Chapter 13

Raindrops hit the ground, making a constant "sasa" sound.

The dim incandescent light failed to illuminate the abandoned garbage dump, only elongating the shadows of the few people standing in the middle, stretching them into the dark, damp mud.

Xia Huilan's face was pale, one hand tightly gripping the handle of her suitcase, the other holding a gun.

In front of her, seven or eight men were dragging a young boy with handcuffs, dragging him on the ground like a dead dog.

"Sis, you shouldn't have come!"

The boy struggled and cried out.

— This boy looked exactly like Wu Xiaode!

On the fence.

The crow tilted its head in surprise and asked, "Is this your brother?"

"No, he's disguised as me," Wu Xiaode said.

"Let me see... Oh, he used similar disguise props as you. He's disguised as you, and you're disguised as someone else. Interesting, really interesting!" The crow laughed.

At this moment, there was a new development in the scene.

The men holding "Wu Xiaode" shouted at Xia Huilan, "Many people have already died. Do you want him to die too?"

"Don't talk anymore. Release him, and I'll give you the documents," Xia Huilan shouted at the men.

"How can we trust you?" the leader of the men said.

"Let him come to me, I'll take him away, and I'll transfer the documents online. I'll keep my word," Xia Huilan said.

"If you trick us..." the man said.

"Wait, I have a condition. You must revoke the warrant for him. He's just a high school student, alone and helpless. You can't frame him as an arsonist and murderer!" Xia Huilan said.

"You're not trying to trick us with the documents, are you?" the man said.

Xia Huilan gave a sad smile and shook her head. "Since I've shown up, it means you've already won, doesn't it?"

The leader pretended to hesitate. After a while, he said, "Alright, don't play any tricks, or both of you will die."

Another man squatted down, unlocking the handcuffs on Wu Xiaode while shouting, "Now we're letting you go to Xia Huilan. You're free, and we'll clear your name."

He released the boy's handcuffs.

The boy immediately ran toward Xia Huilan, shouting, "Sis, I'm so scared."

Xia Huilan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The men exchanged glances quietly.

As soon as this boy ran to Xia Huilan—

She would be caught.

This matter would be declared a complete success.

The leader stared intently at Xia Huilan. When the boy was about to reach her, he suddenly said, "This guy is yours. In exchange, you must give us the documents."

His eyes were fixed on Xia Huilan.

Xia Huilan was indeed distracted and responded, "I'll give them to you."

The boy reached her.

He opened his arms—

"Wu, don't block my gun," Xia Huilan said urgently.

In a flash, a sudden change occurred!

A dark figure suddenly appeared among the men.

It was a young man who looked rather rustic.

When "Wu" ran to Xia Huilan, not only was Xia Huilan distracted, but the men's attention was also drawn away!

As soon as the young man appeared, his hands moved like blurs, striking continuously.

— Iron Wire Fist · Crushing Force!

This move was characterized by lightning-fast strikes, using instantaneous power to crush the enemy's throat, back of the head, temples, and chest, four vital points. If hit, there was no saving the enemy, making it a deadly technique!

A series of striking sounds echoed.

The second hand of the clock ticked once.

Everyone was thrown back, hitting the ground and rolling in all directions like rolling gourds.

The second second.

The man transformed into a crow, flapping his wings and instantly flying dozens of meters to "Wu Xiaode's" back.

He transformed back into a man and struck "Wu Xiaode's" neck with a hand knife.

"Wu Xiaode" immediately fell to the ground like a dead dog, not moving an inch.

The third second.

The battle ended.

"Wu Xiaode!" Xia Huilan exclaimed.

"He's not Wu Xiaode—Sis, do you remember the time last winter when you took me out for a meal? The cake had a credit card hidden inside, and you forced me to accept it," the rustic young man said.

Xia Huilan was stunned, her face changing several times.

She looked at the "Wu Xiaode" on the ground and then at the unfamiliar man in front of her, unsure for a moment.

"It's me, Sis. I used some gene-altering agents to temporarily turn into a stranger to avoid the warrant," the man said sincerely.

"What happened when you were eight?" Xia Huilan asked.

"When I was eight, your parents participated in a top-secret experiment and sacrificed themselves, leaving only you. My parents adopted you as a goddaughter and supported your education and life," the man said.

"What about when you were eleven?"

"My parents were also gone... You started working part-time to support my education," the man said.

"What did you say to me that was over the line?"

"Taking care of me for a few years, and then I'll take care of you."

"What about the boys who bullied me?"

"The boy who liked to lift your skirt almost drowned, and I saved him. He later transferred schools. Another boy who called you a curse and blamed you for your parents' death, I talked to him, and he felt very ashamed. He accidentally broke his arm when going downstairs."

"It's really you, Wu."

Xia Huilan walked forward, touching the face and body of the "Wu Xiaode" on the ground, and said with relief, "It's fake."

Wu Xiaode's gaze became even colder.

If he hadn't arrived in time, Xia Huilan might have been captured.

Her colleagues were all killed, their bodies tied to chairs and burned to cover up the crime.

What would happen to her next?

Wu Xiaode took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions.

By now, the cold rain had stopped.

In the night wind, a crow flew excitedly over the bodies on the ground.

As the crow flew, faint light points gradually floated up from the bodies, merging into its wings.

The Book of the Dead automatically opened, revealing lines of icy, cold crystal letters:

"You have killed eight adult men."

"According to your agreement with the Crow Spirit, it is drawing soul power from the bodies, which is the result of your ability 'Book of the Dead.' This is equivalent to your actions."

"The Crow Spirit has given you part of the soul power."

"Your soul power limit has increased."

"Current soul power: 1/4."

"Soul power continues to increase..."

"Your soul power is now full. Current soul power: 4/4."

The battle had erupted in an instant, and Wu Xiaode had used the Iron Wire Fist, consuming soul power again.

Now, with the crow's supply, his soul power had recovered a bit and even increased its limit, which made Wu Xiaode breathe a sigh of relief.

He now understood how important soul power was.

Without soul power, he wouldn't have achieved such combat effectiveness.

Wu Xiaode looked at Xia Huilan, who seemed unable to see the light points or the Crow Spirit.

"Sis, weren't you planning to go back to the countryside? Why haven't you left yet?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"I was afraid of dragging you down, but before I could leave, they started killing my friends, and even you were wanted—" Xia Huilan didn't finish.

Wu Xiaode understood and asked, "Is the countryside safe?"

"I've prepared a safe place in the mountains of my hometown, near the primeval forest. No one should know about it," Xia Huilan said.

"What's going on? I remember you worked for a large tech company, and everything seemed fine," Wu Xiaode said, puzzled.

"What about your skills just now?" Xia Huilan asked instead of answering.

"I apprenticed early and have a very powerful backing. I had to hide my identity for some reasons, but I had to reveal my strength when I was wanted," Wu Xiaode said.

Xia Huilan reached out and tightly grabbed his arm, saying nothing for a long time.

Wu Xiaode thought that when he acted, Xia Huilan might not have seen clearly.

The woman who died in the fire.

The thug who tried to kill him.

Nationwide warrant.

— And the guy on the ground pretending to be him.

All of this indicated how powerful the enemy was and how determined they were to capture Xia Huilan.

Wu Xiaode held Xia Huilan's hand and immediately felt her body trembling slightly.

— Perhaps the burden she carried was too heavy, and at this moment, she needed more confidence.

Wu Xiaode thought for a moment, picked up a stone, and crushed it into powder in front of Xia Huilan.

Xia Huilan stared at the pile of powder without blinking, finally coming to her senses and looking at the scattered bodies.

She asked uncertainly, "They..."

"Dead," Wu Xiaode said, spreading his hands and patiently explaining, "They were real enemies who would threaten your life. If we were going to act, we had to do it thoroughly."

"No need to explain, you did nothing wrong," Xia Huilan said.

Wu Xiaode breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been worried that Xia Huilan wouldn't accept his killing, but it seemed she was more mature than he thought.

If he hadn't gone through the baptism of the one-eyed giant, he wouldn't have been able to do this.

"Wu, I can't believe it. I thought I could protect you... I never imagined it would be you protecting me," Xia Huilan said.

Ding ling ling—

The sound of a phone rang.

Both of them turned to see a man who had been thrown by Wu Xiaode, his phone ringing.

Xia Huilan walked over, found the phone, and answered it.

"Did you catch Xia Huilan?"

A cold voice came from the phone.

Xia Huilan's eyes turned cold, and she quickly regained her composure.

"Teacher, I've been caught," she said carefully.

"Haha, how could you escape my grasp? Hand over the research results. You can even continue working with me, but from today on, you won't just be my assistant; you'll be my woman," the voice said.

"What if I refuse?" Xia Huilan asked.

"I know you're not afraid of death, but once the warrant for Wu Xiaode was issued, you exposed yourself. You even tried to save him, such a naive girl—"

The voice laughed and said, "Bring her back first."

Xia Huilan gave Wu Xiaode a look.

"Yes," Wu Xiaode responded vaguely.

The call ended.

"Is he your academic advisor?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"He's also the company's leader. He never cares about me, but any paper I write, he has to be the first author," Xia Huilan said expressionlessly.

Wu Xiaode recalled.

The tech company Xia Huilan worked for was a world-renowned giant, and he had even been taken to visit it several times.

Her advisor...

Was old enough to be her grandfather.

"What are you thinking?" Xia Huilan asked.

"Nothing."

Wu Xiaode smiled, looking unusually calm.

The crow in the air suddenly tilted its head and looked down at the young man.

"Ah, I was right. There's more soul power to harvest tonight. This deal is profitable!"

The crow thought with satisfaction.