Chapter 56: Hunting
Not long after the Guard Squad had set off, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Guard's headquarters.
The elite guard at the gate brightened upon seeing the visitor and immediately greeted, "Young Master Jin, what brings you here?"
It was none other than Jin Datong (Chapter 34: Elimination), whose presence was well-known. With a booming voice that could shake walls, he declared, "I'm here to drink with Old Luo!"
Though he was speaking normally, his voice was so loud it made the guard's ears ring. The guard regretfully responded, "What a shame. Captain Luo is out on a mission. They say he found the location of the Killer and is heading there now."
Jin Datong frowned and asked, "The serial killer? You've found his whereabouts? When did this happen?"
"Just a short while ago," the guard replied. "Someone dropped a note saying the Killer is holed up on the eastern edge of the city. We're not sure if it's credible."
Jin Datong paused for a moment before chuckling, "Alright then. Since Old Luo isn't here, I'll go drink by myself. Some other time, then."
With that, Jin Datong turned and left.
"Take care, Young Master Jin! Come back anytime!"
….
It was deep into the night, but the large crescent moon above bathed the landscape in a pale, silvery glow, just enough to make out the shapes of buildings and trees.
The Second Squad set off, and Su Hao covered his face with a black cloth, using [Radar] positioning to lead far ahead.
As they neared the cave on the eastern outskirts of the city, Su Hao broke into a sprint, reaching the entrance first.
He pushed away the stone blocking the entrance, then he created the sound of a series of chaotic, overlapping footsteps.
Adopting a loud, panicked voice, he shouted, "There's an entrance here! The stone's have been moved!"
"Hurry, hurry! The Killer is inside! Don't let him get away!"
He then altered his voice and shouted in a deeper tone, "We have five Grandmasters here; he won't get away!"
"He's dead for sure! After killing so many people and destroying so many families, we have to tie him to a rack and burn him alive!"
"We're going in!"
Through his [Radar], Su Hao sensed the Killer's reaction. the Killer hiding in the cave was on the move, appearing extremely anxious. The Killer circled inside the cave once before quickly fleeing in another direction.
Just as Su Hao had expected, a location like this usually had a second exit.
As the Guard Squad drew near, Su Hao slipped inside the cave, silently moving deeper into its winding passage.
The cave wasn't particularly large, only twisting for about twenty meters before it opened into a hidden chamber. Su Hao moved cautiously, scanning for any potential traps.
The hidden chamber wasn't particularly special. It was filled with various tools and equipment, bottles, and jars, with a bookshelf on the side. A flickering oil lamp cast faint shadows across the walls, adding a sinister air to the room.
It was a rudimentary version of a laboratory.
In one corner, there was a grim sight—a side room where bodies lay in disarray. A few newly captured individuals were tied to stone platforms, likely waiting to become the Killer's next experiments.
Upon entering, Su Hao's eyes were immediately drawn to a brazier under the bookshelf, where a pile of documents and books were burning fiercely.
"Damn it, such waste!" Su Hao rushed forward, kicked the brazier over, scattering burning books, and stomped on the unburned books to quickly extinguish the flames.
"Huh? Where am I?"
One of the students on the operating table groggily woke up, bewildered by his surroundings.
Silently cursing his bad luck, Su Hao swiftly delivering a precise blow to the young man's neck, knocking him unconscious again.
Not taking any chances, Su Hao did the same to everyone on the operating tables, ensuring none of them would wake up anytime soon.
The fire had mostly been extinguished, leaving only faint red embers and the drifting remains of scorched paper.
Su Hao flipped through the remnants and found that many of the books, though slightly burned, were mostly intact thanks to his quick actions. However, many of the loose papers had already been reduced to ash.
With a regretful sigh, he pulled out a prepared bag and stuffed the damaged books inside, quickly gathering them all.
After a final sweep of the room, he found nothing else of significant value and headed for the second exit.
By now, the Guard Squad had entered the cave and was closing in. Su Hao could hear their footsteps echoing faintly through the passage behind him.
Once Su Hao exited, he immediately took off in the direction the Killer had fled
He believed the most valuable things were still on the Killer himself.
The Killer had a good head start and was heading toward the wilderness beyond the city walls, but he was still within Su Hao's [Radar] range, and his speed was much slower than Su Hao's. In other words, the Killer wouldn't escape.
Conversely, if Su Hao were to engage in combat and found himself at a disadvantage, he could still use his speed to retreat swiftly.
The Guard Squad emerged from the cave, but in the darkness of the night, they lost track of both Su Hao and the Killer, spreading out in a futile search.
Su Hao first found a hidden spot halfway to stash the book bag securely before resuming his pursuit at full speed.
Unaware of being chased, the Killer slowed down slightly after sprinting a considerable distance.
This was exactly what Su Hao wanted. Blood Qi surged within him as his speed increased even further. The deserted wilderness provided the perfect backdrop for an unrestrained battle.
This time, his sole objective was to kill the opponent with all his might.
Since reaching the peak of his Master-level blood Qi, Su Hao hadn't truly unleashed his full power to experience his combat prowess—or rather, his destructive capacity.
In his past battles, he had easily crushed his opponents, lacking both on exprience and skill.
But this time, his opponent was a high-level Master, someone who could hopefully provide him with enough pressure to truly sharpen his battle expertis.
Su Hao's speed continued to climb, his long blade already in hand, reflecting the cold moonlight.
In the distance, he finally spotted the Killer sprinting towards the darkness.
The Killer looked like a young man in his twenties, carrying a disheveled bundle on his back and wielding a wide, hefty blade in his left hand. His long hair fluttered behind him as he ran.
Su Hao made no effort to conceal his approach. He charged forward, the wind whipping past him.
When he was about thirty meters away, the Killer noticed Su Hao chasing after him.
The Killer glanced back and saw a figure under the moonlight, speeding towards him with a long blade in hand, radiating an overwhelming aura.
Fear flickered in the Killer's eyes. He almost stumbled as he turned to face Su Hao
"Who are you?!" the Killer demanded, his voice shaky as he unsheathed his blade and turned to confront Su Hao, realizing escape was impossible.
Su Hao did not slow down. His blood Qi exploded beneath his feet, launching him forward in a short-range sprint.
«Charge»
His blade surged with a massive amount of blood Qi, almost spilling over in a crimson mist.
He swung his blade.
«Wind Slash»
«Shadow Step»
«Ghost Stab»
The Killer, was overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of Su Hao's attacks, could hardly breathe.
"Argh!∼" the killer roared, trying to bolster his own aura, and swung his blade to parry.
"Clang∼!"