Chapter 19: Night Attack
The night was dark and foreboding as Xueheng walked along the outskirts of the South District. The narrow, poorly planned streets were cluttered with dilapidated buildings, some of which could hardly be called houses, mere shacks pieced together with scrap metal and wooden planks.
The construction materials used were clearly subpar, with little to no maintenance over the years, leaving some areas in a state of disrepair. Discarded cans and trash littered the ground, and puddles formed on the uneven concrete. A few stray dogs eyed Xueheng, as if waiting for something.
"...!"
Xueheng stopped in his tracks. Despite the absence of another soul on the street, he had an uncanny feeling. It was as if the calm before a storm, the dark night breeding a terrifying beast, its unseen stirrings palpable in the air.
It was his heartbeat.
Without employing any breathing techniques, his blood suddenly began to rush, his temperature rising as if it would boil. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and his scalp tingled as if a sharp blade were pressed against his neck, its edge dragging across his skin.
Without any rational explanation, relying purely on his innate "fighting" instinct nestled deep within his flesh, he knew—danger was imminent.
Without hesitation, Xueheng trusted his instincts and chose to flee.
On the street, Xueheng crouched slightly, his thigh muscles tensing. With a burst of speed born from his "Running" skill, he shot forward like an arrow released from its bow!
As he bolted, shouts of anger and surprise erupted from the narrow alleys between the buildings.
"Damn, he's on to us!"
"Get him! Don't let him escape!"
"Damn, that little rabbit can run!"
From the hidden alleys, over a dozen figures emerged, giving chase. Most of them brandished weapons—small knives, wooden clubs, machetes, and metal baseball bats, the scraping of metal on the ground filling the air.
These people were clearly seasoned hunters. Their positions formed an almost complete encirclement, centered on Xueheng.
Had he acted just ten seconds later, the net would have closed, leaving him with no chance of escape.
But now, only two people stood in his way!
"Brother Cheng, Li, stop him!"
Ignoring the shouts from behind, Xueheng focused on the two men before him—a skinny teenager in a red t-shirt wielding a baseball bat and a bald young man with a malicious gaze, his hands empty.
The distance between Xueheng and the duo closed rapidly. Despite the impending collision, he showed no signs of slowing down.
The bald man remained stationary, but the teenager stepped forward, brandishing his bat, poised to swing. He seemed intent on treating Xueheng like a baseball.
Closer and closer they came.
Just as the skinny teenager focused his gaze and swung his bat, Xueheng, without breaking his stride, suddenly ducked.
The whistling bat grazed his hair, and in that same instant, Xueheng, still crouched, tightened his right fist. As he rose, he unleashed a powerful uppercut—a rising dragon fist—at the teenager's jaw!
With his "Aiming" skill, his punch was unerringly accurate, connecting squarely with the teenager's chin.
"Bang!"
The loud impact was accompanied by the sickening sound of cracking bone. Xueheng felt as though he had pulverized something with his fist.
The momentum of his sprint, combined with the force of his 180-kilogram punch, sent the skinny teenager flying a full meter into the air. He landed with a thud, his eyes rolled back, and he lay unmoving, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle, his jaw visibly broken and misshapen.
"Little Li!"
"Damn, this kid's a bit feisty. Be careful, everyone!"
The pursuers exclaimed in surprise as they gave chase.
Without pausing, Xueheng only briefly hesitated before continuing his dash forward.
The remaining crew-cut youth, who had been nonchalant, now wore a serious expression. It was clear that Xueheng was no ordinary weak student after witnessing the previous scene.
He focused, raising his hands and slightly bending his knees, assuming a boxing stance ready to strike.
Prepared, he was confident he could react no matter which angle Xueheng attacked from.
As long as he could stall this fast-running student for a little longer, his companions would catch up, and their prey would be trapped like a fish in a barrel.
He braced himself, his face stern, watching as Xueheng rapidly closed the distance.
'Left jab, right cross, or a kick?'
Just as they were about to make contact, the most tense moment...
Xueheng ignored him and ran past, right by his side.
The crew-cut youth froze.
As Xueheng brushed past, he shot a strange glance at him, as if asking, "What are you doing?"
"What the fck are you doing!" The youth cursed angrily and spun around to pursue Xueheng.
On the outskirts of the South District, Xueheng ran with over a dozen people in hot pursuit.
A few minutes later, as they watched Xueheng's silhouette grow smaller and smaller, everyone gradually came to a halt.
"This... This little bastard... How... How can he run so fast..."
One of them, breathless, leaned on the ground with a machete, his exhausted body struggling to speak.
"Damn it! We've been chasing this goose all day, and now it's pecked our eyes out. We've really messed up this time. We didn't catch the guy, and we injured one of our brothers."
"What now? Brother Duan is still waiting at the warehouse. If we don't get this little thing done, who knows what he'll do to us."
"What else can we do? The guy's already..."
The dyed-hair youth didn't finish his sentence.
At the corner of the street, just as Xueheng was about to run out of their sight, he suddenly stopped and slowly turned around to face them.
"Hey, you little rabbit, are you tired?" someone jeered.
"Let's go. This guy has made us work hard. We'll teach him a lesson now."
"The tweezers I use for tooth extraction are about to rust. This pretty boy will probably be liked by girls who like pretty boys. I wonder if he'll still be able to..."
The group laughed and walked towards Xueheng.
...
As the shouts and footsteps behind him faded, Xueheng knew he had escaped the danger.
His heart rate, accelerated by the sense of crisis, slowly returned to normal, but a flame of anger ignited within him.
"Damn, a bunch of people suddenly came out of nowhere and chased me like a dog. No matter the reason, I'll remember this grudge."
Reason told him that he should leave immediately, avoid taking risks, and come back for revenge when he was stronger. After all, revenge was a dish best served cold.
But his instincts screamed, "To hell with reason!"
He slowly turned around to face the group of over a dozen people across the street.
He opened the panel to check the passive effect of "Twin Spirit," and his heart filled with newfound courage.
He scanned the ground and spotted a half-brick, about the size of a fist, not far away.
Xueheng picked it up and weighed it in his hand.
Amidst the group's puzzled gazes, he walked towards them, his face expressionless and his steps steady.
...
(End of Chapter)
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