Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Gu Ning vs. Yin Sang

Gu Ning reacted swiftly, not harboring any hope that they wouldn’t notice the broken twigs. Without hesitation, she darted behind the nearest tree. Although she had managed to hide, Zhuang Chen’s quick turn and gunfire sent a chill down her spine. Had she hesitated even slightly, she would have been engulfed in smoke.

Zhuang Chen saw a green shadow dart behind the tree and fired three shots in rapid succession, but the person managed to evade them all. The speed and reaction were astonishing, prompting Zhuang Chen to raise an eyebrow: “Impressive reflexes!”

Once behind the tree, Gu Ning wasted no time. She crouched and swiftly moved into the thicket, not daring to linger.

Zhuang Chen fired several shots at the rapidly moving Gu Ning, but Gu Ning zigzagged through the forest with remarkable agility, as if she had eyes on her back. Zhuang Chen’s shots missed their mark, and as the specialized gun’s range was limited to 50 meters, Gu Ning, now 100 meters away, no longer concealed herself and sprinted off.

Zhuang Chen lowered her gun, half-amazed, half-amused: “Seems like we’ve got a promising recruit this year.”

The man in camouflage with rolled-up sleeves nodded: “Her reflexes, speed, and danger assessment are top-notch.” He paused, then added with a smile, “And she’s got guts.” He was referring to Gu Ning’s audacity to tail them.

Zhuang Chen turned to another man who had remained silent: “Captain, what do you think?”

The man looked at where Gu Ning had revealed herself: “Her stealth skills are subpar.”

The man replied: “Jiuzhe, you’re judging a rookie by our standards. It’s your first time selecting new recruits; you might not realize that reaching this level is quite impressive. Her reflexes, speed, and judgment are superior. Not many can dodge Zhuang Chen’s shots.”

Zhuang Chen snorted: “Even Yin Sang couldn’t dodge that shot.”

Yin Sang frowned but didn’t retort.

Unaware of their assessment, Gu Ning ran far before slowing down, ensuring they weren’t following. Ahead, she saw the iron fence marking the boundary.

Checking her watch, she noted two hours remained. Time had never felt slower. Temporarily safe, she hoped Zhang Xiaobai and the others wouldn’t run into the Five-Star Brigade.

Ji Jiuzhe was the first to notice Yin Sang’s absence.

Zhuang Chen frowned: “I knew bringing her was trouble. She must be after that person.”

Another man said impatiently: “Forget her. Let’s find the other three.”

As Zhuang Chen predicted, Yin Sang was racing through the forest with her specialized gun, stopping occasionally to track Gu Ning’s trail. Offended by Zhuang Chen’s comment that even she couldn’t dodge the shot, Yin Sang was determined to eliminate Gu Ning and prove her wrong.

Gu Ning, thinking she was safe, decided to intercept Zhang Xiaobai before the Five-Star Brigade could, unaware that Yin Sang was pursuing her.

Yin Sang followed Gu Ning’s trail to a tree but lost track. Kneeling to inspect the area, she noticed something in the grass—a gun!

Alarm bells rang in her head as she looked up to see a green shadow descending upon her. Caught off guard, she was tackled to the ground. The assailant rolled with her, pinning her down and attempting to wrestle the gun away. Yin Sang, with a cold gaze, kicked her assailant in the side with considerable force, but the person held on tightly.

Gu Ning, having sensed pursuit, hid the heavy gun in the grass and climbed the tree. Spotting Yin Sang approaching, she knew she was no match in a one-on-one fight. She intended to wait until Yin Sang left but was forced to act when her hidden gun was discovered.

Taking a heavy kick to the side, Gu Ning felt searing pain. Initially holding back to avoid injuring Yin Sang, the pain spurred her to retaliate with full force, gripping Yin Sang’s wrist like a vice.

Yin Sang felt her wrist being crushed, losing strength in her hand. Gu Ning seized the opportunity to snatch the gun, but Yin Sang, in a swift motion, kicked it out of Gu Ning’s hand, sending it flying into the grass three meters away.

Gu Ning, ignoring the pain, scrambled to retrieve her hidden gun, aiming to shoot Yin Sang.

But Yin Sang was quicker. She swept Gu Ning’s legs with a powerful kick, sending her crashing to the ground. As Yin Sang dashed for the gun, Gu Ning, despite the pain, lunged at her, grabbing her legs and pulling her down. Yin Sang’s chin hit the hard ground, causing intense pain and drawing blood.

Furious, Yin Sang flipped over, trying to shake Gu Ning off, but Gu Ning clung on, wrapping her arms around Yin Sang’s neck and grabbing her ponytail. Determined to make Yin Sang pay for her aggression, Gu Ning refused to let go.

Yin Sang, exasperated, growled: “Let go!”

Gu Ning replied firmly: “No!”

They remained locked in this struggle until Zhuang Chen, Yi Shaoqing, and Ji Jiuzhe emerged from behind a tree, stunned by the scene.

Yin Sang, usually composed, was in disarray—held tightly from behind, legs clamped around her waist, neck in a chokehold, her ponytail gripped firmly, face smeared with dirt and blood.

Yi Shaoqing gaped in disbelief.

Zhuang Chen was equally shocked.

Ji Jiuzhe remained expressionless but showed a flicker of surprise.

Zhang Xiaobai, Chen Gen, and Zhong Xu, following behind, were speechless.

All eyes shifted awkwardly to the side.

Gu Ning’s hat was gone, her golden hair tangled with grass and debris, face streaked with blood and dirt. Yet, she grinned triumphantly: “I won!”

After a moment of silence, Ji Jiuzhe spoke into his walkie-talkie: “We have casualties up here. Send two stretchers.” He then turned and walked away, leaving the two entangled figures behind.