Chapter 3: Boundaries

As time passes, the moon slowly ascends to the top of the valley, surrounded by a faint halo that imparts a touch of hazy beauty. The moonlight spills onto the ground, creating a dance of shadows. If a poet of great talent were present, he would surely compose a fine poem. Beneath such a beautiful scene, only a few robust team members cautiously patrol around the camp, their attention fixed on the dark areas of the surrounding woods, oblivious to the appreciation of this natural beauty, thus greatly wasting this splendid view. Beneath such a beautiful scene, only a few robust team members cautiously patrol around the camp, their attention fixed on the dark areas of the surrounding woods, oblivious to the appreciation of this natural beauty, thus greatly wasting this splendid view

Chen Fu is a person with a strong sense of curiosity. After a while, he looked around and found that the mountain forest remained tranquil. Sun Yan had also finished inspecting the camp and returned to the tent to rest. He quickly approached the line made of realgar, bent down, picked up a small handful of soil, and brought it to his nose to smell.

Chen Fu, however, did not notice that a silent shadow was standing opposite him. He remained in a bent posture, muttering to himself: "It is realgar, huh, mixed with cinnabar, ah, what is this black substance..." Suddenly, Chen Fu felt a chill all over his body, and the atmosphere felt very eerie.

"Apart from those blind beasts, what else could there be? Isn't there a firelight..." Chen Fu said with a forced smile.

This large figure is Sun Yan. From Sun Yan's words, he learned that he was to undergo a task assessment; if successful, he would be able to work in this unit. If he failed to complete the task, he would have served the people loyally, and his family would receive a substantial compensation, but his body might not be returned.

Ah... Chen Fu let out a low exclamation and immediately covered his mouth. He had just been lost in thought and had not noticed that someone had approached from behind.

"Captain Sun, what is it?" Upon hearing the voice, Chen Fu immediately recognized it was Sun Yan and quickly turned around to ask. Only then did he realize that Sun Yan was less than three steps behind him.

At the moment he bent down, he did not notice that a dark shadow flashed from the edge of the forest and silently approached him. Just then, the small bell hanging outside the ancient tent also jingled softly. The sleeping ancient figure's eyes suddenly opened wide, and he immediately sat up straight, reaching for the bundle pressed under his head.

A faint smell of realgar permeated the air. Chen Fu knew that this realgar was used to repel snakes and insects, but at this moment, the scent felt strange to him, as if something else was mixed in with the realgar. He recalled that this afternoon, while setting up the camp, they newcomers were busy arranging the tents inside, while the perimeter was personally organized by Sun Yan and a few seasoned veterans. Was there some hidden mystery in this?

Hmm? Chen Fu was quite puzzled as to why the rational and skeptical Team Leader Sun would say such things. It made Chen Fu feel a bit uneasy.

"I will take a nap first, and I will come to take your shift in the middle of the night. Be careful not to lose focus," Sun Yan said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "By the way, no matter what happens, make sure not to step outside that line." Sun Yan pointed to a line made of realgar that was scattered around the camp. That line was not far in front of Chen and the library.

A voice sounded from behind Chen Fu

Tonight, at midnight, Chen Fu felt a bit uneasy during his night shift. He did not know why, but he always had a sense of restlessness. This was the first time he experienced such a feeling. He vaguely sensed that something would happen tonight. The young man became tense and reached into his pocket for a cigarette, only to find it empty. He couldn't help but smile wryly, as Sun Yan had taken away his cigarettes after dinner. He had no choice but to gather his spirits and focus on the dark forest not far away.

"What is wrong with me tonight?" Chen Fu felt a chill running down his spine. He muttered to himself, dissatisfied with his performance this evening. Chen Fu is an excellent soldier, only twenty-two years old this year. By the age of nineteen, he had already become an elite in the military district's special forces, having executed numerous high-difficulty missions, all of which had pleased his superiors. However, shortly after being promoted to non-commissioned officer, he received a very strange order, instructing him to immediately process his discharge and transfer to a peculiar department. Having been in this department for nearly a month, he still did not know what his job was. Until one day, a strong man, standing at one meter ninety-five, came to find him with his file, threw down a set of clothes, and simply said: "Change your clothes and follow me"

Chen Fu felt a tingling sensation on his scalp as he listened to Sun Yan's enigmatic words. Before he could utter a single response, Sun Yan had already walked away. Watching Sun Yan's receding figure, Chen Fu forced a bitter smile and murmured, "Captain Sun, please don't scare people for no reason. Although I have a big heart, I can't handle too much excitement."

The campfire gradually dimmed, the cold flames flickering in the mountain breeze, accompanied by the rustling of pine trees, creating a mesmerizing melody that lulls one into a dream. The entire valley was calm and serene. On this early autumn night, the forest had also become much more desolate, and the symphony of insects was not as lively as in midsummer, appearing somewhat forlorn.

"That ancient mountain is quite impressive." Sun Yan gazed at the distant mountain that Gu Zheng had pointed out in the afternoon, his mind seemingly lost in thought, his eyes flashing with a glimmer of brilliance. The distant mountain, like a blade, pointed towards the valley, and under the swaying moonlight, it resembled a massive beast lying in front of him.

Upon hearing about this mission, Chen Fu's eyes lit up, thinking it was a special operations task. However, he did not expect that Sun Yan would bring him to this mountain and the library corner, which left him quite puzzled. Sun Yan did not explain, and he did not ask. Carrying out missions is a soldier's duty, especially for special operations team members; the less one knows, the safer one is. In this team, half of the members were seasoned veterans from the department, rich in experience, while the other half consisted of newcomers like him. He did not inquire further; executing missions is a soldier's responsibility, particularly for special operations team members, and knowing less equates to greater safety. Chen Fu noticed that the veterans in the team had many taboos, and everything they did followed certain rules. Moreover, these veterans strictly required them to adhere to the same practices. As for the reasons behind it, the veterans merely shrugged their shoulders, wearing a proud expression, and dismissed it with a phrase, "This is the rule."

"Why is your vigilance so low?" Sun Yan said bluntly, "If something else were to pounce on you, would you still have your life?" Sun Yan spoke in a lowered voice

The moonlight cannot penetrate the dense canopy to illuminate the forest, leaving it shrouded in darkness. Chen Fu always felt that the dark forest resembled a giant beast lurking nearby, its gaping maw wide open, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce and devour the people in the camp.

Hmph, if there are only wild beasts in the mountains, then it would be easy to handle..." Sun Yan said slowly as he patted Chen Fu's shoulder