"Strange, where did it go wrong... Could it be that extraordinary with enhanced smell?"
Ji Xun ruled out various possibilities and finally concluded that the flaw was likely in the scent.
He held no illusions.
At this critical juncture, any carelessness could be fatal.
For a moment, his thoughts raced.
The person just now had a light step, likely an assassin type.
He went straight to car 16, making his intention clear: to block the path and prevent anyone from jumping off the train.
Ji Xun wasn't surprised; if the tracker didn't have such skill, they wouldn't have found him in the first place.
But this also indicated one thing: the enemy hadn't locked onto him specifically, only the general area of the car.
The enemy's intel must have confirmed that the target was a card apprentice, meaning a normal spell card user could handle it.
If they had confirmed he was the target, they would have acted as soon as they spotted him.
Since they hadn't, it meant they were still unsure who the target was.
This gave Ji Xun some time to react.
However, leaving the gambling table now would immediately attract attention.
If someone was blocking car 16, then car 14 was likely covered as well.
The situation became critical in an instant.
...
Even knowing he had been discovered, Ji Xun remained calm, continuing to place bets and play cards.
He hadn't been idle in the past few hours.
While playing cards, he had discreetly hooked a pull ring from a flashbang under the table to a gas pipe.
This small trap wouldn't hurt anyone, but it would make a lot of noise.
In the ensuing chaos, he would gain some time.
He kept a close eye on car 14.
Anyone entering car 15 now could be an enemy.
The hooded figure was nowhere to be seen, indicating the enemy was cautious enough.
Soon, Ji Xun noticed a woman in a leather jacket.
There weren't many people moving around in the rear cars, and those who did were familiar faces from the nearby cars.
Having memorized everyone's positions over the past few hours, he immediately noticed this woman wasn't from the nearby cars.
He didn't know what abilities she had, but her instinctive glance at the card players confirmed his exposure.
He didn't give her a chance to get close.
With the realization that he had been discovered, there was no point in continuing to disguise himself; he would be found sooner or later.
"Jumping off the train is the only option..."
Ji Xun stood up, squeezing out of the gambling crowd, already calculating the plan he had rehearsed many times in his mind.
...
As expected, Ji Xun's movement immediately drew the attention of the brown-haired woman.
She stopped watching the gamblers and signaled her accomplice in car 16.
Ji Xun kept his head down, walking forward as if urgently heading to the restroom.
He wasn't afraid of being noticed because he was certain—
Most likely, the opponent's orders were to keep him alive, so their attacks would not be lethal.
The train continued to travel at a constant speed, occasionally hitting something, causing the outer armor to clang with a strange noise.
Nothing could be seen outside; it was like being in an underground tunnel, pitch-black, making one instinctively refuse the idea of jumping out.
Jumping off the train was the worst option.
If there were choices, he would try something else first.
However, the enemy was clearly more cunning than he had anticipated, seemingly not wanting to give him the opportunity to jump.
Just a few steps away from his seat, Ji Xun suddenly felt a moment of mental haze.
It felt like hypoxia-induced drowsiness, which was a normal reaction in this carriage.
But Ji Xun immediately realized what it was: "A psychic spellcaster?"
An alert appeared: "Mental Invasion Immunity."
He had been in contact with the Fallen Witch for so long that he was already familiar with the sensation of mental pollution.
In other words, someone was using a psychic spell on him from behind.
Due to his exceptionally high mental strength, he barely noticed something was amiss; otherwise, he might have been unknowingly affected.
"If this continues, I'm afraid I won't make it to the designated location..."
Out of the corner of his eye, Ji Xun saw the assassin hiding among the passengers near the front carriage door. He silently cursed, realizing this guy also showed signs of closing in.
But if he recklessly executed his plan to jump off the train now, the risk of getting caught would be much higher.
His thoughts raced for a moment.
After taking two more steps, Ji Xun suddenly caught sight of the guy in seat 11 of carriage 16 out of the corner of his eye: "Hmm..."
This was the hunter he suspected of having "curse power out of control" earlier!
If this guy was really the ruthless killer the hunters talked about, then maybe...
"Looks like it's time for Plan B."
An alternative plan flashed through Ji Xun's mind.
He hadn't reached the designated spot yet, but this guy was closer.
If he guessed wrong, he would be caught on the spot.
If he guessed right, things would get much simpler!
With this thought, Ji Xun walked past the restroom and stopped beside seat 11.
His stopping immediately made the brown-haired woman and the assassin who were watching him simultaneously alert, both halting as well.
And it wasn't just those two.
Ji Xun noticed that when he stopped, the spell power on the middle-aged man pretending to sleep suddenly overflowed uncontrollably for a moment.
This guy was pretending to sleep too!
He probably guessed right.
With this in mind, Ji Xun quietly tapped the table twice with his hand, as if sending a secret signal.
Although the gesture was discreet, those who needed to see it did.
This small action made several people change their expressions simultaneously.
A signal?
It had to be a signal!
The motion was very misleading.
The guy pretending to sleep was already suspicious and would surely think the tapping was a signal to someone.
And those Blackwater Mercenaries tracking him would also think Ji Xun was signaling his companions.
But both parties, even if they noticed, would hesitate for a moment, thinking, "What if I'm wrong?"
Ji Xun seized that moment of hesitation. After tapping, he swiftly drew the revolver from his waist.
He didn't aim at anyone but shot at the gas pipeline he had observed earlier with a loud "bang."
His "Advanced Firearm Specialization" allowed him to hit the target precisely.
The carriages were lit by gas lamps, and this shot hit a crucial point. A flash of fire exploded, plunging carriages 15 and 16 into pitch darkness.
...
"What happened?"
"Who the hell fired a shot?"
...
Fighting was not allowed on the train; this was a rule set by the Hunters' Guild.
In Sinless City, there were no laws; the Hunters' Guild was one of the most authoritative organizations.
Anyone who broke the rules and caused bad consequences would be sent to the execution platform if caught.
This was why the Blackwater Mercenary Group hesitated to act before.
But Ji Xun didn't know this and wasn't planning to follow the rules!
Hearing the gunshot, the confused hunters started to riot. Amidst the chaos, a few gamblers stood up, and "bang, bang"—two more explosions followed as the stun grenades installed earlier were triggered.
The enclosed carriage felt like a tin can, and the shock waves from the stun grenades hit everyone in the last few carriages like a heavy blow, causing them to curse.
Stun grenades weren't lethal to ordinary people, let alone these extraordinary hunters.
But they strongly interfered with sensory organs and nervous systems.
Now, any means of sensing were out of the question.
And the chain reaction from the gunshot wasn't over yet!
Seeing the situation, a few members of the Blackwater Mercenary Group immediately realized something was wrong and rushed towards Ji Xun.
They had guessed that the target person was trying to escape amid the chaos.
Darkness might blind ordinary people.
But for a fully-fledged spell card user, it wasn't necessarily the case!
Especially for a professional assassin, who trained in seeing in the dark as a fundamental skill!
Escape?
Hmph,
Naive!
The assassin called Xiao Wu watched Ji Xun shoot the gas pipeline and sneered.
Even stun grenades couldn't significantly interfere with his ability to lock onto targets.
He immediately sprang forward, trying to catch Ji Xun.
However, a strange scene unfolded.
Xiao Wu missed!
The shadow he had locked onto in his vision vanished into thin air!
The carriage was plunged into complete darkness.
Where was he?
Xiao Wu's expression changed drastically as he realized he had underestimated that card apprentice.
But before he could figure out what had happened, a large hand from seat 11 swiftly grabbed his arm. The grip was like a vise, as if it was going to crush his bones.
Pain surged through Xiao Wu, contorting his face.
What was happening?
No,
That guy really had accomplices!