Rescue

"I didn't tell you to charge in with me. Just retreat as planned." Team Two Captain "Liangshan Naval Fleet" picked up a fallen constable's handgun and fired both pistols simultaneously, pinning down the enemy while whispering, "I'll buy time so the deacon can hold out a little longer. Maybe he can last until backup arrives." Seeing several enemies aiming in their direction forced back behind cover by his suppressive fire, he hunched his back and was about to dash forward when Xiao Wang suddenly tackled him to the ground from behind. "Bullshit! What kind of bullshit are you spouting?!" The veins on Xiao Wang's forehead bulged with fury. "There is no rescue coming! You said it yourself—our branch doesn't have a Saint. By the time the Saint from Honglin City gets here, it'll already be too damn late! Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You dumbass just want to throw your life away, using yourself as cannon fodder to trade for the deacon!" Liangshan Naval Fleet cursed, driving his elbow again and again into Xiao Wang's chest to knock him off. "It's just one captain dying! Headquarters can transfer another one over in no time! But if a Level 5 deacon dies—Saints aren't a dime a dozen! A new deacon's term would be long, and whoever comes might not even be willing to stick it out! Don't you know how important a long-term, stable deacon is?!" Even though the guy was weakened by poison, he erupted with tremendous strength; Liangshan Naval Fleet failed to shake him off after several strikes. *Rat-tat-tat...* A hail of bullets poured down, puncturing the vehicle's bodywork and embedding into the engine block. Liangshan Naval Fleet instantly pulled his elbow back, pushed Xiao Wang's head down, and roared, "Listen to me! Listen, Wang Xiao'er! Your cousin was an addict. His addiction tore his family apart and ruined his life! You told me yourself—back when you were in high school, he sold his three-year-old son for a few tens of thousands of yuan just to buy drugs! Your cousin-in-law drank pesticide and killed herself over it! He's the scum of your family, someone everyone curses through gritted teeth, and you once wanted to take a knife and murder him before you turned eighteen!" Wang Xiao'er froze for a second, then flared up in rage. "Don't bring up that piece of trash! That's ancient history! Are you trying to piss me off? Well, congratulations, you fucking succeeded. Fuck!" As he spoke, he raised his arm and fired several wild shots toward the pig farm. "Your cousin was a piece of trash, but did you ever stop to think that he didn't want to become trash either...?" Liangshan Naval Fleet's voice suddenly dropped low. "You know how drugs are. They're getting more refined, more terrifying by the day. Once hooked, you can never quit—not even in death. Compared to what's out there now, opium and weed are like throat lozenges, practically nothing! There are so many pieces of trash like your cousin along this border. How many people become the scum of their families? How many children get sold off? Our work is like flood control—patching wherever it leaks. But if the deacon dies, the dam bursts. The flood will engulf all of Nanming City, all of Bagui Province, and spill into the whole country. Scum like your cousin will only multiply." Wang Xiao'er went numb. Gunfire erupted continuously as enemy rounds poured in, and Liangshan Naval Fleet spoke faster and faster. "Last year, you placed third in the Transcendent stage fighting competition at the Qinghe Branch. The deacon asked if you wanted to transfer to another city to build your career. You refused. Why did you refuse? Because this is your hometown, and you didn't want to leave. You wanted to stay and protect it. But damn it... this is my fucking home too." Wang Xiao'er's eyes reddened, but his grip loosened. "If you chose this path, don't be afraid to die! When your level goes up, when it's your turn to die, you'll have to die too. If you ever dare to leave Nanming, I won't let you off even as a ghost... I haven't been home in ten years. When you get the chance, go check in on my parents for me." Liangshan Naval Fleet kicked him aside and shot out like an arrow off a bowstring. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Gunshots rang out in rapid succession. Clouds of dust kicked up around Liangshan Naval Fleet's feet from impacting rounds. Soon, water splashed from his body as well. The bullets had hit him. Liangshan Naval Fleet ignored them entirely, braving the fire as he sprinted into the darkness to the east. He was a Water Ghost; ordinary physical attacks couldn't harm him. "Cover the captain!" With bloodshot eyes, Wang Xiao'er roared, poked half his head out, gripped his gun with both hands, and repeatedly pulled the trigger. He knew a Water Ghost's passive ability very well. Every Water Ghost's passive had a limit; it couldn't be sustained endlessly. It was like holding one's breath—sooner or later, you had to come up for air. If subjected to continuous gunfire, the moment he drew breath, he would be riddled with holes like a sieve. And the captain was afflicted with gu poison, far from top condition. *BANG!* A deafening crack that drowned out the handguns echoed through the night. A sniper rifle! Familiar with firearms, Wang Xiao'er's heart plummeted. Immediately after, from the darkness in the distance, he heard the sickening sound of flesh tearing apart and a heavy fall. Wang Xiao'er's expression twisted in horror. He whipped his head around: Liangshan Naval Fleet had collapsed into a pool of blood, his knee torn apart by a large-caliber round, hanging on by only a strip of skin. There was a sniper in the pig farm whose marksmanship was every bit as good as his own. The sniper had remained hidden without firing, letting both sides trade shots, until he keenly seized the moment the captain took a breath, scoring a direct hit. A Scout. This was a fallen Scout. Wang Xiao'er saw through the sniper's intention. The sniper's mission was to pin everyone down at the firefight, ensuring that the Spirit Society's Spirit Mediums could ambush and kill the deacon undisturbed. "Save him! Save him!" Wang Xiao'er roared with a contorted face, lunging forward stumbling and reckless without a second thought. Hidden in the dark, the sniper curled his lips into a cold sneer and took aim at Wang Xiao'er. He hadn't killed the Water Ghost precisely to bait out reinforcements; he was certain that the official orthodox walkers would come to rescue their comrade. Morals, friendship, justice—they were always the fatal weaknesses of these people. Wang Xiao'er was only a Level 2 Scout; in the darkness, he couldn't pinpoint the sniper's exact position or trajectory. But at the velocity of a sniper rifle, even if he predicted the trajectory, a Level 2 Scout's physical stats weren't enough to dodge a sniper round—especially now, weakened and limp as he was. Yet Wang Xiao'er serenely accepted his fate. He had come out to be a living target. He hadn't called out to the teammates behind him or even exchanged glances, but he trusted that the moment he was shot, the comrades behind him would rescue Liangshan Naval Fleet. Furthermore, only by getting hit could he determine the enemy's bearing from the trajectory. Before dying, he would return a shot. With any luck, he might kill the sniper; even if he missed, he could force the sniper to keep his head down, buying time for his teammates to make the rescue. *BANG!* A long, pitch-black barrel spat flame as a large-caliber bullet spun out of the chamber at high speed. The moment the gunshot cracked, Wang Xiao'er, who was stumbling forward while trying his best to dodge and weave, froze. The keen senses of a Scout warned him of his imminent demise. Just then, a hand reached out over his shoulder without warning, thrusting its palm forward. The high-velocity spinning bullet seemed to strike an invisible, soft wall of air, spinning furiously with all its might, yet entirely unable to pierce through that layer of defense. The sudden development stunned everyone present. Wang Xiao'er stared blankly at the sight, while behind him, two official walkers who were dashing toward Liangshan Naval Fleet froze in place, unsure whether to advance or retreat. "Don't just stand there daydreaming. This is a battle!" A calm voice drifted from behind. Then, Wang Xiao'er saw the hand turn its wrist and lightly flick a finger. The bullet shot back like a streak of lightning, piercing through the dark and vanishing into the pig farm. Almost instantly, a dull thud echoed from inside—the sound of a body hitting the floor. Wang Xiao'er's pupils constricted sharply, every nerve in his body taut. Like stumbling across a tiger in the woods, the surging rush of adrenaline and primal danger made his scalp prickle with numbness. What terrifying power was this? Catching a sniper bullet barehanded, then flicking it back to kill a concealed Scout in the dark! Even Deacon Poison Chaser couldn't pull that off with such ease. "Don't worry, backup!" The voice behind him offered a word of reassurance, followed by a crisp snap of fingers and a soft chuckle: "Take them down!" As the words fell, a shadowy figure charged out from beside the grassy trail outside the pig farm, brandishing a crimson longblade. Thudding footsteps pounded as it dashed straight toward the pig farm, clearing the barricade formed by black sedans in a single leap. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The drug dealers guarding the pig farm fired frantically. Along the somewhat chaotic border, low-level walkers still primarily relied on firearms in combat. Although they could dodge bullets using skills and footwork, the criminal faction had evil class practitioners of their own; rushing recklessly into melee combat before running down the enemy's ammunition was a quick ticket to the grave. Furthermore, large criminal syndicates often possessed grenades and even RPGs. Working in a place like this required playing it safe above all else. Only by surviving could one live to enforce the law. Yet this sudden interloper charged in with zero regard for caution, like a rampaging bull. The next second, a scene that left everyone dumbfounded unfolded: bullets pelted the blade-wielding figure like torrential rain without it even dodging, producing dull thumps like wooden sticks striking a sandbag. The rounds failed to pierce its defense. Just like that, weathering the storm of gunfire, the figure tore into the pig farm. Immediately, bloodcurdling screams tore through the air, mingled with intense gunfire, but soon even the gunshots ceased. Silence fell over the pig farm. The constables and official walkers crouching behind the car fronts looked at each other. After a few seconds, a Level 2 Fire Master couldn't hold back anymore. Holding a gun with both hands pointed downward, he slowly crept toward the pig farm. When he was less than five meters from the narrow entrance, he tossed a fireball inside. The blazing firelight illuminated the dilapidated pig pen: severed limbs and broken arms littered the ground, viscous blood pooling along the pitted concrete floor, without a single intact corpse. "All... all dead..." the Fire Master murmured. "What about... that reinforcement? That was a reinforcement, right?" someone asked, the latter part spoken tentatively. The Fire Master tossed another fireball inside, his gaze sweeping around, and called out, "He's gone!" Gone... Wang Xiao'er turned and looked around, but the expert behind him had vanished as well. Under the heavy cloak of night, the voice from moments ago felt like an illusion. Suddenly, his eyes snapped to attention. Beside Liangshan Naval Fleet's shattered thigh lay a pale-golden injector. Life Source Fluid?! Surprised and overjoyed, Wang Xiao'er shouted, "It's backup! Official backup!" Only their own people would leave behind such precious Life Source Fluid. That mysterious expert wasn't from a civilian orthodox organization or the Qinghe clan—he was an official reinforcement, and a major figure at that, one who cared for frontline walkers. "It really is backup..." The surviving official walkers and constables breathed deep sighs of relief. On their faces, caked with blood and sweat, dawned the joy of surviving against all odds and the immense relief of salvation. Stumbling in a mad dash, Wang Xiao'er reached the captain's side, grabbed the Life Source Fluid, and jammed the needle into the jugular vein. Having lost a massive amount of blood, Liangshan Naval Fleet soon regained consciousness. His first words upon opening his eyes were: "Fuck, I'm actually not dead." "Backup is here! Reinforcements came, and an insanely strong one too—" Wang Xiao'er had barely started when Liangshan Naval Fleet waved him off. "I wasn't out yet back then. I only passed out after all those beasts in the pig farm were chopped to pieces." Wang Xiao'er beamed with joy. "You were on the verge of death and still so steady! Then... Captain, did you see who rescued us?" Liangshan Naval Fleet shook his head. "His back was to me. Didn't see." "Then how did he vanish?" "...My vision blurred for a second, so I couldn't see clearly. Maybe from blood loss?" "Where did backup even come from, though?" Wang Xiao'er calmed down. "Our city doesn't have such a big shot. Could it be from the Xini Branch? But they couldn't have made it in time." The Xini Branch was the largest branch in Bagui Province (excluding the Qinghe clan), overseen by two elders, but it was over four hundred kilometers away. Even an elder couldn't possibly arrive so quickly. The two fell silent for a moment. "If you can't figure it out, don't rack your brain over it. At least the deacon is saved. We'll find out naturally once the operation is over," Liangshan Naval Fleet said. Wang Xiao'er nodded vigorously. Liangshan Naval Fleet added abruptly, "What I said earlier sounded a bit melodramatic. Forget it. I don't want to hear anyone at the branch bring it up tomorrow." "Don't worry, it's not like I'm Yuan Ting from the Taiyi Sect." *** To the east of the pig farm lay vast stretches of wasteland, overgrown with weeds, muddy and damp. Poison Chaser was a Swordsman in his thirties. With dark skin, he actually had quite handsome features, but years of exposure to wind and sun had weathered his complexion rough, making his handsome looks less obvious. Besides the dark, weathered skin, the only distinct feature on his face was a broken eyebrow—his left eyebrow was only half intact. At this moment, Poison Chaser was clad in a vine armor radiating a faint green glow. Holding a gleaming silver longsword, he was locked in combat with a humanoid cockroach. The cockroach man stood three and a half meters tall, burly yet agile, with meter-long sharp keratin spikes growing from his wrists. Thrusting, parrying, and slashing, he fought Poison Chaser to a standstill. In terms of melee combat, a Spirit Medium was no match for a Swordsman, but potent, pungent gu poison hung in the air, invading Poison Chaser's body with every breath and eating away at his vitality. Fortunately, as a Level 5 deacon, he had some assets: two Saint-stage items. The Wood Monster armor could restore stamina, neutralize poisons, and boost defense. The sword was a treasure that sliced through iron like mud, capable of easily cleaving the cockroach man's hard carapace. Even so, Poison Chaser was still hanging by a thread. Beside the cockroach man was another Spirit Medium—short and rat-like, his stubby claws twirling a half-foot-long black bamboo blowpipe. Accompanied by the buffs of Fortune Diminishment, air darts pelted like rain with soft pops. While parrying the cockroach man's assault, Poison Chaser had to remain vigilant against sneak attacks from the air darts. It was like walking a tightrope; the slightest slip meant death. And even under such conditions, exhaustion was only a matter of time. The two Spirit Mediums used an exceptionally sinister tactic: one led the assault while the other held the perimeter. The rat keeping guard only ambushed from afar without closing in; should Poison Chaser attempt to flee, the rat could instantly intercept him. Had both engaged in close-quarters combat, the Level 5 deacon of the Nanming Branch might have found a window to break out. "Hehe, Poison Chaser, your intel wasn't wrong. We really do have a massive shipment of drugs coming in, but not today—the day after tomorrow." The rat spat two poisoned darts, a crafty smirk on his face. "Once we kill you, the drugs can spread rapidly through Nanming City, reach every corner of Bagui Province in record time, and flow across the entire country. Good luck trying to stop that shipment then." Poison Chaser kept a cold face. "You won't succeed." The cockroach man thrust his twin spikes, laughing with a buzzing rasp. "Stubborn to the bitter end! You're at the end of your rope—who could possibly save you? The gunfire at the pig farm has stopped; the men you brought are all dead. It'll be your turn soon." A flicker of deep grief crossed Poison Chaser's face, his jaw clenching so hard the masseter muscles bulged, yet his swordplay showed no disorder, his footwork remaining smooth. A Swordsman possessed an iron will; their fighting spirit would never break. *Crack!* A sudden, sickening snap of bones broke the air. Locked in combat, the cockroach man and Poison Chaser tacitly stepped back two paces, each casting a sidelong glance. That single glance terrified the cockroach man out of his wits. Beside the rat, an ordinary-looking youth had appeared at some unknown moment, holding a dripping head severed along with a short section of the cervical spine, bright crimson blood dripping down drop by drop. The rat's headless corpse lay slumped limp beside him, copious amounts of warm blood gushing from the mangled stump of the neck. A mysterious expert had appeared out of nowhere and slaughtered a Level 5 Spirit Medium without breaking a sweat. And they hadn't even noticed when this mysterious figure had drawn close. The cockroach man stumbled back repeatedly, sheer terror written across his face as he let out a buzzing roar: "Who are you?! Who are you?!" As a native of Bagui Province and a backbone member of the Spirit Society, he knew every Saint in the Qinghe Branch like the back of his hand. Judging by this mysterious man's level, he had to be a Level 6 powerhouse. Such figures were few and far between across the entire province, countable on one's fingers. Yet he had never seen this man before. "I'm just a Fire Master from Songhai. My Spirit Realm ID is Sanqing Daozu." Raging flames erupted across Zhang Yuanqing's body, illuminating the darkness. Flames spouted from his palm, condensing into a longblade. The next instant, he turned into a straight streak of streaming fire and slammed into the cockroach man. Just as the cockroach man moved to dodge, his pupils suddenly lost focus, swirling into deep vortexes. He had fallen under Star Illusion. *Shhk!* A fiery streak flashed past. The head with antennae went tumbling through the air and hit the ground with a wet splat. The headless corpse crashed down heavily, its charred neck wound weeping small trickles of blood. "You are... a colleague from the Songhai Branch?" Poison Chaser held his longsword, not lowering his guard. Zhang Yuanqing gave an "Mm" and, right before the Swordsman deacon's eyes, openly took off the Yin-Yang Robe. Yet in Poison Chaser's eyes, the Songhai Fire Master who called himself Sanqing Daozu had merely brushed the dust off his clothes. —Although Swordsmen possessed Insight to see through illusions, under level suppression, Poison Chaser had still fallen for it. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't openly use Night Walker skills; after all, there was only one Night Walker in the Songhai Branch—Yuanshi Tianzun. "But you don't look like a Fire Master at all," Poison Chaser said in a deep voice. As a Swordsman, he still possessed that much perception. "If you're out of the loop, ask around more. Songhai has two disgraces to Fire Masters: one is World Returns to Fire, and the other is me," Zhang Yuanqing explained nonchalantly, then glanced behind him. "Your people are coming." Poison Chaser looked up and indeed saw Liangshan Naval Fleet and the others running over. Seeing their deacon safe and sound, wild joy broke out across their faces. Poison Chaser immediately went forward to meet them. His first words were: "How many brothers did we lose?" "Four brothers fell, and six brothers from the Public Security Bureau were killed," Liangshan Naval Fleet said dejectedly. Poison Chaser's jaw muscles clenched tightly. "If it weren't for this deacon..." Wang Xiao'er looked at Zhang Yuanqing with deep gratitude. "We probably would all be dead." Liangshan Naval Fleet bowed deeply. "Thank you for the Life Source Fluid, Deacon. Our branch will... Once I save up enough money, I'll pay you back. Which branch are you from?" "Songhai Branch, Sanqing Daozu." Poison Chaser stepped forward on his own accord, having finally dropped his guard. He gazed deeply at the youth who called himself the disgrace to Fire Masters. "What brings you to our backwater?" He didn't seem fond of displaying emotion, his expression remaining rigid, but the deep gratitude in his eyes was plain to see. "This isn't a backwater. This is an honorable battlefield." Zhang Yuanqing reached out his hand and smiled. "I came to hunt down a wanted fugitive. Just reported in at the Nanming Branch when Captain Boundless Sea of Learning mentioned you were ambushed, so I came over to check it out." *So that's why!* Enlightenment dawned on the official walkers of the Nanming Branch, resolving their final doubts, and their smiles grew warm. Thank goodness this senior deacon had come on official business, or the Nanming Branch would have met with total annihilation tonight. Then they wondered in silence: *Who is Sanqing Daozu?* From the Songhai Branch, they had only ever heard of Yuanshi Tianzun. Did people from the big metropolis always pick such domineering names? Right then, the cell phone in the pocket of communications officer Wang Xiao'er rang. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen and said, "It's a call from Boundless Sea of Learning." When they swept the battlefield just now, they had already confiscated the magical item jamming their signal, so communication was now restored. Poison Chaser took the phone. "Give it to me." At the same time, a shadowy wisp swept over, clinging to Zhang Yuanqing's back and whispering into his ear: "Master, there is another evil class practitioner nearby... and it seems to be an acquaintance of yours."