Rain poured down in sheets.
Liu Yan drove her blade down again and again, delivering finishing blows to every last pursuer—even the Hundred-Breaker martial master kneeling in the mud—refusing to leave anything to chance.
This came from experience.
On the battlefield, failing to make sure of a kill had led to countless reversals. And with the rise of the supernatural, there were abilities so bizarre that some could even stop their own hearts. At times, when dealing with supernaturals, one wished they could burn every last trace to ash.
The coup de grâce was done.
Liu Yan was unhurt, aside from a few scratches from charging forward too recklessly earlier and getting caught in the fringes of the blast. Those could hardly be called wounds.
She looked at Li Hao as though seeing him for the first time.
During their clash with Zhou He, Li Hao had already shown an exceptionally cold-blooded, calculating side. But this time, they had been at a distinct disadvantage, backed into a corner.
Under such circumstances, this young man—who had only just stepped into the Ten-Slayer realm—had actually dared to engineer a counter-slaughter.
And... he had succeeded!
Had that Hundred-Breaker martial master not grown careless and looked down on Li Hao, all three of them fighting together would have most likely been pulverized by the man.
Chen Jian looked just as dazed. He was injured.
He had been guarding the rear earlier, and the martial masters had guns. He had taken hits, but thanks to his thick hide, the bullets had only struck his back and buttocks. He casually pried the slugs out with his fingers as if immune to the pain, staring at Li Hao all the while.
Both of them were thoroughly convinced now!
Li Hao, meanwhile, stared at the corpses, lost in thought.
After a moment, he looked up at the two. "Do we have any grenades left?"
He had thrown everything he carried.
"To set a trap?"
Liu Yan shook her head. "Anyone with enough experience won't casually inspect the bodies. They're all martial masters, seasoned veterans. They only slipped up this time because they underestimated you..."
Li Hao smiled faintly. He had originally thought about whether they could ambush a supernatural.
On second thought, though... supernaturals would be even more vigilant and possessed diverse abilities. Grenades would likely fail to kill them and only waste an opportunity.
"Then shouldn't we bury them?"
Buying even a little time was worthwhile. If an entire squad of martial masters was found dead, the priority placed on hunting Li Hao and the others would skyrocket.
Li Hao did not need to elaborate.
Having finished off the wounded, Liu Yan was already dragging bodies toward the crater blasted open by the grenades earlier.
Chen Jian joined in to help.
Evidently, neither of them was doing this for the first time.
Li Hao stepped forward to assist. Working quickly, the three hoisted the corpses into the pit. While he was at it, Li Hao slipped a dagger from the Hundred-Breaker martial master's robes. He had realized that going bare-handed sometimes left him at a disadvantage.
With a blade in hand, one only had to look at Liu Yan to see the difference—even a martial master's throat was made of mortal flesh and blood, easily slit open by cold steel!
As for the rest of the belongings, none of them touched anything.
If they survived, they could come back for them.
If they died... taking anything now was pointless.
A full ten martial masters lay there. Even if only one was a Hundred-Breaker, they surely carried some valuables, but none of the trio had the patience or time to search them.
The heavy rain worked in their favor.
Blood was swiftly washed away, and their footprints dissolved into the mud almost instantly.
Once the corpses were all dumped into the pit, rainwater rapidly filled it to the brim. To an unsuspecting eye, it looked like nothing more than a roadside puddle. Being so close to the outskirts, a pool of water here seemed entirely ordinary.
Liu Yan and Chen Jian worked in silence.
Through the darkness, aided by the faint moonlight, they could barely make out one another's silhouettes.
Even rain this torrential failed to blot out the crescent moon overhead.
It hung in the sky, desolate and cold!
Once they finished cleaning up, Liu Yan rose and gestured. Chen Jian fell in behind her, and Li Hao followed suit as the three continued forward along the muddy road.
Liu Yan spoke as she ran: "Head for the rendezvous point—the warehouse at the foot of Tianwang Mountain!"
"They know we're going to plant explosives..." Li Hao warned. They definitely knew.
Without a doubt!
Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried so hard to intercept them on their way out of the city.
"Don't worry!"
Liu Yan seemed willing to share some details with Li Hao now. Washed by the rain, her eyes were cold, yet she offered him a slight smile. "The boss isn't so easily figured out! Still, you might as well know a thing or two. Just remember this: once we reach that place, we'll have the means to withstand the supernatural!"
*Withstand the supernatural?*
Li Hao did not understand the details, but he could tell Liu Long had made additional preparations.
This captain of the Law Enforcement Team who held down Silver City was more capable than Li Hao had imagined.
Though no one knew where he was or whether he had run into trouble... as long as his corpse hadn't been found, none of them would believe he was dead.
"Pick up the pace! We need to get there before they realize what happened! In their minds, that squad of martial masters was more than enough to capture us!"
"Right!"
The three dashed through the dark.
Chen Jian was the slowest, trailing even slightly behind Li Hao.
After all, he had taken bullet wounds that were still bleeding. After running for a while, Chen Jian whispered, "You two go ahead. I'll cover the rear! I'll lie in ambush here, and if anyone catches up, I'll take them down with me!"
He was too slow, slower even than Li Hao. Dragging this out would only hold Liu Yan and Li Hao back.
Better to stand and fight!
As for running away... he had never entertained the thought.
The Demon Hunting Squad's mission was not yet complete. Leaving now would make him a deserter.
Just then, Li Hao tapped his own head, reached out, and grabbed Chen Jian. A stream of warmth surged into the big man, making him startle slightly.
"Don't mind it. A special inner force passed down by my teacher!"
Chen Jian was bewildered, but he held his tongue.
He could immediately feel the benefits of this energy. In an instant, the pain in his wounds vanished, and the vast reserves of inner force he had burned through began rapidly replenishing.
Li Hao had secrets.
Naturally, Chen Jian didn't pry, nor did he have the mind to. Color returned to his cheeks, and excitement flared within him.
This meant he could keep running!
With his inner force recovering and his bleeding staunchly halted, the fatigue that had weighed him down disappeared, replaced by a sudden surge of vigor.
Up ahead, Liu Yan didn't say a word. She reached back, seized Li Hao's hand, and pulled him along as she sprinted. "Give me some too, before I burn out!"
Sustaining such a high-speed sprint without any replenishment was more than she could afford.
As for finding a vehicle... in the dead of night near the outskirts, even if they could find one, it would be far too conspicuous a target.
Without hesitation, Li Hao held Liu Yan with one hand and the heavy-set Chen Jian with the other.
The three formed a single line with Li Hao in the middle, nearly pulled apart by the two of them as he channeled starlight energy into both.
Now was no time to be overly cautious.
If this mission failed, they were all dead.
If they survived, they were comrades who had walked through fire together. It was just starlight energy; whatever excuse Li Hao gave, they could believe it or not as they pleased.
With his mind freed up, Li Hao suddenly asked, "Is the boss truly unable to advance to the supernatural, or does he choose not to?"
"He can't!" Liu Yan replied as she led the way. "Who in their right mind would refuse to advance? Don't overthink it! But he did have the chance once. Unlike Yuan Shuo, the Night Watchers were willing to give him multiple opportunities. The only catch was that after advancing, he had to remain in White Moon City to guard it. If the boss advances, he'll likely become a Solar Radiance entity. And because his breakthrough requires immense resources, the Night Watchers needed his service in return... But the boss refused, so he left the Night Watchers on his own and came back here!"
"The provincial authorities want to contract their defensive perimeter. Several cities, including Silver City, are slated to be abandoned and their populations evacuated. The Night Watchers' plan is to concede certain cities and populations to other supernatural organizations, formally recognizing their rule!"
Li Hao froze.
*Recognize them?*
*What did that mean?*
As she ran, Liu Yan explained in a low voice: "The supernatural organizations are lawless right now partly because no one knows where their bases are, how many members they have, or just how strong they really are."
"Conceding a few cities—or even an entire province if necessary—allows them to establish nations! First, once they have stakes in the game, they'll think twice before slaughtering ordinary people. Second, with fixed headquarters, targeted strikes become far easier. Third, once they have nations, powerful city-destroying weapons can actually be brought to bear against them, unlike now, when supernaturals come and go as they please..."
Li Hao considered it, his eyes lighting up. That was actually a brilliant idea!
Put that way, it made strategic sense.
The supernatural organizations were unruly precisely because of their secrecy and lack of roots. Once they were tied to a country, they would find themselves bound.
If they acted with reckless abandon then, heavy artillery and city-destroying weapons could wipe them out...
The Night Watchers had devised a sound strategy!
Just as the thought crossed Li Hao's mind, Liu Yan added, "This is an inevitable trend, impossible to stop! The strategy is sound, and the plan makes sense. The boss and I have neither the power nor the right to resist it... Overall, it favors social stability and pins down those volatile elements."
"However, Li Hao, remember this... A nation requires a population. Where does that population come from? The current government was built by ordinary people, so they care, and they're willing to protect them... Do you think the supernaturals in those organizations care? Do you think they know how to govern? So whichever city is abandoned, whoever is left behind... essentially, those people have been discarded!"
What would become of those living under the rule of a supernatural organization?
No one knew!
Perhaps they would live comfortably, or perhaps they would endure a living hell. The future was an unknown, and it was profoundly unfair to those left behind.
Yet... what choice was there?
Everything Liu Long did was to prevent Silver City from becoming one of those discarded cities. Because Silver City sat on the edge of the province, held little strategic value, and had a small population, discarding it... was considered cost-effective.
Trading it to tie down supernatural organizations seemed, on paper, to bring more benefits than harm.
Yet Liu Long refused.
Thus, he preferred to return, hunt supernaturals on his own, and slowly claw his way toward an advancement. Only then might he preserve Silver City from abandonment. Once discarded, the entire city would fall under supernatural jurisdiction.
And if war ever broke out, Silver City would become the authorities' threat against the supernatural organizations—city-destroying weapons might very well rain down on Silver City itself.
Li Hao was not yet fully equipped to see through all of this.
Yet the upper echelons of Silver City, such as the Inspecting Commissioners of the Night Watchers, saw it with absolute clarity.
The formation of the Demon Hunting Squad was tied to these very stakes.
As Li Hao mulled over her words, Liu Yan fell silent. The three maintained a rapid pace, keeping their movements subtle as they slipped through the rainy night.
They were still over a dozen kilometers from the rendezvous point.
Even for martial masters, covering that distance in this weather would take time.
***
Silver City Ancient Academy.
Yuan Shuo let out a breath and stood up. Walking to the doorway, he gazed out into the night and suddenly said, "I wonder if that student of mine is still alive!"
Hu Hao remained silent.
Li Meng was as sharp-tongued as ever: "He might be dead. Why don't we go out and check? I doubt these people dare kill Night Watchers. If he really is dead, at least we can collect his corpse. And if the enemy happens to be weak, maybe we can pick off a few to score some easy credit..."
Her words sounded harsh.
Yet upon hearing the latter half, Yuan Shuo decided not to hold them against her.
A green girl with little tact.
Still, she possessed a hot-blooded resolve that hadn't yet been snuffed out, willing to step forth and kill a few enemies...
Perhaps the Night Watchers truly needed a contingent of such hot-blooded supernaturals—those who didn't overthink or hesitate, only looking for a chance to strike down a few foes and establish their authority. It was no bad thing.
Someone like Hu Hao thought far too much compared to Li Meng, which was why he kept quiet; he had too many reservations.
Just then, a voice buzzed in Hu Hao's ear. After listening for a moment, he let out a heavy sigh: "Liu Long... can't hold out much longer!"
Yuan Shuo turned his gaze upon him.
The Night Watchers possessed a formidable intelligence network. Yuan Shuo might not know everything happening in the city, but the Night Watchers certainly would, given that the Inspectorate fell under their jurisdiction as well.
"Liu Long rallied his old comrades and killed three supernaturals, all at the Lunar Nether level! But this time... the supernatural organization sent far more people. Several supernaturals are hunting Liu Long down right now... Liu Long won't last!"
Hu Hao trailed off into silence.
The captain of the Inspectorate's Law Enforcement Team!
In a sense, they belonged to the same overarching system. Yet... he was powerless right now. Only he and Li Meng were stationed here. Staying put ensured their survival; venturing out likely meant walking into their own graves!
Yuan Shuo fell silent as well.
*Liu Long can't hold out much longer?*
*Do I... make my move now?*
He drew a deep breath and stepped outside. To hell with it. That kid Liu Long was stubborn and foolish, but over the years, he had sacrificed a great deal for Silver City. Even if Yuan Shuo viewed those sacrifices as futile, one could not erase the man's contributions!
Liu Long was someone he had to save!
***
Within the city.
Liu Long was fleeing.
Behind him, supernaturals gave chase—more than one.
Several Red Shadows repeatedly invaded his body. Liu Long's face was deathly pale, his strength waning.
His blood boiled over and over, each surge an act of mutual destruction.
Those incorporeal things were far more troublesome than the supernaturals themselves.
*Damn it! What in the world are they?*
They couldn't be killed or eradicated. Even boiling the blood of a Hundred-Breaker only expelled them; it couldn't destroy them.
Right now, Liu Long had no room for other thoughts.
*To the outskirts! If I make it there, there might still be a chance. If I can't... I have to pin these people down. As long as Liu Yan arrives, that counts as a success.*
With his Hundred-Breaker body, slaying three Lunar Nether supernaturals tonight was already well worth it.
Just as Liu Long braced himself for a fight to the death, the earth ahead violently trembled. The earth-tunneler from Ghost Face had circled ahead and blocked his path.
Liu Long's expression turned grim.
He didn't care. Fight, then!
Yet just as he readied himself for a bloody last stand, a gunshot rang out!
That single shot sounded like a signal!
In that very instant, an eruption of countless gunshots shattered the night!
Far off in the darkness, atop a high building, a middle-aged man in an inspector's uniform looked down, clutching a firearm.
The man was slightly plump. On his epaulets rested three small sword-shaped insignias.
A One-Star Inspector, a Two-Star Inspecting Commissioner, and a Three-Star City Inspecting Commissioner.
Li Hao was a One-Star; even as a First-Class Inspector, he held only one star.
Liu Yan and Liu Long were both Two-Star Inspecting Commissioners.
In Silver City, only a single person held the rank of Three-Star City Inspecting Commissioner—the head of the entire city, Director of the Inspectorate, a truly prominent figure. At this moment, the Director of the Inspectorate had arrived!
The very director who had ordered Liu Long to abandon Li Hao was here.
Standing atop the high-rise, he had fired the opening shot.
Down in the city, through the downpour, the synchronized thud of marching boots resounded.
An organized military force!
The Inspectorate!
With Liu Long backed into a corner, the Inspectorate had mobilized.
"Silver City is restricted territory! Supernaturals are forbidden to enter! Violators will be executed on the spot!"
"Ruffians assault our city, and the Inspectorate will brook no delay in its duty! Citizens of Silver City, chaos has erupted tonight. Bar your doors and shutter your windows! Report all damages to the Inspectorate once the unrest is quelled!"
Atop the building, the Director of the Inspectorate strained his voice in a roaring proclamation that echoed across the district!
The next instant, ten thousand barrels fired in unison!
Below, squads of elite inspectors opened fire on those unfathomable powerhouses!
Some flew through the air, some burrowed through the earth, some blazed with fire, and some crackled with lightning...
*Yet we are the Inspectorate!*
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Volley after volley broke the dead silence.
Tonight, Silver City would not sleep!
High in the air, a Ghost Face supernatural roared in fury: "Silver City Inspectorate! You are mere mortals, yet you dare attack supernaturals? Does Silver City wish for annihilation tonight?"
With that, he soared toward the high-rise.
*Seize that fat bastard!*
*Madmen!*
How could the Inspectorate of a tiny place like Silver City dare mobilize in full force? Under that sweeping hail of bullets, a supernatural had actually been shredded to death. They had never anticipated the Silver City Inspectorate daring to make a move.
This was a war of supernaturals!
Though the Inspectorate possessed firearms, once the invaders adapted and unleashed their Red Shadows, who knew how many ordinary inspectors would die tonight?
Had the Inspectorate lost its mind?
"Annihilate us?"
Atop the roof, the plump man laughed.
"What arrogant drivel!"
The next moment, he kicked off the ground and launched himself into the air. Drawing a long saber from his back, propelled by the force of his leap, he hurtled forward and slashed toward the incoming supernatural!
"Remember my name! The one who slays you is Mu Sen of the Silver City Inspectorate!"
This plump man was none other than the head of the Inspectorate. Many knew the previous director had been an expert, reputedly impervious to blades and bullets.
Yet few knew that the current director was formidable in his own right.
At this moment, Mu Sen took to the air, unleashing a ferocious slash!
The flying supernatural's expression shifted slightly. He thrust a palm forward, sweeping mysterious energy into a strike that carried the terrifying might of a peak Lunar Nether powerhouse!
Indeed, this flying supernatural was exceptionally strong!
He was no weaker than Liu Long and possessed the ability to fly; the bloody gash on Liu Long's back had been dealt by him.
Had Liu Long not known the terrain intimately and evaded continuously, he would have been slain by this man long ago.
Yet the plump Mu Sen held nothing back. As his blade struck, a thunderous boom erupted. His inner force surged and his bones chimed together; the slash tore through the falling rain and detonated the mysterious energy head-on!
In that very instant, Mu Sen bellowed, "Fire!"
*Boom!*
An artillery shell shot straight into the sky, exploding near the plump director!
*Rumble!*
The detonation shattered Silver City's dark night, reflecting off the void and illuminating the surroundings. The flying powerhouse was caught in the shockwave. His mysterious energy shattered instantly, and faltering in midair, he began to plummet.
"Bastard!" the man roared, glaring at Mu Sen, who was also falling. Mu Sen's strike had merely been intended to pin him down for a fraction of a second so the artillery shell could disrupt his balance and drag him down to a ground battle!
He forced his body to stabilize, mysterious energy bursting forth once more.
He wanted to prove to Mu Sen that it was wishful thinking.
A supernatural was a supernatural!
Flying through the sky and burrowing through the earth, omnipotent and beyond the reach of martial masters. You cannot hover, but I can!
Right at that moment—
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
A hundred-man squad poured out from the surrounding buildings below, opening fire indiscriminately.
A scattered few bullets were manageable, but against a volley of a hundred rifles firing as one, even a supernatural could not easily evade. Moreover, Mu Sen, plummeting toward the ground, actually took a bullet head-on; using the impact of the round, he halted his descent, vaulted back into the air, and brought his blade crashing down!
"Get down here!" Mu Sen sneered coldly. "Fly that high, and I'll blast your balls off!"
*Boom!*
Supernatural power and martial arts collided once more!
This time, neither could keep their footing, and both crashed downward.
Terror finally crept into the Ghost Face flyer's heart.
Once he hit the ground, surrounded by a hundred riflemen, he would be turned into a sieve. A Lunar Nether was only on par with a Hundred-Breaker, and that Hundred-Breaker measure didn't account for modern firearms. Faced with a hundred armed men, even he could not escape unscathed!
"Mu Sen!" the man roared.
From the distance, a supernatural ally's chilled voice echoed through the rain: "Mu Sen, if you dare kill him, Silver City will be buried with him!"
*Rumble!*
Lightning erupted in the distance, blasting away the corner of a residential building. Cracks tore through the walls, accompanied by the terrified screams of citizens.
Seeing that the flying Ghost Face was in mortal peril, that ally had no choice but to threaten Silver City's civilians.
"Order the Inspectorate to pull back, or else... We are all supernaturals. If we scatter into hiding and launch surprise attacks from the shadows, how will your Silver City respond?"
The voice rang out once more.
Mu Sen looked down at the flying supernatural about to hit the ground, then turned his gaze toward the distance, a flicker of agony crossing his eyes.
This was the tragedy of the Inspectorate!
They had the strength to fight, but... supernaturals vastly surpassed ordinary mortals. Once they fled into the shadows and firearms lost their utility, the carnage they could inflict on civilians was unimaginable!
Such things had happened before.
Otherwise, the Inspectorate would not have been so wary, terrified of pushing these supernaturals into a corner where they would drag everyone down with them!
The enemy had no qualms, no restraints!
*Yet we... have everything to protect!*
Mu Sen sighed inwardly. He had no other choice. Just as he had told Liu Long, was it better to protect one person, or to protect an entire city? Others could act on impulse, but a leader could not.
*Liu Long, this is as much as I can do for you!*
"Get out of Silver City, or we fight to the bitter end!" Mu Sen roared. "If you don't withdraw today, twelve hundred rifles and thirty artillery pieces of the Inspectorate will fight you to the last breath! Get out! If you want to fight, take it outside the city! If a single citizen dies in the city, it makes no difference whether ten die or a hundred... Don't force us into mutual destruction!"
"Director Mu, we will naturally withdraw!" the distant voice scoffed. "We had no intention of tangling with you in the first place. Liu Long overestimated himself and dared to ambush and kill three of our supernaturals... His death is the only thing that can quell our wrath. I imagine Director Mu would not care to see otherwise!"
By this point, Liu Long had already fled.
The moment the Inspectorate arrived and a volley of gunfire tore the earth-tunneler into a sieve, Liu Long had run, moving with incredible speed.
He knew Mu Sen could not afford to be reckless.
A single eruption was already enough to make him look at the fat director with newfound respect; it was the absolute limit of what the man could do. Now far in the distance, Liu Long burst into laughter: "Mu Sen, I'll head out of the city first. Guard it well! Tonight, I, Liu Long, take off my hat to you. If we get the chance, let's share a drink another day!"
With those parting words, he leaped and sprinted toward the northern outskirts.
Of the seven supernaturals, one had been shredded by gunfire. The flying supernatural was currently surrounded by a hundred inspectors, while the others either pursued Liu Long or kept a wary eye on Mu Sen.
*Release the flying supernatural! Otherwise, they would not leave!*
As for the one who had died... that debt would be settled by their organization later. They had received no orders to massacre the city tonight and harbored their own reservations, not daring to escalate rashly. Provoking a full-scale intervention from the Night Watchers would only lead to mutual destruction.
Mu Sen landed heavily, splashing muddy water everywhere.
Rubbing his backside, he stood up and glared at the flying supernatural who had tumbled to the ground not far away. Killing intent burned in his eyes; he truly wanted to butcher this man.
Had they not caught him off guard, this bastard would have been exceedingly difficult to bring down!
Right now was the golden opportunity.
Otherwise, with a flying supernatural on the loose, Liu Long would have nowhere to hide.
The ability of flight was terrifying.
Tracking, locking on, pursuing, evading...
*Kill him or not?*
If he did, what if the other supernaturals launched a slaughter?
"Clear a path. Let him go!"
In the end, Mu Sen yielded.
Silver City... was a city he had to protect!
Retaliation from the Night Watchers after the fact would be meaningless. If Silver City suffered catastrophic casualties tonight, even if the Night Watchers slaughtered the enemy down to the last man, it would not undo the loss.
Surrounded by inspectors, the supernatural curled his lips into a sneer beneath his ghost mask.
A faint chuckle slipped from his lips.
Moments ago, he had thought he was a dead man. But now... mortals truly were mortals, bound by too many fears to dare end his life!
Once this mission was over... just wait!
It wasn't convenient to deal with this fat bastard today, but once they captured Li Hao, he would settle the score with Mu Sen.
"Director!" the surrounding inspectors called out in outrage.
*Let him go?*
This man posed too great a threat! Some among them had been watching from the shadows all night, knowing full well that this flying supernatural was the greatest danger to Captain Liu Long!
Having finally grounded him after so much effort, were they really going to let him walk?
Though Liu Long had escaped for now, how far could he get?
With this flyer around, Liu Long would be overtaken in no time!
"Let him go!"
Mu Sen was irritated and furious. He understood their anger, but his hands were tied.
Those other supernaturals refused to leave, and the lightning-wielder was lurking somewhere in the shadows, ready at any second to unleash a strike, shatter buildings, and kill civilians.
Pinning them down in this darkness was nearly impossible.
The casualties would be horrific. He could not forsake the people of Silver City for the sake of Liu Long and a handful of others.
"Director Mu, farewell!"
The flying supernatural let out a mocking laugh, lifted into the air, and prepared to leave!
So what if a hundred rifles were pointed at him?
He wasn't alone!
This was the advantage of having a squad. Had he been on his own, he would have met his end today. But his allies were deterring the Inspectorate, keeping the inspectors from laying a finger on him.
Yet the very moment he took flight, a figure burst upward like a streak of lightning, throwing a thunderous punch!
The blow resonated like a clap of thunder!
*Boom!*
Midair, the man detonated into pieces, severed limbs and gore raining across the street!
"Aahh!" screams tore through the night as hidden onlookers shrieked in horror.
In the air, the white-haired Yuan Shuo vaulted from the ground, having pulverized the flying supernatural with a single strike. Blood trickled from his lips, his expression cold and mocking. "This old man fears nothing! I'm already one foot in the grave; taking one more beast down before I die makes it well worth it!"
With a long saber strapped to his back, Yuan Shuo stepped across the surrounding rooftops, dashing through the rainy night in pursuit of Liu Long. His laughter echoed through the rain: "Boy of the Liu family, with disaster upon you, this old man has come to your rescue! Across the territory of Silver City, few can claim to be Hundred-Breakers. If you dare fight, I have no reason to cower!"
"Yuan Shuo!"
Only then did a furious roar rip through the city.
The lightning supernatural was incensed.
He had never expected Yuan Shuo to intervene at this moment!
Two dead!
Counting the three killed earlier, half their team had been wiped out in the blink of an eye!
"Damn it!"
"After them!"
Several silhouettes immediately gave chase, seething with rage. Yuan Shuo was on the brink of death, yet he dared step forth to kill. These Silver City martial artists were far too audacious!
In the distance, Hu Hao and Li Meng wore complicated expressions.
*So fast!*
In the blink of an eye, Yuan Shuo had dashed across the air like a soaring bird, leaping skyward to shatter that Lunar Nether with a single punch!
Wasn't... wasn't the old man on his deathbed?
Who would have thought he still possessed such combat prowess!
The next instant, their faces fell. What now?
Things were getting messy!
Should they follow or not?
If they didn't and Yuan Shuo died, they couldn't answer to their superiors. But if they did... would it trigger a full-scale clash between the Night Watchers and the opposing organization?
As they hesitated, Mu Sen spotted them from afar and sneered coldly, "If you aren't following, are you staying for a midnight snack? If you don't dare make a move lightly, do you think they dare? If it comes to an all-out fight with the Night Watchers, are they guaranteed to win? Fools!"
Both blushed with embarrassment!
They had just been cursed out!
"Let's go!"
Hu Hao, who could also fly, seized Li Meng and soared toward the distance.
Just as Mu Sen said, they hesitated to strike, but the enemy wouldn't dare strike at them either. Igniting a war between two major factions was a responsibility neither side could shoulder.
"Director!"
An inspector looked toward Mu Sen with lingering indignation. Were they really just letting those people go?
Though Yuan Shuo had killed the flying supernatural, it hadn't been their doing. Resentment still burned within them!
Watching helplessly as those people chased after their Law Enforcement Captain left everyone furious!
They had the numbers and the guns. It had been proven that with enough firepower, those supernaturals... could be killed all the same!
Mu Sen waved his hand, his spirit spent.
Looking into the distance, he let out a self-deprecating sigh and trudged wearily toward the Inspectorate.
It was over.
*Liu Long, you're probably finished. I can sense it—a far more intense pulse of mysterious energy is fluctuating out there. A powerhouse of the Solar Radiance level might have arrived!*
"Fire a salute!"
As he walked, Mu Sen roared at the top of his lungs: "Remember today's disgrace! Remember: supernaturals are forbidden in the city! Should the day come when supernaturals dare march in, the sons of Silver City will fight to the last drop of blood! We will never tolerate your arrogance!"
It was a threat, but also an admission of helplessness.
All he could do was shout a few words to vent the suffocating frustration in his chest.
The Director of the Inspectorate felt a profound sorrow in this moment. The head of an entire city, cowed by a few supernaturals into letting murderers walk... It was infuriating beyond measure!
A moment later, Mu Sen arrived on a street. Gripping his long saber, he looked at several bound individuals detained along the way. Without a word, he swung his blade, executing them one by one!
He seemed deaf to their wailing!
He seemed blind to the spurting blood, numbly decapitating them in succession until over a dozen heads rolled. His voice was freezing cold: "Liu Long might let it slide, but I won't! I can't kill supernaturals today, but slaughtering traitors like you is child's play! You forgot whose territory this is, daring to sell your lives to those bastards right under my nose!"
With heads littering the ground, Mu Sen finally vented some of his fury. He looked into the distance, eyes tinged with helplessness.
And a faint glimmer of anticipation.
*Did Wang Ming and the man backing him head out?*
He hoped the Night Watchers would pull their weight this time. If they didn't stand tall soon, enemies would be walking all over them.
The other side had actually sent a Solar Radiance entity!
Could anyone even deal with that?
As for Liu Long... hopefully, he would make it out alive!
The chubby, usually affable director stepped over the corpses, wiping the blood from his boots against the ground, cold-blooded to the core. Shaking his head as he walked, he muttered, "Why did Yuan Shuo have to join the fray? That old man has one foot in the grave already, yet he insists on meddling. Once tonight's battle ends, even if the supernaturals don't kill him, he probably won't survive his own injuries!"
*"When I step beyond the mortal realm, I dare reshape the sun and moon!"*
Through the rainy night, the chubby Mu Sen hummed a jaunty tune as if the carnage had already faded away, his round face masked in carefree nonchalance.
Reaching the cathedral from earlier, he waved a hand. Several men immediately rushed inside carrying various instruments, swiftly gathering the mysterious energy left by the fallen supernaturals.
"Brother Liu, if you survive, I'll return it to you. If you die... it's mine. I need it too!"
Mu Sen sighed, then chuckled softly.
*If you die, I'll take it. Once I step into the supernatural, I'll avenge you!*
*Silver City doesn't belong to you alone, Liu Long. Don't go thinking you're irreplaceable. Without my covert support, where the hell do you think you got all those weapons and munitions? Where do you think you found so many fearless men willing to join your Demon Hunting Squad?!*
Turning once more toward the northern outskirts, the smile lingered on Mu Sen's face, yet beneath it lay pure, chilling murderous intent.
*Those Ghost Face bastards... I'll remember every last one of them!*
Chapter 39