Chapter 150 149, Mimosa Plant
```
Commander Qing Huai analyzed, "Our first soldier died 19 minutes ago. During this time, the enemy hasn't even managed to dig open the third pit, which indicates that their strength or stamina is not formidable."
"Moreover, this method is probably a spur-of-the-moment decision for them. Otherwise, after finding the sealed pits, they should have stealthily dug up all the pits first, then quickly slit all the sealed bags. If that were the case, we would have all been killed by the rules within a minute without any clue."
"Maybe the enemy was also unsure whether this method would work, just a trial," concluded Commander Qing Huai.
Cao Wei glanced at the scion of the financial group and said, "The commander's analysis is very insightful."
"We can't afford to waste any more time, save any further analysis for later," Commander Qing Huai said. "Brother Cao Wei, take three combat squads back to our original burial site, dig out all the sealed bags, and then, I need you to arrange a Thunder Zone somewhere."
Before long, Cao Wei returned with his men, patting his backpack: "Commander Qing Huai, all your sealed bags are in my pack, I'm personally taking care of them."
However, Commander Qing Huai shook his head and took the sealed bags out of the other's backpack, "Brother Cao Wei, how could I let you do something like carrying urine bags? I regard you as an elder brother; this is not acceptable."
Having said that, he stuffed two sealed bags into his own backpack.
Cao Wei's face showed a touched expression: "Commander, you're too kind."
But Commander Qing Huai asked, "Brother Cao Wei, what's your analysis of this person?"
"Their level might not be very high, but they should be more familiar with the rules here than we are," Cao Wei pondered and said. "Someone who knows the rules here so well, could they be a Knight? No, that doesn't make sense. If they were a Knight, being C-Class and you being D-Class, they could kill us without even using the rules."
"It's hard to say," Commander Qing Huai thought for a moment. "At least we shouldn't dismiss the conjecture for now. As far as I know... it's also possible that a Knight wouldn't want to make a move directly."
Commander Qing Huai wanted to mention the rule of Taboo Land that one must not kill another with one's own hands, but he restrained himself.
Cao Wei glanced at Commander Qing Huai: "Could this person be another competitor from within Qing's Family, hired to disrupt your mission? Who do you think could be behind it?"
"Every candidate in the Shadow struggle might wish to kill me," Commander Qing Huai said. "The only one who can be ruled out is that waste locked up in Prison No. 18. Brother Cao Wei, the Shadow struggle is indeed that cruel."
At this moment, the field company, which had arrived with 152 elite soldiers, now had only 104 remaining.
The 48 soldiers who had died didn't even get a chance to fight back.
That's the terror of the Taboo Land rules; if you master the rules, even ants can trap and kill an elephant.
Just then, a soldier controlling a mechanical hunting dog with holographic glasses reported, "Commander, a suspicious heat source was detected at 3 o'clock direction, quietly approaching."
Commander Qing Huai calmly inquired, "Are there any other suspicious heat sources detected?"
"Reporting to the commander, no," the soldier replied.
Commander Qing Huai looked toward Cao Wei: "Kill him, then we'll continue to move forward."
Cao Wei said, "Please make a careful decision, we still have time to withdraw."
Commander Qing Huai shook his head: "As far as I know, others from different factions looking to disrupt my mission are already en route. If we withdraw now, there's no possibility of completing the mission within the three-month deadline."
Commander Qing Huai's guess was not wrong; teams specifically sent to kill him in Fire Pit had already entered the Taboo Land.
In fact, they had anticipated interference before coming, as it was customary in the Shadow struggle. They just didn't expect the opponents to act so quickly.
There's no turning back in the Shadow struggle; once you embark on it, you put your life on the line, as the position of the Shadow to be gained is what matters most.
The soldiers of the field company sprang into action, and the four mechanical hunting dogs, like unleashed hounds, bolted into the forest, tightly locking on to the earlier heat source!
However, as soon as they began to move, that heat source started fleeing into the distance.
And it was incredibly fast.
…Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Qing Chen was darting through the forest, unlike the others, his every step was not aimless.
The paths he took were the ones he had already traversed.
Ordinary people trekking through the mountains have to be careful not to trip over branches under their feet, wary of stones hidden under decayed leaves, mindful of the uneven ground.
Consequently, ordinary people can't go all out when traversing mountain terrain.
But Qing Chen was different. As long as it was a path he had walked, it was etched in his mind.
Every leaf on the ground, every stone underfoot, felt as if he had grown up here, this was his home.
As if he could walk with his eyes closed.
He walked effortlessly.
Qing Chen actually liked this place a lot, despite the dimness of the woods. For some reason, he always felt there were kind eyes upon him.
No malice, just quietly watching, even with a hint of amusement.
Watching him exploit the rules, watching him defeat his enemies.
It was as if Uncle Li Dong, the teacher, had brought him here not just to kill Qing Huai and activate the genetic lock, but also to let the predecessors see the successor of a Knight.
How vicious and intelligent he was.
What no one knew was that the beasts and insects of this battlefield had quietly left, leaving the stage to the young man.
As if it had been prepared just for him.
The enemies behind him were getting closer, the tracking efficiency of the four Mechanical Hunting Dogs was too high, and the mechanical legs of the soldiers of the Field Army Unit were too fast and strong. Despite Qing Chen's effortless stride, he couldn't bridge the vast gap in power.
He was not yet a true Knight.
Gradually, Qing Chen could hear the panting of the enemies just a few dozen meters behind him.
But he didn't look back because he had his own plan.
Everything was still under his control.
Just as the enemies were about to close in on Qing Chen, the young man suddenly sped up.
200 meters.
100 meters.
50 meters.
10 meters.
Qing Chen passed through a thicket.
The next moment.
Cao Wei and Commander Qing Huai both felt something was wrong at the same time. What was the boy's purpose in painstakingly making his way here?
"Stop…" Cao Wei couldn't finish his sentence.
The dozens of soldiers who had been in pursuit had already plunged into the thicket.
In an instant, they felt their bodies lift into the air.
As they somersaulted, the soldiers could see their lower halves remaining on the ground, while blood dripped from the leaves of the thicket.
In the blink of an eye, the four Mechanical Hunting Dogs, along with the bodies of 8 soldiers, were torn apart as they passed through the thicket…
Instantly shattered.
More than twenty additional pursuing soldiers, unable to halt their momentum, crashed and stumbled into the thicket one after another, meeting the same fate.
Cao Wei narrowed his eyes at the inconspicuous thicket in front of him. It was just some flourishing Mimosa Plants. How could they have suddenly become such a sharp murder weapon?!
He looked up ahead and was taken aback to find that the young man had already stopped and was coldly watching him, making the throat-slitting gesture again.
At this moment, Cao Wei was certain that the opponent had a far greater understanding of the rules than he did.
…