Chapter Seventy-One Targeted

The two seemed oblivious to the commotion at the doorway, continuing their standoff without pause.

Jiang Xiaotian observed quietly; their auras were impressive, both at the early stage of external force, only a step away from advancing to the middle stage. For their age, this was a remarkable achievement.

He was genuinely surprised. Among the martial artists he had encountered, young ones were rare. Even Ye Wan’er barely matched this level, and she had benefited from Chen Yu’s guidance. Fang Ye, that fool, possessed mid-stage strength and was regarded as the greatest talent in Linhai, while Zhao Zheng was a prominent figure in Dragon City. Thus, unless a young martial artist had some extraordinary opportunity, only true prodigies could reach this level.

To think that Falcon had four such individuals—how could he not be amazed? It was clear that the government’s strength could not be underestimated. One could only imagine what the true Falcon Squad was like; after all, these were rising stars among youth, incomparable to those hardened killers who battled on the front lines.

“Perfect timing; someone’s training. You can watch for yourself,” Zhang Guodong halted, apparently wanting to observe as well.

He explained that the muscular man on the stage was Wu Jian—a formidable figure whose sheer size could intimidate many. The slender girl was Wu Siya, a fiercely competitive spirit. Though lacking in strength, her speed was extraordinary, making her a nightmare opponent for someone like Wu Jian.

Jiang Xiaotian listened, calculating silently. Martial artists indeed had their limitations; few could excel in both offense and defense. If speed was high, strength suffered; if strength was dominant, reaction time slowed. The so-called balance of strength and speed, such as Fang Ye claimed, was merely a superficial compromise. If Fang Ye were only at the early stage of external force, the outcome of a fight with these two would be uncertain.

But Jiang Xiaotian was different. With the boost of spiritual energy, he need not specialize; he could be swift or powerful at will.

As they spoke, the big man made his move, charging straight at the girl. Given the small stage, she had little room to dodge, putting him at an advantage.

Yet Wu Siya anticipated this. Instead of dodging sideways, she leapt into the air.

Martial artists’ jumping ability far exceeded the norm, and those selected for Falcon were anything but ordinary.

In midair, she spun and delivered a flying kick at Wu Jian. All of this happened in less than a second; the big man had no time to react.

But Wu Siya didn’t actually strike him—in the final moment, she withdrew her leg and landed gracefully, patting his broad back. “When will you learn? Against an opponent like me, charging headlong is the worst tactic!”

Seeing Wu Jian’s expression, Jiang Xiaotian surmised he was a simple, honest type.

“They’re from the same place. Wu Siya is sharper than Wu Jian and often looks out for him,” Zhang Guodong explained.

He then stepped forward, “Alright, stop for now. Wu Jian, go fetch the other two. I have something to say.”

The big man nodded and hurried off.

Soon, he returned with another man and woman. The man appeared frail, wearing glasses; his aura was weak, nothing like a martial artist.

But the other girl was different—her strength had reached the middle stage of external force! She wore a stern expression and, upon seeing Jiang Xiaotian, her gaze became even more unfriendly.

Zhang Guodong paid no mind, introducing them directly, “Wu Jian and Wu Siya you know. The other is Yan Min. He’s not a martial artist, but the team’s essential intelligence officer. If danger arises, don’t count on him to save you; you’ll need to protect him. And this is your captain, Song Yixuan—middle stage external force, enough said.”

He continued, “This is Jiang Xiaotian, the reserve member who never reported in. He’s now officially joining—everyone, welcome him!”

Only the two men clapped enthusiastically, greeting him. Song Yixuan and Wu Siya remained unmoved.

Especially Song Yixuan, who treated him as invisible. “Chief, if that’s all, I’m leaving. Now that he’s here, the mission can proceed. If anything goes wrong after such a delay, who will take responsibility?”

Jiang Xiaotian sensed her obvious hostility, though he had no idea what he’d done to provoke her.

Wu Siya said nothing, but gave Wu Jian a glare when he applauded.

Zhang Guodong acted as if nothing happened, nodding, “Yes, everything’s ready. With all core members present, your first mission can begin. There’s also military doctor Qin Lulu, still on another assignment. She’ll report today.”

“Oh, understood.” Song Yixuan turned and left. Wu Jian wanted to say something, but Wu Siya pulled him away. “Get back to training!”

Only Yan Min, the weakest-looking, remained. He adjusted his glasses, “You finally showed up. Don’t be surprised—everyone here joined hoping for real challenge. Because you didn’t, the whole team was stalled. Their frustration is only natural.”

Jiang Xiaotian felt a bit embarrassed. No wonder they were upset; he hadn’t realized his absence meant Falcon couldn’t even start their missions.

With someone to show him around, Zhang Guodong became the hands-off supervisor. “Yan Min, take him to the dorm and help him get familiar with the place. As for Ling’er, you’re a girl—come with me, I’ll arrange your accommodation.”

Ling’er nodded, uninterested in the place itself, merely tagging along with Jiang Xiaotian for fun.

But Zhang Guodong saw it differently.

The original order to recruit Jiang Xiaotian had largely been due to Ling’er. After witnessing her fury that night, Zhang Guodong knew this quiet, gentle-looking girl was not one to be trifled with.

If he had to face her himself, he was certain he wouldn’t last three seconds.

That flaming spear haunted him—a true psychological shadow.

Thus, with someone like her entering the base, she had to be treated with utmost care; ordinary dorms were out of the question.

After Zhang Guodong left with Ling’er, Yan Min spoke with some amusement, “You showed up with your girlfriend—no wonder they’re annoyed. Makes it look like you don’t take the team seriously.”

Jiang Xiaotian could only shrug helplessly, “But Qin Lulu hasn’t shown up either. Why don’t you complain about her?”

Yan Min shot him a disdainful glance. “She’s cute—and besides, who would dare offend the military doctor?”