Black Ghost with Backwater

**Bang!**

Another shot landed near me. Luckily, it wasn't very accurate; it only grazed my back, causing a burning sensation but not a fatal injury. 

Damn it, it's him who wants to kill me!

I finally understood what was going on. It wasn't Liu Shiyi's enemies ambushing us; it was Da Hei trying to kill me amidst the chaos.

"Da Hei! What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy?" the wrench shouted angrily, standing up with his gun aimed at Da Hei, who was ready to shoot me again.

"What are you doing, Da Hei? Put down the gun," Abu said, holding his bleeding left hand as he got up from the ground.

Seeing Da Hei turn against us, Arno, who was also bleeding profusely, pulled out his phone and rolled into the nearby bushes.

"Stay out of this! I only want his life today!" Da Hei yelled, advancing with his gun. The local driver seemed to have sided with him and was hiding somewhere out of sight.

"He's one of us. Put down the gun, or the supervisor won't spare you!" Abu trembled with anger, struggling with both enemy bullets and a traitor's betrayal.

"Don't move. I can kill him," the wrench whispered, motioning for me to stay down. The local driver was likely hiding in the forest, waiting for a chance to shoot me.

"Da Hei, calm down. He's valuable to the supervisor. Settle your score after the Mid-Autumn Festival," Abu tried to buy time, hoping Arno could locate the driver.

"Calm down? He didn't kill your best friend, so of course, you don't care!" Da Hei's eyes were bloodshot, his sanity slipping away. There must be other Da Hei accomplices hiding nearby.

"Think about your family. If you kill him, your family will die too!" the wrench tried to reason, not wanting to provoke him.

"I have no family. I came here with my two black brothers, and he killed them. I must avenge them! Get out of my way, or I'll kill you too!" Da Hei roared, firing a shot at the tree beside the wrench.

**Bang!**

The bullet whizzed past his right ear and embedded itself in the tree trunk.

"Damn it, you're asking for it!" the wrench fired back and quickly ducked behind the tree. Da Hei was hit in the shoulder, momentarily stunned. Abu took the chance to shoot but missed due to his earlier injury.

No one wanted a head-on fight, preferring to avoid death if possible. But now, the wrench and Abu were out of bullets, leaving only the AK in my hands, and I was an inexperienced shooter.

Lying in the grass, I couldn't move, feeling frustrated and helpless.

"Wrench, come out! I've had enough of you. If you oppose me, I'll kill you too!" Da Hei raged, wildly firing his gun, hitting trees and sending birds flying.

What should I do? Stay here and wait to be killed?

I looked over at the wrench behind the tree, thinking of tossing him the gun. He shook his head and gestured repeatedly behind him, indicating something.

It took me a few seconds to understand his plan. Determined, I slowly raised the gun over my head.

**Rat-a-tat-tat!**

The AK was shot, its broken pieces falling on me, burning my skin.

**Bang!**

With a deafening shot, someone in the forest fell. 

"You coward! Come out and fight me! Sneaking around with a gun is nothing!" Da Hei's gun was empty, and he threw it to the ground, shouting at the bushes where I was hiding.

The immediate danger was over, with Da Hei being the only threat left. Arno, also out of bullets, hid in the bushes, recording everything on his phone.

"Alright, whoever shoots first is a coward!" I stood up, certain there were no more hidden enemies, and Da Hei was out of ammo. Lying down was too uncomfortable, and I didn't like being passive.

"Da Hei, turn back before it's too late! Don't be stubborn!" the wrench and Abu also stepped out from their cover.

"Pah! Fight like a man!" Da Hei glared at me, wanting a one-on-one duel.

"You're injured. People would say I'm bullying a cripple. To be fair, I won't use my hands, only my legs. And just one leg at that," I said, brushing off the dirt and stretching my muscles.

"I don't need your mercy!" Da Hei spat, confident he could win.

"Fine! You chased and shot at me; a kick in return is fair. Tell your brothers in hell to avoid Chinese ghosts," I said, charging at him. Da Hei was fast, nearly matching my speed. As he drew a knife, I spun and kicked his neck with a high sidekick.

**Crash!**

Da Hei, over two meters tall, fell heavily to the ground, dropping his knife. The blade had missed my heart by just 0.1 centimeters.

Da Hei's bloodshot eyes stared at me as he died instantly.

"Damn, tough as nails. That hurt," I muttered, jumping up to rub my aching leg. New injuries on top of old ones would require another bottle of liniment.

"Was... was that Chinese kung fu?" Arno was stunned, dropping his phone in shock, unable to believe what he'd just seen.

"Quick, precise, ruthless. Highly skilled. That kick had at least 400 pounds of force. A human neck couldn't withstand that," the wrench praised, giving me a thumbs-up.

From start to finish, the fight with Da Hei took only five seconds, though it felt much longer in writing. It was so fast it seemed unreal, the outcome decided in the blink of an eye.

"Chinese friend... your kung fu is so powerful. I'm scared for my neck now!" Abu said, touching his neck and remembering my earlier gesture in the car. The scene of me breaking Da Hei's neck left him with a psychological scar.

Years of learning Tai Chi had finally paid off. Kung fu was for killing, not just for show. I had expected Da Hei to be more of a challenge, but he was no match.