Chapter 247: Killer Intent on the Snowfield

The winter of 1960 was like a coiled giant beast, spreading its icy breath evenly across the northern lands. Under the eaves of the Siheyuan, icicles hung thicker and longer than in previous years, flashing coldly in the dim sunlight.

On the night before Li Ping'an's departure, food and meat were stored in the cellar.

Late at night, when everything was silent, even the usually noisy wild cats curled up in a corner trembling. Li Ping'an confirmed that his wife, children, and sister were all sound asleep, then silently approached the small cellar entrance of his home. Lifting the heavy cover, a cool breeze mixed with earth and stale air rushed onto his face.

He crouched low, slipping into the cellar like a spirit cat. Using the weak beam of his flashlight, he inhaled deeply; his Master-level cultivation activated, and his Divine Perception, like invisible tendrils, scanned the surrounding area of over eighty meters, confirming there was no spying eye.

In the next instant, his mind sank into the Spiritual Spring Space. That tiny realm not only contained the Spiritual Spring that nourishes all things, but also served as his most important storage.

A faint glimmer appeared, and bags of tightly sealed cornmeal and sorghum rice materialized out of thin air, neatly stacked in the compartment, totaling about two hundred jin. Next came several large pieces of salty meat and air‑dried rabbit meat wrapped in oil paper with three layers inside and three outside, and even two wild chickens frozen solid, their feathers dulled.

Seeing that this supply was enough for a family of three to live frugally for a month, Li Ping'an felt a slight relief. It was the most tangible guarantee he could leave for his family.

The next day, the freight train carrying special steel and the escort team rolled out like a black steel dragon, belching thick white steam as it left Beijing Station and plunged into the vast northern lands.

Outside the carriage window, the scenery rushed backward. The farther north they went, the sharper the cold became, like countless fine steel needles piercing the thick car shell and stabbing into people's bone joints. The clank of wheels rolling over rail joints rang especially clear and lonely across the open snowfield.

Li Ping'an and his team cramped into the stifling car, and although a small stove was lit, the breath they exhaled instantly turned into white mist.

The team members, wrapped in heavy cotton coats, still turned blue‑cheeked from the cold, constantly stamping their feet.

Li Ping'an circulated his internal Qi and blood, dispersing most of the chill; his sharp gaze scanned the interior and exterior of the carriage, and his Divine Perception, like an invisible radar centered on him, silently covered a radius of over eighty meters.

Rails, sleepers, and the snow‑capped forests in the distance… all formed clear images in his mind.

The journey was dull and tense. Besides the severe cold, constant vigilance was required. At each major stop, Li Ping'an personally led a team to disembark and inspect the cargo bindings, verify the lead seals, and ensure everything was flawless.

On the third night, the train rode through a desolate stretch of the Linhai Xueyuan, with no village ahead nor shop behind. Outside, the darkness was as black as ink; only the locomotive headlamp pierced the gloom, illuminating the endlessly stretching rails and the ghostly trees on either side. The temperature had dropped to the point where water froze on contact.

Most team members, still wrapped in coats, leaned against the carriage wall for a nap. Li Ping'an, however, felt no drowsiness; he sat cross‑legged near the door, closed his eyes to rest his spirit, while his Divine Perception remained on high alert.

Suddenly, a sharp twitch spiked at his brow.

At the edge of his Divine Perception, about seventy meters away near a drainage culvert beneath the rails, two vague human silhouettes and a faint metallic glint unlike natural ice and snow were instantly caught by him!

"There's a situation!" Li Ping'an snapped his eyes open, lowly shouting; though his voice was not loud, it struck like thunder and jolted all the team awake!

Almost at the same moment he spoke!

Boom—!!

A deep, muffled blast roared from the rails ahead! The whole train shuddered violently, accompanied by a teeth‑aching metallic screech and snapping sound! The locomotive tipped noticeably downward, and its speed plummeted!

"Enemy sabotage! Prepare for combat!" Li Ping'an barked sharply, his voice as calm as a rock on the icefield. He snatched up the rifle leaning beside him and darted to the carriage door like a leopard.

"First squad, follow me off the train to guard! Second squad, protect the supplies and assess damage! Wang Dahu, use the walkie‑talkie to contact the locomotive and report the situation!" The command was concise and clear; amid the sudden crisis, the team members rallied like they had found a backbone and moved swiftly.

Li Ping'an was the first to fling open the heavy door, and the biting wind poured in like a blade. Without hesitation, he leapt into the knee‑deep snow, rolling a few times and using the carriage shadow to conceal his shape. The other team members followed closely, quickly spreading out and establishing a guard line using the wheels and track bed.

By the faint glow of the locomotive headlamp and the snow's reflected glint, one could see about a hundred meters ahead a section of rail and sleepers twisted and deformed by an explosion, leaving a terrifying gap! Fortunately the train's speed was low and the driver reacted in time, preventing a derailment disaster, but it was clear the train could not advance.

Li Ping'an's Divine Perception locked firmly on the direction of that culvert. The two silhouettes were sprinting across the snow, fleeing toward the deep forest!

"Trying to run?" Li Ping'an's gaze turned cold. He quickly instructed the nearby teammate, "Hold this position! I'll be right back!"

Before the words left his mouth, his figure flickered and vanished into the carriage shadow. In the next instant, he moved like a phantom on the snowfield, his feet employing the Carefree Step, leaving only the faintest trace on the knee‑deep snow despite his astonishing speed! The biting wind howled at his ears, yet it did not slow him a fraction.

Eighty meters, fifty meters, thirty meters… his Divine Perception clearly "saw" the two figures clad in bulky cotton coats and dog‑skin hats, desperately burrowing into the woods.

Li Ping'an inhaled deeply, raised his rifle while sprinting at high speed, needing no aim; relying on his Divine Perception's precise lock and Master‑level feel, he fired two crisp, decisive shots—"Bang! Bang!"

The bullets sliced through the cold night sky.

"Ah!" a wail rang as the figure behind stumbled and fell into the snow, clutching his knee and crying out.

The man ahead was so frightened his spirit scattered; without looking back, he ran even faster, about to vanish into the dark forest.

Could Li Ping'an let him escape? He abandoned his rifle, accelerated again, like an arrow released, and after a few bounds reached a point ten meters behind the man! The man seemed to sense danger, whirled around, and shockingly held a Shell Gun in his hand!

However, before he could pull the trigger, Li Ping'an was already upon him! His left hand darted out like electricity; the Tai Chi technique "Cloud Hand" appeared gentle yet contained terrifying binding force, precisely gripping the gun‑wielding wrist, twisting and shaking!

"Crack!" The crisp sound of bone snapping rang especially chilling in the silent snowy night.

"Eek!" the operative shrieked, and the Shell Gun flew out of his hand.

Li Ping'an's right hand spread like a halberd, striking the opponent's rib‑point with lightning speed. The operative's whole body went rigid, as if his bones had been pulled out, collapsing limp in the snow, his terrified eyes fixed on Li Ping'an.

From disembarking to capturing the two enemy agents, the entire process took only two or three minutes, so fast that the other team members barely had time to react.

"Bind them! Search thoroughly!" Li Ping'an ordered coldly, his breath steady, as if the lightning‑fast action moments ago were merely a warm‑up.

Only then did the team snap out of their daze, rushing forward to bind the two incapacitated operatives like bundles, and they retrieved explosive residue, fuses, and covert writing tools from their bodies.

After an initial interrogation (Li Ping'an employed some special methods that quickly broke them), it was learned that this was a covert cell that had received orders from higher‑up, willing to sacrifice everything to sabotage the transport, targeting the special steel.

The information was relayed through walkie‑talkies up the chain, and soon rescue and survey teams dispatched by the nearest garrison and railway police arrived. Seeing the damaged rails and the captured enemy agents, the commanding officer grasped Li Ping'an's hand, repeatedly expressing thanks and admiration.

The subsequent emergency repairs and cargo transfer proceeded under tension. Li Ping'an scheduled the team to take turns on guard duty and rest, while he himself stayed by the most crucial supply car, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surrounding dark snowfield.

This encounter, frightening yet harmless, was like a bucket of ice water that woke everyone up. The road ahead remains long and perilous. Yet after this close‑quarters clash, the team members are even more convinced of the young director's capability and resolve.

Li Ping'an stood in the wind and snow, watching the engineers braving the severe cold to repair the rails, his heart unmoved. He knew this was only the beginning. Enemies in the shadows would not cease, and every step toward the destination could be laced with lethal traps.

He brushed the bottle of wine in his chest, forever mixed with Spirit Spring Water, took a small sip, and a warm current spread through his limbs. His gaze turned again toward the endless darkness of the north.

Come on, no matter how many demons and specters remain, Li Ping'an will face them!