Chapter 118: I Die, He Is Gravely Wounded

Haitian City.

Qi Mengwei glanced toward the door, her mind filled with a hopeful fantasy that Qin Yang would open it, smiling mischievously like a charming rogue as he stepped inside. But instead, an old man entered—a worn elder whose deeply furrowed brow bore guilt, even a hint of mockery. It was hard to imagine that he had once been a respected figure.

The old man, Han, straightened his clothes and gave a bitter smile. “Miss Qi, how is Dongxue?”

“Sigh, you really shouldn’t have come.” Qi Mengwei glanced toward Han Dongxue’s room, sighed softly, and whispered, “Dongxue is still angry. You should leave now—if she sees you again, her temper will only worsen.”

Just then, Han Dongxue appeared from the room, her face pale and haggard. Upon seeing the old man at the door, her expression instantly turned ice-cold. “What are you doing here?”

“Dongxue, I—” Han stammered, bitterness clouding his words.

“Why bother explaining?” Han Dongxue sneered. “I don’t want to speak with hypocrites. This is our home—please leave.”

“Dongxue, I truly didn’t know about this,” Han said bitterly.

He harbored thoughts of killing Jiang Nanyan, furious that the scoundrel had betrayed him behind his back. But seeing General Jiang’s health slowly recover, he could only grit his teeth and leave Yanjing. The rift between him and Han Dongxue was as deep as an unfathomable abyss. Han was no fool; he understood the role Qin Yang played in Dongxue’s life, especially since he had acted as guarantor. Yet he never expected such a disastrous outcome. Han had vouched for Qin Yang wholeheartedly on Dongxue’s recommendation, but had ultimately spoken in vain.

“Didn’t know?” Han Dongxue sneered again. “I don’t care if you knew or not. Leave immediately.”

Han gave a bitter smile and turned away with a sigh. Qi Mengwei, unable to bear witnessing his defeated silhouette, said gently, “Dongxue, perhaps Old Han really didn’t know.”

“I don’t want to know,” Han Dongxue shook her head.

Both sighed helplessly. Noon had arrived. They busied themselves in the kitchen for a while, then checked the time—still no sign of Gao Xiaolan. This was puzzling; Gao Xiaolan was always punctual returning to school. They took out their phones to call her, but it went straight to voicemail. Growing anxious, they closed their room door and decided to check downstairs. Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the phone suddenly rang—it was Gao Xiaolan’s number.

“Xiaolan, why was your phone off?” Qi Mengwei asked softly. “Where are you now?”

“Qi Mengwei, hmmph,” came a chilling male laugh from the other end. Qi Mengwei startled but quickly regained her composure. “Who is this?”

“It doesn’t matter who I am. Come alone to Xiaolan’s school, and if I see you in person, I’ll release her.” The man hung up.

“What’s going on?” Han Dongxue asked anxiously. “What happened to Xiaolan?”

Qi Mengwei took a deep breath. “Someone has taken her hostage. They want me to come alone. Stay home—I'm going now.”

“You’re crazy!” Han Dongxue grabbed her arm desperately. “If you go alone, they won’t let you go either. They’re targeting you. We need to think this through, and if necessary, call the police.”

“Excuse me,” a male voice suddenly interrupted. Both turned to see a burly man of imposing stature, dressed plainly, holding a bag in one hand and an address slip in the other. “Where does Qi Mengwei live?”

Han Dongxue narrowed her eyes and threw a punch. The big man was startled and quickly stepped back, complaining, “Hey, young lady, what are you doing? I’m just here to talk to someone. Why attack me?”

“Definitely not a good person,” Han Dongxue sneered, leaping into the air and delivering a kick that seemed to summon afterimages. The man’s eyes widened in shock. “Damn, Thirteen Shots! You’re Han Dongxue?”

“Who are you?”

Han Dongxue withdrew her fist and glared coldly.

The man scratched his head. “I’m Cheng Mu. I’m with Qin Yang’s group. I just got out recently. He sent me to deliver a message. He’s doing fine, so don’t worry. Here’s an address and a few words from Qin Yang.”

They carefully took the slip. The front listed their home address; the back had a brief note: “I’m fine. An. The man with you is my brother Cheng Mu. If anything happens, seek his help.”

“That is indeed his handwriting,” Qi Mengwei whispered.

Han Dongxue finally apologized.

Cheng Mu chuckled. “No big deal, but you coming at me with your best move right away—that was dangerous.”

“I was scared,” Han Dongxue said with a wry smile, recounting the earlier events. “I thought you were some scoundrel trying to make a move on Qi Mengwei, so I reacted. Sorry about that.”

“Someone’s kidnapped Gao Xiaolan?” Cheng Mu frowned. “Which school?”

“The First High School.”

“I’ll go with you. Don’t worry—I’ll stay behind you, and the enemy won’t see me.” Cheng Mu said confidently. “I want to see if anyone here can stir up trouble.”

“Better call the police,” Han Dongxue shook her head. “They’re prepared. If we rush in, it could be a trap. Ling Suyun from the police said to contact him if anything happens. He’s skilled and might help.”

Cheng Mu sneered. “Suit yourselves. But since I’m involved, I’ll protect you all. Qin Yang won’t let me off easily when he gets out. So far, I’m no match for him.”

“When will he be released?” Qi Mengwei asked anxiously.

“In about ten days, give or take. Soon.”

Hearing that, they felt some relief. They called Ling Suyun, who was eating lunch at the station. Upon learning the situation, he hurried over. Sun Qi, worried as well, followed. Qi Mengwei and Han Dongxue asked Cheng Mu to leave his luggage at their home. Cheng Mu didn’t refuse; his bag contained gifts—local specialties from his hometown—for the three women. After settling the bags, he followed them downstairs. Towering over six feet tall, he looked every bit the bodyguard, exuding an intimidating presence, his fierce expression warning strangers to keep away.

Ling Suyun and Sun Qi arrived by car. Sun Qi immediately asked, “Has the kidnapper called again?”

“No,” Qi Mengwei shook her head. “We called the police as soon as we got the call.”

Sun Qi nodded, checked the call records, then suddenly jumped in alarm at Cheng Mu standing behind them. The murderous aura and faint scent of blood radiating from him revealed he was a killer—not an ordinary criminal, but a lethal one. On high alert, she demanded, “Who are you?”

“Sun Qi, don’t move. You’re no match for him,” Ling Suyun said, stepping out of the car. Clenching his fists, he stared at Cheng Mu. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Cheng Mu sneered. “I was wondering who Ling Suyun from the Five Claw Dragon was. So it’s you—the special instructor. I heard one of your team was blown to pieces by Qin Yang. How amusing.”

“Cheng Mu, what are you doing in Haitian City?” Ling Suyun asked gravely.

Cheng Mu laughed. “What? You afraid of me?”

Ling Suyun shook his head. “Since you’re here, this little matter doesn’t require my interference, or it would be redundant. But I warn you, this is Haitian City, not a dark prison. If you kill here, even if it means the police force is destroyed, I’ll see to it you’re taken back. And you don’t look like you’re going back anytime soon.”

With that, Ling Suyun waved to Sun Qi and climbed back into the car, leaving.

Cheng Mu smirked and turned to Qi Mengwei. “Alright, Han Dongxue, stay home. Qi Mengwei, I’m coming with you. Timing starts now—thirty minutes to complete the rescue.”

“Who was that guy who went down?” Sun Qi couldn’t hide her curiosity in the car. “Also, you’re the instructor for the Five Claw Dragon Special Forces?”

Ling Suyun’s face remained stern. “Remember the ‘God of War’ squad from the recent decisive battle?”

“Of course. But rumor has it the Five Claw Dragon renamed that squad to keep it under wraps,” Sun Qi said. “Makes sense, since no one had heard of the God of War squad before.”

“If the Five Claw Dragon had been deployed, casualties would have been far worse, even risking failure,” Ling Suyun said solemnly. “The God of War squad doesn’t officially exist because it was assembled temporarily. I know the Five Claw Dragon’s combat strength well—it’s far inferior to the God of War squad. The man earlier, Cheng Mu, if I’m correct, is the deputy leader of that squad.”

“No way! The Five Claw Dragon is China’s most elite unit. My family says they’re the best of all special forces, selected through countless trials—each a super soldier,” Sun Qi exclaimed. “No matter how powerful the God of War squad is, they can’t surpass the Five Claw Dragon, which endures the world’s harshest training.”

“Nothing is impossible,” Ling Suyun said bitterly. “The God of War squad’s overall and individual combat capabilities far exceed the unit I trained. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. From the battle intel, the commander was likely Zhou Qi, the founder of the Five Claw Dragon and leader of the God of War squad.”

“What?” Sun Qi covered her mouth in disbelief.

“From photos sent from the front, I can barely make out Dongfang Hao, Jiang Chi, Ge Yun, Gao Di, and others. They were once the army’s top lone warriors—no unit designation, no squad, no coordination or support. They completed nearly impossible missions alone. They were top candidates in the military’s soldier enhancement program and among the few elite solo warriors. We can call them the Black Prison squad.”

“They’re from the Black Prison?”

“Exactly. Rumor says completing this mission grants release from Black Prison. Seems true—the military is starting to phase it out. The frustrating part is Cheng Mu returning to Haitian City.”

“You versus him?”

“If I have all advantages—terrain, timing, people—I’d die, and he’d be severely wounded.”