Xu Rufeng and the others, along with the people at the foot of the mountain, were stunned. Lu Beiting’s telescope slipped from his hand and hit his leg as he stared blankly in the direction where the birds had been startled.  

She had been right on the edge.  

“Damn it!” Zhang Yi cursed under his breath and immediately sprinted forward.  

On the other side, Zhang San also rushed over at full speed.  

Yao Dashan, after taking in the scene before him, smirked in satisfaction. “Hah, so she refused the easy way and chose the hard way. Liu Wen.”  

He turned to call for Liu Wen, only to find him collapsed on the ground, unconscious. He hurriedly checked on him, lifting his eyelids, and let out a sigh of relief.  

Good, he was still alive.  

His gaze then shifted to the woman on the ground. She was still warm—dragging her back would still fetch a good price.  

Yao Dashan slung his gun over his shoulder and bent down to examine Xia Zhi’s condition. But the moment he leaned over, the woman who had seemed lifeless suddenly opened her eyes.  

Startled, Yao Dashan instinctively stumbled back. Xia Zhi grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it at his face.  

“Ah!”  

Yao Dashan cried out in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. He reached behind him, fumbling for his gun.  

Xia Zhi bit her lower lip, picked up a rock, and smashed it against the man’s head. Then, in one swift motion, she yanked the gun from his back, cocked it, and pressed the barrel against his skull.  

Breathing heavily but enunciating clearly, she growled, “Move, and I’ll blow your brains out.”  

Yao Dashan wasn’t deaf—he had heard the unmistakable sound of the bullet loading. Cold sweat drenched his body, and his voice trembled. “O-okay, I won’t move. Just… just move the gun away a little.”  

Secretly, he was still scheming, but the icy muzzle pressed harder against his head.  

Blood from Xia Zhi’s hand dripped onto his scalp, the chilling sensation seeping straight into his heart.  

Only then did Yao Dashan realize—his earlier shot hadn’t hit a vital spot. Regret flooded him.  

“L-let’s talk this out, okay? Let’s talk.”  

Now, he was genuinely terrified. He never expected this seemingly insignificant woman to possess such skill and endurance.  

Xia Zhi’s vision was blurring, but she didn’t dare let her guard down. With her other hand, she gripped a syringe of anesthetic, ready to strike—just as Xu Rufeng and the others arrived.  

“Sister-in-law!”  

Zhang Yi rushed forward while Xu Rufeng and the others swiftly pinned Yao Dashan to the ground.  

The breath Xia Zhi had been holding finally escaped her lips. Then, her vision darkened, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.  

“Zhang Yi, take Xia Zhi back first. We’ll handle things here,” Xu Rufeng said, his voice laced with worry as he took in Xia Zhi’s deathly pale face.  

Zhang Yi tore a strip of cloth to bandage Xia Zhi’s wound roughly, then hoisted her onto his back and hurried down the mountain.  

In the courtyard, the onlookers who had been hiding and watching gasped at the sight of Xia Zhi, covered in blood, being carried by Zhang Yi.  

“Xia Zhi lost so much blood… Is she dead? We all heard that gunshot earlier.”  

Zhang Xiao, overhearing, smirked. “Good riddance. She was just a worthless burden anyway. A short-lived wretch.”  

Hao Liping, having caught wind of the commotion, dashed out of her house. “Aunties, what happened to Xia Zhi?”  

Her tone was dripping with schadenfreude.  

“Hmph, what else? She had to go and run up the mountain, asking for trouble. Serves her right if she’s dead.”  

Pleased with the news, Hao Liping’s grin widened. She scurried back inside and slammed the door shut. “Mom! Dad! That gunshot from the mountain—it hit Xia Zhi! That bitch definitely won’t make it!”

Hao Dazhuang and Chen Xiuping exchanged a glance—once you took a bullet, no matter how tough you were, survival was nearly impossible.  

“Hahahaha!” Hao Liping couldn’t help but laugh out loud in delight. If Xia Zhi died, there would be no more obstacles in her way. She wouldn’t have to worry about Xia Zhi stealing her man in the future.  

Zhang Yi, drenched in sweat, rushed into the military base and immediately shouted for help.  

“Someone! Bring a stretcher!”  

The others, realizing it was Xia Zhi, quickly scrambled to get the equipment. In no time, she was carried to the hospital.  

Shen Hangzhi froze for a moment when he heard the patient was Xia Zhi, then immediately led the team toward the operating room.  

When Lu Beiting heard the words “bring a stretcher,” his chest tightened violently. He hurriedly wheeled himself outside—this was probably the fastest he’d ever moved in his wheelchair.  

Halfway there, he ran into Zhang Yi, covered in blood and about to go clean himself up.  

Zhang Yi stiffened at the sight of Lu Beiting, his gaze flickering uneasily. After hesitating for a long moment, he finally spoke. “Battalion Commander, don’t worry. Sister-in-law is fine—it didn’t hit anything vital.”  

A thunderous crash—all the mental preparation Lu Beiting had done on the way collapsed in an instant.  

“Where was she hit?” Lu Beiting’s veins bulged on the back of his hand as he struggled to contain his emotions.  

“Her… hand. But it didn’t hit the bone.” Zhang Yi lowered his head. For someone like them, a rough-and-tough soldier, it wouldn’t be a big deal.  

But for a delicate woman like Xia Zhi, it must have been excruciating.  

“Mm. Go back and rest. I’ll go see her myself.”  

Lu Beiting’s face was icy, his entire body radiating a chilling aura as he made his way to the military hospital.  

Walking down the same path they had taken together last time, he remembered how she had teased and laughed.  

No one understood the feeling of being shot better than he did.  

When Lu Beiting arrived, he saw a crowd waiting outside—Chen Yang, Chen Yan, and Li Jianguo.  

The moment Li Jianguo spotted him, he forced a reassuring smile onto his worried face. “Beiting, don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”  

Lu Beiting nodded silently and stood guard to the side. Only the pallor of his tense face betrayed his inner turmoil.  

Chen Yan wiped her tears beside him. “That girl… Before she left, she said she’d bring me a gift. How did things turn out like this in just a short while…?”  

Before she could finish, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.  

Lu Beiting’s heart ached unbearably. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have gone up the mountain to gather herbs. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt.  

“Alright, alright, don’t cry. It’s just a hand injury. She’ll be fine,” Chen Yang comforted, patting Chen Yan’s back.  

Chen Yan slapped his hand away. “Just a hand injury? Xia Zhi is a doctor! Do you think it’s the same for her?”  

Chen Yang sighed silently and said nothing more. If the injury was severe, then…  

Li Jianguo stepped forward and patted Lu Beiting’s shoulder. “I heard you and Xia Zhi had a fight? What happened? Did you start disliking her?”  

“No!” Lu Beiting cut him off without hesitation.  

Then, his voice grew quieter. “I just don’t think she should be dragged down by me. I can’t do anything for her.”  

Twice now, when something happened, all he could do was watch helplessly. It made him feel more and more like a complete failure.  

Li Jianguo sighed helplessly. Lu Beiting was the most outstanding soldier he had ever trained—quick-witted, adaptable, brave, and fearless.  

He had watched him climb step by step to his current position. His future was limitless… but it seemed Heaven envied the talented.  

“But didn’t Xia Zhi say she could cure you? Isn’t it too early to jump to conclusions?” Li Jianguo truly had high hopes for the two of them.  

Lu Beiting pressed his lips into a thin line, his voice distant. “But if it doesn’t work… then I’ll have ruined her life.”