Firing into the Night

Lin Zhiyan’s mouth parted slightly, but not a single word came out. As a fellow psychic superhuman, she could faintly perceive a magnificent, surging spirit traversing half the city to reach her hotel. It had nothing to do with raw power or rank. It was a spirit even more dazzling than that of a Martial Marquis. Though both of them were psychic discipline graduates of Dijing University, facing Lu Zhao felt as though he occupied an entirely different dimension. She felt just like she had years ago when she first stepped onto campus, looking up at him on the lecture platform as someone impossibly out of reach. Perhaps Lu Zhao himself had never realized it, but inside that ivory tower, he had shone like the morning sun. Now, four years after entering society, mired in the quagmire of political power and subjected to endless suppression, he had grown more radiant than ever. Lin Zhiyan had thought she had moved past it, convinced that the next time they met, she would be more accomplished than him. Yet she suddenly realized she was wrong. She might never surpass him in her entire life. "You never taught this lesson." "I did." "You didn't. I remember every single one of your lectures." "Then your memory must be playing tricks on you, seeing as you can't even recall what you said just a moment ago." Ripples stirred across the psychic awareness Lu Zhao had cast outward. He rose and looked out the door, where shadowy figures were gathering through the pelting storm. "Class dismissed, Student Lin." The call disconnected. Lu Zhao stepped into the torrential rain, cycled the bolt, and fired his first shot into the night. Muzzle flash pierced the darkness. His psychic sense substituted for his eyes, picking out the concealed enemies. Those with form perceive heaven and earth, discerning the cosmos. In a split second, the bullet traversed a kilometer, halting right before the face of a man missing his right ear as a viscous liquid coiled around the slug. "This guy is getting harder and harder to deal with." His name was Gao Tianxiong, lodge master of the Greenwood Mountain Hall and a second-rank water-nature superhuman. For years, he and Lu Zhao had engaged in a battle of wits and courage. As the saying went, no one knew you better than your enemy. Gao Tianxiong understood Lu Zhao's abilities inside out. In the past, Lu Zhao couldn't see clearly in the dark either, having only vague psychic impressions. If someone remained completely motionless, he had a hard time detecting them. Yet now, Lu Zhao's sensing range had expanded as well. *Bang!* Another bullet flew through the darkness, this time targeting one of Gao Tianxiong’s subordinates. A first-rank superhuman was killed on the spot before he could even activate his divine power, his brains splattering across the ground. Gao Tianxiong glanced over, deducing from the gunshot that the shooter was atop the high-rise in the southeast corner. *He’s not inside, and a building that high won't be easy to scale.* He immediately abandoned the idea of going after Lu Zhao and barked, "Brothers, Lu Tiger is on the high-rise in the southeast corner! Watch for cover!" With that, he burst out of the alley in a long stride and bolted straight for the police station. Business came first. Securing the Fangshi market was tantamount to obtaining the capital needed to break through to the third rank. For drifters and bandits like them, the world beyond the fourth rank was completely different. They could accept an amnesty from the Federation to attain legal status, or become the overseas agent of some prominent figure. They would no longer have to live by the edge of a blade. But all of that required vast quantities of high-grade life supplements. Using the cover of night and the curtain of rain, Gao Tianxiong made it safely into the police station, only to find the place completely deserted. "No one?" Suspicion flared within him. Gao Tianxiong instinctively assumed it was a trap, tensing to evade at a moment's notice. The destructive force of firearms far exceeded the defensive capabilities of first- and second-rank superhumans. Even with a second-rank superhuman's regenerative power, being riddled with holes was still fatal. To adapt to the era, superhumans had developed methods to deflect or evade bullets, while also carrying firearms of their own. The better a superhuman's ability complemented firearms, the stronger their combat prowess in the first and second ranks. By the third rank, they entered the domain of inherently strong divine powers. There was no turning back once the bow was drawn. Following the intelligence provided by Secretary Liu, Gao Tianxiong set about locating Lü Jinshan. Reaching the holding cell, he transformed his hand into a blade of water and plunged it into the lock. The iron door swung open, revealing a rotund, middle-aged man. Lü Jinshan instantly clutched his head and begged, "Please don't kill me! Don't kill me!" "Boss Lü, it's me." A familiar voice sounded. Lü Jinshan looked up, squinting through the gloom to make out a blurry silhouette. "Boss Gao?" "It's me." The two had once been drinking buddies, but they had fallen out over the matter of Lu Zhao because Gao Tianxiong had wanted him to kill Lu Zhao. Back then, Lü Jinshan was a senior clerk, so how could he possibly commit such an act? He knew the difference between a single meal and a steady supply of grain. To put it bluntly, what right did a bandit like Gao Tianxiong have to boss him around? "Boss Gao, did you come to kill me, or to rescue me?" Lü Jinshan forced a bitter smile. "If you're here to kill me, grant me a quick end for the sake of our old friendship." Gao Tianxiong grinned. "Three hundred thousand, and I spare your life." Hearing that, the spark of hope reignited in Lü Jinshan’s eyes, and he nodded repeatedly. "I'll pay! I'll pay!" He knew the man was taking advantage of the situation to extort him, but Lü Jinshan had no choice. As long as he could escape Lu Zhao’s clutches, a glimmer of survival remained. Surely City Executive Zhao would also need him to retract his confession. *Bang!* A gunshot cracked, and a bullet hung suspended right beside Gao Tianxiong’s ear. Lü Jinshan, who had just scrambled to his feet, went limp and slumped back down. He shook his head frantically. "We can't get out! Lu Zhao's bullets track their targets—he'll shoot me dead!" Gao Tianxiong dragged Lü Jinshan by the arm and cursed, "You cowardly piece of trash! Staying here is the only sure way to die! Secretary Liu told me to tell you that even if you rat out everyone, you're still getting the death penalty!" Hauling and tugging with all his might, Gao Tianxiong finally dragged Lü Jinshan out, hoisted him over his shoulder, and smashed through the window. Bearing three hundred jin of dead weight, he landed heavily on the ground. Torrential rain mingled with gunfire. Lu Zhao pulled the trigger with mechanical precision. The darkness actually provided superior concealment; unable to see clearly, the enemies wouldn't immediately scatter simply because a few companions dropped. A burst of flame bloomed as someone used a divine power to block a slug, while another bullet ricocheted off petrified skin. Yet the moment they reacted and invoked their powers, a follow-up shot would curve in an arc, punching through their skulls from the flank. The border defense soldiers couldn't see the enemies at all amid the pitch-black deluge. By the same token, the enemies couldn't see Lu Zhao either. *Clack!* Power returned to the police station, and glaring searchlights illuminated Lü Jinshan and Gao Tianxiong. Lu Zhao recognized Gao Tianxiong instantly—the bandit leader with whom he had matched wits for over three years. The vision of the mental world offered only outlines, which was why he hadn't identified Gao Tianxiong before. Puzzlement flickered across his face. "It's not Zhao De?" A voice came through the walkie-talkie. "Sir, the culprit is carrying the witness!" "Hold your fire! Deal with the remaining enemies—I'll pursue!" Lu Zhao sprinted down the stairwell and pulled out his phone to call Liu Qiang. The call connected, and a clamor of arguing came through the line. "Brother Lu, I saw Zhao De's car pulling out! It looks like he's heading your way!" "Understood. Fall back and stay safe." Hanging up, Lu Zhao’s thoughts raced. The intruder wasn't Zhao De, and Lü Jinshan hadn't been silenced. Why was Zhao De setting out at this hour? Without an alibi, would he really dare to kill Lü Jinshan himself? Lu Zhao halted abruptly beside a small window in the stairwell. Thrusting the rifle barrel out, he drew a bead on the fleeing pair. Gao Tianxiong's bullet-repelling divine power could cover only a fraction of his body surface, nowhere near full coverage. While he could protect himself, he had no way to shield another person. All it took was one shot right now, and Lü Jinshan would be dead... Sinister impulses always crept in uninvited. Lu Zhao squeezed the trigger, but fortunately, the bullet's travel time allowed his mind to catch up. He did not use his divine power to steer the slug into a lethal strike against Lü Jinshan. A sudden flash of insight struck him. Zhao De didn't want Lü Jinshan dead—he wanted *Lu Zhao* to kill Lü Jinshan. If he shot a tainted witness, he would be the one under investigation. Once he exposed a vulnerability, would he be able to withstand the Chen family's onslaught?