chapter 1 She is really my daughter

The setting sun resembled blood, with yellow sand filling the sky.
In the western border of the territory, about a hundred kilometers within the enemy's border, a three-month-long earth-shattering battle was drawing to a close. The scene resembled a hell on Earth, with severed limbs, scattered bodies, and blood staining half of the sky.
A young man in plain clothes sat on the ground, clutching a Blood Shadow war knife. Nearby lay a headless corpse.
The young man in plain clothes was named Randy Ling, the supreme commander of the Blood Shadow Troop and the King of the Western Border!
The headless corpse was that of the enemy's top general, the War Demon!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Before long, five figures appeared from five different directions at lightning speed, and in the blink of an eye, they knelt beside the young man. They were all clad in battle attire, radiating an overwhelming aura of bloodshed.
"Rise, take a brief respite, and then we'll return to our base!" Randy Ling ignited a cigarette and took a drag.
"Thank you, Commander!" The five individuals rose simultaneously.
Drip! Drip!
"Reporting to the Commander, the enemy's elite forces have been annihilated!" The lead figure in battle attire, named Sherod Lu, spoke respectfully.
Sherod Lu was Randy Ling's deputy commander, and the other four were the leaders of the four legions within the Blood Shadow Brigade: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Turtle.
A voice message came from a young girl, and it was evident that she was in a state of extreme fear.
"Hey, kiddo, you sent the wrong message. I'm not your dad. Have you encountered bad people?"
After adjusting his emotions, Randy Ling replied with a message.
At that moment, a message alert sounded on his phone, and Randy Ling retrieved it. There were two voice messages.
"Dad, why... why are you ignoring me? I... I'm Viola... I've sent you so many messages... why... why won't you respond..."
"I... I'm so scared. Bad people have locked me up... I can't find Mom..."
The messages continued, and the little girl was now sobbing uncontrollably.
"Dad lied. Mom said... this number belongs to you. Did Viola misbehave, and Dad doesn't want her anymore?"
"Viola is really scared. Listen... listen to what those bad people are saying, after today... after tonight, Viola will never see her parents again... I'm really scared..."
This number had sent similar messages last night, but being in the midst of a bloody battle, Randy Ling hadn't had the time to address the mistakenly sent messages.
Drip! Drip! Drip!
Boom!
After seeing this photo, a monstrous murderous intent erupted from Randy Ling like a flash flood, destroying everything in its path and soaring into the sky!
"Dad probably doesn't know what Viola looks like, right? I... I took a photo for my birthday last month and sent it to Dad right away. Dad must remember what Viola looks like," the voice message said.
Following the voice message, a photo was sent, depicting a delicately featured little girl. She appeared to be around four or five years old, with big expressive eyes and a pair of adorable dimples.
"Commander, what's going on?" Sherod Lu took a deep breath and inquired.
Randy Ling didn't respond immediately but instead picked up his phone and dialed the little girl's number. However, he received an unavailability notification sound from the other end.
At that moment, the air's temperature dropped drastically, making the surroundings feel like they were under a suffocating dark cloud.
The five young men standing nearby couldn't help but shudder, their faces filled with fear. Despite their long service under the Commander-in-Chief, they had never experienced such an overwhelming level of murderous intent before.
"Black Turtle, mobilize all available resources and locate this mobile phone number immediately!" Randy Ling continued, looking at the other four individuals as he shared the little girl's phone number.
"Yes!" The four men promptly stood up and saluted, then quickly began their tasks.
Five minutes later, an off-road vehicle sped off toward the border.
Randy Ling, unwilling to give up, dialed the number again, but the outcome remained the same.
"Sherod Lu, no matter what means you employ, I need to get to Dongzhou immediately!" Randy Ling turned to Sherod Lu, his voice filled with murderous intent.
"Yes!" Sherod Lu replied without hesitation and began making a call on his phone.
Randy Ling's life had been fraught with hardships, starting with leaving home at a young age and ending up in Dongzhou, where he was taken in by the head of the Zheng family.
Five years ago, one fateful night, his adoptive family was massacred, and he narrowly escaped after being injured multiple times. He was then rescued by Arabella Qin, the eldest daughter of the Qin family.
Shortly after Arabella Qin brought him to a hotel, he lost consciousness due to exhaustion.
"Commander, what happened?" Sherod Lu, seated in the car, glanced at Randy Ling, who still exuded an air of murder, and asked.
"She's really my daughter!" Randy Ling's voice turned icy and his eyes crimson.
While speaking, memories from the past flooded his mind. At that time, Randy Ling was half-conscious and had no recollection of the subsequent events.
Upon waking up the next day, he found that Arabella Qin had left him a note. She warned him that those who had killed his adoptive family might soon track him down and advised him to leave Dongzhou as quickly as possible, never to return.
Arabella Qin had also provided him with medicine for his injuries. It wasn't until two nights later that he regained some semblance of consciousness.
Upon awakening, overwhelmed by sorrow and anger, he had clung to Arabella Qin like a child, shedding tears of grief.
Out of compassion, Arabella Qin had allowed him to hold her tightly, knowing that Randy Ling needed a way to release his emotions.
On that fateful night five years ago, he had committed acts worse than a beast. Not only had he harmed Arabella Qin, but he had also impregnated her.
What filled him with even greater remorse was the realization that his daughter had been pleading for his help since yesterday, and he had mistakenly believed she had sent the messages in error.
"Viola is really scared. Listen...listen to those bad people, today...after today, Viola will never see her parents again...I'm really scared," the little girl's voice echoed in his mind.
She had also informed him that she had taken the dragon-shaped jade pendant he wore, considering it a keepsake.
He had initially viewed Arabella Qin as a benefactor he had encountered in his life and had planned to repay her for saving his life when the opportunity arose. However, upon seeing the jade pendant in the little girl's possession, he had grasped the truth.
If he couldn't even protect his own daughter, his role as a father felt utterly futile.
"Commander, Commander, five of my subordinates request to accompany the Commander-in-Chief to Dongzhou!"
Half an hour later, the off-road vehicle raced into a restricted airport, with Sherod Lu leading the four generals, all shouting in unison.
Thinking of his daughter's voice, filled with despair, his heart bled, and he experienced an agonizing pain, wishing he could give himself a few good slaps! He was not only a lousy husband but also a terrible father!
The titles like "King of the West" and "Lord of the Shadow Group" were all meaningless now.
After Randy Ling spoke in a stern voice, he turned and rushed into the aircraft, with Sherod Lu closely following.
Someone dared to harm the Commander-in-Chief's daughter; did they wish to annihilate entire clans!?
"Sherod Lu, accompany me. The four of you will remain in the Western Region to handle the aftermath. Any insubordination will be dealt with under military law!"
Throughout the journey, they got a rough understanding of the situation, and each of them was filled with an overwhelming sense of murderous intent.
Two minutes later, a military fighter jet soared into the sky, slicing through the atmosphere like a bolt of lightning, heading directly towards Dongzhou.
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