Xiu Mumo, the Chief of the Combat Division, decided to personally oversee the final stages of a mission in the Silu Continent after being notified that some hostile forces had yet to clear the area. Little did she know that after engaging in a cannon duel and waking up in a hospital bed, she would discover that the enemy she had been firing upon was actually "one of their own." "Where did this lunatic come from? If they’re friendly forces, can’t they just say something?" Xiu Mumo was absolutely furious. From that day on, she held a grudge against this "friendly" party she had never met. She swore that if she ever ran into that idiot again, she would give them a good beating. It is rumored that in the Beijing circle, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, who had been kidnapped and gone missing as a child, has finally been found. Having spent the last twenty years of her abduction living in the countryside, she was...
Page 1: Combat Division Chief Xiu Mumo
Eibing City, Silu Continent.
"Boom—"
A thunderous roar, accompanied by the "splashing—" of heavy rain, seemed capable of drowning the entire city.
The ruins were littered with broken walls and debris.
This was the most chaotic zone in the entire Silu Continent, a place defined by strife and death, where blood slowly mingled with the rainwater flowing from the corpses.
On Enquan Road, a modified off-road vehicle sped through the wreckage, its headlights blazing.
"Dammit, wasn't this supposed to be over? Why the hell are there still remnants? Are these people brain-dead or what...?"
After hitting a puddle, the vehicle flew off a ledge in the road. The young man in the passenger seat looked as if his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, letting out a jarring cry.
"Shut up!"
Xiu Mumo, in the driver's seat, felt a dark light flicker in her deep pupils. She curled her lips in excitement, though she almost lost her grip on the steering wheel upon hearing that grating, shrill voice.
"Chi—ief! I’m going to be shaken to—o—o—o death!"
The young man was on the verge of tears. He felt like his backside didn't even belong to him anymore. People said the Chief drove wildly, but they hadn't mentioned it was *this* wild.
"Quit your yelping. Maybe you should go back to cursing your mother instead."
Xiu Mumo had previously loathed Bie Yuan’s constant foul language, but by comparison, this shrill screeching was even worse than his cursing.
Bie Yuan clutched a gun in his left hand and gripped the ceiling handle with his right, terrified that if he lost his grip, his bottom would be shaken in two.
He didn't even hear what the Chief had said; he just tightened his grip on the handle.
The rain was too heavy. The wipers kept scrubbing at the water on the glass, while Bie Yuan kept wailing.
After listening for a while, Xiu Mumo actually found it somewhat tolerable; after all, this kind of alternative "bed-moaning" was rarely heard.
Not many people had the privilege of riding in her car.
Past Enquan Road lay a labyrinth of small alleys.
The road flattened out, with occasional trails of blood flowing slowly, mixed with rainwater.
Bie Yuan slumped back into his seat, his face as pale as a ghost.
Because of the storm, the sky was gloomily dark, even though it was only two in the afternoon.
Xiu Mumo steered with one hand and tapped her earpiece with the other. "Where are you all now?"
"Chief, we have already retreated. There is one five-man squad left on Juebo Road. Please be careful."
Static crackled from the other end, likely due to the thunderstorm, but the message was audible.
"Enemy forces?"
Xiu Mumo didn't slow down. At the next intersection, she yanked the steering wheel hard, switching routes.
Bie Yuan gripped the car door, his body tense and ready to spring into action.
"Unknown, but visually identified as hostile. Stay safe, Chief."
"Boom—"
Another thunderclap, and the earpiece went completely silent.
Xiu Mumo furrowed her brows, pulled the earpiece out with her slender fingers, and tossed it out the window.
She was familiar with this area. All the civilians had evacuated. She would fire one shot, wrap things up, and head home.
She took the shortest route to Juebo Road without even looking at the signs, her eyes glowing with a faint crimson hue.
*
Juebo Road, inside a special operations vehicle.
The man in the passenger seat gripped a handgun, looking eager.
"Captain, I think I hear the sound of a vehicle."
He blinked excitedly and grinned. "Let’s keep their car and everyone inside right here!"
"Mm."
A deep, magnetic voice replied from the back seat.
Page 2: Xia Lengying, you want me not to be angry?
Quan Xijuan narrowed his eyes and sat up straight.
His fingers stroked the large cannon beside him, dark light flickering in his eyes.
"Confirmed as enemy forces. They are driving an unplated off-road vehicle and likely have heavy artillery as well. They’re probably looking to finish us off."
The intercom in the car crackled suddenly, the voice barely intelligible.
As the sound of rain blended with the approaching roar of the engine, Quan Xijuan’s face tightened. "Ready weapons!"
"Yes!"
The other four men responded, each reaching for their guns and other equipment.
*
As they neared Juebo Road, Xiu Mumo slowed the car down. She glanced at Bie Yuan, her enchanting eyes flickering, and sneered, "Switch positions."
"Understood."
The two unbuckled their seatbelts. As Bie Yuan held the steering wheel, Xiu Mumo squeezed into the back seat.
In the back, a fertilizer bag held a military-green tube, its pitch-black muzzle inducing terror.
Xiu Mumo’s fingertips traced the lacquered surface of the tube, a bloodthirsty smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Bie Yuan, seeing this in the rearview mirror, sat straight up and didn't even dare to breathe.
The wipers fought desperately against the rain. With another clap of thunder and a flash of lightning that seemed to split the sky, the black special ops vehicle appeared in their field of vision.
"Stop the car! Open the hatch!"
Xiu Mumo commanded coldly, instantly cradling the heavy tube in her arms with an excited grin.
"Yes, Chief."
Bie Yuan was just as thrilled. This was the last group; if they took them out, they could finally return home.
Hot pot, barbecue, spicy hot pot—it was all within reach!
He slammed on the brakes, letting out a strange, gleeful cackle.
"Skrrrt—"
The car skidded on the wet ground, emitting a sharp, screeching sound.
Immediately after, the roof of the off-road vehicle was opened.
Xiu Mumo stepped onto the soft seat and hoisted the massive cannon onto her shoulder.
At the same time, the hatch of the special ops vehicle directly opposite opened, revealing a dark, daunting cannon barrel.
Through the curtain of rain, the moment she saw the barrel, Xiu Mumo’s eyes lit up, and she pulled the firing cord.
"Go to hell, all of you!!!"
She shouted wildly, a smile plastered on her face.
"Die, you bastards!!!"
Bie Yuan roared along with her.
"Boom, boom, boom—"
A sound that seemed to shake the heavens echoed across the sky.
The smile on Xiu Mumo’s face vanished instantly. Her eyes flickering with killing intent and irritation, she yelled, "Jump!"
As she said it, she dropped the cannon and dove toward the side road.
"Jump!"
Amidst the booming cannon fire, a muffled roar could be heard from the opposite side.
*
Two days later, Eibing National Hospital, Room 414.
On a pristine hospital bed, Xiu Mumo’s left leg was suspended in the air, her right arm wrapped in bandages and a cast, her eyes filled with despair.
On a stool by the side sat a young woman, who had just finished peeling an apple and handed it over.
"Mumo, would you... like an apple?"
She asked cautiously.
The words snapped Xiu Mumo back to reality, veins bulging on her forehead: "No!"
The voice sounded as if it were squeezed out from her throat.
"Don't be angry."
The young woman couldn't help but chuckle, coughing lightly.
"Not angry?"
Xiu Mumo bared her teeth in a grin and looked at the young woman. "Xia Lengying, you want me not to be angry?"
Page 3: If they’re friendly forces, can’t they just say something?
Xia Lengying took a deep breath to suppress her urge to laugh.
Before she could speak, she saw Xiu Mumo’s mouth widen further as she gritted her teeth.
"You want me not to be angry? I want to take a shovel and pry that guy’s skull open to see what’s inside! If they’re friendly forces, can’t they just say something? We waited until I blew them up with a cannon and my arm was broken to realize we’d targeted the wrong team. How is this any different from gestating a child for ten months in a test tube, only to be told after it’s born that the test tube was switched and the child isn’t mine?!"
She ended by almost screaming.
If this weren't a hospital, she probably would have started throwing things.
They were finally ready to head home, and then this happens. But at least it was her on the front lines; if it had been any of her subordinates, she would have pointed a cannon at that person's head herself.
"Pfft—"
Upon hearing the analogy, Xia Lengying burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, I give up on you! What kind of comparison is that? You’re killing me!"
She laughed so hard she couldn't hold the apple, and she stuffed it right into Xiu Mumo’s mouth.
"I..."
Xiu Mumo, caught off guard with a mouthful of apple, had her voice stuck in her throat.
She took a savage bite of the apple, "Crunch, crunch—" eating with a slightly ferocious expression, as if she were devouring a person.
"Alright, stop being angry. If you run into him, just beat him up. Besides, who’s to say he isn’t more injured than you?"
Xia Lengying couldn't help but pat Xiu Mumo’s shoulder.
"Isn't that his own fault?"
Xiu Mumo sneered. "What does my Combat Division mission have to do with his Kill Camp? Why did he have to interfere? What, does he think I’m dead as a Chief? That I can’t handle a few remnants and need the Kill Camp’s support?"
"...True."
Although Xia Lengying wanted to say something nice, the situation was indeed absurd.
Mistaking friendly forces for remnants without even checking in—it was hard to say what he was thinking.
It was a mercy they didn't sustain any life-threatening injuries; otherwise, it would have been a mutual destruction.
"He’d better not show up in front of me, or don’t blame me if..."
Xiu Mumo took two more bites of the apple. She had the heart to kill; fortunately, it was just a hairline fracture, and she only had to lie in bed for a month.
Suddenly, she remembered something. "By the way, how is Bie Yuan?"
He was the new guard assigned to her, a bit simple-minded.
"He’s in the room next door. His injuries aren't too severe, but his left arm is fractured."
Xia Lengying thought it was practically a disaster from the blue.
*
Far away in the Mo'an Empire.
Shangjing City, Combat Division General Hospital, intensive care unit.
The man lay on a white bed, a neck brace around his throat, two layers of bandages around his face, and his right arm in a cast.
He kept his eyes closed, seemingly yet to wake up.
Outside, a well-dressed, middle-aged woman looked through the glass door, her eyes reddening. "This child, I don’t know when he’ll wake up."
"I asked the doctor. He was just caught in the blast radius of a cannon. He jumped from the car very quickly, and since it was raining, the injuries weren't that severe."
The middle-aged man beside her wrapped an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.
"How could he shoot at his own people? He’s such a fool."
The woman sighed.
"It was his own fault. He didn't notify anyone or verify the information beforehand. He still needs time to gain experience."
The man glanced at his son inside the room and spoke helplessly.
Page 4: Zhuang Minwei, Ming Luoxing
"Are you even his real father? Saying things like that!"
The woman was stung by his words and glared at him, her temper flaring.
This father was practically saying his own son deserved it.
She could say it, but he couldn't.
"Fine, fine, I won’t say it anymore."
The man laughed bitterly and surrendered.
As they spoke, a young man in a white lab coat walked down the corridor.
He wore glasses, his features handsome and gentle, looking both scholarly and mild-mannered.
"Minwei, you’re here. We have no idea when Xijuan will wake up."
The woman asked upon seeing the young man.
"Don't worry, Uncle and Aunt. Xijuan has a very strong constitution, and this injury isn't particularly serious. Because he had surgery and was under anesthesia, he’ll wake up within 24 hours."
Zhuang Minwei glanced at the person inside and spoke soothingly.
"Yes, hearing you say that puts me at ease."
The woman breathed a sigh of relief.
"I’ll go back to work then. If you need anything, just call me."
Zhuang Minwei nodded slightly and turned to leave.
Watching his back, the man shook his head: "Why does this child like studying medicine so much?"
"Everyone has their own pursuits. Look at our son, he went off to join the military."
The woman retorted.
"Is that the same? His grandfather was also..."
*
Three months later, Shangjing City, Junxu Hotel.
The Junxu Hotel was the only seven-star hotel in all of Shangjing, located in the heart of the city. It looked like a castle, and even just looking at it made one yearn to enter.
This hotel only hosted the most distinguished guests; usually, the upper circles held their grandest banquets here.
A red carpet stretched all the way inside, golden crystal chandeliers hung high, and the light bathed the venue in a golden hue. Everyone coming and going was a dignitary or noble.
Men in uniforms carried trays of wine, weaving through crowds of people in tailored suits and evening gowns, creating a scene of prosperity.
In a corner, several young women in luxurious evening gowns gathered, discussing amongst themselves.
"I really didn't expect the Xue family to have fallen this far and still host a banquet here. And all to introduce that missing eldest daughter? What was her name again?"
"If I recall correctly, it’s Xue Wanyan? She was lost at the age of six. It’s been twenty years, yet they found her and are making such a big fuss. It seems they value this eldest daughter quite a bit."
"Indeed, holding a banquet here must cost a fortune, right? The Xue family is in such a state, yet they’re still doing this. If they didn't value her, I wouldn't believe it."
Just as they finished speaking, laughter came from nearby.
"Pfft—"
The women looked over. When they saw the person's face, they froze for a second before quickly greeting her.
"Miss Ming."
The Ming family was one of the Four Nobles of Shangjing: East Quan, South Xue, West Zhuang, North Ming. This Ming Luoxing was the eldest daughter of the North Ming family.
Ming Luoxing, 26 this year, was fluent in four languages and was a top-tier graduate from a world-class business school. Full of talent, she had already joined a subsidiary of the Ming Group and served as its CEO.
The Xue family of the South had once been second among the Four Nobles, but now they had fallen to the bottom, while the North Ming family had replaced them. Added to the fact that Ming Luoxing was bright, generous, dignified, and elegant, she had become the model for young ladies of noble families.
Page 5: The Xue family’s eldest daughter, Xue Wanyan
One could say her status was practically equivalent to that of the crown prince of the Beijing circle. The title of "Princess of the Beijing circle" rested on her head.
Facing such a figure, most of the circle fawned over her, doing whatever she wished.
"Hello everyone."
Ming Luoxing’s bright face showed a smile, though her tone held a hint of detachment—the only "good face" she gave them.
"Miss Ming, why were you laughing just now? What we said wasn't wrong, was it?"
One of the women, who had crossed paths with Ming Luoxing before, stepped closer and asked softly.
"Exactly. The Xue family is putting on such a big show; isn't it because they value the eldest Miss Xue?"
Another woman chimed in.
Ming Luoxing smiled without a word, simply shifting her gaze to someone in the distance.
The others followed her look. The first woman’s eyes flashed with realization.
"I understand! This is for the sake of a marriage alliance, right? I heard the Xue family has a huge financial hole they can't fill and needs capital injection. They probably found Xue Wanyan to marry her off to one of the other two families!"
"After all, Xue Anyan isn't the Xue family’s biological daughter; she’s just an adopted daughter. Using an adopted daughter for a marriage alliance is always seen as improper."
"What is the Xue family trying to pull? The eldest daughter is called Xue Wanyan, and the adopted daughter is called Xue Anyan—what’s the point of that? If I hadn't heard you guys talk, I wouldn't even remember the eldest daughter’s name was Xue Wanyan."
...
The group whispered to each other and understood immediately. Just as they wanted to speak to Ming Luoxing again, they realized she had already left.
At this moment, several kilometers away from the Junxu Hotel.
In a car that appeared to be a taxi.
In the back seat, Xiu Mumo was holding her phone, making a call. "I heard the leader of the Kill Camp is also in Shangjing. I really want to meet them."
Bie Yuan sat on the side, sneaking a glance at the Chief, not daring to make a sound.
"Meet them? The last time you met them, you were in the hospital for a week and had a cast on for two months. Haven’t you had enough?"
On the other end, Xia Lengying’s eyes twitched. "Mumo, let’s be careful. Don’t flip the car again."
"Me? Flip the car?"
Xiu Mumo’s tone rose sharply. "It’d be more like I flip *them*."
"You're right."
Xia Lengying realized that Mumo couldn't be reasoned with right now and immediately changed the subject. "By the way, you’re about to see your biological parents? Do you feel the excitement of reuniting with family?"
"No. Not interested."
Xiu Mumo was concise. "Although I don’t know what they’re planning, they’re definitely not good birds. If it weren't for my old man insisting I come, I wouldn't be here at all."
"I don’t want to talk to you. Every conversation hits a dead end. I heard your parents adopted a daughter after you went missing, and her name is only one character off from yours. I’d love to know who they’re trying to annoy."
Xia Lengying was afraid that Mumo would get lost in so-called family ties, but now it seemed... that was non-existent.
She scanned through the documents while feeling speechless.
"At least they aren't annoying me."
Xiu Mumo narrowed her long, slender eyes and sneered. "Aside from the old man, I’m curious what kind of medicine they’re selling in their gourd, hosting a banquet right after releasing the news."
Xia Lengying didn't care about these twists and turns at all: "Who knows."
"Forget it. I’ll know once I get there."
Xiu Mumo glanced out the window and yawned.
After hanging up, Bie Yuan carefully peeked at Xiu Mumo, a light of gossip flashing in his eyes. "Chief, you’re actually the missing eldest daughter of the Xue family, one of the Four Nobles of Shangjing?"
Page 6: Sure enough, raised in the countryside, no manners
The Four Nobles of Shangjing—anyone living in Shangjing knew them. He never expected the Chief to be one of them.