Chapter 151: Are You Even a Man? (Grabbing Red Envelopes, Another Ten Thousand Rock Coins)

Lu Ming naturally understood that the person they were talking about was him.

He merely smiled faintly and said nothing. When there was nothing to say, even half a sentence was too much; anything more would be a waste of breath.

Just then, the group set off, following a narrow path into the mountains.

The morning’s hike was fairly easy. The six special-duty soldiers handled it with ease. Carrying heavy packs over long distances was part of their regular training, so it was no challenge for them.

Xia Yuanfei and the others found it a little strenuous, but they were able to keep up. As for the innate expert, there was no need to mention him—he had no trouble at all.

Only Shi Jidong was visibly out of breath. He needed his assistant’s support to keep pace with the group.

Lu Ming, of course, had no trouble either. He followed along at an unhurried pace.

By the time they stopped to rest at noon, Xia Xuanxuan was looking at Lu Ming with some surprise.

He was simply leaning against a tree trunk, smoking as he rested, and paid no attention to her gaze.

After a simple lunch and a short break, they continued on.

The afternoon’s progress was slower, because Shi Jidong had completely run out of strength.

By dusk, the group finally stopped in a relatively flat clearing in the woods and began setting up camp.

Naturally, the special-duty soldiers handled the work. Shi Jidong was already sprawled on the ground, seemingly drained of every last bit of strength.

Lu Ming remained leaning against a tree, smoking and resting at his own leisurely pace.

Xia Xuanxuan was inwardly fuming as she watched him.

She had assumed the man wouldn’t be able to handle this kind of hardship. Yet here he was, still looking as though nothing had happened, while the rest of them were nearly exhausted.

Xia Xuanxuan sat on the ground, trying her best not to show how tired she was. She would never admit defeat in front of that detestable man.

A little over an hour later, all the tents had been pitched. The research team’s tents stood in the middle, while the six special-duty soldiers had set up three tents around the perimeter in a triangular formation. They would be taking turns on watch, so three tents were enough.

Once the tents were ready, everyone built a campfire and chatted while they cooked. Lu Ming sat off by himself, leaning against a tree as though he had fallen asleep.

Before long, dinner was ready. Shi Jidong served up a portion and brought it over to Lu Ming.

Lu Ming opened his eyes and nodded in thanks.

In truth, it made no difference to him whether he ate or not.

With his constitution and cultivation, he could eat a great deal in one sitting, yet go a month or two without food and be perfectly fine. But he didn’t want to seem so out of the ordinary, so he finished the meal Shi Jidong had brought him.

After eating, Lu Ming went straight into his tent to rest. Xia Yuanfei, Shi Jidong, and the others stayed behind to discuss the details of the expedition.

As night deepened, Xia Yuanfei and the others also turned in. They were already tired enough, and they had a long hike ahead of them the next day, so they needed to get plenty of sleep.

Lu Ming went into his tent and soon fell into a deep sleep. The moon rose gradually, and before anyone knew it, midnight had come.

Suddenly, Lu Ming’s eyes snapped open.

A loud wolf howl rang out.

In the dead of night, the howl was especially piercing. Everyone jolted awake. The three special-duty soldiers on watch immediately worked the bolts of their rifles, while the other three, who had been resting with their weapons at the ready, quickly got up and joined their teammates.

Xia Yuanfei and the others hurried out of their tents, anxiously asking one another what was happening.

The innate expert, Sheng Guoan, calmly walked over to the group. “Don’t be afraid. It might just be a pack of wolves. It’s nothing serious.”

At the mention of a wolf pack, everyone’s expressions changed.

Out in the wilderness, a pack of wolves was a fearsome threat. Even large predators were no match for them. They were extremely dangerous.

Seeing the panic on everyone’s faces, Sheng Guoan said calmly, “It’s a small pack. There’s no need to worry.”

His composure eased their fears a little. They huddled behind him, staring into the darkness with wide, frightened eyes.

Before long, they heard rustling in the grass. Their nerves tightened at once.

Just then, the special-duty squad leader shouted, “Fire in short bursts!”

A series of three-shot bursts rang out.

This firing method was accurate and conserved ammunition, making it a common way to shoot.

The six special-duty soldiers continued firing in short bursts. Every so often, a wolf howled in the distance—clearly, some had been hit.

Then, at another piercing howl, dozens of wolves came leaping through the moonlight, lunging toward them.

“Oh, my God!”

Xia Xuanxuan, the only girl there, let out a scream at the sight of so many wolves racing toward them beneath the moon.

She was not particularly timid, but seeing so many wolves in the wilderness at night had frightened her badly.

She hid behind Xia Yuanfei and clutched her grandfather’s clothes, both hands trembling.

Xia Yuanfei was frightened too, but he forced himself to stay calm and comforted his granddaughter.

The special-duty soldiers had switched from firing in short bursts to full automatic. Wolves fell one after another as the pack charged.

In the end, more than a dozen wolves reached the soldiers, making their rifles useless. The men dropped their guns, drew their military knives, and began fighting the wolves hand to hand.

At the same time, several wolves leaped over the soldiers and lunged toward Shi Jidong and the others.

Everyone’s faces went pale with terror. Xia Xuanxuan covered her eyes, unable to look.

Just then, Sheng Guoan gave a cold snort and slashed the air with both hands. Crescent-shaped blades of energy burst forth, whistling toward the attacking wolves. In an instant, the wolves that had crossed the soldiers’ line were cleaved in two and fell to the ground.

Almost at the same moment, Sheng Guoan moved among the group as casually as if he were out for a stroll. Each time he turned, he sent another blade of energy flying.

Every strike brought down a wolf, greatly easing the soldiers’ burden.

In moments, the entire pack had been wiped out. Only one especially large wolf remained. Seeing that the tide had turned, it spun around and fled.

Sheng Guoan gave another cold snort. A long spear of condensed energy suddenly formed in his hand, and he hurled it with tremendous force.

The spear, forged from his true energy, cut through the air with a savage whistle. In the blink of an eye, it struck with a thud, pinning the wolf king to the ground. The beast let out a miserable howl, struggled twice, then fell still.

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. They praised Sheng Guoan profusely.

He merely smiled faintly, exuding the air of a true master.

The six special-duty soldiers tightened their formation and joined Xia Yuanfei and the others.

They did not appear to be injured. They had come well prepared and were wearing special-operations uniforms. The wolves’ fangs and claws had been unable to tear through the fabric, so they were practically unscathed.

“Thank you for stepping in, sir. Is everyone all right?” Chang Xianming, the special-duty squad leader, asked, gazing at Sheng Guoan with admiration.

“We’re fine. You’ve all worked hard,” Sheng Guoan replied with a faint smile.

Chang Xianming hurried to say, “It’s our duty. We’re only doing what we’re supposed to. Your skill is truly astonishing, sir.”

He meant every word. To him, the two moves Sheng Guoan had just displayed were nothing short of miraculous—unbelievably powerful.

Sheng Guoan smiled. “You flatter me. We should dig a pit and bury these wolves as soon as possible. The smell of blood could attract other predators.”

“Understood. We’ll get right on it.”

Chang Xianming gestured, and several men brought out their entrenching tools and began digging.

Half an hour later, they had dug three large pits.

The soldiers tossed the wolf carcasses in and buried them. They also covered and cleaned up the bloodstains in the surrounding area. By the time everything was done, more than an hour had passed.

Then Sheng Guoan said, “Everyone can rest now. The whole pack has been killed, so there shouldn’t be any other danger. Don’t worry.”

“Thank goodness we had you with us, Mr. Sheng. Otherwise, this expedition could have turned dangerous.”

Xia Yuanfei smiled, unmistakably pleased with himself. He was clearly very satisfied with the expert he had gone to such lengths to recruit.

Sheng Guoan smiled. “I was entrusted with this task, so I’ll see it through. That’s only right. Everyone should get some rest. We still have a long way to go tomorrow.”

The others thanked him again and prepared to return to their tents.

Just then, Xia Xuanxuan, furious, shouted toward Lu Ming’s tent, “What kind of man are you? Hiding like a coward! You’ve disgraced every man!”

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