Shangguan Meixue

Emergency lights flickered on in the tunnel one after another, making Huo Xuan frown slightly. Fortunately, these lights weren't installed everywhere—most areas remained shrouded in darkness.

The American base immediately descended into chaos. Some personnel rushed to repair the power generators, others activated backup systems, while armed teams began patrolling the corridors.

Relying on his memory, Huo Xuan swiftly moved toward the location where Shangguan Meixue was held. Along the way, he encountered several heavily fortified security doors. These doors had backup power and could still be opened despite the blackout.

He carried two severed hands and a pair of eyeballs—all harvested from the corpses in the power room. With these, he could easily bypass the numerous security checkpoints.

The base was structured like a labyrinth; even with a map, most people would get lost. But Huo Xuan's sharp memory, combined with the Buddha's Eye's ability to see through illusions, ensured no passageway could confuse him.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at a cell door and used one of the severed hands to unlock it. Inside was a cramped room containing only a bare bed and a toilet. A woman sat on the bed, her expression blank and eyes icy. She showed no reaction to Huo Xuan's presence.

Huo Xuan studied her. Despite her rigid demeanor, her fair skin, straight nose, and alluring almond-shaped eyes exuded an undeniable charm—the kind that stirred a man's heart.

"Are you Shangguan Meixue?" he asked.

The woman replied coldly, "Who are you?"

"Sent to extract you. Come with me."

A glint flashed in Shangguan Meixue's eyes as she stood. "You're much slower than I expected."

Huo Xuan's lip twitched. I risk my life to save you, and this is the thanks I get? But now wasn't the time for arguments. Keeping his tone flat, he repeated, "Follow me."

The two moved swiftly through the passageway, Huo Xuan effortlessly dispatching several patrols without breaking stride.

Fifteen minutes later, they reached the exit. At a T-junction, three figures emerged from the left corridor. The moment their eyes met, Huo Xuan's instincts flared—these men radiated danger, reminiscent of the elite American operatives he'd encountered before.

One of the trio sneered in English, "Look—a yellow rat. I'll handle this." His body blurred as he lunged forward with terrifying speed.

Huo Xuan shoved Shangguan Meixue aside and met the charge head-on. Unlike the regular soldiers he'd faced earlier, these opponents demanded his full power.

His body twisted like a coiling dragon as he unleashed the Cannon Fist—a devastating Taiji technique where the punch carried the force of an artillery shell.

The attacker barely registered the speed before their fists collided.

CRACK!

Bones shattered as the man's fingers and forearm splintered through torn flesh. Before he could scream, Huo Xuan's left fist whipped upward like an iron whip, crushing his groin. The operative's eyes bulged before he collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

The remaining two gaped. Their fallen comrade, "Lightning King," was renowned for speed and strength—yet had been obliterated in one move.

Huo Xuan gave them no time to react. His stomp cracked the concrete as he launched forward, fists alternating in the Mother-Child Cannon Hammer—a lethal fusion of Taiji's Hammer Form and the venomous Twin Fist technique learned from Prison No. 4's masters.

One foe sprouted coarse black hair across his body; the other's skin gleamed metallic.

Huo Xuan feinted toward the hairy man, then crushed his throat with a secondary strike. The operative dropped instantly—even enhanced durability couldn't protect such vulnerabilities.

The metallic-skinned attacker swiped with silver claws extruding from his fingertips.

What kind of freak is this? Huo Xuan dodged, landing a shoulder punch that rang like striking steel. The man laughed grotesquely and pressed the attack.

Fists hammered against the operative's skull, chest, and spine—all ineffective. His body might as well be forged metal!

Time was running out. In a flash of inspiration, Huo Xuan's fingers stabbed into the man's eyes.

"AAARGH!" Blood and ocular fluid gushed as the blinded operative staggered.

"DOWN!" Huo Xuan locked the man's head between his palms and twisted violently with Coiling Silk energy.

SNAP!

Even a steel neck would have yielded to such torque. The operative crumpled, his spine severed at the cervical vertebrae.

Without a backward glance, Huo Xuan grabbed the stunned Shangguan Meixue and barked, "Move!"

At the exit, he swept her into his arms and charged forward like a gray dragon.

The moment she was lifted, Shangguan Meixue let out a piercing shriek—partly from the sudden motion, partly because a large, warm hand had cupped her firm backside, even giving it an audacious squeeze.

Despite carrying a woman, Huo Xuan moved with undiminished speed. Ignoring her outcry, he delivered another deliberate grope. Not that he could be blamed—the resilience of those curves was irresistible, their texture perfection itself. How could he resist kneading such plushness?

After ten minutes of sprinting, an armored SUV materialized at the rendezvous point. He bundled Shangguan Meixue inside and ignited the engine just as his sharp eyes caught four armored vehicles closing in.

His stomach tightened. Flooring the accelerator, he sent the SUV rocketing forward. The g-force pinned Shangguan Meixue rigidly against her seat, her spine pressed by the violent thrust.

As the vehicle careened ahead, she turned a glacial glare on him, eyes spitting fire.

Without glancing over, Huo Xuan asked, "What? Am I that handsome?" Not a flicker of guilt. This was soldier's logic—when death danced at your elbow, trivialities like propriety evaporated.

If you can gamble with your life, what's left to fear?

Shangguan Meixue's teeth ground like glacial shards. "Who is your superior?"

Huo Xuan stifled a laugh. "Not military. Just helping a friend. Threatening me with rank won't work."

"Hmph!"

For now, venomous stares were her only weapon.

The pursuers gained rapidly. Lead vehicle's machine gun spat fire, heavy rounds pinging off the chassis. Shangguan Meixue paled. "Is this thing bulletproof?"

Huo Xuan shrugged. "Don't ask me. I'm no soldier."

Her silence spoke volumes. Being rescued by this shameless rogue might prove more lethal than captivity.

CRACK!

A round punched through the rear armor, spider-webbing the bulletproof windshield before Huo Xuan's face.

Shangguan Meixue's face paled with terror, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

Huo Xuan, however, remained unshaken. Instinctively, he pressed down on her from the passenger seat, forcing her head against his body to shield her from potential gunfire.

Unfortunately, his hand landed in an awkward spot—Shangguan Meixue's face was now pressed squarely against his crotch, the heat radiating unmistakably.

"You—!" Her face flushed crimson, her heartbeat accelerating. Humiliation surged, and she thrashed violently. But against Huo Xuan's strength, her resistance was futile.

Huo Xuan snorted. "Stay down if you want to live. I didn't drag you out just to watch you die halfway."

"You shameless bastard!" she shrieked, clawing and pinching his thigh in fury.

But Huo Xuan's muscle control was impeccable. His legs vibrated subtly, deflecting her attacks with ease—every pinch and scratch bounced off as if repelled by an invisible force.

Behind them, the pursuers closed in. More bullets pierced the armor, riddling the windshield. Gradually, Shangguan Meixue seemed to grasp the gravity of their situation and fell silent—though her heaving chest betrayed her lingering agitation.

Despite the beauty clinging to him, Huo Xuan had no time to savor it. Survival was his sole focus. His preternatural danger sense was the only reason they'd lasted this long.

The chase stretched over half an hour until—without warning—a wide river loomed ahead. Huo Xuan didn't hesitate. He floored the accelerator and plunged straight in.

SPLASH!

The SUV plowed through the current before water gushed in through bullet holes and shattered windows, rapidly rising to their waists. Shangguan Meixue jerked upright, her face ghostly white.

Huo Xuan kicked the door open, hauled her out, and struck out for the opposite bank.

Meanwhile, the four armored vehicles skidded to a halt. A dozen grim-faced operatives disembarked, retrieved gear, and dove into the churning waters.

Shangguan Meixue, unable to swim, was dragged along by her hair, coughing and flailing as waves slapped her face.

Upon reaching shore, Huo Xuan yanked her up and broke into a sprint.

Within a few hundred meters, she gasped, "I... I can't run anymore."

Huo Xuan scowled. "Useless." Without another word, he crouched. "Get on."

Despite her hatred, she knew better than to argue. She clambered onto his back, her snow-white arms locking around his neck.

"Go!"

Huo Xuan exploded forward like a charging tiger, his speed outstripping startled hares and antelopes—even while carrying a passenger.

Shangguan Meixue watched the landscape blur past, her fear and anger gradually giving way to an eerie calm.

This was the African savanna in its rawest form. Beasts lurked in the shadows, some even eyeing them as prey—until Huo Xuan's unnatural pace deterred them.

After a hundred kilometers, even Huo Xuan's stamina waned. He slowed to a stop beneath a towering tree.

Above, stars blazed across the sky, and a full moon cast its silver glow over the wilderness.

After setting Shangguan Meixue down, Huo Xuan didn't immediately rest. Instead, he methodically stretched his limbs. Soon, a column of steam rose a foot above his head, visible even under the moonlight.

Shangguan Meixue was numb. Whether it was his ferocity in combat or his inhuman endurance, this man seemed anything but human. What kind of person possesses such strength? Such speed?

After a while, Huo Xuan finally felt the fatigue settle in and lazily took a seat.

A long silence passed before Shangguan Meixue couldn't hold back any longer. "Are we safe now?"

Huo Xuan, now sitting cross-legged under the tree, countered, "What do you think?"

She let out a soft humph, her face clouded with worry. "It seems the Americans don't want China's investments here to succeed."

Huo Xuan ignored her. His ears twitched, and he sighed. "The hunters are here."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shangguan Meixue heard eerie, cackling laughter that sent chills down her spine. Instinctively, she crouched closer to Huo Xuan, seeking reassurance. "What is that?" she whispered, trembling.

"Probably hyenas," Huo Xuan replied calmly. Though no zoologist, he'd watched enough nature documentaries to recognize the unnerving calls of Africa's scavengers—laughter-like and spine-tingling.

Whether Shangguan Meixue knew of hyenas or not, she shuddered and pressed even closer to him, as if proximity alone could guarantee safety.

Huo Xuan kept his gaze steady. "No need to fear. Hyenas rarely attack humans—they have their own rules. Honestly, to them, we're the terrifying ones."

Soon, flickering green dots appeared in the darkness, like ghostly will-o'-the-wisps scattered across the savanna. Under the moonlight, Shangguan Meixue saw over a hundred dog-like creatures creeping closer. One ventured within ten meters.

The hyenas circled but made no move to attack.

Huo Xuan observed them with eerie calm. After a while, an odd intuition struck him—he could sense their thoughts. A strange certainty settled over him.

Must be the Buddha Eye's doing. If it can perceive human nature and the cosmos, why not animals' minds too?

What he "saw" was surprising: the hyenas were nervous. In their simple logic, humans were unpredictable and best avoided.

His composure steadied Shangguan Meixue. Soon, she too watched the hyenas with quiet curiosity.

After about ten minutes, the lead hyena let out a soft yip, and the pack scattered into the night, seeking easier prey.

The moment they vanished, Shangguan Meixue exhaled in relief. A gust of wind made her shiver, and she rubbed her arms briskly.

Nights on the African savanna weren't hot—temperatures hovered around 15°C. Shangguan Meixue's thin clothing offered little protection, and the wind left her shivering.

Huo Xuan wordlessly shrugged off his captured U.S. military jacket and tossed it to her.

She bit her lip but didn't touch it.

Ignoring her, Huo Xuan sat cross-legged, turning his focus inward. Soon, a strange sound interrupted his meditation—a loud, persistent ​growl.

He opened his eyes to find Shangguan Meixue flushed with embarrassment. Her stomach was protesting; she hadn't eaten in over a day.

Despite her hunger, she refused to ask for help, stubbornly enduring in silence.

Huo Xuan smirked. "Hungry?"

She responded with a icy glare.

Without another word, he stood and vanished into the grasslands.

She almost called after him—Where are you going?—but clenched her jaw. Why bother talking to such a shameless man? Yet the moment he disappeared, fear gripped her.

What if he abandons me? What if beasts return?

Her body trembled as tears spilled over. For all her elite upbringing, sharp intellect, and iron will—she was still a woman, vulnerable to terror and loneliness.

Her sobs grew louder, echoing across the empty plains.

Then—

"Hey. Done crying? Eat."

Huo Xuan had returned, holding two skinned rabbits in one hand and firewood in the other.

Shangguan Meixue looked up, tear-streaked face frozen in shock.

His grin was infuriating. "Worried I'd ditch you? Don't—I've got standards."

The implication reignited her fury. "Who needs your responsibility?!"

Chuckling, he started a fire and skewered the rabbits. The dead soldier's uniform had yielded useful loot: a lighter, knife, even seasoning—likely for impromptu barbecues.

Soon, fat sizzled, filling the air with aroma. Huo Xuan sprinkled spices, amplifying the scent.

Shangguan Meixue's mouth watered, but she refused to glance at the flames.

He waved a roasted rabbit under her nose. "Want some?"

Pride warred with hunger. Why be polite to a scoundrel? She snatched it and ate with measured elegance despite her starvation.

Huo Xuan devoured his portion like a wolf. Afterward, he produced a canteen—also scavenged—and took a leisurely swig.

Shangguan Meixue, now thirsty, eyed it pointedly.

"Thirsty?" he asked.

Her glare could melt steel.

"Not thirsty? Fine." He pretended to drink.

She yanked the canteen away and sipped—then frowned. "Why's it bitter?"

"Pee's bitter," Huo Xuan said.

"Pfft—!" She spat out the water, gagging.

"Relax. It's just baobab tree water. Bitter, but safe."

Realizing she'd been tricked, she hurled the canteen at him. "You bastard!"

He caught it, grinning. "Tastes better now—got your lipstick on it."

Enraged, she lobbed her half-eaten rabbit at his head.