Everything was going according to plan.

Zheng Mingshan sprinted forward a few steps, his body leaping into the air, steadily catching the gun Yan Hongsha threw to him, and pulling the trigger at a lackey whose gun was already pointing upward.

Despite all precautions, he had forgotten to instruct Yan Hongsha about one thing: this was a submachine gun that could fire more than ten rounds per second. A gun’s ammunition was limited, and since she had freely used it, she hadn’t left him much “rice.”

But on second thought, instructions would have been useless. A novice had no gun sense, and if he had restricted her, she might have been too cautious to be effective.

After taking down two men, his body was barely touching the ground when the bullets ran out. Zheng Mingshan did a kite flip to stand up, rushing toward the remaining man. As the man’s gun barrel just turned in his direction, Zheng Mingshan didn’t hesitate. With a flick of his wrist, he threw the submachine gun like a spinning dagger at the man’s head.

This throw carried extraordinary force. The man fell backward, his gun firing a burst of bullets into the air. Zheng Mingshan kicked the man’s chest and, using this push-off force, roared as he lunged toward Leopard, emerging from the cage.

These moves—swift as a rabbit rising and a falcon swooping—were executed in one fluid motion. Leopard, though waiting at ease, reacted extremely quickly. As they passed each other, they had already exchanged a move. By the time they both stood firm, Yan Hongsha had just landed, the door banged open, and Cao Yanhua had just mustered his strength to charge in.

Zheng Mingshan shouted, “Leave Leopard to me. You two, clear the area. Make sure the people on the ground don’t get a chance to fire shots from behind.”

Yes, he had to deal with her. Although he hadn’t inherited the sect’s legacy, he was the first to enter the sect, Meihua Jiuniang’s senior disciple. This confrontation should rightfully begin with him.

Just as he finished speaking, Mu Dai cried out to him: “Senior Brother, save Luo Ren!”

Zheng Mingshan’s heart tightened. Glancing into the cage, the scene was horrifying. Not only had Luo Ren become a bloody mess, but Mu Dai’s face and hands were almost completely covered in blood, too.

Zheng Mingshan knew well that in such accidents or field combat injuries, proper and rapid first aid at the scene was key to whether a person could survive afterward.

One was the enemy who indirectly killed his master, the other was Luo Ren…

Damn it! Zheng Mingshan gritted his teeth: The dead can’t be brought back to life. Right now, minimizing losses was more important than revenge.

He dropped the words “Try to hold her off” and quickly ran into the cage.

Just as he knelt beside Luo Ren, the smell of blood almost overwhelmed him. In his earlier years, Zheng Mingshan had seen many similar dangerous situations. Whether a person could survive was something you could tell at a glance—seeing Luo Ren’s condition, his own heart sank.

The knife wounds were manageable—they hadn’t severed any arteries. He sternly instructed Mu Dai: “Use your clothes to press on the wounds. If necessary, stuff fabric inside to stop the bleeding. Also, with your other hand, press near his heart. If his heart isn’t beating, help it start!”

Mu Dai’s mind was buzzing. With tears in her eyes, she nodded, using the dagger to cut off a large piece of her inner garment, folding it to press against Luo Ren’s wounds.

Looking at the gunshot wound, his heart instantly sank to the bottom: It seemed… an artery had been hit.

Zheng Mingshan took a deep breath, trying not to be distracted by Mu Dai or the fighting scene in the cage. He reached along the bleeding wound upward, found the pulsating artery, and used his palm to firmly compress the blood vessel against the nearest bone to stop the bleeding. With his other hand, he used the knife to cut open clothes, assisted by tearing with his teeth, balled the fabric up, and found the bullet hole, forcefully stuffing it in.

This wasn’t the most suitable method, of course. He knew there should be disinfection and proper bandaging—now with all wounds exposed, uncontrolled bleeding, the risk of infection was too high. But under the current circumstances, this was the most brutally effective way to treat the immediate problem.

His palm continued to press on the blood vessel as he quickly instructed Mu Dai: “We need to get to a hospital, immediately, right now.”

Looking up, he saw Yan Hongsha and Cao Yanhua desperately struggling against Leopard, genuinely anxious but unable to release his hand.

Neither of them was a match for Leopard.

Only Yan Hongsha could barely execute some moves. Cao Yanhua had already lost his form, relying only on his size to withstand blows. He either desperately hugged her legs or her waist. After just a moment, Leopard delivered a back kick, sending Cao Yanhua’s large frame flying. Fortunately, Cao Yanhua crashed into the chain link on one side of the cage, which absorbed much of the impact.

Now, only Yan Hongsha faced the Leopard. As Cao Yanhua wiped the blood from his mouth and was about to charge back in, Zheng Mingshan sternly commanded him: “Don’t worry about Hongsha, get a gun!”

Cao Yanhua suddenly realized: Yes, there were guns in this factory!

Limping, he jogged toward the nearest fallen gun. Meanwhile, Leopard against Yan Hongsha was like a fierce beast against a rabbit. After just two or three moves, she had grabbed Yan Hongsha by the throat, her strength so immense that she lifted her off the ground by the neck.

Yan Hongsha’s eyes were rolling back, her hands trying to reach Leopard’s face but unable to. Mu Dai watched, her whole body trembling. Zheng Mingshan gritted his teeth and ordered her: “Stay in your position, do your job!”

By now, Cao Yanhua had gotten a gun, his eyes bloodshot as he charged over, aiming at Leopard’s back and firing a burst.

With no gun sense, he couldn’t aim properly. Leopard’s back seemed to have eyes—with just a slight sidestep, all of Cao Yanhua’s shots missed.

Yan Hongsha couldn’t breathe, her legs convulsing in mid-air. Suddenly remembering something, she used her last strength to reach into her pocket, pull out a plastic bag of blood, grip it in her palm, bring it close to Leopard, and squeeze with all her might.

The plastic bag burst, blood spraying in all directions. One spray hit Leopard’s eye, causing a hissing white smoke to rise. The leopard cried out in pain and released her grip. Yan Hongsha seized the opportunity to kick her, then rolled and crawled, choking and coughing, toward the cage.

As for Leopard, she was truly a remarkable character. Assessing the situation without wasting a moment, she sprinted toward the exit.

Zheng Mingshan sighed inwardly: It seemed Leopard would escape this time.

In movies, the villain’s big boss always fights until the last moment, either killing or being killed. But Zheng Mingshan’s combat experience told him otherwise: Those troublesome characters, when danger arrives, most commonly choose to withdraw quickly, not in a humiliating escape, but retreating to a safe place, ensuring their safety before planning a comeback.

Evildoers who have harmed many people often value their own lives even more.

Cao Yanhua fired another burst while chasing, seemingly hitting her. Leopard’s leg faltered, almost causing her to kneel, but she immediately stood straight again. Cao Yanhua was delighted and tried to pull the trigger again, but the magazine was empty.

Leopard stopped, turned her head, staring at the people inside and outside the cage, her lips curling into a ferocious smile.

She said: “Let you see… fireworks bloom.”

…

Yan Hongsha, breathing heavily, wanted to pursue, but lacked the strength. She was puzzled to see Leopard’s expression change as she frantically searched her body for a second or two before quickly disappearing through the doorway.

She asked: “What was she looking for?”

With a clang, Cao Yanhua’s legs went weak. He dropped the gun and sat down heavily, slowly pulling several items from his pocket and throwing them on the ground.

There was lipstick, a blade, and something like a switch.

He said: “Don’t know, probably these things.”

“You stole her things? When?”

“When she was beating me half to death.”

Zheng Mingshan interrupted them: “Luo Ren’s condition is critical. Immediately tell Yi Wansan to drive the car in here, and call emergency services for an ambulance. Every moment saved is crucial. We’ll transport him from here, the ambulance will come from that direction, and we’ll meet halfway to get prompt medical attention. Hurry!”

Cao Yanhua responded, glanced at Mu Dai, who was crying and covered in blood, didn’t dare look at Luo Ren, and stumbled out. He jogged to the factory gate and peered through the gaps in the iron fence to the outside.

In front, to the left, to the right.

Suddenly dumbfounded.

Where was the car?

Where the hell was the car?

After a while, he angrily shouted: “You son of a bitch, Yi Wansan!”

Yi Wansan had been dedicated to waking Qingmu up.

He was self-aware enough to know that people have different values in different situations. In the current circumstances, Qingmu alone was worth several of him.

He had tried many methods: slapping his face, pinching his nose, even opening a bottle of mineral water and pouring it on his head—Qingmu remained foggy. The last time he opened his eyes, Yi Wansan excitedly moved closer, but Qingmu had no consciousness and instinctively slapped him.

Damn these arrogant Japanese!

Yi Wansan’s inner anger flared. Glancing at Cao Jiefang, he suddenly had an idea.

He pointed at Qingmu’s philtrum and instructed Cao Jiefang: “Peck him!”

After demonstrating several times, Cao Jiefang hesitated, but finally understood, darting forward with a peck.

This peck was so powerful that it nearly made a bloody hole in Qingmu’s upper lip. Qingmu’s eyes opened wide, startling Cao Jiefang, who fluttered frantically around the car.

Qingmu hissed in pain, covering his lip: “Who? Where is this… Where’s Luo? Where have we reached?”

Yi Wansan somewhat admired him. Professionally trained people were indeed different, able to quickly adjust in a short time.

He hurriedly gave a brief account of the situation, trying to be precise: “They’re in the factory, they’ve been inside for quite a while. Senior Brother said if possible, he wants you to help…”

“Shh!”

Qingmu’s gaze passed over his shoulder, fixating on something in the distance, his facial expression strange, eyebrows almost knotted together.

Yi Wansan felt a chill down his spine and quickly turned to look, seeing a figure on the top of another factory wall, quickly jumping down and disappearing.

Who? Had Senior Brother and the others come out?

Qingmu spat out two words through clenched teeth: “Leopard.”

“Are you sure it’s Leopard?”

Yi Wansan’s hands trembled uncontrollably: Everyone was in the factory, so why was only Leopard coming out? Did that mean Senior Brother and the others were… finished?

Qingmu shoved him aside, moving directly from the back seat to the driver’s seat, quickly starting the car: “I’d recognize her even if she turned to ashes.”

Yi Wansan’s mind was in chaos: “What do you want to do?”

“Shh… don’t talk.”

The car started, not pursuing directly, but driving up to the nearest high ground and stopping.

From this elevated perspective, they could see Leopard’s position, the direction she was leaving, and the crisscrossing roads.

Yi Wansan held Cao Jiefang, so nervous he could almost hear his heartbeat. Swallowing his saliva, he repeated his question: “What do you want to do?”

Qingmu smiled at Yi Wansan in the rearview mirror: “Take a fork in the road, circle to face her, pretend it’s an accidental encounter, then accelerate and run her over!”

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly stepped on the accelerator.

Yi Wansan would never forget this scene for the rest of his life.

In the past, he had bluffed and deceived, but never thought of killing someone.

Dawn was breaking, the cool morning mist spreading around. This was a dirt path along a field ridge, with a small river beside it. The surroundings had a blue-green tint. The car bumped along the dirt path, and in the distance was a staggering figure.

Was that a Leopard? Yi Wansan held his breath, instinctively reaching to pinch Cao Jiefang’s beak. Cao Jiefang’s small eyes darted around, as if aware of the gravity of the situation, abnormally quiet.

Qingmu stared fixedly at that gradually approaching dot. The car drove at a steady pace, and he calmly chatted with Yi Wansan.

“Even if we don’t hit her, she’ll probably try to steal the car.”

“What will you do if you kill her? This is… murder.”

He acted as if he had heard the funniest joke: “I came here to kill her in the first place. Did you think I came to make friends?”

The distance grew closer and closer.

Yi Wansan gripped the handle tightly, trying to curl his body as small as possible. When the car suddenly accelerated with the pedal to the floor, he felt the wind rushing past his ears—bang! The car seemed to heavily hit something heavily, then continued forward, experiencing a violent bump before stopping.

Had they… run over her?

Yi Wansan was horrified, sitting in the car motionless for a while. After a moment, he heard the door open as Qingmu got out.

He swallowed and quickly followed, seeing Qingmu walk to Leopard’s side and squat down.

Yi Wansan was a bit nervous, afraid to go over and look.

Was that a Leopard? The ruthlessly cruel Leopard they had spoken of? Just like that, hit dead by an ordinary minivan on a country road?

A comical thought entered Yi Wansan’s mind.

Lived arrogantly, died pathetically.

Qingmu reached out, checking Leopard’s breath, wiping her heartbeat, coldly watching her body convulse, then lifting her eyelid to look at her eye.

He said, “This eye looks like it’s been burned.”

As he spoke, he pulled off her eye patch.

That blind eye, with its drooping eyelid, showed no sign of life.

From not far away came the melodious morning bird songs. Cao Jiefang wobbled down from the riverbank to the shore, quite happily raising its rear end, pecking left and right. Yi Wansan slowly moved to Qingmu’s side, looking somewhat timidly at Leopard’s corpse.

“Is she… dead?”

Qingmu smiled, pulling out a crumpled cigarette pack from his pocket, taking one out to light, taking a puff himself, then squatting down, digging a small hole, inserting the cigarette at an angle, and saying: “Pretty much.”

Pretty much? Something didn’t feel right.

In a flash of realization, Yi Wansan suddenly thought of something: Wasn’t Leopard supposed to have an Xiong Simple? Shouldn’t they force the Xiong Simple out? Where was the Xiong Simple?

He looked down, and what he saw made his mind explode.

He saw a suddenly opened, blood-red eye!

“Look out!”

Too late, Leopard’s hand moved like lightning, instantly grabbing Qingmu’s throat. Yi Wansan could almost see the veins bulging on the back of her hand.

Qingmu’s face turned purple-blue in an instant, his eyes almost bulging out. Yi Wansan threw caution to the wind, grabbing a stone from the ground and smashing it on Leopard’s head—only to find it wasn’t a stone but just a large clod of soil that shattered into pieces.

It was over. There were no suitable weapons nearby, and if he didn’t think of something quickly, Qingmu would be finished.

Yi Wansan let out a great shout and, using his momentum, rushed to tackle Leopard. Sure enough, she lost her footing, and all three of them slid down the riverbank together, startling Cao Jiefang, who had been pecking at the riverbank, into flying away with a flutter.

When they finally stopped, Yi Wansan tried to stand up, but suddenly felt a tightness in his throat—Leopard’s other hand had grabbed his neck.

Yi Wansan couldn’t breathe. Struggling, he shook his head from side to side, seeing Cao Jiefang not far away, standing stunned for a moment, then suddenly flapping its wings and taking rapid, small steps, charging toward the Leopard.

It headbutted Leopard’s lower leg, causing itself to stumble, then desperately lowered its head to peck at Leopard’s foot. The leopard wore leather boots and, quite irritated, kicked hard. Cao Jiefang was kicked away like a ball, flipping several times in mid-air, losing many feathers.

Yi Wansan’s eyes were bloodshot. For some reason, he found Cao Jiefang comical, feeling like laughing, yet his nose stung with the urge to cry.

Not in vain had he raised it. Good chicken.

His body was suddenly dragged—Leopard was pressing their throats, holding the heads of both men underwater, one on each side.

The cool morning water seeped into his mouth, nostrils, and ear canals. Yi Wansan’s feet kicked uselessly in all directions, creating bubbles on the water’s surface.

Leopard threw her head back, laughing heartily.

Just then, Yi Wansan heard the clearest sound he had ever heard in his life—

He… do… lo!

His eyes suddenly opened wide.

The river water flowed above his eyes, cold, painful, yet strangely creating a distorting effect.

He saw Leopard laughing joyfully with her head thrown back, while in mid-air, Cao Jiefang fluttered rapidly toward her, wings spread. Through the distortion of the water, those wings looked like an eagle swooping down. It lowered its head, its sharp beak fiercely pecking at the Leopard’s eye, then quickly flying away.

Through that layer of flowing river water, Yi Wansan saw Cao Jiefang’s beak holding something—a blood-red, ribbon-like strip it had pecked out from Leopard’s eye.

The grip on his throat suddenly weakened. The leopard’s body convulsed once, then fell forward directly into the river.

Blood spread through the water. Yi Wansan, coughing and choking, struggled to sit up. From nearby came Qingmu’s groan: Fortunately, Qingmu wasn’t dead.

Turning his head, he saw Cao Jiefang landing on the ground.

Its beak still firmly clutched that Xiong Simple, all its feathers bristling, looking fierce and aggressive, as if saying—

That’s for kicking me just now!