Drizzles were common in this season. Tiny raindrops fell from the mountain shrouded in a thick mist. The terrain was wet and muddy, and even the rivers were flowing with a stronger current. The sound of the waves could be heard from a great distance away.

The grey sky was boundless, nor was there a visible end to the mountain range. Curtains of rain hung between the sky and the ground.

In the midst of the cold rain, snowy white wings appeared out of nowhere, maintaining a certain distance from the ground as they glided through the sky.

The wings belonged to the Heavenly Eagles, the trademark tamed beasts of the Chinese military. They were mostly used as mounts, and were rarely involved in any kind of battles.

The Heavenly Eagles were one of the rare kind of Beasts that could be tamed using the Psychic Element. During the many battles between humanity and the demon beasts, humans had somehow discovered this rare species. They were willing to be affiliated with the humans, but they were not willing to fight for them.

More snowy white figures appeared. They were moving in an orderly fashion, with a hint of aura that could only be seen on Battlemages.

A man with an army coat draping over his shoulders on one of the Heavenly Eagles said, "Remember, from now on, you're no longer carrying the identity of a soldier. Everything that you do is no longer tied to the North China Military." The man had two small tufts of mustache and an ancient tobacco pipe in his hand. He would take a smoke every time he finished a sentence, just like normal breathing.

Not many people actually smoked with a pipe in this era, but it was just a habit that Lu Nian had gotten used to. His back was once torn apart by a Commander-level beast, leaving a giant wound which he could still feel a dull pain from. He had visited many experienced Healers, but none of them had proved to be useful. In the end, he could only rely on a special type of tobacco to slightly numb himself...

"Commander Lu, we are three hundred kilometers away from Jinlin City. There's a group of Blood-Puncture Vultures living close to Jinlin City. Should we engage?" The Advising Officer was a female Battlemage. Her eyebrows were almost joined in a straight line, not a good-looking woman.

"There's no need for that. We will travel on foot once we are close to their territory," Lu Nian said.

"Acknowledged!"

"Remember, only success is allowed for this mission!"

"Affirmative!"

-------

In a rather unique bamboo pavilion to the south of the Imperial College, Song He, who was a fan of Chrysanthemum tea, was sitting on a futon and enjoying the pleasant scent from the teapot in front of him.

Suddenly, the door was push open with great might. The door made of bamboo swayed wildly, as if it were going to collapse.

"Who's there? Where's the manner at?" Dean Song He wore a frown.

"It's me, old man."

"Zhan Kong?" Song He raised his eyelids and stared at the not-so-young-anymore man in front of him in surprise.

Song He took a closer look and saw five fresh scars around the man's neck and chest. Only parts of the scars were revealed above his collar, it was difficult to tell how far the scars extended.

"Your wounds, if they were an inch higher on your neck, you might be dead now!" Dean Song He said with a slightly distressed look.

"I'm alive, that's all it matters. Unfortunately, they did ruin my perfect body." Zhan Kong tried to let out a relaxing smile.

"They must be from the Darkwing Wolf. Their claws were very sharp and have the ability to corrupt their target's blood. You will need a very long time to fully recover from the wounds," Dean Song He told.

"I'll slay that Darkwing Wolf with my bare hands one day… but I'm here for another matter." Zhan Kong had a stern look.

"What is it, don't tell me the South Military is interested in the kid with Double Innate Elements?" Song He smiled as he came up with the answer fairly quickly.

"What do you mean, if we're interested?! He's my sworn little brother! I was looking after him back in Bo City! I was worried about something when he exposed his Double Innate Elements a while ago..."

"Don't worry. Old Xiao and Qiu Yuhua were against it. Lu Nian did pay me a visit privately," Dean Song He informed him.

"That's exactly why I'm here. I've received news from an old friend in the North Military. A bunch of soldiers who were reporting to Lu Nian was discharged all of a sudden. Even Lu Nian himself seemed to have the intention to quit his position," Zhan Kong said.

"It's true that Commander Lu has been acting strange lately. Perhaps he's trying to find another path, as he could not get any higher in the military?" Dean Song He proposed.

"Hey, have you lost your edge because of your age? Lu Nian is doing this because he can then do something crazy without being restricted!" Zhan Kong said.

Dean Song He was startled, before he recalled something as he gathered his thoughts.

"Are you really suggesting he'll go that far?" Dean Song He inquired.

"And you're telling me it's impossible? Hurry up and tell me where the kid's at!" Zhan Kong shot back.

"He's with the training group!" Dean Song He replied.

"Does Lu Nian know about it?"

"He does!" the Dean answered helplessly.

"..." Zhan Kong was left speechless. He then blurted out, "Is your brain rusted? Lu Nian's subordinates are a bunch of maniacs who would do anything to achieve their goals. Why wouldn't you think that Lu Nian would do something crazy, even if it would cost him everything? They were all expelled so if they commit a serious offense, they won't necessarily bring shame to the Black Tortoise Regiment!"

"I never thought they would go that far! Quick, we can't waste any more time. We have to head to the Jinlin City at once. We can't let him do such a terrifying thing." Dean Song He exclaimed.

"Save some breath, old man, I'll go myself." Zhan Kong said.

"Yao Nan, the hunter in charge of that incident is here in the capital, too. I'll ask him to go with you. He has a Wing Magical Equipment. He can travel there fairly quickly." Dean Song He said.

"It's decided!"

------

Inside Jinlin City, close to a bunch of Boston Ivies, Mo Fan had changed into a black outfit and was sitting atop a stand-alone pillar. He was enjoying some delicious jerky, while watching the fight between his Swift Star Wolf and a Three-eyed Magic Wolf.

It was rare to bump into a familiar species in the abandoned city, and somehow it was a type that could sense the resonance of the sonar wave.

The Three-eyed Magic Wolf was incredibly huge, taller than the roofs of most of the buildings in the street. Mo Fan clearly remembered the first time he had bumped into such a gigantic beast with his classmates. He did not even dare to take an extra breath, just so it would miss his presence.

His mindset was completely different when he bumped into a Three-eyed Magic Wolf once again. As a matter of fact, Mo Fan could just let his Swift Star Wolf deal with it, instead of attacking himself.

Despite the fact they were both different species of wolves, the Swift Star Wolf totally saw the Three-eyed Magic Wolf as an unworthy opponent. It sprang forward and attacked with its fangs, teaching its opponent what a real wolf should be like!

Looking at the wounds covering the gigantic beast, Mo Fan could not help but grin.

The fact he could now easily handle the beast that he used to only be able to run away from was something to be quite proud of!