# 181
Chapter 181 – Death Itself Retreats
Beneath the low, leaden sky, several canvas-topped military trucks sped along a muddy road. Raindrops drummed against the tarpaulin in a frantic rhythm, mingling with the growl of engines and the roll of thunder into a chaotic requiem of disaster.
Inside the trucks, dozens of new recruits sat in silence, swaying with every jolt. Slanting rain slashed through the open rear flap, soaking their clothes.
Instructor Hong, up front, pulled black rain ponchos from a burlap sack and passed them hand to hand.
“The eight stricken villages are scattered far apart—some on the east face of Mount Jinnan, some on the south, others buried in ravines. The trucks can’t get in; we’ll have to go the last stretch on foot.
The farthest hamlet sits in dead terrain—rugged track, heavy rain, and aftershocks that could hit any minute. A normal rescue team would need forty-eight hours just to reach it from the mountain’s outer ridge. The golden window for a mudslide rescue is seventy-two hours; by the time they arrived, there’d be no window left.
But you’re not normal. After all that extreme training, even in these conditions you can cross the range on foot in under twenty-four hours.”
He unfolded a map of Mount Jinnan on the floor, lit it with a flashlight, and crouched to sketch routes.
“We instructors just finished briefing. We’ll split into eight groups and hit every village. The five outside the range are straightforward; the problem is the three inside. We’ll label them Villages One, Two, and Three.
Village One is the one I just described—dead center of the range. To reach it you’ll have to cross the entire Jinnan massif at speed, in hell conditions. The team must be small enough to move fast, big enough to work when it gets there. I’ve already picked the candidates.”
His gaze swept the recruits.
“Lin Qiye—first name. You’re team leader for Village One.”
“Yes, sir.”
No hesitation from Lin Qiye; he simply nodded.
No surprise either—top scorer in every extreme drill, and with the Mortal Divine Realm he could locate victims the instant he arrived.
“Also Baili Pangpang, Shen Qingzhu, Molly, Deng Wei, Li Jia, Li Liang, Wen Qingqing…”
Eight recruits in all, plus Instructor Hong himself—nine on the team.
Every choice made sense: Baili the universal toolkit; Shen Qingzhu for speed and strength; Molly’s vibration ability to clear ground; Deng Wei, Li Jia, Li Liang all possessing strength-type Forbidden Ruins perfect for digging; Wen Qingqing for first-aid.
Cao Yuan wasn’t selected—his Forbidden Ruins weren’t suited to rescue, and the other inner-range villages needed top talent too.
Hong then read the rosters for the remaining seven villages. No objections. As insurance, the instructors handed out星辰刀 again; after the warehouse had mysteriously emptied months ago, a new batch had arrived—this time guarded five times as heavily.
“This isn’t an exercise, a test, or a drill. This is a real disaster. Every second we waste could be a life lost. The day after tomorrow you’ll swear your Night Watch oath—let your own hands earn that honor today.”
…
Village Seven, foot of Mount Jinnan.
Landslide and slurry had buried the once-peaceful hamle, leaving only splinters of houses like broken shells jammed in the earth. A few three-storey buildings jutted halfway out, walls and beams shattered.
A mud-caked man stumbled through the rain, carrying a bamboo basket of rain-soaked mushrooms. His cracked lips trembled.
“No… no, not like this!”
He knew every stone—could tell whose wall, whose roof from a single shard. Dragging a bloodied right leg, he lurched toward the memory of a small adobe home.
“Can’t be… Xiaofang, Dad, Mom—wait! I’m back, I’m coming!”
His foot slipped; he crashed down, mushrooms spilling. He flung the basket away and kept running.
At last he reached a half-buried white house.
“No, no, no…” His body shook; tears mixed with rain. Frantically he clawed at the earth.
“It’s okay! Your son’s here to save you! It’s okay—”
Sharp stones split his palms; blood smeared the dark soil. He felt nothing, digging like a madman.
“It’s okay… it’s okay—damn it! Why!?” He hammered the ground, wailing. “Someone… someone help us…”
Vrrrr—!
Engines growled like beasts. Headlights speared the gloom, lighting the ruin.
The man looked up. Green steel monsters burst through the rain curtain, skidding to a halt. Figures in black ponchos leapt from the trucks, boots slamming into puddles, racing toward him.
The leader drew a breath and roared, voice overriding the downpour, echoing across the wreckage:
“Great Xia soldiers are here—Death itself retreats! Whoever lives… shall live!”