The troop left the train tracks and headed onwards to the highway. This was decided after a round of discussion between Giovanna and Qian Jun as there were concerns of being chased by the enemies. Other than that, they’ve just been through a long and excruciating battle. No one wished to rush through a two hundred kilometres journey again.
Arriving at the decision, Giovanna phoned the Kano City Relief Society branch with her satellite phone and requested them to come pick everyone up.
It took a considerable amount of walking for the troop to finally reach the highway, which was quiet with no one in sight. The Relief Society veteran soldiers dragged their exhausted bodies along the tar road. The Chinese Zodiac Battle Team members, on the other hand, weren’t doing that well either. While they did not sustain any life-threatening injuries, the damage received was enough to slow them down.
Had they won the war?
If yes, it would be a bloody victory. If Xia Lei hadn’t saved them in the nick of time, none of them would’ve survived the battle.
Shentu Tianyin limped with every step. The physical exertion and blisters had made it difficult for her but there was no one here to carry her as Xia Lei did. She walked at the very end of the formation, turning around to spare the Alliance Mining site occasional looks. She was worried sick about Xia Lei and she wished to shoulder some of his burdens. Sadly, there was nothing she could do. This experience had taught her a lesson- Money isn’t the solution to everything, even if she had a hundred billion dollars to spare.
“Say, why did the boss return to the mines? Do you think he’ll arrive in Chad on time to meet us?” At that moment, Anjum Khan disrupted the suffocating silence.
“I don’t know what he’s trying to do but I’m sure we’ll see him in Chad,” answered Yelena.
Sa’im heaved a huge sigh. “Man, maybe it’s time to go on a vacation when we get back.”
Alessio suggested, “Come to Italy. The Italian ladies are as passionate as fire.”
And so the Chinese Zodiac Battle Members talked and talked, using it as an approach to ease their tensed nerves and emotions.
At the Relief Society’s side, Giovanna said to the Relief Society’s soldiers, “We’ve lost many brothers in this battle but we shouldn’t be sad about it for they have merely gone to heaven. We will compensate their families and spouses with a generous five hundred thousand American dollars each. Everyone alive too will be rewarded two hundred thousand American dollars each.”
The veteran soldiers rejoiced at her statement. Five hundred thousand USD was more than enough to allow the parents and spouses of their lost brothers a comfortable life till death. All the survivors would be paid two hundred thousand USD too. To a country with an average income of two thousand USD, this was an amount that would require one hundred years worth of work to achieve!
Regardless of the living or dead, their sacrifices were rewarded.
Truthfully, this was the female knights’ strategy. They needed to reassure the Relief Society that anyone who fought for them, dead or alive, would have nothing to worry for the rest of their lives. The knowledge would certainly attract more to fight for the Relief Society willingly.
After comforting the soldier’s spirits, Giovanna returned to her sisters. She turned around and spared a look at Shentu Tianyin, who was at the tail end. Watching her limping steps, Giovanna couldn’t help but feel pity. She quickly went towards Shentu Tianyin. “Do you need any help?”
Shentu Tianyin shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“There’s still quite a journey ahead of us, are you sure you don’t need help? If you can’t go on, I can ask one of the soldiers to carry you,” offered Giovanna.
“No need. I can carry on till the end. I don’t need anyone to carry me.” Shentu Tianyin’s rejection was direct. Xia Lei was the only man in this world allowed to touch her body.
Giovanna shrugged at her insistence. “Alright then, suit yourself.” After all, stubbornness was her charm.
At this moment, Rosa shouted, “There are cars coming! Hide!”
Everyone quickly cleared out the highway and hid in the jungles.
At the end of the highway, seven vehicles were zooming over. As the cars continued forward, the frontmost vehicle flashed its beam a few times.
“They’re part of us! Our transport is here!” Giovanna raised her volume.
Everyone returned to the highway and allowed the cars to come nearer. The vehicles made a U-turn and came to a stop.
“Miss Shentu, please get in,” said Giovanna.
The woman nodded. But when Shentu Tianyin got to the car door, she couldn’t help but turn around for one last look. She had been anticipating Xia Lei to be right there in front of her with his face full of her favourite smile. Sadly, there was no presence on the stretch of road behind her.
Shentu Tianyin sighed disappointedly. As she attempted to climb into the vehicle, a familiar figure exited the forest. She was stunned but as soon as realization dawned upon her, Shentu Tianyin cheered and dashed over.
Xia Lei was back.
With each limp, Shentu Tianyin brought herself closer to the man she loved. The woman threw herself against his chest and tears broke free of its constraints. She sobbed, not able to say anything else.
“Why are you running with injured legs?” Xia Lei teased with a grin. Shentu Tianyin’s soft sobs had chased away the iciness in his heart, distracting him temporarily from earlier events.
“Even if I have no legs, I would still crawl over,” said Shentu Tianyin between sobs. After this trip filled with blood and fire, she was now a changed woman who had finally realized what she truly yearned for.
“Let me carry you over, yeah?” Xia Lei’s voice was tender.
Shentu Tianyin bit her cherry lips lightly. “Okay.”
Back then, the woman would never show this side of her in front of anyone else. But things had changed. She was now willing to be vulnerable because he was Xia Lei.
Xia Lei lifted her up bridal-style and strode towards the waiting car.
Everyone’s attention was glued to Shentu Tianyin and Xia Lei but the woman did not mind it at all. With his warmth under her knees and behind her waist, she felt that this was the world’s most comforting and safe paradise ever. She wished to lie between his arms for eternity.
“Boss, didn’t you ask us to leave first and you’d meet us in Chad?” asked Yelena.
Xia Lei replied, “Everything is settled. Let’s leave.”
“Get in the car! Now!” Giovanna urged them loudly. “We need to leave this place!”
Xia Lei said, “There’s no need for urgency. There won’t be anyone chasing behind us.”
Though no one knew what happened, Xia Lei’s return had allowed everyone to relax.
The retreating convoy zoomed along the highway that weaved through the Jungle of No Return, further and further away from the lush foliage. Amongst the dark blue skies, a full moon silently exuded its cold light. The countless stars decorating the night was distant and mysterious. It seemed like it was trying to converse in an ancient language that no one could interpret.
In one of the cars, Xia Lei whipped around to glance at Alliance Mining. He faced Shentu Tianyin later and said, “Tianyin… Your seventh uncle is dead.”
“Was he killed by the Americans?” she asked.
Xia Lei explained, “I don't know if the Americans or the Boko Haram members were behind it but your seventh uncle seems to have a deal between those parties to betray you and the Alliance Mining. However, I’m not sure why they decided to kill him.”
“He’s dead, let it be,” said Shentu Tianyin.
“Also, you should bring this up to the Nigerian authorities and work out something with them to protect Vientiane Group’s asset here.”
“Would that be useful?”
“Not really.”
“Then there’s no need for that,” said Shentu Tianyin.
Xia Lei went on, “If it’s possible, you should opt for it. But if you’re not planning to come back, there’s no need for that.”
Shentu Tianyin placed her head on Xia Lei’s shoulder. “You’re the only one I want.”
And he smiled.
“A-hem.” The driver, Giovanna, cleared her throat. “Saint Lei, are we heading straight to Chad or do we need to return to the stronghold for necessary repair?”
“Let’s head to the stronghold first.” Xia Lei said, “The CIA has sent many of their agents here. It would be safer to have the members gather information on that.”
“Got it,” acknowledged Giovanna. She sneaked a glance at Shentu Tianyin, who was leaning against Xia Lei’s shoulder, through the rearview mirror. At the sight of the woman’s happy face, Giovanna’s lips couldn’t help but lift its corners ever so slightly.
Coincidentally, Stella was also peeking at Xia Lei and Shentu Tianyin through the rearview mirror. Seeing that Shentu Tianyin was snug against Xia Lei, the corner of her lips were lifted as well.
“Wait… Saint Lei?” Xia Lei let out a huff of dry laughter. “Why are you calling me that?”
Giovanna and Stella answered in unison, “No particular reason but we’ve decided that we’re going to call you that from now on, Saint Lei.”
“...”
The convoy left the jungles and entered Kano City. After a certain distance, they have finally returned to the old building.
As soon as they got back, the four female knights quickly went to work on sorting out the pensions and rewards while the Chinese Zodiac Battle Team members retired to their rooms to rest and treat their wounds. A separated room was arranged for Xia Lei and Shentu Tianyin.
Stepping foot into the room, an oil painting on the wall immediately caught Xia Lei’s attention.
It depicted a forest that was shrouded in darkness. In the middle of it was a pristine beam of light that rushed for the dark skies. In the beam was the faintest hint of a person with wings. At the bottom right corner of the painting was an English description- The Jungle of No Return, Home of Faeries.
Faeries?
Obviously, faeries did not exist. However, there was an eerie and mysterious pyramid built in the middle of the jungle. Perhaps the residents of Kano City of the olden days had happened to come across a beam of light or some kind of faerie-like existence and were inspired to coin the forest its name.
At that moment, something clicked in his mind. “Tianyin, when I went inside the mine caves, did you happen to see a beam of light from the outside?”
“A beam of light?” Shentu Tianyin was perplexed.
Xia Lei nodded. “Yeah, a beam of light. Did you see anything like that?”
Shentu Tianyin pondered for a moment. “Yes, I think it appeared in the direction of the mining caves. I saw a beam shooting for the sky. I thought it was a searchlight so I didn’t pay much attention.”
“How long did it remain?”
“Around one to two seconds? It was gone as abrupt as its appearance,” answered the woman.
Xia Lei returned his attention to the oil painting. The paint job looked fairly recent and its age was about tens of years at most. The artist did not leave a name behind but the overall art style of it had suggested it to be a mediocre one. Despite that, confirmation of its content was attained tonight.
The theory of pyramids being built by aliens had been around for years and the pyramid within Cave 13 and in the outskirts of Jerusalem was certainly not made by mankind. From the looks of it, the pyramids seemed to function as a signal transmitter. Perhaps it was a tool to communicate with alien civilizations!
Did that mean Zhu Xuanyue’s comrades were about to arrive?
Was the end of the world right around the corner?
Xia Lei’s heart sank.
“What’s the matter?” Shentu Tianyin studied his tense expression.
The man returned a bitter smile. “Nothing.” He turned to face her, softening his voice in the process. “After you get back, go do whatever you wish to do. There’s no need to focus solely on your career.”
Shentu Tianyin cast him a smile. “Those are your words. So I’m allowed to do whatever I wish?”
He nodded. “Yes. You can do whatever you want.”
“Then come shower with me.” Shentu Tianyin tugged his wrists and led him to the bathroom. “I still have some antidote left on me. Surely, you’ll let me use it all, right?”
“...”