Chapter 129

They followed the scent and ventured deeper into the forest.

By now, they were certain that the other party was deliberately leading them. They maintained a certain distance, allowing Ayer to track them while avoiding getting too close.

The forest was shrouded in darkness, with little to no light penetrating through. Shan Ming took out a small flashlight from his bag and said quietly, “Be careful of traps.”

Ayer took the lead, clearing the path for them. Although becoming a Dragon Blood Kin wasn’t a choice he willingly made, it had to be acknowledged that the transformation brought astonishing enhancements. With superhuman speed, strength, natural scales that provided exceptional defense, and the ability to heal from injuries, Ayer was far superior to humans in any given situation. Every man dreams of becoming incredibly powerful, if it weren’t for the risks that come with evolution, which has an 88% chance of causing fatal blood vessel ruptures, many people would have wished to become such advanced beings.

They proceeded cautiously, covering a distance of over a hundred meters, encountering relatively smooth progress. Suddenly, both Ayer and Shan Ming heard unusual rustling sounds coming from the surrounding bushes.

Shan Ming immediately switched off the flashlight and slowly raised his gun. He asked quietly, “Which direction?”

Ayer replied, “Every direction.”

Ayer and Shan Ming positioned themselves on either side of Tang Tingzhi, sandwiching him in between. While the two of them appeared tense, Tang Tingzhi remained calm, showing no signs of anxiety. Suddenly, he raised his voice and called out, “Captain Zhao Qingling, is it you?!”

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Zhao Qingling opened her mouth to speak, “Who are… you…?” Her words were slurred and it seemed to take great effort for her to speak clearly.

Shan Ming carefully shone the flashlight on her, finally getting a clear view of her appearance.

This woman possessed all the characteristic features of a Dragon Blood Kin. She was tall, standing at least around 178 centimeters. Based on her appearance, she didn’t even look forty. She bore a striking resemblance to Shen Changze. It seemed that most of Shen Changze’s facial features were inherited from her while his temperament bore a stronger resemblance to Shen Yao. She had short hair, sharp eyes, and a cautious expression. There was no trace of feminine gentleness or weakness about her, instead, she exuded a powerful sense of oppression.

She cleared her throat, appearing to be troubled by the words she said. With great effort, she forced out, “Who are you guys?”

Tang Tingzhi said, “We are friends of your son.”

“Son?” She clenched her fist, her body trembling. “Son… impossible…”

“He’s still alive, and so is your husband.”

“They’re dead!” Zhao Qingling exclaimed sharply. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and her expression changed drastically. Her eyes were filled with sadness. “Dead…”

In front of her, Shan Ming put away his gun and spoke slowly and deliberately, “They’re alive. I adopted your son. He’s now twenty years old.”

Zhao Qingling’s chest heaved as she took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She then spoke in a cold tone, “Come.” With that, she turned around and walked into the depths of the forest.

The three followed her.

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a clearing where a tent stood, accompanied by an extinguished campfire.

She walked over and lit the campfire, then sat down herself. She gestured for them to sit as well.

Zhao Qingling took a sip of water. “I haven’t spoken Mandarin for a long time. I ask, you answer,” Then she looked at Shan Ming and continued, “Photo, of my son.”

Shan Ming was taken aback. He didn’t have any photos of Shen Changze with him.

Zhao Qingling furrowed her brows slightly. “Adopted him?” She reached into her clothes and pulled out the necklace around her neck. Opening the metal pendant, with the help of the flickering firelight, a faded and yellowed family photo could faintly be seen.

Tang Tingzhi explained, “I have photos on my computer, but I left it at the camp. You’ll get to see it.”

“Him, how did you adopt him? Where is he?” she asked Shan Ming.

Shan Ming explained how he found Shen Changze, detailing the events leading up to it. As for the question of where Shen Changze was, Tang Tingzhi took over from the moment Shen Changze was brought back to China and continued narrating until Shen Yao’s appearance.

When Zhao Qingling heard the name Shen Yao, a profound sorrow couldn’t be hidden in her expression.

Tang Tingzhi said, “Shen Yao has become an extreme racist. We don’t know what he’s plotting, but he holds disdain and hatred towards humanity. He took Shen Changze captive and hid him away. Now, we need you to lure him out. You are our only hope.”

As the story of Shen Changze from when he was five to the present unfolded, this lengthy tale lasted for an hour. If this were an ordinary woman listening to such sufferings of her son, she would have broken down long ago. However, Zhao Qingling wasn’t an ordinary person. Aside from subtle changes in her expression, she remained relatively calm throughout. Even upon learning that her husband and son were still alive, she quickly accepted it.

Zhao Qingling lowered her head, gazing at the fire pit before her. “I won’t fight for you people anymore. I’ll only fight for my son.”

“I understand. This mission was secretly planned by me, and those above are unaware of it. I’m willing to continue keeping it a secret. Even if you are discovered, I will respect your decision and allow you to choose whether to stay or leave. I promise.”

Shan Ming asked, “Where have you been hiding all these years? Why didn’t you show yourself?”

Zhao Qingling gradually adjusted to speaking her native tongue again. She answered the question intermittently. It turned out that during the first few years of Shen Changze’s disappearance, she and Shen Yao had been searching for him together. However, Shen Yao gradually developed a strong resentment towards the government and developed racist tendencies. Zhao Qingling disagreed with his views and decided to search for Shen Changze on her own. Eventually, they lost contact with each other, and she couldn’t find Shen Changze either. She thought they were both dead. Being relentlessly pursued by the government, she grew disheartened and escaped to the most remote region of her homeland. She lived among a group of ethnic minority, the Wei people, and never left again.

If Tang Tingzhi hadn’t come to find her, she might have spent her entire life never leaving this place, like an ascetic monk, carrying a tremendous secret and living out her days in solitude.

They continued their conversation intermittently, and Zhao Qingling gradually regained the ability to communicate normally. She kept asking about her son, wanting Shan Ming to tell her the details of Shen Changze’s upbringing and development.

Shan Ming hadn’t spoken so much in a long time. He slowly recounted the precious moments he had shared with Shen Changze, starting from when he was just a squirt, all the way until he grew into a strong and capable young man. One spoke earnestly, and the other listened intently. Even Tang Tingzhi and Ayer didn’t want to interrupt them. As they reached the end of the conversation, Shan Ming’s heart grew heavier and heavier. He couldn’t fathom what Shen Changze was doing or thinking at this moment, but he knew that his own betrayal must have caused immense pain to his son. This torment weighed heavily on his heart at all times.

Unconsciously, they had stayed for a long time. Tang Tingzhi kept sending messages back to the camp to confirm their safety. Finally, as dawn approached, the three of them returned.

Before leaving, Tang Tingzhi left Zhao Qingling with something he had prepared in advance; new identity documents and money.

Zhao Qingling would make her way to Beijing in the shortest possible time and wait for them at the location Tang Tingzhi had prepared for her.

The next morning, they took a car back to Aksu Airport and boarded a plane from there to return to Beijing, preparing for the next steps of their plan.