"Friend, as long as you can save all of us, I'm willing to pay five million!" Gao Bancheng cried.
A strange glint flashed through Bai Ye's eyes. He had not expected this plump man, who looked like a shady merchant, to be so loyal that he was willing to pay to save everyone.
Moreover, the fat man claimed to be Gao Shanhe's son. In North Mang, almost no one had failed to hear Gao Shanhe's name. It was not because he was strong, but because he was rich enough to be recognized as North Mang's wealthiest man!
Even the Wastelanders living in the settlements had heard his name, because... the cockroach protein bars they ate every day were one of Gao Shanhe's businesses.
A family with five million people really could afford five million.
Li You said coldly, "Deal!"
Then, unhurriedly, he began undoing the filthy bandages around his right hand. His expression was focused and solemn, as though he were performing something of utmost importance.
Gao Bancheng panicked. What was he doing? Hadn't they made a deal?
"Please, sir, lend us your aid at once!"
Li You did not even raise his eyelids. "No rush. Before this Magic Hand of mine, no enemy can hide."
Bai Ye was mortified. Seriously, was he addicted to showing off? He had even come up with his own moves and lines?
His original plan had been to let Li You pose as an expert, then use Time Stop in coordination with Li You to take down the Peregrine Falcon. That would conceal Time Stop somewhat and reduce his own presence.
Though he was the God of the New Era, he knew just how fragile his mortal body was.
To say nothing else, if someone fired a cold shot from behind him, he might not even have time to react and use Time Stop.
Time Stop made him invincible in direct confrontations, but it feared ambushes most.
He feared not even the Ten Kings in a frontal clash, yet an ordinary person with a gun sneaking up behind him would be enough.
The strangers before him were no weaklings. Naturally, he had to be more cautious while traveling with them.
So, Li You, a Transcendent, should stand in the spotlight and draw attention while Bai Ye provided cover from the shadows. He had not expected Li You's act to be both dragged-out and painfully awkward.
Bai Ye hurriedly shot him a look, meaning, Quit fucking showing off. If someone dies, who are we supposed to collect money from?
Seeing Bai Ye's "affirming" gaze, Li You instantly felt greatly encouraged. Sure enough, Brother Ye approves of my acting. He immediately threw himself even harder into the act.
Because they were too far away, Gao Bancheng and the others could not see the exchange of looks between the two. They could only see Li You meticulously undoing his bandages, with no intention of making a move, and their hearts sank halfway.
Li Xiao snorted coldly. "At a time like this, you're still counting on two Wastelanders? I've temporarily restrained this beast, but my shadow won't hold it for long. Have your maid carry you, and I'll take you out first. Don't worry—with me here, you won't die. But you'll need to pay more afterward!"
Gao Bancheng glanced at the others beside him and gritted his teeth. "What about them?"
"Li only agreed to protect you. The others have nothing to do with me," Li Xiao said coldly. It was a classic high-EQ response: rather than say he could not save the others, he emphasized that he had only one protection target.
Gao Bancheng hesitated even more. Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that the Wastelander undoing his bandages was walking straight toward him.
As he advanced, the bandages around his right hand gradually came loose under everyone's gaze. When the bloodstained strips fell to the ground like snakes, a pale right hand was revealed once more.
It was strikingly white, a shade paler even than his own skin.
Hiss!
Li You secretly sucked in a breath. Damn it, he usually wrapped it too tightly. The blood had stopped circulating.
Having undone the "seal," Li You flexed his rusty right hand and strode into the Peregrine Falcon's attack range with the gait of a powerhouse, as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll.
The gunfire and the shrieks of Shadow Darts seemed like cheers welcoming his entrance.
"Sir, be careful! This beast is incredibly fast!" Seeing him act so arrogantly without even a weapon, Gao Bancheng instinctively warned him.
"Oh? How fast?" Li You raised his right hand expressionlessly.
Bai Ye's toes were practically digging out a three-bedroom apartment from secondhand embarrassment, and he immediately activated—Time Stop!
He truly could not stand watching anymore. When would he ever get over this habit of feeling embarrassed on behalf of others?
A massive golden clock face appeared beneath Bai Ye's feet. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and the gears of time gave a faint click, sending out a layer of golden ripples.
Buzz!
Mysterious temporal fluctuations enveloped the world.
The wind halted among the trees. Falling leaves hovered in midair. Whistling bullets and Shadow Darts froze in place.
The once-lively crowd now resembled a motionless photograph captured by a camera.
Naturally, the mutated Peregrine Falcon, like a bolt of black lightning, froze as well. Its half-meter-long body hung abruptly above everyone's heads, its black-and-gray wings folded against its sides like a cannonball suspended in flight, its sharp beak gleaming with metallic coldness.
In this absolutely still world, a ragged Wastelander youth moved through the cracks of time. He was the only one capable of interacting with all things through time.
Every step he took seemed to shatter a mirror beneath his feet, only for it to reassemble into perfect stillness behind him.
Bai Ye arrived near the mutated Peregrine Falcon, took a running start, and leaped into the air, easily snatching it down.
Looking at the specimen-like Peregrine Falcon in his hands, he directly snapped its wings and stuffed it into Li You's outstretched Magic Hand.
"Done!"
Bai Ye swiftly returned to his original spot. Time... resumed!
Buzz!
The mysterious temporal fluctuations dissipated, and everything seemed as though nothing had happened.
Everyone's awareness remained at the moment Li You had spoken those words.
"Oh? How fast?"
The next instant, they saw a black shadow abruptly freeze in midair. The fierce gunfire ceased the moment the shadow appeared.
Their pupils shrank violently. They stood rooted to the spot as if petrified, as though they had once again fallen into Time Stop.
They stared dumbfoundedly at the Peregrine Falcon in midair, gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand. Its savage bird head thrashed continuously as it struggled, releasing waves of agonized, piercing shrieks.
Its struggles were so violent that many black-and-gray feathers fell away.
"H-How is this possible?!" Shadow Man Li Xiao was shocked. Having personally fought the mutated Peregrine Falcon, he naturally knew all too well how its speed surpassed the limits of vision.
It was so fast that even his Shadow Darts could not catch it. Shadow Darts had no weight and were products of a Transcendent ability capable of ignoring air resistance!
A grave look flashed through his eyes as he silently reassessed Li You as a powerhouse on the same level as himself.
The others were not as confident as Li Xiao. They merely found it incomprehensible. No one had expected this ragged Wastelander to restrain the mutated Peregrine Falcon in an instant.
Before you continue