Remember to Finish Them Off

The black BMW moved through the surging traffic like a sharp sword.

Though it was the morning rush hour, the car weaved nimbly through the congested road like a fish swimming between reefs. When the road ahead suddenly opened up, it accelerated like a shark!

Vroom!

The engine let out a muffled roar.

The scenery outside the windows rapidly receded, blurring and twisting.

"Speed limit ahead is eighty. You are speeding..."

Lu Zicheng ignored the navigation warning and floored the accelerator, racing forward.

"I was planning to visit Professor Gu's son after the mental contamination incident at the Kirin Immortal Palace was over. I didn't expect something like this to happen. If nothing unexpected occurs, that boy has been targeted by a Fallen."

The parrot on his shoulder let out a shrill, eunuch-like screech. "Poor kid, things don't look good for him!"

"Shut up!" Lu Zicheng said coldly. "Say what you're supposed to say!"

The parrot rolled its eyes and said with remarkable intelligence, "Chen Qing, connect to Deep Sky!"

Chen Qing sat in the passenger seat without even fastening her seat belt. She took out a tablet and logged into a website.

"Ding. Identity verification approved."

"Ether Association, Grade B Investigator Chen Qing."

"Welcome to Deep Sky. Artificial Intelligence A01, Taixu, at your service."

While driving, Lu Zicheng ordered, "Activate Emergency Rescue Plan One. Mobilize the Eye of Horus satellite and search the travel records for license plate LB6589 in South City District, Fengcheng City, East Sea Province, on April 6, 2022."

Taixu's mechanical voice came from the tablet. "Please wait."

Almost within a second, ripples spread across the tablet screen like waves, revealing a map.

A map of Fengcheng City.

A red line on the map extended toward a certain location like a twisting snake.

The police were too slow. If they waited for them to find out, they might as well prepare a table for eight at the funeral.

"West Capital Road overpass."

Chen Qing reached a conclusion with only one glance. "Ten minutes have already passed!"

"Damn it. I should've brought a supercar."

Lu Zicheng's face darkened as he spat lightly. "Unfortunately, neither of us follows a path specializing in speed. Now we can only pray that the kid's luck is good enough. Chen Qing, unlock my equipment case."

Chen Qing froze. "Young Master, are you really going to do this? The family doesn't allow you to act rashly in the city..."

Lu Zicheng raised a hand and said flatly, "I don't care what those people in the family think, and I don't care what Professor Gu did. I only know that Professor Gu once helped me. If his son dies at the hands of a Fallen, I'll tear that Fallen into eight pieces. It's that simple. Understood?"

The cold and beautiful assistant lowered her head. "Understood."

The green-feathered parrot cried out, "Tear him into eight pieces! Blood debt for blood!"

The car fell into dead silence. No one spoke for the rest of the journey.

Not until an overpass appeared ahead did Lu Zicheng hurriedly shift gears and slow down, ordering:

"Chen Qing, sense the nearby spiritual fluctuations!"

Chen Qing closed her beautiful eyes, but suddenly heard a gunshot.

Bang!

Countless birds in the woods on both sides of the road were startled into flight.

"Looks like there's no need..."

Lu Zicheng pushed open the door and got out. Following the direction of the gunshot, he looked over—and froze.

Time rewound to five minutes earlier.

Scarlet pupils swirled with a strange black hue.

Gu Jianlin only felt a flock of crows rushing toward his face. His consciousness suddenly scattered, and drowsiness overwhelmed him.

He had been hypnotized!

This was an Ascender—or perhaps a Fallen.

Either way, the other party possessed supernatural abilities!

The old man Gu Jianlin had encountered in the ancient tomb had called himself an Alchemist. However, that man had wrapped himself up tightly from head to toe and displayed no special abilities, so there had been no way to profile him.

But at this moment, the Magician behind Li Changzhi was probably something similar.

Alchemists and Magicians both belonged to inheritance paths.

With a bang, the pistol grip smashed heavily into his temple. A burning pain erupted as warm blood streamed down, carrying a rusty stench that spread all the way to the bridge of his nose.

Gu Jianlin was knocked onto the back seat on the spot. Enduring the splitting pain in his skull, he regained some clarity.

If this man had not deliberately held back just now, his strength was only comparable to that of an ordinary adult male. Setting aside the pistol and his special abilities, he was not impossible to deal with.

The next moment, Li Changzhi's face twisted like that of an evil ghost. He pulled the dagger embedded in the back-seat cushion free and stabbed at him again.

This time, Gu Jianlin did not even dodge. He simply reached toward the side of the driver's seat and pulled a lever!

He had not pulled the handbrake, but the seat-adjustment lever!

With a creak, under Li Changzhi's weight and forward momentum, the driver's seat abruptly reclined flat, causing him to lose his balance and crash down face-first.

This was the opportunity Gu Jianlin had been waiting for. Gripping the keys, he punched Li Changzhi in the face, then pounced on him. At once, he pressed the door unlock button.

With a click, the doors unlocked.

He pulled the handle, rammed the door open with his shoulder, and rolled out.

Gravel scraped painfully across his back. The weeds around him, the overpass above, and the blue sky and white clouds all spun upside down.

This was an abandoned construction site beneath the overpass. Other than messy weeds and broken stones, there was not a soul in sight. He could not ask anyone for help. He could only try to run.

That was assuming the other party would not shoot.

The next moment, Gu Jianlin realized he did not need to gamble, because a series of gunshots rang out.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three bullets struck the ground, blasting out horrifying craters.

One bullet ricocheted past, whistling by his shoulder and tearing off a chunk of flesh.

A rumbling sound came from the overpass. It seemed that a huge freight truck was roaring past overhead. The shudder of steel and the noise of its engine were as muffled as thunder, perfectly swallowing the terrifying gunshots.

His marksmanship was terrible. He had not received professional training, and he did not know how to fight.

Pain made Gu Jianlin's eyes twitch. He rolled into the blind spot behind the car and forced himself to stand.

If the other party had received professional training, Gu Jianlin would have already been subdued inside the car.

"You have strong survival instincts. I really admire that you managed to escape from the car. But so what? As Professor Gu's son, I'm surprised you aren't an Ascender. Next time, I'll shoot straight through your head. But I'll give you one more chance. Tell me..." Li Changzhi stepped out from the driver's seat with the smoking pistol in hand.

His expression was twisted, his pupils blood-red. As he twisted his neck, his bones cracked.

He looked as though he had fallen into some kind of frenzied state.

"Did Professor Gu leave anything behind for you?"

He suddenly roared in agitation.

Even the Magician behind him howled like an evil ghost, utterly hysterical.

The blazing sunlight shone on his face, making him look savage and terrifying.

Without making a sound, Gu Jianlin circled to the other side of the car, keeping low as he answered, "Yes."

A sharp gleam burst from Li Changzhi's eyes as he rasped, "What did he leave you? Hand it over!"

"He left me his unpaid cockroach loan installments," Gu Jianlin said coldly.

At that moment, Li Changzhi was completely enraged. His face twisted violently, like an evil ghost rolling in sulfur or an infuriated bull. Clutching the pistol, he lunged forward with a furious roar.

Good. He was angry.

Gu Jianlin calmly fled around the Volkswagen. He did not choose to run farther away, because then he would be shot.

The only cover was the car. Only by circling it could he stay safe!

Gu Jianlin ran in front while Li Changzhi chased behind.

If kindergarten children happened to pass by, they would probably run over excitedly and ask to join.

Because this looked very much like the games they played, like tag or hawk catching chicks.

Gu Jianlin was trembling. The pain in his forehead and shoulder caused large amounts of endorphins to be released. The brush with death sent his adrenaline soaring, plunging him into an excitement unlike anything he had experienced in seventeen years.

In just thirty seconds, the two had already circled the car several times.

Gu Jianlin became more and more excited.

And the more excited he became, the calmer he grew.

He had even formed a psychological profile of the other party in his mind!

Male. Thirty-two years old. Kidney and liver deficiency. Single for years. No professional training. An office worker. Physical fitness around average. Possessed supernatural abilities, but was not skilled with them.

And his mental state had serious problems!

"Stop right there!"

Li Changzhi suddenly let out an irritable roar from behind him, pounding hard against the car body in a rhythmically striking pattern.

The sound seemed to possess some kind of magic. Gu Jianlin actually forced himself to stop.

It was as if his consciousness no longer belonged to him, as if even the inertia of his thoughts had been altered.

Despite being in such grave danger, he actually felt that he ought to stop!

In the Volkswagen's side mirror, Li Changzhi had already raised his gun and aimed at his back!

He could pull the trigger at any moment!

At that critical moment, Gu Jianlin suddenly heard a familiar roar, like thunder.

Roar!

It was the Qilin deep in his mind, roaring toward the heavens.

At that moment, Gu Jianlin regained consciousness. At the last second, he twisted sideways!

Another gunshot rang out.

This time, no truck roared across the overpass overhead. The sound echoed clearly through the area.

Blood poured down Gu Jianlin's back. The bullet had once again narrowly grazed his skin, leaving a scorched wound. Yet he seemed unable to feel the pain as he circled back to the front of the car and kept a safe distance.

Bracing himself against the hood, he panted violently, drenched in cold sweat.

"How is that possible? How did you break free? Impossible! That's impossible!" A line of thick, foul blood flowed from Li Changzhi's crimson eyes. His face twisted like an evil ghost as he let out an incredulous roar.

"You're not my mother. Why should I listen to you?" Gu Jianlin replied coldly.

It was like they had fallen into another dead loop. Li Changzhi chased, and Gu Jianlin ran.

The two circled a single car, one pursuing and the other fleeing.

"Die!"

The next moment, Li Changzhi finally lost his patience. Like Wild Dog, he leaped forward and vaulted over the roof, pouncing at him!

Yes, just like that!

As though he had anticipated it all along, Gu Jianlin remained perfectly calm. He pulled open the car door and slipped into the driver's seat!

The door shut with a dull thud, and the locks clicked closed!

Furious as a bull, Li Changzhi missed again and crashed face-first onto the ground.

He sprang up in rage and turned toward the youth in the car—then froze.

Gu Jianlin sat in the driver's seat, his left hand gripping the steering wheel while his right smoothly shifted into reverse. In the shadows, his face was cold as ice. His deep eyes looked as though they were staring at a dead man.

The accelerator was floored. The wheels violently scraped against the ground, sending gravel and dust flying.

In an instant, the car reversed dozens of meters.

Li Changzhi thought the youth was trying to escape and was getting up to chase after him.

But inside the car, Gu Jianlin stared at him intently.

The youth's face was covered in blood, and his white shirt was stained with dust and blood.

Yet there was not the slightest fear in his expression.

His heart pounded like a drum. The blood in his body seemed to burn, while a furious emotion grew in his mind and spread like wildfire.

Gu Jianlin suddenly raised his eyes. In the rearview mirror, a Black Kirin seemed to struggle to its feet, its golden vertical pupils blazing fiercely.

It roared in rage.

After hunger, this was the second powerful, irresistible feeling the Black Kirin had given him.

Rage!

You want to kill me, so I'll kill you.

Gu Jianlin buckled his seat belt one-handed, shifted into drive, and stomped on the accelerator.

The engine let out a deep, powerful roar.

Like an arrow released from a bow, the car shot forward!

Vroom!

The white sedan charged into the wind, roaring toward the man ahead like a wild beast!

Li Changzhi watched helplessly as the car barreled toward him, his expression twisting horribly.

"You overestimate yourself!"

He drew a deep breath and muttered under his breath, as though chanting an ancient incantation. Thick, foul blood gushed from his scarlet eyes and soared into the sky like countless blood-red crows.

"Stop!"

"Stop!"

"Stop!"

Though it was an enraged howl, it sounded like the whispers of countless ghosts.

It made one drowsy, scattering one's consciousness.

Even as Gu Jianlin resisted with all his might, the foot pressing the accelerator slowly loosened. His entire body relaxed, and his consciousness sank.

At that moment, deep within his consciousness, the black Qilin raised its head and roared once more, its bellow piercing his soul.

Li Changzhi confidently raised his pistol again, preparing to shoot him.

Bang!

The bullet tore through the air.

Yet in that instant, Gu Jianlin expressionlessly tilted his head. The windshield ahead and the right-side seatback were suddenly pierced through. Amid the bursting stuffing and shredded leather, his gaze was as cold as a blade.

He floored the accelerator again. Boom!

Cracks spread across the windshield like a spiderweb as Li Changzhi slammed heavily into it, making a horrifying sound.

The car braked sharply, and Li Changzhi tumbled down like a broken sack.

Inside the silent car, Gu Jianlin expressionlessly undid his seat belt and pushed open the door.

He looked around, then picked up a battered folding stool, probably left behind by workers from before.

He staggered toward the fallen figure and raised the folding stool in his hand.

As though he were lifting a heavy iron hammer.

No matter when, where, or under what circumstances.

Remember, after defeating an enemy—

Finish them off.