Chapter 99: Lackey

"Damn! How did you guys suddenly show up in front of us?" Bai Li Pang Pang was also stunned by what he saw.

"This isn't the time to be worrying about that!" Shen Qingzhu shouted, quickly changing direction and leaping to the left.

By sheer coincidence, Lin Qiye had also chosen the same direction at the same time.

The two groups, which were previously blocked from both front and back, now simultaneously broke through to the left, just as a series of missile sounds pierced the air!

Two of the three subordinates behind Shen Qingzhu were hit by bullets. After screaming in despair, their eyes rolled back and they collapsed to the ground.

Lin Qiye's knife swung so quickly it almost left an afterimage. He rapidly cut a path through the forest, while Cao Yuan, still gripping the utterly useless spoon in his hand, desperately chased after him.

Bai Li Pang Pang let out a sharp cry, dodging behind a large tree to avoid a barrage of missiles, then rolling and scrambling to catch up with Lin Qiye and the others.

The group ran for their lives, crossing the entire rugged old forest and eventually reaching a relatively spacious clearing. A small stream flowed gently through the mountains, the sound of its pleasant trickling echoing in the air.

Lin Qiye took a few steps, bent down beside the stream, cupped his hands to drink some water, and wiped his face, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Bai Li Pang Pang plopped down on the ground, completely exhausted.

"Qiye… how much further do we have to go to cross the mountain range?"

"Still far." Lin Qiye slowly spoke, "From the beginning, the drones came at us from different directions, forcing us to change course several times. We've only covered about four or five kilometers in a straight line since we started."

"Are the instructors playing with us? We're being chased by drones and can't even fight back..." Shen Qingzhu stood up and angrily kicked a stone into the stream.

"We won't be able to cross the mountain like this," Cao Yuan said with a frown.

"Actually, I've thought something's off from the start," Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Off?"

"Didn't you guys notice? No matter which direction we've gone, the position of the sun hasn't changed," Lin Qiye pointed at the sun overhead. "And the mountain paths I see keep changing..."

The group fell silent, then simultaneously looked up, their faces darkening.

"What's going on?"

"It seems the instructors have used the Superpower object to cover this area. From the very beginning, they never intended for us to cross through."

"So what do they want to do?"

"Here, they intend to completely drain our stamina."

Bai Li Pang Pang's face turned pale. "So, does that mean we're all doomed to face that punishment?"

"Not necessarily." Cao Yuan suddenly spoke, "Those who collapsed from exhaustion haven't been subjected to the punishment."

"…" Bai Li Pang Pang sat back down, hopeless, and sighed deeply.

It seemed the drones knew they were nearing their limits and didn't approach them directly. This gave the group a rare moment to catch their breath.

After such a long run, their stamina was almost depleted, and they all sat down, letting the quiet of the clearing wash over them. The only sounds were the occasional "soul-searching" from their heavy loads echoing in the mountain valley, causing them to chuckle every now and then.

"Hey, that guy with the spoon." Shen Qingzhu's gaze fell on Cao Yuan. "You're so strong. Why didn't you exert yourself during the fight with the Masked Man last night?"

"In situations where it's not necessary, I don't draw my sword. It's a vow I made in front of Buddha," Cao Yuan replied calmly.

"But you still attacked later?"

"That was when it became absolutely necessary." Cao Yuan glanced at Lin Qiye.

Shen Qingzhu frowned. "What does that mean? When he told you to fight, you fought, but when I tell you to do something, you just sit there? You think you're better than me?"

"Yes."

"You!" Shen Qingzhu's gaze sharpened.

"A person who can't control their emotions is always weak," Cao Yuan said, casually playing with his spoon.

Shen Qingzhu glared at Cao Yuan, his fists tightly clenched, as though he was about to rush over and punch him. After a while, he relaxed his hands.

He stood up, gave Cao Yuan a cold look, and sneered, "We'll see who's strong and who's weak."

With that, he turned and started walking in another direction.

Behind him, the last remaining recruit quickly got up and followed him.

"Damn it, those two were eliminated, and you're still following me?" Shen Qingzhu, still fuming, noticed the recruit trailing behind and cursed at him.

"Because you're Shen Ge!" The recruit grinned foolishly. "If it weren't for you helping my mom pay off the debts, I'd still be begging on the streets instead of being a Night Watchman!"

"Are you out of your mind? I almost killed you and that ghost yesterday using [Qi Min], and you're still calling me Shen Ge?"

"You did that to force him out!" the lackey said honestly. "And if you didn't care about us, why did you throw us into the dorm building and use air explosions?"

"You..." Shen Qingzhu, frustrated, kicked a stone away. "Fine, if you're all so stupid and want to follow me, go ahead. But remember this—don't make trouble for me!"

Shen Qingzhu turned and walked away, his lackey following closely behind without hesitation.

"Shen Ge, is your load heavy? Want me to help carry some?" the lackey asked.

"Get lost, my load is mine to carry!" Shen Qingzhu snapped.

"Oh..."

As the two walked away, Bai Li Pang Pang shrugged.

"Strange. Shen Qingzhu's got a bad temper, he's arrogant, and he loves to curse... yet there are people willing to follow him. Are they all blind?"

"That guy's name is Deng Wei. When he was a kid, his dad ran off, and his mom loved gambling, leaving a huge pile of debt. When the creditors came knocking with knives, he had no choice but to borrow money from anyone he could.

Then he happened to meet Shen Qingzhu, who, for some unknown reason, sold several pieces of land back home and lent the money to Deng Wei. Afterward, the two of them awakened the Superpower object, caught the attention of the Night Watchmen, and ended up here."

Cao Yuan briefly explained the backstory.

"You know that much?"

"Deng Wei is my roommate," Cao Yuan shrugged. "He has two other lackeys, twin brothers named Li Jia and Li Liang. I don't know why, but they're also completely loyal to Shen Qingzhu."

"A man with a past, huh. Didn't expect that," Bai Li Pang Pang raised an eyebrow.

At that moment, the buzzing of drones echoed again from the forest, and Lin Qiye's face changed slightly as he stood up.

"They're back..."