Chen Chuan, holding the Snow Monarch Blade, was walking toward the Blood Mark Gang’s stronghold. His steps were steady but not at all slow, and he gradually drew closer to where Uncle Han and his men were located.

Just then, two gunshots slammed into the muddy ground not far in front of him, but his pace didn’t falter in the slightest. He seemed completely unaffected.

Another shot followed. But perhaps due to the distance, or maybe it was just a warning shot, the bullet whizzed past him. Still, he didn’t stop, and he continued to close the distance.

Uncle Han grew increasingly nervous. Fortunately, he saw Du Mian and the others had fallen back. He immediately walked to the edge of the watchtower, pointed his cane outward, and ordered, "Du Mian, and you two, don’t let him get any closer! If all else fails, just kill him!"

Chen Chuan’s bearing made it obvious he was coming for them. Uncle Han knew all too well what kind of power a Fighter could unleash once they got within range—especially a Fighter who might be wearing Protective Clothing. If one broke through their lines, a non-combatant leader like him would undoubtedly be the primary target.

It didn’t matter who Chen Chuan was or what his status was; he could get him killed. So naturally, Uncle Han couldn’t be bothered with anything else. Kill him first and ask questions later.

Du Mian was extremely obedient; he did whatever he was told without a second thought. He sized up Chen Chuan from a distance, sensing he might be a tough Fighter. He turned, grabbed a custom-made Long Staff, and led two men to intercept Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan saw the three men charging at him. He paid no mind to the ones flanking him, his eyes fixed on Du Mian directly ahead.

Once Du Mian was in range, his body drove his arms, his arms drove his wrists, and the Long Staff in his grip spun a few times. Then, with a WHOOSH, it stirred up a gale as he whipped it at Chen Chuan’s head.

The strike was packed with power, even whipping the surrounding fallen leaves into the air. He was confident that regardless of whether his opponent was wearing Protective Clothing or some other armor, a direct hit would instantly shatter their bones.

But just then, his vision blurred. Before he had even delivered half the force of his swing, he felt a hand clamp around his throat.

He instantly knew something was wrong. He instinctively activated his Second Stage Force. This was his unique Power Technique; it allowed him to unleash a second surge of Power even as the first was already being emitted, often producing miraculous results in the heat of battle.

The Mutated Organization around his chest and neck swelled like an airbag, instantly generating an outward-bursting Power. Ordinarily, this would be enough to blast away any object or fingers gripping him.

This time, however, the five fingers around his neck simply tightened. The expanding Mutated Organization, the muscles, the bones—everything in his neck was like brittle, rotten wood before this force. It was all crushed in an instant.

Chen Chuan’s gaze remained placid. He tossed aside Du Mian’s lifeless body as if discarding something trivial and continued walking forward.

The two men on his flanks had intended to close in while Du Mian was attacking, but Du Mian was finished before they could even make their move. They involuntarily froze mid-charge.

The two men exchanged a look and retreated a few steps. They waited for Chen Chuan to walk past them, then, after another glance, they simultaneously drew pistols from their waists and aimed at his back.

Chen Chuan seemed to pay them no mind. But in that instant, his hand seemed to move, though the motion was too fast to see. His trench coat billowed for a moment, followed by two soft POPS. The heads of the two men behind him burst open, and they toppled backward, stiff as boards.

Back at the watchtower, everyone who witnessed this held their breath.

Chen Chuan was now less than a hundred meters from the outpost. Here, he finally stopped.

He glanced up, planted the Snow Monarch Blade into the ground, and gripped its hilt. The blade, shimmering with a cold light, slid from its Sword Scabbard with deceptive speed. With a flash of sharp light, his figure abruptly vanished from sight.

Uncle Han was an experienced man, and a wave of terror washed over him. He hurriedly turned to climb down from the watchtower. Before, he had appreciated the high vantage point, but now he cursed himself for climbing so high.

Just then, a sudden burst of intense gunfire erupted outside, accompanied by wretched howls, terrified screams, and furious roars. He clutched the bamboo ladder, climbing down with trembling limbs. He was so nervous that he nearly missed his footing several times, delaying his descent.

However, by the time he got to the bottom, the sounds outside had already begun to dwindle, becoming sporadic. When he finally staggered out of the fortified watchtower, the outside had fallen completely silent.

In the dim light, he saw nothing but a field of corpses. The once-ferocious gang members were now mostly dismembered, their limbs strewn across the ground. The bodies farther away had their heads blown open. It was a horrifying sight.

He also saw the figure in the black trench coat standing nearby, pulling his Long Blade from the body of a gang member who had been impaled against a wall.

His breathing quickened involuntarily, and his whole body shook. Without a sound, he turned and fled. His trembling cane struck the ground with each unsteady step, and it looked as if he might collapse at any moment.

And yet, despite his state, his feet moved with surprising speed. He shuffled away, trembling, as if he could somehow outrun his fate. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But after he had staggered and wheezed for a dozen or so meters, the sound of unhurried footsteps came from behind. He felt a raw terror seize him, strangling him. He tried to scream, but his throat was too tight, and only a hoarse, short gasp escaped.

Overcome with panic, his movements grew increasingly clumsy until he inevitably missed a step and collapsed. His neatly combed hair fell into disarray.

The ground below was soft mud, so he wasn’t seriously injured. His mind just went blank for a moment. As he fumbled for his cane and tried to get back up, he heard the footsteps stop right beside him. He froze.

In his peripheral vision, he saw a pair of black boots and the hem of a black trench coat walk past him before stopping right in front of him.

He didn’t dare look up. He simply remained on his knees, head bowed, and whimpered, "Spare me, spare me..." He pushed a small leather briefcase he was carrying forward. "I’m valuable. I have money, a lot of money. I’ll give it all to you..."

Chen Chuan said, "Han Chang? You’re the one who used the Esoteric Ritual to absorb Life Essence Qi, aren’t you? Raise your head."

Han Chang’s body trembled. He slowly raised his head, but with the man’s back to the light, he couldn’t see his face clearly—only a scarf swaying gently in the autumn breeze.

He confessed, "Yes, that was me. I’m Han Chang. Arrest me. I’ve committed many crimes. Really, a lot of crimes. You can sentence me, just sentence me..."

Chen Chuan said, "Then there’s no mistake." He raised his blade and, with a casual flick, sent Han Chang’s head flying. SWISH. The body immediately toppled to the side.

He gave the blade a gentle shake to flick off the blood, then planted it in the ground.

Then he took out a camera he was carrying and began taking pictures of the scene. He also took the opportunity to search the bodies for any items of interest.

He hadn’t known which of them were members of Esoteric Buddhism and which were from the Blood Mark Gang, but he didn’t need to distinguish between them. Anyone who raised a weapon against him was killed. He only knocked out a few who appeared to be logistics or technical staff, leaving them for the villagers to deal with.

His inspection confirmed that there were two suspected members of Esoteric Buddhism among the dead. However, judging by the notebooks they carried, their knowledge was superficial. ’It seems they had only recently started their studies and were just there to make up the numbers.’

’While people like this could technically perform an Esoteric Ritual, the results would be pathetic. The core members for the Esoteric Ritual must not be here.’

After completing his sweep, he returned, picked up the small briefcase Han Chang had been carrying, and left the area.

About ten minutes after he departed, the villagers from the Cai Family Stronghold cautiously approached. As they took in the sight of the corpses littering the ground, a mixture of shock, fear, and excitement washed over their faces.

Guan Xiaohui stared at the mangled corpses, finding it hard to believe. ’The Blood Mark Gang, the one that posed such a grave threat and nearly brought ruin to our village... they’re just... gone?’

Zhen Ping surveyed the scene. As a Fighter, she could tell there were no signs of a proper struggle on the bodies of the Blood Mark Gang members. They had clearly been killed in a single move. The process had been incredibly clean and efficient. The two sides were on completely different levels, which was why they couldn’t even put up the slightest resistance.

The two senior members of her team watched from the side, their expressions tense and grave. One of them said with conviction, "It must be a master of the Third Limit!"

The other didn’t entirely agree. "Even if not, they’re not far off. It’s also possible they used some kind of enhancement drug."

Guan Xiaohui hesitated, then leaned close to Zhen Ping and whispered, "Sister Zhen, I think... that person just now might have been Chen..."

Zhen Ping started, turning to her. "Xiaohui, did you see him clearly?"

Guan Xiaohui said, "I didn’t get a clear look at his face, but I recognize his blade. He was carrying that same blade when he went to wipe out Fang Dawei’s group. I can’t be mistaken. Plus, his height and build seem about right."

Zhen Ping thought to herself, ’It really was him. It could only have been him.’

She knew that Chen Chuan had single-handedly taken down the entire Mutual Aid Association. Compared to them, these remnants of the Blood Mark Gang were nothing. In terms of equipment and personnel, the Mutual Aid Association was far superior to the Blood Mark Gang.

Guan Xiaohui asked again, "Sister Zhen, was Chen here specifically to deal with the Blood Mark Gang?"

Zhen Ping wasn’t sure. She thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps Chen took on a commission from an administrative department to eliminate these gangsters."

Just then, one of the senior Fighters walked over to them. "Xiaozhen, go and get ready. We need to leave the Cai Family Stronghold as soon as possible."

"Leave? Why?" Zhen Ping was surprised.

The Fighter said grimly, "The man from before... that coat he was wearing, it looked like a normal trench coat, but it was likely an Anti-stabbing Suit from the General Affairs Bureau."

"The General Affairs Bureau..." Zhen Ping was startled. She looked like she was about to say something but quickly stopped herself. She also gave Guan Xiaohui a tug, and Guan Xiaohui, being clever, kept quiet.

The Fighter looked at Guan Xiaohui and reassured her, "Xiaohui, don’t you worry. We’re only leaving the village temporarily, not for good. Bao Yuan is still active in this area. We won’t truly leave until we’ve dealt with that scum in our team!"

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