Chapter 42: Journey to Hell

  The curriculum of the Heavenly Squad is more complex than that of the Earthly Squad, but with different emphases. Military formation training, longbow and heavy artillery training are not included. Martial arts training focuses on cultivating individual combat capabilities, including white blade fighting, hand-to-hand combat, assassination, horse riding training, high-intensity physical training, cliff climbing, high-altitude rappelling, armed swimming, and the selection of weapons such as short blades, crossbows, and daggers. Subjects studied include intelligence gathering, disguise, reconnaissance, action tactics, poison preparation and use, kidnapping and assassination, interrogation and torture, etc.

  At the formation meeting of the Heavenly Squad, Liu Ze looked at the 500 people standing in front of him and said: "You are the elite selected through rigorous testing and selection. You are my most excellent warriors and also my trusted advisors. In the next three years, you will undergo the most severe and cruel training that has never been seen before, far surpassing past trainings, even beyond your imagination. If anyone among you cannot bear this hardship, you can withdraw now."

  Led by Pan Feng, the five hundred men shouted in unison: "We will serve our lord to the death! We will not retreat despite a thousand difficulties and ten thousand hardships!"

  "Alright! Before you officially enter the special agent training, you will undergo a 'journey to hell'. Only those who pass this assessment can formally join the Heavenly Squad."

  Then, Liu Ze handed over ten maps and ten compasses to the hands of the ten captains, and announced the itinerary and details of this "journey to hell". This action is carried out in units, heading west through the vast original forest, arriving at Niuyin Mountain Baijing Valley to obtain the token and return to the camp. The total journey is expected to be over 400 miles, with the first returner winning. Each person is equipped with a long knife, a dagger, a short crossbow, ten crossbow arrows, and a rope with claws, without carrying any food or water.

  Zhang Fei's eyes widened in shock, "Big brother, are you kidding me? Not bringing any food or water and walking 400 miles through a desolate forest with no human habitation? You might as well just kill them now with one slash of the sword. It's all the same whether we die sooner or later, so why not make it quicker?"

  Guan Yu also furrowed his brow, advising: "Big brother should think thrice, third brother's words also make sense. After all, it wasn't easy for us to raise these kids, if there's any loss, it would be a real pity."

  Liu Ze could only smile wryly and patiently explained it to them again.

  "This 'journey to hell' is simply a wilderness survival training, which can cultivate their ability to survive in the wild and adapt to harsh environments. Of course, safety must also be considered, which is why I have repeatedly emphasized that this operation will be carried out in teams, not as individual exercises. In harsh environments, team strength far surpasses personal strength. To be on the safe side, I have also organized a rescue team fully equipped with supplies to rescue anyone who gets lost or injured at any time, so you can rest assured. Of course, I hope they can complete this 'journey to hell' through their own abilities, after all, it's just the beginning of arduous training."

  Headed west into the primeval forest, Liu Ze ordered to set up camp on the spot. This would be the starting point of this "journey to hell" and also the last camping site for the team members. Leaving here, they would not get any food or water and could only sleep in the wild. The primeval forest of Taihang Mountain was not as dense as the tropical jungle, nor were the trees as tall as those in Changbai Mountain. The vegetation here was relatively sparse, and the poplar and pine trees did not grow very high. There were also large areas of shrubbery.

  Liu Ze gathered Pan Feng and Zhang Long and ten other team leaders, teaching them wilderness survival skills.

  Learning to use a compass and read maps is the first thing to learn, a compass is the best tool for determining direction. Liu Ze requires everyone to master the correct way of using a compass. In case you don't have a compass or it's lost or damaged, how to determine your position by looking at the sun, the North Star, the dense direction of trees, and even the annual rings of trees. Getting lost in the woods is a terrible thing, Liu Ze requires everyone to master the ability to read maps and identify directions.

  Secondly, it is how to obtain food. In the primitive forest, the source of food is very wide, including wolves, tigers, leopards, deer, wild sheep, wild chickens, wild boars, wild rabbits, and even mice, snakes, insects, etc. All living things can become a meal on the plate. There are also wild vegetables and fruits that can be eaten to fill the stomach, but these wild fruits and vegetables must first be distinguished as to whether they are poisonous or not.

  For drinking water, mountain springs are preferred. If necessary, each person should fill their own leather bag with water to prepare for emergencies. If a mountain spring or river cannot be found, dew can be collected from plant leaves in the early morning, or plants' fruits and roots can be eaten to obtain moisture.

  When camping at night, safety must be paid attention to. A safe place should be chosen to camp, a bonfire lit, and guards posted in shifts.

  Finally, Liu Ze emphasized the necessity of teamwork spirit. In the desolate and primitive forest, one person's power is thin and unable to resist the harsh environment, but the team's power is infinite. Unity and cooperation, mutual help and assistance can overcome this devilish journey. Liu Ze required each team leader to understand their heavy responsibility, fulfill their duties, lead their team members to complete the task successfully.

  After the training was completed, Liu Zei handed each team leader three paper tubes and told them that these were signal flares. In case of emergency, they could be ignited to summon rescue teams quickly. These signal flares were actually fireworks, which Liu Zei had specially made overnight as a precaution. When lit during the day, they would produce thick smoke and loud noises, and when lit at night, the effect was even better, visible from dozens of miles away. Liu Zei specifically warned that the signal flares should not be used unless absolutely necessary, because if the rescue team intervened, it would mean that the team was out of the competition.

  For Pan Feng, Liu Ze specially arranged for him to follow himself and the rescue team, in charge of commanding and coordinating this operation. Pan Feng insisted on not doing so, he had to go down to the team, since this "journey to hell" was a test for every member of the Heavenly Team, as the leader of the Heavenly Team, he should not be exempt from it either. Liu Ze had no choice but to agree to let him follow Chen Biao's third team into action.

  The next morning, the team of ten set out in the misty dawn and disappeared into the vast primeval forest, embarking on a wilderness survival journey that no one had ever taken before.

  In the first few days, progress was relatively smooth, and the team members were in high spirits. Each team consisted of strong and healthy members who wielded large machetes to cut through the dense foliage, opening up a path in the primeval forest that had never been trodden before. Water was not a concern at all, as they passed by several large rivers along the way. Food was also abundant, thanks to the fact that each team member was equipped with bows and crossbows, making it easy for them to hunt down deer, wild goats, and even wolves and tigers.

  Every night, they lit bonfires and roasted whole game on the fire, everyone singing and laughing, as if they were camping in the wilderness. The "journey to hell" seemed like a misnomer, with some even joking that their lord had brought them out for a relaxing trip to enjoy the scenery.

  Early summer nights are still a bit chilly, but sleeping in the wilderness is not unbearable. Every morning, the campsite was a mess, with remaining bonfires still smoking, and the ground littered with gnawed and ungnawed animal bones, sometimes even half a roasted sheep would be abandoned.

  The beasts in the jungle were initially not very wary of this group of strange two-legged "animals" that had entered their territory, but as the killings increased, the animals in the jungle became like startled birds, fleeing in panic at the sight of anyone approaching. Everyone's food source gradually became much more difficult to obtain, fortunately, there were still many wild fruits and vegetables in the jungle, plus they could hunt some wild chickens and rabbits, which made it possible for everyone not to go hungry.

  At the beginning, several teams were advancing side by side, sometimes even traveling together. In short, the distance between each team was not too far apart. However, as food gradually became scarce, many teams realized that following behind others, although energy-saving (no need to open roads), meant that all the wild fruits and vegetables in front had been picked clean, and the wild beasts were either hunted or scared away, leaving basically nothing edible. Therefore, many teams re-selected their routes, and the distance between each team grew farther and farther apart, with some even tens of miles away. In the thorny jungle, it became very difficult for the teams to maintain contact with one another.

  After crossing the Dasaher River, each team moved towards the top of Taihang Mountain. The forest became sparse and the mountain grew steeper. Team members carefully made their way along the cliff face. At this time, the team's strength was fully demonstrated. Members with good physical strength and climbing ability climbed to the top first, dropped down ropes, and let other members pull themselves up the cliff using the ropes. The captains of each team fully demonstrated their organizational and coordinating abilities, leading their members to complete this most difficult section of the journey.

  The first to arrive at the Niuyin Mountain Baijing Valley was the first team led by Zhang Long, where they received the tokens prepared for them by the envoys who had been waiting there. Although they were already exhausted, everyone was excited and shouting as they achieved the top spot in the semi-finals. The second to arrive was Pan Feng, leading the third team under Chen Biao's command. Within half a day, the other teams also arrived one after another, all receiving tokens with their ranking order.

  Although the body was extremely exhausted, all teams did not stop for a moment after receiving the token and immediately set foot on the return journey. The current ranking does not represent anything, and the final champion still depends on who can return to the camp first. For the first team to take the return journey, they were full of confidence, using only a little more than five days to complete half of the journey, and the remaining road seemed no longer distant, and the distant camp seemed to be beckoning them. Zhang Long ordered the whole team to speed up and strive to be the first to return to the camp.