Chapter 186: Clearing Out
Chapter 186: Clearing Out
Chen Chuan glanced at the ground and adjusted his blade, continuing his steady stride along the metal walkway. Each step echoed through the vast factory, creating a haunting melody.
Near the exit, Wei Jun's team heard the approaching footsteps, and a chilling fear gripped their hearts. They broke into a cold sweat, their bodies tense with anticipation.
One of them, in a panic, hurried their pace but slipped, falling a short distance away. By the time they regained their senses, they found themselves two meters away, screaming in terror.
Their panic spread to the others, their faces paling as they struggled to catch their breath. Despite their fear, they dared not stop, their movements becoming shaky and unsteady.
Just as they were about to reach the exit, the footsteps behind them suddenly ceased, as if the pursuer had vanished.
"The sound stopped?"
"What's going on? Did they fall behind, or was it the combat mantis?"
Wei Jun couldn't resist turning back, but as he did, his eyes narrowed. Chen Chuan stood at the corridor's bend, his calm gaze fixed on them.
"
"Damn!"
Wei Jun felt a wave of despair wash over him.
"Call for help! There's someone outside!" one of the members shouted in panic, having spotted Chen Chuan.
But all he could do was shout.
They had stationed many people outside, but unfortunately, they had been instructed to keep their distance from the factory due to the expected chaos. So, these men faithfully remained at their posts, ignoring the gunshots and screams from within.
Moreover, due to the time constraints and the nature of the abandoned factory, there were no phone lines available. They had brought a radio, but in the heat of the moment, it was impossible to use it, and now it was too late.
"Wait, something's wrong! That thing blocked him, and he couldn't get past it either. We can escape! We can get out of here!" another member realized, his voice filled with excitement as if he had found a lifeline.
The others shared his joy, realizing the same.
"Yes, he can't get past it either!"
Jiang Wei, without a word, continued crawling forward, ignoring those behind him. He knew that if Chen Chuan had reached this point, he must have dealt with the two combat mantises. Therefore, the bio-weapon Chen Chuan brought with him should no longer be an obstacle in such a confined space.
Instead of wasting energy on words, it was better to run and seize any chance of escape.
As Jiang Wei shifted his blade, he was surprised to find no obstacles ahead, and the others around him realized the same. The creature before them was no longer an impediment.
This was because the spider silk's effect had worn off as its duration ended.
Realizing this, the Mutual Aid Society members scrambled to their feet and stumbled towards the exit.
Chen Chuan approached, his pace unhurried, but in an instant, he was among them. With a flash of his blade, one person fell.
Wei Jun watched in awe as Chen Chuan swiftly moved forward, kicking the person in front of him towards Chen Chuan. The latter casually deflected the attack with the Snow Lady Sword, slicing the blade across the person's neck. The victim flipped over, clutching their neck, and staggered to the wall, leaning against it to stand. They then fled outside, clutching their wounded neck.
Chen Chuan paid no heed to the fleeing person. Despite their martial arts training, they could only manage a hundred steps before collapsing to the ground, their blood trailing behind. Their body twitched a few times, then lay still.
One of the members' eyes reddened with rage, and they roared as they charged towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan suddenly appeared beside them, reaching out and grabbing their neck. With a tight grip, a sickening crack sounded, and the person's body went limp, their feet dragging on the ground.
Chen Chuan held his arm steady, dragging the body a couple of steps before releasing it to drop unceremoniously.
Wei Jun's breath quickened at the sight. As a skilled martial artist himself, he yearned to challenge Chen Chuan, knowing it was a fight to the death.
However, his legs remained rooted to the spot, for he knew from Chen Chuan's earlier display that he stood no chance.
Who wouldn't choose life over death if given the option?
Zhao Xuelang had promised to send them a powerful ally, but he hadn't arrived yet, leading to this dire situation.
It seemed this was their only option.
He reached into his pocket and swallowed a wriggling, transparent worm.
This was the same effect the Duality Heart Demon had after possessing someone, albeit temporary.
While they might still harm themselves when attacking others and possibly fall into a trance, external forces would struggle to hurt them.
If he could endure this, he would survive!
Jiang Wei, after getting up, didn't rush to escape. He waited, and as he did, someone pushed him aside, rushing to grab the door handle. But as their hand touched it, a dark shadow flashed, and the person was instantly sliced into pieces.
Jiang Wei stared at the shadow, then lunged forward, reaching the door. He quickly sidestepped, but even with his speed, his arm was severed.
Unfazed, he knew the creature needed a brief pause before accelerating. This was his chance to escape, and losing an arm was a small price to pay for freedom. He could always retrieve it later and get an implant.
As he turned the handle, he felt a sudden force push him, and he found himself pressed against the door. Slowly, he moved his cheek, looking down to see a blade piercing his abdomen, pinning him to the door.
Determined, he endured the pain and forced himself to back away, gripping the blade with one hand, trying to minimize the wound. Finally, he managed to pull the blade free.
At that moment, a hand reached out and grabbed the hilt of the blade, pulling it back.
Jiang Wei suddenly felt a chill in his abdomen and let out a muffled grunt, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he clutched his stomach and staggered forward a few steps, continuing to reach for the door handle. However, his hands were covered in blood, causing him to slip several times without grasping it. Finally, he turned around, leaned against the door, and slowly slid down, still clutching his stomach.
His face was pale, and cold sweat constantly dripped from his forehead. He looked at Chen Chuan and weakly opened his mouth, "Why do you have to do this? If you kill us, you'll die too. Let me go, and I can guarantee your safety..."
Chen Chuan just stared at him calmly.
Jiang Wei, seeing his expression, seemed to realize something and stared at him fixedly, "You won't die? You... you have an Infinite Defense Certificate? You've obtained it? Is that true? Is it?!"
In the end, he shouted with all his might.
Chen Chuan didn't answer him but turned and left the corridor, leaving only one person behind. Jiang Wei's voice grew weaker, his consciousness gradually fading, and finally, his head drooped onto his chest, and there was no more sound from him.
In the factory area, Wei Jun's voice could be heard, accompanied by the sound of pounding and smashing pillars and walls.
"Shen Zheng, why aren't you dead? Why won't you die? Why don't you just die? Die!"
"Stay back! Your sister isn't here. Zhao Qian took her to Central City. Don't you dare come looking for me!"
"Why? Why are you so strong? Why are you so talented? I'm the one with the most talent!"
When Chen Chuan walked out, Wei Jun's face was contorted, and he was desperately strangling a steel pillar with his hands. However, it seemed that he was the one struggling to breathe, and his situation was getting worse.
Chen Chuan silently observed that when he had come into contact with Wei Jun earlier, he had noticed that Wei Jun seemed impervious to external harm but was caught in some kind of inescapable fantasy. Moreover, when Chen Chuan tried to attack him, Wei Jun seemed to hurt himself instead.
Chen Chuan guessed that this was related to the strange rumors and secret rituals they had encountered that day.
Shen Zheng had probably experienced something similar, which was why the autopsy results showed that all the injuries were self-inflicted.
Wei Jun's face gradually turned purple, and he couldn't shout anymore. However, he seemed to be facing the most dangerous situation, and his hands were still desperately gripping the pillar, his eyes slowly turning white...
At the same time, outside, the sky was gradually brightening. On the road leading to the factory, Lu Fang, Shu Han, and others were sitting in several off-road vehicles, driving at top speed.
"Faster, faster!" someone kept urging the driver.
The members of the Determined Heart Society had heard a piece of news that Chen Chuan had received a recommendation from the Foreign Affairs Bureau, but this information had reached the Mutual Aid Society, who invited Chen Chuan to talk at the Li'an Machinery Old Factory.
This address immediately struck a nerve with them because Shen Zheng had died in that very place years ago, and the cause of death was said to be his own doing.
Now, Chen Chuan had also been called to the same place. Could the events of that year be repeating themselves?
The Determined Heart Society immediately decided to go to that place together. Although they were not particularly strong, and many of their core members had left the society, leaving them with little power, those who remained were driven by a stubborn determination.
Shu Han said to Lu Fang, "Lu, you've already graduated. You don't have to come."
Lu Fang shook his head firmly, "When the senior encountered difficulties, I wasn't there. I hate myself for that. Why did he have to die instead of me? If he were here, perhaps everything would be different today." He took a breath and continued, "But at least today, I can make up for it."
"Lu is right. Three years ago, when the senior died, we couldn't do anything. But now, we can't do nothing. Chen Chuan has the recommendation, and he can take the exam for the Infinite Defense Certificate. He's the one who can continue the senior's path. We can't give up, even if the senior is gone. Someone has to carry on this path."
The members of the Determined Heart Society nodded in agreement. Some of them had already graduated, but they still came. Although Chen Chuan had declined their invitations, they had been keeping an eye on him.
Later, they discovered that Chen Chuan's fighting strength didn't seem to lag behind because of his choice of Zhou Yuan's Force. Instead, he had accomplished one feat after another, proving that his chosen path was correct.
After driving for a while longer, the car finally arrived near the old factory area.
"It's here!" someone pointed to the building ahead.
The students of the Determined Heart Society had complex expressions, filled with both sadness and anger.
Three years ago, they had witnessed Shen Zheng being carried out of this very place. Now, after so much time, there's another one. We won't allow this to happen again!" they said determinedly.
However, when they arrived, they found not only obstacles set up outside but also patrolling security guards, preventing them from entering directly.
The Wei family's butler saw these people. It had been over an hour, and the door hadn't opened yet. Considering that the young master and the others might still be enjoying themselves, he had to stop the people outside.
But with the approaching dawn, it seemed like it was time to wrap things up. The butler had just received a message from the radio station that someone was on their way here.
Lu Fang and the others were anxious, knowing that every minute of delay could mean an additional minute of danger. They decided to break in, as these security guards were unarmed and could only rely on their strength.
Just as they were about to take action, the ground suddenly shook, and then armored patrol vehicles started driving towards them along the road.
"It's the Patrol Bureau! The Patrol Bureau's vehicles!"
Armed patrol officers jumped out of the vehicles and took up positions on both sides. A special car stopped in the middle, and Deputy Director Lei stepped out and stood outside.
The butler was startled. He hadn't expected Deputy Director Lei to be here. But before he could approach, he heard another commotion. He looked to the other side and saw a fleet of black armored vehicles approaching, which then stopped in front of them.
His expression changed slightly, "The Secret Sect Review Bureau?"
As the armored car at the front opened its door, Director Lei stepped out. Behind him, people with black windbreakers and secret sect tattoos on their faces and hands emerged from the vehicle.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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