Preying on Prey

Old Harbor District.

Li He arrived at the meeting point half an hour early.

More than fifty people had already gathered there. Besides the Special Task Force members in uniform black combat gear and top-notch equipment, there were also a dozen or so martial artists like him who had taken guild missions.

A middle-aged martial artist with a scar on his face moved closer to Li He and grinned.

"Hey, kid. What should I call you?"

Li He glanced at him and said nothing.

"Tsk, tsk. You're pretty guarded. First time doing this kind of job, huh? Here's a little tip: in this line of work, it's best to come up with a codename for yourself, or you might run into trouble. I'm Old Dog. What about you? Got a codename in mind?"

"Black Ape."

"Black Ape? Interesting." Old Dog chuckled. He was already sure Li He was a rookie; he'd gotten it out of him with just a few words. He was about to say more when the Special Task Force captain cut him off.

"Everyone, check in!"

Li He and the other martial artists immediately stepped forward, scanned the squad leader's device, and completed the electronic check-in, confirming their identities and mission status.

"I'm Zhao Gang, captain of the Public Security Bureau's Third Special Task Force." The squad leader surveyed the crowd. "Our objective is to wipe out the Black Snake Gang holed up here. The primary target is their leader, Black Mamba. Dead or alive. The secondary objective is to seize their weapons and contraband!"

"All operations will follow orders. No one is to act on their own without authorization. Anyone who disobeys will be charged with obstructing official duties. Understood?"

"Understood."

Everyone answered in unison, Li He included. His expression was calm, but inside, he was already on edge.

"The Special Task Force will split into two groups. The first will launch a frontal assault and suppress them with firepower. The second will flank them and prevent the targets from escaping through the back door or by water."

"Guild martial artists, you'll be assigned to the second group under Deputy Captain Chen Qiang. First group, follow me!"

The operation began.

Li He followed the second group under Deputy Captain Chen Qiang, moving quickly and cautiously along the side of the warehouse.

The terrain here was extremely complex.

Cargo containers of all sizes were stacked into a maze of varying heights. Many narrow passageways were only wide enough for one or two people, and discarded cables littered the ground.

"Stay alert. Watch for crossfire!"

The Special Task Force members advanced by covering one another, their gun muzzles sweeping over every container corner and shattered window.

The guild martial artists were less organized and trailed behind. Mixed in among them, Li He surveyed the surroundings, committing the details of the complex terrain to memory.

Suddenly, deafening gunfire erupted from the front of the warehouse. The first group under Zhao Gang had begun its assault.

As the battle broke out at the front, a shattered window blocked by debris was suddenly smashed open with a crash, and several figures darted out.

Clearly frightened by the frontal assault, they were trying to break through the flank.

"Open fire!" Chen Qiang ordered without hesitation.

Rat-tat-tat!

Muzzle flashes spat fire. The two gang members at the front fell where they stood, but the men behind them reacted quickly, ducking back behind the window and firing through it in return.

"Keep them pinned down!" Chen Qiang roared as bullets rained against the containers.

Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce exchange of fire—

"Grenade!" a Special Task Force member shouted.

A round object, trailing smoke, came flying from an awkward angle.

At the same time, dozens of gang members appeared atop the cargo containers, guns in hand, and unleashed a fierce barrage at the second group.

The Special Task Force members immediately scrambled for cover, while the guild martial artists fell into disarray. Some were knocked over by the blast, others were shot through, and screams rose one after another.

"Take cover!" Deputy Captain Chen Qiang bellowed.

Bullets whizzed everywhere, sparks flew, and thick smoke obscured their vision.

Li He crouched low and circulated the Turtle Breath Technique he'd gained from the Turtle-Crane Health Stance, staying at the back of the group the whole time.

A bandit emptied his submachine gun magazine and turned to sprint toward the stacked cargo containers.

"Now." A cold glint flashed in Li He's eyes. He quickly activated Wild Goose Eight Steps and darted through the shadows along the container wall.

He soon left the battlefield behind.

Under cover of the smoke, Li He closed in on his fleeing target in an instant.

The target seemed to sense him and looked back in alarm, but Li He was faster. His right hand shot out, and Silk-Reeling Power erupted, precisely smashing the man's throat.

The sound of his throat cartilage breaking was perfectly drowned out by the gunfire.

The bandit's eyes widened. He clutched his crushed throat as blood gushed between his fingers. He stumbled backward a few steps, collapsed, and after a few twitches, fell silent.

Li He's expression was icy. His movements didn't slow for a moment.

He quickly bent down and picked up the fallen submachine gun, tucking it into the belt he'd prepared earlier.

His other hand reached for the tactical satchel at the man's waist.

Li He had prepared a canvas bag to use as a container for gathering valuables. He took everything of value.

He didn't leave right away.

The chaotic battlefield and the gang members fleeing in every direction were a whole field of moving resource points.

The cold glint in his eyes grew sharper. He activated Wild Goose Eight Steps again and disappeared into the depths of the smoke-filled container maze.

In a corner piled with discarded fishing nets, a lone gang member was trying to pry open a welded metal box.

Li He appeared like a specter and struck the man squarely in the back with Old Ape Stretches Arms. The man fell forward without making a sound. Following the gang member's work, he broke open the metal box, only to find it filled with money.

At the end of a narrow dead-end alley, two gang members were wrestling over a briefcase.

Li He dropped from the wall, snared one man's neck between his legs, then, as he rose, used Cloud Hand Eighteen Forms to snap the other man's neck.

He snatched up the briefcase. Inside were neatly arranged vials of red liquid, their effects unknown.

With smoke, flames, and gunfire to cover him, Li He struck again and again, picking off isolated gang members. These men weren't even martial artists; none could withstand a single move from him.

Before long, the half-empty canvas bag was stuffed full of banknotes, energy ore, a few small packets of unknown drugs, metal ingots, and more.

"That's about enough." Li He weighed the bag and was quite pleased. If he got any greedier, he'd risk drawing the attention of the Special Task Force or some greater danger.

He worked out which way to go, activated Wild Goose Eight Steps to the full, and darted through the shadows of the cargo containers, preparing to circle back to the area the second group had been assigned to seal off.

As he came around from behind a pile of collapsed cargo crates—

Two figures burst out of the drifting smoke and blocked his way, one in front and one behind.

Li He stopped and quickly sized them up.

One was tall and thin as a bamboo pole, with a cold gaze; the other was short, stocky, and grinning viciously.

Both men's breathing was steady, and their clothes were clean.

"Damn, these two must have been lying in wait for me for a while!" Li He's heart tightened.

Both were First-Rank Martial Artists, and their strength couldn't be underestimated. He'd just been through a series of high-intensity hunts and sprints, and had used up a lot of stamina, while these two had been resting and waiting in ambush.

A head-on fight against two opponents would be extremely risky. Even if he won, alerting the Special Task Force so close by would make it a poor trade.

"Heh heh heh, Black Ape, you're pretty quick on your feet." Vulture chuckled maliciously. "Leave the bag and get lost. We might let you live."

Li He watched the two men slowly approach. "We're all Federation-registered martial artists. The enemy hasn't been cleared out, and the mission's not over. You're already blocking my way and turning on your own people. Don't you think you're jumping the gun? Back off, and we can all walk away unharmed."

"Heh, enough talk! Put the bag down and get lost. My brother and I will pretend we never saw you. Otherwise..."

"Vulture, why waste your breath on this kid? He's just a brat. Let's kill him and take everything."

Jackal clearly had no intention of negotiating. He drew a short knife and advanced slowly, closing the net around Li He. He'd already decided to rob him right here.

Li He's eyes turned cold. He'd said his piece, but the two men kept pressing him. They had only themselves to blame.

"If you want it that badly, take it!"

His hand on the backpack snapped into action. He grabbed the strap and flung the heavy canvas bag into the air.

The bag traced an arc overhead. Vulture and Jackal's eyes were immediately drawn to it; their greed made them instinctively lose focus as they watched where it would land.

The instant the bag left his hand—

Li He lunged sideways, using a tilted iron barrel beside him as cover. At the same time, he whipped out the submachine gun he'd taken from the bandit and tucked into his belt.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

The muzzle spat fire!