Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Pounced on Nothing
"What is this?"
Thanks to Su Qing occasionally sending some green mist to Gu Xinsheng and the others, the group was in exceptionally high spirits despite trekking through the mountains at night. Their pace was much faster, and well before dawn, they were already lying in ambush in the forest, about half a kilometer from the plantation.
From their position, they could already see the plantation’s bonfires. After a quick discussion with Qiao Wensong and the other team leaders, Gu Xinsheng decided they would rest where they were and send out scouts to locate the thugs lying in ambush nearby.
According to Su Qing, the plantation deep in the forest was surrounded by numerous armed thugs on patrol, with more hiding in ambush. These thugs had to be identified and eliminated before the raid.
Gu Xinsheng saw Su Qing hand him a pile of small packets wrapped in oil paper. He picked one up and asked curiously.
"What is this?"
"A sedative," Su Qing replied with a smile.
"Ah, is this the sedative you used on those two officers?" Qiao Wensong asked quickly.
"Sedated two officers?" Gu Xinsheng’s eyes widened as he looked at Su Qing. ’He hadn’t heard about this.’
Su Qing giggled sheepishly and ground her teeth at Qiao Wensong. ’Of course he had to bring that up,’ she thought.
Qiao Wensong knew he’d spoken out of turn and chuckled. "Heh, it’s nothing, nothing at all."
Gu Xinsheng shot Qiao Wensong a look. "I’ll bet."
"Qingqing, this sedative is great, but it could easily affect our own people." Gu Xinsheng eyed the small packets. ’If we just throw this everywhere, we’ll get taken down too.’
"Don’t worry. We can just take the antidote beforehand." Su Qing produced another batch of small packets. "These are the antidotes. Take one of these, and you’ll be fine even if you inhale the sedative. Plus, one packet covers a wide area and works instantly."
"It’s that good!" Gu Xinsheng’s eyes lit up. ’It might not be as useful for long-range, but for close combat or surprise attacks, this sedative would be incredible.’
Gu Xinsheng had always trusted Su Qing implicitly and didn’t doubt her words in the slightest. After all, the scar-removing powder Li Wan had used really did end up leaving not a single trace of a scar.
"Alright, everyone take one. Better to be prepared," Gu Xinsheng decided.
So, everyone took an antidote and stuffed the small packets of sedative into their pockets. Then, Gu Xinsheng dispatched a team to scout out the enemy’s positions.
Of course, Gu Xinsheng still kept Su Qing close, not letting her out of his sight.
But staying put didn’t hinder Su Qing in the slightest.
Su Qing sat beside Gu Xinsheng and, under the cover of darkness, began controlling the climbing vines. She quickly pinpointed the locations of the thirty to forty thugs who were either patrolling or lying in ambush around the plantation.
And so, behind each thug, a single, slender vine quietly rose up, glistening and poised to strike.
Once Gu Xinsheng’s men had locked onto the thugs’ positions, they pounced, ready to subdue them by surprise. But to their astonishment, when they landed on the thugs, the men didn’t even struggle. They just collapsed limply.
As a result, each of the men found themselves pouncing on limp bodies. All the thugs they had targeted had mysteriously passed out without a fight.
Though they found it bizarre, the men showed no mercy. They slit the thugs’ throats and headed back.
What they didn’t see was a thin vine withdrawing from each thug’s chest. Barely any blood flowed from the wound—at most, a single, unnoticeable drop.
Su Qing smiled softly, twirling a blade of wild grass in her fingers. Only she knew that when the vines had pierced the thugs’ chests, they had instantly shredded their hearts. The men had died before they could even make a sound.
The scouts returned and reported the situation to Gu Xinsheng. He was surprised but said nothing. Regardless of how it happened, successfully eliminating the thugs was a welcome development.
They could debrief on their mysterious good luck after the mission was over.
The thugs ambushing and patrolling the perimeter of the plantation were thus eliminated without a sound, and the people inside remained completely oblivious.
As dawn approached, even the thugs patrolling by the bonfires in the center of the plantation grew drowsy. They fought to keep their eyes open, stumbling through their patrol routes. They weren’t particularly vigilant. ’After all, this place is deep in the mountains; no one can find it easily. Besides, there are dozens of our guys lying in ambush on the perimeter. No matter how you look at it, we’re perfectly safe here. This is just for show.’
But little did they know, the security cordon they were relying on had already been silently dismantled.
The rest of the operation went even more smoothly. Su Qing had memorized the plantation’s general layout during her last visit and had relayed it to Gu Xinsheng and the others. Now, all they had to do was follow the map she provided and start making arrests. As for Su Qing herself, she outwardly obeyed Gu Xinsheng’s order not to participate. Besides, her people had the sedative she’d provided, and she could control the vines to help them from the shadows at any moment. There was basically no chance of failure.
Her priority now was to rescue Cheng Beilin and Du Haoran. ’Never mind Du Haoran,’ she thought, ’poor Beilin must be terrified right now.’
"Where are you going?" Gu Xinsheng asked quickly when he saw Su Qing about to leave.
"Uncle Gu, a friend of mine is trapped in here. I have to go save her," Su Qing said urgently.
Gu Xinsheng was a little surprised, as Su Qing hadn’t mentioned a trapped friend before. But then it clicked. ’Of course. If a friend hadn’t been captured and brought here, Su Qing probably would never have found this place.’
"Where is your friend? I’ll have my men rescue her. You stay here, it’s too dangerous right now," Gu Xinsheng said, concerned for her safety.
Su Qing shook her head. "Uncle Gu, I have to go myself. If I don’t, my friend will worry that something’s happened to me."
"Commander Gu, I’ll go with Su Qing," Liu Peng, who was standing beside Gu Xinsheng, offered.
Su Qing knew Liu Peng well. He was Gu Xinsheng’s bodyguard and had accompanied him on the trip to Beijing. Su Qing usually called him Brother Liu.
"Brother Liu, you need to stay and protect Uncle Gu. I’ll be fine on my own," Su Qing said quickly.
Gu Xinsheng’s eyes widened. "What, I’m a grown man, you think I can’t protect myself? If you’re going to find your friend, you take Xiao Liu with you. Otherwise, you’re staying right here by my side."
Su Qing understood his good intentions and had no choice but to agree. "Alright then. I’ll be quick."
Su Qing wasn’t actually worried for Gu Xinsheng’s safety. The vines, branches, leaves, and even the blades of grass around him were already infused with her Wood Element Spiritual Power. If anyone truly tried to attack him, these "little guys" could easily block a fatal blow.
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