Jingcheng, East-West Ring Road.
A black sedan was moving slowly along a two-way four-lane asphalt road.
Inside the car, Zhang Xingyun sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
Beside his hand was a dark brown carryall containing the pitch-black puppet, along with several other spellcasting tools.
The car had just passed an intersection when several black SUVs came into view, parked on both sides of the road ahead with their hazard lights flashing, as though they had broken down.
The sedan driver slowed, preparing to pass through the middle.
Just then, a figure in a Black Combat Uniform leaned halfway out from behind the roadside greenery.
With a man-portable anti-tank rocket launcher on his shoulder, the red dot in the scope steadily locked onto the side of the black sedan.
"Whoosh—!"
Trailing a long tail of flame, the rocket streaked across the night sky in a blinding arc and struck the side of the sedan with precision.
"Boom—!"
A world-shaking explosion tore through the night.
The sedan was flipped over by the immense blast, rolling twice through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground. It skidded more than ten meters before slamming into the roadside greenery.
The vehicle was blown beyond recognition. Its doors were flung more than ten meters away, shattered window glass littered the ground, the roof had caved in, and the seats had been thrown out.
The fuel tank ignited, sending flames soaring into the sky and thick smoke billowing upward.
More than a dozen figures in Black Combat Uniforms rushed out from behind the greenery at the roadside, Assault Rifles in hand, swiftly surrounding the burning sedan.
"Secure the scene!"
Several armed men quickly spread out and blocked off both ends of the road.
Several others rushed to the sedan, reached