Extra Story - Peerless Ji Lu - Unqualified for Fear

After two gunshots, two of the bandits fell without even a grunt.

This sudden turn of events stunned the remaining bandits.

They swiftly turned their guns and sprayed bullets towards the low wall.

Seizing this gap, Uncle Zhao and the other two also found a chance to pull back.

The bandits' bullets rained against the wall like a hailstorm.

Gravel and debris flew in all directions.

Ji Wushuang had already pulled Lu Qianqian and rolled to the other side the moment she fired.

"Run!"

She hissed.

Pulling Lu Qianqian, she sprinted towards the riverbank west of the village.

The bandits reacted.

They split their forces, half pursuing Ji Wushuang and Lu Qianqian.

The remaining bandits went after Uncle Zhao and the others.

Gunfire continued to ring out behind Ji Wushuang and Lu Qianqian.

Bullets whizzed past, grazing their bodies.

Lu Qianqian felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest.

Her mind was a complete blank.

She just mechanically moved her legs, following the figure pulling her ahead.

Ji Wushuang shielded her firmly at her side.

Using her own body to block most of the firing angles for her.

The riverbank was within sight.

But the pursuers were also getting closer.

Lu Qianqian glanced back.

One bandit had closed to within less than a hundred meters of them.

He raised his gun, aiming at Ji Wushuang's back.

Ji Wushuang seemed to have eyes on the back of her head.

Fired a shot behind her.

Bang!

One shot, one kill. The bandit fell.

But as that bandit fell, he created an opportunity for another.

He took aim at Ji Wushuang.

Lu Qianqian's pupils contracted violently.

Fear flooded her like a tidal wave.

She wanted to scream, but no sound came from her throat.

At this critical, life-or-death moment.

She remembered Ji Wushuang's training.

"Your goal is to create chaos and an opportunity to escape."

Almost by instinct, she raised the pistol she had been clutching all along.

She had no time to aim.

Just pointed in that direction and wildly pulled the trigger.

"Bang! Bang! Bang…"

She fired off all the bullets, almost with her eyes closed.

She didn't know if she had hit anything.

She only heard several cries of pain from behind.

Then, the heavy thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

Ji Wushuang seized this chance, yanking her down.

Ji Wushuang shoved a snorkel into her mouth.

Put one in her own mouth as well.

Together, they rolled down the riverbank.

Icy river water instantly engulfed them.

Cutting them off from the gunfire on the shore.

They swam underwater for a long distance.

Only then did Ji Wushuang dare to pull Lu Qianqian up for air.

There was no sign of the pursuers on the bank anymore.

They were temporarily safe.

The two climbed onto the opposite bank, soaked to the bone and disheveled.

Lu Qianqian collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

The scene just moments ago had drained all her strength and courage.

She… had killed someone?!

This realization made her retch uncontrollably.

Ji Wushuang didn't hurry her.

She just vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

Only after confirming it was safe did she walk over.

She took off her own jacket, wrung out the water.

Then, draped it over the shivering Lu Qianqian.

"You did well."

She said, her voice devoid of emotion.

But Lu Qianqian detected a rare hint of approval in it.

Her tears could no longer be held back, bursting forth like a broken dam.

There was fear, relief at surviving the ordeal, and the complex emotion of being recognized.

She threw herself into Ji Wushuang's arms and sobbed loudly.

Like a wronged child.

Ji Wushuang's body stiffened for a moment.

She rarely had such intimate contact with anyone.

She wanted to push her away.

But feeling the violent trembling of the body in her arms.

Her outstretched hand paused mid-air.

Finally, it gently landed on Lu Qianqian's back, patting it awkwardly.

The sky was gradually darkening.

They couldn't stay here.

Uncle Zhao and Lin Ke were still waiting for their support.

After crying, Lu Qianqian calmed down.

She wiped her tears and stood up.

"Sister Wushuang, what do we do next?"

Her voice was still a bit hoarse.

But her eyes had regained their determination.

"First, find a place to rest and regroup."

Ji Wushuang said.

They found an abandoned church nearby.

Half of the church's roof had collapsed.

Stained glass lay shattered on the floor.

But the four walls were relatively intact.

Ji Wushuang built a small campfire.

The firelight danced in the empty church.

Dispelling a bit of the chill and the fear brought by the darkness.

The two took off their soaked clothes and propped them by the fire to dry.

Lu Qianqian was only wearing her bulletproof vest and form-fitting underwear.

She felt somewhat uncomfortable.

But Ji Wushuang was completely at ease.

As if this was the most normal thing in the world.

There were several scars on her body.

Gunshot wounds, knife wounds.

Although the scars were faint, they still revealed a touch of ferocity.

Lu Qianqian stared at those scars, somewhat lost in thought.

"Did it hurt?" she asked softly.

"I forgot," Ji Wushuang said.

"It hurt a lot at the time."

"Later, I became numb to it."

Silence fell between the two in the church.

Only the crackling sound of burning firewood remained.

"When we first met, I disliked you a bit."

Lu Qianqian suddenly spoke up.

Gazing at the flickering flames, she said quietly.

"I disliked you for forcing me to run, forcing me to train."

"Disliked you for having that stern face every day, like a robot."

"I thought you were just a tool my brother sent to monitor me."

Ji Wushuang didn't speak, just listened quietly.

"But I haven't thought that way for a long time."

Lu Qianqian looked at Ji Wushuang.

Her eyes, illuminated by the firelight, were so bright.

"Thank you, Sister Wushuang."

"Thank you for teaching me to shoot."

"Thank you for saving me."

"And thank you for not giving up on me."

Ji Wushuang looked at her.

Looked at those clear eyes, without a trace of impurity.

She reached out and touched Lu Qianqian's head.

"I used to have a comrade too."

She began slowly, her voice low and soft.

As if telling a story from a distant past.

"He was my deputy team leader."

"On one mission, our squad was surrounded by over a hundred armed drug traffickers in a valley."

"A bloody battle."

Her voice was flat, yet it seemed to freeze the very air in the church.

"He took a bullet covering my retreat. It went through his chest."

"The last thing he said to me before he fell was, 'Live on.'"

"After completing the mission, I locked myself in a room for three days and three nights."

"Later, our brigade commander told me."

"He said, fear is an enemy every soldier must face."

"You can't kill it."

"Nor can you escape it."

"The only thing you can do is learn to coexist with it."

"Turn it into your weapon."

"Let it remind you of danger's presence."

“Let it keep you awake when you pull the trigger.”

After saying this, she fell silent.

Actually, there was one more sentence she didn't voice,

That is, every soldier's life carries the weight of another. We have no right to fear. And we must never abandon anyone.