In the pitch-black night, amidst dense forests and shrubs, a blinding light suddenly appeared.

The unremarkable three-wheeled vehicle seemed to have thrown gravity itself behind it as it ascended the steep incline at an unthinkable extreme speed, rolling over the loose soil and galloping through the hills as if flying.

The moment the sniper on the high ground spotted the bizarre three-wheeler, they seemed to fall into hesitation, contemplating whether to retreat.

Before that, though, something swifter passed over the darkened sky above...

Birds spreading their wings!

In the midst of leaping and bumping, a box inside the bullock cart's bed suddenly soared into the air, its handle falling into the claws of Gloria; after which, the little bird spread its wings, effortlessly pulling an elongated leather case—whose size and weight were a dozen times its own—in flight, swiftly diving toward the direction of Ji Jue.

Little Nine Delivery!

"..."

Shocked, the sniper's face changed involuntarily, an instinctive desire to raise the rifle and shoot down the bird soaring across the sky enveloped them, but at the same time, they heard the buzz that made their scalp tingle.

They couldn't help but feel terrified.

On the battlefields of Central Earth, whenever such a sound echoed, it signified that a drone swarm's kamikaze attack was about to descend from the heavens.

They cradled their rifle, rolling without thinking, pulling out a pistol from their waist, and fired toward the source of the buzzing noise.

It wasn't until they clearly saw the harmless drone wreck that they truly felt as though they were plunging into an ice cave.

Bad news!

It was only when they threw away the pistol, crouched down, and raised the sniper rifle toward the direction of the drain ditch that they finally saw the half-opened leather case tumbling in the air, falling down.

A lever-action rifle that had fallen out was already in the hands of someone reaching out from the ditch.

From that moment, the positions of attack and defense were reversed.

"It's so good to see you."

Ji Jue held the old friend in his hands, sincerely admiring it, smiling. With a flick of his wrist, the opened cartridge caught the bullets scattering like rain from the case mid-air.

With a light and casual spin, a crisp sound burst forth.

Loading complete.

Next, it was time for some happy sniping between the doors—

"Fire," he said.

In that instant, within the resonance brought by Mechanical Descent, the reflection was as swift as lightning. Thunderbolt explosively burst with roars and rumbles as the Mercury Bullet whistled out, crossing a distance of nine hundred seventy meters, whistling in.

From the midst of the sky, it collided with a bullet from the sniper rifle, the friction between metal sparks flying, the flowing mercury effortlessly penetrating the center and racing on, correcting its path again, making a silver arc in mid-air before lodging into the tree trunk beside the sniper!

A bone-chilling cold enveloped the sniper, who hadn't even the time to inspect the blunt pain on their face. Instinctively, they pulled the bolt and, once again, pulled the trigger.

And there in the scope, as Ji Jue's rifle ejected another cartridge in a seamless flow, it was raised.

The bullet shot out, once again blowing up the oncoming bullet mid-air, with the dissipating mercury light leaving a long-lasting trail in the sky.

It was like an unsheathed blade, unsteady yet pointing toward the sniper hidden in the dense forest.

A wave of freezing terror surged towards him.

A lever-action rifle from over a hundred years ago? Are you serious?

Was he still awake?

Or had he fallen into a nightmare?

The sniper, drenched in sweat, pulled the trigger again, forced to seize every chance to attack.

He dared not stop, nor could he stop!

If he turned to flee, the bullet that would catch up from behind would turn his head to mush in an instant. He had been dragged by Ji Jue into an endless life-and-death duel.

The only choice left to him was to hold on, continue, until the bullets in the magazine were exhausted, then be at someone's mercy!

Loud booms erupted from the mountains once again, one after another.

It was as if it were a midday showdown under the western blazing sun.

Traces formed by the burning and evaporation of mercury shone in the darkness of the mountains before slowly dissipating, each strand of silver light bringing a tearing pain like a howling wind across the face.

Thick blood trickled slowly down from his face into his eyes.

Staining the sniper's world in maroon and black.

But he didn't dare blink, merely pulling the trigger instinctively until his magazine returned with an empty echo.

No more bullets.

In the instant of realization, his heart swelled with an almost pardoned sense of relief.

Ah, at last...

Bang!

In his hands, the sniper rifle suddenly exploded, deforming.

A flying bullet penetrated his arm, gouging out a big hole in his shoulder. Then the second, third bullets took his legs but did not take his life.

Merely leaving him cruelly to wait for death in blood loss.

Or perhaps, waiting for a torment more terrifying than death...

Only now, in the resonance of Mechanical Descent, did that deep report come: "Report, Commander, shooting complete."

"Mission complete, hard work paid off,"

Ji Jue laid down the rifle, exhaling deeply.

In the dead silence, there were no more sounds at the scene, the people hiding in corners too scared to even breathe, and even Chen Yubo, after crawling out from the drain ditch, was exhausted with no more energy left.

Only Ji Jue sat quietly on the front of the Kun Peng, looking up at the night sky.

The stars were tranquil, and the moonlight was gentle.

"The night is so beautiful."

He chuckled lightly but said no more.

Not until in the distance the sound of another convoy racing forward reached them, did Chen Yubo's phone finally ring. Elated, he stood up and began frantically waving at the approaching vehicles.

The convoy stopped a good distance away, and a skinny, white-haired man got out of a vehicle, accompanied by several young men. After a quick check on Chen Yubo's condition and a brief assessment of the scene, the man called Uncle Lin took the initiative to approach Ji Jue.

With spiritual fluctuation ready but untriggered, Uncle Lin moved lightly yet firmly and stably, his gaze sharp but turning warm when it fell on Ji Jue, not betraying any hint of threat.

The unfamiliar Chosen One reached out with an earnest smile.

"Mr. Ji, I'm really sorry for all the trouble tonight. The boss is tied up and couldn't come himself to express his gratitude," he said.

Carefully, he then took out an ordinary-looking business card from his pocket and presented it with both hands, "Before coming, he specifically asked me to thank you for your assistance tonight. It's very rare to receive such a favor; he will definitely visit you to express his thanks in person.

He also hopes you won't hold these incidents against us, and when you have some free time, we would be honored if you could join us for tea."

"Of course, of course."

Ji Jue smiled and accepted the business card, making sure to store it properly in front of him.

With that, the social niceties among people had been observed.

Chen Xingzhou acknowledged the debt of having his brother's life saved, promising a favor in return. Though the real value of a favor was up for debate, and he had little interaction with Desert Market at the moment, he wasn't one to turn away a reward that was handed to him on a silver platter.

After all, for many who longed but could not obtain, that thin, unremarkable card might be their Dragon Gate to high society.

"Don't forget there's another gunman on that hill over there."

He pointed towards a high point on the mountain, "Seems like military-trained. Be careful, there could be traps around. If you're quick enough, he might still be breathing."

Uncle Lin's expression turned solemn: "I'll handle it myself."

The old man's figure became like an illusion in the shadows, shifting unpredictably, and in just a few movements, he reached the high point without the slightest sign of strain.

A distant explosion could be heard, but before long, Uncle Lin came down carrying a body, sighing as he dropped it on the ground, "He's dead, took poison. But judging by the tattoo on his body, he seems to be from the Empire. Such people are rare in Cliff City, so it'll be easy to investigate."

As they spoke, several young men who had scattered returned, their expressions gloomy as they ushered Mu Jiang into a vehicle. Someone reported to Uncle Lin, "The woman is gone."

Uncle Lin nodded without saying much more.

Before leaving, Chen Yubo pushed away the person caring for him and approached.

"You came through for me today, old Ji."

He hugged Ji Jue tightly, patting him on the back, "If you're free later, why not visit my place? I'll treat you to some cat-petting!"

Truth be told, Ji Jue disliked complications and really had no interest in cats, even if his cats could flip backwards.

But looking at Chen Yubo's face, and the faint plea in it...

He still let out a sigh.

Helplessly.

There was no helping it, the boss had paid, and he wasn't a bad guy. If he had accepted the brother's business card, why not indulge in a bit of cat-petting with the brother?

"Alright."

He nodded, "Next time I have to tune-up, I'll come over to fix your car."

At that, Chen Yubo brightened up.

As if nothing more exciting could happen for the rest of the evening.

He waved goodbye.

Leaving Ji Jue alone, perched atop the little bike, blowing in the night wind, staring at the starry sky, he suddenly felt a pang of melancholy for those personal relationships with clients formed outside of work hours.

Not only did I not get paid extra, but I was also duped into visiting his house to see his cats.

Something felt off!

"Do you think we're always the last to know whenever there's a hint of trouble?"

Half an hour later, at a late-night food stall, Wen Wen hung up her phone, pursed her lips, and after downing a pint of beer, she shook her head and sighed.

"Whose call was that?" Tong Hua asked curiously.

"Your brother's."

Casually picking at edamame, Wen Wen responded, "The old guys at the station told us patrollers there's some unrest in Cliff City recently. To be extra careful when we're working."

"Ah, that damn idiot Tong Shan!"

Tong Hua slammed the table in anger, "When he was a kid, who took the blame for him after he broke Uncle's jar? How dare he disregard me like this?! Don't be mad, Sister Wen, I'll give him a piece of my mind when I get back."

"It won't do any good to show him your temper."

Wen Wen laughed and shook her head, "An hour ago, Lei Yaoxing's people attempted an assassination on Chen Xingzhou's brother. Luckily, his brother had the good fortune to hire a... a bodyguard looking to make some extra cash, and that saved his life."

Her expression turned peculiarly odd when she mentioned the bodyguard, as if she had spotted an acquaintance while raiding a row of people apprehended in a crackdown.

An innate curiosity and suspicion — how come you're everywhere?!

"Then, Chen Xingzhou wasn't a pushover either. Not even five minutes after the incident, Lei Yaoxing's personal accountant and driver were thrown from the highest building in Lihua District, landing in Mingyue Square as nothing more than a pile of mush.

Now both sides are rallying their friends, weapons drawn, ready to clash."

"Ah?"

Tong Hua was stunned, "Lei Wuye isn't doing anything?"

As the main overseer and enforcer for Desert Market in the area, Lei Wuye's name had, for forty years, loomed over the darker side of Cliff City like a storm cloud.

Like a predator at the top of the food chain, he managed his many subordinates and turned the shady side of Cliff City into an impenetrable fortress, reaping all the benefits of the city's smuggling operations alone.

Now his own godson and his most trusted assistant were about to go to war, and he remained indifferent?

That was truly bizarre.

"That's the biggest problem,"

Wen Wen sighed, "Old Lei Wuye is on his last breath."

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