Chapter Eighty-Five: Insider Intelligence, the Mysterious Rift (Word Count Update, First Subscription Request)

A sharp astonishment swept through the line. The two intelligence soldiers stared wide-eyed, and even Wang Zhenglin looked at Du Huaishan in stunned disbelief.

“Why are you so certain, Du Huaishan?”

“That thin, dark man’s gaze was clearly aimed at me from the start. At first I thought Li Mingcheng’s death was an accident, but when Senior Dai was killed too, it could no longer be called a coincidence.”

After hearing Du Huaishan’s explanation, Wang Zhenglin nodded and added, “That gang leader was targeting me as well.”

“So this ambush was clearly meant to silence us and prevent the event’s location from leaking. But the intelligence sent to headquarters only mentioned Vice-Squad Leader Wang and the reconnaissance team…”

“It didn’t specifically mention you, Old Dai, or Li Mingcheng!”

Wang Zhenglin said the last part himself.

“Of course, I only learned this recently too. What truly led me to that judgment was the other side’s reaction.”

Du Huaishan briefly recounted the entire clash with the thin dark man, focusing especially on the moment he used Shadow-Flash Step.

One must know this: even Zhou Zhongai and Wang Zhenglin had not been able to react in time to his Shadow-Flash Step. Yet a complete stranger, one he had never met before, had not only reacted instantly, but counterattacked as well.

No. More precisely, the man had struck at the afterimage and retaliated without the slightest hesitation.

As if he had known all along that Du Huaishan would use Shadow-Flash Step.

At first, Du Huaishan wondered whether the man possessed some special talent akin to mind-reading. But judging from the thin man’s strength, he did not seem to be a rank-two squad officer-level powerhouse.

Taken together, there was only one conclusion:

The other side had learned his details in advance.

“And the only people who knew both of the White Crane Mountain incident and the shape of my skills were the veteran soldiers on the reconnaissance second squad’s truck, as well as the new recruits from the martial academy.”

Wang Zhenglin immediately recalled the night they had met a week ago.

Indeed.

At that time, even he, having broken through to the second stage of demonization, had not reacted in time. And their fight had been seen clearly by the veteran soldiers lying in ambush at the mountain pass.

So both the veterans and the recruits were under suspicion.

Zhang Shihan narrowed his eyes, the pitch-black pupils reflecting Du Huaishan’s youthful profile.

In the space of a mere minute of contact, the boy’s composure, his way of thinking, and the strength revealed in his words had all made Zhang Shihan look at him in a new light. This class had truly produced a monster-level genius.

“We have long been investigating the White Crane Mountain incident in secret. Our preliminary conclusion was that the heretical Light Society faction had passed through White Crane Mountain while conducting private trade in Red Marrow equipment with the Nipan people. But now it seems the matter is far more than that…”

Those words made Wang Zhenglin’s face go pale, then red, then pale again.

He clearly felt bitter.

The reconnaissance second squad had worked themselves to the bone over this matter, losing their squad leader and sacrificing comrades, only to discover that others had already investigated most of it. Worse still, they were sitting on such intelligence and had not informed them!

But then again.

Just as Du Huaishan had already deduced at the martial academy that the intelligence squad would intervene, how could Wang Zhenglin, as the reconnaissance squad’s vice-squad leader, not have guessed it himself?

That was why he did not flare up.

Most of the time, this was how soldiers were. Even when they knew the road ahead was a fire pit, military orders could not be disobeyed. They had to leap in anyway, and they had to leap beautifully.

Du Huaishan was also swiftly digesting the intelligence from the intelligence squad.

Everything was broadly in line with what he had expected.

Demons, Nipan, Red Marrow.

The only thing he had not anticipated was the Light Society’s shadow in all this.

No wonder that thin dark man had a vest-like grappling device on him. That was not something ordinary gangs could acquire. The core technology belonged only to warlords and great powers.

And all kinds of Red Marrow weapons were likewise not goods that could be obtained casually.

“I didn’t expect the Light Society’s moles to remain uncleared. This matter is of great importance and cannot be delayed. We’ll decide after returning to camp. Du Huaishan, go back to the truck for now. Don’t make any noise. Rest assured, Vice-Squad Leader Wang and I will do everything we can to protect you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zhang Shihan was ruthless indeed. He did not keep Du Huaishan close for protection, and even at the risk of destroying the only piece of intelligence, he refused to startle the snake.

It seemed that in Zhang Shihan’s eyes, the importance of the Light Society was no less than that of the Red Marrow mine.

Whether that was his personal view, the intelligence squad’s view, or the view of the higher command in Yingzhou, Du Huaishan could not tell.

He could not help recalling once more the sensational news Tan Hai had told him before:

The Army Vice-Minister of the Zhili Warlord was assassinated by the Light Society.

By rank, an Army Vice-Minister was roughly equivalent to a modern deputy commander of a field army, second only to the Army Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of Staff. If such a high-ranking official could be assassinated, then when one thought of the demon infiltration at the martial academy’s training base, Greenstone Mountain, White Crane Mountain...

Good heavens.

The Light Society’s power was truly no small matter.

Back on the transport truck, although Li Anqi and the others were worried, they also tactfully refrained from crowding around Du Huaishan or pressing him with questions, after all the rumors and repeated summonings for questioning.

And so Wang Zhenglin walked at the front of the column, while Zhang Shihan and the other intelligence soldiers walked beside the transport truck, serving as covert protection.

But Du Huaishan was already on high alert.

At the first sign of trouble, he would enter demonization and flee.

Now that he understood the Light Society’s reach, he did not think some little intelligence squad squad leader, with only two first-awakening soldiers under him, could guarantee his safety.

In fact, even without the roadside ambush by the Light Society, the mere mention of the words Red Marrow mine made it questionable whether the brigade command post sending only two intelligence soldiers was not being far too careless.

The two of them could not possibly suppress a terrifying existence like the Xingxing demon.

Fortunately, the Light Society did not seem to have completely gone mad, or perhaps they knew full well that they could no longer stop the Yingzhou military high command from learning what had happened in White Crane Mountain.

Until they reached the gates of the camp, no attack came.

Once inside, the soldiers in the camp saw the reconnaissance second squad carrying corpses one after another, while the survivors were either wounded or downcast, and they could not help but stare in silence.

This was the most severe loss the reconnaissance second squad had suffered since its temporary stationing at Baitun Patrol Infantry Camp.

A flicker of hidden delight flashed at the corner of Nie Renjie’s eyes. Especially when he saw the intelligence squad walking nearby, he assumed the reconnaissance second squad had botched its investigation and been put under the eye of higher command.

But when he saw Du Huaishan unharmed, his expression inevitably soured again, as though he had swallowed a dead fly.

Wherever the intelligence squad went, it drew attention.

Soon the deputy battalion commander of the patrol camp, along with several subordinate company commanders, came out from the camp command post to “receive” them in person.

This was not unusual.

Back when the intelligence squad leader Sun Jianheng from the Seventy-Third Brigade met Lai Yanlong, he had treated him as an equal.

For a squad leader of the intelligence detachment to be received by a deputy battalion commander was entirely normal.

“Clear out a few cells. Lock these men up. I’ll interrogate them personally tonight. Also, notify the subordinate companies to form a main company starting tonight. At dawn tomorrow, prepare to depart with the reconnaissance second squad for White Crane Mountain and carry out a secret military order!”

Those words from Zhang Shihan immediately stirred surprise among many soldiers.

Nie Renjie was utterly dumbfounded.

Since the intelligence squad had said it this way, it was obvious the reconnaissance second squad had uncovered something important. Otherwise, there would be no reason to pull an entire main company at this critical moment.

“The reconnaissance second squad and the elite training rookie team are hereby disbanded. Assemble at seven in the morning tomorrow.”

After finishing his final sentence, Zhang Shihan turned and left with the merchant and the gang members.

That was it?

Du Huaishan raised a brow. This did not fit the intelligence squad’s style at all.

During the martial academy infiltration incident last time, even he, a recruit who had only happened to stumble upon the mole, had been taken away for interrogation.

And now?

Knowing full well there was a Light Society mole among the recruits and veterans, they neither interrogated nor monitored them, but simply let them go free.

Did that make sense?

It did not.

Fishing.

Pure and simple baiting.

And damn it all, they were using me as the bait.

“Ah, looks like tomorrow’s going to be a hard fight. Come on, Huaishan, let’s head to the mess hall and eat first. I’m nearly starved to death...”

Wu Ming held his stomach and sighed.

The others were basically starving too.

Du Huaishan did not know whether he should continue staying with these brothers at this moment.

After all, that mole now knew the Yingzhou army would act tomorrow morning, and Du Huaishan was the only one who knew all the details. He did not know whether the mole would call in accomplices for a second attempt.

These people had even dared to steal secret data from the martial academy; murdering someone in camp would hardly be beyond them.

“Forget it. You go eat first. I’ll send Li Mingcheng and Chen Jun’s bodies to logistics.”

At the sound of those two names again, Lin Sizhi and the others lowered their heads, and even Tan Hai’s gaze flickered.

Having two teammates die in a single day was no small blow to anyone.

Jiang Qian covered her mouth, apparently recalling the bloody and horrifying scene again.

“Jiang Qian, are you all right?”

Li Anqi supported her arm and gently patted her back. “Should I take you to the infirmary?”

“No need. I’ll go by myself.”

Jiang Qian waved her off and, forcing back the urge to vomit, turned and left.

At logistics, after Du Huaishan handed over the bodies, specialists would tag them, send them back to the martial academy, and notify the families to come claim them.

Perhaps it was because he had not known Li Mingcheng and Chen Jun for long.

Or perhaps he had already grown accustomed to comrades dying.

In any case, compared with Sun Tian’s death, this time he did not feel as sorrowful.

Du Huaishan seemed to understand a little more of the expression on the faces of the veteran soldiers under Chang Sui’an on the battlefield at Xintun the day he had first arrived after crossing over, when he had said that everyone was dead.

Perhaps when death happens too often, a person truly becomes numb.

Yet the few words Li Mingcheng had spoken before dying still left a strong impression on Du Huaishan’s heart.

Thank you.

And, live.

For someone so timid and afraid of death, to offer no plea for help before dying, but instead to express gratitude and tell him to live well...

Yes.

No matter what.

We should all live well.

Even in this hellish, chaotic age teeming with demons and monsters.

Taking a deep breath, Du Huaishan turned and left logistics, preparing to get something to eat in the mess hall.

But just as he turned the corner, he suddenly heard a shout:

“Huaishan—”

Bang!

A gunshot cracked. A bullet thudded into Du Huaishan’s shoulder armor amid the call of Yinglu Guardian Spirit’s summoning. Taking advantage of that instant, he rolled behind a tree on the logistics lawn.

“Damn it, he really knows how to adapt. A gun is still best for killing people!”

Hiding behind the trunk, Du Huaishan spat on the ground and worked his sore shoulder. The bullet head dropped out of the cotton padding in the shoulder armor with a soft clack, and he looked up toward the diagonally opposite side.

Good heavens. It was Tan Hai, Wu Ming, Li Anqi, Lin Sizhi, Xu Yuan, all of them hiding there.

And the one who had shouted just now was Tan Hai.

“Tan Hai, you actually called it! Someone really was trying to assassinate Huaishan?”

Li Anqi crouched behind a tree and thumped Tan Hai on the head.

Wu Ming, meanwhile, held a horse rifle and aimed at the sniper position across from them.

Tan Hai narrowed his eyes. “It was obvious. Li Mingcheng was beside Brother Huaishan at the time, and my position was even closer to that man. Yet he killed Li Mingcheng first and only then tried to kill Brother Huaishan. It was clearly directed at our squad.”

The rest was omitted due to length in the original prompt.