What's wrong?
Chu Lingzhi, who had followed him deep into the forest, was startled. Were they in danger?
She was a clever woman and didn't make a single sound at such a critical moment.
Nangong Yehen pulled her to hide behind a large tree, one hand gripping his gun and the other tightly holding her wrist.
He leaned his body against the tree, trapping her securely in his arms, and turned his head to look toward the source of the noise.
Through the gaps in the leaves, they saw a group of men dressed uniformly in black, holding guns and searching around the creek.
They exuded a murderous aura, their searching eyes as sharp and cold as leopards, fierce and ruthless... radiating a dark, sinister presence.
Chu Lingzhi stared at them, her mouth gaping in shock.
Had they tracked Nangong Yehen's whereabouts and come here to hunt him down?
She glanced at Nangong Yehen, only to see his eyes icy cold, narrowed slightly, emitting a terrifying killing intent.
This Nangong Yehen was a completely different person from the one she'd seen these past few days.
At this moment, he was like a bloodthirsty demon, fearsome and brutal.
Yet, somehow, this version of him made her feel a sudden sense of security.
They were in a dense thicket, with a large tree shielding their bodies.
Nangong Yehen thought that if the searchers didn't find them, there would be no need to start a bloodbath here.
"Search everywhere! They must be nearby!"
A man gave the order, and they quickly spread out, scouring the area.
Nangong Yehen's gaze turned cold. Several people were already heading their way.
Every time the crunch of dry grass and twigs underfoot sounded, Chu Lingzhi's heart trembled.
They were getting closer. Would they be discovered?
No matter how skilled Nangong Yehen was, one man with one gun couldn't take on so many, could he?
And he had to look out for her too...
Chu Lingzhi looked at Nangong Yehen, her anxious eyes seeming to ask, "What do we do?"
Suddenly, something occurred to her. She pointed at his gun, then at herself.
The meaning was clear: she was asking if he had an extra pistol. If she had one, with her marksmanship, she could take down a few enemies too.
Nangong Yehen shook his head. He only carried one powerful silenced gun.
Three men were about to approach, just two meters away.
They seemed to sense something, their steps becoming extremely cautious, their sharp, murderous eyes highly alert.
Nangong Yehen's eyes turned cold, and he swiftly fired at them.
His speed was lightning-fast, each shot fatal.
The first and second men's pupils dilated, their throats unable to utter a sound before their bodies pitched forward.
Chu Lingzhi reacted quickly, immediately reaching out to grab a gun.
The third man, seeing the first one hit, shouted, "He—"
Then he fell. His cry alerted their comrades searching elsewhere.
They turned, looked in their direction, and saw their fallen men.
Nangong Yehen pulled Chu Lingzhi and fled quickly.
"After them! They're over there! Chase them! No survivors!"
They gave chase, firing at Nangong Yehen as they ran.
At first, Nangong Yehen thought he wouldn't be able to move fast through the forest with Chu Lingzhi.
But to his surprise, her agile body moved like a deer or a rat, darting swiftly through the woods.
Nangong Yehen felt a sense of fighting side by side with her.
They ran fast, but the men behind them were no pushovers—professionally trained, they moved through the deep mountain forest like leopards.
Gunshots rang out, one after another.