Hugh Thompson was fuming, puffing on his cigarette. If I hadn't held him back, he would've gone over and landed a few more punches on Richard Li.
"Think carefully. If you don't cooperate with us, you'll regret it before you even realize what's happened."
I kept trying to persuade him, patiently hoping Richard Li would tell us what we needed to know.
"You know, right? That guy they called Laughing Li, same name as you—Richard Li—he was found hanging. His daughter’s birthday is in a few days. You don’t want to end up like him, do you?"
"I don’t understand what you’re talking about," Richard Li muttered, turning his head away.
"Move aside, Ethan Zhang," Hugh Thompson snapped, shoving me out of the way. Rachel Lan and Howard Lee came up as well, looking fierce and ready for trouble.
"What are you planning to do?"
"You’ll find out soon enough. Worst case, we beat this guy half to death. Not the first time we’ve done it."
As Hugh Thompson spoke, Howard Lee and Rachel Lan both nodded in agreement.
Richard Li collapsed onto the sofa, terror in his eyes as he stared at us. Suddenly, he reached out, pointing toward the window as if he'd just seen a ghost.
"Ethan, what’s behind you?" Rachel Lan asked. The four of us whipped around. Outside the apartment window stood a man, one hand gripping the security cage. I saw him clearly—it was the Masked Enforcer from the Immortality Society, wearing a white mask and white suit, massive and imposing.
With a screech, the Masked Enforcer ripped open the security cage. Then, with a crash, he shattered the glass and leapt inside. As the sound of movement echoed, Rachel Lan’s two white silk ribbons shot out, aiming straight for the Masked Enforcer.
"He’s with the Immortality Society—grab him!" I shouted. The Masked Enforcer moved fast; the moment he entered, he sprang off the floor and charged straight at us.
A tearing sound rang out. The two white silk ribbons Rachel Lan had sent flying were instantly ripped in half. The Masked Enforcer swung his fists, landing blows on Howard Lee and Hugh Thompson in a split second.
With two loud crashes, Hugh Thompson and Howard Lee were sent flying, smashing through the wooden wall and landing hard on the ground.
The Masked Enforcer grabbed Rachel Lan by the throat with one hand. I raised the Deathbane Aura Blade and swung at his hand, but suddenly, he hurled Rachel Lan at me.
I let go of the blade in a hurry—the Deathbane Aura Blade dissolved. With a dull thud, my head spun and vision blurred. Rachel Lan and I slid across the wooden floor, stopping only when we hit the doorway to another room.
Pain shot through my back. Rachel Lan looked grim, clutching her neck. I saw a red handprint on her throat as she coughed and gasped for air.
"Shit," I shouted, springing to my feet as Deathbane Aura surged from my body. In an instant, I gripped the Deathbane Aura Blade, black streams of aura snaking out across the floor.
Roaring, I leapt up and slashed at the Masked Enforcer. The Deathbane Aura on the floor surged around him, transforming into spikes that stabbed toward him.
In an instant, I felt as if I'd turned to stone. The Masked Enforcer grabbed my Deathbane Aura Blade with one hand, completely unharmed.
With a faint bang, my Deathbane Aura Blade seemed to explode, dissolving into black smoke. The Masked Enforcer's cold eyes stared at me.
"Ethan Zhang, I've already warned you not to oppose us. Since you're so stubborn, I won't hold back. Your aura may be powerful, but it's still far too fragile."
Black aura spikes stabbed at the Masked Enforcer, but they dissipated weakly. Stunned, I watched as his fist crashed into me, sending my stomach into turmoil and my body flying.
With a crash, I smashed through the wooden door behind me and landed on the bed.
A pale blue glow shot toward the Masked Enforcer. He raised his hand and caught it, crushing the light. All I saw was a talisman, burned to ashes.
"By the power of the Upper Purity, let the spirits be free..." Howard Lee stood behind the Masked Enforcer, chanting a spell. But the Masked Enforcer turned, his movements swift and fluid, and struck Howard's shoulder with a knife-hand.
Howard screamed, his arm bending unnaturally like tofu. He crashed into the sofa, clutching his left arm.
"I'm human. Your childish Maoshan tricks are useless. Useless fools should just stay put."
Richard Li, already terrified, sprang up to flee, but the Masked Enforcer grabbed him.
"Help! Help!"
Richard Li cried out for help.
"Scream again and I'll kill you right now," the Masked Enforcer snarled. His murderous gaze silenced Richard Li instantly.
"I'm here to save you. Don't panic, just stay put." the Masked Enforcer suddenly said. I forced myself up, ignoring the stabbing pain in my abdomen.
At the doorway, Rachel Lan hurled a paper ant. In a flash of white light, it grew, waving its antennae, ready to attack the Masked Enforcer.
The Masked Enforcer leaped up, grabbed the paper ant in both hands, and with a tearing sound, ripped off its head. It shrank back to its original size.
Rachel Lan tried to get up, but the Masked Enforcer kicked her in the face.
"Fuck you!" Rage boiled inside me as Deathbane Aura surged from my body. I charged forward.
Desperately searching for a solution, I formed two small knives in my hands and stabbed at the Masked Enforcer.
The Masked Enforcer didn't budge. My Deathbane Aura dissolved into black smoke on contact. In a split second, he grabbed me with his powerful right hand, slammed me to the ground, and my head spun with dizziness.
Then the Masked Enforcer planted his foot on my head.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots rang out. Hugh Thompson fired at the Masked Enforcer, but all I saw were shadows dodging every bullet.
Hugh's glasses were cracked on one side. He clutched his chest, blood trickling from his lips, gun still raised.
"Looks like you've got some fight in you. After all, you're human. A bullet could still kill you, right?"
The Masked Enforcer burst into wild laughter.
"I'm not human anymore. I've surpassed the limits of humanity. If you don't back down tonight, I won't hold back."
Hugh Thompson laughed too.
"It's time, Ethan. Take Miss Lan into the room and don't come out."
Hugh Thompson shouted. I shoved the Masked Enforcer’s foot away, grabbed Rachel Lan, and rushed into the room. Red laser dots covered the Masked Enforcer’s body.
Suddenly, the Masked Enforcer’s eyes changed.
"The building across the street and the area outside are surrounded by police. You can't escape."
"You..." The Masked Enforcer pointed at Hugh Thompson, then lunged forward. Gunshots erupted.
I quickly pulled Rachel Lan to the ground. A deafening noise rang out. I rushed out the door to see a huge hole in the wall—Richard Li was gone. Hugh Thompson stood at the edge, looking down. I ran over.
"No human could do that. This is the seventh floor."
I looked down, but the Masked Enforcer had vanished. A car parked on the street below had its roof caved in, glass shattered everywhere.
Stumbling, I ran back to the room. Rachel Lan clutched a pillow to her face, blood staining the corner of her mouth.
"Are you alright, Miss Lan? Let me see."
Rachel Lan stood up and shook her head.
"I'm fine. Don't look."
Members of the Ghost Burial Squad broke in, followed by medics who carried the barely conscious Howard Lee downstairs.
Though I was injured, aside from a large bruise on my abdomen, I was mostly fine. Downstairs, we arrived at the spot where the Masked Enforcer had escaped.
I looked around again and sighed.
"Ethan, what's wrong?"
"The Masked Enforcer got away. What do we do now?"
"He won't get far, Ethan. Look." Hugh Thompson pointed to the bloodstains on the car roof and the ground.
Several forensic investigators rushed over.
"With a blood sample, he won't get away."
I stared at Hugh Thompson in shock. It seemed he had planned all of this.
Only then did I realize that earlier, Hugh had whispered in the ear of one of the ten surviving Richard Lis, asking about this 21-year-old college student. He said Richard Li was a murderer wanted by the police, and arranged for members of the Ghost Burial Squad to inform the other ten Richard Lis of the exact time.
Rachel Lan still clutched a large pillow to her left cheek. Medics kept urging her to accept treatment, but she stubbornly refused to let go of the pillow.
I walked over and tried to pull the pillow away.
"Miss Lan, you're badly hurt. Let the doctors take a look."
Finally, Rachel Lan lowered the pillow. I stared in shock, anger boiling inside me. Her left cheek was swollen, her left eye barely recognizable.
I clenched my fists.
"Damn it."
"Brother." In my mind, I heard the voice of Yin Choujian. I instinctively ran toward an alley, knowing he was there.
Sure enough, I saw Yin Choujian floating in the air, smiling at me.
"Brother, think carefully. The Immortality Society can do what you just saw..."
Yin Choujian floated over, pointing at my chest.
"You can do it too."