novelraw Chapter 203 : Encounter on a Narrow Path
Chapter 203 : Encounter on a Narrow Path
In the ancient forest, dense vegetation of varying heights spread out.
Massive trees stretched skyward like towering palms, blocking out much of the scorching sun.
Shen Han's group of seven advanced silently, speaking in hushed tones only when necessary.
The sound of wind rustling leaves mingled with various bird calls and frog croaks, but the sensory feedback was far from the natural freshness one might imagine.
The oppressively humid environment made it feel like walking through an endless sauna.
Bites from unknown insects couldn't be avoided even through clothing.
Traces left by their targets appeared and disappeared intermittently. Fortunately, Sun Yu's guidance saved Shen Han's team from wasting energy on searching and identifying trails.
During a brief rest, Fang Yue whispered to Sun Yu, "This medicine trail is different from what I imagined."
"I thought it would be a canyon or channel, with people walking in the middle and wild herbs on both sides."
Sun Yu grinned at her, then moved closer to Shen Han, saying as if seeking credit, "The place Sister Yue described does exist for a small stretch, but most of the path is like what we're walking now. Otherwise, how could it be called hidden?"
"The pattern of this medicine trail is to follow those grotesque red tree vines. But speaking of which, this place has changed so much, even my mom would probably get lost if she came in."
Shen Han plucked a small withered twig from his head and said softly, "Got it. We're lucky to have you this time. If you have a chance to come to the Free Federation in the future, I'll be your guide, provide food and lodging, and show you around."
Hearing this, Sun Yu's heart immediately filled with excitement.
Shen Han took out a water bottle from her bag and handed it to him, then said to the other team members, "Everyone stay alert. We're getting closer to our targets."
"There might be nine of them. I've carefully examined the footprints they left. One person's force distribution is off, and their weight is much higher than normal. I judge that person is either carrying heavy equipment or carrying someone."
After a pause, she added, "Whichever the case, we can't let our guard down!"
As Shen Han led the team to continue moving forward, in another area some distance away, Takeda Tatsuya's group had stopped.
"Does anyone have any heat relief medication left? If not, give me a bottle of water."
"The teacher doesn't seem to be feeling well. I suggest we rest here for half an hour before continuing."
Hearing the words of Takeda Tatsuya's disciple, an officer carrying a black box immediately spoke up, "Rest for half an hour? Do you know what consequences we'll face if we don't reach our rendezvous point with the reinforcements before nightfall?"
The disciple laid down the half-conscious elder he was carrying on his back, positioning him in a more comfortable posture against the tangled tree roots.
He turned and walked towards the officer who had just spoken, "What did you say? Say it again."
In the stuffy, humid dense forest, the disciple's simple words sent a chill down the spines of the other seven men.
It wasn't that these seven had poor psychological quality; they were all handpicked elites from their units, with combat abilities not inferior to special forces.
But they all knew that Takeda's student was a madman!
He didn't mind what others said about him, but if anyone spoke ill of his teacher, he would become extremely violent.
The seven soldiers quickly formed a defensive formation, some even drawing knives from their leg holsters.
The man carrying the black box quietly gripped the gun in his pocket and said sternly, "What? Do you want to kill someone like you did yesterday? I'm not one of those weaklings from White Light City!"
"Give me the water." The disciple lowered his eyelids and extended his hand towards the tense soldiers.
He wasn't truly foolish and wouldn't actively cause trouble in the current situation.
After resting for 20 minutes, the group set off again.
To transport the Dragon Horn Ginseng safely as quickly as possible, they had specifically planned this remote route.
Hiding in the city after committing a crime made it easy to be reported, and it was also difficult to move important items.
In Takeda Tatsuya's plan, although this route was very difficult to traverse, it was safer.
Their support team had already set up camp across the border in advance, and several people were now coming from the other end of the medicine trail. Once the two groups successfully met up, this mission could basically be considered complete.
...
Time quickly reached 6 PM.
Shen Han led her team to continue advancing.
No one spoke; the entire pursuit operation looked like a tense silent film.
The continuous tension of nerves and constant depletion of physical strength invisibly increased the already significant pressure on everyone.
Tracking in dense forest was completely different from flat ground.
You knew the targets were just ahead, yet could never catch them.
This feeling inevitably made people restless and irritable.
It was as if there was an invisible barrier between the two sides; the more you wanted to tear it down, the more counterproductive it became.
Among everyone, Sun Yu's emotional fluctuations were the greatest.
The excitement and enthusiasm he felt upon first entering the forest had now been largely worn away.
Muscle aches and joint pains continuously assailed him, making him dizzy and exhausted.
The current situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
He thought he would see Shen Han leading the team to steamroll the enemy again.
Instead, they had been chasing for several grueling hours without catching a glimpse of their opponents.
Sun Yu had specially changed into a pair of hiking boots before setting out, and now he could feel blisters forming on both his feet.
Every step brought both itching and pain.
"Can you still keep going?"
Hearing Shen Han's soft inquiry, Sun Yu rubbed the corner of his eye with the back of his hand and quietly replied with a "Yes."
Just as the two were briefly communicating, a team member walking at the front suddenly raised his right arm to warn everyone.
Shen Han quickly pulled Sun Yu to a stop.
She looked up in the direction her teammate was pointing and saw a group of men in camouflage clothing resting under a tree.
They had also spotted Shen Han's group, and four of them immediately stood up, warily eyeing Shen Han's side.
The Yin Country team didn't launch an attack immediately.
They stared at the young men and women who had suddenly appeared in their line of sight. Although they found it very strange, they didn't immediately think of them as pursuers.
Firstly, none of Shen Han's group were carrying any combat equipment.
Secondly, the Yin Country soldiers saw that there was a boy who looked like a student among the opposing group.
Unlike the Yin Country team's inaction, Shen Han whispered to Sun Yu, "Stay here, and get down immediately if you hear any commotion," before leading the others to continue walking forward.
She had already spotted the half-dead Takeda Tatsuya not far away, and also saw the black box one of them was holding.
In all likelihood, the Dragon Horn Ginseng was inside that black box!
Meeting on a narrow path, there was no choice but to fight.
Shen Han didn't know if the enemy had reinforcements nearby, nor did she know when the additional forces Gu Junwan had mobilized would arrive here.
So, she decided to take action directly.
Of course, launching an attack also required skill.
Taking the enemy by surprise would yield better results.
Shen Han raised her arm and waved at the Yin Country soldiers, speaking in broken Solan dialect, "Where did y'all come from? We're lost, can we follow y'all for a bit?"
After hearing Shen Han's words, the Yin Country soldiers relaxed a bit more in their hearts, but didn't completely let down their guard.
Seeing the woman who spoke approaching their side, a soldier immediately stepped forward to block her, "Sorry, we have a sick person here, please-"
Before he could finish his dismissive words, the soldier's outstretched wrist was suddenly seized by Shen Han.
"Crack!"
The sound of bones dislocating and the man's scream rang out simultaneously, like a thunderclap exploding in the depths of the dense forest!
But soon, the man's scream was abruptly cut off.
After breaking his wrist, Shen Han twisted his neck with lightning speed.
At the same time, the Free Federation special ops team members rushed out from both sides, launching attacks on the nearest Yin Country soldiers.
After Shen Han's lightning-fast kill, the number of regular combat personnel on both sides became even.
Six against six!
Takeda Tatsuya's disciple was about to rush forward to help when he heard his teacher's weak voice softly saying beside him, "Go!"
Under no circumstances would he disobey his teacher's will.
He bent down to carry him on his back, then ran without hesitation towards a cluster of red tree vines in the distance.
Catching this scene in her peripheral vision, Shen Han's expression changed slightly.
But she didn't choose to chase immediately, instead concentrating on continuing to deal with the man holding the black box.
She naturally harbored a deep hatred for Takeda Tatsuya.
However, compared to personally avenging her enemy, seizing the Dragon Horn Ginseng was clearly more important.
Gun control in the ancient kingdom of Solan was extremely strict. Takeda Tatsuya's Yin Country team had stayed in White Light City for half a month and only managed to purchase three guns from the black market.
One of those was in the hands of the person responsible for guarding the black box.
The Yin Country soldiers selected to participate in this operation were all capable, and the battle immediately became deadlocked as soon as it started.
Shen Han had to dodge bullets shot at her while preventing her opponent from suddenly turning the gun on her teammates. For a time, she was unable to take him down.
After narrowly avoiding another bullet, she suddenly unleashed her pheromones.
An S-class alpha's pheromones could not only enhance themselves but also be used to attack!
Caught off guard, the man holding the box was knocked backward by the onslaught of fierce cedar scent.
His reaction was also extremely fast. The moment he realized he had been hit, he quickly pulled the trigger aimed at where his opponent had been.
How could Shen Han stand still waiting to be shot?
After suddenly releasing her pheromones, she had already moved, circling to the side to reach the optimal attack point.
She gripped the dagger in her hand in reverse and decisively stabbed it into the enemy's carotid artery!
Blood sprayed onto her face, the steaming rusty smell making one nauseous.
Shen Han had no time to wipe the fresh blood from her face and eyes. She seized the enemy's gun, first firing a shot into his heart to finish him off, then firing another bullet at the password lock on the black box.
Only after confirming that one of the jade boxes inside contained the Dragon Horn Ginseng did half of her anxiety finally subside.
After quickly stuffing the jade box into her bag, Shen Han immediately rejoined the ongoing battle!