The standoff took place on a slope that stretched from high up the mountain down to a reasonably open stretch of ground. The shrubbery barely reached their shins, and the autumn weeds were short.

Under the moonlight, the ground seemed almost black, with some exposed boulders and bare rock faces catching the light.

When the instructors appeared, some of the fleeing recruits stopped their frantic escape across the hillside. As they stood there, watching the instructors, a mix of emotions washed over them—the relief of surviving, the helplessness that followed terror, and even a lingering hatred.

Liu Shiheng was among these recruits.

He had gotten separated from both Han Qingyu and He Tangtang during the chaos in the valley. During the evacuation, he tried to find them, only for...