You Mingxu watched as the iron hammer’s shadow plummeted toward her, and she closed her eyes.

The force of the hammer’s wind already struck her face when suddenly, someone threw themselves on top of her. Her whole body trembled as she opened her eyes, hardly believing what she saw. In the dim light, she saw Yin Feng’s taut, stubborn face, ashen gray. In that split second when their eyes met, he smiled—a foolish yet sincere expression.

Then the hammer fell on the back of his neck.

A torn, shattered cry escaped You Mingxu’s throat as she watched helplessly as he descended from above, watched as he took the blow meant for her, saw his eyes close as he collapsed into her arms. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, powerless yet desperately clutching him tight.

Like an unexpected hero charging into battle, Yin Feng’s intervention caused both father and son Deng to freeze momentarily. Elder Deng’s grip loosened, allowing You Mingxu to finally gasp for air like a fish near death. When Elder Deng came to his senses and tried to tighten his grip again, two fingers had already hooked firmly onto the rope. Though the rope cut into white marks on her skin, she refused to let go.

Seeing his first strike miss, Deng Yao raised his hammer for another attack. You Mingxu let out a muffled roar and, while holding Yin Feng with one arm, managed to wrench the rope free from Elder Deng’s grasp. She rolled across the ground as Deng Yao’s hammer struck the floor where she had been.

Fighting back tears, You Mingxu could only steal a glance at Yin Feng during her roll. His face was sickly pale, like someone in deep sleep, his fate unknown. Her palm felt the spreading wetness beneath him.

No one could kill Yin Feng before her eyes. Not now, she thought, not ever. Who else in her life had died for her? And for whom had she ever been willing to sacrifice everything?

You Mingxu let out a cold laugh, gently laid Yin Feng down, and stood up. From the collapsed workbench nearby, scattered with various iron tools, she picked up an iron rod and turned to face them.

Standing in the shadows, she gave even the snarling father and son Deng pause. Then they charged at her together.

But when You Mingxu could no longer feel any physical pain when she fought with the spirit of someone ready to die for victory, who could stop her?

How could two brutal killers, relying only on brute strength, compare to her resolve?

When Deng Yao’s hammer came shooting like a meteor once again, You Mingxu simply ducked, nimbly avoiding it. She appeared behind them, striking the old man’s hunched back with her rod. As he let out an agonized cry, You Mingxu moved with lightning speed, landing another blow to his knee. The old man could no longer stand and collapsed.

Seeing his father gravely injured, Deng Yao let out a bestial roar and charged forward, swinging his hammer wildly. Through the gusts of wind from his attacks, You Mingxu’s expression remained utterly cold as she continuously dodged and weaved. Her demeanor frightened Deng Yao even more, and after missing more than ten strikes, he grew increasingly agitated. Suddenly, You Mingxu’s footwork faltered, as if she had slipped. Deng Yao’s eyes turned cold as he summoned all his strength into one mighty swing.

This forward lunge was exactly what You Mingxu wanted. Her body suddenly bent backward like a battered but resilient bamboo shoot, instantly positioning herself behind Deng Yao. She struck his neck, elbow joints, knee joints, and ankles in a rapid succession of blows.

Deng Yao fell to his knees like a giant whose bones had been completely removed. You Mingxu tossed aside the iron rod, flipped him over, straddled him, and rained down punches on his face until it was covered in blood and he finally lost consciousness.

You Mingxu staggered to her feet and walked to Yin Feng’s side.

He was still unconscious, lying motionless with blood pooling behind his head. You Mingxu collapsed beside him, and after looking at him for a moment, she pulled his head into her embrace and fainted.

—

At dawn, a large police force surrounded the small courtyard. They were shocked to find the female officer and consultant unconscious in each other’s arms. Nearby, the severely beaten Deng father and son had just regained consciousness and were immediately handcuffed.

Fan Jia’s body was carried out of the courtyard.

Many police officers broke down in tears.

Throughout the dark corners of the courtyard—in Mother Deng’s wardrobe, in the shadows of the slaughterhouse, beneath the courtyard soil—they discovered girls’ clothing, accessories, handbags, and more than one set of human skeletal remains.

Xu Mengshan ran to the stretcher covered with a white cloth. After one glance, he froze. After a while, he turned and walked dazedly toward the alley exit. By then, quite a crowd had gathered to watch, and Xu Mengshan pushed through them, not knowing where he was going. Looking around in confusion, he saw the morning sun slowly rising. He crouched down where he stood, covered his face, and broke into sobs.

Is this what it means to be a police officer? Is this the life of a criminal investigator?

Perhaps in today’s peaceful era, only very few comrades will unfortunately sacrifice themselves.

When I sacrifice myself, please don’t cry, don’t be weak, don’t mourn.

Because my spirit remains, like the morning glow.