. “If not for the fire, we might not be able to endure the cold. Moreover, we couldn’t prevent them from passing by this area……”


  He turned his head toward Xiang Wan in the dark. “Our situation here is too terrible. No one can change it.”


  Humidity, cold, infectious disease……

  Even if there was no Dark Clan, if they were unable to find their way out, their lives might still be in jeopardy.

  “It’s just death!” Sergeant Ma was a courageous man. In order to boost morale, he shouted loudly, “One for one’s an offset. Bring two down and you earn a kill. What’s the big deal?

  “Brothers, we are here to sacrifice ourselves for justice, unlike those b*stards. We will tear their souls apart even after death!”


  “That’s right!”


  “Attack! Don’t hold back!”


  Xiang Wan did not know if they were trying to console her.

  Nevertheless, at this moment, it was pointless to want to know that—


  The number of enemies far exceeded their expectations.

  The sparks of their guns were like the stars in the sky; it was so closely packed together that she had a very bad feeling about it.

  At this point, they needed to make a decision!

  Xiang Wan gritted her teeth and decided to leave her fate to luck. “I am Xiang Wan,” she shouted, “I heard that the Dark Clan wanted to catch me? Stop this now, and I’ll leave with you!”


  If they really only wanted her……

  Then there was no need for so many people to risk losing their lives because of her!

  There was no response from the enemy.

  She shouted one more time.

  Only then did the enemy stopped firing.

  One of them asked, “You’re Bai Muchuan’s woman?”


  “Yes, I am!” Xiang Wan replied loudly.

  “Don’t fire, I’ll walk out now—”


  Although she shouted this with conviction, there was some slight trembling in her voice.

  She really wanted to carry herself with ease and confidence, just like those heroines in dramas—they were not afraid of death and would bravely lay down their lives for their companions.

  However, she was unable to do that.

  She was scared.

  Scared to death……

  Her shoulders were trembling, her legs were shaking, even her teeth were chattering.

  “Xiang Wan!” Cheng Zheng yelled sternly, “Don’t! It’s no use.”


  Why would the enemy leave them be when they could get them all?

  “Moreover, I don’t need you to sacrifice for us,” Cheng Zheng added, gritting his teeth.

  “No, it’s not a sacrifice!” Xiang Wan heard the nervousness in her own voice as she whispered. “I’m trying to buy some time. No matter what, we need to drag till Captain Quan comes back…… and these people won’t be a match anymore. What we need most now…… is only time……”


  She patted his arm and stood up slowly.

  “Hey! Did all of you hear that? If you agree, give me a response. I’m the one your boss wanted. I know your boss has said he wanted me alive…… So, don’t open fire, okay? I’ll walk over myself……”


  Although she said that, she did not move her leg at all.

  “Hahaha—”


  There were peals of laughter in the next instant.

  “Bai Muchuan’s woman seems interesting!

  “Fine! You come over here and we won’t open fire!”


  Xiang Wan gritted her teeth and did not move.

  The other party got impatient. “Why aren’t you moving!?”


  A gunshot was heard—it was their way of commanding her to hurry up.

  Xiang Wan squinted her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Okay, okay! I’m walking over now. It’s too dark and I can’t see anything. Don’t be in a rush……”


  When she spoke, she deliberately made her voice sound like she was crying and frightened so as to lessen their guard. However, the moment she took a step, she heard a bang at her ear.

  At the same time, there was as though a quick gust of wind that rushed toward her from behind.

  She was dazed for a second and her body suddenly lost control of itself.

  Someone was holding onto her waist—she was being pulled backward.

  She let out a scream and knocked onto that person’s chest. Both of them fell onto the ground.

  “Cheng Zheng, what are you do……”


  She suddenly stopped talking halfway.

  She almost bit her tongue as a warm feeling rushed up to her head.

  “You’re……”


  She was not afraid of asking; she was simply afraid to feel disappointment.

  It was too dark, and she could not make out his features.

  “Are you an idiot?” he said.

  Xiang Wan could feel that Bai Muchuan’s clothes were wet and cold as he brought her to the ground. However, she did not feel cold. Instead, she hugged him tightly like a koala hugging a tree, whimpering and sobbing.

  “Where did you come out from? You jerk, why are you here only now?”


  “.……”


  She put her head on his shoulder. She did not know when her tears flowed out from her eyes.

  As it was late at night and the environment was very dark, she let her tears run wild.

  “You’re crying? Not feeling shameful?”


  Bai Muchuan’s hands held her and originally wanted to laugh.

  Half a second later, he puffed a sigh instead.

  “Little Xiang Wan! I’m sorry I’m late!”


  “.……”


  He had said that the last time too.

  He said the same thing earlier than the last time as well.

  Every time when she was in danger, he would always say that.

  “You silly, don’t cry! Aren’t I here now?” Bai Muchuan looked at the approaching people holding torches of fire. “With me around, do you think these people would be a match?”


  The tsundere Little Bai.

  He was confident no matter what the situation was.

  Xiang Wan looked behind him.

  Besides Bai Muchuan who appeared out of nowhere, there was no one else.

  “I don’t think you alone can have that kind of combat power.” The one who spoke was Cheng Zheng. He really couldn’t continue to hear him boast. “Stop pretending! Hurry up and do something useful.”


  Bai Muchuan ignored him.

  He held Xiang Wan at her waist lightly. “Get up! Just watch my cool performance……”


  “.……”


  It was clearly a nervous situation, but after he said that, Xiang Wan felt like laughing.

  She put her hand on the ground, wanting to get up when she suddenly gasped.

  “Tsk…… I’m unable to get up……”


  “.……?”


  Bai Muchuan and Cheng Zheng looked at her at the same time.

  Even Mei Xin who hardly spoke asked with worry, “What happened?”


  Xiang Wan knew it might be funny if she said that, but she had to tell the truth. “My leg, I can’t seem to exert any strength—”


  As she said that, she touched her leg slowly.

  And she felt something sticky—


  She was shocked and looked at her hand.

  In the dark, that black, sticky substance…… was blood?

  As she looked at it, a drop of blood seemed to slide down her palm—like an earthworm. The distinctive smell of blood pricked her nose.