Chapter 133: The Ambush
Chapter 133: The Ambush
Qi Sai's enhanced mutated tissue allowed him to perceive the flow of blood, the rhythm of breathing, and the direction of various forces within the surrounding people, all of which were conveyed to him.
Every person's physical changes were vividly displayed in his mind, and he had a firm grasp on the movements of everyone around him.
Among these people, Chen Chuan was not the most prominent, but he was the most stable.
His stability was almost excessive.
In such an environment, anyone would feel tense, fearful, agitated, or excited, but Chen Chuan displayed none of these emotions. He was like a calm lake, and even if a slight ripple appeared on the surface, it didn't affect the depths below.
This immediately captured Qi Sai's full attention.
He watched as Chen Chuan approached with his sword, gradually closing the distance between them. Qi Sai held out his whip-wielding hand, then exerted force and snapped the whip forward, causing it to lash towards Chen Chuan.
Unlike Wei Chang'an, Chen Chuan didn't dodge. Blocking or parrying the whip with his sword would be a poor strategy. Instead, he focused on the direction of the force emanating from the opposing arm. In the instant the whip was swung, Chen Chuan suddenly reached out, and with a sharp crack, he grabbed the tip of the whip!
Qi Sai could see that Chen Chuan's second self had partially faded, almost becoming invisible. The force within was powerful enough to shatter human limbs. Without the second self, any contact would result in shattered bones and flying flesh.
Qi Sai was startled. He had never encountered anyone who dared to grab a whip with their bare hands, especially at the tail end where the force was fully transmitted.
Qi Sai immediately tried to pull the whip, assuming that even if Chen Chuan could grab it, the impact would still affect him. He believed he could easily disrupt Chen Chuan's center of gravity. However, as he exerted force, he felt a counteracting force from the whip, preventing him from pulling Chen Chuan closer. Instead, Qi Sai's own center of gravity was slightly affected.
Qi Sai realized something was wrong. Just as his balance shifted slightly, Chen Chuan's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly leaped forward. With a swift motion, he raised his sword and thrust it towards Qi Sai's chest.
Fortunately, there was still some distance between them. Qi Sai quickly adjusted his balance, sidestepped, and dodged to the side. Simultaneously, he drew a short stick from his waist and blocked the incoming strike, using the force to quickly retreat backward.
Chen Chuan twisted his wrist, spun the blade, and took a step forward, immediately following up with an overhead slash. Qi Sai grabbed the whip handle with one hand while using the other hand to twirl the stick, pulling the whip upward and tightening it. The whip stretched taut, blocking the path of the descending blade.
The material of the whip was unknown, but it was incredibly resilient. The blade only slightly indented the surface, as if Chen Chuan had anticipated this. In that instant, the stick twirled rapidly, attempting to entangle and secure the blade.
This unique combination of whip and stick techniques was something Chen Chuan had never encountered before. Instead of trying to free his sword, he pushed forward, adjusting the angle of the hilt to aim the tip towards Qi Sai's head.
Qi Sai, seeing the impending stab, quickly pulled the whip to redirect the blade. But at that moment, Chen Chuan released the Xuejun Blade and rushed forward, throwing a punch towards Qi Sai's head with astonishing speed. It was as if Chen Chuan had teleported right in front of him.
Qi Sai lifted the hand holding the whip handle, attempting to use the taut whip to deflect Chen Chuan's fist. However, Chen Chuan transformed his punch into an elbow strike, exploiting the opening created by Qi Sai's raised arm, and struck him squarely on the chest!
Qi Sai wore a thick protective vest, but Chen Chuan's attack wasn't a penetrating force. Instead, it was a powerful thrust that could easily disrupt his balance.
Qi Sai demonstrated remarkable skill in responding to this strike. His body seemed to divide into two independent parts, with the lower half firmly planted and the upper half exhibiting extreme flexibility. The thrust merely caused his chest to sink, failing to disrupt his balance.
Chen Chuan sensed Qi Sai's body transformation and took a step forward. He kicked Qi Sai's leg from behind, leaning forward and unleashing a burst of force. Qi Sai couldn't maintain his balance and fell backward.
At that moment, Wei Chang'an, who was nearby, suddenly shifted his gun towards Qi Sai. Even before Qi Sai hit the ground, the mutated tissue allowed him to curl his body sideways, and two shots rang out, both bullets striking his back. However, the impact disrupted his landing, causing him to crash sideways.
Qi Sai's attention remained focused on Chen Chuan. As he glanced at the latter retrieving his long sword, preparing to advance, Qi Sai immediately rolled to the side, intending to use the momentum to stand up. However, before he could get to his feet, he sensed something amiss, and almost simultaneously, a muffled gunshot echoed in his ear.
By the time he realized what had happened, he discovered that half of his lower leg had been severed.
On the distant watchtower, Wei Chang'an's teammate pulled the bolt of the assault rifle, ejecting the spent shell casing, and aimed at Qi Sai once more. However, as he did so, Qi Sai's figure suddenly disappeared into the adjacent tent, causing the shooter to lament the missed opportunity. It had been a rare moment when Qi Sai was clearly visible in the well-lit area, allowing for an accurate shot.
Chen Chuan had noticed Wei Chang'an's initial shot, so he didn't rush forward. However, the second shot was impressive, precisely timed to neutralize most of Qi Sai's combat capabilities.
Chen Chuan nodded at the teammate on the watchtower and said to Wei Chang'an, "I'll handle this one. Go and assist Luo Kaiyuan and Cai Sai."
Wei Chang'an responded decisively, quickly replacing the magazine and rushing to support Luo Kaiyuan, Cai Sai, and the others.
As Qi Sai rolled, the mutated tissue within his body squirmed, and his wound began to close, stemming the flow of blood. Despite losing a leg, Qi Sai's speed remained unaffected. He crawled out of the tent and quickly hid in another nearby tent.
It was only a little past four o'clock, and the sky was still dim. The surrounding area was filled with smoke, making it difficult for others to observe much. However, for Qi Sai, who had studied Makaya Meridian Studies, it was advantageous. He could sense others, while they remained unaware of his presence. If given a chance to catch his breath, he might even have an opportunity to counterattack.
Chen Chuan stood in place, his gaze fixed on the Second Self. Apart from the arm segment that had faded during their earlier clash, he noticed that the Second Self had a slight overall fade as it approached Qi Sai.
This was very similar to the effect of encountering something like a monster tale. He deduced that this person must be carrying something, which also served as a way to identify him.
He walked a few steps through the empty space of the camp, judging the direction by the increasing intensity of the effect. Soon, he found the target's location, and an old tent appeared ahead.
However, he did not stop but continued moving forward. As he was about to pass by, the Xuejun Blade suddenly stabbed to the side.
Qi Sai was kneeling on one leg inside the tent, holding a short stick, waiting for Chen Chuan to pass before making his move. Suddenly, he sensed something amiss and crouched down. A blade tip pierced in and slashed across his shoulder, then cut horizontally, tearing a large hole in the tent.
Qi Sai's expression turned fierce. Knowing he was missing a leg, he realized he could not retreat. His only chance of victory was to charge forward. He shouted and threw the short stick in his hand, then pushed off with his single leg, lunging at Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan ignored the thrown stick and focused on Qi Sai's charging figure. He swung the blade and pressed it against Qi Sai's neck, following the momentum of the charge and slicing sideways before stepping aside.
Qi Sai fell past him, rolled forward, and half-knelt again. He tried to use the movement of his mutated tissue to stop the neck wound, but half his neck was already cut open, and blood gushed out uncontrollably. He stared at Chen Chuan for a moment before collapsing to the side.
Chen Chuan gently shook his wrist and gazed at the man for a while.
In his estimation, this person's skill was not much worse than Duma's. If he hadn't been hit by a bullet earlier, causing a significant loss of strength, their battle might have lasted longer.
However, this was not a one-on-one fight but a confrontation between two teams. There was no fairness or reason; all means would be used until one side was completely neutralized.
He glanced around, then walked over and pulled a bone-like bracelet from Qi Sai's wrist. This was the object causing the Second Self to slightly fade.
After some thought, he put it away. Then, he moved to the side, picked up a rifle from a dead bandit, and joined the effort to clear out the remaining bandits.
During the ambush, at least half of the bandits in the camp had been eliminated, leaving about eight or nine who retreated to the deepest part of the camp.
This was the most fortified area of the camp, surrounded by a wall of protective barriers and obstacles, with many places to take cover.
However, under the influence of smoke grenades and the dim light, they found it difficult to achieve effective shots. Chen Chuan's team, with their superior strength, often threw smoke grenades into their midst, significantly reducing their ability to counterattack.
Worse still, their team had only a few members with firearms, and they had lost most of them earlier. Now, only six people, including himself, had guns, not much more than the other side. The rest had to use bows and arrows.
What particularly frustrated him was that the enemy had infiltrated silently, demonstrating considerable strength. Even if they could hold their ground, how could they be sure the enemy didn't have reinforcements?
Just then, Yu'an returned from the rear and whispered, "Boss, things are bad. The rear is also blocked. We're surrounded."
With the situation this dire, Mitai calmed down and thought for a moment. "Could it be related to that thing?"
If it was, it meant their information had been leaked. Even if they won this battle, more would come.
Yu'an said, "Boss, no matter what, we've lost too many brothers, and the situation on the other side is unclear. They seem to have experts. We can't stay here; we need to break out. We still have one armored vehicle and one off-road vehicle, which should allow us to take a few brothers out."
He looked around and asked, "Boss, where's Qi Sai?"
Mitai shook his head. "I haven't seen him since he went out. Either he's hiding somewhere or he's dead."
Yu'an cursed, extremely frustrated. Qi Sai was both their supervisor and liaison; without him, many things would be difficult. "Forget it. As long as we have the item, the exchange team can't deny it. Boss, we need to find a way to retreat."
After some discussion, they decided that the main force of the enemy was in front, with only two or three people blocking the rear. They would break through from the back.
However, they couldn't all retreat at once; someone had to hold the front.
Mitai thought, "There's no other way." He called out, "Yatang!"
A towering and muscular man approached with heavy footsteps. "Boss, what's the order?"
Mitai said, "You and a few others hold the front. Keep them pinned down. Yu'an and I will go out the back and flank them. You must hold this position!"
Yatang said excitedly, "Don't worry, boss. With me here, they won't get in."
As Mitai was giving instructions, outside, Ren Xiaotian drove his off-road vehicle over and dragged several specially designed tire spikers from it. He and three members of Wei Chang'an's team fixed them on the only path the enemy could use to escape.
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(End of Chapter)
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