"Watch out!"
With a loud shout, Chen Yi threw himself forward, pinning Luo Yan beneath him.
Two pitch-black arrows whistled past Chen Yi's ear, embedding themselves several centimeters deep into the trunk of a nearby tree. The arrowheads quivered violently, emitting a low, menacing hum.
Gazing at the arrows made of high-strength polymer composite materials, Chen Yi immediately deduced their origin.
In China, firearms were strictly regulated, but crossbows faced far less scrutiny. This was partly because their lethality didn't rival that of guns, and partly because crossbows were simpler to craft. With basic knowledge and some cutting and welding tools, anyone could manufacture one.
Whether for personal safety or as a hobby, obtaining a high-precision, high-strength crossbow wasn't difficult.
Moreover, a well-crafted crossbow could be deadly within fifty meters, and, when modified by an expert, its effective range could extend to over a hundred meters.
The crossbow that fired these arrows was undoubtedly among the best, surpassing traditional bows, recurves, or even large compound bows in both speed and accuracy.
Many special forces units around the world equipped crossbows to complement firearms and cover their weaknesses.
The trajectory of the two arrows made it clear—they were aimed directly at Chen Yi and Luo Yan.
After shielding Luo Yan, Chen Yi sprang to his feet and charged toward the direction of the assailants.
About seventy or eighty meters away, two figures darted down the mountainside with incredible speed.
As Chen Yi gave chase, several police officers drew their pistols and opened fire. But the dense forest obscured their vision, and the serpentine movements of the fleeing assassins rendered their shots ineffective.
Holstering their weapons, the officers followed Chen Yi, rushing in pursuit.
Yet, in just six or seven seconds, Chen Yi had already widened the gap between himself and the others by forty or fifty meters, drawing even closer to the assassins.
Only one person managed to keep up—Geng Bo, the so-called "Provincial Bureau comrade."
Running alongside Chen Yi, Geng Bo trailed by only a step or two.
A wave of astonishment surged through Geng Bo's heart. Losing to Chen Yi in divination hadn't bothered him much, as it wasn't his area of expertise. His true strengths lay in speed and pursuit.
But now, seeing Chen Yi match his pace stride for stride, Geng Bo felt a deep frustration.
Is this guy a freak? He's better than me at everything!
Through the corner of his eye, Geng Bo observed Chen Yi's movements. Each step was graceful and precise, his body light and agile as he weaved effortlessly through the forest. His footwork was impeccable, his control over his body extraordinary.
This meant that if they were running on flat ground, Chen Yi's speed would likely surpass his own!
What a monster!
Geng Bo cursed silently, gritting his teeth as he quickened his pace, determined not to lose in every aspect. That would be too humiliating.
Suddenly, Chen Yi dove forward, rolling to the ground and coming to an abrupt halt. Geng Bo surged ahead, overtaking him.
Geng Bo smirked inwardly. So, he tripped after all. His speed is impressive, but he's still prone to mistakes. He must've stumbled over a rock or a bush. Not bad, though. With some training, he could become an excellent pursuer.
Just as Geng Bo was basking in his small victory, a sharp whistling sound sliced through the air above his head. The force of the wind scattered his hair, sending a chill down his spine.
An ambush!
That was Geng Bo's first thought. Without hesitation, he executed a tactical roll to evade the incoming threat.
"Whoosh!"
Another arrow zipped past, this time missing him by over a meter.
Something felt off. The arrows seemed to have been fired from behind him. Could there be an ambusher lying in wait along the path he had just taken?
A cold sweat broke out on Geng Bo's forehead.
Before the mission, "Caishen" had warned him that this operation wouldn't be simple and urged him to remain vigilant. At the time, Geng Bo hadn't taken it seriously. After all, he had weathered countless storms abroad—how could he possibly falter on home soil? Those so-called "masters" among the civilians were nothing more than paper tigers in his eyes. The only person who had earned a sliver of his respect was Chen Yi.
But now, faced with an unseen foe capable of such precision, Geng Bo began to doubt himself.
Fearing another attack, he executed several more evasive maneuvers before taking cover behind a protruding rock.
Once he felt safe, he cautiously peeked out, intending to locate the ambusher and check on Chen Yi. Based on his earlier observations, Chen Yi's fall was likely due to an attack.
But when Geng Bo finally spotted the "ambusher," he was filled with an overwhelming urge to commit murder.
You b*st*rd!
The "ambusher" was none other than Chen Yi himself!
Chen Yi was crouched low, a camouflaged crossbow resting on his shoulder as he swiftly reloaded and fired.
It turned out that midway through his pursuit, Chen Yi had spotted the crossbow abandoned in the grass by the assassins. Without hesitation, he dove to retrieve it, quickly loading the scattered arrows and taking aim.
Chen Yi was no stranger to such weapons. During his time at the orphanage, he often crafted makeshift bows and arrows to hunt birds and rabbits in the mountains, saving money on meat for the orphanage. Later, as he pursued a career in feng shui, he joined several archery clubs.
With a solid foundation and a body bordering on superhuman, Chen Yi had quickly mastered modern precision crossbows, becoming an expert marksman.
The clearing offered a much better line of sight compared to the dense forest, and with no obstacles in his way, Chen Yi was confident in his aim.
The only problem was that Geng Bo was positioned directly between him and the fleeing assassins.
After a moment's hesitation, Chen Yi seized the opportunity when Geng Bo's body dipped during a roll. Without wasting a second, he released the arrow.
The shot was perfect. The arrow whizzed past Geng Bo's head and struck one of the assassins squarely in the back.
Startled, Geng Bo dove for cover, inadvertently clearing Chen Yi's line of sight.
The assassin hit by the arrow collapsed, his fate uncertain. Chen Yi wanted to capture one alive, so he couldn't risk another shot to the back. Who knew if the next arrow might pierce the heart and end the assassin's life?
Taking a deep breath, Chen Yi steadied himself, adjusted his aim, and released another arrow—this time targeting the remaining assassin's buttocks.
The arrow struck true, embedding itself in the man's rear.
Even with an arrow sticking out of his backside, the assassin continued to flee. Furious, Chen Yi muttered, "I spared you by aiming for your butt, and you're still running? Fine, have it your way!"
He fired three more arrows in rapid succession, all hitting the assassin's other cheek. Only when the poor man collapsed, unable to move, did Chen Yi lower his crossbow with a satisfied smirk.
Pleased with his marksmanship, Chen Yi called out to Geng Bo, who was peeking out from behind the rock. "Hey, how's my archery? Impressive, right?"
"Impressive? I'll kill you!"
Already seething with frustration, Geng Bo exploded at Chen Yi's smug remark. He leapt out from behind the rock and delivered a flying kick.
"What are you doing?!"
"Hey, I told you, gentlemen use words, not fists! Keep it up, and I'll fight back!"
Geng Bo could only cry in frustration, feeling utterly wronged.
Earlier, he had nearly been decapitated by one of Chen Yi's arrows. Now, all he wanted was to vent his anger, but Chen Yi's reflexes were too quick. In no time, Geng Bo found himself pinned to the ground, unable to move.
To add insult to injury, Chen Yi leaned in close and began lecturing him.
"Comrade from the Provincial Bureau, we're teammates. How could you attack me?"
"Sure, my divination skills are better than yours, and I'm better-looking too, but jealousy won't solve anything. We need unity within the team! Internal conflicts only give the enemy an advantage…"
"Comrade, I'm offering you constructive criticism here. Reflect on your actions and hold yourself to higher standards. To ease tensions, I'll set an example by forgiving your impulsiveness…"
Is this even real life?
Unable to fight back or argue, Geng Bo felt like the world had turned upside down.
How did I become the bad guy in this situation?
Frustrated beyond belief, Geng Bo let out a long, anguished howl, feeling as though his world had turned to ash.
"Comrade, why are you banging your head against the ground? Have I moved you so deeply that you're offering me a grand kowtow? There's no need for such formality—we're teammates. Although, if you want to learn the proper technique, you can accompany me next time I scout a burial site…"
Finally, the other officers arrived and pulled Chen Yi off Geng Bo.
As Geng Bo stood up, he glared at Chen Yi with eyes burning like those of a wolf confronting its mortal enemy.
In that moment, Geng Bo swore to himself that he would avenge this humiliation.
But ten minutes later, he abandoned the thought.
Instead, he made a new vow: never to oppose this trickster again—only to work alongside him.
The assassin, now sporting several arrows in his backside, proved remarkably stubborn, refusing to divulge any information despite the officers' best efforts.
Time was of the essence. If they didn't act quickly, the culprits would realize their plan had failed and relocate.
Among the interrogators, Geng Bo was the most relentless, pouring all his pent-up frustration into his efforts. Yet, despite his bruised and aching hands, the assassin remained silent.
In the end, it was Chen Yi who broke him.
Walking over with a three-foot-long snake in hand, Chen Yi pried the assassin's mouth open and began forcing the snake inside.
"Someone go catch a few more. I want to see how many snakes a human stomach can hold. Make sure they're non-venomous—wouldn't want him dying too soon. That would ruin the fun…"
"Eight more should do. After all, there were nine victims, right? One snake for each girl…"
"Alright, alright! I'll talk! There's still one girl alive—she's alive!"
"Don't try to fool me. I don't believe you. One snake per victim—no exceptions."
"It's true! There's one survivor! I'll tell you where she is right now. Please, officer, save me!"
The assassin, utterly broken, spilled everything within a minute, even begging the police to lock him up far away from Chen Yi.
Watching this unfold, Geng Bo realized just how outclassed he was. Compared to Chen Yi, he was nothing more than a petty thug.
Now that's real skill.