# 99
**Chapter 99: The Follower**
"Damn! How did you guys suddenly appear in front of us?!" Baili Pangpang saw the same thing and was completely stunned.
"Now’s not the time to dwell on that!" Shen Qingzhu shouted, quickly changing direction and leaping to the left.
Coincidentally, Lin Qiye also chose the same direction at the exact same time.
The two groups who had been caught in a pincer movement now charged left in unison, followed immediately by a series of missiles slicing through the air!
Two of the three followers behind Shen Qingzhu were hit simultaneously. After letting out desperate cries, their eyes rolled back and they collapsed.
Lin Qiye’s blade moved so fast it left afterimages. He carved a path through the jungle, while Cao Yuan clutched a useless spoon and chased after him with all his might.
Baili Pangpang yelped, ducked behind a large tree to avoid a barrage of missiles, then scrambled after Lin Qiye and the others.
They ran for their lives, climbing over the entire rugged forest until they reached a relatively open clearing. A small stream trickled down from the mountain, making pleasant gurgling sounds.
Lin Qiye walked a few steps, bent down by the stream, scooped up some water to drink, then splashed it on his face and let out a long sigh.
Baili Pangpang plopped onto the ground, completely spent.
"Qiye… how much farther until we cross the mountain range?"
"Still a long way." Lin Qiye said slowly. "From the start, drones have been attacking us from different directions, so we had to change course several times. In straight-line distance, we’ve only advanced four or five kilometers from the starting point."
"The instructors are messing with us! Drones chasing us, and we’re not allowed to fight back…" Shen Qingzhu stood up, kicked a stone into the stream, and grumbled.
"At this rate, we’ll never make it through the mountains." Cao Yuan frowned.
"Actually, I’ve felt something was off about this place from the beginning." Lin Qiye hesitated, then spoke.
"Off?"
"Didn’t you notice? No matter how long we’ve run or which direction we took, the position of the sun in the sky hasn’t changed." Lin Qiye pointed to the sun overhead. "Also, the mountain paths I see keep changing…"
Everyone froze and looked up. Their expressions darkened.
"What’s going on?"
"The instructors must’ve used a forbidden artifact to cover this area. From the start, they never intended for us to make it through."
"Then what do they want?"
"To drain every last bit of our stamina."
Baili Pangpang’s face turned pale. "So… we’re all doomed to face that punishment?"
"Not necessarily." Cao Yuan suddenly spoke. "Those who passed out from exhaustion didn’t show up for the punishment."
"…" Baili Pangpang sat on the ground, sighing in despair.
The drones seemed to sense they were near their limit and didn’t pursue immediately, giving them a rare moment to catch their breath.
After running for so long, everyone was exhausted. They all sat on the ground, and the clearing by the stream fell silent.
Only the constant “soul拷问” from their weighted packs echoed through the valley, making them laugh from time to time.
"Hey, you with the spoon." Shen Qingzhu looked at Cao Yuan. "You’re clearly strong. Why didn’t you fight seriously at first during last night’s match against Mask Squad?"
"I won’t draw my blade unless absolutely necessary. That’s a vow I made before the Buddha." Cao Yuan replied calmly.
"But you *did* fight in the end."
"Because it became necessary." Cao Yuan glanced at Lin Qiye.
Shen Qingzhu frowned. "What, he tells you to fight and you fight, but when I ask you to fight you just sit there? You looking down on me?"
"Yeah."
"You—!" Shen Qingzhu’s eyes narrowed.
"Anyone who can’t control their emotions is forever weak." Cao Yuan twirled the spoon in his hand, calm as ever.
Shen Qingzhu glared at him, fists clenched like he wanted to throw a punch. But after a moment, he let go.
He stood up, gave Cao Yuan a cold look, and said, "Hmph. Strong or weak, we’ll see."
Then he turned and walked off in another direction.
The only remaining recruit behind him scrambled to follow.
"Damn, the other two are already out. Why are *you* still following me?" Shen Qingzhu snapped when he saw the guy tagging along.
"‘Cause you’re my Brother Shen!" A dark-skinned recruit grinned. "If you hadn’t helped my ma pay off her debts, I’d still be begging on the streets. Never would’ve made it into the Night Watch!"
"Are you kidding? I nearly killed you and Moon Ghost together with my 【Qi Min】 yesterday, and you still call me Brother Shen?"
"You were just trying to force him out!" the follower said honestly. "And if you really didn’t care about us, why’d you throw us into the dorm before using the air blast?"
"You—" Shen Qingzhu kicked a pebble in frustration. "Fine! If you idiots insist on following me, then do it. Just don’t cause me trouble!"
He turned and strode off. The follower stayed right behind him.
"Brother Shen, are your weights heavy? Want me to carry some?"
"Scram! My weights, my burden!"
"Oh…"
Once they were gone, Baili Pangpang shrugged.
"Strange. Shen Qingzhu’s got a terrible temper, arrogant as hell, and loves cursing… yet someone still follows him. Is the guy blind?"
"That boy’s name is Deng Wei. When he was little, his dad ran off, and his mom was a gambler who racked up debts. One day, debt collectors showed up with knives. He had nowhere to turn.
Then he ran into Shen Qingzhu, who—for some reason—sold off several plots of family land and lent Deng Wei the money. Later, both of them awakened Forbidden Ruins, got recruited by the Night Watch, and ended up here."
Cao Yuan gave a brief summary.
"How do you know all that?"
"Deng Wei’s my roommate." Cao Yuan shrugged. "The other two followers are twin brothers—Li Jia and Li Liang. No idea why, but they’re just as loyal to Shen Qingzhu."
"Didn’t expect him to be such a layered guy." Baili Pangpang raised an eyebrow.
Just then, the buzzing of drones rose again from the forest. Lin Qiye’s expression changed as he stood up.
"They’re back…"