lcionline Chapter 416 Slowly Emerges
Chapter 416 Slowly Emerges
"Zheng Yaoxian, walk in front." Su Ming suddenly stopped and turned his eyes to Zheng Yaoxian.
Zheng Yaoxian paused for a moment, looking down at the weapon in his hand. Then he slowly raised his head, his eyes dim, but he still didn't avoid Su Ming's gaze. He nodded and walked to the front of the team. Although his pace was not fast, it was clear that he was more determined than before.
Su Ming remained silent, watching his back silently. Zheng Yaoxian's shoulders were still slightly hunched, a sign of tension and burden. But in the darkness, Su Ming could vaguely discern an unknown emotion coursing through Zheng Yaoxian's figure: a heavy, suppressed endurance, as if something was silently oppressing him.
"Zheng Yaoxian, can you tell me what happened today?" Su Ming finally couldn't help but asked in a low voice.
Zheng Yaoxian paused slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then responded in a low voice: "Nothing, Su Ming, the mission is still going on, there is nothing to say."
This perfunctory response made Su Ming's heart tighten, but he didn't say anything more. Perhaps Zheng Yaoxian really was hiding something, or perhaps he was carrying too much on his shoulders, which made him seem so uneasy at this tense moment.
The scene ahead grew increasingly blurry, a white mist sweeping in like a tide, obscuring any details in the distance. Everything around them began to seem unreal, as if shrouded in a hazy veil. Everyone, enveloped in this mist, seemed somewhat lost, yet continued on their way.
Suddenly, the road beneath his feet began to tremble slightly, as if some unknown force was coming from underground. Su Ming stopped, his brows slightly furrowed, and he became alert.
"Stop!" he shouted in a low voice, and quickly waved his hand to signal the team members to stop moving forward.
The entire team stopped immediately, everyone's heartbeat accelerating at the command, and the sense of oppression in the air instantly intensified. Lin Tao's eyes darted around, clearly caught off guard by the sudden pause.
"What's the situation?" Lin Tao asked in a low voice.
Su Ming's gaze was fixed on the front, his brow furrowed. The vibration coming from the ground didn't subside, but instead intensified, as if some immense force was lurking underground, ready to erupt at any moment.
"Stay alert," Su Ming whispered, a barely perceptible nervousness in his voice. "We'll wait here for a moment."
He subconsciously tightened his grip on his weapon, his eyes fixed on his surroundings, his heartbeat accelerating. Suddenly, his ears caught a faint sound, like the whirring of distant machinery. Though subtle, it was incredibly clear. Su Ming's brows furrowed—it was a sound they had never encountered before.
"Get ready," he whispered, his gaze sharp as a knife. "We must find the source of this power."
Zheng Yaoxian stood somewhat stiffly, seemingly still recovering from his previous emotions. However, he remained steadfast, standing firm at the forefront of the team. His figure was somewhat blurred in the mist, yet he appeared exceptionally resolute.
Su Ming's heart surged with complex emotions, and suddenly, he understood that Zheng Yaoxian's silence wasn't just due to exhaustion, but rather to some unspoken secret. At that moment, Su Ming decided that after completing the mission, he must give every member of the team more care, especially Zheng Yaoxian. Regardless of whether Zheng Yaoxian was willing to share his inner depression, Su Ming would not allow them to endure this heavy loneliness again.
Su Ming's heart grew heavy. Every decision he made felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff; a single misstep could lead to ruin. At that moment, he felt an indescribable sense of oppression—though the tremors from the ground had subsided, the uneasiness within him remained undimmed. The current situation had already made him wary, and his decision cast a shadow over the team members' minds. Though no one expressed it, the hidden emotions within them were already spreading quietly.
They had already strayed far from their original route, and the sudden outing had already left the team members feeling a bit confused. Lin Tao followed closely behind, his face still showing a hint of nervousness and uneasiness, his eyes flickering around, as if ready to react at any moment. Xiao Zhang's steps were also more cautious than usual, and he seemed a little uncomfortable.
Zheng Yaoxian—who had been walking silently ahead, his expression still heavy. Su Ming could tell that Zheng Yaoxian still seemed to be grieving, yet he chose to remain silent. That silence weighed more heavily than any words, as if the weight he carried in his heart prevented him from focusing on the task at hand.
Su Ming frowned slightly. He didn't regret his decision. Although he knew it was risky, his intuition told him that continuing forward was the right choice. But behind this intuition lay a lot of unspoken pressure. He even began to wonder if he was overconfident, if he had underestimated his teammates' ability to endure, and if, in his rush to complete the mission, he had sometimes neglected the emotional fluctuations within the team.
He began to reflect, wondering if he'd sometimes been too focused on the goal and neglected the mental state of his teammates—especially Zheng Yaoxian. Every action needed to consider the abilities and mental state of each team member, rather than just charging blindly. He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the team members walking away, a heavy feeling in his heart.
"Su Ming, that area is just ahead." Lin Tao's voice broke Su Ming's contemplation, and he glanced around nervously, "Are you sure you want to continue?"
Su Ming's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at Lin Tao. He could sense Lin Tao's inner turmoil; it was clear the young team member didn't fully agree with their current decision. Unlike the other team members, Lin Tao had always appeared cautious and vigilant, overly rational and calm. Sometimes rationality is a virtue, but in a crisis-ridden environment like this, it could also become an overwhelming burden.
"Continue." Su Ming's voice was low and firm. He did not hesitate, his eyes as sharp as a knife, still staring at the front. "The mission is not over yet. We must find those hidden things as soon as possible."
Lin Tao said nothing more, only nodded, looking somewhat helpless. Although he didn't completely agree with Su Ming's decision, he still chose to trust him. After all, they were all on the same front, with the same goal.
As the team continued to advance, the white fog grew thicker, and the air grew increasingly oppressive. Although Su Ming's gaze remained resolute, his heart wavered. Even though there were no obvious enemies ahead, that inexplicable sense of danger lingered, never leaving.
They entered an empty meadow, where the silence was unsettling. The occasional chirping of night birds could be heard in the distance, yet every detail in this seemingly peaceful landscape evoked a sense of alarm. Su Ming suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed firmly on the road ahead. At the other end of the meadow, a discreet military vehicle sat quietly, its windows slightly rolled down, revealing the presence of several figures.
This scene shocked him, and his intuition told him that this was not a chance encounter. Instead, they had been targeted.
"Stop!" Su Ming ordered in a low voice and immediately made a gesture to stop it.
The team members stopped in their tracks and quickly hid in the surrounding bushes. Everyone's heartbeat began to accelerate, and the air seemed to freeze. Any slight movement could reveal their whereabouts.
"What's going on?" Zheng Yaoxian's voice was low and nervous. He obviously noticed something was wrong.
"We're being targeted." Su Ming's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "There's no time left. Everyone, get ready."
The team members stopped talking, and everyone's expression became solemn. They all knew in their hearts that this moment might be the watershed of their actions.
"Lin Tao, lead the team around to the right and try to find the enemy's retreat." Su Ming whispered, his eyes sweeping over the other team members, "Xiao Zhang, you go to the front to provide cover and be prepared for contact with the enemy."
The team members immediately sprang into action. Su Ming did not immediately join the group, but remained where he was, closely watching the parked military vehicle. The vehicle was parked so quietly that it almost seemed like a false alarm. However, his intuition told him that this was no simple chance encounter, but rather a trap set by the enemy, or perhaps they had already known of the team's presence.
"We must eliminate them as soon as possible," Su Ming thought to himself, his eyes scanning the surroundings, closely observing every detail. The tense atmosphere in the air instantly sent a chill down his spine. This time, he couldn't handle it as easily as before.
The team members split up and quietly began searching the surroundings. Lin Tao's movements were swift and decisive, his eyes fixed on the front, barely pausing. He had absolute trust in Su Ming's instructions, but deep down, he constantly questioned whether all this was too risky.
At this moment, Su Ming suddenly heard a faint rustling sound behind him. His heart skipped a beat and the moment he turned around, his hands were already tightly gripping the gun.
"Who?" he shouted in a low voice, his voice as cold as a knife.
Footsteps could be heard behind him, and Zheng Yaoxian's figure slowly emerged. The once calm and composed man now looked extremely nervous, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion and entanglement.
"Su Ming, I..." Zheng Yaoxian's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. He seemed to hesitate for a long time before finally speaking, "I need to tell you something."
Su Ming was stunned for a moment, a sudden doubt rising in his heart. Zheng Yaoxian had always been taciturn and never easily expressed his emotions, but now, suddenly speaking to him, it was clearly not a simple matter.