Chapter Thirty-Two: The Allure of Enchantment

Chen Cao hurried to the southern foot of the mountain, retching in disgust as he went. Only now did he truly understand the meaning behind Duan Tianya’s parting words the previous day. These instructors, so dignified and upright on the surface, each harbored eccentric and unusual interests. But at the same time, these bizarre hobbies were their unique skills, and their training methods were even more varied and strange, truly beyond what ordinary people could endure.

Yet, one thing remained constant: every one of these instructors had something up their sleeve. Though he had suffered greatly, Chen Cao’s resolve was strengthened. He had complete faith in Duan Tianya’s words—he was indeed a person with extraordinary abilities. This had become clear ever since Duan Tianya forced him to shoot mosquitoes with a pistol, and especially after yesterday’s test. He was convinced of his own powers. The more skills he mastered, the fewer comrades he would lose on the battlefield.

Gazing at the winding stone steps rising from the mountain’s base, Chen Cao noticed a cave illuminated by lights just a few dozen meters ahead. Clearly, it had been deliberately modified by someone.

What kind of training would be held inside? Well, since he was here, he might as well accept it. Having already emptied his stomach of everything, Chen Cao could only sigh deeply and slowly ascend the stone steps.

As he climbed, his strength gradually returned. Upon reaching the cave entrance, a captivating fragrance drifted out, almost intoxicating.

“Instructor, I’m here to begin my training!” Chen Cao called, wary of being tricked again. He lingered at the entrance, following the path of lights inside, but found the place silent. Standing there was a graceful figure in a pristine dress uniform. The fitted military attire accentuated her exquisite curves. With flowing hair, it was unmistakably a woman. She stood before a chair, and when she heard Chen Cao’s voice, she slowly turned around. He saw she wore black-rimmed glasses, and the top two buttons of her dark green uniform were undone, the fullness beneath barely restrained.

Chen Cao was stunned. What sort of act was this? When his eyes traveled from her chest to her face, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

“Isn’t this Miss Linghu Ruomu, the Chinese teacher? What is her special skill?”

“Miss Linghu, Miss Linghu!” Though Chen Cao had never paid much attention in class, during his year as an orderly he often sat in on lectures, and he remembered this naturally beautiful, still-elegant teacher.

But in his memory, this woman, who was already in her thirties, was always stern and formal, never mingling with students, and her attire was the epitome of severity. She was the kind of teacher students easily forgot, since, aside from recognizing characters, the Chinese class seemed dispensable compared to tactical training.

Something’s off! Standing at the cave’s edge, Chen Cao looked up at the sky. A crescent moon drifted overhead.

It’s not even a full moon tonight, so why this transformation? Chen Cao scratched his head in disbelief. Was he about to take a literature lesson? He wasn’t studying for a doctorate in Chinese, and with Miss Linghu dressed like this, how was a hot-blooded young man supposed to focus?

“Chen Cao, come here.” As Chen Cao’s thoughts wandered, Linghu Ruomu beckoned to him with a flirtatious curl of her finger, her gesture both charming and provocative.

“Y-yes, ma’am!” Chen Cao glanced around as he slowly approached. The space was only a few dozen square meters, empty except for a table and a leather chair beside Linghu Ruomu, which looked soft and inviting.

The deeper he went, the more the unfamiliar fragrance stimulated his senses, and he found his thoughts growing wicked under its influence.

“Sit down.” Linghu Ruomu spoke gently, her eyes flowing like autumn waters. To Chen Cao, she was nothing like the severe instructor from the classroom.

The more unusual this felt, the more suspicious he became. Nonetheless, Chen Cao did not resist her command and sat on the soft sofa.

“What are we training in, ma’am?” Chen Cao couldn’t help but ask.

“Are you curious?” she giggled, leaning in close to his ear. Her fingers gently massaged his temples.

After a day of torment, Chen Cao was utterly exhausted. Under her precise acupressure, a wave of comfort surged through his meridians. But he quickly realized this was not mere relaxation—it was training. His eyes, which had just begun to close, snapped open.

“Ma’am, this is—!” Chen Cao tried to stand, only to discover his hands and feet were bound to the chair by ropes, rendering him immobile. Instantly, his nerves tensed to the utmost. What kind of trick was this now?

“Don’t be anxious,” Linghu Ruomu said, removing her glasses. Her elegant, almond-shaped eyes gazed into his as she leaned in, her breath fragrant as orchids. “Tell me… do you think I’m beautiful?”

“Yes… yes. You’re beautiful,” Chen Cao answered truthfully, meeting her gaze.

Pleased with his answer, Linghu Ruomu unfastened another button on her uniform and moved her face another inch closer, until they were almost cheek to cheek. “Then tell me, what is it about me that you find beautiful?”

As she spoke, Chen Cao’s eyelids struggled against exhaustion, his mind beset by a thousand visions. “Beautiful… everywhere… beautiful…” Just as he was about to drift into sleep, a sudden, searing pain shot through his chest, sending his blood surging and his fists clenching.

A trap—this was another trap! She was hypnotizing him. Chen Cao’s eyes flew open. He made no sudden moves, but Linghu Ruomu was startled, stepping back several paces. After her surprise faded, a smile blossomed on her lips. “Excellent, excellent. Very few can resist my hypnosis. You’ve passed this test.”

Hearing this, Chen Cao’s lips curled into a faint smile of vindication. Linghu Ruomu, meanwhile, turned and wheeled a table toward him, flipping its surface to reveal an array of implements that were anything but simple.

She drew a leather case from the table, unfolding it with a flourish to display a variety of silver needles, which she stroked lovingly as if they were her own children.

“Let’s move on to the next phase. The night is long—someone should keep you company, don’t you think?”

Her gentle words sent a chill down Chen Cao’s spine. Was she about to use him for some kind of experiment?

“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt a bit,” Linghu Ruomu said, extracting a silver needle and lifting his head lightly. With a flick of her jade-like fingers, the needle pierced the side of his neck.

And indeed, there was no pain. Before he could think, dozens of needles were inserted into various acupuncture points across his body.

“On the battlefield, no one can guarantee they won’t be captured by the enemy. As a soldier of unit 0611, you must complete tasks far beyond normal human limits. As a natural battlefield elite, you will be entrusted with top-secret missions—there can be no mistakes. That means you must be able to endure far more than others,” she explained.

Chen Cao finally understood—truly, the most beautiful flowers are the most poisonous. This was interrogation resistance training.

Linghu Ruomu folded her arms, her eyes glimmering as she leaned beside the chair, tracing circles on Chen Cao’s chest with a gentle finger. “Sweetheart, do you think I’m beautiful?”

A wave of heat surged through Chen Cao’s chest, his whole body trembling. He wanted to close his eyes, but after the needling, he found he could not, his neck stiff and unyielding. He could only stare into Linghu Ruomu’s eyes—he had been hypnotized.

“Beautiful!” The truth slipped out before he could suppress it, and at once, a stabbing pain shot through every acupuncture point.

On the battlefield, after being captured, one must never tell the truth. Chen Cao had failed this time.

From the cave entrance, his agonized screams echoed like a pig being slaughtered.

…

Before the dawn’s first light, Linghu Ruomu gently covered Chen Cao with a blanket, stifling a yawn as she daintily patted her lips. She then pushed a cold corpse from beside the table into a hidden compartment in the cave wall.

It had been a long, exhausting night.

Stepping into the fresh air outside, she stretched herself gracefully, only to discover Qiu Yu standing quietly in a corner of the entrance.

“Principal Qiu, you’re here so early—inspecting the training results?” Linghu Ruomu smiled warmly. Other than Cao Yehuxu, she respected this deputy head of the school the most.

“I just came to take a look,” Qiu Yu replied, forcing a rare smile, the scar across his face twitching like a restless centipede.

“You’re not planning to give him a mission so soon, are you? He’s only trained for a day!” Linghu Ruomu laughed lightly.

“Let’s hope he passes. Otherwise, who knows how many more years it will take before we can finally face that man as equals.” Qiu Yu touched his scar, lost in memory.

“Don’t worry, Principal. Although I’ve never met that man, I have complete confidence in him,” Linghu Ruomu replied.

“Let’s hope so. Otherwise, the one from twenty years ago will always be a thorn in our school’s side, an eternal threat. He knows us too well.” With that, Qiu Yu slowly descended the stone steps, soon vanishing from Linghu Ruomu’s sight.

She watched his figure disappear, then took a deep breath and gazed at the rising sun. “I’m anxious too. Though I’ve never witnessed that man’s true power, I believe that being able to cultivate a student like Chen Cao—on the verge of receiving the highest honor—makes this life worthwhile. I’ve waited ten years for this day.”

Smiling to herself, Linghu Ruomu glanced toward the woods in the distance, murmuring, “It seems there are others who couldn’t sleep from excitement either.”