You Mingxu watched the shadow of the Iron Hammer rapidly descending and closed her eyes.
The gust of wind brought by the hammer rushed against her face. Just then, someone threw themselves over her. She shuddered violently, opened her eyes, and could hardly believe what she saw. In the dim light, she saw Yin Feng’s tense, stubborn face, pale as ash. The moment their eyes met, he actually smiled—a foolish yet sincere expression.
Then the Iron Hammer struck the back of his neck.
A torn, shattered cry escaped You Mingxu’s throat. She watched him fall from the sky, watched him take the blow, and then, with his eyes closed, collapse into her arms. Her hands trembled, weak yet desperately clutching him tight.
The sudden intervention of an unexpected savior stunned both Deng Yao and his father. Deng’s father loosened his grip, and You Mingxu instantly gasped for air like a dying fish. Realizing what had happened, Deng’s father tried to tighten his hold again, but two fingers had already hooked tightly onto the rope. Though they were turning white from the strain, they refused to let go.
Seeing his first strike had failed, Deng Yao swung the hammer again. You Mingxu let out a muffled roar. With one arm holding Yin Feng, she tore the rope from Deng’s father’s grasp with her other hand, rolled across the ground, and Deng Yao’s hammer smashed into the floor.
Tears welled in You Mingxu’s eyes. In the midst of her roll, she caught only a fleeting glimpse of Yin Feng—his face pale and lifeless, as if in deep slumber, his condition unknown. Her palm was already slick with a sticky, wet sensation.
No one could kill Yin Feng in front of her. Not now. Not ever. Who in this life had ever died for her? And for whom had she ever risked her own life?
You Mingxu actually let out a low, grim chuckle. She released Yin Feng and stood up. On a nearby collapsed workbench lay a pile of scattered iron tools. She picked up an iron rod and turned around.
Standing in the shadows, she made the ferocious Deng father and son pause in surprise. Then they lunged at her together.
But when You Mingxu could no longer feel any physical pain, when she was driven by a resolve to either die or win, who could possibly stop her?
How could two brutal, inhuman killers relying on brute strength ever compare?
As Deng Yao’s Iron Hammer came at her like a shooting star, You Mingxu simply crouched, nimbly dodging it, and appeared behind them. With a swing of her rod, she struck the old man’s hunched back. He let out a piercing scream. Moving as fast as lightning, she delivered another blow to his knee, and the old man crumpled to the ground, unable to stand.
Seeing his father severely injured, Deng Yao let out a beast-like howl and charged forward, wildly swinging his hammer. Amid the gusts of wind, You Mingxu’s expression remained icily indifferent as she continuously dodged and shifted. Her calm demeanor unnerved Deng Yao even more. After more than a dozen missed strikes, he grew increasingly frantic. Suddenly, You Mingxu’s steps faltered, as if she had slipped. Deng Yao’s eyes turned cold, and he put all his strength into one final swing.
You Mingxu had been waiting for his lunge. Her body suddenly arched backward like a resilient, scarred bamboo stalk, swiftly moving behind Deng Yao. In a rapid, relentless flurry, she struck his neck, elbow joints, knee joints, and ankles with her rod.
Deng Yao collapsed like a giant whose bones had been completely dismantled, kneeling and then falling face-first. You Mingxu discarded the iron rod, flipped him over, mounted him, and delivered several punches to his head until his face was covered in blood and he finally lost consciousness.
Staggering to her feet, You Mingxu walked back to Yin Feng’s side.He remained unconscious, lying motionless face down with a patch of blood at the back of his head. You Mingxu had collapsed directly beside him. After a brief glance, she reached out, cradled his head in her arms, and passed out.
——
At the break of dawn, a large police force surrounded the small courtyard. They were shocked to find the female officer and the consultant lying unconscious in an embrace. Nearby, the severely injured Deng father and son, who had just regained consciousness, were immediately handcuffed.
Fan Jia’s body was carried out of the courtyard.
Many officers wept uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, in the dark recesses of the courtyard—inside Mother Deng’s wardrobe, in hidden corners of the slaughterhouse, and beneath the soil of the yard—several girls’ clothing items, jewelry, shoulder bags, and more than one set of human skeletal remains were discovered.
Xu Mengshan rushed to the stretcher covered with a white cloth. After just one glance, he froze in place. A moment later, he turned and stumbled out of the alley. By then, a crowd of onlookers had gathered at the periphery. Xu Mengshan pushed through the crowd, unaware of where he was going. He looked around blankly as the morning sun gradually rose. Squatting where he stood, he covered his face with his hands and broke down in tears.
Is this what it means to be a police officer? Is this the life of a criminal investigator?
Perhaps in these peaceful times, only a very, very few comrades meet an unfortunate end.
When I fall, do not weep, do not falter, do not linger in remembrance.
For my spirit endures, radiant as the dawn.
OpenNovel