Chapter 27

Indeed, plans often fail to keep up with changes. Xu Dong wasn't unaware of the risks, but he had miscalculated them. To his surprise, among the mere twenty-four members of the self-defense team, there were three who posed a serious threat to him. He chuckled bitterly and muttered to himself, "Of course, in such a vast world, it's not surprising that a few talents would emerge in Nangjiao Village."

He winced and touched the wound on the back of his head, which had swollen into a grotesque lump. Looking down, he saw his palm covered in fresh blood. Xu Dong spat in frustration and could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

Scattered on the ground were fragments of torches, the dark red embers burning the half-moist leaves and twigs, emitting a foul smell. In the distance, a large group of people were searching for Xu Dong, their torches held high. It was pitch black, and they were near the outskirts of the forest. Even Xu Dong, who had memorized the terrain, didn't dare run quickly, fearing he might accidentally collide with a tree. How could this group of people possibly catch him?

After briefly tending to his injuries, Xu Dong didn't even glance at the three men lying on the ground groaning. He turned and disappeared into the woods.

The three men on the ground, seeing Xu Dong leave, quickly shouted for help. Soon, the self-defense team arrived, noticing the scene and turning pale. One of them exclaimed, "What the hell did you three do! You look like you've been through a nightmare!"

Indeed! Da Fei and Er Fei had broken noses, their faces covered in blood, looking particularly disheveled. Man Niu, though seemingly unharmed on the surface, had a large, swollen, purplish-red lump on his shoulder, which was quite shocking to see.

Everyone knew the strength of the three brothers. Individually, they could fend off four or five ordinary men, and if they worked together, only a warrior with the power of a blood-flesh armor could match them. But it seemed they had been brutally beaten!

Da Fei, supported by his comrades, wiped the blood from his nose. His face showed a mix of anger and fear as he said, "The guy was young, probably around seventeen or eighteen, but his speed, strength, physique, and reaction time were all exceptional. He's not an ordinary person!"

Man Niu, who had just regained consciousness, shuddered, "You didn't see it. A wooden stick as thick as my forearm hit him on the head, and he didn't even flinch! Who among you can do that?"

One of them asked cautiously, "So, is this young man a first-rank warrior?"

Da Fei took a deep breath and shook his head, "It doesn't seem so."

Suddenly, a sharp voice from the crowd piped up, "If he's not a first-rank warrior, what's there to worry about? The boss will definitely handle it. When we catch him, we'll light him up and avenge you three!"

After a while, Xu Dong finally stopped. He reached out and gently touched a tree. His hand soon found a cross-shaped knife mark. This was a mark he had made earlier. Finding the tree, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness I didn't forget the direction. I made it here without any major issues."

Touching the cross mark, a series of terrain routes quickly appeared in Xu Dong's mind. He had never experienced such a feeling before. After his enhancement, his memory was ten to a hundred times better than in his previous life! He remembered every detail without missing a thing, and a sense of confidence welled up inside him, "It's a dark and windy night, pitch black, and I've set up a series of contingencies. Now, all I need is you, the main character!"

As if sensing Xu Dong's thoughts, a cold wind suddenly blew from afar, rustling the leaves and intensifying the musty smell. A figure in a large cloak appeared mysteriously, less than thirty meters away from Xu Dong. The cloak flapped in the wind, giving off a sense of freedom.

The moment this figure appeared, Xu Dong felt a chill more intense than being stared down by a yellow-striped saber-toothed tiger. His body shivered as if from the cold, and goosebumps appeared on his skin. His hair and sweat stood on end!

A thought immediately came to mind.

This man is incredibly powerful! He truly is the strongest opponent I've faced so far!

He is Stab, the security officer of Nangjiao Village, a former border guard!

Stab's gaze immediately locked onto Xu Dong. Despite the darkness, Xu Dong could clearly feel his stare. It was evident how strongly this man affected him.

Unable to resist, Xu Dong used his Insight skill. To his surprise, the skill only revealed the man's name and current position, with a very brief description. It seemed the gap between them was so great that the Insight skill couldn't function properly.

Stab didn't rush to make a move. He stood there, giving Xu Dong a sense of confidence, as if capturing him would be as easy as catching a snail with three fingers or a turtle from a jar. This made Xu Dong feel particularly annoyed.

After a moment, Stab spoke, "I didn't want to know your name, but I saw your fight with my self-defense team members. I have to admit, your overall abilities are incredibly close to the limit."

Xu Dong, not one for words, just pursed his lips.

Stab suddenly said, "Join me. In the near future, something might happen. If you do well, you can get everything you can't even imagine."

Xu Dong was taken aback, feeling a mix of amusement and bewilderment. He asked reflexively, "You want to recruit me?"

Stab's honesty was unexpected, "Why not? The White Fox incident proved you have intelligence, and defeating Da Fei and Er Fei showed your bravery. You're only seventeen, and you've almost reached your physical limits. Among ten thousand people, your talent is at least average. If you can break through a major barrier in the next year, you'll be in the top tier. Your future is limitless. Why shouldn't I recruit you?"

Hmm, there's actually such a thing?!

Xu Dong's doubtful expression was misinterpreted by Stab as hesitation.

Seeing this, Stab smiled, "Look, whatever your current backers can offer, we can give you more—money, women, power, even divine fruit. As long as you pay the price, you can have it all."

But at that moment, Xu Dong suddenly turned and fled into the forest like a frightened rabbit. His sudden and swift action took Stab by surprise. It took him a few seconds to react.

A wave of anger washed over Stab's face. He felt he had been toyed with, like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man. However, he remained calm and coldly said, "Do you think a first-rank warrior is so easy to deal with? Ha, after mastering the power of blood-flesh armor, I have a comprehensive and significant enhancement. This darkness that seems impenetrable to you is no obstacle to me."

After his cold laugh, Stab began to pursue Xu Dong, maintaining a steady pace.

Following Xu Dong's path, his steps, though not large, covered two to three meters with each stride. He moved quickly, occasionally stopping to listen or sense, always finding the correct direction. Xu Dong didn't know that Stab had been a scout in the military, with rich combat experience and tracking skills.

Suddenly, a smirk appeared on Stab's lips, "Oh, you've stopped moving. Interesting, it seems you want to ambush me!"

With the mindset of a cat playing with a mouse, Stab didn't take Xu Dong seriously and continued to track him.

As he passed between two trees, a figure like a hidden eagle suddenly pounced. In mid-air, an iron dagger was already in hand, aiming for a vital spot.

In a normal situation, if an ordinary person faced such an ambush, especially in the dark, they would first be startled and then think of dodging and counterattacking. But who was Stab? A seasoned elite soldier who had fought on the border. Moreover, he saw Xu Dong as just an ordinary person who had reached his physical limits. In a crisis, his only thought was to counterattack!

Xu Dong's downward strike was perfectly timed and angled.

In a split second, without even looking up, Stab drew a triangular dagger from his waist and struck the dagger with incredible precision. The impact of the two blades produced a bright spark, illuminating Xu Dong's shocked face!

The powerful force from the triangular dagger slammed into the dagger, and with no support in mid-air, Xu Dong was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree with a loud thud.

Missing his target, Xu Dong was terrified, "Although Stab's strength is not as great as Uncle Da Xiong's, his speed and accuracy far surpass Uncle Da Xiong's!"

The moment he hit the ground, Xu Dong turned and ran!

Stab coldly snorted, "Can't win, so you want to run?"