You Mingxu’s heart ached with a burning intensity at the sight of Tuya.
He was here.
They had truly come.
But Tuya… you must survive! Don’t die!
Across from her, the Punishers were also staring back at this astonishing scene. You Mingxu tilted her head swiftly, letting her hairpin fall, and stepped on it with her foot.
Yin Chen’s face was now shadowed with gloom. He, of course, recognized Tuya. His cold, wolf-like eyes fixed on the rear of the vehicle as he ordered, “Draw your guns. Leave one person to guard the hostages.”
The Punishers moved into action, pulling out their guns, repositioning themselves, and taking up strategic corners of the van, poised and ready.
Yin Chen also returned to the passenger seat, drawing his gun and staying alert.
You Mingxu’s entire body was tense.
Now, only one person on the opposing side was pointing a gun at her and Xing Jifu. But the van was cramped, and with their numbers, there was still no opportunity. She glanced at Xing Jifu, who was equally vigilant, his body slightly taut—at least he wasn’t a liability.
You Mingxu quickly assessed the situation: Yin Feng’s team had greater mobility than the police, and Guan Jun had managed to track her down immediately. Given the circumstances, it seemed only a few of them had arrived, with the main force yet to catch up. Otherwise, Tuya wouldn’t have risked his life to intercept. That meant the confrontation ahead was likely to be even more intense and dangerous.
United by their shared predicament, she leaned close to Xing Jifu’s ear and whispered, “When the shooting starts, drop to the ground.”
Xing Jifu glanced at her and replied, “Alright… thank you.”
You Mingxu said no more.
Unbeknownst to her, after the earlier confrontation with Yin Chen, Xing Jifu’s long-dormant heart had stirred. The underworld patriarch felt an unexpected surge of protectiveness—if danger arose, he was willing to shield his only daughter with his own body. For years, he had rarely put himself at risk, but now, with this thought, he felt a rush of fervor and tenderness.
Sure enough, headlights appeared from behind.
Another SUV was closing in.
The Punishers raised their guns and opened fire.
You Mingxu’s heart tightened as she peered through the rear window. The distance was still too great to make out the occupants clearly. The driver of the pursuing vehicle displayed agility rivaling Tuya’s, swerving rapidly through the hail of bullets on the narrow mountain road. Only sporadic shots struck the sturdy body of the SUV.
They drew closer and closer.
The Punishers were powerless to stop them.
A flicker of satisfaction stirred within You Mingxu.
This highlighted the pros and cons of the Punishers’ choice to escape in a van. The advantage was its inconspicuousness, easily blending into the rural mountain villages. Moreover, on these winding mountain roads, no vehicle could maintain high speeds.
But in a gunfight or collision, it was no match for the expensive, durable, fast-accelerating, and highly capable off-road SUV behind them.
Just then, three figures emerged from the SUV, returning fire with their guns. The Punishers, having just emptied a round, were forced to duck back under the onslaught of concentrated fire.
Fortunately, both vehicles were moving at high speeds, and the van’s driver was highly skilled, dodging and weaving. So far, no one had been hit, but the exchange of gunfire continued relentlessly.
As soon as the shooting started, You Mingxu and Xing Jifu dropped to the floor. However, she soon noticed that the incoming bullets were almost exclusively aimed at the van’s tires and the Punishers visible at the windows—the vehicle’s body remained largely unscathed.So she had a clear picture in her mind. She straightened up and looked through the rear window, clearly seeing the driver about twenty meters behind them—the corners of his mouth perpetually curled into a sinister grin. Who else could it be but Guan Jun?
No wonder his driving skills were almost on par with Tuya’s!
As for the three people in the passenger seat and by the side windows in the back, she could identify them at a glance by their builds and the shapes of their heads: Chen Feng, Xiao Yan, and Lao Jiu.
The person sitting in the middle of the back seat was leaning toward Xiao Yan’s side, his face blocked by the front seats. He was hunched over, perhaps also holding a gun. You Mingxu caught sight of his bulletproof vest and long legs, and a bittersweet emotion suddenly welled up in her heart.
He was here.
He had brought them with him.
As if by telepathy, the SUV suddenly accelerated, closing the distance with lightning speed and pulling up almost side-by-side with the van. This startled the Punishers, who inwardly cursed their opponents for their cunning—after such a prolonged stalemate during the earlier exchange of fire, they had naturally assumed this was the extent of the other side’s capabilities. Who would have thought they had been holding back, only to pull off such a move so suddenly, catching them completely off guard! In an instant, the van was overtaken.
As soon as the SUV caught up, a barrage of fierce gunfire was unleashed toward the van. The Punishers had no choice but to duck and take cover. You Mingxu noticed that the Punisher assigned to watch them was growing restless. Though his gun was still aimed at her, he kept glancing outside, as if itching to join the fight.
You Mingxu suddenly realized that this situation was not favorable for Yin Feng and the others. Because she and Xing Jifu were in this van, Yin Feng’s team would inevitably hold back, unable to unleash their full firepower to destroy the vehicle. The Punishers, however, could fire at will. Both sides were composed of highly skilled individuals, and in such a prolonged standoff, Yin Feng’s team would be at a disadvantage as the balance shifted.
What should they do?
A thought suddenly crossed her mind: If she could understand this logic, Yin Feng surely could as well. So… what backup plan had he prepared?
You Mingxu instinctively looked up and was stunned by what she saw!
The rear door of the SUV suddenly swung open while the vehicle was still in motion. A nimble, dark figure leaped out like a monkey, lunging toward the van. You Mingxu heard a loud “thump” on the roof—somehow, amid the high-speed chase and hailstorm of bullets, that person had managed to jump onto the van’s roof with bare hands!
That familiar, agile figure was none other than Xiao Yan!
Was he out of his mind?!
The Punishers hadn’t anticipated this move. Yin Chen reacted the fastest, shouting, “Kill him!” The Punishers all raised their guns and fired at the roof. In an instant, the roof was riddled with bullet holes, resembling a honeycomb.
You Mingxu suddenly stood up and lunged at the Punisher across from her! He was caught off guard, and his gun was knocked from his hand. Just as she was about to make her move, another gun—still hot from firing—was pressed against her forehead. She froze and looked up to see another Punisher. His reaction speed was astonishingly fast! The man coldly ordered her, “Sit back down!”
You Mingxu slowly retreated to her seat.
The person on the roof seemed to have vanished, with no further movement or sound. Yin Chen then noticed that a few of the bullet holes were now stained with a vivid crimson. Had the person been shot? Yin Chen felt slightly relieved but couldn’t tell if the intruder had been killed.
Just then—A black figure appeared like a ghost, suddenly hanging upside down outside the driver's window, followed by a "bang" of gunfire. The driver had no time to defend himself; a bullet struck him right between the eyebrows, and he collapsed onto the steering wheel. Yin Chen was furious and fired a shot. Xiao Yan truly fell like a swallow with its wings torn off, dropping from the car roof and tumbling into the grass by the roadside.
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