"Did they bring those people, Mani?" Li Congjing asked blandly, devoid of any emotion in her tone.
She didn't want her subordinates to feel like she was too familiar with them, even if Joseph was no longer alive, even if his death had something to do with her.
"They brought them, ma'am." Qiao answered respectfully, kneeling on one knee without the courage to even glance up at her.
This was the first time Flying Eagle and others had seen Li Congjing's true face—the woman whom Joseph had supposedly loved deeply.
Unlike her previous masked appearance, she seemed more like a naive porcelain doll, exuding an aura of innocence. However, this innocence wasn't ignorance but a carefully crafted camouflage for protection.
Under Joseph's shelter, she chose this seemingly carefree lifestyle.
But when madness, innocence, and sorrow intertwined in one person, even the always carefree Wild Ox couldn't help but feel a pang of fear.
She gracefully leapt off the swing, her petite stature a head or two shorter than the others.
"Qiao, you may leave." She softly instructed. Qiao responded and withdrew, exiting through another door with his head down.
In front of Li Congjing, Flying Eagle's legs started trembling uncontrollably.
He had just bandaged the wounds she had cut open. If he had known beforehand that Qiao's master was her, he would've never come here.
"Joseph is dead." Li Congjing's voice was calm and indifferent, as if merely stating an inconsequential fact, "Killed by your captain and that fortune teller." Her voice had a strange mixture, blending a lively timbre with a cold tone, sending shivers down one's spine.
Flying Eagle, already resigned, retorted, "So what? If you have the guts, go avenge him! What does torturing us accomplish?"
However, his provocation did not anger Li Congjing; she merely extended her hand gently, twisting his arm to dislocate it.
Flying Eagle was drenched in sweat from the pain, yet dared not utter a sound.
"I am actually as clever as Joseph," she said slowly, "I won't blame others for my mistakes. Otherwise, you all would already be dead."
Her tone remained consistent, yet instilled an unprecedented fear in people.
In her eyes, human lives seemed merely expendable things.
The crowd didn't grasp the deeper meaning of her words; they even mistakenly thought she was just Joseph's daughter.
This misunderstanding led their thoughts astray from the correct path right from the start.
For instance, Lihuo wondered, did the captain use this little girl as leverage to threaten Joseph as a father?
Their actions this time were indeed somewhat unjust. However, they were unaware of Li Congjing's true identity and power, or her complex relationship with Joseph.
"Actually, I want to kill all of you." Li Congjing spoke again, her tone still serene, "But then I thought it over and realized doing so would be counterproductive."
It was only now that Flying Eagle and others realized her "all of you" referred to everyone except herself.
This realization brought them fear, yet also strengthened their resolve not to betray Lin Beichen.
However, this did not mean Li Congjing's threat ended there; she had more hostages as leverage.
"I want to kill Lin Beichen." She looked at the people in front of her, enunciating clearly, "Otherwise, I'll let you die." Her tone was firm and resolute, leaving no doubt about the truth of her words.
Yet Flying Eagle and others stared back at her without fear, expressing their loyalty to Lin Beichen and disdain for death through their silence.
In this silent contest, Li Congjing seemed to gain no advantage; she turned away, leaving them with a solitary back. And Wild Ox clenched his gun, hesitating whether to seize this opportunity to end the charade.
Dr. Zhou watched Li Congjing's retreating figure, falling into thought, seemingly trying to unravel her mysteries.
Time passed slowly in the silence until Flying Eagle's wounds started to heal, and they gradually regained composure from the tense atmosphere.
They were exhausted and began finding places to sit and rest.
Li Congjing, meanwhile, sat back on the swing, gently swinging, as if everything before was merely a game to her.
Meanwhile, on another land, Lin Beichen stood quietly, gazing ahead.
Xia Luyao stood beside him, panting, and seeing the finally halted Talisman, sighed with relief, "We don't have to run anymore?" She asked wearily, then plopped down on the ground, sweat trickling down her cheeks.
Lin Beichen casually tossed out a Purification Talisman, cleansing the sweat from them, but the fatigue in their bodies still needed time to alleviate.
In the sound of Xia Luyao's panting, time slowly passed.
When she finally recovered, she noticed something amiss, "The Talisman stopped here, so Flying Eagle and the others should be around here! Where are they?" She wondered aloud, looking around to find only a vast plain and faint tree shadows in the distance.
There seemed to be no hiding place here.
Xia Luyao began to doubt whether the Talisman had pointed them in the wrong direction.
However, Lin Beichen wasn't troubled by this; he looked up, squinting at the sky.
At the end of his sight, a helicopter was slowly flying towards them.
If the missions of both parties didn't conflict, the figure before him might remain respectful.
However, once the mission objectives clashed...
A confrontation might be inevitable.
Xia Luyao turned her head, her gaze meeting Lin Beichen's, who at that moment was also watching her, a confident smile playing on his lips.
The officer noticed this scene, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully.
Xia Luyao weighed in her mind whether to directly engage or first test their strength.
Just as she was about to reveal her intentions, a middle-aged man's voice came from the helicopter, calm in tone: "Since you, our Chinese friends, are unwilling to reveal more, Zack, don't push them. Let's go."
The officer heard this and gave Xia Luyao and Lin Beichen another look, a hint of hesitation flashing through his eyes.
He finally spoke, his tone carrying a note of advice: "If you two wish to leave this place, just continue for sixty kilometers, and you will reach a major city. With your status, you should receive some attention in this small country."
With that, he turned and walked into the helicopter.
Xia Luyao looked at Lin Beichen, eyes questioning.
Lin Beichen shook his head slightly, signaling not to act rashly.
The people before them had no direct conflict with their objective; avoiding conflict was naturally the best strategy.
Moreover, even now, if Lin Beichen encountered an enemy as formidable as Joseph, there was no guarantee of victory.
Unless relying on that elusive luck.
As the helicopter ascended, disappearing once more into the woods, Lin Beichen's expression grew progressively serious.
He could sense that at least ten helicopters and three vehicles were rapidly approaching.
What on earth was happening?
Lin Beichen chuckled bitterly, and Xia Luyao immediately sensed his unease, turning to ask, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing serious." Lin Beichen took a deep breath, struggled to calm his mind, "I just didn't expect this seemingly simple task to attract so much trouble."
Meanwhile, inside the helicopter, the atmosphere told a different story.
"Sir, why did you order a retreat? They're only two people." The man in a senior officer's uniform slightly bowed before the middle-aged man, his tone filled with doubt and reluctance.
"Zack," the middle-aged man's gaze was piercing, pausing between each word, "I know you're dissatisfied with my father's favoritism and your own slow promotion."