Chapter 61: It's You!

“Damn it, you useless idiots!”

Kun was absolutely livid. These worthless fools hadn’t even brought their distress beacons—what use were they?

The group fell silent under his tirade. But now wasn’t the time to argue; they cautiously peeked out, scanning their surroundings.

“Morons.”

Hidden in the shadows, Fang Qingyun shook his head. Even knowing there was an enemy lurking about, they still dared to expose themselves. Fortunately for them, he wasn’t out for blood—otherwise, none of them would have survived. They’d all be sitting ducks, not one spared.

He had intended to wait quietly until the research institute’s reinforcements arrived. However, after Kun and his group discovered their vehicle had been destroyed, and realizing the hidden assailant hadn’t made another move, they began to grow restless and uneasy.

Fang Qingyun shook his head and leveled his sights at Kun. Just earlier, he’d noticed this man swaggering about on the vehicle, acting as if he controlled the world.

Bang! Bang!

A psionic bullet flew, striking Kun squarely in the thigh.

“Aaaah!” Kun screamed. “I’ve been shot! I’ve been shot! Help me, hurry, help!”

His shrieks were hysterical as he thrashed about. Through his scope, Fang Qingyun saw clearly—Kun’s pants were soaked.

He’d wet himself.

The others buried themselves even deeper, wishing they could disappear entirely.

Help him? Who was he to them? Did anyone even know him?

A flicker of anger flashed in Fang Qingyun’s eyes.

So these were the esteemed elites of the research institute? And such people wished to become the pillars of humanity? Where did their confidence come from?

What irked Fang Qingyun even more was that although his shot had hit Kun, it hadn’t truly wounded him—a secret treasure had activated, blocking the bullet.

Even without a direct hit, the man had lost his mind in terror. What if the shot had gotten through? Would he have died of fright on the spot?

Such precious artifacts were wasted on garbage like this. If given to a soldier on the front lines, it might save a life and claim several enemies.

At last, a genuine murderous intent glinted in Fang Qingyun’s eyes, breaking through his usual calm. He had come here to kill, yes, but he’d still clung to a certain line, unwilling to slaughter indiscriminately. Though he claimed to emulate the Serpent King, he hadn’t truly committed himself.

But the performance of these so-called researchers finally provoked a real urge to kill. Leaving such trash among humanity served no purpose. Eliminating them would free up these artifacts for the front lines.

Just as Fang Qingyun was about to strike, a new group appeared in his sights. He swiftly adjusted his scope, training it on the newcomers.

One by one, he scrutinized their faces through the lens—until his scope settled. He recognized three familiar faces.

“It’s you.”

A cold smile curled at Fang Qingyun’s lips. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet tore through the air and struck its mark with unerring precision.

Bang!

The newcomers belonged to the Research Institute’s Independent Guard. All were martial artists, ten to a squad, each led by a senior warrior. Upon hearing that several institute personnel had been attacked nearby, three squads had rushed to the rescue.

Yet just as they glimpsed Kun and his group, one of their own had his head blown open.

The guards were thrown into disarray. From a distance, they’d seen Kun and the others alive and, letting their guard down, had advanced. Who could have foreseen such a sudden, vicious attack from the shadows?

Psionic bullets!

“Careful!” one squad leader barked. “That’s a senior martial artist!”

The guards felt their hearts sink. A senior martial artist—one skilled at sniping, no less. Facing such an opponent made their scalps prickle.

“Li Da, let’s go!” one squad leader called, and together they charged toward Fang Qingyun’s position.

Li Da turned to the remaining squad leader. “Organize the guards. Get the researchers to safety.”

Without another word, he too dashed forward.

Bang!

Once again Fang Qingyun fired, and through his scope, another head exploded.

The guards scrambled for cover.

Fang Qingyun glanced at the two charging toward him, then calmly took aim at another target.

Bang!

The shot fired, and without delay, Fang Qingyun grabbed his weapon and sprinted into the distance.

“Trying to get away?” The two squad leaders glimpsed his retreating form and shouted in fury, redoubling their speed to pursue him.

Fleeing, Fang Qingyun glanced back and murmured, “Boom.”

Boom!!!

An explosion erupted. The squad leaders, never suspecting a trap beneath their feet, were blasted into the air by a buried bomb.

“Li Da!”

“I’m fine,” Li Da replied, his face grim. Thankfully, his entire body had been wrapped in psionic energy, dampening the blast. Otherwise, he’d have been done for. Even so, neither he nor his companion could think about chasing Fang Qingyun any further.

He’d vanished without a trace.

“Damn it, who is this guy?” Li Da’s face twisted in rage. “Just to kill a few guards? What is his real purpose?”

“Who knows,” the other squad leader replied darkly. “Come on, let’s check on the researchers.”

They hurried back. The researchers were unharmed—just badly shaken. From start to finish, only three guards had died.

The three squad leaders exchanged uneasy glances. What was the attacker after? The deaths of three guards?

“Report it. Let upper management figure it out,” one muttered. “Our job is to get these researchers back safe.”

The others nodded. Though furious at the loss of their comrades, they were wary of tangling with a senior sniper.

Was it over? Of course not.

When the squad leaders escorted the researchers back to the institute, they found patrols everywhere. As soon as they were spotted, a group approached to check their identities.

“What happened?” Li Da recognized one of the patrol leaders and asked quietly.

“Hmph!” The man snorted. “Someone’s got a death wish.”

After further questioning, the squad leader learned that shortly after they’d left, someone had knocked out the institute’s external surveillance. The institute had immediately launched a manhunt, but during the search, five more people had been killed—including one who’d been nominated for squad leader, a martial artist at the peak of the sixth tier. Reaching the seventh tier would make him middle management at the institute.

This had enraged the institute’s leadership, who dispatched a large force of experts to search the area thoroughly.

“Have you found him?” the squad leader asked, but immediately regretted it. Obviously not—otherwise, would the search be so intense? He realized too late his question was ill-timed.

Sure enough, the patrol leader’s gaze turned icy. With a heavy snort, he turned and walked away.

Researchers had been attacked, three guards killed in the rescue, surveillance destroyed, and five searchers dead—including a prominent candidate for promotion.

The institute’s upper echelons were alarmed. Yet they couldn’t fathom why the killer targeted only guards—if there was a grudge, weren’t the researchers the more valuable targets?

But those questions could wait. For now, there was a more pressing matter: this provocation could not go unpunished.

The institute’s director issued a direct order: “Deploy senior martial artists and generals. Hunt this man down!”