Chapter 40

As night deepened, the mountain forest returned to tranquility. The students were all sound asleep in their tents, with only the occasional nightingale's chirp breaking the silence from the treetops.

The students at Xiaofeng Academy were assigned to take turns keeping watch, though there was little in the forest to fear. Still, having someone on alert made everyone sleep more soundly.

However, because the watch was more or less optional, the students assigned to it were not very diligent. They soon found places to sneak in some sleep, with only a few remaining vigilant.

"Hey, wake up for a bit, I need to go relieve myself," Qin Yuan kicked his companion, who was lying under a tree.

"Why again?!" The companion, who had been sleeping soundly, was thoroughly annoyed. This was already the fourth time, and it was almost making him lose his temper.

"Can't help it, I drank a bit too much malt wine tonight," Qin Yuan rubbed his belly.

Malt wine, made primarily from malted barley, has a low alcohol content and is not easy to get drunk from. Qin Yuan had drunk quite a bit, but he wasn't drunk. However, his stomach was full, and he had to go relieve himself every so often.

"Go, go!" The companion sat up against the tree, not even bothering to open his eyes, urging Qin Yuan to hurry. He couldn't really complain much. Qin Yuan was being very responsible by keeping watch, while he was sneaking in some sleep. Qin Yuan didn't push him, but at this moment, what could he say?

"Keep an eye out!" Qin Yuan warned him.

"Got it, hurry up!" The companion勉强 opened his eyes, saw Qin Yuan leave, and he really did want to keep an eye out. But after just three seconds, his eyelids drooped again, and he couldn't keep them open.

Qin Yuan walked to the spot where he had relieved himself multiple times that night. He looked around, but saw no one else who was supposed to be on watch; they had all found places to sneak in some sleep.

Qin Yuan felt a bit helpless but didn't think about waking anyone up. After all, there was no real danger, and he could handle it alone. He had the Third Heaven's Chongzhi Soul and the Fifth Heaven's Mingzhi Soul, making him well-suited for the task. Plus, as a member of Xiaofeng Academy's guard, it was his duty.

He arrived at his usual spot and relieved himself, all the while staying alert. But he never expected that a cold blade would press against his throat without him noticing. Before he could fully react, a large hand covered his mouth.

"If you don't want to die, be quiet," a voice whispered in his ear. The cold blade then grazed his neck, causing intense pain. Qin Yuan, terrified, nodded frantically. Two black-clothed, masked figures appeared from either side, and the hand covering his mouth slowly released him.

"We're not here for you, so cooperate, and it will be better for everyone," the one on the left said in a low voice.

Qin Yuan quickly covered the cut on his neck with his right hand, not daring to make a sound, and nodded.

The other man didn't waste any more words and immediately asked, "Where is Wei Tianqi?"

Qin Yuan realized it was as he had suspected. The mayor's only son was indeed a significant target. But he also knew that if the mayor found out he had helped them, he would be in serious trouble.

"You have one minute to lead us there. If we find you trying anything funny..." The cold dagger was pressed against his neck again, and without hesitation, it added another cut. Seeing Qin Yuan's hesitation, the man made a more threatening move.

Qin Yuan had no choice but to lead the three men.

Should he deliberately take a longer route to draw attention?

Should he find a way to give a signal?

Qin Yuan had considered these options, but the other men were clearly more experienced. The time limit, the threat of no tricks, and the close monitoring completely extinguished all his thoughts.

He deeply regretted not being more principled, not insisting on waking everyone up. If even one person hadn't gone to sleep, the situation might have been different.

Qin Yuan soon felt hopeless. Even the companion he had just woken up was nowhere to be seen, clearly having fallen back asleep immediately after he left.

One minute. He didn't dare take a longer route or give any hint. Qin Yuan led the three men to where Wei Tianqi and his group were resting. The Wei family emblem was clearly visible even in the dark, and with their Chongzhi Soul realm, the darkness was no obstacle. The three men immediately recognized Wei Tianqi's tent without Qin Yuan's guidance.

One man continued to hold Qin Yuan, while the other two quickly approached. Although Wei Tianqi had the Sixth Heaven's Qi Soul, he was clearly not taken seriously by the two men.

But... something was wrong!

Wei Tianqi stared at the tent. The Wei family emblem was correct, but the tent wasn't Wei Tianqi's. Qin Yuan recognized it because it belonged to his family. Inside should be his younger brother, Qin Zhen, a third-year student at Xiaofeng Academy. The Wei family didn't mind mixing their tents with other students, but why was the Wei family emblem on his brother's tent?

Qin Yuan had a vague sense of something, but he didn't have time to think it through. He didn't know their intentions, whether they were kidnapping or assassinating. If it was an assassination, the person in the tent was his brother.

Concern for his brother's safety overrode everything. Qin Yuan shouted without hesitation, "Wrong!"

Pfft!

Blood gushed from his throat. The man hadn't lied; he struck immediately at the slightest movement. But the word "wrong" had been heard, and the man realized it might be useful information. The knife was quickly withdrawn, the cut deep but not fatal.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, a cold blade pierced his throat from behind, silently. He stared down, seeing the tip of the blade under his chin, a move he had made countless times, but never from this angle.

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't make a sound, only a mouthful of blood. He still clutched Qin Yuan, but his body gradually went limp.

The two men fell together. Qin Yuan clutched his throat, not knowing how severe his injury was or what had happened behind him. Turning his head, he saw the masked man lying beside him, eyes wide open, a bloody hole in his throat, blood still gushing out.

A black shadow darted past the fallen men, rushing toward the two black-clothed figures heading for the tent.

(Of course, I have to watch the football match tonight. Even a fake fan has aspirations! I'll try to update another chapter before 4 AM, but I don't recommend waiting for this one. You can read it in the morning!)

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