"Sister Huo, how do we get there?" The driver panted, arriving at the foot of the mountain. The black jacket they wore to maintain uniformity was thin, and it was cold when they weren't moving.
"Into the mountains."
As the car bumped along the mountain path, Huo Rou sent her location to Qin Ningyi and then fully immersed herself in studying the map.
The mountain's terrain, its orientation, she memorized it all.
The car reached its limit. She looked at where the GPS on her phone had last stopped, then compared it to her surroundings. "Let's get out."
There were tire tracks on the slippery ground. She followed them, and the car was parked at the edge of a pit.
"Where are they??" The driver got out, rubbing his hands together as he looked at the empty cars before them. "Coming to a place like this, where no birds shit, they're not planning to climb up and stay, are they??"
Huo Rou pulled out the map.
If they crossed this mountain, they would reach the neighboring province.
Not only that, but beyond this mountain...
Was the sea!
Aircraft control was strict. Minister Zeng had long since controlled entry and exit at the airport. He hadn't let up on trains, high-speed rail, or freight transport either.
His plan was to trap Sun Zhiyuan in Taichuan City.
Catching a turtle in a jar.
If he wanted to leave by water, he would have to take a car to the neighboring province.
A murderous gleam flashed in Huo Rou's eyes. This Sun Zhiyuan was foolish, but he was clever when it came to escaping.
She retreated to a spot with signal and sent a message to Minister Zeng, asking him to monitor the sea routes as well. Even if they couldn't catch the man in the mountains, they would trap him at the port!
Minister Zeng hadn't expected such a loophole. Sun Zhiyuan was truly resourceful!
"He's good at escaping!" Minister Zeng scoffed before going to deploy his forces.
After hanging up, Huo Rou took out the walkie-talkies from the car, leaving a few behind. She then led her people up the mountain.
As she was walking up the muddy mountain path, following the footprints, her phone vibrated.
It was Ling Xiao's call.
She pressed answer, but there was no sound from the other end, followed by a busy signal.
The signal was poor, and the call automatically disconnected.
"Sister Huo?" The person behind her, holding a large machete stuck in the ground, looked at her.
"Let's go!" Huo Rou put her phone back in her pocket, planning to call him back after this was over.
The sky was gloomy, the mountain path slippery, yet she moved as if tireless.
"Sister Huo's stamina, I'm truly impressed!" The person trailing behind, panting, chewed on a blade of grass they'd found somewhere, whispering to the person next to them.
He received a roll of the eyes. "You can compare to Sister Huo?"
"Can you beat her?"
"Can you outsmart her?"
"A mere mortal, how can you be so overconfident?"
The grass in his mouth was no longer just grass; it was the voice of his inner thoughts.
Although what was said was true, brother, is it really good to say it out loud like this?
Doesn't he have any self-respect?
"Keep up!" Huo Rou turned and called out in a low voice.
The man spat out the grass from his mouth and gave an obsequious, flattering smile. "Right away!"
Self-respect could be dispensed with.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, dawn had broken. The overcast sky looked like it could rain at any moment. Huo Rou squatted down to examine the footprints on the ground.
The surroundings were silent, except for the whistling of the wind, there was no other sound.
Huo Rou frowned.
"What's wrong, Sister Huo..." As the driver stepped forward to ask, Huo Rou suddenly grabbed him and they rolled aside.
Gunshots rang out a moment later. The ground where they had been standing erupted with dirt, leaving behind only a crater.
"Heh, she really is Huo Jinyi's daughter..." a meaningful voice echoed through the woods.
"Sun the bastard!" The driver pulled out a foldable shield from his chest and placed it in front of Huo Rou, scanning their surroundings.
The area was open, and the sound echoed, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the shots for a while.
The Jiang family brothers gathered together, forming a protective circle around Huo Rou.
Their uniform black jackets did offer a slight camouflage effect at this moment.
Gunshots erupted from all directions. The men in black jackets used their shields to protect her, their faces fierce.
"Sister Huo, can you tell which direction that bastard is coming from? Let's capture the king. If this continues, we'll all be riddled with holes."
"Scatter!" Huo Rou commanded.
Everyone moved according to her orders, exposing Huo Rou.
She quickly ran towards a large rock on a nearby hill.
As soon as she appeared, Sun Zhiyuan's voice rang out again, "Kill her!"
All the bullets were now aimed at her.
The Jiang family members didn't stand idle, moving towards the positions from which the bullets were fired.
The moment Sun Zhiyuan's voice sounded, Huo Rou's gaze sharpened. The wind brushed past her ears, and she suddenly sidestepped and fired at a tree.
"Sun!" Qi Yu roared. The surrounding gunfire paused for a moment. Huo Rou had already reached the hill and dashed behind the large rock.
Occupying the high ground, her vision was clear, and the layout below was laid out before her.
"Uncle Sun, you have the option to live right now." Huo Rou's voice was light, colder than the mountain wind. She still called him by the childhood term, but with an icy chill, devoid of any affection.
Sun Zhiyuan's arm was held down, blood quickly soaking through his sleeve and dripping onto the ground. Qi Yu stepped forward, rolled up his sleeve, and began emergency bandaging.
"Damn it!" Sun Zhiyuan shouted in a hoarse voice, "Huo Rou!"
Huo Rou was stunned, her eyes fixed on a particular spot.
The mountain wind was cold, stinging her face.
Clouds drifted by, dead branches trembled, morning dew turned to water and slid down the branches. The water droplets were crystal clear, the chill bone-piercing.
The hoarse-crying bird flew back, screeching wildly in the woods.
The Jiang family's greetings to the enemy, the gunfire, Sun Zhiyuan's hoarse shouts – none of it registered. She blankly pressed her hand against the ground before her, her heartbeat thundering.
Another burst of gunfire.
Her mind was still a blank slate.
Her body was suddenly pulled and dragged behind the rock.
A body, already chillingly cold, fell into a warm and fiery embrace.
The gunfire continued. From this distance, it left pitted marks on the large rock.
She stared dazedly at the person before her.
"Why didn't you dodge?" His tone was anxious, filled with lingering fear.
She had occupied the best position, and with Huo Rou's abilities, she could have easily dodged.
He held her tightly, warming her.
"Little brother." Huo Rou murmured, a name she hadn't used in a long time.
"Mm?" Qin Ningyi looked at her deeply, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Huo Rou's face was pale, her eyes tinged with red. She stared blankly into Qin Ningyi's eyes, a mixture of triumph, sorrow, and indignation...
So complex it made one's heart ache.
"Kill him!" Huo Rou roared hoarsely, "I want to kill him!"
As the words left her lips, she tightened her grip on the gun and spun away.
The gunfire continued unabated. Huo Rou dodged the enemy's attacks, moving closer to Sun Zhiyuan's hiding place.
Qin Ningyi was behind her, suppressing the enemy's firepower with his men.
Sun Zhiyuan and his men were outmatched and began to shift positions. Huo Rou switched guns repeatedly, and both Sun Zhiyuan and Qi Yu sustained multiple wounds.
"You madwoman! You're crazy!!" Qi Yu, startled by Huo Rou's reckless attack, couldn't help but yell, clutching his wound.
Huo Rou emptied the last clip and looked at Sun Zhiyuan, who was within arm's reach. A slow smile spread across her face.
Like a blood-red rose in full bloom.