Chapter 128: Hunting from the Beginning

Shirotsuki Road, Cube Tower—power cut.

On the seventeenth floor, a delicate-looking Japanese woman knelt at the window, hands clasped together.

The wind howled through the open window, carrying snowflakes that melted on her pale face—whether tears or snow, she could not tell.

Suddenly, a sharp gunshot rang from upstairs!

The woman trembled violently, collapsing onto the floor, staring at the ceiling in panic.

Eighteenth floor. Room 1814—the source of the gunfire.

A beam of light shot through a small hole in the door, smoke still rising from the barrel.

But the shot did not come from the peephole; it came from the center of the door panel.

Thud!

The long-haired man, originally lying in wait to ambush someone, had become the prey.

No one could have anticipated this, yet it happened.

Ji Li’s eyes widened in shock, pain radiating through him. The gunshot threw him backward like a kite with its string cut.

His black coat and long hair whipped through the air until he slammed hard onto the floor.

He slowly extended a hand to touch his abdomen—no pain.

Only numbness. He could barely feel the touch of his own skin. The bullet had passed through at close range, taking nerves with it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Half-reclining, Ji Li grabbed his pistol and fired three shots at the glowing door panel.

It was his first strike of the night. He had never imagined that the person outside had anticipated his move.

Before he even fired, a probing bullet had already been shot!

It was called probing because, after the initial shots, the person crouched and shone a flashlight at the bullet hole.

“Xue Tinghai?!”

Ji Li fired three bullets but heard no impact on a living target.

The light vanished—he was facing a formidable member of the Fourth Branch.

“The Seventh Branch?”

A deep male voice responded, confirming Ji Li’s assumption.

The dramatic reversal unfolded in an instant: Xue Tinghai’s gunshot, Ji Li being thrown back, the counterattack—all within a second.

Meanwhile, outside room 1812, the situation was only beginning.

“Ah!!!”

A piercing scream echoed through the Cube Tower at midnight.

Here, the attack targeted the Fourth Branch.

The glamorous woman, the one they called Sister Qing, now had her eyes widened in shock. She clutched her neck with both hands, staggering backward in panic.

Blood seeped from between her fingers, staining her light-colored coat red in seconds.

Tian Wen stepped forward, eyes bloodshot, supporting Qing as she faltered.

He was confused: Xue Tinghai’s gun, counterattacks, now Qing attacked—why had a simple intelligence-gathering mission escalated so drastically?

Qing’s injuries were moderate but appeared severe.

Inside room 1812, Fang Shenyan’s ambush fared better.

At the first shot from Xue Tinghai, he knew things had gone wrong.

Before Qing could react, he flung the door open and slashed forward—aiming directly for her eye.

But Qing, an experienced branch member, reacted quickly, leaping back as a cold flash passed before her eyes.

The blade missed her eye, grazing her neck instead.

Non-lethal—but enough to force her to retreat. Fang Shenyan’s precision ensured she would not escape unharmed.

Less than a second later, Ji Li was shot in the abdomen, his condition uncertain.

Qing’s neck wound, though not fatal, looked terrifying on the surface.

In the first confrontation, both branches suffered injuries, leaving the battle evenly matched.

“You really came. How is it? Did your Branch Manager show up for the joint mission?”

Xue Tinghai pressed against the wall, holding his gun, shouting into room 1814, trying to extract information from Ji Li.

As Ji Li had suspected, Xue Tinghai’s caution toward a newly formed branch stemmed from its air of mystery. From the snow-covered footprints at the airport to the ambush at the Cube Tower, the Seventh Branch appeared excessively decisive. At least a few members were undoubtedly highly skilled.

If it weren’t for Xue Tinghai suddenly sensing a cold gust from the door crack before reaching 1814, he might have already been hit by Ji Li’s fatal shot. At this hour, in this weather, who would leave a window open? And the wind carried the faint scent of blood.

By luck or suspicion, Xue Tinghai accidentally avoided the deadly strike Ji Li had set.

Hearing no movement inside, he assumed his sudden shot had missed. Smirking, he said,

“Heh, your plan’s been exposed. Clearly, you’re no match for me. Our real enemy is the ghost. As long as you come out, I won’t kill you!”

But only the wind howled in reply, as if all life inside had vanished.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Branch’s middle-aged man, Hu Li, rushed forward. “Assisant Branch Manager, Sister Qing is badly injured. Shouldn’t we leave?”

Xue Tinghai ignored him, producing a small mirror and slipping it through the door crack. Under its light, he saw the open window, white curtains dancing violently in the wind.

Thud!

In room 1714, Ji Li’s lower body, already soaked in blood, tore further as he landed from the jump above. The pain hit him fully for the first time, nearly overwhelming him.

Yet now was not the time to collapse.

Kondo Sei, who had been watching Ji Li’s killing techniques coldly, instinctively moved forward to support him, shocked at the severity of his injuries.

“Ji! How can this happen?”

“Open the door! Get out of here…”

Every word Ji Li spoke cost him tremendous effort, but he knew the danger was far from over.

When Kondo Sei opened the door, Fang Shenyan appeared, drenched in blood, like a vengeful ghost.

He held a knife, glanced at Ji Li’s battered form, and said in a deep voice, “Failed!”

But this declaration sparked a light in Ji Li’s eyes.

His hair whipped in the wind as he heard the rapid footsteps from above descending toward them.

“No! Failure is a new beginning. The first ambush failed—Xue Tinghai would never expect us to launch a second strike while severely injured. He’s too smart, so he must die! Only when he’s dead will the Fourth Branch cease to be a threat, becoming my cannon fodder, my chess piece!”