Chapter 117 Puppet Jade
After nightfall, the three of them quietly left the office building and made their way towards the village.
The village was not small, and only a few houses were occupied by members of the Sijiangmen. Apart from guards at the entrance, there were patrols inside the village. However, the security was relatively lax, probably because of its proximity to Beijing. As the largest branch of the most populous gang in Beijing, they probably didn’t feel much danger here. Thus, they managed to enter without much effort.
Dividing into two groups, Cheng Tianbi and Cong Xia approached the village from the east, while Tang Yanqiu entered from another direction. Their objective was to locate Zhuang Yao as quickly as possible or find the pigeon-like woman and force her to reveal Zhuang Yao’s whereabouts.
If possible, they hoped to take Zhuang Yao away without alarming others or engaging in direct conflict. After all, the enemy had the advantage in numbers and strength. They wanted to avoid using the signal flare tonight if possible.
Cheng Tianbi’s stealth abilities were exceptional, and even with Cong Xia as a companion, it didn’t hinder his performance. The two of them moved cautiously, avoiding patrols and getting closer to the center of the village. The village had recently undergone reconstruction, and the new houses looked much better than the old ones. The Sijiangmen members would undoubtedly occupy some of these newly constructed buildings.
As expected, when they quietly approached a few four-story buildings with lights on, they found more guards and patrols in the area.
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“Nlv’p xshl qwavbla kd.”
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Cong Xia suddenly felt a familiar energy entering his sensing range and whispered, “It’s Zhuang Yao, I’ve sensed him. Could he be the one who set the fire?”
“It’s possible that he did it. Let’s blend in.”
About thirty people ran out from the new building to put out the fire. As the scene was chaotic, they moved more boldly, and nobody noticed them. When they got near the burning building, Cong Xia sensed that Tang Yanqiu was nearby. He searched around and finally found him in a building that was being demolished, with only the frame remaining.
Tang Yanqiu saw them and wasn’t surprised. “Is Zhuang Yao inside there?”
Cong Xia nodded, “You’ve chosen a good spot.”
From this position, they could clearly see the main entrance of the burning building.
Before long, a person with wings flew out of the burning building, carrying a thin figure. Even in the chaos, they were close enough to hear Zhuang Yao crying and shouting loudly, sounding as if he was terrified.
The three of them exchanged glances, feeling that Zhuang Yao’s reaction was too strange.
They had known him for so long, and the only time Zhuang Yao lost his composure was when he was covered with bugs in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Anyone would go crazy in such a situation, and as an eleven or twelve-year-old child, his performance was already astonishing. Zhuang Yao would never cry and shout like this. He seemed just like any ordinary eleven or twelve-year-old child… No, he was indeed a child, rescued from a sea of fire. This reaction was normal, right?
In any case, this unusual behavior of Zhuang Yao left them puzzled. Cong Xia said, “Could he be injured?”
Only Cheng Tianbi remained calm and said, “He’s faking it. He must know that we’re here.”
“How could he know?”
“Either he calculated it or his cerebral domain has evolved new abilities.”
Tang Yanqiu frowned and said, “I hope he’s not really injured. However, his behavior indeed helps us confirm his location.”
Cong Xia sighed, saying, “How does he manage to do this? He must have caused the fire as well.”
“Let’s not worry about that now. We need to take swift action. Both Liu Fengyu and Deng Xiao are impatient individuals. I’m afraid they’ll act recklessly if they see the fire.”
The three of them clearly saw the person with wings leading Zhuang Yao into one of the new buildings, adjacent to the two well-lit ones. About seven or eight mutants also entered the building, and soon, the building’s lights turned on.
While others were busy with firefighting, they couldn’t attend to this side. The three realized it was the perfect opportunity for action, but they were concerned that once they got close, they would be detected.
Cong Xia said, “Didn’t you say the signal flare can be fired into the building like a smoke bomb without them sensing me? Let me go, they won’t feel my presence.”
Cheng Tianbi replied, “It seems that’s our only option. I’ll separate the Ancient Jade from the Puppet Jade. I’ll give the Puppet Jade to Tang Yanqiu, so we can split up.”
Cong Xia smiled bitterly, “This is indeed troublesome.”
Cheng Tianbi took out the three crucial jades from his pocket, removed the two Puppet Jades from the Ancient Jade, and handed one to Tang Yanqiu. He gave the Ancient Jade to Cong Xia.
The Ancient Jade returned to Cong Xia’s body, and he felt a sense of relief. He glanced at Tang Yanqiu and asked, “Are you both okay with the constant interaction between the two Puppet Jades?”
Tang Yanqiu tucked the Puppet Jade emitting a black light into his clothes and frowned, “Indeed, there’s a pulling force between them, very uncomfortable. But I can endure it for a while.”
Clutching the signal gun, Cong Xia gritted his teeth, “I’m going.”
Cheng Tianbi said, “Be careful, don’t be afraid. We’ll watch over you.”
Cong Xia nodded firmly and quietly approached the small building.
He soon reached the wall of the building and circled around it. He found a window with the dimmest light shining through, where he should be relatively unnoticed. Carefully, he pushed the window open slightly and peered inside.
Inside, the light came from several candles on a table, casting a dim glow. From Cong Xia’s perspective, he could see several people sitting on the floor in the living room. He scanned them one by one, finally spotting a slender figure with the head buried in the knees, it was Zhuang Yao!
The other people seemed drowsy and didn’t notice any movement by the window.
Cong Xia slipped the barrel of the signal gun through the gap of the window, avoiding Zhuang Yao’s direction, and fired it above the table.
“Phew!” The signal flare exploded in the closed room, instantly filling the space with billowing yellow smoke, obscuring everything from sight.
“What’s happening?” People inside coughed and shouted.
“Someone’s attacking, be careful!”
Cong Xia pulled back the gun and ran along the wall, then he told Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu, who were rushing over, “Zhuang Yao is in the corner at nine o’clock!” Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu kicked open the window and stormed into the room, where screams and fighting sounds erupted.
Cong Xia obediently stayed by the window, knowing he couldn’t do much and just needed to be patient.
The commotion here drew the attention of those who were firefighting in the distance.
Someone shouted, “There’s a fire over there too! Something’s not right, there must be enemies!”
“Quick, we need backup here!”
Cong Xia quickly loaded another signal flare and fired it towards the approaching group, causing more thick smoke to rise, shrouding the people in a yellow haze.
“What the hell, it stinks! What is this smell? Damn, it’s disgusting!”
“Ah! What’s going on?”
Cong Xia smelled a familiar foul odor and felt relieved, knowing that Liu Fengyu and Deng Xiao had arrived.
At that moment, Tang Yanqiu flew out of the house carrying Zhuang Yao. He grabbed Cong Xia and said, “Let’s go!”
“What about Cheng Tianbi?”
“He’s holding them off.”
Just as they ran a few steps away, a burst of machine gun fire erupted behind them. The four-story building was riddled with bullet holes, glass shattered, and cement sprayed everywhere.
“Nervous!” Cong Xia shouted, “Cheng Tianbi!”
Zhuang Yao calmly said, “Don’t worry about him, let’s go.”
The dispersing yellow smoke suddenly changed its direction due to an inexplicable gust of wind, carrying a pungent smell, and drifted towards where the Sijiangmen members were gathering.
“It’s the Wind Natural Force Evolver, they’ve come! Everyone, be careful!”
Cheng Tianbi jumped out of the small building and shouted, “Run!”
Liu Fengyu and Deng Xiao also ran towards them through the thick smoke, and Cong Xia finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Tang Yanqiu carried Zhuang Yao, Cheng Tianbi pulled Cong Xia, Liu Fengyu jumped onto Deng Xiao’s back, and the six of them sprinted towards the village’s outskirts.
As they rushed out of the village, the sound of hooves echoed behind them. They turned back to see a muscular man with the lower body of a centaur, carrying a heavy machine gun, two rifles inserted on his back, and a large string of ammunition clips hanging from his shoulder, chasing after them. Behind him, two tall horses carried riders, and in the distance, a large group of mutants also pursued them.
Cheng Tianbi said, “You go first, Tang Yanqiu and I will stay behind.”
Deng Xiao shouted, “I’ll stay too!”
“No, your speed is faster. Take them and go find Abu as soon as possible.”
Deng Xiao gritted his teeth and carried Liu Fengyu, holding onto Zhuang Yao, and pulling Cong Xia as they ran towards the outskirts of the city. Thanks to Cong Xia’s temporarily evolved legs, he kept up with them easily, and the four of them quickly distanced themselves from the danger.
Meanwhile, Cheng Tianbi and Tang Yanqiu quickly separated, taking cover behind two buildings. The half-human, half-horse figure with the heavy machine gun ran towards Cheng Tianbi’s hiding spot and unleashed a hail of bullets.
Taking advantage of a brief respite, Tang Yanqiu flew to the second floor and aimed through the spacious walls. He drew his bow and let the arrow fly.
“Boss, an archer!” A sharp female voice called out, and in the next moment, a large group of pigeons descended upon the half-human, half-horse figure, almost obscuring him completely.
A muffled groan echoed, and the sound of the machine gun abruptly ceased.
Seizing the opportunity, Cheng Tianbi burst out from behind the building and leaped into the air. Invisible wind blades gathered in his hand, and with a powerful swing, a distorted, elongated oval-shaped space appeared in the air. The sharp wind wave surged unstoppably towards the Sijiangmen members.
The half-human, half-horse figure desperately threw himself to the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, the two horses behind him and the riders atop them were severed in half without any resistance. The elongated wind wave continued its trajectory, running through the frontmost person like an invisible, transparent giant blade, silently decapitating him.
The approaching enemies were petrified, frozen in place, unsure of what to do.
Tang Yanqiu’s face revealed an expression of admiration.
The half-human, half-horse figure struggled to get up from the ground. Cheng Tianbi strode to him and stepped heavily on his face, kicking away his weapon. The figure’s eyes were bloodshot, but even in this dire situation, his military training kept him composed.
Cheng Tianbi drew a military knife and pressed it against his face, saying, “I’ll spare your life. Tell your superiors not to mess with our people.”
The figure whispered, “I’ll relay the message.”
Cheng Tianbi released him, and Tang Yanqiu flew over. Cheng Tianbi grabbed him and the two of them ascended into the air, flying away into the distance.
The half-human, half-horse figure shook his head, stood up, and muttered, “Boss, are you okay?”
He silently watched the direction where the two had disappeared and said in a deep voice, “They are truly formidable. With them in Beijing, the situation there will surely undergo a reshuffling.”
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