153: Chapter 153 Tough guys are the fun ones, and he got slapped in the face right after saying that!

Half an hour later.

The three-man Red Scorpion team had tracked down the place where Qin Feng had rested not long ago.

The team leader, codenamed "Scorpion Eye," was a veteran with rich experience.

He crouched down, picked up a bit of soil, and sniffed it.

"Blood, very fresh. And... the lingering smell of gunpowder."

He glanced at the crocodile carcass not far away, which had been blown to smithereens, and his expression turned grave.

"The target dealt with a giant crocodile here, then headed in that direction."

"Boss, this guy is a tough nut to crack."

The teammate codenamed "Scorpion Tail" next to him whispered: "Even the locals dare not venture deep into this swamp, but he's acting like he's strolling through his own backyard."

"Tough nuts are the most fun." Scorpion Eye sneered.

"Headquarters has issued a kill order: we need to see the person alive, or his corpse if dead."

"Notify the teams behind us, have them form a perimeter on the outside, and don't let this mouse slip away."

"The three of us will go in and dig him out!"

"Yes!"

The three of them didn't hesitate anymore; they formed a combat formation and quickly gave chase.

Soon, they arrived at the narrow passage.

The "Stinger Scorpion" walking at the front suddenly raised his hand, signaling to stop.

He pointed to the two steel wires ahead that were almost perfectly camouflaged with the environment.

"A trap, very rudimentary."

There was a hint of disdain in Stinger Scorpion's tone.

Scorpion Eye took a look and nodded.

"It seems our target is starting to panic and lose his way. He's even resorting to childish toys like this."

He gestured, and Stinger Scorpion carefully stepped over the wire, with Scorpion Tail following closely behind.

Just as Scorpion Eye was preparing to step over as well.

"Click!"

A soft sound.

It wasn't them triggering the trap, but rather a dead branch falling from the tree canopy above.

The three of them instantly tensed up, raising their guns in unison to aim upward.

It was at this very moment that a slight tremor suddenly came from the ground beneath their feet.

"What is that?" Scorpion Tail frowned.

Scorpion Eye's expression changed. He looked down sharply, and with the help of his night-vision goggles, he saw the most terrifying scene of his life.

A... no, it was a "wall of flesh" made of scales, slowly moving.

Swish!

Suddenly.

The mud pool beside them churned violently.

The giant python that Qin Feng had "invited" over had finally arrived at the "banquet hall."

It was full of interest in the three sudden "little snacks."

"Snake! It's a snake!"

Stinger Scorpion was the first to react, letting out a terrified scream.

He wanted to fire his gun, but the giant python's speed far exceeded his imagination.

The massive snake head slammed into him from the side.

"Bang!"

Stinger Scorpion—along with his gun—was sent flying by the direct impact, finally falling into the mud pool on the other side, sinking without even a bubble rising.

"Fire! Fire!"

Scorpion Eye reacted extremely quickly, firing wildly at the snake's head.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!"

The bullets hit the giant python's thick scales, sparking a series of flashes, but they only left shallow white dots and couldn't cause any fatal damage.

The intense pain completely enraged this king of the swamp.

It let out a deafening hiss, and its massive tail, like a steel whip, swept across!

"Watch out!"

Scorpion Tail pushed Scorpion Eye away, but he himself couldn't dodge in time and was struck squarely in the waist by the snake's tail.

"Crack!"

A bone-breaking sound rang out. Scorpion Tail's body folded at an eerie angle, and he flew away, spewing blood.

In the blink of an eye, only Scorpion Eye was left of the three-man team.

Fear instantly gripped his heart.

He looked at those cold, emotionless slit pupils and finally understood.

That trap was a chain scheme from the start!

Their opponent never intended to do it himself from the very beginning.

"Bastard!" Scorpion Eye let out a desperate roar.

He tore the last grenade from his tactical vest, pulled the pin, and prepared to perish with this monster.

But the giant python didn't give him the chance.

The massive snake mouth opened wide and swallowed him whole, from head to toe, in one gulp.

The grenade with the pin pulled went into the snake's belly along with him.

"Gulp."

The giant python even smacked its lips, as if it wasn't very satisfied with this "spiky" food.

On the tree canopy in the distance, Qin Feng and Lanna witnessed this scene, which could be described as magical.

Lanna covered her mouth, her eyes wide, her mind a blank slate.

Qin Feng whistled, looking relaxed and comfortable.

"Done, let's wrap it up."

Just then.

"Boom!"

A muffled explosion came from inside the giant python's belly.

The giant python's massive body stiffened suddenly, then went limp like a pile of mud, with flesh and organs scattered everywhere.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully counter-killing the 'Red Scorpion Special Team' and completing the side mission—Survival of the Fittest!]

[Mission Reward: military merit +50, fixed military merit +450.]

[Host: Qin Feng]

[Rank: First-Class Sergeant (6580/10000)]

[military merit: 535 points]

Qin Feng nodded with satisfaction.

This haul was not bad.

"Let's go, my private property; stop looking, or I'll start charging you."

He tugged at Lanna, who was still in a daze, and quickly disappeared into the night.

The explosion would soon attract the main forces of Yang Country; this place was not safe to linger.

The two traveled overnight, and only when dawn was about to break did they finally find a dry cave.

The cave was not large, but it was enough to shelter them from wind and rain, and the entrance was hidden by a waterfall, making it extremely concealed.

Qin Feng first released the bionic spider to patrol a 500-meter radius for security, and then had the Ghost guard the cave entrance, only then did he truly relax.

He took off his soaked jacket, wrung out the water, then took jerky and water from his backpack and handed them to Lanna.

"Eat something first, then treat your wounds, and get some rest quickly."

Lanna mechanically took the food, her eyes still somewhat unfocused; clearly, she hadn't recovered from the bloody and brutal scene just now.

Qin Feng ignored her and, on his own, tore open her trouser leg to check her wound.

Because the wound had been soaked in the dirty swamp water for a long time, it was slightly red, but fortunately, there was no infection.

He rinsed it clean with fresh water, then skillfully applied medicine and changed the bandage.

After finishing all this, Qin Feng leaned against the cave wall and closed his eyes.

Continuous high tension and travel, even for him, brought a trace of exhaustion.

Inside the cave, there was only the "whooshing" sound of the waterfall.

The swamp had a huge temperature difference between day and night; it was as stuffy as a steamer during the day, but by the second half of the night, the temperature plummeted, and the cold was biting.

Lanna hugged her knees, her body starting to shiver uncontrollably, her teeth chattering.

She glanced at Qin Feng, who was resting with his eyes closed next to her. She hesitated for a long time, but finally bit her lip and moved toward him, inch by inch.

When she carefully leaned against Qin Feng, a familiar masculine scent and a comforting warmth instantly enveloped her.

Qin Feng's body stiffened for a moment, but he didn't open his eyes or push her away.

Having received tacit permission, Lanna's courage grew.

She simply adjusted her position, like a kitten seeking shelter, and curled up completely into Qin Feng's arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

It seemed... she had gotten used to it.

Used to this man's embrace, used to his scent, and used to the sense of security that made her feel unafraid even if the sky were to fall when she was by his side.

Soon, Lanna's body warmed up, and she actually fell into a deep sleep.

Listening to the rhythmic breathing beside his ear, Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.

He gently adjusted his position to make Lanna more comfortable.

The night passed without incident.