Interception

At least a hundred meters separated Chen Chuan from the two men Chou Huzi had left behind, but once he picked up speed, he closed the distance in what seemed like just a few breaths, rushing right up before them. Startled, the two swiftly drew daggers from their waists. "Oho..." Fatty Guo took on the look of someone settling in to watch a good show. Being empty-handed was completely different from being armed; facing cold steel, even the most skilled fighter could be wounded without protective clothing. Even if someone was injured or killed, that was the client's own doing and had nothing to do with him. Besides, the kid was just an errand boy for a commissioner—Commissioner Lu wouldn't fall out with him over something like that anyway. Although Chen Chuan was unarmed, his speed and reflexes multiplied once his Second Self converged into his body. In his eyes, the two men moved quite slowly. As he ran, he made slight adjustments to his footwork, angling to the side. This forced the pair to turn to track him, unwittingly falling into a staggered line, one behind the other. Right then, he burst forward with another sudden surge of speed, snapping out a kick that planted squarely into the man on the left before spinning into a reverse roundhouse that struck the man on the right upside the head. The two crushing, heavy kicks robbed both men of their fighting capacity on the spot. Having dealt with them effortlessly, Chen Chuan didn't pause for a moment, pressing on after Chou Huzi. To an onlooker, however, it looked as though he had simply charged in and delivered a single spinning kick, sending both men flying almost simultaneously; before they even hit the ground, he had already swept past them. Surprised, Fatty Guo rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, "Huh? Looks a bit like Xiujiang Fist. Is he Gu Mao's apprentice or junior brother?" Excitement quickly overtook him again. Turning around, he made repeated upward-lifting gestures toward the back. Catching his meaning, the drummer behind struck with both hands in rapid succession, setting off another fast, rhythmic barrage of drumbeats. In moments, Chen Chuan closed in not far behind Chou Huzi. But Chou Huzi turned his head and barked something to the side, and the bodyguard running alongside him ground to a halt. The bodyguard drew a dagger from his waist as well, flipped it once in his hand, and held it firmly point-down, a glint of feral savagery flashing in his eyes. Chen Chuan saw him; this had to be the Zhai Wu that Wei Chang'an had warned about. Yet Chen Chuan didn't slacken his charging speed in the slightest. Face twisted with malice, Zhai Wu saw that Chen Chuan wasn't stopping and took two strides forward, cutting into his path. Even with his Second Self, Chen Chuan had no desire to take a dagger wound. Seeing the gap close, his right hand flicked with subtle deceit, sending two pebbles flying ahead. Zhai Wu's reflexes were exceptionally sharp. With a lightning dodge and parry, he evaded one pebble while deflecting the other with his dagger, sparking a trail of fire. Chen Chuan was slightly surprised. Amateur though his throwing technique might be, the raw speed and power behind it were undeniable; yet this man had managed to intercept a pebble precisely with a dagger. That demanded immense eyesight and speed—clearly, he was an elite combatant. Once Chen Chuan entered a combat state, however, flashes of inspiration constantly welled up. Sizing up the situation in an instant, he devised a countermeasure. Pushing his speed higher again, his left hand dipped slightly in a feint to throw another stone. Zhai Wu had keen eyes. Spotting the motion, he instinctively deduced there might be another stone and flinched. Even if his mind caught on that Chen Chuan might be bluffing, his body had already reacted first, inevitably throwing his frame into a momentary hitch. With the two rushing toward each other at top speed, that single minute, superfluous movement handed Chen Chuan the initiative. Letting out a low shout, Chen Chuan kicked hard off the ground, blurring into an afterimage as he surged forward. Deflecting the hand holding the dagger outward, he closed the distance inside and unleashed a Spirit-Startling Fist straight toward Zhai Wu's face! With his knife hand trapped and facing such a ferocious assault, Zhai Wu realized there was no dodging it; his pupils contracted sharply. In that instant, he planted both feet, whipped his free hand outward in a parry, and barked an explosive breath. His arm shook, the muscles beneath his skin snapping taut as a surge of jin erupted from within. He intended to swat Chen Chuan aside, but he had not anticipated that Chen Chuan could rein in his strike just as cleanly as he unleashed it. Chen Chuan stamped down, rooting himself firmly as the full force exploded through his fist. When the two forces collided, even without a direct head-on clash, Zhai Wu's body jolted violently, forcing him a step back. Chen Chuan, however, seemed entirely unfazed. Stepping forward in pursuit, his arm drew back naturally in the flow of his momentum, and then... he threw another punch! Shaken by the previous clash, Zhai Wu couldn't manage any additional maneuvers and had no choice but to raise his arm and channel his jin to block once more. Under the jarring impact, he stumbled back another step. Chen Chuan pressed tight again, driving home a third punch identically. Driven to desperation, Zhai Wu planted his feet so hard they sank into the muddy ground. With another explosive shout, he met the strike head-on once more. One advancing, one retreating. For every punch Chen Chuan threw, Zhai Wu took a step back, his body shuddering violently each time. In mere breaths, the two clashed five consecutive times, and Zhai Wu was driven back five steps. *Thump... thump... thump... thump... thump...* The drumbeats on the other side matched them in perfect rhythm, each strike amplified intentionally to coincide with their collisions. Just as Chen Chuan prepared to press forward with a sixth punch, a line of fresh blood suddenly spilled from Zhai Wu's mouth despite his ferocious expression. Then, as if drained of all strength, he dropped to his knees before Chen Chuan and pitched headfirst into the mud. Seeing that the man in his way was incapacitated, Chen Chuan paid him no more heed. He swept right past him, dashing toward Chou Huzi, while the drumbeats behind surged with impassioned fervor to match his sprint. By now, Chou Huzi had wrenched open his car door and climbed in. Seeing Chen Chuan closing in, he yanked the door shut and frantically fumbled to insert the ignition key, but nerves got the better of him, and he missed the slot twice in a row. Chen Chuan saw it clearly; letting the man escape would mean trouble. Drawing a deep breath, he accelerated at full tilt, leaping into the air just as he neared the vehicle. Behind him, the drummer's eyes widened at the sight, a shudder coursing through his entire body. He raised both hands high overhead, then slammed them down with all the strength in his body! *Boom!* Accompanied by an eardrum-shattering boom of the drum, Chen Chuan's kick, carrying all the momentum of his charge, slammed brutally into the car door! With a deafening crash, the sedan slid sideways by more than half a meter, the door completely caved in from the blow. The sheer impact hurled Chou Huzi out of the driver's seat and onto the passenger side, plastering him against the window glass. The members of the Blood Mark Gang felt their eyelids twitch at the sight, yet quite a few erupted in ecstatic cheers. That single kick was an unadulterated release of pure power and violence, packed with visual impact that sent their adrenaline soaring. Chen Chuan withdrew his foot, rounded the hood to the other side, and yanked the handle. Chou Huzi tumbled out onto the ground. In sync with his actions, the drummer delivered a flurry of rapid beats, capping it off with a final thud right as Chou Huzi hit the dirt. Right then, an explosive crack rang out across the open ground. The slatted door of the old telephone booth went flying, and Wei Chang'an stepped out, rubbing his forehead with a distinctly menacing scowl. Fatty Guo grinned. "Out already, eh?" Wei Chang'an glared at him. "If Chou Huzi had slipped away today, Fatty Guo, you wouldn't have been able to take the fall." "Oh? Is that so?" Fatty Guo seemed entirely unbothered. Ignoring him, Wei Chang'an strode over and planted a foot onto Chou Huzi's shoulder. "Well? Still running? Run, go on, run! Where did you think you were going?" Chou Huzi panted heavily. "If... if Scarface hadn't been away, you wouldn't have caught me so easily." Wei Chang'an couldn't be bothered to waste words on him. Grabbing the man by the collar, he hauled him upright and said to Chen Chuan, "Junior, help me stuff him in the trunk. Put your luggage in the back seat." "All right," Chen Chuan agreed. The two returned to the sedan. Wei Chang'an popped the trunk, and Chen Chuan took out his suitcase to set it in the back seat, then cuffed Chou Huzi's hands behind his back with handcuffs prepared beforehand and shoved him inside. Wei Chang'an shut the trunk and locked it with a key. Chen Chuan asked from the side, "Who's this Scarface Chou Huzi just mentioned?" Wei Chang'an said, "Chou Huzi's former bodyguard. Supposedly, Chou Huzi saved his life with medicine, so he stuck around to work for him. The guy is capable—both a skilled fighter and a combat veteran. He knows his way around guns and cold weapons, and he might even have cybernetic implants. Those types are a real headache to deal with. But Scarface broke the law recently and got put on the wanted list, so his whereabouts are unknown right now." Walking around to the front, he pulled open the car door. "That has nothing to do with us. Once we hand Chou Huzi over to the constabulary, whether they interrogate him directly for leads on Fang Dawei's gang or make him cooperate in setting a trap, that'll all be the constabulary's business." The two got in one after another. As the doors slammed shut, Wei Chang'an cursed under his breath, "What a dump. I'm never coming back here again." The engine soon roared to life, and after jolting through the muddy pools a few more times, the car drove off. After they left, Fatty Guo felt a touch disappointed. Life around here was thoroughly boring; he had finally found some entertainment, only for it to end so soon. He said to the men beside him, "Go check on Zhai Wu. If he isn't dead, drag him up. Stubborn fool. Having him tail Chou Huzi was just for show—no one asked him to lay his life on the line. Doesn't he know who pays his wages?" A lackey walked over, inspected him, and said, "Boss, looks like Zhai Wu's about to breathe his last." "Seriously?" Fatty Guo's eyes widened. "He only blocked a few punches! And he's supposed to be an underground ring champion? Is he a fake? Physician Liu, go check him out." The man in the white coat beside him walked over. After an examination, he stated with certainty, "Organ failure caused by excessive exertion of jin. It's a common injury from clashing jin against an opponent head-on, overextending too much and taking backlash. Without high-grade medicine, he's crippled." "That bad?" Fatty Guo grumbled in annoyance. "Cripple Shan was still counting on him to rake in money in the ring. If he croaks, Shan's definitely going to shake me down for compensation. By the way, how come that kid looked totally fine?" Physician Liu said, "Either the young man's jin is above Zhai Wu's level, or he possesses innate natural talent. Look at that kick to the car earlier—the lad didn't suffer the slightest harm. With such tremendous strength and physical durability far surpassing normal men, he likely broke Zhai Wu down simply by enduring and overwhelming him with his physical frame." Fatty Guo cursed, "I thought he was a little lamb, but he turned out to be a ferocious tiger. Damn it, I'll take the loss this time. Go get him some medicine first."