Chapter 03 Lao Liu and the Bloody Brawl

The footsteps were getting closer, and Xu Yi kept his eyes closed, unmoving.

The Cannibal did not notice anything unusual this time and hummed a tune as he walked into the kitchen. First, he washed his hands by the sink, then he put on rubber gloves and picked a dissecting scalpel, sauntering over to Xu Yi's side.

Xu Yi's heartbeat began to race. In this life-threatening moment, it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.

But the more nervous he became, the calmer he got. He tightly controlled his body, revealing not a single flaw.

He was born like this, the bigger the stage, the calmer he became.

Thanks to this trait, he was able to perform exceptionally well during his college entrance exam and frequently turned danger into safety at the Asura Field against butcher knives.

The Cannibal, holding the dissecting scalpel, gestured over Xu Yi's chest.

Xu Yi forced himself not to move because he knew this wasn't the best moment, and the other party wouldn't act immediately.

As if recalling something, the Cannibal turned and switched on the phonograph behind him, and soothing music filled the kitchen.

Dissecting food was an art. How could there be no music at such wonderful moments?

Xu Yi had observed the other party. It seemed he had some kind of compulsion—before dismembering him, he had to turn on the phonograph.

He had repeatedly recalled the details and calculated everything into account.

As the music began, Xu Yi suddenly opened his eyes, filled with a fierce killing intent.

At that moment, the Cannibal was adjusting the phonograph, with his back to him. Undoubtedly, this was the best opportunity. He had rehearsed it in his mind countless times; there was no need for any hesitation.

He burst forth abruptly, and the iron bed made a noise. The Cannibal, hearing the disturbance behind him, jumped in fright.

But he didn't turn around, as that would waste precious time to dodge. He lunged to the side.

If Xu Yi had not acquired the "Combat Techniques" Entries, he might have been evaded by the other party.

But the "Combat techniques Entries" included knowledge of predicting movements, and with a shake of the opponent's shoulder, Xu Yi had already anticipated his next move.

The blade, glinting coldly, plunged into the Cannibal's back, and blood flowed freely.

With a scream, the Cannibal pulled away, and Xu Yi quietly cursed at the missed opportunity.

His original target had been the Cannibal's heart, hoping for a one-hit kill, but the Cannibal, true to his name, had a strong mental fortitude. While dodging, he bent over and lowered his head, avoiding the vital spot.

After a moment of panic, the Cannibal quickly regained composure, his abnormal worldview granting him unimaginable adaptability.

Though a fruit knife had pierced his back, luckily, it had not hit any vital organs.

Being a doctor, he knew the human body all too well.

"He is just an ordinary high school student living in Chinatown. Even if I am injured, I can deal with him," the Cannibal thought.

With a flash of murderous intent in his eyes, he lunged for the knife rack, aiming for the cleaver on the chopping board.

Xu Yi, keeping his eye on the opponent, would not let him get his way. Like a fierce tiger, he tackled the Cannibal to the ground, his hands wrapping around the other's neck, trying to form a guillotine choke.

A look of shock flashed in the Cannibal's eyes. He had also practiced the guillotine chokehold, so he recognized something wrong the moment Xu Yi moved.

Xu Yi's posture was too standard, his movements too sharp... How could this be just an ordinary high school student? Even a seasoned combat expert would have difficulty achieving such a level!

Why had it been so easy to capture him? He just couldn't understand.

While the Cannibal was questioning his life, Xu Yi was secretly delighted because the guillotine choke was about to be complete.

Once the guillotine choke was in place, ordinary people couldn't break free and would simply be strangled unconscious.

But suddenly, Xu Yi grunted in pain – the Cannibal had bitten into his arm. His teeth were sharp, not human-like but more similar to some ferocious beast.

Combat techniques have their flaws; they focus more on common people, whereas monsters like the Cannibal with their special habits clearly don't fall into that category.

Xu Yi didn't understand why the Cannibal's bite force was so terrifying. A common person could at most tear off a piece of flesh, but the ferocious look on the Cannibal's face suggested it wanted to bite through his tendons directly.

He had no choice but to abandon the guillotine move and struck the Cannibal's jaw with a hefty blow, fracturing its mandible.

His other hand wasn't idle either, reaching for the fruit knife stuck in the Cannibal's back.

As long as he got hold of a sharp weapon, he would have a significant advantage.

Obviously, the Cannibal had taken this into account and gave up on the idea of biting through Xu Yi's tendons. With a sudden judo throw, it flung Xu Yi away.

Xu Yi's back slammed against the stove, his body arching like a shrimp from the pain, but the robust physique granted by combat techniques allowed him to bear the pain and flip up to stand.

Meanwhile, the Cannibal's hand reached the fruit knife on its back, yanked it out forcefully, and blood sprayed everywhere.

Xu Yi sensed trouble and hastily grabbed a nearby iron pot, hurling it with all his might.

The iron pot traced an arc through the air. The blow was comparable to a Meteor Hammer; the Cannibal, caught off guard, could only block with its arm. The fruit knife was knocked away, and its little finger fractured as a result.

Xu Yi gave no breathing space to his adversary and lunged straight at him.

The two grappled with each other, both masters of combat techniques, but no ring could host such a duel—brutal and bloody to the extreme, each aiming for the other's weak points with every strike.

Xu Yi hammered at the Cannibal's head, and the Cannibal, not to be outdone, elbowed his heart.

They grabbed whatever kitchen tools were at hand; a pressure cooker became a hammer, and an iron plate became a shield.

Above all, knives were of paramount importance to seize, as everyone knew that having one in hand would grant a significant advantage.

Both were covered in wounds; Xu Yi's forehead was split open, his face smeared with blood, while blood kept oozing from the back of the Cannibal, its white shirt stained crimson.

Overall, Xu Yi was gaining the upper hand.

This advantage stemmed entirely from his earlier sneak attack; the Cannibal was losing blood continuously. Xu Yi could feel the creature becoming sluggish, a consequence of excessive blood loss.

A gleaming Boning Knife dropped to the ground, and both turned their focus on it, with Xu Yi pouncing toward it fiercely.

But his expression suddenly changed because, instead of going for the Boning Knife, the Cannibal retreated towards a cabinet at its back.

Anomalies often indicate something ominous, and Xu Yi wasn't naive enough to think that the Cannibal had gotten cold feet and was trying to escape.

The Cannibal rushed to the cabinet, yanked the door open, and reached inside, pulling out a dark object.

Xu Yi's pupils constricted and goosebumps rose on his skin because he suddenly saw that it was a handgun.

No wonder the Cannibal had deliberately moved closer to the cabinet during the fight, no wonder it had abandoned the Boning Knife — there was a gun hidden inside the cabinet!

In an instant, Xu Yi understood many things.

The handgun was aimed at Xu Yi, but there wasn't much panic in his heart.

This might have been thanks to his talent for "remaining calm in the face of grand events."

Or maybe it was the confidence from the "Resurrection Coin"; after all, he still had one Resurrection Coin left. He already knew the Cannibal had a gun in the cabinet, and if he got another chance, there was a high probability he could defeat his adversary.

With that thought, the last shred of fear vanished from his mind, leaving him with clear-headedness.

His attention was more focused than ever before, intently watching the Cannibal's gun-wielding hand.

He certainly couldn't outrun a bullet, but he could predict the trajectory of the bullet based on his opponent's movement.

The Cannibal's mouth twisted into a mocking smile as the gun fired and the bullet shot out. At the same time, Xu Yi moved too, holding the Boning Knife and lunging forward like an arrow released from its bow.