BEEP BEEP BEEP!
At dusk in District Two, the honking of traffic and the chatter of pedestrians mingled into a clamor.
People lined up for tables outside restaurants, and nurous cars were parked in front of clothing stores and supermarkets.
And yet, in the midst of this scene...
Lu Chao and the man in the mask locked eyes, and for a mont, the world seed to fall silent.
’Why is he here?’
’Does he have accomplices?’
’Is this about what happened last ti, or have they been targeting all along?’
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lu Chao remained unnaturally calm.
’The Patrol Departnt station isn’t far down the street. If he makes a move right here...’
Then, in an instant, the masked man abruptly turned and headed back the way he ca, against the flow of people.
His figure moved farther and farther from the Patrol Departnt. He appeared to be walking normally, but he was surprisingly fast.
Lu Chao’s brow furrowed slightly, and he quickly decided to follow.
’The God-Worshiping Church case would be a major accomplishnt. Plus, it’s clear they’re targeting now.’
But before he did...
He casually tapped his watch, sending a ssage to Yang Wangtao and sharing his location—just in case.
TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP!
The two n were now on opposite sides of the street, both moving against the flow of pedestrians.
One ter, five ters, ten ters...
Lu Chao gradually picked up his pace, then broke into a sprint. Seizing a gap in traffic, he dashed across the road, charging straight at his target.
SWOOSH!
However, it was as if the man had anticipated it.
He suddenly spun around and ducked left at a street corner.
TAP, TAP, TAP, TAP!!
In an instant, both n dropped all pretense.
Lu Chao gave chase at full speed, but his opponent was just as fast.
Within monts, they had left District Two far behind and arrived near an abandoned, unfinished building.
The bare, gray structure stood skeletal, its concrete walls and thick rebar beams exposed.
There was no one else around. In the fading twilight, the place felt eerily dark and silent.
A two-ter-high blue corrugated iron fence cordoned off the building’s ground floor from the road, enclosing the entire site.
SWOOSH!
Just then...
Lu Chao’s eyes narrowed. With a flick of his sleeve, two steel nails appeared in his hand.
Ever since mastering the Needle Throwing Skill, he had made it a habit to carry them as weapons.
And now...
FWIP! FWIP!!
The two steel nails shot through the air.
Empowered by his professional-grade strength, they flew like two bullets, tearing through the air with terrifying speed and a startling whistle.
Their power was several tis greater than when Geng Xiao had used the sa skill.
However, the masked man seed to sense them coming.
With the agility of an ape, he leaped onto a nearby utility pole, scrambling up to a height of four or five ters in a single bound.
CLANG! CLANG!!
The two nails missed their mark, striking the corrugated iron fence behind him. They pierced through the tal sheet and beca lodged in place.
Lu Chao frowned and looked up.
He saw the masked man make a throat-slitting gesture at him before pushing off with his feet, leaping across the gap, and landing on the second floor of the abandoned building.
"Trying to run?"
Without hesitation, Lu Chao pursued him.
THUMP!
Stomping his foot, he launched himself into the air. He planted his right foot on the two-ter-high iron fence and vaulted off it, landing on the second floor of the building as well.
His landing sent gray dust billowing into the air.
By the last rays of twilight, Lu Chao looked across the open floor.
Dozens of rebar pillars supported the floor above. Aside from a few concrete walls that obstructed his view, he could see most of the level.
And now, the masked man in the black hoodie was no longer running. He stood in the center of the floor, an open space of several hundred square ters.
Their eyes t. The man’s gaze was cold and indifferent. He rolled his head from side to side, the cracking of his neck echoing in the silence.
Lu Chao’s eyes flickered as his intuitive sense finally activated.
[Carbon-Based Human]
[Life Energy: 50 (Corroded)]
[Quality: Inferior]
[Consumption Effect: A human who worships a High-Dinsional Demon God and is suspected of having received a blessing of Magic. Consuming his flesh and blood provides a chance to attract the attention of a High-Dinsional Demon God, which may result in the implantation of a Seed of Corruption.]
The information panel materialized, and Lu Chao felt a jolt of surprise.
Just like the attacker from the factory district, this man was a mber of the God-Worshiping Church. So of the information was strikingly similar.
’But he’s already reached the level of a veteran professional?’
’And what’s this about a "blessing of Magic"?’
As Lu Chao mulled this over, the man finally spoke.
"Liu Heng should have been just like ," the man began, "blessed by the Celestial God, his life elevated to a higher state."
"But unfortunately for him, he fell at your hands."
His voice was a hoarse, grating sound, like sand scraping against stone or a snake’s threatening hiss.
Lu Chao frowned, genuinely puzzled. "Who’s Liu Heng?"
The masked man’s brow twitched at the question, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Who?"
"He was, of course—"
FWIP! FWIP!!
The sound of sothing tearing through the air suddenly erupted!
Two more steel nails shot out, flying with nearly the speed of small-caliber bullets.
Lu Chao had attacked without warning.
They glinted coldly as they sliced through the air.
The masked man frowned, taking a step back and twisting his body to evade the projectiles.
THWACK! THWACK!!
The two nails slamd into a concrete wall to the side, kicking up two puffs of gray dust.
WHOOSH!!
Seizing the opening, Lu Chao lunged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat and throwing a punch.
His dust-caked fist tore through the gloom like a stone shot from a catapult, aid straight for the man’s head.
It was about to connect.
BAM!
The masked man threw up his right palm to block.
A dull thud exploded between them. They were now inches apart, and as their eyes t, each saw the cold light glinting in the other’s gaze.
"I was the one who killed Liu Heng."
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!!
Their fist and palm remained locked together, deadlocked in mid-air.
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