No matter how reluctant he was, no matter how infuriating — he had no choice but to follow Bai Youwei’s orders.

Because a ruler can depose a subject at any time.

And because discipline — the instinct to obey superiors — had long since been absorbed into his very bones.

For someone like Yu Chaohui, who had spent years carrying out missions in the field, emotions and actions were two entirely separate things.

Yu Chaohui pressed down the fury in his chest and ran back.

Bai Youwei’s voice came through the wristband: “Ye Chong is near the lion’s safety cabin. Watch your route on the way back — avoid direct contact with Ye Chong. His white gloves are not easy to deal with.”

“Understood.”

……

Tan Xiao hurdled over a stretch of gnarled tree roots, tearing through the forest at full speed.

Hu Dashan was chasing him from behind, cursing the whole way: “What the hell! Why are you running so fast — you got a grave to get to?!”

Tan Xiao yelled from ahead: “Would I be running if you weren’t chasing me?!”

Hu Dashan yelled back: “Would I be chasing if you weren’t running?!”

“Then stop chasing! I’ll stop running!”

Hu Dashan kept right on cursing: “In your dreams, you little brat! …Oh for the love of — ow!!”

With a yelp, Hu Dashan tripped over something and went down hard. He hit the ground and rolled twice before going completely still.

Up ahead, Tan Xiao slowed to a halt and craned his neck to look. “Shan Ge? What happened to you?… Hey! Hu Dashan?!”

No response from Hu Dashan.

“Hu Dashan, stop playing dead — I’m not falling for it!” Tan Xiao called from where he stood.

Hu Dashan still didn’t move.

Tan Xiao’s brow creased. He muttered: “Is something actually wrong…? I feel like there was a trap somewhere around here. Did he get caught in it?”

He stood in place and watched for a while, torn, then finally called out with a feigned air: “Keep on playing dead, then! I won’t be fooled no matter what. I’m leaving~”

He took ten-odd steps forward, stopped, and then sneakily spun around to check on Hu Dashan.

He watched for a good while longer. At last Tan Xiao heaved a sigh, stomped his feet emphatically back over, and muttered:

“Hu Dashan, you’d better not be tricking me, or we can’t be brothers anymore…”

He got to Hu Dashan’s side, carefully rolled him over, and found a large lump swelling up on Hu Dashan’s forehead.

“Good grief — knocked his head and passed out?” Tan Xiao checked Hu Dashan’s breathing, then muttered under his breath: “I thought he’d dropped dead for a second.”

He waved a hand, stood up, and said: “Well, you’re not dead, so just lie there for a while — I’m heading back to the safety cabin~”

Words said, he lifted his foot to go.

He had barely taken half a step when the man on the ground opened both eyes. In a flash, a hand shot out and seized Tan Xiao’s ankle!

Tan Xiao was shocked!

He had no time to react. In an instant, he was sent crashing down!

“Damn you, you played dirty on me!” Tan Xiao roared.

Hu Dashan heaved upward and, with a sharp grunt, lifted Tan Xiao upside down by the ankle — then hurled him with full force toward a trap nearby!

There was a thunderous crash, and Tan Xiao, along with a patch of dead leaves and debris, caved into the earth! They all tumbled into the pit below! At the same time, rows of backward-facing barbs appeared around the edge of the pit, making it impossible for anyone who had fallen in to climb back out!

“Ha ha! Sorry about that — I didn’t have much of a choice!” Hu Dashan grinned and stood at the edge of the trap. “It’s just that we serve different masters, you and I! You just stay in that pit, little brat! See ya~”

Tan Xiao hit the bottom of the pit, took ages to peel himself off the ground, found every bone in his body aching — and then noticed that the glowing wristband on his wrist was gone. Furious beyond measure.

“Hu Dashan!! Remember this!!”

Hu Dashan strutted away triumphantly: “Wa ha ha ha ha!!”

……

Bai Youwei saw one of the white dots disappear from the map displayed on her wristband. She furrowed her brow slightly.

“What is it?” Shen Mo asked, having returned.

Bai Youwei looked at him and replied: “Tan Xiao has been eliminated.”