Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

The metal enclosure of the substation was scorching hot from the lingering evening heat. Lin Shen crouched in the shadows behind the enclosure, spreading his illusionary abilities, and all the movements in the alley fell into his perception.

Lin Shen arrived five minutes ago. Shen Qinghou went up alone to deal with Zheng Hongwen, while he stayed downstairs to provide backup in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

He leaned against the cold transformer box, his fingertips rubbing the folding knife in his pocket. The texture of the handle pressed against his fingertips, the familiar touch keeping him on high alert.

Shen Qinghou's abilities lean towards direct, aggressive attacks, while his illusion abilities are suited for stealthy, finishing blows. The two had previously discussed the synergy of their abilities, just like they are now.

Just then, the sound of orderly footsteps came from the alley entrance.

Lin Shen's body tensed instantly, and he leaned out to look at the alley entrance.

Six field agents from the General Administration, dressed in dark blue uniforms, strode in with their guns at the ready. Their tactical boots made a dull thud on the concrete pavement, and the beams of their flashlights swayed back and forth in the darkness, sweeping across the walls and abandoned trash cans on both sides.

Why are so many people here at this time?

Several thoughts flashed through Lin Shen's mind in an instant.

The fact that Zheng Hongwen came to see Su Wan was not made public. It was no coincidence that the General Administration personnel arrived at this time.

He took out his phone and typed rapidly, sending a message to Shen Qinghou: "Someone with a gun is rushing up. They're coming for you. Be prepared. I'll be there to assist you."

The moment the message notification popped up, Zhou Chenghai had already led his men to the entrance of the apartment building. He pushed open the half-closed door, and the six men filed in, their footsteps echoing up the stairwell.

Lin Shen put his phone back in his pocket and slid the folding knife into his palm.

Instead of following immediately, he walked along the wall to the ventilation opening on the side of the building and peered through the gaps in the iron grille.

------

Zhou Chenghai walked at the back of the group. The six team members were divided into three groups and walked upstairs in an alternating cover formation. The beams of their flashlights swept across the walls of the stairwell, leaving swaying shadows.

Upstairs, the security door to room 402 was still open. Wood chips shattered when the door was broken into were scattered on the entryway floor, mixed with Zheng Hongwen's blood, making it sticky to step on.

Shen Qinghou had just finished bandaging Su Wan's foot wound. The gauze was wrapped around her fair ankle three times and then tied in a neat knot.

He moved very gently, afraid of hurting her wound. When his fingertips touched her slightly cool skin, her foot twitched slightly. He immediately stopped and looked up at her.

Su Wan's eyes were red, and tears still clung to her cheeks. When she saw him look up, she quickly shook her head and said softly, "It doesn't hurt."

Shen Qinghou nodded and stuffed the remaining gauze back into his pocket.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was a message from Lin Shen.

Someone rushed up with a gun.

Shen Qinghou's fingertips instantly gripped the phone tightly, the body of which made a slight creaking sound.

He glanced up at the open door, the wind blowing in from the hallway carrying the smell of dust drifting up from downstairs, and the faint sound of footsteps.

He pulled Su Wan behind him, pushed her to the corner of the wall, stood with his back to her in front of him, bent down to pick up the guqin lying on the ground, and pressed his fingers onto the cold strings.

Su Wan squatted behind him, her hands tightly gripping the hem of his coat, the fabric crumpled into a ball.

She could feel that Shen Qinghou's back was very taut, like a fully drawn bow, ready to shoot a deadly arrow at any moment.

She wasn't afraid when he killed Zheng Hongwen, but now, hearing the footsteps getting closer downstairs, her heart was in her throat.

"Are they here to arrest you?" Su Wan asked, her voice trembling, as she leaned close to his ear.

Shen Qinghou couldn't hear her, but he could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck.

He didn't turn around, but simply raised his left hand, gently patted her hand that was clutching his coat, pressed his fingertips against the back of her hand, and squeezed it tightly.

Nothing.

His fingers pressed on the lowest note string, applying slight pressure with his fingertips, causing the string to dent downwards.

After losing his hearing, his sense of touch became several times more acute than that of ordinary people. The subtle vibrations transmitted through the piano body could clearly tell him where the people downstairs were and how many there were.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

Six men, heavy footsteps, wearing hard-soled tactical boots, and the clanging of metal—guns.

A cold glint appeared in Shen Qinghou's eyes.

These people arrived at the perfect time; they didn't come earlier or later, but just when he had killed Zheng Hongwen, they rushed up.

Were they targeting him, or were they with Zheng Hongwen?

He didn't have time to think it through. The two people in front had already reached the corner on the third floor. The beam of their flashlights swept across the open doorway on the fourth floor and landed on the bloodstains in the entryway.

------

"The target is on the fourth floor!"

Someone shouted, followed by the click of a bullet being chambered, which came clearly up the corridor.

Shen Qinghou pressed his fingers down sharply, and the strings emitted a deep hum, the first sound wave flowing down the corridor.

Without any warning, the two team members at the front felt as if they had been hit hard in the chest by a heavy hammer, and their bodies flew out instantly, their backs slamming heavily against the wall behind them with a dull thud.

The flashlight slipped from my hand, rolled down the stairs, and its beam swung erratically a few times before finally going out on the steps.

The two members of the second group were still standing on the third-floor landing, having just raised their guns and not yet had time to aim, when the second high-frequency sound wave arrived.

The sound wave precisely entered the brain of the first team member. His body stiffened abruptly, and before his finger could even touch the trigger, he fell straight down, his forehead hitting the steps with a dull thud.

The remaining team member was terrified and, crouching between the gaps in the stair railing, fired three shots in the direction of the fourth floor.

The bullet struck the wall above Shen Qinghou's head, splattering white dust, and the fragments fell onto his hair.

Shen Qinghou did not dodge. He quickly plucked the strings and sent out a third wave of sound.

Meanwhile, Lin Shen had already climbed over the ventilation shaft into the bottom of the stairwell, hiding in the shadows at the corner.

He saw the team member who was lying on the handrail firing a gun, his fingertips twitched slightly, and his illusion ability spread over.

The team member pulled the trigger and was about to change the magazine when the scene in front of him suddenly changed.

The staircase steps in front of him disappeared, replaced by a bottomless abyss. The wind blew upwards from below, making his uniform flutter loudly.

He screamed in fright, stumbled backward, lost his footing, and tumbled down the stairs, his forehead hitting the concrete ridge of the second-floor landing. He fell silent instantly.

The stairwell fell silent instantly, save for the faint groans of the injured and the soft hum of Shen Qinghou's zither strings.

Zhou Chenghai huddled at the bottom corner of the stairwell, listening to the screams and the sound of bodies rolling down above, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

Great.

Shen Qinghou made his move; he killed the people from the General Administration.

The fact that he attacked and killed a member of the National Bureau of Abnormal Affairs in broad daylight alone is enough to sentence him to death.

Even if Han Qiming wanted to recruit him, he couldn't possibly negotiate with someone whose hands were stained with the blood of the General Headquarters team members.

The task assigned by Commander Gu has been accomplished.

He leaned against the cold wall, his finger on the walkie-talkie, preparing to give orders to the outer blockade team to seal off all exits and prevent Shen Qinghou from escaping.

Just as I pressed the call button, I suddenly heard a light footstep behind me.