The nearest henchman felt only a dark shape descending from above; a strike to the throat instantly choked off his voice. A searing pain in his chest followed as a kick sent him flying sideways through the air.
Before he could even hit the ground, the dark figure had already lunged at a second man, taking him down with a shoulder throw in the blink of an eye.
The man slammed heavily against the earth, the sickening crack of bone audible. Only then did the henchman’s scream snap the others out of their shock.
“Who’s there?”
“Watch out, Brother Wei!”
“Who is it?” Tao Wei instantly drew the gun from the small of his back.
His subordinates screams, ringing out one after another, were the only reply.
Between the dim woods and the obscuring smoke, Tao Wei couldn’t make out the attacker’s appearance at all.
The dark figure moved like a phantom, flashing through the corner of his eye; the attack struck before the figure could even be clearly tracked.
The figure seized the wrist of a man lunging with a knife, used the momentum to vault upward, and delivered a vicious kick that sent another attacker—charging from behind—flying.
Without a split-second’s pause, the moment his feet touched the ground, the figure spun, dragging his opponent along; the momentum drove the knife he held straight into the shoulder of yet another henchman rushing in.
The wounded man screamed. The knife-wielder stood frozen in terror.
Wen Shuyu spun and delivered a powerful uppercut to the man’s armpit, numbing half his body, followed immediately by a hook to the temple that knocked him cold.
Five seconds—that was all it took to take down all five henchmen.
Agile, decisive, and formidable—every movement demonstrated exceptional professional skill.
With figures groaning and struggling on the ground all around, Tao Wei was the only one left standing on his side.
“Fuck!” Rage and terror peaking, Tao Wei pulled the trigger wildly at the blurred shadow in the white mist.
The dark figure darted away. Tao Wei gave chase, firing repeatedly while shouting a stream of curses.
The bang-bang of gunfire echoed through the woods. Bark chips flew as forest birds fluttered frantically from the branches.
Suddenly—whether snagged on something or struck by a bullet—the dark figure’s movements faltered.
Tao Wei felt a surge of glee and hurriedly took aim at the silhouette.
In the next instant, the dark figure lunged straight out of the white mist toward him.
It was too fast; Tao Wei’s pupils dilated sharply, reflecting the figure closing in right before his eyes.
The hand holding his gun was swatted aside.
The movement seemed gentle, yet it carried immense force.
His wrist was instantly seized in a vice-like grip; the world spun as he was flipped over and slammed to the ground in a shoulder throw.
His back struck the gravel hard with a sickening crunch of bone; pain contorted his face, leaving him momentarily unable to make a sound.
There was a stark difference in their physiques—Wen Shuyu was nowhere near as tall or burly as Tao Wei. Yet, having undergone elite professional training, he possessed superb combat skills; Tao Wei, who knew only flashy, superficial moves, was no match for him.
He could deliver a precise, devastating blow to an opponent’s most vulnerable spot in a split second. A single move was all it took to seize the upper hand in the fight.
Tao Wei caught his breath and was about to unleash a torrent of abuse when something hot and hard was suddenly jammed into his mouth.
His gun!
All movement ceased. Tao Wei held his breath, unable to suppress the involuntary, fine trembling of his muscles.
The Desert Eagle[1]The Desert Eagle, also known as the Deagle, is a single-action, gas-operated, semi-automatic pistol capable of chambering the .50 Action Express, the largest centerfire cartridge of any … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3361614_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3361614_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); held seven rounds; he remembered firing only six.
Tao Wei couldn’t spare a thought for the stranger’s face; his entire focus was on the gun plugging his mouth, his eyes instinctively crossing as he stared at it.
The gloved finger of the figure in black rested on the trigger.
Tao Wei let out a muffled whimper, shaking his head in a gesture of faint, desperate pleading.
The finger pulled the trigger; the firing pin gave a soft click. At that moment, Tao Wei’s pupils dilated to their limit.
But the image of his skull being blown apart never materialized. Tao Wei lifted his eyes, cold sweat streaming down his face. The figure in black was holding that final bullet between his fingers.
His face, obscured by a mask and backlit, was unreadable, yet the gaze he cast was clearly filled with mockery and contempt.
The gun was pulled from Tao Wei’s mouth.
Before Tao Wei could even catch his breath, a searing pain struck his head as a pistol butt slammed into it, and he lost consciousness.
Wen Shuyu holstered the gun at the small of his back and fixed his gaze on a small box lying on the ground.
The contents of the box made Wen Shuyu’s brows arch instinctively.
“Nice find.”
Wen Shuyu retrieved the syringe filled with golden liquid and cast a sidelong, mocking smile at the unconscious Tao Wei; the naturally sleek lines of his eyes seemed to sharpen even further.
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