A Maybach on a rainy night? Talk to my Levadin!

"I told you we shouldn't have let citizens make toys so realistic! Now look what's happened, they've become murder weapons!"

An operative, while loading ammunition behind a vehicle, cursed through gritted teeth.

Another grenade hurtled in, slamming into the ground between the armored vehicle and the shield with a loud thud. Hoshiguma ducked down abruptly, her Hannya Shield bracing firmly against the ground, taking the brunt of the explosion. The shockwave whipped her tactical uniform through the air. She freed one hand to steady the armored vehicle's door, gently putting the overturned vehicle back into place.

"Everyone get off the bus!"

The inspectors were all elites selected from the Guard Bureau, and had carried out countless counter-terrorism operations in Lungmen. Despite being caught off guard, they showed no panic. Some quickly opened the car doors and used the armored vehicles to set up firing positions; others followed Hoshiguma's shield guards, forming a mobile shield wall in front; and the operators carrying crossbows crouched behind the shield guards, aiming their arrows at the factory windows. The constant "whoosh" of arrows suppressed the enemy's firepower.

"Chen Huijie! Follow me! Get ready for the attack!"

"Yes!"

……

Fifteen minutes before the melting point at the Longmen Outer Ring Plant.

"Oh no, I think I've made a mistake," Zhao Zizhan suddenly slapped his forehead as he walked down the street.

Xia Mi looked up at her question, her eyes full of confusion: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this place?"

Zhao Zizhan could vaguely feel a faint throbbing in his bloodline at his fingertips—blood magic had already been quietly spread out, like an invisible net, capturing the surrounding aura. This thing was quite useful as an information detection spell, but it was only effective against living beings.

He glanced at the factory area ahead and said, "Didn't you notice? The place I chose seems to have some senior colleagues there."

As soon as he finished speaking, the blood magic's feedback became clearer—in the abandoned warehouse a hundred meters ahead, there were a large number of figures full of vitality. Although their breathing and footsteps were kept very low, they could not escape the magic's perception.

This place already belongs to someone.

Xia Mi squinted and sensed it for a moment: "It seems to be true..."

"What should we do then? Should we go somewhere else?"

"It's probably too late now."

Zhao Zizhan slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the broken wall behind him, the alley entrance, and the man pretending to squat by the roadside smoking—those people hiding in the shadows were now quietly peeking out, their eyes filled with malice like needles piercing him.

"Gentlemen, we've been following you all this way. Are you looking for directions?"

Zhao Zizhan asked calmly.

When the thugs pretending to be bystanders saw Zhao Zizhan confront them directly, they exchanged glances and dropped the pretense, giving a signal to the people around them. A group of people immediately surrounded them, blocking their escape route. Each of them clenched their fists, and some even had bulging waistbands, clearly hiding weapons.

The man in the lead was wearing a faded black vest with a half-faded dragon tattooed on his arm. He looked Zhao Zizhan up and down, his eyes landing on the bag on Zhao Zizhan's body. A greedy smile appeared on his lips: "Asking for directions? No, no, no, brother, we have serious business to discuss with you."

He rubbed his hands together: "We're a bit short on cash lately, you know how tough it is these days. If we can't make money, we'll all be kicked out by the boss and starve."

"I see you're dressed quite well. Why don't you leave your things and a few girls here so we can report back to the boss? What do you say?"

After listening, Zhao Zizhan suddenly laughed. He turned his head, spread his hands at Xia Mi and the other two girls, and pointed at the thugs: "Look, this is the land of etiquette in Great Yan. Even robbers are so refined and talk to us about 'reason'."

Zhao Zizhan suppressed his smile, but his tone remained calm: "Then what will you do if I don't hand it over?"

Whether you pay or not is not up to you!

The leader lost his patience completely and suddenly cursed, his voice like a broken gong: "You stinking bastard! If you don't hand it over, I'll kill you, you idiot!"

As he shouted, he reached behind his waist.

"So you only learned one sentence?"

Chapter 220 Master Xia Mi.

Seeing the negotiations break down, Surtr took the first step forward, crimson flames flickering on his greatsword behind him. Talulah followed closely behind, her body temperature already rising. The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, steadily protected Zhao Zizhan behind them.

Just then, Xia Mi suddenly popped out from behind the two of them, and asked Surtr and Talulah with her hands clenched, "Big sisters, you've been quite the show-offs in the last few fights. These little punks don't seem to have any skills. Why don't you leave them to me this time?"

"you?"

The two said in unison.

It's no wonder Surtr and Talulah were surprised. Ever since they met Xia Mi, this girl has always been hiding behind others. At the slightest disturbance, she would shrink behind Zhao Zizhan. She usually looks timid and cowardly, a completely harmless and cute girl. Let alone fighting, she has never shown any aggressive posture.

Her sudden volunteering at this moment would seem unbelievable to anyone.

"What are you doing? Don't underestimate me!"

Xia Mi felt a little guilty under the questioning gazes of the two, but she still straightened her neck, puffed out her barely noticeable chest, and said with forced confidence, "I've secretly practiced a lot of martial arts! You all watch closely, and no one is allowed to interfere later. I'm going to show you what I'm capable of!"

As she spoke, she mimicked the moves from martial arts movies, chuckling and making a couple of gestures.

The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously looked at Zhao Zizhan, who was being protected behind them.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Zhao Zizhan immediately made the decision: "Let her give it a try. First of all, it's commendable that she even has this idea. Our Xia Mi is also a good older sister who is willing to stand up and protect everyone. I'm moved to tears."

He spoke in a serious tone, and even raised his hand to wipe away non-existent tears.

"Hehe, thank you so much!"

Xia Mi gritted her teeth and squeezed out those words, but her feet didn't falter. She strode towards the thugs with her neck stiff.

Surprisingly, when they saw Xia Mi walking over, the group of thugs opposite them burst into laughter.

The leader, a blond thug with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, blew a smoke ring and looked Xia Mi up and down with disdain, adopting a mocking expression like Tom the cat looking at a firecracker. He said sarcastically, "You bastard, we told you to leave all the girls with you here, and what do you do? You send out this skinny girl to fob us off? Look at her, she's as straight as a stick, so thin she'd fall over in the wind. You have the nerve to offer her to your father?"

As he spoke, he reached out to push Xia Mi's shoulder.

"Alright, now there's no need to doubt Xia Mi's fighting ability."

Zhao Zizhan, who was watching from behind, saw everything clearly. A knowing smile appeared on his lips. He reached out and pulled Surtr and Talulah back, who were about to step forward to stop him. He lowered his voice and said, "Quickly step back a little. It will be troublesome to wash off the blood if it gets on you."

The thugs over there continued their taunts: "Hey, look at her, this little girl's getting anxious. She's only 1.6 meters tall, so tiny and weak, I was afraid I'd hurt her if I hit her too hard..."

Before she could finish her next sentence, the streetlight at the alley entrance flickered, and when it came back on, Xia Mi had vanished from her spot. Before the thugs could react, a black, lightning-fast afterimage instantly teleported in front of the blond-haired thug who had just spoken. Then, with a crisp "thud," Xia Mi's first-level Crushing Fist slammed into the blond-haired thug's chest. The force was so great that the thug arched his back like a shrimp struck by a heavy hammer, his mouth gaping open but unable to utter a sound, his face instantly turning a deep liverish color.

Before the blond-haired man could recover, Xia Mi delivered a powerful elbow strike to his chin. With a soft "crack," the blond-haired man's head snapped back uncontrollably, his eyes rolled back, and he was on the verge of fainting. But Xia Mi didn't stop. She quickly withdrew her hands, stomped her feet heavily on the ground, lowered her body slightly, and then brought her hands together, palms pressed tightly together, delivering a sharp gust of wind straight to the blond-haired man's diaphragm.

The impact was so powerful it penetrated to the bone. The back of the blond man's clothes was instantly ripped open by the airflow, but instead of flying out as expected, he took full force. His body swayed softly for a moment, then collapsed to the ground with a "plop" like a boneless noodle, his limbs twitching and white foam constantly oozing from his mouth. He had clearly lost his fighting ability.

"Bajiquan, Yama's Three-Point Hand. Revised."

Xia Mi slowly exhaled and spoke.

"It feels really good to shout out your moves when you're fighting, it's like shouting 'Royal Flush' in Dou Dizhu (a card game)."

Xia Mi slowly straightened up, patted non-existent dust off her hands, and coldly swept her gaze over the thugs around her who hadn't had time to react. She said with a hint of amusement, "What's wrong? I haven't even used my strength yet, and you've already fallen down? Come on, don't pity me just because I'm a delicate flower."

As she spoke, she deliberately puffed out her non-existent breasts.

Seeing this, Zhao Zizhan couldn't help but cover his face and complain helplessly, "She was so cool just now, but as soon as she started talking, she made it all sound so cheesy. She ruined the whole atmosphere."

What just happened happened too fast. From Xia Mi's attack to the yellow-haired man's fall, only a few seconds had passed. The thugs were only now snapping out of their shock as if waking from a dream. Then, their shock was replaced by anger.

They initially thought Xia Mi was an easy target, but they never expected her to be a ruthless character with hidden claws, who even dared to injure their people.

The companion of the one Xia Mi had knocked to the ground, convulsing, immediately rushed over, but Xia Mi stood in the center of the crowd, her white canvas shoes lightly crunching over the fallen leaves, her face showing no sign of panic. She first lowered her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and as her chest rose and fell slowly, the surrounding wind seemed to be drawn by an invisible force. Plastic bags and scraps of paper from the roadside suddenly swirled and floated over, tiny air currents swirling around her raised fingertips, gradually condensing into shimmering vortices.

The next second, her footwork suddenly changed—her left toes touched the ground, her right foot slid back half a meter, her knee slightly bent and then quickly straightened, her whole body moving like a willow catkin in the wind, her movements as agile as a cat darting through the forest. Before the thugs could even see her movements clearly, she had already used this peculiar footwork to disappear into the crowd like a blur, her clothes fluttering in the air with a slight rustling sound.

"Cross-shaped Drill!"

The crisp shout had barely faded when her movements were already incredibly fast: her right index and middle fingers joined together in a sharp, swift motion, instantly striking the throat of a thug on her right. The thug groaned, instinctively reaching for his throat with both hands, but Xia Mi's left foot had already moved like a venomous snake, her toe slamming into the outside of his knee with a sharp "crack." The thug's knee twisted instantly, and his body involuntarily lurched forward.

Before the other man could fall, Xia Mi quickly stepped back, dodging the fist coming from the left. At the same time, she thrust her left knee forward and bent her right elbow like an iron whip, using the force of her lunge to smash into the ribs of another thug.

With a muffled thud, the thug's face contorted in pain. Just as he was about to bend over, Xia Mi's left fist struck his face like lightning. The force of the punch grazed the tip of his nose, forcing him to hastily raise his hand to defend himself.

In that split second, Xia Mi stomped her right foot forward, her heel striking the other man's shinbone with a loud cracking sound, accompanied by the thug's scream. The man's balance was instantly disrupted, and his body tilted uncontrollably to the right. Xia Mi seized the opportunity to raise her left elbow, thrusting it with all her might towards his chest.

With a "poof," the thug exhaled a breath of foul air, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud.

Seeing his companions fall one after another, a thug holding a steel pipe roared with bloodshot eyes and swung the pipe down hard on Xia Mi's back. Xia Mi, however, seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She twisted her body sharply to the left, simultaneously taking a step forward and weaving into the thug's inner circle. Her right shoulder precisely pressed against the thug's armpit holding the pipe, and with a swift upward movement, she forcefully locked his arm, stopping the pipe in mid-air, preventing it from slamming down.

Before the other party could react, Xia Mi's left elbow strike to the heart was already fully charged, and with a sharp force, it pierced into his center.

The thug groaned, his body stiffened instantly, and the steel pipe in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

Without pausing for a moment, Xia Mi spun around like a wind-up windmill, using her right foot as the axis. Her left leg stretched out, her toes pointed like knives, and her long leg drew an arc in the air like a steel whip. With a crisp "smack," it slapped the thug hard across the side of his face.

The force of the whip was astonishing. The thug's body was as if he had been hit by a speeding car. He flew through the air in an arc, traveling more than three meters horizontally before his back slammed heavily onto a roadside trash can with a loud crash. The trash can overturned, scattering garbage all over the ground. He himself rolled on the ground like a rag doll, knocking down three other thugs who rushed at him. The men piled on top of each other, their cries of pain echoing through the air.

Xia Mi landed steadily after spinning, lightly tapping the ground with her left toe to disperse the dust around her feet. Her clear voice rang out again: "One whip for the rider!"

In the shadows at the alley entrance, Jie leaned against the mottled brick wall, watching Xia Mi swiftly deal with the thugs ahead. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he murmured, "Looks like I won't need to help..."

"What superb skills..."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a soft exclamation of praise rang out beside him.

Jie's heart tightened suddenly, and his right hand subconsciously reached for the short blade hidden at his waist. He had deliberately chosen the most secluded corner, yet someone had managed to stand beside him silently!

He turned around abruptly, and the dim yellow streetlights at the alley entrance shone obliquely, illuminating a chubby-faced figure: beneath his fluffy brown hair, Huaihu's bright eyes were fixed on Xia Mi ahead, his face full of interest.

"why you?"

Jie's tone was full of surprise. He took half a step back and carefully examined Huaihu. "How did you end up here?"

He had barely finished speaking when he remembered something. "Wait a minute, how did you follow me? I deliberately took a three-lane detour when I packed up my stall, and I didn't see anyone following me."

Huaihu didn't look at him, his gaze still fixed on Xia Mi in front of him, even the tip of his tail was slightly tense: "I came to eat fish balls after school, and I saw you packing up your stall from afar, sneaking around following people. You usually chat with Aunt Zhang who sells vegetables when you pack up, but today you didn't even turn your head. I knew you were going to meddle again."

At this point, she puffed out her chest: "Upholding justice is a martial artist's duty. I can't just watch you risk your life alone and come along with you."

"As for how to catch up..."

Huaihu lifted his foot and gently wiggled the toes of his white sneakers. The soles of his shoes scraped against the pebbles on the ground without making a sound. "I'm a martial artist, so I practice light footwork. Plus, I'm Feilin, so the pads of my feet are naturally quieter than others. Isn't it normal for me to walk without making a sound?"

As she spoke, she deliberately tiptoed, like a cat, and sure enough, she didn't make a sound.

"But what's wrong with you?"

"I knew them because they were Uncle Dong, so..."

He explained in a low voice.

"Do you know Uncle Dong?"

Huaihu asked with some surprise, "Are you sure? Uncle Dong has been in Longmen for almost twenty years. Although he knows many people, he never talks about others behind their backs. How could he let an acquaintance get into this kind of trouble?"

"Yes, judging from their tone, it seems they were quite familiar with Uncle Dong many years ago, and only just returned to Longmen today."

"That is indeed worth making a move on."

Huaihu nodded in agreement, his gaze returning to the alley, but with a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

Jie looked ahead and saw that Xia Mi had already dealt with several thugs. He gently curled the corners of his mouth and said in a relaxed tone, "But it seems we came here for nothing. Look at her, she's so fast and accurate. These few people can handle those thugs by themselves. We don't need to interfere at all."

"No," Huaihu shook his head.

Following his gaze, Jie indeed saw several faint silhouettes hidden in the shadows, staring motionlessly in Xia Mi's direction. His expression instantly darkened: "Besides those thugs, are there quite a few other figures hiding here?"

Huaihu gave a soft "hmm," his eyes filled with worry: "It seems that Uncle Dong's acquaintance has caused quite a bit of trouble... These people hiding here have much fiercer eyes than the thugs from before. They don't seem like troublemakers on the street; they seem like they've come specifically to ambush people."

He paused, then added, "And I just saw someone on the roof across the street at the alley entrance. It looked like they were holding something, but it was hidden by the tiles, so I couldn't see clearly."

Before Huaihu could finish speaking, a blinding light suddenly flashed through the window of the abandoned factory building at the far end of the alley—not the dim yellow of the streetlights, nor the coldness of the moonlight, but a sharp glint like sunlight reflecting off metal, so fast that it was almost an illusion.

An arrow with a grenade attached shot towards the group, but before it could strike, Xia Mi whirled around, her right hand, which had been hanging by her side, suddenly rising, fingers spread, palm facing the incoming arrow. The surrounding airflow instantly became turbulent, and the tiny vortex that had been wrapped around her fingertips suddenly expanded, like an invisible net, firmly catching the arrow.

The arrow still carried its momentum, the fletching at the fletching trembled slightly, but it could no longer advance even an inch. Xia Mi flicked her wrist, and a gust of wind carried the arrow, sliding it to her hand along the airflow. She gripped the shaft firmly with her fingers.

She swung her arm back sharply, and with a flick of her wrist, the arrow seemed to be given new power, flying back to its original position with a sharper whistling sound than when it came—straight towards the brightly lit window of the factory.

The next second, "BOOM!!!"

A violent explosion suddenly erupted from the direction of the factory, the flames instantly illuminating half the night sky. A wave of heat swept in with the wind, sending advertising flyers flying everywhere at the alley entrance. Broken glass shards rained down on the ground, making a crackling sound.

Everyone in the alley was stunned: the thugs lying on the ground forgot to wail, the gang members who had just rushed out stopped in their tracks, and even Jie, Huaihu, and Zhao Zizhan were stunned.

"No, is it really that powerful?"

Zhao Zizhan looked in the direction the arrow had flown back. Something was wrong. Had these people attached aerial bombs to the arrows?

Xia Mi was equally stunned: "I can't get there?"

"Go see what's going on? Damn it, they dared to shoot my men! The local gangs are really shameless!"

PS: I almost missed the deadline by rushing to meet it. I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow to make it up to everyone. My back hurts after every twist of my waist and my fingers hurt after every tap of my fingers while typing, but I'm determined to have perfect attendance!

Chapter 221 Chen Huijie's Crisis.

The infected in Ursus are always experienced in the joy of fighting with others; they have seen their companions frozen in the snow and tasted the humiliation of being driven away and beaten by official patrols.

It's not that they enjoy fighting, but in Ursus, a land that shows no kindness to the infected, fighting is the only way to survive. This experience, honed in dire circumstances, makes them better than any other group at how to gain the upper hand in conflicts, and makes "fighting with others" an inescapable part of their survival, a kind of desperate yet numb skill.