Executing Crossbones

Nalan Qing had clearly put a great deal of effort into his staff technique. Unlike Li Congxin, who had simply grabbed the weighted vest and swung it around like a maniac, every one of his moves was methodical, perfectly embodying the essence of speed, precision, and ruthlessness.

Crossbones had not expected the sudden interloper to be so fierce. In his panic, he had no time to dodge and could only raise his knife to block.

But how could the power unleashed by a staff possibly compare to that of a short blade?

With a crisp clang, Crossbones's knife was knocked flying by Nalan Qing's staff. It struck the wall of a nearby building, bounced back, and landed in a corner behind a dumpster.

Li Congxin's eyes lit up at the sight.

He had not expected Nalan Qing to possess such a formidable staff technique in addition to his Tan Tui.

The coach was awesome!

At this rate, if the two of them joined forces, they might really be able to kill Crossbones here.

The bloodthirsty thought had only just risen in Li Congxin's heart when it was immediately replaced by an overwhelmingly intense sense of danger.

As Crossbones, having lost his knife, swiftly retreated to evade Nalan Qing's pursuit, he reached his right hand toward his lower back. Li Congxin suddenly realized what was happening and instinctively dodged to the side, while shouting a warning to Nalan Qing, "Big Brother A Qing, watch out!"

His warning still came a step too late. Crossbones reached behind his lower back, and when he pulled his hand out, he was already holding a pistol!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" With the gun in hand, Crossbones did not hesitate to fire four shots at Li Congxin and Nalan Qing. Three bullets flew toward Li Congxin, while the fourth was aimed at Nalan Qing, who was pursuing him with his staff.

Thanks to the combat awareness enhanced by the A Man Should Better Himself BGM, Li Congxin sensed the danger in advance. Combined with the greater distance between them, he narrowly dodged Crossbones's three-shot burst.

Nalan Qing, however, had no BGM to aid him, and his reactions were half a beat slower. He only thought to dodge after seeing Crossbones draw his gun. He managed to avoid being hit in a vital spot, but Crossbones's bullet still struck him beneath the ribs.

Blood sprayed everywhere!

"Big Brother A Qing!" Seeing Crossbones raise his gun to finish him off, Li Congxin lunged forward and grabbed Nalan Qing around the waist. He rolled with him, taking them both behind a dumpster at the corner of a nearby wall, then asked worriedly, "Big Brother A Qing, how are you?"

Nalan Qing's face was already pale with pain, but he still shook his head stubbornly to indicate that he was fine.

"Heh heh!" Crossbones's voice rang out again. "I didn't expect you to have a helper, kid. But it's only one more person to die."

As he spoke, Crossbones advanced toward the dumpster step by step, pistol raised.

As an elite mercenary, top assassin, and Hydra's ace enforcer, Crossbones was nothing like those villains who became wildly reckless the moment they gained the slightest advantage.

His mental fortitude was exceptional. He knew that the closer victory seemed, the more he could not afford the slightest carelessness. He also knew exactly how to maximize his current advantages and turn them into a decisive victory.

His seemingly casual steps were a perfect example. Under the subtle circumstances of the moment, they placed immense psychological pressure on his opponents. Once fear took root under such pressure, they would truly have no chance to turn the tables, not even if they were a little slower.

Each of Crossbones's footsteps landed neither heavily nor lightly, yet followed a precise rhythm, as if notes symbolizing death were being played beneath his feet.

Then they were drowned out by the rousing music of A Man Should Better Himself.

Keeping close to the opposite wall of the alley and putting as much distance as possible between himself and the dumpster, Crossbones was just two steps away from seeing Li Congxin and Nalan Qing hiding behind it. Then he suddenly accelerated, instantly breaking his former rhythm, and aimed the dark muzzle at the only spot behind the dumpster where someone could be hiding.

A dark object suddenly shot out from the hiding spot. It seemed to have anticipated exactly where he would step and flew straight toward his face.

Immediately afterward, Li Congxin leaped out from behind the dumpster and lunged straight at Crossbones.

If Crossbones had possessed weaker mental fortitude, he would certainly have unleashed a wild barrage of gunfire in such a situation. But he was far from ordinary. He calmly sidestepped to avoid the sandbag flying at his face, then aimed the muzzle at Li Congxin's chest and pulled the trigger.

Almost at the exact moment Crossbones's finger squeezed the trigger, Li Congxin suddenly raised his left hand. A specially made weight had already been strapped back onto his left arm.

It turned out that Li Congxin had prepared from the start to fight for his life. He had put the weight back onto his left arm and was using it as a makeshift bulletproof vest, willing to take a shot head-on in order to close the distance between them.

"Bang!"

The bullet spun out of the muzzle and struck Li Congxin's weighted arm without fail.

Li Congxin's weight was, after all, not a real bulletproof vest. Although the iron shot inside it could provide the bullet with some cushioning, the effect was ultimately very limited.

Iron shot scattered, and blood gushed!

The weight on Li Congxin's arm ultimately failed to stop Crossbones's pistol. After piercing through the weight, the bullet bored directly into his flesh.

Before Crossbones could fire a second shot, Li Congxin swung his arm and knocked aside the hand holding the gun. He then slammed his entire body into Crossbones's chest, knocking him off balance and sending the back of his hand crashing into the wall behind him.

At the same time, Crossbones suddenly felt a chill in his lower abdomen, followed by a piercing pain.

Looking down, he saw that a short knife had been driven deep into his lower abdomen!

From the hilt held by Li Congxin, it was clear that this was the same short knife Nalan Qing had knocked from his hand with a single blow of his staff.

Received 999 Impression Points from Brock Rumlow!

"Damn it!"

With a furious roar, Crossbones drove a heavy fist into Li Congxin's chin, sending him flying backward.

Li Congxin, however, immediately lashed out with a kick, striking the wrist of Crossbones's gun hand. The pain caused Crossbones to lose his grip, and the pistol flew free. After tracing a beautiful arc through the air, it was snatched first by Li Congxin, whose legwork was even more impressive.

At that moment, Li Congxin seemed possessed by the God of Guns. He gripped the pistol, spun around, and stylishly aimed it at Crossbones.

Facing Li Congxin's gun, Crossbones showed no fear whatsoever. He merely raised his right hand and waved it lightly at Li Congxin. In his hand was an object—the pistol's magazine.

Li Congxin froze at the sight, and his smug expression vanished.

The next moment...

"Bang!"

Li Congxin pulled the trigger. A bullet burst from the barrel and struck Crossbones directly in the heart!

Received 999 Impression Points from Brock Rumlow!

"Tch! I may not have seen a pig walk, but have I never eaten pork?"

"You really thought I didn't know that even after removing the magazine from a loaded pistol, there's still one bullet left in the chamber?"

Received 1000 Impression Points from Brock Rumlow!

Crossbones was dead.