Reunion

Outside Jiangnan Base City, along a railway line, an armed fortress stood every kilometer for defense. Dense power grids and obstacles were spread along both sides of the tracks, ensuring the line remained clear and safe from monster attacks.

A fully enclosed Armed Train sped down the rails like lightning.

Inside one of its carriages, unlike the martial artists dressed all around them, two women in sunglasses sat in their seats.

One of them looked to be twenty-three or twenty-four. Her neat short hair and refined features gave her the air of a workplace elite.

She was currently lecturing the woman seated across from her. "Yiyi, technology is so advanced now. We really don't need to shoot our music video on location.

"And the company actually agreed to it. Not only did the production costs increase several times over, but going to the Wilderness Zone is so dangerous!"

The woman being scolded—no, she should have been called a girl—was younger, only around seventeen or eighteen. Her long hair was gathered behind her head in a ponytail.

Hearing the short-haired woman's reprimand, she stuck out her tongue and said mischievously, "Sister Ailin, I've never even left the city before. I've never seen the Wilderness Zone or monsters. When singing 'The Age of Great Strife,' I just couldn't get a proper grasp on the emotions."

"If the emotions aren't right, how can I move the audience? This song is aimed at martial artists, too. I have to perform in my best state."

Hearing the girl's words, the woman called Sister Ailin said helplessly, "Is that the reason you used to convince President Li? Qin Yiyi, as if I don't know you! You clearly just wanted to leave the city, didn't you?"

Qin Yiyi obediently nodded. "Yes. I knew I couldn't hide it from you, Sister Ailin."

"Since things have already come to this, remember: once we're out there, you must listen to me."

After rolling her eyes at the girl, the short-haired woman continued, "The martial artist squad chosen this time is a General-level Elite Squad. They have a good reputation, and more importantly, there's a female martial artist on the team. That's rare."

"A female martial artist?"

After hearing Sister Ailin's words, the girl cried out in delight, "Is she like a female Sword Saint from another world, with powerful sword skills and a unicorn to ride?"

"Qin Yiyi! I told you to stop reading those weird novels!"

The short-haired woman felt certain that black lines were covering her forehead by now.

"Okay, okay. I stopped reading them ages ago. I'm only looking through novels for inspiration because I have to sing this song about martial artists fighting monsters," Qin Yiyi muttered softly.

"Yiyi, the Wilderness Zone isn't a place for fun. It's beyond the reach of laws and regulations. Although we filed a report with the Limitless Martial Arts School and received approval, anything could happen once we leave the Base city. This time, you absolutely have to listen to me."

The short-haired woman reminded her uneasily.

She liked the girl very much. She was gentle, kind, studious, and clever, but she loved strange fantasy novels and was intensely curious about the world outside the safe Base city. This time, she had seized the opportunity to convince the company executives and make this trip out of the city happen.

"Got it, Sister Ailin!" the girl said with a pout.

At three in the afternoon, on the military district station platform, Xia Zhi and Liu Yan stood watching as the train slowly pulled in.

Once the train stopped, more than a dozen martial artists emerged from the open doors, then split into several squads and left the platform.

"Sister Yan, this is the train, right?" Xia Zhi asked Liu Yan, whose gaze was constantly searching around them.

The two had come to meet the client who had commissioned this mission.

Qin Feng had gone to make final preparations for entering the Wilderness Zone. Liu Yan was responsible for coordinating with the other party, and she had brought Xia Zhi along because she said he was good-looking enough.

As for why Xu Kui had not come, Liu Yan said that with his build, he might scare the client.

Xu Kui could only respond with a sheepish grin.

"This is definitely the train."

Liu Yan looked around in puzzlement after seeing that no one else was getting off.

Just then, two women stepped out of the train. Both wore outdoor travel clothes, making them especially conspicuous among the fully armed martial artists.

"That should be them. Come on, let's go say hello." Liu Yan's eyes lit up when she saw the two women.

"Hello, I'm Liu Yan from the Golden Spear Squad. Are you Miss Ailin?" Liu Yan asked them.

When the two women saw Liu Yan approaching them, her tall, curvaceous figure was not concealed by her martial artist combat uniform. Instead, the heroic bearing cultivated through years of training and battle made her shine with a distinctive charm.

Liu Yan's beautiful face and gentle tone quickly won the two women's favor.

The short-haired woman smiled at her and said, "Hello, I'm Ailin. This is Qin Yiyi." She pointed to the ponytailed girl beside her as she introduced her.

Liu Yan said to them, "Hello. The other members of our squad are waiting for you at the rest area. Once we meet up, we can prepare to depart."

Then she introduced, "This is Xia Zhi, a member of our Golden Spear Squad. He'll be joining this mission as well."

Qin Yiyi had been secretly observing Liu Yan ever since they met, but when she suddenly heard the name "Xia Zhi,"

She turned in surprise toward the silent young man standing to one side. When she realized he really was the person she remembered, she could not help saying in astonishment, "Xia Zhi, it really is you?"

Ever since the familiar figure from his memories had stepped off the train, Xia Zhi's eyes had been fixed on the girl.

This ponytailed girl was Qin Yiyi from his memories, the girl who had once made him vow that, one day, after becoming a martial artist, he would truly stand before her.

"It's been a long time, Qin Yiyi. I didn't expect to see you here again." Xia Zhi looked at the girl's delicate face. Though his tone was calm, his heartbeat involuntarily began to race.

The memories left behind by the original owner were too profound. Xia Zhi had imagined their reunion countless times, but he had never expected that the client for his first Wilderness Zone mission after becoming a martial artist and joining a squad would be her.

"Yeah. I heard you didn't take the college entrance exam. I never expected you to have already become a martial artist! I told you I'd never met anyone our age as strong as you. Looks like I was right after all."

Seeing Xia Zhi in his combat uniform with a battle saber on his back, Qin Yiyi's eyes lit up.

"Xia Zhi, have you killed monsters in the Wilderness Zone before? What did it feel like the first time you killed one? Were you scared?"

Perhaps because she had unexpectedly discovered that one of the martial artists traveling with them was a familiar classmate, the excited Qin Yiyi kept asking questions.

Seeing Xia Zhi's embarrassed expression and Ailin's blackened face beside him, Liu Yan smiled and smoothed things over. "To run into an acquaintance here, it seems you two really are fated to meet our Golden Spear Squad! This isn't the place to talk. Let's head back to the rest area first."

Ailin hurriedly tugged at Qin Yiyi beside her and said apologetically to Liu Yan, "We'll follow your arrangements. Let's go."

Still slightly dissatisfied with Ailin for interrupting her, Qin Yiyi said to Xia Zhi, "Xia Zhi, you have to tell me all about it later. You're the first martial artist among my friends."

"Sure."

Xia Zhi agreed with a smile.

Watching the girl curiously take in everything around her, Xia Zhi could not help feeling full of anticipation for the mission ahead.

Today's second chapter.