Chapter 40: Beyond Human

The word "monsters" instantly caused Night Fengwu's brow to furrow deeply.

Lin Qiang, Yang Lu, and Liu Hui were all top soldiers, each one a king of the battlefield. Even the world's best fighters couldn't match them. Now, both Yang Lu and Liu Hui were lightly injured, but Lin Qiang's condition was severe—several broken ribs and possible internal organ damage.

For someone to have inflicted such wounds on Lin Qiang, their combat power must be terrifying.

A weak, painful groan came from Lin Qiang. He struggled to open his eyes and, upon seeing Night Fengwu, a look of guilt washed over his pale face.

"Commander... I'm sorry... We let you down."

As Lin Qiang attempted to sit up, Night Fengwu quickly pressed him back down, concerned. "Rest. It was my oversight, I shouldn't have let you act alone."

Lin Qiang's eyes showed a flicker of fear as he weakly said, "Commander, we underestimated them."

Liu Hui suddenly spoke, "Commander, we received intel that Luo Yihuang was taking a private jet to Jin Hai City. We intercepted her to warn her, but she was stubborn and kept her guard up against us."

Yang Lu added, "That woman is smart. She knew we were protecting her but still resisted."

Night Fengwu gritted his teeth, "Damn woman. How is she now?"

Liu Hui responded, "We infiltrated the airport before Luo Yihuang boarded and found bombs on the plane. We also encountered those two monsters."

Lin Qiang's eyes were filled with fear as he weakly said, "A man and a woman. The man was huge. Our bullets couldn't hurt him; it was like shooting a steel wall."

Liu Hui, still shaken, added, "The woman was even more terrifying. She tore through the plane's hull with her bare hands."

Lin Qiang, Liu Hui, and Yang Lu looked defeated. Following Night Fengwu for years, they had never been so outmatched.

Night Fengwu's eyes narrowed with intensity. Liu Hui asked, "Commander, have you faced such opponents before?"

Night Fengwu took a deep breath and slowly began, "Qi energy. Those you encountered have refined Qi within their bodies. They are known as superhumans, with longer lifespans and superior physical abilities compared to ordinary people."

"Qi energy... Superhumans..." Lin Qiang and the others were shocked and confused, hearing about Qi energy for the first time.

Night Fengwu continued, "The world is far more complex than we imagine. Qi energy, emanating from within, can enhance muscle strength many times over."

"If one masters Qi throughout the body, muscles can harden, making it difficult for bullets or blades to penetrate. It can also turn the body into a lethal weapon."

Lin Qiang and the others were astounded by Night Fengwu's explanation. No wonder the assassins they faced were so formidable—one nearly invincible, the other impossibly strong and fast. Without reinforcements, they might not have survived.

Liu Hui, curious, asked, "Commander, how can one cultivate Qi energy?"

Night Fengwu frowned, "Qi energy is a latent human power. Cultivating it requires daily muscle training and a certain catalyst, which may never come."

"Some lucky individuals awaken their Qi in life-threatening situations."

Lin Qiang, Yang Lu, and Liu Hui felt a mix of envy and despair. As soldiers, they yearned for more power but knew such a catalyst might never happen for them.

Seeing their disappointment, Night Fengwu sternly said, "Some mercenary organizations use drugs to push human limits, activating latent Qi. But these drugs are unstable, with a high mortality rate. Even survivors often suffer side effects. Are you still interested?"

Their excitement faded quickly. Liu Hui, with a bitter face, asked, "Commander, is there no chance for us to cultivate Qi?"

Night Fengwu calmly said, "There is another way. Although difficult, it has no side effects. Train your muscles to their utmost limits, push human capacity to the extreme. When you achieve this, you'll sense Qi energy."

"And this method produces Qi far superior to drug-induced or spontaneously awakened Qi."

Lin Qiang, Yang Lu, and Liu Hui's faces lit up with joy, but soon turned bitter. Training muscles to such an extent required extreme talent or unimaginable effort.

Yang Lu, smiling sheepishly, said, "Commander, everyone knows your muscle strength exceeds human limits. Why haven't you awakened Qi?"

Lin Qiang and Liu Hui, curious, also looked at Night Fengwu. They knew firsthand his terrifying muscle power, having seen him kick a car several meters away.

Night Fengwu glared at them, "I have my reasons. Remember, to cultivate Qi, prepare for immense hardship, sweat a hundred times more than ordinary people."

The three men solemnly nodded, remembering his words. They realized that despite his top-tier strength, Night Fengwu never stopped training, always pushing towards Qi.

Night Fengwu suddenly asked, "What's the target's current plan?"

Liu Hui quickly replied, "Luo Yihuang values the Jin Hai City branch highly. She plans to take the 8 AM train there, having booked an entire business carriage."

Night Fengwu cursed, "A woman who values money over life. If you could track her, the Death God Guild surely can too."

He was furious, Luo Yihuang's stubbornness had hurt his comrades.

Liu Hui said, "Commander, let me join you."

Night Fengwu shook his head, "You need to recover. I can handle this alone."

Yang Lu added, "She's wary of us, and there'll be many assassins on the way. You might be overwhelmed alone."

Night Fengwu's gaze hardened, "We can't protect her covertly anymore. It's time for her to face the consequences."

Lin Qiang, Liu Hui, and Yang Lu exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of his plan.

Just then, Liu Hui brought a long box and placed it before Night Fengwu, "Commander, your weapon has arrived."

Night Fengwu's eyes lit up, a sense of reunion with an old lover.