Third Lesson

Countdown: 66:00:00.

Early morning.

Li Shutong greeted Qin Cheng early in the morning, and then, with Qing Chen by his side, set off alone onto the mountain path.

Qing Chen carried a hiking backpack, as if preparing for a long journey, a journey about life.

They weren't leaving the group to go their own way; rather, Li Shutong was going to teach Qing Chen second lesson.

No, to be precise, it's the third session.

The first lesson is about reverence for life.

The second lesson is about how to face the world.

However, since Qing Chen completed the first lesson by studying on his own at Laojun Mountain, Li Shutong didn't feel much of a sense of participation.

I feel quite regretful.

The two crossed a mountain and walked more than ten miles of mountain road, but Li Shutong still couldn't find the place he was looking for.

"Teacher, I have a feeling you're in a rush this time," Qing Chen said calmly as he walked along the mountain path. "Ever since you discovered that I had returned alive from the Outer World and then unintentionally reached the bottleneck of breaking through the Gene Lock, you've started planning something."

All of this seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision, but Li Shutong was not acting without a purpose.

Li Shutong smiled calmly and said, "Teachers also have their own affairs. Eight years ago, Qin Cheng's younger brother and many others fought alongside me, but we failed, so we were trapped in that prison. Actually, I could have taken a gamble, but no one knows what the consequences would be."

Qing Chen didn't know what had happened eight years ago, so he asked, "And now, teacher, do you have no worries?"

"Back then, I was afraid that the knighthood would suddenly end with my generation," Li Shutong said. "So I've been waiting, and finally I've found you. Now I'm certain that you are the successor I've been waiting for, so I can face that world without worry. Don't ask me what I'm going to do. Your life has just begun, and all I need to do is accompany you on this journey."

"Teacher, what exactly is the Life and Death Trial?" Qing Chen asked.

"The Life and Death Trial sounds mysterious, but it's actually quite ordinary," Li Shutong said as he walked towards the sunrise. "It's just about taking a gamble, entrusting your life to the world. Climb a mountain, watch a snowfall, and shout at the top of your lungs in the place closest to the sky."

"Teacher," Qing Chen asked as he walked along the rugged mountain path, "Why did you choose this path in the first place?"

Finally, the two stopped in front of a cliff that was tens of meters high. Li Shutong turned to look at Qing Chen: "Is it because life is boring? Or is it because you love this world? I used to be very certain, but now I'm a little unsure."

At that moment, a buzzing sound rang out in the sky. Li Shutong frowned, picked up a leaf from beside him, and flicked it toward the newly appeared Boundary-011 model drone.

The leaf struck the drone like a thunderbolt.

The drone veered and crashed into the valley.

As Qing Chen watched the drone gradually disappear from sight, he suddenly asked, "Teacher, this place is too close to the Qin Cheng camp. It might make the Autumn Hunting Team suspect that they shot down the drone."

Li Shutong thought for a moment and said, "It's alright, I will protect them."

However, Qing Chen shook his head. "Teacher, you can't protect them all the time. You must know where Zhang Tongdan and his gang's base is, right?"

"It's about 30 kilometers to the north of here," Li Shutong said.

Qing Chen thought for a moment, then used his dagger to carve a few small characters on the cliff. "Waiting for you in the north. Come and cut me if you dare."

Li Shutong looked at his student speechlessly. "I, Li Shutong, have actually taken in such a treacherous student."

Qing Chen replied, "Teacher, you're not bad either."

"Alright, let's finish this business before these spoiled brats arrive," Li Shutong said to Qing Chen. "You have a good memory, so I only need to teach you once. From now on, you'll have to climb all the mountains yourself. The mountains you'll face then will be higher and more dangerous than this one."

After saying that, Li Shutong turned and walked towards the cliff.

At that moment, Qing Chen felt that the teacher in front of him was radiant with light in the morning glow.

At the Zhizi Lake campsite.

The first mate, who was in the co-pilot's seat controlling the drone, suddenly groaned as he realized that the connection between his neurons had abruptly cut off.

"One drone was shot down," he said softly.

"Did you see what it looked like?" asked the middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on the roof of the car.

"No, they acted too quickly," the first mate explained. "They were probably armed and opened fire as soon as the drone appeared. Their marksmanship was very accurate. We can't identify them, but they were probably after us."

"Okay, I'll go tell those young masters and ladies to get ready for the hunt," the middle-aged man said, stretching as he jumped off the roof of the car.

The young first mate hesitated for a moment. "The enemy should be able to recognize the Boundary-011 model UAV. The appearance of a combat UAV of this specification should allow them to determine that we are the Autumn Hunting Team, or even possibly a field company of the Federation Second Army Group. If that's the case, they may have come prepared."

"It's alright," the middle-aged man said after thinking for a moment, "This time Li Yinuo is with us, which is different from the past."

More than 40 kilometers to the north, a huge camp was rising with billowing smoke.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of more than a dozen bonfires. Some were sharpening bullets with files, some were carving crosses on bullets with daggers, and others were cleaning firearms.

A group of people waited quietly.

It wasn't until 7 a. m. that an off-road vehicle drove out of the mountains.

A burly man jumped out of the car and shouted, "Boss, Zhang Tongdan and the others haven't returned to the rendezvous point as agreed, and we still can't get in touch with them on the walkie-talkie."

A dark-faced man sat silently in the crowd for a long time, and all eyes were on him.

The dark-skinned man pondered for a long time, then put down the leg of lamb he was holding and asked, "Have you searched around Zhizi Lake?"

"There are over a dozen Boundary-011 drones blocking off the Zhizi Lake area. I don't dare get close at all, boss. But I did hear gunshots over there, though I can't be sure if there was a battle," the burly man said. "Those crazy Autumn Hunters like to shoot when they're drunk. I didn't go there myself to see what was going on."

The dark-faced man sat by the campfire, deep in thought, "Logically speaking, Zhang Tongdan is a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong, so he shouldn't dare to provoke the Autumn Hunt Convoy."

"Could it be that old bastard Qin Cheng who did it?" someone asked.

"Impossible," the dark-faced man shook his head. "Old Qin has always followed the rules, and his business has been peaceful and uneventful for many years. Zhang Tongdan is penniless and has nothing to offer."

"Zhang Tongdan has a 10,000 yuan bounty on his head in City No. 18," someone said.

"Ten thousand yuan is too much for him," the dark-faced man sneered. "Old Qin earns more than that in a year. He wouldn't do anything stupid. Besides, Old Qin's family's fighting ability is mediocre. Only Old Qin received the most basic gene serum. It's impossible for him to kill Zhang Tongdan silently. At the very least, some of them must have escaped back to report."

"That's true. Although the Qin Family are experienced hunters, Zhang Tongdan took 18 people with him this time. It's impossible for them to be wiped out," someone said.

The burly man who had just returned said, "When I was keeping an eye on Zhizi Lake this afternoon, Zhang Tongdan had already returned to walkie-talkie range and told me he had received the payment for the hides. I think that since Old Qin has already completed the transaction, he won't go so far as to kill me."

"Then why didn't they meet up with you directly?" the dark-faced man asked.

"I asked him too, but when I asked him on the walkie-talkie afterwards, no one answered," the burly man replied.

The dark-faced man sighed, "They were probably intercepted by the Autumn Hunting Team. The only team in this area capable of wiping them out is the Autumn Hunting Team."

"Boss, what do we do? We have to avenge Zhang Tongdan!"

"Revenge? Do you know that there are experts in the Autumn Hunt Convoy, and their equipment is far superior to ours!" The dark-faced man looked around.

"But we outnumber them and are familiar with the terrain. If they go any further south, they'll reach Yazi Ridge. Once they cross Yazi Ridge, it'll be our territory, right?" someone said.