The buzz of his phone stirred something in Li Yan's heart. He tossed the electric baton aside and pressed to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"…Hello."

After a brief silence, a man's voice came through, prompting Li Yan to clench his jaw in annoyance.

"What do you want?"

"Twenty minutes. Wu Sheng Daily Rental Apartment on Boran Street. I'll clear the place and wait for you today."

With those words, the caller hung up.

Li Yan pocketed his phone without paying any heed to the clamor of alarms and turned to leave, leaving behind a ground littered with groaning security guards.

"Bang!"

A man kicked open the garishly signed Summer Lotus Bathhouse.

It was daytime, and the bathhouse wasn't crowded. Several youths with colorfully dyed hair, bulges at their waists, approached briskly.

Li Yan scanned the area.

"Excuse me, would any of you brothers lend me a motorcycle?"

"I'll lend you a guava!" came the mocking reply.

The group surged forward with a whoosh.

…

Boran Street, a famed red-light district in Hong Kong. Convenient transportation, dense population, Clock Hotels, Chinese-Western restaurants, mahjong parlors, nightclubs—the nightlife was endless.

The so-called daily rental apartments. Well, they're exactly what you're thinking—rented by the day.

The piercing sound of a motorcycle's turbo echoed down the street, trailing a long exhaust. Li Yan dismounted.

"How could Judy possibly run into trouble here?"

The crowd was dense, and the street bustling. Even the slowest to catch on could sense how odd the choice of location was.

Li Yan had a dogleg machete wrapped in discarded newspaper tucked at his waist, along with a pistol he'd found in Ah Xiu's room. There was no reason to leave such things unused.

He looked up at the Wu Sheng sign. Coincidentally, at that moment, his chest warmed.

"Location of Fragmented Ancient Novel Sinker has been reported. Please stand by to receive."

"Heh."

Li Yan stepped into Wu Sheng.

…

Ah Yu took drags from his cigarette, one after another. His expression was calm, not the least bit anxious.

He had prepared for this day for a long time; a little longer wouldn't matter.

The requirements for your Yanfu Incident are as follows:

1. Hold the position of "Red Stick" or higher in any Triad Association.

2. Ensure all targets in this Yanfu Incident exit the scene! Remaining targets: 1.

3. Ba Snake must devour at least three Fragmented Ancient Novel Sinkers. (Must include and prioritize the Guhuo Bird.)

You have yet to complete objectives 2 and 3, with the second being the most critical. Completion will grant you the qualification to return.

Please be aware! You only have ten hours left before you must return!

At first glance, the cramped room of merely three to four square meters held two gruesomely deceased bodies lying askew on the ground. One torso was missing three to four chunks of flesh the size of soup bowls, revealing neatly sheared bone stubs, as if they had been eerased by a rubber, eerily smooth. The other's head had vanished, its neck viciously snapped!

Stolen story; please report.

"If it's money you want, we can negotiate."

Judy, her hands bound with rope, was pale-faced and trembling uncontrollably, yet she managed to speak with difficulty.

Blood stained her cheeks, and seeing Ah Yu unharmed, it was clear the blood wasn't his.

"The Yanfu Incident, occurring in a prosperous era like 1980s Hong Kong, even with restrictions in place, is indeed a prime spot for racking up points."

The man murmured to himself, speaking words Judy couldn't understand.

"There are too many prying eyes here; kidnapping me won't get you far. I can help you get out of here, but you have to call someone to take her to the hospital."

Judy was speaking of Li, whose lung had been punctured by a bullet, and who was still coughing up blood with a ghastly pale face.

Ah Yu tossed away the empty cigarette pack,

"Don't worry, this chick's got spunk, just my type. I wouldn't let her die so easily before having my fun. As for leaving—what a joke."

Ah Yu gestured with a thumbs down.

"This is my turf."

This was the fourth Yanfu Incident that Ah Yu had experienced. Although the outcomes had been less than satisfactory, after three settlements, he could still gain the power to defy the mundane world under certain conditions.

Like now...

Perhaps before long, he too would introduce himself to newcomers as, hmm... Ba Snake. That sounded pretty good.

Judy clenched her teeth as she watched Ah Yu for a good while.

"Aren't you an orphan? How come you speak Mandarin so well? You've never been overseas. How could you possibly know Li Yan, who grew up on the mainland?"

Ah Yu smiled and exhaled a ring of smoke, "You knew to investigate me ahead of time, why didn't you check on your lover?"

As he spoke, his gaze sharpened, and he walked over to the window with a darkened face, just in time to catch a glimpse of the corner of Li Yan's clothes as he entered the apartment.

"He really just showed up?"

Ah Yu's face showed a trace of astonishment; he turned and scrutinized Judy with a cold laugh.

He might have realized Li Yan's identity before Li Yan himself, but that did not compensate for the stark gap between them—yes, the substantial gap between him and Li Yan.

Before entering the Yanfu World, Yan Fu practitioners often possess some abilities beyond the reach of ordinary people, known as Specializations. This Specialization is the foundation of a Yan Fu practitioner's security and prosperity, and it significantly influences their future trajectory.

His Specialization gave him an edge in reconnaissance, but his direct combat ability was close to nil.

"Biological Affinity: 63%"

This was a Specialization much rarer than Ancient Martial Arts, yet unfortunately, it also made his Yanfu Incidents exceedingly arduous.

However, now, combined with his nascent but growing Heritage Ability, the situation was drastically different.

Fang of the Ba Snake - Insatiable

Category: Heritage (Can only be obtained as a special reward after completing the related Yanfu Incident, not available for purchase through any means)

Quality: Rare

At the beginning of the Yanfu Incident, the Ba Snake was in a state of hunger. Once released, it could be fed and satiated by spending Yan Fu Points, the fuller it was, the more powerful it became.

Beware! Once the Ba Snake is unleashed, it can only move within a two-hundred-meter radius. If it exceeds this range, severe backlash will occur.

The limitations are many, but...

Once fully grown, Ah Yu can withstand a clash with a small Special Forces unit!

...

When Li Yan entered the day-rental apartment, he frowned.

The air was pungent, and the corridor, along with each room, was oppressively narrow, barely two to three meters wide, and the rooms themselves just over three meters.

"Such meticulous planning," Li Yan sighed inwardly.

Had he brought the Han Sword, it would have been difficult to wield in such cramped quarters.

In this light, the motorcycle and Dogleg Knife he borrowed seemed like a stroke of serendipity.

What's more intriguing is that Judy always has at least three bodyguards with her, each armed. If he had the strength to confront firearms head-on, he wouldn't need to play these little tricks, nor would he need to use Judy as a threat.

The reasons behind this are worth pondering...

Li Yan didn't think his opponent was very clever. If the adversary had truly left no stone unturned, or possessed outstanding abilities, they wouldn't have waited until now to make a move. If it weren't for the fact that Li Yan still had things to do, he would have already ended this Yanfu Incident.

Moreover, placing all one's schemes and calculations on the passive action of waiting for him to come after hearing Judy's message was something Li Yan disdained.

If the opponent remains indifferent, aren't your machinations in vain?

A chilling thought flashed through his mind.

Set fire to this place and force him out!

Even if it harms the innocent, they are just flavorless beings in this world.

After all, he had only known Judy for about twenty days, and she was No Poison. Moreover, there was no certainty she would be in danger...

Stepping back, the truth and falsehood of this world are also debatable. Perhaps the people here are like NPCs in a game; if killed, they are just killed.

Tempting, but the thought passed in a flash.

Lei Hongsheng praised him for having a touch of malice.

This malice wasn't just about being ruthless in action; it was more about possessing an unyielding spirit that wouldn't be swayed by circumstances, self-interest, or stance, no matter the situation.

The malice is important, but having it in moderation is even more so.

"No Ravines in Front of the Fierce Tiger..."

Li Yan murmured the words he had recited when he killed Minami Kido, stepping into the apartment, his gaze growing sharper.

"Cowards see nothing but pitfalls ahead."

**********

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