Chapter 113: What Is White Tiger’s Secret
Impossible.
’What am I thinking?’
Bai Ye is the Star Alliance War God, a supreme SSS-level Sentinel. How could he possibly disguise himself as an ordinary escort Sentinel and show up here?
But that sense of familiarity, that feeling of being watched... it was too similar.
So similar that Yun Sheng nearly blurted out his name.
"You..."
She opened her mouth, but the sound caught in her throat.
White Tiger was still looking at her.
"What is it?"
he asked, his voice low as always.
Yun Sheng stared at him, trying to find any giveaway in his eyes.
But those eyes were too calm. So calm she couldn’t see a thing.
"It’s nothing."
She averted her gaze, lowering her lashes and pushing those absurd thoughts back down.
’Impossible.’
’I must be overthinking things.’
Outside, the sky grew darker. The grayish-white fog thickened, like overlapping layers of gauze swallowing the entire world.
The guide still hadn’t returned.
The atmosphere in the transport car started to grow tense again.
Some people kept looking out the window. Someone whispered, "Why isn’t he back yet?" No one answered.
But when their gazes fell upon White Tiger, that unease would quietly dissipate a little.
Yun Sheng turned her head and glanced at the person beside her.
He sat bolt upright, his shoulders a straight, sharp line. Beneath his mask, his eyes were slightly lowered as if he were resting.
She stared at his profile for a few seconds before turning away. A moment later, she finally succumbed to exhaustion, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
Before her consciousness faded, she thought she felt that gaze land on her again.
Heavy and quiet, as if confirming she was still there.
Then, she knew no more.
She was jolted awake by a clamor of voices.
"It’s the guide! The guide is back!"
Yun Sheng slowly opened her eyes.
Outside, the sky was already bright.
The thick, grayish-white fog that had lingered all night had vanished at some point. Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the seats and on her body, bringing a long-missed warmth.
The car erupted in celebration.
"He’s really back!"
"That’s great!"
Yun Sheng rubbed her eyes and followed everyone’s gaze outside.
Not far away, a few people were walking toward them.
At the very front was the guide who had gone missing last night.
His face was a little pale, his combat uniform stained with mud and dew, but his steps were steady. He was speaking in a low voice to the team captain beside him.
"The guide fainted by the roadside last night," Cheng Nian leaned in, explaining rapidly to Yun Sheng. "I heard the fog was too thick, and he got lost. He missed a step, fell down a slope, and was out for the whole night. Luckily, the fog cleared this morning, so the captain’s team was able to find him. He’s okay, just a little dehydrated. He’ll be fine after some rest."
Yun Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
Then, she suddenly realized something and turned to look at the seat beside her.
Empty.
The seat was empty.
"...Where’s White Tiger?" she blurted out.
Cheng Nian blinked, a teasing smile on her face. "Oh? Asking for the White Tiger Officer the moment you wake up?"
Yun Sheng froze, her face growing slightly warm. "I was just..."
"A Sentinel came by earlier to update us on the guide’s situation, and the White Tiger Officer got out of the car after that," Cheng Nian said with a grin. "He watched you for quite a while before he left, but you were sound asleep."
Yun Sheng didn’t respond.
But Cheng Nian wasn’t about to let her off the hook. She leaned in closer and asked in a hushed voice, "Yun Sheng, be honest. Did you know the White Tiger Officer before this?"
"...No," Yun Sheng answered quickly.
"Then how come..." Cheng Nian tilted her head, her expression full of disbelief. "After you fell asleep last night, he just kept watching you."
Yun Sheng faltered, pressing her lips together without a word.
"Just staring," Cheng Nian gestured. "He didn’t say anything, just watched for a long, long time. I woke up once in the middle of the night, and he was still looking. I really thought you two knew each other."
Yun Sheng was silent, lost in thought.
"Yun Sheng? Yun Sheng?" Cheng Nian’s voice pulled her back. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Yun Sheng said, lowering her lashes. "He was probably just on guard duty."
Cheng Nian pouted, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t press the matter.
Half an hour later, the transport car started up again.
The scenery outside began to open up. The desolate wasteland gradually receded, replaced by a wide, cleared area.
Several transport cars of the same model were already parked there neatly. Beside them stood a few dark green military tents of various sizes, scattered about.
In the open space between the tents, people stood in twos and threes—likely cadets from other groups who had arrived earlier.
Farther away were a few makeshift supply depots, with metal crates and supply packs stacked in perfect order.
On a tall, thin flagpole, the Tower’s insignia swayed gently in the morning breeze.
This was the forward camp of Buffer Zone 10.
"We’re here! We’re here!"
"We’re finally here!"
Cheers erupted in the car.
But Yun Sheng’s gaze skipped over the tents, searching for someone in the crowd.
She didn’t find that gray figure.
"Time to disembark! All cadets, grab your personal belongings and exit in an orderly fashion!"
The guide’s voice came from outside the car. It was still a bit hoarse, but he sounded much more energetic than he had that morning.
The doors opened, and the cadets filed out.
The morning air rushed to meet them, carrying the unique, crisp chill of the wilderness and a faint hint of dampness.
Yun Sheng took a deep breath and followed the crowd off the car.
As her feet touched solid ground, she was struck by a feeling of surreal displacement.
The night of terror, the night of fog, and the things that happened in her dreams... standing in the sunlight now, all those chaotic thoughts seemed to become unreal.
Just then, she caught a glimpse of a familiar gray figure in her peripheral vision.
Not far away, beside a transport car that had just come to a stop, White Tiger was speaking in a low voice with the captain.
He looked the same as ever, his face hidden by the mask, exuding a cold aura that warned others to keep their distance.
Yun Sheng’s gaze lingered on him unconsciously.
As if sensing something, White Tiger suddenly turned his head and looked over.
Their eyes met.
In that instant, the surrounding clamor of voices, footsteps, and roaring vehicle engines seemed to vanish.
All that remained was his gaze.
They were only separated by an open field, and it was only for a few seconds, but Yun Sheng felt his gaze linger on her for a long, long time.
Long enough for her thoughts to fall into disarray once more!
But then, White Tiger withdrew his gaze.
He turned, said one last thing to the captain, and then strode away in the opposite direction of the camp.
A flicker of surprise appeared in Yun Sheng’s eyes.
’He’s leaving? Just like that?’
She subconsciously took a step forward, then forced herself to stop.
’Where is White Tiger going? Why is he leaving right after arriving at the camp? Does he have a mission?’
Yun Sheng’s brow furrowed slightly as her fingertips subconsciously tapped open her terminal.
On the screen, that white avatar lay quietly in the chat window.
She wanted to ask where White Tiger was going, but her finger froze just as it touched the screen.