The desolate autumn wind howled through the mountain forests, making the leaves tremble and rustle softly.
Large swathes of dead leaves fell with the wind. Hou Tingfu looked up as sunlight pierced through the layered branches above, scattering irregular light spots across her face.
In the azure sky, white clouds drifted by. Even though a real combat drill was clearly underway, she couldn't sense even a hint of tension in the air.
Placing one hand on the ground, she struggled to stand up.
Hou Tingfu felt that her socks were already wet. The wound on the sole of her foot, cut open by shards of glass, had long since split open.
The oversize adhesive bandage plastered to the sole was soaked in blood, which seeped out and stained her socks. By now, it was likely that her shoes had been dyed red too.
Still, a lengthy stretch of path lay ahead. Hou Tingfu checked the time, estimating that she could reach the command tower—the one flying the blue flag—by 3 o'clock.
