Meanwhile, the white glow of Shawn Young’s protective barrier still swirled around his body. The four black-clad ninjas lunged at him with their blades, but as soon as they got close, a powerful force bounced their swords away, nearly knocking them out of their hands. Seizing the moment, Shawn swung his right hand and chopped at the neck of the stunning female ninja. She let out a muffled groan, her body went limp, and she fainted.
Shawn snatched a ninja blade from one of the attackers and stomped hard on his chest, sending him flying several meters through the air. Gripping the long blade, and with his protective barrier still shimmering around him, Shawn wasted no time—he slashed at the other three ninjas in rapid succession!
Swish! Swish! Swish!—Three sprays of blood burst into the air. The three black-clad ninjas didn’t even have time to scream before their throats were sliced open. Blood splattered everywhere, instantly staining the ground with a thick, iron scent.
Shawn wanted to finish things fast. Those three slashes were brutal and fierce, and with his barrier helping out, he sent those three black-clad ninjas straight to the afterlife.
In a flash, six enemies were down—only one ninja with a metal net was left nearby. Shawn didn’t stop, since the Qimen Dunjia illusion array wasn’t completely broken yet, and he had no idea if more reinforcements were coming. He had to shatter the array fast, or else he’d be outnumbered if backup arrived!
Breaking the 'Life Gate' weakened the illusion array. Shawn’s next target was the 'Scenery Gate,' the source of the hallucinatory visions.
The 'Scenery Gate' of the Qimen Dunjia illusion array was located to the south. In the Five Elements, the south represents fire—something you can see but can’t touch. Everything visible but intangible in this world is an illusion, so in Qimen Dunjia, the southern position is the 'Scenery Gate.' It’s another core of the whole array. Break the 'Scenery Gate,' and the entire illusion will be exposed!
Right then, Shawn bent down and scooped up the unconscious, gorgeous female ninja, then dashed full speed toward the southern position. He spotted a wooden pole standing upright there—he knew that breaking it would shatter the terrifying illusion array! Only then could he hope to escape with his life!
His hands didn’t hesitate—they grabbed her snowy, towering peaks. For Shawn, it’d be a shame not to take advantage of the situation; she was his enemy after all, and he’d always been 'cold as winter' toward enemies! So he squeezed harder, and the sensation—soft and impossible to fully grasp—gave him a wicked, super-satisfying thrill!
Just then, the last ninja with the metal net charged at him, fearless and wild. As soon as he got close, he expertly flicked the net into the air—whoosh!—casting it right over Shawn’s head. The black metal net spread wide, dropping toward Shawn. Made from special materials, it was tough, resistant to slashing or burning, and super sticky—a ninja’s go-to tool for capturing enemies. If Shawn got trapped, he’d be tangled up for good, no matter how strong he was.
But as the metal net closed in on Shawn’s protective barrier, he shouted, pouring his last bit of power into it—BOOM! A flash of white light blasted the net away. Shawn seized the chance, sprinted to the southern pole, and with a powerful kick—CRACK!—snapped it in two. The broken pole, now sharp as a spear, shot straight toward the stunned ninja—SPLAT!—and pierced right through his chest!
"Aaaagh!" The ninja let out a wretched scream as the force sent him flying several meters. He landed face-up, sprawled on the ground, blood gushing from the pole sticking out of his chest. His limbs twitched a few times, then he went limp—dead as a doornail.
With that pole snapped, the whole illusion array on the mountaintop lost its effect—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! A wild wind swept through, and the misty, white illusion instantly vanished. What appeared before Shawn was a cold, barren hillside. Even the blood-red crescent moon overhead returned to its chilly, lonely look. Under the dim night sky, sparse trees and bushes dotted the mountaintop. About a hundred meters away, he could just make out a dilapidated temple nestled in a wind-sheltered hollow.
Without delay, Shawn carried the unconscious beauty and dashed toward the temple. In less than two minutes, he reached the battered temple gate. But just as he got close—bang, bang!—two gunshots rang out. Shawn ducked, and two bullets buzzed right past his scalp.
Before Shawn could stand up, a man’s voice shouted, "Damn! That guy dodged again—wasted two more bullets!"
Hearing the voice, Shawn paused—he found it oddly familiar, like he’d heard it somewhere before. He darted to a blind spot by the temple gate, peeked inside, and spotted a thirty-something, slightly chubby man in a ragged police uniform. The guy looked grumpy, gripping a pistol and glaring out the gate, totally on edge.
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The man spotted Shawn’s head peeking in and immediately started cursing, waving his pistol: "Damn it! You little bastard outside, sneaking around like a rat—if you’ve got guts, come in here and face me like a man!"
"Damn!—This guy’s got some nerve!" Shawn muttered, getting annoyed by the insults.
"What’s wrong, you little bastard—scared now? Heh, if you’re scared, go home and suck on your mama’s milk! Don’t climb up the mountain just to embarrass yourself, or I’ll scare the crap right out of your balls! Hahaha—" The chubby cop kept cursing nonstop from inside.
"Hey, Captain Victor Zhang, you’re a police officer—can you talk a little more civilized? Enough with the cursing! We’re not like those thugs outside, don’t ruin our police image!" A woman’s voice rang out from inside the temple.
"Oh, got it! Got it! I’ll be careful, Deputy Captain Penny Pan—don’t worry!" The chubby cop instantly switched to a fawning, eager-to-please tone.
Shawn frowned, still trying to place that chubby cop’s voice—it sounded so familiar, but he just couldn’t remember where he’d heard it. He was stuck in a mental loop, when the cop suddenly shouted out the temple door, "Hey, you sneaky little punk! I’m a police officer! What you’re doing is defying the government! You’ll be punished by law!"
Hearing that booming voice, something clicked in Shawn’s mind—he suddenly remembered! That chubby cop inside was the very same one who, on "The Night of Deflowering," chased him nearly naked and sent him fleeing in total embarrassment, and still wouldn’t give up! Who would’ve thought they’d meet again like this?
Shawn figured this guy was his "rebirth benefactor" in a way! If that chubby cop hadn’t chased him so relentlessly, Shawn wouldn’t have run all the way to the outskirts, wouldn’t have had that wild, life-changing adventure, and definitely wouldn’t have the skills he had today! Looking back, Shawn couldn’t help but marvel—fate really is unpredictable, like clouds in the sky, always shifting. It’s just nuts!