Conquest of Taboo and Debauchery

After deciding on his plan, Ye Fei settled into casual conversation with the others, much as he'd done back in the Wanghai Army Camp. With Ye Fei relaxing and joking with them, any lingering distance between them faded quickly. Soon, they were chatting as freely as old friends.

At one point, one of the team members known for his nosy questions piped up. "Xiaoman, does your aunt have a boyfriend?"

Ye Fei felt his heart skip a beat. Trying to keep it casual, he asked, "Why are you suddenly asking that? Do you have your eye on my aunt?"

The gossiping teammate's face flushed as he sat up, waving his hands defensively. "No, no! Captain Liu's like a goddess to all of us! I wouldn't stand a chance! Besides, if anyone else heard me say that, I'd be laughed out of here—or worse!"

"Then what made you ask?" Ye Fei asked, raising an eyebrow.

The teammate leaned in, lowering his voice. "Well, I've noticed she's been in an odd mood lately, smiling to herself now and then. I'm no expert on women, but my sister had that same look when she first fell in love. So, I was just wondering..."

Ye Fei hadn't anticipated that anyone, other than perhaps Wei Qing, would pick up on Liu Junyi's change in behavior. Not wanting rumors to circulate, he quickly made up a story. "I think she recently made a breakthrough in her martial arts training. You know how passionate my aunt is about martial arts—nothing would make her happier."

The teammate nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. She really is a martial arts fanatic." Zhang Qiang and the others visibly relaxed. Though they harbored no romantic intentions toward Liu Junyi, they held her in such high regard that the idea of an outsider vying for her attention would have felt uncomfortable.

Seeing their expressions, Ye Fei decided to probe a bit further. "Uncle Zhang, let me ask you something. If you weren't originally part of the Wanghai Special Forces, would you still follow my aunt's orders after everything that's happened?"

"Absolutely!" Zhang Qiang and the others responded without hesitation. Sensing Ye Fei's skepticism, Zhang Qiang elaborated, "I'm not just saying this because she was my commander before. We're in a mess right now, tangled in some serious conspiracy. Without her and you, we'd probably be in far worse shape—or worse, dead.

Even if we somehow survived, we'd likely be discharged, and for us, being expelled from the Special Forces would be worse than death on the battlefield. In a way, you and Captain Liu have given us a second chance. It's only natural we'd follow her."

Ye Fei nodded, satisfied. Zhang Qiang's insight confirmed that his plan was unfolding even more smoothly than he had hoped. After hearing that, Ye Fei stayed up talking and laughing with them until well past two in the morning before finally getting some rest.

Ye Fei rose around five o'clock, careful not to disturb Zhang Qiang and the others who were still asleep. After quietly speaking with Liu Junyi, he set out alone. Reflecting on Zhang Qiang's words the night before, he decided to locate the enemy's hideout as quickly as possible.

Then, he would bring Liu Junyi and the team to finish the job, knowing that their admiration for his skill and leadership would encourage even the proudest team members to follow him wholeheartedly. More than that, he genuinely didn't want his team to suffer further harm.

After his dual cultivation training with Liu Junyi the previous day, Ye Fei's abilities had surged. If his speed had left faint shadows before, now he was as swift and silent as the wind itself. His enhanced vision allowed him to observe every detail within a hundred meters as he sped by. By the end of the morning, he had scoured about a quarter of the forest—yet still found no trace of the enemy.

Pausing beneath a massive tree, Ye Fei frowned. He wondered if the enemy had caught on to the team's plans and had retreated. But on further reflection, this seemed unlikely. None of the enemy fighters encountered last time had escaped, and the team had disposed of their remains. The enemy wouldn't know the team's true capabilities or numbers, especially after yesterday's ambush.

As he pondered this, he caught a faint sound—a conversation drifting through the trees. Startled, he immediately moved toward the source, maintaining silence and caution as he drew closer.

The voices were over a kilometer away, but Ye Fei's heightened senses allowed him to detect the conversation. Despite his speed, he proceeded carefully, knowing that he could easily miss hidden scouts nearby.

After over ten minutes of cautious approach, Ye Fei reached a vantage point in a towering tree and peered down. Below, he saw a group of tall, strong men—foreigners by the look of them—arguing heatedly. Their voices grew clearer, and Ye Fei recognized one of them as the voice he had heard before.

Judging from their attire and demeanor, Ye Fei deduced they were with the same group they'd been tracking. Curiosity piqued, he observed as the men argued, wondering what had caused their disagreement.

Suddenly, the ground shifted, and the fallen leaves near a large tree stirred as a thin, sharp-featured middle-aged man with a sinister look emerged from a concealed hole. In a cold, gravelly voice, he demanded, "What's all this noise about?"

The arguing men fell silent, clearly intimidated by the new arrival, though two of them continued to exchange heated glares.

The man, whom they addressed as "Lee," pressed further. "What's going on?"

One of the two men facing off quickly replied, "Lee, just the person I wanted! Toker here owes me three packs of cigarettes, but he's only got two! Normally I'd let it slide, but out here, in the middle of nowhere, it's just wrong!"

Ye Fei fought back a chuckle. It seemed that life in hiding was wearing on these men, to the point they'd argue over a single pack of cigarettes.

"Listen, man, I'm not trying to cheat you. I only have two packs left, or I'd give you the third. Everyone knows I'm good for it," Toker protested.

"Enough!" Lee snapped, cutting off their bickering. "How many times have I told you? The enemy might have skilled operatives. If your petty arguments give away our location, who among you is prepared to take responsibility?"

"Oh, come on, Lee," Toker muttered dismissively. "The people from Dragon Nation are skilled, but no one would dare come here, right? Besides, we've got eyes everywhere. If anyone got close, they wouldn't get past our scouts. You yourself wouldn't be able to get through undetected."

Ye Fei felt his eyes narrow. Listening to the conversation, it became clear the enemy had concealed their presence so expertly that he'd missed them simply due to his lack of experience. If not for this close call, he might never have discovered them. Frustrated, he mentally berated himself for his oversight.

"Who's there?" Lee suddenly turned in Ye Fei's direction, his voice sharp and wary.

Ye Fei hadn't expected his faint movements to be detected. For a split second, he considered leaping down to eliminate the men below. But if there were other hidden enemies nearby, a direct assault would only expose him. Deciding to withdraw, he quickly slipped away from the scene.

The others turned to Lee in confusion. "What's wrong, Lee?"

Ignoring their questions, Lee fixed his gaze in the direction Ye Fei had gone and set off in pursuit.

Ye Fei was surprised by this development. He had been hoping to locate their base, and with Lee apparently holding a high rank, he realized that capturing him might yield valuable information. But he needed to draw him further away before making a move.

He slowed his pace slightly, maintaining a lead that would make Lee believe he had a chance to catch him. Judging from Lee's confident demeanor, he seemed convinced of his superiority, a belief Ye Fei was happy to reinforce.

As they moved deeper into the forest, Ye Fei watched Lee closely. The man's movements were strange and unsettling; he ran along the forest floor with a fluidity that allowed him to avoid obstacles almost effortlessly.

After a lengthy pursuit, Ye Fei determined they were far enough from the enemy camp. Stopping suddenly, he turned to face the middle-aged man pursuing him.

Seeing Ye Fei halt, Lee smirked, assuming he had worn out his quarry. But as he drew closer and saw how young Ye Fei looked, Lee's confidence wavered. Pausing a few meters away, he demanded, "Who are you? There's no one like you among the Special Forces."

Ye Fei's mind raced. If Lee was familiar with the team, he might indeed have ties to the mastermind behind the ambushes. Though he was pleased, Ye Fei kept his expression neutral, responding calmly, "I could ask the same—who are you?"

Angered by Ye Fei's cool demeanor, Lee sneered, "It doesn't matter who you are. You've heard too much. There's no place for you in this world now!" With that, he lunged forward, extending his fingers like claws, aiming straight for Ye Fei's chest.

Ye Fei made no move to dodge, simply meeting the attack with his own open palm. Their strikes met with a soft "pop" as Ye Fei absorbed the impact, gliding backward to a standstill five meters away.

Ye Fei had intentionally held back, choosing not to counterattack just yet. He wanted to learn as much as possible from this middle-aged man and didn't want to end the confrontation too soon. After receiving the force of the attack, however, Ye Fei was a bit surprised.

The man possessed a level of internal strength akin to Liu Junyi's before her recent improvements, combined with an unusual and intricate movement technique. Ye Fei realized that even Liu Junyi, at her former skill level, might have struggled against this opponent. This only confirmed his suspicion that the man was indeed a top asset of their enemy, likely dispatched specifically to handle someone of Liu Junyi's caliber.

Misinterpreting Ye Fei's lack of aggression as a sign of weakness, the middle-aged man felt emboldened. "It's rare to see someone as young as you with such skills," he sneered. "But it's too bad you encountered me—your fate's sealed."

Ye Fei couldn't help but smile at the man's arrogance. It seemed like these types of characters always boasted and gloated whenever they felt they had the upper hand. Amused, he returned the man's look with a calm smile. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you."