As dusk began to fall, the primitive tropical jungle remained stiflingly hot, with various insects biting, capable of causing a person's death at any moment.
Enduring her injuries, Nie Xiaoyu was busy cleaning two assault rifles, specifically models used by the U.S. Marine Corps. This led her to suspect and speculate about the identity of the mercenaries who had attacked them.
At that moment, Li Yuxiu, who had been meditating and cultivating, slowly opened her eyes. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and, seeing that Wan Yunting had not yet returned, turned to Nie Xiaoyu and asked, "Officer Nie, what are you thinking about?"
Nie Xiaoyu turned, put down the rifle in her hand, and shook her head slightly, saying, "Nothing much. Doctor Li, how are you feeling?"
"Much better."
Li Yuxiu nodded. Wan Yunting had just transmitted some internal energy to her, which had significantly eased her discomfort.
Nie Xiaoyu comforted her, "Don't worry, we'll get back together."
Li Yuxiu nodded, then saw Wan Yunting return, holding some medicinal herbs. Seeing that they had rested enough, he said, "It's almost dark, we need to find a place to settle down."
Nie Xiaoyu leaned on the tree trunk and struggled to stand up. Wan Yunting wanted to help her, but she waved him off, "I'm fine, I can walk myself."
Seeing this, Wan Yunting nodded and helped Li Yuxiu up. However, his large hand accidentally brushed against her right chest, causing him to quickly retract it. But Li Yuxiu showed no reaction, as her body had been accidentally touched by a man's hand several times while walking earlier, so she didn't think anything of it.
"Let's go."
Wan Yunting didn't think much of it. He supported Li Yuxiu with his right hand, took the rifle from Nie Xiaoyu with his left, pointed in a direction, and they moved on again...
Nie Xiaoyu, holding the assault rifle, followed behind, occasionally looking back vigilantly to check their rear. She asked, "Are you sure they're still pursuing us?"
"Yes, they're about 1.6 kilometers away now!" Wan Yunting replied while supporting Li Yuxiu.
Nie Xiaoyu turned and looked at him with surprise. Wan Yunting said, "I went to gather herbs just now and scouted ahead. They're after me!"
Nie Xiaoyu's brows furrowed tightly. "How do you know they're after you?"
Wan Yunting explained, "You must know about the Mexican Caroquin drug cartel, right? Those people are Caroquin's elite armed guards. They're here to settle the score with me!"
As soon as Mexico was mentioned, Nie Xiaoyu immediately understood. She knew that he had killed the major drug lord Caroquin in Mexico back then, which had triggered a global operation to eradicate drug traffickers and garnered worldwide attention. Only a few people knew that the person who killed Caroquin was Wan Yunting.
"I also suspect that the attack we encountered on our way back from the slum last time was also them coming after me!" Wan Yunting said coldly, while supporting Li Yuxiu.
Nie Xiaoyu fell silent, not expecting that the attackers were seeking revenge against Wan Yunting. Even Wan Yunting himself hadn't expected to encounter the former elite armed guards of Caroquin seeking retribution in Africa, and that it had caused the peacekeepers to sacrifice themselves in vain. This filled Wan Yunting with guilt. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have taken Li Yuxiu and Nie Xiaoyu out to find medicine today, nor would he have caused the sacrifice of Tang Xiaotian and the other five soldiers.
"What do we do now?" Li Yuxiu asked, having grasped the general situation.
Nie Xiaoyu didn't blame Wan Yunting, as no one could have anticipated this.
Wan Yunting's eyes widened sharply. "After I settle you both down, I'll go settle the score with them."
Hearing Wan Yunting's intention to take the initiative, Nie Xiaoyu said, "I'll go with you."
Wan Yunting looked at her and replied, "No need, I can handle it alone."
Nie Xiaoyu's brows knitted slightly, but recalling Wan Yunting's extraordinary abilities and her own injuries, she realized she would likely be a burden rather than a help. Thus, she nodded and said no more.
As darkness deepened, Wan Yunting supported Li Yuxiu and Nie Xiaoyu as they walked through the pitch-black jungle. Along the way, they encountered many nocturnal animals, making Li Yuxiu very nervous. Fortunately, Nie Xiaoyu was not afraid of them. As a soldier, she had received professional training and participated in international special forces competitions, so she was naturally adept at wilderness survival.
"We'll make camp up ahead."
Based on her knowledge of wilderness survival, Nie Xiaoyu spotted a massive tree ahead. Its roots snaked into the ground like pythons, forming a concealed space within, which she deemed suitable for a temporary refuge.
"Okay..."
Wan Yunting nodded and helped Li Yuxiu over. Upon seeing a snake slither past their feet, she let out a startled cry and leaped into Wan Yunting's arms.
"It's just a harmless grass snake."
Nie Xiaoyu approached and flicked the snake away with her foot. Then, she turned on the flashlight attached to the assault rifle and carefully examined the space within the tree's root system. Apart from a few small animals, she saw no snakes. However, Nie Xiaoyu was hesitant to enter, as venomous creatures in the wild often hid in shady spots, and the area beneath the tree roots was exactly the kind of place they liked.
"Let's rest over here."
Nie Xiaoyu pointed to an open space nearby, where she proceeded to clear away some weeds and dead leaves to prevent any venomous creatures from hiding beneath them.
"This is Artemisia argyi leaves. You can rub them on your skin to repel mosquitoes and insects; it should make you feel a bit better."
Wan Yunting presented the herbs he had gathered earlier to Nie Xiaoyu and Li Yuxiu. He then helped Li Yuxiu to sit down and took out some herbs for her wound, saying, "Sister Yuxiu, I found some medicine to re-bandage your wound."
Li Yuxiu, having rested and feeling much improved, lifted her shirt again. However, as the man's gaze fell upon her chest, she couldn't help but blush and turn her head away shyly.
Wan Yunting, however, did not stare. He chewed the herbs into a paste and applied it to the gauze. As he pressed it against the wound, Li Yuxiu's body trembled slightly. Wan Yunting watched as she painfully turned her head, biting her lip to endure the pain.
"Bear with it, it'll be over soon..."
Wan Yunting carefully wrapped the bandage around her waist. Only then did Li Yuxiu sigh in relief and turn her head. Her phoenix-like eyes met the man's, and she softly said, "Thank you..."
Wan Yunting shook his head slightly. "You should cultivate your energy to heal. I'll tend to Officer Nie's wounds."
Li Yuxiu nodded and sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate.
Wan Yunting also treated Nie Xiaoyu's wounds. He checked his watch; it was already 7:27 PM. Simultaneously, thanks to his keen hearing, he could detect any movement within hundreds of meters.
"Are they catching up?" Nie Xiaoyu asked vigilantly, her brows furrowed.
Wan Yunting shook his head slightly. "They should be about a kilometer away."
"What are you going to do now?" Nie Xiaoyu inquired.
After settling her, Wan Yunting said, "You stay here and look after Sister Yuxiu. I'll go meet them!"
Nie Xiaoyu's brows knitted together, knowing his actions were risky, but she didn't stop Wan Yunting. She nodded and said, "Don't worry, but you have to promise me you'll come back alive!"
Wan Yunting met her gaze, nodded, and smiled, "I'll be back, don't worry."
With that, he picked up an assault rifle from the ground, stood up, glanced at Li Yuxiu, who was meditating and cultivating nearby, and then looked back at Nie Xiaoyu. "I'm entrusting Sister Yuxiu to you."
Nie Xiaoyu nodded and said nothing more. She watched as Wan Yunting turned and quickly disappeared into the dark jungle. She then picked up her assault rifle, her eyes vigilantly scanning the dark undergrowth around them, guarding against any animal appearances.
A moment later, Li Yuxiu slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Nie Xiaoyu, who was sitting guard nearby. "Where did he go?"
Nie Xiaoyu turned to look at her. "Don't worry, he'll come back alive."
Li Yuxiu nodded and couldn't help but sigh softly. She then murmured, "He's quite a good person."
Nie Xiaoyu's expression faltered, and she looked at Li Yuxiu with surprise. "Doctor Li, do you mean he's a nice person?"
Li Yuxiu turned to her and said, "Don't you think so, Captain Nie?"
Nie Xiaoyu nodded. "I've always thought he was very capable, but..."
Li Yuxiu suddenly smiled. "But he's quite a playboy."
Nie Xiaoyu recalled the scene during the disaster relief when Wan Yunting was trapped in the Lingshan cave, and a group of women had come to see him. She knew then just how popular he was with women. Both Li Yuxiu and Nie Xiaoyu understood this deeply. The exceptional abilities Wan Yunting displayed, along with the gentle care he showed them, truly evoked a feeling within their hearts that was hard to describe. Of course, such feelings could only be buried deep inside. At least Nie Xiaoyu would not express them, only admire Wan Yunting more and more. After all, she preferred a man's devotion rather than his fickle affections.
Meanwhile, Wan Yunting, armed with his assault rifle and relying on his extraordinarily keen sense of smell and abilities, moved swiftly through the jungle like a nocturnal wildcat, heading in one direction. His eyes, in particular, emitted a faint green glow in the darkness, much like night-vision goggles. The darkness was no obstacle to his vision; it was as clear as day to him, allowing him to see even the smallest insects on distant trees. Thus, the darkness could not impede Wan Yunting's rage as he moved swiftly towards the pursuing enemies.
Soon, his superior hearing picked up the clear sound of feet crunching on dry branches and leaves hundreds of meters away, allowing him to pinpoint the pursuers' location! He immediately stopped, his green-glowing eyes scanning the surrounding trees. Then, he leaped suddenly, soaring into the air and landing on a tree. After adjusting his position, he sat down on a thick branch, leaning against the trunk, raised his assault rifle, aimed it in a direction, and began to wait quietly for the enemy's arrival.