Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 184: Team Spirit

After everyone carried Chu Tianyu back to the car, Ouyang Ziyi quickly began cleaning him, especially his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, which were filled with mud. By then, Chu Tianyu had already lost consciousness; aside from a faint heartbeat, his entire body was limp, and the wounds on his skin were covered in mud, making it difficult to tell if there were any serious injuries.

Ouyang Ziyi then carefully used her mouth to remove the mud blocking Chu Tianyu’s breathing, rinsing it away with clean water over and over until his breathing finally became smoother. Yet his weakness was such that Ouyang Ziyi couldn’t even imagine the once invincible Chu Tianyu being in such a frail state, and tears welled up in her eyes.

While everyone shared Ouyang Ziyi’s sorrow, Angel approached slowly, her face pale. She knelt beside Chu Tianyu, determined, created a blade of energy, cut her own wrist, and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, dripped her blood into Chu Tianyu’s mouth.

Ouyang Ziyi knew somewhat about Angel’s abilities and understood that she was trying to treat Chu Tianyu. With her around, she felt much more at ease, and her emotions calmed down from earlier excitement and chaos. She then remembered Qin Nianran and quickly turned to look inside the car. Qin Nianran’s face was covered in blood—Ouyang Ziyi realized it was spit out by Chu Tianyu before he lost consciousness, something she had seen through the window.

So, Ouyang Ziyi wasn’t frightened by Qin Nianran’s condition but focused on her breathing rate, finding it within the normal range. She assumed it was temporary exhaustion, and with Angel’s treatment, things should be fine. She decided to let Qin Nianran rest in the car for now.

In truth, Chu Tianyu was the one in the most critical condition. Not only had he exhausted all his vital energy, but his extreme restraint at the last moment had also caused severe damage to his meridians. If it weren’t for Mo Long’s energy strengthening his body and absorbing much of the impact, even with Chu Tianyu’s formidable skills, he wouldn’t have been able to hold on under such circumstances.

Angel’s blood wasn’t a perfect cure; at best, it repaired some of the external injuries and internal organ damage caused by vomiting blood. But for Chu Tianyu’s current state, it was merely a superficial treatment.

Still, in such a situation, everyone had no choice but to carry Chu Tianyu into the car as well. With Ouyang Ziyi and Angel by his side, they could monitor his condition constantly.

Under Ouyang Ziyi’s signal, Lan Yue and Bai Lei each took up their weapons and positioned themselves by a vehicle as a precaution. Although the surrounding dense forest made it difficult to see clearly, Ouyang Ziyi felt that they were still in a remote mountainous area. With Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran both still weak, any accidents or encounters with wild animals could happen, so they relied on these four of them. It was better to be prepared in advance; with Lan Yue and Bai Lei providing defense, they wouldn’t be caught off guard if trouble arose.

The night passed without incident, and dawn finally broke. Qin Nianran woke up first. She had only been temporarily exhausted. By the time she took over the protective shield, the floodwaters had already started to recede, so the impact on her wasn’t severe. She had used all her strength just to maintain the shield.

After waking up, Qin Nianran didn’t immediately clean the blood off her body; her face had already been washed by Ouyang Ziyi earlier. She kept recalling over and over again the look Chu Tianyu gave her in his final moments, and the emotions within her remained turbulent for a long time.

That look was like a farewell, even more like an instruction. Watching him cough up blood, exhausted, and collapse to the ground, Qin Nianran suddenly realized just how important Chu Tianyu was to her, and how deep her feelings for him were. It was only at that moment that she truly understood what it meant to be reluctant to part, what heart-wrenching pain was, and what it meant to want to cry but have no tears…

Was this love? Or hatred? Hatred for his recklessness, his determination, his last loving glance at her! But whether it was love or hatred, it no longer mattered, because Qin Nianran now clearly understood how significant he was in her heart. She could even say, without exaggeration, that Chu Tianyu was the embodiment of all her true emotions throughout her life! Even if what she had felt before was disdain, anger, and indifference, and later it turned into resentment and disappointment over his identity, weren’t those all forms of emotion?

“Nianran, are you awake?” Ouyang Ziyi asked in a hoarse voice.

Hearing the voice, Qin Nianran snapped out of her thoughts. She didn’t rush to answer but quickly propped herself up, anxiously asking, “How is Chu… is he okay? Is nothing wrong?”

A trembling voice and anxious expression—even Ouyang Ziyi was stunned. Was this still the once proud and icy Qin Nianran? Though surprised, Ouyang Ziyi still said, “You rest first. Chu Tianye hasn’t woken up yet, but his breathing is normal. Angel treated him again, so there shouldn’t be any major problems. It’s probably just due to exhaustion.”
As she spoke, Ouyang Ziyi tried hard to control her emotions and spoke carefully. After all, Qin Nianran was also weak now, and judging from her expression, her concern for Chu Tianye wasn’t any less than hers own. She knew very well about both Qin Nianran and Chu Tianye. No matter how proud and cold Qin Nianran might be, if someone like her developed hatred toward someone, love wasn’t far behind.
“Oh, right, Nianran, change into some clothes first. Eat breakfast after that. You’ve been busy all night—you must be hungry.” Seeing Qin Nianran’s skeptical look, Ouyang Ziyi quickly changed the subject.
Qin Nianran understood Ouyang Ziyi’s intentions. Even if she were anxious, she couldn’t help right now, so she followed Ziyi’s advice and went to change clothes first.
After calming Qin Nianran, Ouyang Ziyi got out of the car and joined Lan Yue and the others to observe their surroundings. The area washed by the mudslide was a sea of earthy yellow, stretching as far as the eye could see. A few steps forward, the mud already covered the tops of their shoes, making it impossible to return the way they came.
In front of them was a dense forest shrouded in morning mist, blocking all visibility. They didn’t know their exact location either. All their communication devices and positioning systems had failed, even the compass in Ouyang Ziyi’s hand was spinning wildly, clearly damaged as well.
All this was likely caused by the magnetic field generated by Qin Nianran’s last-minute electromagnetic shield. So, all Ouyang Ziyi and the others could do was try to understand their surroundings and wait there for now.
Reconnaissance in the vicinity was limited to the outskirts of the forest. Out of caution, Ouyang Ziyi left Lan Yue behind and climbed onto the roof of the car, setting up a heavy machine gun just in case. She and Bai Lei equipped themselves with semi-automatic rifles for on-site exploration. It wasn’t surprising that Ouyang Ziyi was so cautious, as the mist in the forest already carried a wild, untamed scent, reminding her of the place where they had gone on an adventure before…

So, relying on her womanly intuition, she made such cautious arrangements. After searching around, Ouyang Ziyi could roughly determine that they were trapped in a small depression. Clearly, following the direction of the flood, they must have moved downhill. Apart from the original path blocked by flood mud, there were only the mountain cliffs on both sides, with the dense forest ahead causing her unease.

With a general understanding, Ouyang Ziyi stopped being reckless and retreated with Bai Lei. Now was not the time to think about how to get out or escape for help; instead, they should first use their existing resources to wait there temporarily, preparing to withstand the dangers of the wilderness and solve their immediate survival issues.

Ouyang Ziyi shared her thoughts with Lan Yue and Bai Lei, listened to their suggestions, and decided to separate the two vehicles first. This way, they could make full use of the space between them to create a secure area with barriers on both sides, expanding their movement range and eliminating the need to run back and forth between the vehicles for various tasks. It also made it easier to inspect the vehicles to see if they could still be started. Ouyang Ziyi and the others first untied the ropes and other bindings that held the vehicles together, then moved some heavy items off them. By this time, Qin Nianran had also regained her mobility and got off the vehicle to reduce its weight.

They were busy until noon, and only with their combined efforts did they finally get everything ready. Bai Lei found a tarpaulin from the supplies, securing its corners to both vehicles to create a shelter between them. They laid waterproof sheets on the ground, providing a place where Chu Tianyu could be laid down to breathe fresh air, as staying in the vehicle with poor ventilation made it uncomfortable to lie down.

Ouyang Ziyi also arranged a shift schedule among the three of them, especially deciding that someone should keep watch on top of the vehicle after dark.

“Sis, what should we do now? The supplies in the vehicle will only last us three days at most…” Lan Yue asked worriedly.

“Wait!” Ouyang Ziyi said firmly. But what to wait for? How to wait? She didn’t say further. Seeing Ouyang Ziyi’s expression, Lan Yue didn’t dare ask more.

Just then, Qin Nianran, who was resting next to Tianyu in the shelter, suddenly exclaimed, “Ziyi, Ziyi! Tianyu—he seems to be waking up!”

Upon hearing the news, Ouyang Ziyi immediately ducked her head and rushed into the shed. She watched Chu Tianyu’s slightly trembling eyelashes with excitement, as if he were about to open his eyes. Qin Nianran and Angel also held their breath, waiting for this moment. With a “huff,” Chu Tianyu finally opened his eyes. This single action lifted the spirits of Qin Nianran, Ouyang Ziyi, and Angel. “Heaven, Tianyu, are you okay? You scared me to death!” Ouyang Ziyi, who had always remained strong, finally couldn’t hold back her trembling lips and spoke in a sobbing voice. Chu Tianyu nodded with a smile. Although he felt too weak to speak, the moment he regained consciousness, he knew he had succeeded. It seemed Ouyang Ziyi also remembered something and quickly said to Qin Nianran, “Nianran, watch over him for now. I’ll give him some hot soup to drink. He hasn’t eaten a bite since last night.” Chu Tianyu’s consciousness gradually returned, and seeing the situation before him, Qin Nianran and Angel looked deeply worried, likely guessing what had happened. He couldn’t help but smile at them. He had wanted to say something else, but before his lips could move, a severe pain spread throughout his body, forcing him to give up trying to speak. Chu Tianyu secretly checked his condition and was shocked to find that not only could he gather no true energy at all, but his entire body also felt extremely strained. Even the energy of the Ink Dragon seemed greatly depleted. The dim dragon pattern remained on his body, failing to hide itself as it usually did after an outburst. It seemed the energy had been completely exhausted, leaving him in a state of self-sleep, waiting for energy to rebuild. After checking, Chu Tianyu shook his head with a bitter smile. He had always insisted on staying low-key, pretending to be an ordinary person. Now, he had finally achieved this goal temporarily, though in his current state, he was even worse than an ordinary person. Yet Chu Tianyu wasn’t too discouraged. After all, this wasn’t due to his skills being ruined or him going astray—it was merely a temporary overload of his energy. With time, it should regroup. “Are you okay?” Qin Nianran, who had seemed to have countless things to say to Chu Tianyu, could only utter a few words.

Chu Tianyu turned to look at her. Remembering that final moment, he couldn’t help but nod at her as if in response, his gaze conveying a silent message. Qin Nianran also stayed silent, but the complexity in her eyes revealed the secrets in her heart…

Everyone felt relieved at Chu Tianyu’s awakening, as if they had taken a calming pill. Especially in the evening, Ouyang Ziyi wanted to celebrate their survival and Chu Tianyu’s safe return. She gathered some branches from the woods, poured gasoline on them, and held a symbolic bonfire party in the open area, allowing everyone to temporarily forget their worries and enjoy themselves.

By then, Chu Tianyu, having eaten something, felt much better and had the energy to speak and make slight movements. Just as Lan Yue finished singing a beautiful song, Chu Tianyu was about to clap softly when he suddenly felt an invisible beam of moonlight shoot down, shaking his entire body. When he looked up and saw the full moon in the sky, his consciousness blurred away…

At the same time, from the dense forest in the distance, the sound of birds flying away in panic came through. Everyone’s attention turned there, ignoring Chu Tianyu’s condition. Although Chu Tianyu fell into a coma again, that invisible beam of moonlight didn’t harm him. Instead, it seemed to absorb some energy into his body.

However, this absorption wasn’t due to Chu Tianyu himself but rather the Ink Dragon pattern on his body. The originally dim Ink Dragon pattern began to emit a faint, almost imperceptible glow under the moonlight. Though it didn’t seem much different on the surface, upon closer inspection, the original cracks were slowly healing, though slowly.

But the direct consequence of the Ink Dragon absorbing moonlight energy was Chu Tianyu falling into another coma. After all, this was direct absorption of natural energy while his body was already extremely weak—how could he withstand it?

“Something’s wrong. There might be wild animals around. Lan Yue, hurry up and go to the roof, ready to shoot at any moment. Bai Lei, you and I will carry Chu Tianyu to the car at the back. Angel, stay with your Sister Qin—don’t run around.” Ouyang Ziyi made decisive arrangements. When she turned back, seeing Chu Tianyu looking peaceful and comfortable with normal breathing, she thought he must have fallen asleep again from exhaustion, which was why she had made those arrangements.

But before they could take action, howls of wolves could be heard in the distance. In the darkness, pairs of green eyes flickered on and off—seemingly very close to them. Time was pressing, so Ouyang Ziyi promptly changed her plan: “Angel, stay by Brother Chu’s side. The others, get your weapons, take up positions, and get ready to shoot.” As Ouyang Ziyi spoke, Lan Yue climbed into the car, grabbed the heavy machine gun, and kept scanning the surroundings, ready to fire at the slightest sign of movement. Qin Nianran and Bai Lei also took up their weapons and positioned themselves on either side of the car as planned. Ouyang Ziyi opened the door of the car facing the dense forest, mounted a sniper rifle on it, attached a night vision scope, and aimed through the other window at the front. With a “bang,” a gunshot, accompanied by the agonized cry of a wild wolf, instantly shattered the silence of the valley. Ouyang Ziyi had finally tracked down a wolf and fired the first shot to take the initiative (hehe, it should probably be “taking the initiative against the wolf”). Soon after, the heavy machine gun in Lan Yue’s hands roared, while Qin Nianran and Bai Lei remained motionless, quietly waiting for the wild beasts to charge. Lan Yue’s intimidating attacks didn’t last long, as the cunning wolves didn’t give up their harassment tactics just because of the sudden, unexplained attack. They continued to rely on the trees in the mountains, moving and howling to gain an advantage. Some say that a single wolf in the mountains is the most vicious and cunning opponent, while a pack of wolves is simply terrifying—each pack has its own set of attack tactics and unpredictable patterns, making it hard to defend against. But now, this pack had lost its advantage of teamwork. Not only were they attacked from such a distance, but Ouyang Ziyi’s precise sniper shots left them howling in frustration. A few of them couldn’t resist and tried to charge forward. But charging meant death—Lan Yue’s heavy machine gun fire made it impossible for them to move forward. The wolves’ howls gradually faded, and through Ouyang Ziyi’s night vision scope, no signs of the wolves could be seen anymore.

However, Ouyang Ziyi didn’t dare to be careless and stayed on guard for a long time. Only after confirming that the wolf pack had truly retreated did she breathe a sigh of relief. She slowly drove the car forward, instructing Lan Yue to continue defending from inside, then called over Qin Nianran and Bai Lei.

“Nianran, Bai Lei. Take this opportunity to prepare our weapons thoroughly. Load bullets into as many as possible. From what I saw through the night vision goggles, there are quite a number of wolves. And based on their nature, they definitely won’t give up so easily. They’ll come back either tonight or tomorrow night—they won’t give up at all,” Ouyang Ziyi analyzed.

“Hmm, Ziyi, do we still have gasoline? We have a few unused tree trunks. I think we should pour gasoline on them and place them on either side as barriers. In case of emergencies, we can set them on fire to block them. Isn’t it said that wolves fear fire the most?” Qin Nianran suggested.

“Nianran’s idea is good. We still have plenty of spare gasoline, so that’s no problem. I’ll take care of it,” Bai Lei agreed.

“Alright then. Bai Lei, go handle that. Nianran and I will focus on preparing the weapons—get as many magazines as possible so we can reload quickly. And also…” Ouyang Ziyi spoke of her plans while starting to work with Qin Nianran.

As for Chu Tianyu, Angel was by his side, guarding him closely—this was much safer than keeping him in the car. Moreover, he seemed fine, with a rosy complexion and steady breathing, so Ouyang Ziyi and Qin Nianran focused entirely on preparing for the next attack by the wolf pack.

Ouyang Ziyi first handed Lan Yue another semi-automatic rifle. Her vantage point was the most advantageous, ensuring that shooting wouldn’t fail easily. Thoughtful as ever, she also prepared a windproof cloak for Lan Yue to prevent any mistakes due to changing weather conditions.

Ouyang Ziyi herself also prepared a semi-automatic rifle, along with her silver pistol that she never left behind. She also prepared magazines for Bai Lei, while Qin Nianran was well-prepared too—her magazines were full, and spare guns were within reach for quick replacement.

By then, Bai Lei had finished setting everything up. Seeing Ouyang Ziyi and Qin Nianran, he grinned and said, “Everything’s ready. I can’t believe our strength isn’t enough to take on just a few vicious wolves!”

Ouyang Ziyi didn’t show any sign of relaxation as she said, “That’s not certain at all. This is their territory, and just from what I counted earlier, there are quite a number of wild wolves. Although we brought plenty of ammunition before coming here, the total amount isn’t huge. After all, back then with Chu Tianyu around, we thought it would be more like a game—who would have expected the situation we’re in now? If our bullets run out, aside from Angel who might be able to protect herself, the rest of us will be in serious trouble!”
“You and Lan Yue are both martial arts champions, fighting champions, black belt experts—surely you can handle just a few wolves, right?” Bai Lei said, still unconvinced.
Before Ouyang Ziyi could respond, Qin Nianran spoke for her: “Strength isn’t measured that way. Fighting is about winning or losing, but for wild wolves, all they see is prey and being preyed upon. Their attacks have only one purpose: death.”
“Alright, let’s take our positions. I think the fiercest attack will come around three or four in the morning. We’ll hold off for a while longer. If nothing happens, we can take turns resting in pairs,” Ouyang Ziyi said.
“Okay…” Qin Nianran and Bai Lei replied in unison.
After that, there was no sound or movement in the dense forest. Ouyang Ziyi and her group took turns on guard.
At one o’clock in the morning, Ouyang Ziyi and Qin Nianran, who had just closed their eyes, were awakened by a burst of gunfire. Without asking questions, they quickly returned to their positions, ready for battle.
But the wild wolves didn’t launch a large-scale attack. Instead, they used a harassing tactic—shining cold eyes and occasionally howling—to frustrate them, leaving everyone exasperated. They had no choice but to keep fighting them off.
This indirectly supported Ouyang Ziyi’s assumption—that this harassment was likely a preparation for their main attack in the early morning.
But this was just Ouyang Ziyi and her group’s wishful thinking. Though they knew wolves were cunning and tactical, no one had ever actually faced such a situation. Who knew if these beasts were acting purely on instinct, ready to launch a full-scale attack at any moment?
Moreover, those on duty kept firing a few shots from time to time, making it impossible for the other two to sleep. So the four of them decided to just endure the night together. Things would be easier once day broke.

This relentless harassment continued until after 4 a.m. The wolves, as if sensing that time was running out, finally launched a massive attack. Yet under the heavy fire from the roof, their attack fizzled out after just a few minutes, and they retreated in defeat. This brought relief to everyone, but given the wolves’ cunning, they remained cautious and kept a tight watch until dawn broke. Only then did they all collapse to the ground, the fatigue of the night and the effects of extreme stress showing themselves clearly.
“Lan Yue, Bai Lei, you two go ahead and sleep to recover your strength. We still have a lot to do today! Nian Ran, can you help me prepare breakfast?” Ouyang Zi Yi said, forcing herself to stay energetic.
“Mm, why don’t you go sleep too? I’ll take care of it here. I feel my energy has recovered a lot now; I can handle this fatigue…”
But before Qin Nian Ran could finish speaking, Ouyang Zi Yi interrupted, saying she couldn’t sleep either. Besides, this wasn’t home where they could just turn on natural gas to cook. They had to start a fire and set up a pot, and it would be easier with two people working together.
Soon, with the combined efforts of Ouyang Zi Yi and Qin Nian Ran, a pot of steaming instant noodles was ready. At that moment, Chu Tianyu suddenly stretched, his back straightening instantly.
“Hehe, someone really knows how to time things well. The food is just ready, and he wakes up!” Ouyang Zi Yi teased cheerfully upon seeing Chu Tianyu wake up.
Chu Tianyu felt relaxed upon waking and was about to say something in response to her teasing when his expression suddenly changed. “Why is there such a strong wild animal smell?”