He had just married a policewoman when he was diagnosed with criminal genius.

As Lu Chen stepped onto the last step of the stairs leading to the rooftop, a night breeze rushed towards him.

The rooftop of the chemical plant was open but dilapidated, with a rough cement floor.

Withered yellow weeds grew in the cracks. The surrounding railings were severely rusted.

Several sections have broken off, revealing dangerous gaps.

In a corner of the rooftop, there were some discarded chemical drums and rusty pipe fittings piled up.

It casts distorted shadows in the moonlight.

The vulture stood right in the center of the rooftop.

He did not hide in the shadows, nor did he occupy advantageous terrain.

He stood there so upright and dignified, as if waiting for a long-awaited date.

Hearing footsteps at the top of the stairs, he slowly turned around, his gaze meeting Lu Chen's in mid-air.

The two were about ten meters apart.

The night wind blew through them, carrying the distinctive smell of rust and residual chemicals from the chemical plant.

"You arrived faster than I expected."

The vulture spoke first, his tone carrying a hint of sincere admiration.

"Seven traps, all eliminated in fifteen minutes. To be honest, I thought I could at least hold you off for half an hour."

"Your trap is well-designed."

Lu Chen answered calmly.

"But there's a problem: you're relying too much on technology."

The real trap lies not in how sophisticated it is, but in whether it can deceive one's intuition.

Your devices are too deliberate.

Upon hearing this, the vulture was not angry at all; instead, it showed an approving smile: "You're right. In this respect, I am indeed inferior to you."

He took two steps forward, stretched his shoulders and neck, and made a series of cracking sounds as his bones rubbed together.

Then he pulled a military knife from his waist.

The blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and its back was serrated; it was a standard military combat knife.

"I could have used a gun," Vulture said.

"With my marksmanship, I could turn you into a sieve the moment you step onto the rooftop."

"But you're useless," Lu Chen said.

"Yes, I'm useless."

A fanatical glint flashed in the vulture's eyes.

"Because that would be too boring. I've waited too long for this day, and it would be such a disservice to our destiny to end with just a bullet."

He assumed a standard fighting stance, with the tip of his knife pointing diagonally to the ground, his center of gravity low, and his feet slightly apart.

"Come on, let me see just how capable Lu Chen is, the one who can strike fear into the hearts of the entire organization."

Lu Chen didn't waste any more words.

He pulled out the dagger from his leg, gripped it with his hand behind his back, and held the blade close to the outside of his forearm.

This is the most suitable grip for defense and counter-attack in close combat.

He didn't strike any fancy poses; he simply stood there, but the aura he exuded made Vulture's eyes narrow slightly.

Master.

True fighting masters don't adopt exaggerated starting stances or make unnecessary movements.

They stood there, their entire bodies like springs ready to burst at any moment.

The two faced off for three seconds.

Then they moved at the same time.

Vulture launched the first attack, stepping forward and thrusting his saber at a tricky angle toward Lu Chen's left ribs.

This stab was swift and vicious, targeting the kidneys. If it hits, it will quickly cause massive bleeding and shock.

Lu Chen did not retreat. He dodged to the side, his dagger rising from below to block the vulture's blade, while simultaneously striking the vulture's face with his left elbow.

Vulture tilted his head to dodge the elbow strike, then raised his knee and slammed it into the outside of Lu Chen's thigh.

This was a knee strike that would disrupt Lu Chen's balance; if it landed, it would cause Lu Chen's right leg to lose its support instantly.

Lu Chen took a half step back just before being hit, the knee strike grazing his trouser leg.

No actual harm was caused.

In the first round of confrontation, both sides tested each other and neither gained an advantage.

Vulture shook his hand holding the knife, a glint of excitement in his eyes: "Good reaction."

"You're not bad either," Lu Chen said calmly.

The second round of confrontation then began.

This time, the vultures changed their tactics.

He no longer sought a fatal blow, but instead began to suppress Lu Chen with a series of combined attacks—stabbing, slicing, chopping, and slashing, the blade light flashing continuously, like a dense net of blades enveloping Lu Chen's upper body.

Lu Chen retreated repeatedly, parrying with his dagger, which made a clanging sound of metal clashing.

The vulture was very strong, and each block made his hands go numb.

What's even more troublesome is that the vulture's swordsmanship is extremely skillful, using feints and deceptions that are difficult to distinguish from reality. A slight mistake could result in being killed with a single blow.

Lu Chen was forced back three or four steps, his back almost hitting the railing at the edge of the rooftop.

Just then, the vulture made a feint.

He feinted a thrust at Lu Chen's face, and then, in the instant Lu Chen raised his knife to block, the blade suddenly dipped and turned to stab at Lu Chen's abdomen.

This strike was extremely fast and at a tricky angle, making it almost impossible to completely avoid.

But Lu Chen did not try to avoid it.

He did something the vulture had never anticipated.

He abandoned his defense and took a step forward, letting his body actively face the blade!

laugh--

The tip of the military knife pierced Lu Chen's coat, cutting the skin on his side and leaving a shallow bloodstain.

However, because he took the initiative to meet the attack, the knife did not penetrate deeply, only causing superficial wounds.

At the same time, Lu Chen's dagger swung out from an odd angle, slicing across the vulture's forearm.

The vulture grunted and quickly retreated.

A thin line of blood appeared on his forearm. Although it wasn't deep, it was enough to make his hand holding the knife begin to tremble slightly.

He glanced down at the wound on his arm, then looked up at Lu Chen, his excitement growing even stronger: "Trading injury for a life...you're a madman."

"As long as we win, that's all that matters," Lu Chen replied calmly, as if the bleeding wound on his side wasn't his.

The vulture burst into laughter.

Laughter echoed across the empty rooftop, carrying an almost manic joy.

"Good! Good! Good!" he said three times in a row, then gripped his military knife tightly again.

"After all these years, I've finally met an opponent I can take seriously."

He tore off a piece of his sleeve, wrapped it around his injured forearm, and tied it tightly to stop the bleeding.

Then he took a deep breath, and his eyes changed.

If the vulture's eyes were those of a predator, calm and cruel.

Now, his eyes look more like those of a gambler.

A gambler who has staked everything and is ready to go all in.

"I won't hold back in this next round," Vulture said.

"You never left one before," Lu Chen replied.

The vulture grinned and swooped down again.

This time, he was even faster than before.

The military knife transformed into streaks of silver arcs, attacking Lu Chen's vital points from all angles: throat, heart, kidneys, and carotid artery.

His attacks were no longer held back; every strike was delivered with a deadly intent, completely abandoning defense and pouring all his strength into offense.

Lu Chen was forced to retreat repeatedly, and parrying with the dagger became increasingly difficult.

The vulture's fighting style is insane.

Completely disregarding their own defense, they only aim to kill their opponent in the shortest possible time.

This fighting style is extremely physically demanding and cannot be sustained for long, but its destructive power in a short period of time is astonishing.

Lu Chen's shoulder was slashed open, and blood soaked his sleeve.

A faint bloodstain appeared on his cheek, a mark left by the blade as it passed.

But his gaze remained unchanged.

He is waiting.

The moment the vulture's stamina begins to wane.

The vultures' attack was indeed fierce, but such a reckless assault could not last long.

Within thirty seconds, his speed will inevitably decrease and his movements will inevitably become distorted.

That will be Lu Chen's chance to strike back.

However, the vultures seemed to have realized this as well.

He suddenly changed his tactics.