Chapter 25

Killing the soldier in front of him with a single strike didn't mean Bai Lang and the crew were out of danger. These soldiers weren't some bumpkin security guards. They'd spread out, naturally forming a formation where they could cover one another. Most importantly, they'd kept enough distance between them that one grenade couldn't take them all out. That slowed Bai Lang's killings by just a little. They might not have had time to react in a fraction of a second, but they could certainly respond within a full second.

Fortunately, Bai Lang's roar had left them all dazed and unable to move, even though they'd had time to react. That gave him one last opening. He finally flicked off the safety and fired a burst. The bullpup rifle's rearward center of gravity made it easier to control, and with Bai Lang's powerful arms and excellent bodily control, all but the first test shot hit the living soldiers with pinpoint accuracy.

The bullets traced a neat half-arc, and he'd used up about half the magazine. Every soldier lay on the ground, twitching—most likely in the throes of death. Bai Lang had controlled his aim well and shot accurately. "Guns are still the fastest way to kill. Martial arts are obsolete." He was stating a fact. At his current level of skill, a gun really was the most efficient way to kill at this distance. He could control the recoil, and martial arts had given him sharp senses and excellent coordination. Wasn't he practically the perfect soldier?

On top of that, the Golden Bell Shield gave him great strength and muscles and bones as tough as an ordinary bulletproof vest. Bai Lang shook his head at the thought. "I meant to master martial arts, but I ended up mastering 'hidden weapons' instead. Oh, well. This works too." The captain and crew, however, were terrified. They made their living on this river and had heard plenty of stories, but watching several people get killed right in front of them was still horrifying.

The first mate didn't know what to say. The soldiers had indeed threatened him, demanding that he take some cargo upriver and hand it over to another boat. The situation had seemed dangerous enough, but in the first mate's experience, paying them off would probably have made them back down and look for another boat. Who could have guessed that this passenger would suddenly attack and kill them so quickly and decisively?

The captain wanted to curse, and so did the first mate, but neither dared. The first mate had been close by, while the captain had watched from above and had a clear view. This passenger really did have the kind of martial arts skills seen in TV dramas and movies: tearing out a man's ribs was as easy as peeling an orange, and kicking in someone's skull was like smashing tofu. And both their ears were still ringing from that tiger-like roar. Besides, the dangerous man still had a gun in his hands.

Bai Lang knew that he had to take charge of the situation. "Don't just stand there. Hose down the deck, dump the bodies in the water, and get rid of the guns. Then we'll get moving. Don't be afraid. Keep going on your route. I'll get off when we reach the right place. You can report this to the police, but I suggest you contact the authorities back home. The people here can't be trusted." He casually kicked a corpse into the river, tossed his gun into the water, and gestured for the crew to get moving.

He wasn't worried about them taking the guns. These men were unsteady on their feet; even if they tried to use a gun, they couldn't hit him. And they were all so frightened that they got to work as soon as Bai Lang spoke. The soldiers' bodies were dumped into the river, where Mekong catfish would help chew them beyond recognition. Then all the weapons went into the water too. They were trouble; if the authorities found them, it would cause serious problems. The driver of the soldiers' speedboat was dead at the controls. Bai Lang stomped through the hull, breaking the keel, and water quickly flooded in. The speedboat began to sink.

The ship got underway again. Bai Lang knew he probably wouldn't be able to stay aboard for long, but he couldn't leave just yet. At least I'll wait until we reach Myanmar. And if I can, maybe I can get my hands on a speedboat.

That was exactly how things stood. The mood aboard was tense, and everyone was afraid of Bai Lang, who killed people as casually as he ate or drank—even though the men he'd killed were Thai soldiers. They couldn't help it. They hadn't been too concerned before, but after watching Bai Lang kill, he seemed more like a man-shaped tiger. Bai Lang had been cultivating the Tiger Form True Intent, and now he carried a lethal weapon, his killing instincts stirred. He hadn't yet mastered control over his own mind completely, so now and then a trace of bloodlust escaped him. That made him even more frightening.

Fortunately, before much longer—and before the crew went mad with fear—the members of a Myanmar-based drug-trafficking group showed up. Compared with the Thai military police, these Myanmar men were more like a private armed group, with equipment and skills far inferior to those of the Thai soldiers.

They carried what looked like Type 56 rifles and approached the Yuhua 3 in a speedboat. Bai Lang didn't show himself. Instead, he crouched behind the railing and watched them. He studied the people aboard the speedboat carefully, then suddenly shouted, "Everyone, get inside! Hit the deck! They're about to attack!"

Sure enough, the armed Myanmar men raised their weapons and opened fire on the Yuhua 3. Fortunately, Bai Lang had shouted, and nearly everyone quickly hit the deck. But the freighter's hull was no better than paper against bullets from Type 56 rifles. It couldn't stop the barrage at all. The only reason no one had been hit yet was that the shooters' lower position limited their line of sight.

Bai Lang had no weapon that could reach them. To be honest, he regretted dumping the rifles so soon. Using his lightness skills and quick reflexes, he dodged the guns' aim and darted across the deck, trying to get closer to the speedboat. Attacking from the air won't work. It'd be better to go underwater and attack from below—fortunately, I can swim. And I remember an episode of MythBusters testing bullets fired at the surface of water. It seemed that at a depth of just two meters, most bullets from rifles and machine guns had already lost their stopping power.

Bai Lang jumped into the water on the opposite side of the ship and quickly dove deeper. He couldn't go around the bow, or the ship would hit him. The Yuhua 3 hadn't stopped, and going around the stern would waste time. Instead, he headed straight beneath the ship. His breath was long and steady, and he could stay underwater for quite a while.