Repelled

Yuanshi Tianzun? He was here!! A sudden gleam of hope ignited in Annie's dim pupils—the light of someone in desperate straits seeing salvation. Enduring the agony in her lungs, she shouted in a hoarse voice: "I'm over here..." She was too close to Yule Bahn; the woman could reap her life with a casual flick of the wrist. To keep Yuanshi Tianzun from missing her and turning to help Bill instead, Annie felt she had to draw his attention immediately. *Mr. Bill is still alive, and his opponent is Beck Vernal. Annie seems heavily injured, but she's a Saint, so she won't die anytime soon...* Zhang Yuanqing's gaze swept swiftly across the scene. Near the French windows, Mr. Bill was confronting a barrel-shaped middle-aged man with bushy whiskers covering half his face, pale blue eyes, a red, bulbous drinker's nose, and sagging belly fat. Meanwhile, the woman fighting Annie wore black leather clothes and pants, smokey eye makeup, silver earrings, and bleached white hair—looking thoroughly steeped in heavy metal style. "A Starlord?" Beck Vernal, shaped like a barrel, scrutinized the reinforcement through tiny, perpetually drunken pale-blue eyes, his brow furrowing instantly. As everyone knew, Night Walkers were well-balanced in all areas and exceptionally adept at concealment and escape. They were as annoying as Void users, yet far more aggressive. It was an extremely troublesome class. "You're finally here!" Relief flashed across Mr. Bill's handsome, weather-beaten face, and he rushed out in rapid-fire speech: "Save Annie first, then join forces with me to pin them down! Once the Five Elements Alliance elders arrive, they won't escape Songhai even if they grow wings!" *Sorry to disappoint, but the elders won't be arriving right away. They need to confirm whether any high-level Bacchus Club figures are lying in ambush nearby...* Zhang Yuanqing inwardly quipped. Fu Qingyang wasn't truly standing by, but reconnaissance was necessary. Still, saving lives was like fighting a fire; any slight delay, and Annie and Mr. Bill might have been done for. That was why Fu Qingyang sent him in first to save the situation and stall for time. *Mr. Bill isn't too severely injured, but his stamina seems near its limit. Besides, he looks very impatient, not wanting to entangle with them for even a second, wanting the enemies to leave right away. Has the drawback of an item pushed him to the brink?* Thinking this through, Zhang Yuanqing immediately called out loudly in fairly standard English: "OK! Leave that woman to me. "I've already notified the elders. They will be here within three minutes. Mr. Bill, hang in there!" The two Bacchus Club Saints exchanged a distant look, both seeing gravity and a hint of retreat in the other's eyes. "Hmph!" The barrel-plump Beck rubbed his drinker's nose. "Three minutes is plenty of time for us to slaughter both of you and fly away on wings." *This guy's pronunciation is terrible; I could barely understand him...* Zhang Yuanqing only caught half of it. Then, he saw the silver-haired foreign woman, upon hearing Beck's words, spring forward in tacit coordination, lunging toward Annie lying severely wounded on the ground. She knew how troublesome Starlords were, so she aimed to finish Annie off quickly to maintain a two-on-two situation. Once Beck Vernal took care of Bill from the Merchant Guild, they could leave. A Songhai official Starlord was not their target. Seeing this, Bill's expression tightened with worry for Annie's safety, yet he chose to place his faith in Yuanshi Tianzun. At the same time, he executed a sliding tackle toward the charging Beck. His body phased into an intangible state, bypassing all skill crowd control as well as physical and spiritual attacks. On the other side, the instant the silver-haired woman pounced toward Annie, Zhang Yuanqing had already brought out the Yin Jade Doll, triggering this consumable item's final use. "Heehee, let's play!" A shadow of a baby girl darted along the floor and sank into Yule Bahn as she leaped into the air. The woman stiffened and fell straight down. Zhang Yuanqing's body dissolved into illusory starlight and materialized beside Yule Bahn. He hadn't expected the Yin Jade Doll to make a Saint perform an iron bridge backbend, so after the brief disruption, he instantly closed in with Starlight Escaping to strike at close quarters. Right then, he saw that at some point, a gold ring had appeared in the palm of the smokey-eyed, silver-haired woman. A radiant wheel of clear, pure golden light abruptly burst forth. The Yin Jade Doll let out a shrill shriek. As a rule-based item, it wouldn't turn to ash, but bathed in this clear golden radiance, its presence weakened drastically, rendering it unable to affect the silver-haired woman any longer. *The divine power of the sun? No, it's not scorching or dazzling enough. It feels like it shares the same source as the divine power of the sun, but leans in a slightly different direction. Are there foreign classes that wield this kind of power too?* As the thought flashed through his mind, the moment the golden light flared, Zhang Yuanqing scooped up Annie and dashed toward the office area entrance. Since a sneak attack on the silver-haired woman had failed, he would get the injured person out first. He had barely taken a few strides and covered some distance when the whistling sound of rushing air tore from behind him. At the same time, the silver-haired woman's sharp, chilling voice rang out: "Come back!" A drunken haze welled in Yule Bahn's eyes. She had distorted the young Starlord's sense of direction. Anyone whose sense of direction was distorted would turn in ways completely contrary to their intentions—left became right, and forward became backward. "B-Behind you..." With bloody froth at her lips, Annie gave an anxious warning. Curled in Yuanshi Tianzun's arms, her angle of view allowed her to see directly behind him, where the Bacchus Club female Saint leaped into the air, slashing down with a short blade. Zhang Yuanqing kept his left arm wrapped around Annie's waist to support her against him, freeing his right hand to grasp at the air and draw a flexible steel sword. *Clang!* The flexible steel sword whipped out like a lash, deflecting the plunging short blade. Immediately after, it stabbed, whipped, flicked, and thrust, its sharp point raining down like a storm. Yule Bahn was skilled with the blade, yet after barely enduring over a dozen exchanges, the flexible steel sword pierced her chest and abdomen. Throughout the entire clash, Zhang Yuanqing never turned his body or glanced back, as though in his eyes, serving as an "anchor" for the stunning Annie was what mattered most. A mere Saint stage enemy wasn't worthy of facing him directly. Yule Bahn retreated in shock, marveling at her foe's extraordinary swordsmanship while bewildered that her skill had had no effect. This young Starlord had actually ignored her ability without falling into disorientation. Zhang Yuanqing removed the Heart-Protecting Mirror from his chest and shoved it into Annie's hands. "Find a place to hide!" With that, he pushed her shoulder, sending her out of harm's way. Next, Zhang Yuanqing pulled a red-lacquered wooden box painted with a white baby from his inventory, opened the lid, and tossed it under a desk. Instantly, sweet, melodious instrumental music resonated throughout the office area. Indistinguishable in its instrument, neither crisp nor desolate, it sounded by the ear and inexplicably filled the heart with warmth. It was like returning to infancy, with a mother softly humming a lullaby beside the cradle. Yule Bahn felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her. It wasn't overwhelmingly intense, but the languid torpor coiled through her limbs and bones, severely degrading her combat readiness. The heavily wounded Annie had only staggered a dozen-plus meters when the sleepiness struck. Supporting herself against a desktop, she slowly slid down. The agony on her face gradually smoothed away as she drifted off to sleep. In her current condition, she could not resist the box's hypnosis. With the hypnotic melody echoing in their ears, Mr. Bill and the barrel-like gentleman were more or less affected as well, both sparing a fraction of their attention to watch Yuanshi Tianzun. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the lullaby, Zhang Yuanqing snapped out the Yin-Yang Robe and draped it over his back. Considering he was entering melee combat, he also put on the Spectacles of Insight, summoned the Red Dancing Shoes, activated their second form, and slipped them onto his feet. Finally, he pulled out the Mountain God Scepter. This magical artifact was very similar in nature to the Houtu Boots: both required time to refine the surrounding environment to unleash their full power. Back when Lust was hunting him down, had he been given enough time to refine that mountain range, he never would have suffered such a wretched defeat. Fully equipped, Zhang Yuanqing cast Star Phantasm, creating an illusion that remained rooted to the spot, while his true body activated Night Walk and silently closed in on the silver-haired female Saint. "Careful, that's an illusion!" Beck warned from afar. Hearing this, Yule Bahn dashed over to the decapitated companion's side and stripped a sky-blue bracelet from the corpse's wrist. Immediately after, she snatched up the silver handgun Annie had dropped and fired two shots at random. Enveloped in spiraling gales, the bullets punched through the office walls, leaving two massive craters. Without the "protection" of a sealing item, reinforced concrete walls were no match for an item handgun. Fierce winds rampaged across the office area, and the air currents relayed the enemy's trajectory to her. She whipped around, aimed at an empty space to the left, and pulled the trigger. *Bang!* Frightful winds tore through the office once more. Relying on the Red Dancing Shoes' evasion, Zhang Yuanqing sprinted sideways the moment Yule Bahn raised the muzzle, dodging the bullet. *Thud, thud, thud...* Charging forward like a rolling chariot, he swung the Mountain God Scepter viciously at the female Saint. Yule Bahn's eyes glazed with drunken haze once again. She distorted the Starlord's "perception of distance," creating a false impression of how far apart they were. In this state, the young Starlord would misjudge her position. Yet, with unswerving resolve, he lashed out, the scepter forming a woven palm of vines, once again disregarding her skill completely. In haste, Yule Bahn had no choice but to bring her blade up horizontally to parry. *Smack!* The scepter smashed into the blade. Terrifying, monstrous strength tore the weapon from Yule Bahn's grip, sending it flying. Mountain God Scepter—Monstrous Strength! *Boom!* Zhang Yuanqing stamped his left foot. The muscles in his right leg tautened, bursting into raging flames as he whipped a seamless kick toward Yule Bahn. Taking the kick directly to her waist and ribs, her ribs snapped instantly, and she was hurled through the air like a broken kite. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Zhang Yuanqing's movements were as ferocious as a beast's. Blow after blow, kick after kick, he pummeled Yule Bahn until she could barely fend him off, leaving her no opening to activate any items. Had she not undergone rigorous combat training and possessed rich experience in technique and evasion, combined with the decent physique enhancement of an Alcoholic, she would already have been grievously wounded. After devouring the "Alcoholic" guarding the entrance, Zhang Yuanqing had gained a basic understanding of this class's skills. At the Transcendent stage, Alcoholics possessed three core primary skills: "Directional Disorientation," "Cognitive Impairment," and "Cerebral Paralysis." Directional Disorientation—The target behaves like a drunkard, unable to tell north from south. Cognitive Impairment—The target loses comprehension of an object's function. Cerebral Paralysis—The brain loses control over the physical body. Combined, these three skills mirrored the symptoms of someone dead drunk. It was worth noting that an Alcoholic's skills were all hard crowd control and negative status effects—which the divine power of the sun countered perfectly. That was why, when blasting open the boundary, Zhang Yuanqing had activated the Demon-Subduing Pestle in advance. The divine power of the sun contained within the Demon-Subduing Pestle was Dominator-level power, the natural bane of Alcoholics. At times, this item was virtually equivalent to a cheat code, which was why Zhang Yuanqing had been utterly loath to return it to the old crone back then. Being able to wield Dominator-level power while still at the Transcendent stage—who would ever be willing to let that go? "Vernal, my skills don't work on him! He has purification abilities!" Yule Bahn shouted urgently, calling on Beck for aid. Both of them were Saints; once trapped in an opponent's rhythm, it was exceedingly difficult to turn the tables on one's own, especially when class skills were rendered useless. Outside intervention was needed. Hearing her, Beck broke off his grapple with Bill, grabbed a jar of liquor from his inventory, and flung it hard. The liquor jar flew over desks and unconscious employees, smashing onto the carpet with a loud crash. In an instant, a heavy stench of alcohol diffused through the air. Zhang Yuanqing held his breath at once and pressed his assault, refusing to give Yule Bahn breathing room. Yet right at that moment, his heart began to race. His cheeks burned hot, his limbs turned limp and powerless, dizziness struck his brain in waves, and his body swayed unsteadily, exactly like someone who had downed bootleg booze. *I clearly held my breath...* Without time to think, he retreated rapidly to open up distance and prevent an enemy sneak attack. At the same time, he saw Yule Bahn's eyes grow glassy and her footsteps stagger like a dead-drunk sot. She had been affected too, but her "drunkenness" was visibly milder. Zhang Yuanqing was glad he had backed away quickly. "Go!" Beck, shaped like a barrel, charged like a chariot straight into the office's French window. Amidst the shattering roar of bursting glass and the spray of countless shards, he leaped out from the multi-story high-rise. He was exceptionally decisive; seeing that the enemy could not be dispatched in short order, he retreated immediately. Yule Bahn staggered after him, diving out through the shattered window. "Don't chase..." Leaning his back against the wall, Mr. Bill panted heavily. *I certainly won't chase. If I did, I'd have to read my own physiognomy first—that dark omen might well turn into a bloody calamity...* Zhang Yuanqing covered his nose and mouth, standing in place. A few seconds later, Mr. Bill mustered his spirits, hastily slipped off his black shoes, and looked at Zhang Yuanqing. "Take Annie to my office. Her gunshot wounds need treatment." Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, retrieved the hypnosis box, walked to the corner to carry Annie in his arms, and crossed the office area, following Bill into the spacious, luxurious office. Along the way, the employees of Ante Pharmaceutical remained unconscious, showing no signs of waking. The entire company was in shambles. The "Bomberman's Symphony" had caused significant collapses, and the flames had activated the fire safety system, sending powerful jets of water spraying from the ceiling sprinklers. Combined with the wounded and dead scattered across the floor, it was nothing short of a war zone. Mr. Bill pushed open the heavy wooden office door and strode to the liquor cabinet. Without a word, he poured himself a glass of spirits and drained it in a single gulp. Zhang Yuanqing noticed his left hand was spasming violently, while his right leg was drenched in blood, thick scarlet fluid dripping down his trouser leg. Mr. Bill retrieved a carved wooden beast head of a goat and brought the glass tumbler to its mouth. A blue-green liquid flowed from the goat's mouth. Evidently, this was an item belonging to the Wood Demon class. After filling half a glass, he drank it dry. His pale complexion regained its color at a rate visible to the naked eye. Exhaling a breath, he remarked: "My injuries aren't severe; there's no need to use Life Essence. The cost would be too high, and losing on a deal goes against our Merchant style." As he spoke, he glanced at Annie lying on the couch and said: "She's been shot. The bullet needs to be extracted before treatment. Mr. Yuanshi, I leave it to you." Zhang Yuanqing looked at Annie, whose back was soaked in blood, then back at the older man. "You do it. I don't know surgery." "No, no need for that!" Bill shook his head. "Just cut her open and dig it out. A Saint's vitality isn't that fragile." He set down the glass, glanced at Annie's pale yet gorgeous sleeping face, and shrugged. "It's not proper for me to tend to her. Hurry up; her injuries are serious. "Once the slug is out, feed her a glass of healing potion." He pointed toward the carved wooden goat head. *As if it's proper for me either...* Zhang Yuanqing muttered in his heart. Without further objection, he pulled out his phone and dialed Fu Qingyang. "Boss, the battle here at the International Building is settled. Two Saints fled. Judging by their reactions when they left, the club's higher-ups shouldn't be ambushing nearby. "Please send people over to clean up the aftermath. Call plenty of ambulances." "Good work," Fu Qingyang offered a word of commendation and hung up. Mr. Bill sighed. "I'll go outside to coordinate. Many innocent employees in the company lost their lives; they were just ordinary people. I feel deeply guilty. Battles between Spirit Realm walkers always end up dragging in the innocent." He left the office with a sorrowful expression. Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing took out the Bloodthirsty Blade and sliced open Annie's coat and white blouse, revealing the graceful contours of her back. He then lightly severed the black strap and blotted the blood from her back with tissues, getting a clear view of the gruesome bullet wound. Zhang Yuanqing adjusted his Spectacles of Insight. Resting the sharp blade tip against her delicate skin, he was just about to begin the surgery when he suddenly snapped back to his senses and pulled the blade back. *Holy shit, doing surgery with the Bloodthirsty Blade would send Annie straight to the afterlife on the spot...* Muttering to himself, he stood up and walked out of the office. He found Bill at the reception area waiting for official personnel to arrive and borrowed a sharp dagger from him. Returning to the office, he traced the blade along the wound, slicing open the tender skin and flesh, and amid spurts of gushing blood, pried out the bullet. Annie didn't wake. The liquor smashed by Beck the barrel before his departure had provided an effective analgesic and anesthetic effect. She remained fast asleep, merely furrowing her brow in pain and mumbling a few words unconsciously. *Clink~* The bullet was dropped onto the glass coffee table, bouncing with a crisp rattle. Zhang Yuanqing took a clean tumbler from the wine cabinet, brought it to the carved goat head's mouth, and drew half a glass of emerald-green liquid. Then, he summoned the Mountain God Scepter, pressed it against Annie's shoulder, and activated its self-healing function. The deep green gem atop the scepter blazed with dazzling radiance, slowly repairing her damaged lungs and gradually closing both the gruesome gunshot hole and the incision. Self-healing at Saint quality was superior to that of the Transcendent stage, but treating such severe trauma was still not fast enough, unable to compare to Life Essence. The whole process lasted over ten minutes, and the wounds on Annie's back were finally seventy percent healed. She let out a soft groan, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes. "You're awake? Drink this potion." Zhang Yuanqing picked up the glass on the coffee table.