Urgent mission

Wang Qi became intensely interested in the woman named Ran Jiao, because he realized she might be able to detect him in his out-of-body state... this was a first.

By then, he had already struck up a conversation with the others... although Ran Jiao's inexplicable dash away had puzzled them, they had not forgotten why they had come.

They had come specifically to get acquainted with Wang Qi...

They had seemed aloof when they first met him because his arrival had been sudden, and they had not been mentally prepared.

When faced with something unfamiliar, people always instinctively kept their distance at first.

But now, after this twenty-day "cooling-off period," they had accepted that Wang Qi was one of them, and naturally began to grow curious about him.

So, after each of them had made some inquiries into Wang Qi's experiences, the desire to get acquainted with him had naturally taken shape.

These scouts directly under the Secret Guard were unlike other soldiers. They had a strong independent streak and did far more dangerous work... which made them especially value companions who were powerful or showed promise.

Making a friend might mean a life saved at a critical moment!

As Wang Qi chatted with them, he learned a little about this scout unit... they might seem idle now, with apparently simple duties.

But when the ice and snow first melted next year, they would have to set out ahead of the others, entering the dense forests and miasma of the south to draw maps for the Divine Archer Battalion and find a marching route.

That was no simple task.

While learning all this, Wang Qi also asked about Ran Jiao's eyes, as though in passing... he really was curious.

The answer he received was truly unexpected.

Ran Jiao actually had Demon Race blood...

What truly caught his attention was that the Demon Race really did exist in this world!

No one wanted to discuss Ran Jiao's background. Perhaps it involved her private secrets, so none of them wished to say much.

Yet the way everyone seemed to know at least something suggested that it might not really be a secret. Wang Qi simply had not known because his horizons were limited.

Before this, he had indeed been nothing more than a mountain villager, ignorant of the vast world. Even what little he had heard came from that lout Wang Dashan's mouth, twisted out of shape.

After seeing Ran Jiao and learning of her Demon Race blood, however, he became even more curious about this world, and his desire to explore it had fully awakened.

He decided to broaden his thinking and try not to make a fuss over every "little thing."

Their conversation was quite harmonious, and the others gradually realized that Wang Qi was not difficult to talk to.

But once they had left an impression on one another, they did not delve any deeper... that was how things were in the Secret Guard. Since they were always handling matters that could not bear the light of day, their thoughts ran deep, and they did not readily form close friendships.

Two days later, Wang Qi was holding a wild rabbit caught in one of his traps when he suddenly saw a whistling arrow shoot into the sky.

That was the signal for the Secret Guard scouts to assemble, generally used only for urgent missions.

Wang Qi felt a pang of regret. He had been hoping to add something tasty to his meal.

Then he released the trap and let the rabbit run away. Pointing lightly into the air around him several times in succession, he projected his inner force outward and destroyed all the traps he had previously set.

While he was there, catching prey with these traps served his need to survive. But leaving them behind after he departed would only harm living creatures.

Almost every time he left his body, he encountered all manner of mountain spirits, so his awareness and understanding of life had become entirely different from before.

Though he did not shun killing, he had come to hold life in greater reverence.

Only after finishing all this did he hurry back to his camp, pack up his belongings, and set off for the riverside camp to assemble.

He had thought that packing before coming would make him rather late, but unexpectedly, he was among the quicker arrivals.

Only four people had arrived before him. He was the fifth, and another ten came one after another.

Judging by the directions they came from and their arrival times, Wang Qi realized that their actual camps were farther away and better concealed.

They would rather spend a little longer assembling if it meant their temporary quarters were sufficiently remote and hidden.

Wang Qi's camp had been discovered earlier because he had taken the easy option and settled too close by... without a doubt, this was another vivid lesson for him.

Everyone was so professional!

Then their Detached Division Commandant, Xu Ping, watched them assemble with a livid face before angrily letting loose: "You troublemakers! Can't you just stay put in one camp? Is the camping area I specifically designated for you just for show?"

Everyone fell silent.

Wang Qi: "..."

It seemed the situation wasn't quite what he had thought?

Xu Ping continued berating them. "One emergency assembly took this long! If something truly urgent had happened, we'd already be too late!"

Wang Qi and the others: "..."

Seeing how much energy he still had to curse them out, it probably was not anything too serious.

Faced with their excessively calm expressions, especially Wang Qi's-he had only just joined, yet had already been "led astray"-Xu Ping felt particularly miserable.

In the end, he gave up pursuing the matter and said in a stern tone, "This really is an urgent mission. Put aside that careless attitude."

Everyone simultaneously took a deep breath and puffed out their chests a little higher to show that they were listening seriously.

Wang Qi, however, was somewhat distracted by the movement beside him... because his fellow soldier's chest had swelled rather excessively...

He glanced over and found a pair of slit-pupiled eyes glaring at him... he hurriedly turned back and kept his gaze straight ahead.

By then, Xu Ping had begun speaking. "Beyond these mountains, farther north, lies Fei County in Yan Province... recently, a band of brigands has appeared there, forcing civilians into their ranks and pillaging everywhere."

"The Secret Guard intelligence station in Mount Tai Commandery knows we're operating in these mountains, so they hope we can eliminate the threat before it gathers momentum."

Wang Qi was rather surprised by the objective of this urgent mission, while Ran Jiao beside him had already voiced a question. "Suppressing bandits is the responsibility of the governor of Mount Tai Commandery and the Commandery Troops. Why come to us?"

Xu Ping had expected this question, so he answered calmly, "His Majesty is currently preparing for the Northern Expedition. To prevent local unrest from affecting these military preparations, all of us in the Secret Guard assigned away from the capital have been authorized to act as circumstances demand."

"Besides, most of those brigands are ordinary civilians who were forced into joining them. Sending the Commandery Troops against them would cause many unnecessary civilian deaths... whereas if we strike, we can go straight for the enemy chiefs, minimizing unrest in Yan Province."

Only then did everyone stop asking questions.

Wang Qi, however, was rather surprised by the proposal of this "decapitation tactic"... as expected, when conditions permitted, how could the sons and daughters of China possibly lag behind anyone in tactics?

Now that they had elite soldiers capable of carrying out such missions, the tactical concept of "striking directly at the enemy chiefs" would naturally find its way into practical use.

Seeing that no one had any more questions, Xu Ping said, "All right, pair up and get moving... consider this a rehearsal for our coming campaign south against the mountain bandits. Once we've completed this mission, we'll head south ahead of schedule. I want every one of you on full alert as soon as possible."

This news truly shook Wang Qi... war had once seemed so far away, yet it had arrived before he even realized it.