Chapter 93

Seeing that Zhu Youxiang was calm and silent, Xu Yan felt uneasy. He was about to ask again when suddenly a series of dense gunshots came from the warehouse, followed by a chaotic cacophony of shouting. Some were shouting loudly, others were running hurriedly, and the panic in their voices and footsteps was evident.

Xu Yan was surprised, "It's so chaotic over there—what happened?"

"There's nothing serious. The monster broke out and killed a few people... For some reason, it broke through the blockade and rushed into the temporary command center... Now the soldiers and officials are afraid of hurting the officials in the command center, so they dare not shoot... Sir Xu, we should not go over there, it's too chaotic."

Xu Yan was surprised, "Xuan Yun, are you afraid of the monster's spirit? Last time at the Wanhe Mall, I saw you deal with that monster quite easily."

Zhu Youxiang glared at Xu Yan and said irritably, "Of course I'm not afraid of the monster's spirit... What's there to be afraid of? I'm worried about stray bullets!"

Xu Yan finally understood, but then he was puzzled again, "Xuan Yun, with your skills, you shouldn't be afraid of ordinary bullets, right?"

Looking at Xu Yan, Zhu Youxiang was both amused and exasperated. She said, "Ordinary bullets, I naturally don't fear, but do you, Sir Xu? If others see that I'm bulletproof, what consequences would that have?

In short, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. We just need to wait. With so many people, they will surely get rid of the monster."

Zhu Youxiang expected this. But this time, her prediction was off. The chaos and noise did not stop; instead, it became even more intense. Moreover, the chaos and noise seemed to be rapidly approaching the parking lot, with shouts of "Catch him... Stop that guy!"

"Fire! Shoot his legs!"

"Command orders, do not shoot the criminal's head, we need to capture him alive!"

Then a few crisp gunshots rang out. The gunshots were already very close to the parking lot. A bullet hit the glass of a police car in the parking lot, and the sound of shattering glass could be heard. Immediately, the alarm on the police car started blaring.

Amid the piercing alarm, Zhu Youxiang frowned deeply. She said to Xu Yan, "It seems the monster is heading our way. Sir Xu, let's avoid it for now and come back after they resolve the issue."

Since Zhu Youxiang said this, Xu Yan didn't mind. They were about to turn and leave when Zhu Youxiang suddenly stopped, her brows slightly furrowed, and she looked down at her hand.

Following her gaze, Xu Yan also looked down and saw Zhu Youxiang's black-sheathed Cicada Wing Sword. Now, the sword was making a loud humming sound, getting louder and more urgent.

Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes. After Zhu Youxiang's introduction, Xu Yan now understood the Cicada Wing Sword's sensitivity to monsters and demonic energy. When a monster was within a few dozen meters, the sword would hum deeply. The closer the monster, the louder and more urgent the warning sound. Now, the Cicada Wing Sword was trembling violently, as if it was about to jump out. This could only mean one thing: the monster was very close!

"Sir Xu, be careful!"

Before Zhu Youxiang finished speaking, a series of rapid footsteps could be heard. Suddenly, a "person" rushed out from behind a police car. He was about forty years old, wearing a gray old work uniform, looking like an ordinary factory worker. However, his clothes were splattered with large patches of dark red blood. There was a noticeable bloodstain on his leg, and fresh blood was slowly trickling down his pants, staining his shoes, leaving a trail of blood with each step.

At first glance, Xu Yan immediately knew that this was the monster the army and police were trying to capture. Not only because of his blood-soaked clothes, but also because of the fierce expression on his face, and most importantly, his eyes, which were a deep red, exuding an indescribable evil and ferocity.

A few steps away, the monster also noticed Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang, slowly approaching them.

"Sir Xu, be careful," Zhu Youxiang repeated, her eyes showing a curious interest.

Compared to the fear and panic he felt the last time he encountered a monster, Xu Yan was much calmer today. He stood steadily, not showing any signs of panic, calmly observing the monster.

Xu Yan was calm for two reasons: first, he had started practicing cultivation, and although he had just begun, cultivation had the effect of calming the mind and spirit, making cultivators much more composed than ordinary people; second, and most importantly, Zhu Youxiang was by his side, giving him a sense of security—what was there to be afraid of with such a skilled person nearby?

Xu Yan stood there, watching the monster approach, and had time to think. He asked Zhu Youxiang, "Xuan Yun, didn't you say that the spirits that possess and parasitize are low-level monsters that only know how to kill and drink blood? How does this spirit know to run when there are many people? And it knows that those with guns are dangerous, but it comes to trouble us?"

Zhu Youxiang was also puzzled, but she speculated, "Didn't I tell you, Sir Xu, that just as people can be smart or foolish, monsters can also be smart or foolish. This spirit we encountered might be one of the smarter ones? It might even have intelligence? Let me try!"

She suddenly opened her mouth and shouted at the monster spirit, "Zhang Kong Mu Duo Na Di Ah Mu Zi Ah Ni Na Luo!"

Zhu Youxiang's words were fast and strange, and Xu Yan was completely confused, "Xuan Yun, what did you say? I don't understand at all."

Xu Yan didn't understand, but the monster spirit clearly did. In an instant, the monster's face changed dramatically. It let out a shrill, piercing scream and immediately turned to run.

"Monster, you want to run?!"

Xu Yan shouted, and instinctively rushed forward. In a few steps, he reached behind the monster spirit, grabbing its neck to subdue it—since he started practicing cultivation, Xu Yan's confidence had grown. He knew that although his cultivation was still shallow, he was practicing a spiritual energy technique. According to Zhu Youxiang, spiritual energy was the nemesis of creatures from the demon world, and he had the upper hand. Especially now, seeing the monster clearly trying to escape, what was there to be afraid of?

At this moment, Xu Yan heard Zhu Youxiang's urgent warning, "Sir Xu, be careful! Don't get too close!"

Before Xu Yan could react, there was a crisp sound of a neck breaking. The monster, who was trying to escape, suddenly turned its head—this was not a normal human turn, but the entire head turned with a "crack," as if its face was naturally on its back! The extent of the turn was so great that Xu Yan was worried its neck would snap.

The monster's body remained still, but its face was now directly facing Xu Yan, its blood-red eyes staring at him, exuding a sinister, bloody aura.

This sudden change from the monster startled Xu Yan. His limbs went weak, and at that moment, the monster's hand moved in an impossible angle backward. Before Xu Yan could see what happened, an irresistible force surged, hitting his chest. Xu Yan's chest ached, and he was thrown into the air, spinning. He thought to himself, "This is bad! With such force, no matter where I land, won't my brain be smashed?"

While Xu Yan was spinning in the air, someone suddenly approached and lightly patted his shoulder. A gentle force appeared, steadying Xu Yan and neutralizing the force that was pushing him backward. Xu Yan landed on the ground, his feet touching the ground, and he staggered a few steps but managed to stand steady.

"Sir Xu, are you okay?" Zhu Youxiang stood beside him, looking at him with concern.

Having narrowly escaped, Xu Yan felt his heart pounding. He took a few deep breaths and said shakily, "I'm fine... Xuan Yun, don't let the monster escape!"

"I know," Zhu Youxiang said.

Xu Yan felt a blur of movement beside him, and Zhu Youxiang was already behind the monster. There was a light "slap" sound—Zhu Youxiang moved so fast that Xu Yan couldn't even see her clearly. She lightly tapped the monster's shoulder.

Zhu Youxiang's figure flashed back to Xu Yan's side, looking calm and composed. If Xu Yan hadn't seen her move, no one would believe that this delicate young woman had just delivered such a powerful blow.

The monster, struck by Zhu Youxiang, stopped, staggered a few steps, and then suddenly collapsed, as if all its bones had been removed.

Although Xu Yan already knew Zhu Youxiang was very powerful, seeing her display her strength again and watching a large man collapse like a pile of mud still left him in awe. He looked at Zhu Youxiang and asked in surprise, "Bone-Softening Palm?"

"Bone-Softening Palm?" Zhu Youxiang was puzzled, "What technique is that? I don't understand."

Zhu Youxiang's lack of understanding disappointed Xu Yan, "Never mind, I was joking. Xuan Yun, what did you just do?"

"I used a technique to stun the spirit. This person was possessed by the spirit, and without the spirit controlling the body, it naturally collapsed."

Xu Yan had many questions and wanted to ask more, but at that moment, they heard a series of rapid footsteps approaching. Zhu Youxiang urgently said to Xu Yan, "Sir Xu, please, say you took down the monster."

Time was short, and the police and army could arrive at any moment. Xu Yan didn't hesitate and said quickly, "Okay!"

Although Xu Yan's conscience told him that taking credit for someone else's achievement was wrong, he knew this was a necessary compromise. If Wen Xiuzhi found out that a delicate young woman like Zhu Youxiang had taken down such a ferocious monster, they would be shocked. The government would likely conduct a thorough investigation into her background, and with the power of the state, they would soon discover that Zhu Youxiang had no known origins, which would bring her trouble.

On the other hand, if Xu Yan took the credit, there would be no trouble. First, Xu Yan was Wen Xiuzhi's "savior," and even if there were any issues, Wen Xiuzhi wouldn't treat Xu Yan too harshly; second, Xu Yan practiced internal martial arts, which Wen Xiuzhi knew. In the imagination of the Chinese people, those who practice martial arts are naturally highly skilled and have various supernatural abilities. In the past, the entire country believed that a certain qigong master could extinguish forest fires with his powers. Compared to that, Xu Yan just taking down a madman was nothing special. Third, even if it attracted the attention of the state, Xu Yan had a clean record, a family, and was a college student with simple social connections, making it easier for him to pass any investigation.

The first to rush over was a soldier wearing a black mask and bulletproof vest. He bent over, holding a 95 assault rifle, and moved quickly, circling around the bus and suddenly jumping out from behind it, landing in a half-squat, aiming his gun at Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang.

Xu Yan, lacking Zhu Youxiang's bulletproof abilities, quickly raised his hands and shouted, "Don't shoot, I'm from the investigation team, I'm Captain Xu from the intelligence department. Ask Wen Xiuzhi, he knows me... Hey, brother, don't let your hand shake!"

The soldier lowered his gun, and then several more soldiers appeared from behind the bus. An officer, holding a pistol with both hands, rushed to Xu Yan and shouted, "Captain Xu, where is the criminal? Where did he go? Did you see him?"

In a stroke of luck, Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang were in the factory's parking lot, where the buses and police cars were parked in a messy circle. Xu Yan and Zhu Youxiang were in the center of this circle, and with the vehicles blocking the view, no one could see what had just happened.

In a matter of seconds, from the appearance of the monster to the arrival of the pursuers, it had all happened in less than a minute. The officer was in a hurry, and before Xu Yan could answer, a crowd of people, including soldiers, local police, and armed police, all armed, rushed around the bus. Leading this mixed group was Wen Xiuzhi.

In Xu Yan's memory, Wen Xiuzhi was always a well-mannered and graceful young man from a noble family, dressed neatly and behaving with poise, exuding the air of a worldly gentleman. But the Wen Xiuzhi standing before Xu Yan now completely颠覆ed his good image. He was out of breath, his military uniform collar open, his hair disheveled, and his major general's uniform dirty, with mud on the front and his pants—seeing Wen Xiuzhi like this, Xu Yan felt an urge to laugh and wanted to ask, "Did you just roll in a mud pit?"

But Wen Xiuzhi was the first to speak, shouting at the officer who had arrived first, "Adviser Cao, where did the target go?"

"Report, sir, we chased him all the way here, but he suddenly disappeared... Captain Xu has been here the whole time. Captain Xu, did you see the target?"

Xu Yan cleared his throat, stepped aside, and revealed the body lying on the ground behind him. He asked, "Are you talking about this guy?"

Seeing the body on the ground, the soldiers and police let out a shocked cry. No one expected that the ferocious criminal who had caused many casualties and broken through the blockade would be lying there, his condition unknown.

"This is the criminal!" (To be continued)