Before Gao Liang could finish his sentence, Lin Feng suddenly shouted, "Shut up!"
As he yelled, he flung a handful of talisman papers into the air. Before they even touched the ground, they self-ignited, burning up completely in midair. The moment they were reduced to ash, the twenty-some Soul Husks standing in front of him simultaneously raised their heads—and then slowly began advancing toward me and Gao Liang.
Lin Feng then shouted to the people he had brought with him,"Whoever can take out Gao Liang—the Heavenly Principle Diagram in the Bureau is theirs!"
Just as he finished, Gao Liang cut in,"I'll ask on their behalf: what about your half of the Heavenly Principle Diagram?Without your copy to lead the way, the Bureau's Diagram is nothing but scrap paper."
Gao's words made the people around Lin Feng—who had been itching to move—halt. They turned their gazes to Lin Feng, waiting for his answer.
Lin Feng gritted his teeth and sweetened the pot.He pulled a piece of parchment from his coat and held it up for all to see. I recognized it at once—it was the same Heavenly Principle Diagram I'd seen in Xiao Sanda's memories. I hadn't expected that Lin Feng would actually be carrying something so crucial on his person.
Holding it high, Lin Feng shouted,"Whoever kills Gao Liang—regardless of whether they get the Bureau's copy or not—this Diagram in my hand is theirs!Also, they can pick whatever they want from the Bureau's collection!"
With those words, the fire in everyone's eyes flared. They began spreading out, using the Soul Husks as a vanguard, slowly encircling us. If it weren't for their fear of Yinbai, they'd have pounced already.
I raised my rifle, ready to shoot the ones at the front. But just before I pulled the trigger, Gao Liang suddenly pressed down on my barrel.
He leaned in and whispered,"Don't shoot yet. I'll tell you who to fire at—only then do it."
Seeing Lin Feng's group drawing closer, I muttered,"Then what about these people?"
Gao Liang flashed his signature fox-like grin and whispered,"Remember Bangchui?"
The moment the word left his lips, he suddenly transformed, letting out a strange chuckle and yelling to the air,"Bangchui! Run once you've got it!"
As soon as he shouted that, Lin Feng's face twisted. Clutching his chest, he looked around wildly.Behind him, someone who'd been moving forward like the rest was now marching in place, gradually falling behind the group.
Upon hearing Gao Liang's shout, that man suddenly turned and bolted in the opposite direction.
Lin Feng went berserk. Ignoring everyone else, he spun around and gave chase.His posture looked awkward—his left leg moved strangely.Clearly, Yinbai had torn some tendons during their earlier encounter.Even so, Lin Feng charged ahead with everything he had.
His men, unaware of what was going on, stood frozen—even the Soul Husks stopped advancing.Only then did Gao Liang and I allow ourselves to breathe again.
That fleeing man grew smaller in the distance.Just as he widened the gap with Lin Feng, his foot caught on something and he went flying sideways, crashing hard to the ground.
He was just about to get up when a black figure emerged from the shadows and stepped firmly on his chest.Looking at Lin Feng, the figure gave a dark chuckle and said,"You still underestimated Gao Liang, didn't you?"
Lin Feng didn't seem to notice the man in black.He dashed up to the fallen man and immediately began rifling through his clothes.Within seconds, he pulled out a piece of parchment—the same Heavenly Principle Diagram he'd just shown to everyone.
In my memory, Lin Feng had only had a fleeting contact with that man.To have stolen something like that in such a brief moment—this thief certainly had skills.
After taunting Lin Feng, the man in black turned and smiled at Gao Liang."Director Gao, it's been over two years. You haven't changed much, have you?"
As the shadows receded, his face became visible—it was none other than Hao Zhengyi.He was the same Hao I had fought alongside during my younger brother's wedding two years ago.Only now, he stood alone—his constant companion, the Crow, was nowhere to be seen.
The smile on Gao Liang's face vanished in an instant.He stared at Hao Zhengyi, the corners of his eyes twitching violently.
In his gaze, I saw something I'd never seen before from Gao Liang—fear.After all this time in the Bureau, this was my first time seeing him afraid.
Hao Zhengyi cannot be allowed to live.I didn't care about his connection to Hao Wenming anymore.I raised my rifle, prepared to end him then and there.
But before I could shoot, Gao Liang grabbed me and yanked me back four or five steps.I don't know what method he used, but even Yinbai—usually stubborn and hard to control—moved in close and stood by his side.
Gao Liang paid Hao Zhengyi no mind. As he pulled me back, he whispered,"We can't hold this place. When you see my signal, split up and run. Don't worry about anything else—just make it to the fifth sublevel and you'll be safe.Oh, and the lock to the fourth level entrance is sealed. Even Dragon Whiskers can't open it. Just use the short blade to pry it open."
Even when Lin Feng brought all his men and Soul Husks bearing down on us, Gao Liang had still been grinning, calm as ever. But ever since Hao Zhengyi appeared, he'd completely shifted.Back during the Ghost Train incident over two years ago, Gao Liang had seen Hao Zhengyi too, but not even then had he looked like this.
I couldn't make sense of it."You're serious? You've got aces you haven't played yet, don't you?"
"If it weren't for Hao Zhengyi, I could've wiped out ninety percent of Lin Feng's crew." Gao Liang's face contorted slightly as he sighed and explained,"Hao Zhengyi knows every trick in this place. When he was still in the Bureau, I worked with him to plan for scenarios just like this.There's nothing I didn't tell him."
His gaze turned toward Hao Zhengyi, who was still smiling at him."I treated him like a son… now he's treating me like a fool."
As he spoke, Gao Liang pulled a small, blackened, grass-streaked medicinal cake from his coat.He broke it into pieces and began feeding it bit by bit to Yinbai.At first the wolf seemed hesitant, but after sniffing the scent, it devoured the rest without pause.
"Director Gao, this place isn't that big. Where do you think you're going to run?"Seeing Gao still ignoring him, Hao Zhengyi called again."Oh, by the way—those sprinkler heads in the ceiling? I already drained the Gu poison water.The ventilation system? Jammed. Your Lost-Soul Gas can't get in anymore.That Ninefold Death Array you modeled—I scratched out its core just now, so that's shot too.And your so-called safe room? Pretty slapdash work, if I'm being honest. The runework was sloppy, so I wiped those off too.Once today's over, I'll help you redraw them—properly this time."
Hao Zhengyi's grin widened.He paused a beat, then added,"As Wenming once said, no offense, but after all these years… you haven't changed a damn thing in here. It's too easy. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed."
"You want difficulty, huh? Heh…"
Gao Liang let out a cold chuckle and said slowly,"Let's see if you can handle it."
The moment he spoke, Yinbai let out a long, piercing howl.Its white fur shimmered and became almost transparent.Then came another howl—louder, sharper—followed by a burst of motion as Yinbai launched forward.Just as it left the ground, it vanished into thin air.
In the very next instant, the nearest Soul Husks collapsed one after another, falling backward without warning.Then, chaos.
Soul Husks and Lin Feng's men tangled in a mass of screaming and panic.
"Now! Run!" Gao Liang shouted.
Even before the words left his mouth, he'd already bolted, charging down the path Yinbai had cleared.Whatever Gao had fed Yinbai—its effects were monstrous.
Though we couldn't see the wolf's form, its path was clear.Shrieks and groans echoed as people and Soul Husks crumpled, clawed and torn open.The wounds sizzled and smoked, yellow fumes billowing from the flesh as if they'd been splashed with acid.In mere seconds, many of the bodies were half-melted, twitching on the ground.
It couldn't have been more than ten seconds.No one in that line was left standing.And yet every one of them had been wearing talisman pouches filled with Ashes of the Guardian Buddha.
Even Lin Feng and Hao Zhengyi, standing at the far end of the line, paled.Both of them were forced to veer aside, unable to face Yinbai's wrath head-on.
Though we were supposed to split up, there was no other route—only the trail of carnage Yinbai carved.I followed Gao Liang without hesitation.
No one dared approach us head-on—but some fools still tried their luck from the flanks.They didn't dare touch Yinbai, so they turned their attention to us instead.
After avoiding Yinbai's charge, Lin Feng shouted something in a foreign tongue.It wasn't English—I couldn't understand a word.But the moment he spoke, Gao Liang's body jolted unnaturally.
Immediately, Gao shouted to me,"Shoot that foreigner with the gun!"
I looked up and spotted the bastard who'd shot me in the throat before.Head wrapped in bandages, he was crouched behind a Soul Husk, aiming at Gao Liang.I raised my rifle—but it was too late.
"Bang!"
The foreigner fired.He didn't even check if he hit—he ducked back behind the Soul Husk right away.From where I stood, I had no shot.
Gao Liang dropped to the ground like a sack of stones.
I froze, stunned, but just as I was about to break cover and charge the bastard,Gao Liang suddenly rolled to his feet and kept running like nothing had happened.
The foreigner blinked in shock.Then, seeing the bullet hole in the back of Gao Liang's coat, he realized: armor.Some kind of bulletproof vest.
As he raised his gun to shoot again, I was already on him.
"Bang!"My first shot hit the barrel of his gun, knocking him off balance.His head jerked out from behind the Soul Husk—"Bang!"
My second shot caught him right in the temple.His brains splattered across the floor.
That shut down any other opportunists fast.
Gao Liang had almost cleared Lin Feng's perimeter.Once past Lin Feng and Hao Zhengyi, there'd be no one left to stop him—only stragglers in pursuit.
But just then, Hao Zhengyi suddenly reached out and ripped the Buddha Ash pouch from around Lin Feng's neck.
Before Lin Feng could even react, Hao tore it open and poured the ash into his palm—then charged straight toward Gao Liang.
A shrill screech rang out.A tearing cry of pain.
Three or four meters in front of Gao Liang, Yinbai's body suddenly appeared.It thrashed violently, rolling across the ground.The fur from its upper torso had been burned away—half its neck and head exposed raw flesh.
As soon as Yinbai appeared injured, Gao Liang fired at Hao Zhengyi.
But Lin Feng leapt in the way, taking the shot himself.The bullet left a dent—but did no real damage.Nothing can hurt that monster's undying body.
Hiding behind Lin Feng, Hao Zhengyi grinned and jeered:"Director Gao… any more cards up your sleeve?"