“Alright. Just now, I talked about methods to determine the enemy sniper’s position through sound localization, gunpowder smoke analysis, possible sniper hiding spots, bullet entry angles, rifle range, and suspicious terrain or objects nearby. There’s quite a lot to take in, so digest it well.” After Sarah Lane finished speaking, she closed her eyes to rest.

Looking at the resting Sarah Lane, Andrew Clark silently vowed in his heart that even if he died, he would protect Sarah Lane at all costs. He built two more campfires, then went nearby to chop some branches to dry by the fire for later use. Afterward, he sat by the campfire, lost in thought.

Chapter 15 Catching Up with the Enemy

The events of the past two days had happened so suddenly that Andrew Clark felt like he was dreaming. His comrades had been brutally slaughtered, the enemy was powerful, and he had narrowly escaped death several times. Now, he had met Sarah Lane, who was teaching him everything she knew. Life was unpredictable. He didn’t know when he would catch up with the enemy. With their strength, they must have fled far away by now. Why was Sarah Lane so certain they could catch up? There must be things he didn’t know.

Gradually, Andrew Clark started to feel sleepy. He quickly stood up to stretch, added more wood to the fire to keep the temperature up, and made sure everything was secure. The heavy rain was still falling, dripping through the dense canopy onto the rain shelter, then sliding off the broad leaves. The campfire and the people beneath the shelter were completely unaffected.

The rain stopped around midnight. Andrew Clark found a spot to sit and used his family’s breathing technique to quickly recover his strength. Soon, he entered a state of tranquility. In this state, if danger approached, he would sense it immediately. Fortunately, the night passed without incident.

At dawn the next day, Andrew Clark opened his eyes to see Sarah Lane changing his bandages, revealing a large area of fair, elastic, youthful skin. Andrew Clark couldn’t help but stare in a daze, when a voice asked, “Does it look good?”

“It does,” Andrew Clark replied sincerely, then suddenly realized something was wrong. Embarrassed, he turned his head and said, “Wait a moment, I’ll go get some food. I’ll be right back.”

Watching Andrew Clark hurriedly leave in a fluster, Sarah Lane couldn’t help but smile, like a lily blooming after a mountain rain—pure, beautiful, and incomparably elegant. It was as if the whole forest suddenly came alive. But when she thought of her own past, Sarah Lane’s expression instantly turned icy, her face regaining its cold beauty. The air around her seemed to freeze as she poked at the dying campfire, lost in thought.

No one knew how much time passed before Andrew Clark rushed back. He saw the campfire was about to go out, and Sarah Lane was still deep in thought, not noticing at all. He quickly added dry wood to the fire, then buried the wild chicken he had hunted in a mud pit to roast, making the fire much bigger.

Sarah Lane gave Andrew Clark an awkward glance, but quickly regained her cold composure. She looked up at the sky, then at her watch, and checked her weapons. Andrew Clark didn’t ask any questions—everyone had their own secrets. Although Sarah Lane had selflessly taught him combat skills, they weren’t close enough to share secrets. He also checked his weapons.

Half an hour later, after splitting the food, they set off again. Sarah Lane’s wound had scabbed over and didn’t affect her walking much, so their pace quickened considerably. Around noon, when Andrew Clark was about to look for a place to prepare food, Sarah Lane suddenly said, “We have to speed up. If you’re hungry, eat some wild fruit. We’ll worry about dinner later.”

“Alright,” Andrew Clark agreed without asking why. Their pace quickened again, almost jogging through the jungle. Too much time had already been lost. Andrew Clark was worried the enemy would escape, so speeding up was for the best. If the enemy got away, he would never be able to face his fallen comrades—he would never forgive himself.

Along the way, Sarah Lane constantly observed the ground for traces, finding clues in a snapped twig, a barely-there footprint, a patch of bark scraped off by something, and so on. From these, she determined the direction and route, and taught this tracking skill to Andrew Clark without holding anything back. As a hunter’s son, Andrew Clark picked it up quickly—he mastered it after just one lesson, which surprised Sarah Lane, but she didn’t ask further.

At dusk, they reached a canyon and found an abandoned campsite in a patch of woods. After observing for a while, Sarah Lane said confidently, “Look at the marks on the ground and the burned earth. The enemy camped here. The moonlight will be good tonight, so let’s travel through the night. Any problems?”

Andrew Clark carefully examined the traces on the ground and said, “No problem.”

“Good. Let’s get something to eat first. We won’t be able to cook once we move forward, so roast all the food you’ve hunted and take it with you. You might need it later. Remember, the most important thing in jungle warfare is always preparing a backup plan for yourself. That includes ammo, food, and so on,” Sarah Lane said.

“Got it,” Andrew Clark replied solemnly, not daring to be careless. If Sarah Lane emphasized it so seriously, it must be important.

The two of them worked together to build a fire and roast food. After eating their fill, they dried the remaining meat into jerky to carry with them and continued on their way. The moon was bright that night, visibility was good, and they moved swiftly and silently through the deep forest like wolves hunting their prey.