Chapter Twenty-Five: Sacrificing Oneself to Save the Beauty

Chapter 25: Sacrificing Oneself to Save the Beauty

Ruan Qingshuang was already so terrified that all she could do was pray. In her naive panic, she even believed the Four Wolves Gang had come for revenge.

With a sharp crack, Qin Wan’er realized she had no other choice. She threw her pistol to the ground and kicked it over. At any moment, the safety of the hostage must come first—this was the principle she, as a police officer, had to uphold!

She feared the man would act out of desperation. If he truly harmed Guoguo, she would live with guilt and regret for the rest of her life.

Gong You felt fortunate—Wildcat was dead, Qin Hu was dead, and he had to get out of here. Only by escaping could he deliver the news of Qiu Yan’s hiding place to his boss. Thankfully, there was this little girl; otherwise, he really wouldn’t know what to do.

Now, Gong You began to realize just how important the little girl in his grasp was. He hadn’t expected the likes of Qiu Yan, the notorious “Violent Vixen,” to obey so meekly, not daring to move at all!

Due to the tension, Gong You hadn’t yet looked closely at the girl’s face. Could it be that she was the precious granddaughter Boss Feng Qiansui had been searching for?

The thought made Gong You press the knife firmly against Guoguo’s neck, his cunning gaze falling on Qiu Yan. “You’d all better behave. If anyone moves, think about this child’s life first!”

He saw unprecedented anxiety and worry flicker in Qiu Yan’s eyes. It seemed this little girl truly might be the one their boss was after!

Qin Wan’er still thought the man was a mere thief or thug, and tried to negotiate: “Let the child go, and I promise you’ll leave here unharmed! Don’t hurt her! Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you!”

A cold sneer twisted Gong You’s lips. He crouched down cautiously, gingerly picking up Qin Wan’er’s service pistol. A sheen of cold sweat covered his forehead, proof of his fear—he knew that one wrong move and either Xu Yun or Qiu Yan could easily kill him. Only when the gun was finally in his hand did his face relax into a sinister smile.

Without hesitation, Gong You raised the pistol and aimed it directly at Qin Wan’er. His smile grew even colder. “So, little cop, you like meddling? Well, I want your life—are you going to give me what I want too? Hahaha!”

Xu Yun’s heart lurched. The gun was loaded; if Gong You pulled the trigger, the consequences would be dire.

Gong You was cunning. He knew that trying to shoot Xu Yun or Qiu Yan—true masters—would be futile. But to create chaos and escape, killing this policewoman was his best bet. It would buy him a chance to flee and leave Xu Yun and Qiu Yan in trouble.

A gunshot ripped through the night, the muzzle’s flare dazzling in the darkness. A bullet shot straight from the barrel.

Qin Wan’er’s pupils dilated in terror—she had never imagined a criminal would actually fire at her! Since entering the police academy, she had never been so afraid. For the first time, she realized how close death could be.

In the split second the gun fired, Xu Yun leaped forward! He couldn’t let Qin Wan’er die, even if she was a police officer—the very profession he despised. If she died, things would become impossible to explain.

What’s more, this somewhat naïve police beauty was nothing like the corrupt cops Xu Yun hated.

Just as Qin Wan’er braced herself for death, a strong arm shielded her in a tight embrace.

A bullet struck Xu Yun in the right shoulder. Blood sprayed from the wound like an arrow. Qin Wan’er was stunned. All she felt was a gust of wind, and Xu Yun was already in front of her, shielding her from harm.

By the time she regained her senses, the two of them had crashed heavily to the ground.

Gong You was dumbfounded. Xu Yun was a top-tier master in the underworld—why would someone like that take a bullet for a mere police officer?

But Gong You paid dearly for this moment of distraction.

Qiu Yan’s Dragon Abyss soft sword flashed like lightning. In the darkness, it resembled a silver snake flicking its tongue.

Gong You realized the danger too late. Pain seared his right wrist, forcing him to drop the gun, and his left knee was torn open by the sword. He collapsed to one knee with a thud. Before he knew it, his hostage had been snatched away by Qiu Yan.

Qin Wan’er had no time to pay attention to the fight between Qiu Yan and the villain. Xu Yun’s body weighed heavily atop hers, blood gushing from his shoulder, leaving her utterly at a loss. Tears streamed down her cheeks; after all, she was only a young woman.

Yet Xu Yun, courageous and selfless, raised his head and flashed a bright white smile. “Come on, crying on duty? That’s not very professional for a cop, is it?”

Seeing Xu Yun still able to smile, Qin Wan’er was dumbfounded. Though she didn’t laugh through her tears, her sobs instantly stopped.

After rescuing Guoguo, Qiu Yan handed her to the utterly shocked Ruan Qingshuang, then raised her Dragon Abyss sword and pressed forward toward Gong You.

But at that moment, a surge of uncontrollable internal energy erupted within Qiu Yan. It felt as if it would tear her apart. She spat out a mouthful of blood.

In an instant, she could no longer stand, dropping to one knee and leaning on her sword to keep from collapsing entirely.

When Guoguo had been in danger, the panic had caused the old internal wounds—only just suppressed by silver needles—to flare up again. She had been holding on, but now that Guoguo was safe, she could endure no longer.

Gong You had thought he was finished, but seeing Qiu Yan like this, he suddenly saw hope. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his wrist and knee, he forced himself up. Though both Qiu Yan and Xu Yun were wounded, Gong You was too cautious to risk a drawn-out fight. He scrambled to his feet and fled.

With Qin Hu and Wildcat both dead, he had to survive. If he could deliver the information to his boss, he would have rendered a great service.

But Gong You hadn’t run thirty meters before three gunshots rang out, bringing him to his knees on the soil of Hedong City.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Qin Wan’er stood as steady as a mountain, gun in hand. This was her first time firing at a criminal. All her doubts and distractions had vanished when Xu Yun was shot. Only one thought remained: she must not let the criminal escape.

Xu Yun exhaled deeply in relief. Thankfully, Qiu Yan had taken care of the man on the rooftop; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared hope Qin Wan’er could shoot down a second-rate assassin.

At last, Guoguo seemed to come back to herself. She looked around in confusion, then clung to Ruan Qingshuang, asking, “Mommy, did I have another nightmare?”

“Yes, Guoguo, just another nightmare. It’s all right now. Let’s go back to sleep, okay? Good girl…” Ruan Qingshuang herself felt it was all a bad dream—Wan’er had actually fired a gun!

“Take Guoguo back inside,” Qiu Yan said simply, her chest tight with suppressed pain, not wanting to say another word. She forced herself to breathe steadily, barely managing to contain the flare-up of her internal injuries.

Ruan Qingshuang, stifling her concern for Xu Yun, scooped up Guoguo and hurried into the medicinal restaurant, slamming the door behind her. She didn’t want Guoguo to witness any more of the bloody scene.

Over and over, Ruan Qingshuang reassured herself that Qin Wan’er was outside. She’d seen Xu Yun get shot, but still believed he would be all right, trusted that Wan’er could handle anything.

Guoguo, overwhelmed by terror, fell asleep in a daze, but she clung tightly to Ruan Qingshuang, murmuring, “Mommy… Mommy… I’m scared…”

Ruan Qingshuang’s heart ached. She hugged Guoguo’s little hands tightly. “Mommy’s here! Don’t be afraid!”

After shooting Gong You dead, Qin Wan’er rushed back to Xu Yun’s side. Seeing his vest soaked in blood, she wept silently. “Xu Yun! You can’t die! I’ll take you to the hospital right away!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Who are you cursing? Who’s dead? You unhappy I’m still alive and kicking?” Xu Yun, enduring the pain in his shoulder, sat up. Even the toughest man is made of flesh, but this minor wound was far from fatal.

“You’re not going to die? Then… what now?” Qin Wan’er looked lost; his survival left her at a loss.

So, it’d be easier for you if I died? Xu Yun thought, exasperated.

Not wanting to get into such unlucky topics, Xu Yun grinned and pointed to Gong You’s body in the distance. “Do you know who you just shot?”

“Huh?” Now that Xu Yun was clearly out of danger, Qin Wan’er relaxed, letting Xu Yun change the subject.

“Gong You of the Eagles,” Xu Yun enunciated clearly.

Gong You of the Eagles!?

Qin Wan’er was stunned. Gong You was an A-level wanted criminal throughout China! He’d committed multiple murders in the Northeast and Northwest, even killing officers who tried to apprehend him, always with extreme cruelty. He was so cunning that police had spent immense manpower and resources in vain attempts to catch him.

And wasn’t he involved in the sensational Feng Qiansui case in Suhang recently?

“He’s that assassin?” Qin Wan’er could hardly believe she’d just shot a notorious killer.

“That’s right,” Xu Yun replied offhandedly.

Qin Wan’er was petrified.

Qiu Yan, after taking a minute to steady her breath, seized the opportunity while they talked to walk over to Gong You’s body. She found a dark-red card on him, similar to a mobile SIM card; it was likely a tracking device each of them carried.

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan returned to the rooftop and quickly found two more on Qin Hu. It seemed these two had used the devices to find this place.

This matter needed to be handled today. Since she had chosen to trust Xu Yun, she no longer cared about Qin Wan’er. Without another word, she dragged Qin Hu’s body away into the darkness; with Gong You already dead below, there was no need to let Qin Hu’s corpse become a public spectacle as well.