After submitting their team roster, Lian Qiguang received their team’s number: Seven.
Team Seven.
For a mission where teams would be deployed according to their assigned numbers, it certainly wasn’t considered a lucky one.
Under Qing Yi and the others’ helpless expressions, Qiu Limo’s indifference, Ye Chengcheng’s sarcastic complaints, and Ji Renlin’s seemingly calm but clearly dissatisfied gaze, Lian Qiguang’s team collected their identity devices and boarded the military transport aircraft.
(Inside the transport aircraft)
“Woman! Shut up already!”
Finally unable to tolerate Ye Chengcheng’s endless whining, Feng Qingyang barked hoarsely.
“Hmph! You think I’ll shut up just because you told me to? Trash!”
Ye Chengcheng rolled her eyes dismissively.
Boom!
With a dull thud, a man-eating flower over a meter tall suddenly appeared in front of her. Its blood-red petals gaped open like a monstrous mouth, and its crimson tongue nearly brushed across her face.
“You’re too noisy.”
Lian Qiguang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and spoke expressionlessly.
“AAAAAHHHHH!!”
Ye Chengcheng finally realized what was in front of her and let out a piercing scream.
Even Ji Renlin couldn’t help frowning.
Crack!
Two wind blades materialized beside Ye Chengcheng’s face, embedding themselves into the cabin wall on either side of her head.
The icy sensation beside her cheeks instantly silenced her.
Her eyes widened in terror as she stared at Qiu Limo.
Like Lian Qiguang, Qiu Limo had also been resting with his head lowered. He now slowly raised it and looked toward Lian Qiguang.
“We’ve still got a long way to go.”
“Get some rest.”
Qiu Limo’s concern caught Qing Yi and the others completely off guard.
They exchanged stunned looks, mouths hanging open.
“That’s right, Captain.”
Qing Yi recovered first, immediately playing along. With an expression that practically screamed We all know what’s going on here, she shot Qiu Limo a meaningful look and grinned.
“We’ve still got a long trip before reaching the training zone. You should sleep a little longer, or you won’t have the energy later.”
Lian Qiguang glanced at Qiu Limo expressionlessly.
Then he calmly shifted farther into the corner, curled up comfortably, and opened his communicator.
Shaoxuan, we’ve departed.
He sent the message before absentmindedly staring out the window.
A moment later, his communicator vibrated softly.
A reply arrived.
Be careful. Protect yourself.
Lian Qiguang thought for a moment before typing another message.
Ji Renlin is beside me.
A suicidal statement, by any measure.
Sure enough…
The other side immediately fell silent.
Lian Qiguang looked up again and resumed blankly watching the scenery outside.
Ji Renlin glanced from Lian Qiguang to Qiu Limo beside him.
His brows slowly knitted together.
An uneasy feeling quietly arose in his heart.
Some time later, another message finally arrived.
Wife, I’m a soldier.
My memory is very good.
The meaning was unmistakable.
We’ll settle this score later.
Lian Qiguang calmly replied:
I’m planning to kill him during this training exercise.
His face remained utterly tranquil.
To him, deciding to kill someone carried about as much emotional weight as deciding to replace cabbage with potatoes at dinner.
Once again, silence.
But this time, the answer came quickly.
Okay.
Just one simple word.
Yet it caused a trace of warmth to flicker deep within Lian Qiguang’s eyes.
“Trash! Get this disgusting thing away from me!”
The man-eating flower continued waving its crimson tongue before Ye Chengcheng’s face, occasionally smearing sticky saliva across her skin.
She felt sick to her stomach.
Yet the wind blades beside her cheeks kept her frozen in place.
She didn’t dare move.
If she slipped…
Her face might be ruined.
“Miss Ye.”
Feng Qingyang laughed loudly.
“You’d better stay quiet.”
“If you’re not careful, that beautiful face of yours might really get damaged.”
“TRASH!! I’ll kill you!!”
Her shrill scream echoed through the transport.
Everyone frowned.
Lian Qiguang glanced at the hysterical Ye Chengcheng before continuing his conversation with Xiahou Shaoxuan.
There’s a woman over here bullying me.
After sending it…
Silence.
No reply.
Lian Qiguang looked at the communicator in confusion.
Then lightly tapped it against the side of the aircraft.
“…Broken?”
The communicator remained silent.
Meanwhile…
On the distant planet Falling Star.
Inside the operations conference room…
Xiahou Shaoxuan sat at the head of the table.
Two rows of uniformed officers filled the room, each bearing rank insignia across their shoulders.
A major stood before the projection screen, meticulously presenting his report.
But Xiahou Shaoxuan…
Wasn’t listening to a single word.
His beast-like black eyes remained locked on one sentence displayed on his communicator.
There’s a woman over here bullying me.
A woman?
Bullying him?!
General Xiahou exploded.
I don’t even dare touch my wife.
I’m afraid he’ll bump into something.
Afraid he’ll get cold.
Afraid he’ll get hurt.
Whenever he’s unhappy, I’m the one apologizing.
I treat him like the greatest treasure in existence.
And someone dares bully him?
A woman, no less?!
An overwhelming killing intent instantly erupted.
The temperature throughout the conference room plummeted.
Every officer present stiffened.
Their wandering thoughts vanished immediately.
Did the General catch us zoning out?
But… isn’t this murderous aura a bit excessive?
We’re going to die…
The major giving the report shivered violently and stopped mid-sentence.
He looked at Xiahou Shaoxuan in terror.
“Boss…”
“Is there… something wrong with my report?”
This is already the ninth revision…
Just tell me what’s wrong!!
Xiahou Shaoxuan slowly raised his head.
His icy gaze settled upon the major.
The poor officer’s courage evaporated instantly.
His legs began trembling.
“Boss! I was wrong!”
“I’ll revise it again right away!”
Please stop looking at me like that! I can’t take it anymore!
Xiahou Shaoxuan swept his storm-filled gaze across everyone in the room.
Every officer immediately lowered his head.
Their hearts pounded violently.
Crack!
The cup in Xiahou Shaoxuan’s hand shattered into pieces.
At the same instant…
Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.
“My wife…”
“…is being bullied.”
“What should I do?”
His cold, rigid voice echoed throughout the silent room.
“…”
The room froze.
“Hm?”
He lifted an eyebrow.
The threat couldn’t have been clearer.
The officers reacted instantly.
“Which bastard dared bully Sister-in-law?!”
“Who the hell has a death wish?!”
The conference room erupted.
Everyone began cursing while pounding the table.
It resembled a den of bandits more than a military briefing.
“Anyone who bullies our sister-in-law deserves to be skinned alive!”
“Boss! Leave it to us! We’ll handle everything perfectly!”
“Just give us a name!”
“I’ll lead Third Squad and wipe out his entire family!”
“Tell us who it is! I’ll personally gun them down!”
…
Thus…
A perfectly ordinary military strategy meeting took an abrupt turn downhill…
And transformed into a brainstorming session dedicated to helping the world’s most devoted wife-slave avenge his beloved.
Roughly ten hours later…
Night had completely fallen.
The transport aircraft gradually descended.
“Captain.”
“We’re here.”
Feng Qingyang stood up while adjusting his equipment, deliberately emphasizing the word Captain loud enough for everyone to hear.
Lian Qiguang opened his eyes.
He glanced at his communicator.
Still no reply.
After thinking for a moment, he sent one final message.
If she bullies me again…
I’ll kill her too.
He waited about a minute.
Still nothing.
Assuming Xiahou Shaoxuan had been called away on an emergency mission, he didn’t dwell on it further.
He stood and began straightening his clothes.
“Xiaoguang.”
Ji Renlin walked over beside him.
“Chengcheng was wrong.”
“But she’s been punished enough.”
“Let her go.”
For over ten hours, terrified of getting hurt, Ye Chengcheng hadn’t dared move even an inch.
Her face was now deathly pale.
Lian Qiguang glanced at her expressionlessly.
Since they had arrived, he casually recalled the man-eating flower before continuing to organize his belongings.
Seeing Lian Qiguang actually listen to him, Ji Renlin’s smile grew wider.
Hidden satisfaction flashed across his face.
As soon as the flower disappeared, Qiu Limo’s fingers twitched.
The two wind blades dissolved instantly.
The pressure vanished.
Ye Chengcheng collapsed to the floor, gasping heavily.
Cold sweat soaked her clothes.
“You trash!!”
After regaining a little strength, she screamed viciously.
Hatred twisted her face as she glared at Lian Qiguang.
Earth-element energy gathered in her palm, quickly condensing into a dirt sphere the size of a tennis ball.
Lian Qiguang calmly adjusted his collar without even looking at her.
A tiny man-eating flower, barely an inch long, danced happily in his palm.
The moment Ye Chengcheng saw it…
Her expression froze.
“Ye Chengcheng.”
“Enough.”
Ji Renlin shouted sharply.
His tightly furrowed brows showed his displeasure.
“Senior…”
She looked at him pitifully, tears welling in her eyes.
But the hatred in her gaze toward Lian Qiguang only deepened.
Destination reached. Team Seven, prepare to deploy.
The metallic announcement echoed through the transport.
Ye Chengcheng no longer dared make trouble.
She reluctantly forced herself to her feet and checked her equipment.
The transport’s hatch opened.
Standing at the doorway, Lian Qiguang looked down at the ground five or six meters below.
A strange light flashed through his eyes.
Excitement.
An endless forest stretched into the distance.
A crimson moon bathed the entire landscape in blood-red light.
The forest…
Belonged to the strong.
“Jump.”
Lian Qiguang spoke a single word expressionlessly before leaping from the aircraft.
The wind whipped against his face.
It stung pleasantly.
The blood-colored moon reflected in his eyes, lending them an eerie brilliance.
The hunt… had begun.