You Mingxu turned her head in shock and pain, only to see that black mass lying motionless in the grass. Her eyes stung sharply, tears nearly falling.
But the van was out of control!
The vehicle had been speeding, and with the driver shot dead, it hurtled straight toward the rocky wall beside the road! Yin Chen shoved the driver's corpse aside and grabbed the steering wheel, wrenching it hard!
With a loud "crash," half of the van's front end collided with the rock wall. They had barely avoided a head-on collision, and the vehicle came to a stop.
Everyone was thrown forward, then flung back into their seats.
You Mingxu, dazed and disoriented from the impact, suddenly looked up and realized how well-trained the Punishers were—two guns were already aimed at her and Xing Jifu.
Yin Chen had also hit his head on the steering wheel, blood trickling down. He slowly raised his head, wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve, and saw the SUV parked perfectly intact ahead, completely blocking the road.
Even if Yin Feng hadn't blocked it, their van was already wrecked and undrivable.
The dust from the collision slowly settled, and the mountain road fell into silence.
No one got out of the SUV, as if waiting with extreme patience. Only the two bright headlights shone arrogantly in their direction.
On their side, Yin Chen remained silent for a moment before suddenly laughing. "My little brother is getting crazier and crazier. For you, he's really willing to go all out."
You Mingxu wisely stayed quiet, observing the situation.
Yin Chen signaled his men to escort You Mingxu and Xing Jifu out of the van.
The moment they stepped onto the ground, the doors of the opposite vehicle swung open. Several figures emerged into the night—Yin Feng, Chen Feng, Guan Jun, and Lao Jiu.
The night was deep, the mountains silent. This was an extremely narrow, rugged mountain path, potholed and dilapidated, with no villages in sight and hardly any trace of human activity. Further ahead lay denser forests and steeper cliffs.
The two groups, both bearing the same dark, nocturnal aura, stood facing each other across several dozen meters.
You Mingxu's eyes immediately found Yin Feng. He wore a bulletproof vest, his figure tall and straight, with a black overcoat draped over it. He was looking right at her, a flicker of light dancing in his dark, cold eyes.
Regardless of the uncertain situation or whether she could return to his side today, just seeing him made her heart suddenly calm. It was as if she could hear him saying, as he had before: Don't be afraid.
Yin Chen was also watching his younger brother. A sense of joy surged within him first, as if seeing a younger, more exceptional version of himself. Yet, a faint impulse to destroy him also stirred—to shatter his upright posture and extinguish the light in his eyes. These conflicting emotions made Yin Chen exhale softly, a tingling excitement and restlessness spreading deep within him.
From afar, Yin Feng gazed at You Mingxu. Seeing her unharmed, his heart, which had been agitated and furious all day, finally settled.
He noticed she looked somewhat weary, with scratches and bruises on her face, but her eyes were clear and bright—meaning she likely hadn't suffered any substantial harm. She was looking back at him, her gaze carrying a certain steadfast tenderness. Without a word, he already understood what she wanted to say.
You came again.
Yes, I came again.
I will always come to A Xu's side.
No one blocking the way, no danger, can stop me.
I won't rest until I achieve my goal.
...As You Mingxu had anticipated, due to Ding Xiongwei and others suddenly receiving directives from higher authorities—involving not only a top-secret undercover agent but also mobilizing hundreds of police personnel—Yin Feng and his team were barred from participating in today's operation.
Yin Feng understood the boundaries in such matters, recognizing that this decision was beyond his control. However, Ding Xiongwei repeatedly assured him that he too had only just learned the undercover agent's identity and that the agent had guaranteed to higher-ups they would do everything possible to ensure You Mingxu's and the other officers' safety.
Connecting the dots of the case's origins, developments, and twists in his mind, Yin Feng deduced the most likely identity of the undercover agent. Though shocked, he felt a surge of genuine admiration.
Yet, Yin Feng could foresee that this would likely result in another resolute, tragic detective coveting his treasure. With the major confrontation imminent, such matters could wait. After all, when it came to rivalry, he had never lost. He'd simply let that person bring it on when the time came. In fact, he even felt a newfound interest in that individual.
At this moment, Yin Feng did not know that person had already sacrificed their life.
Although the police had excluded Yin Feng's group from this large-scale counterattack, Yin Feng was permitted to carry a firearm and provide peripheral support. The police withheld specific plans and progress from him, but it didn't matter—with Guan Jun on their side, they were fully aware of the police's troop movements. However, the mountainous area was vast, and they didn't know the precise operation location.
Thus, from early morning, Yin Feng had been leading his team, circling repeatedly just outside the police perimeter, awaiting news.
When You Mingxu's tracker signal reappeared, Yin Feng and the others happened to be nearby.
Yin Feng immediately ordered Guan Jun to report the situation to the police while giving chase.
However, You Mingxu's signal was intermittent, liable to vanish at any moment. Moreover, it was moving farther from the police encirclement and deeper into the mountains. Yin Feng realized that a major change must have occurred.
He couldn't afford to lose You Mingxu's signal, nor could he wait for police reinforcements while the targets risked escaping beyond reach.
Yin Feng decided instantly: they would intercept!
The rugged mountain paths and the adversaries' ferocity made the operation extremely perilous. After quickly devising the most feasible strategy and assigning roles, Yin Feng's expression darkened. He looked at them and said, "Someone might die."
Tuya grunted, "I'm not afraid to die! I'm going to rescue Miss You."
Xiao Yan said, "I've wanted to die for a long time. If I can save her, I feel like I'd even come out ahead."
The others remained silent. The eldest, Lao Jiu, snorted with a laugh, "Tossing death around like it's a badge of honor? People like us—even if we die for the police, do you think we'd be posthumously honored as martyrs? If anyone dares to die, I'll eat their face so they don't have a whole corpse!"
Yin Feng rubbed his temples. "Enough. No one is allowed to die!"
...
The interception succeeded.
Even against the most formidable Punisher, they managed to strike consecutively. Everything unfolded as Yin Feng had predicted.
But the cost was severe.
The thought of Xiao Yan and Tuya, whose fates remained unknown, made Yin Feng's brow furrow tightly. A savage, aching rage simmered in his chest. Only when he met You Mingxu's gentle, bright gaze did that fury temporarily subside.The other party was highly vigilant, pushing You Mingxu and Xing Jifu to the front while their own people stood behind them.
Yin Feng's gaze fell on the person standing behind You Mingxu.
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