Volume 1, Chapter 372 – Unexpected Turn

Shi Lan’s current state was almost equivalent to living through another lifetime. She had completely become an observer.

The feeling was similar to when, back in the Guiyun World, she had merged with the Heavenly Dao. The only difference was that the emotional shocks she felt were magnified hundreds and thousands of times over.

Even the slightest emotional fluctuation would trigger violent turbulence deep within her soul, like a heart-tribulation.

This washing of distracting thoughts was like great waves sifting sand, cleansing Shi Lan’s soul and allowing her to see her true self clearly.

…

“Check what she’s carrying. Throw out her phone and anything like that!”

The conversation inside the vehicle did not stop. Shi Lan could vaguely feel someone rummaging through her pockets.

“Nothing much. Just an ID card. Xiao Teng…”

“Throw it away!”

…

Xiao Teng, who had been staring at the map the whole time, quickly noticed something was wrong.

“They’ve stopped moving.”

“That’s not right. That stretch is an elevated road. There’s no exit nearby. They shouldn’t be stopping there.”

After looking at the map, Qi Pingxia frowned, switched on the radio, and began calling for support.

“All units, attention. This is Qi Pingxia of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Yunhai City Public Security Bureau. We are currently pursuing an unlicensed white van. The target is in the middle section of the S271 elevated road and may leave the highway via one of the exits along the route. Requesting support!”

“The number of people inside the van is unknown, and they are holding hostages. Protect the safety of the hostages!”

Dawn was already beginning to break, and replies quickly came over the radio.

“Received…”

“Received…”

“Target has been locked. It is nearing the exit toward Qinghai City.”

“There is a lack of surveillance beyond the exit. Reacquiring the target will take time.”

“Nearby units are already moving in…”

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…

When Shi Lan regained consciousness again, it was already fully light outside. The curtains in the room were drawn, leaving the interior somewhat dim.

It was a cramped room. Besides her, there were two others: a boy of eight or nine, and a girl about the same age as herself.

The boy was sleeping deeply. The girl wore a white short dress and was curled up in a corner, her eyes vacant and somewhat swollen, her face and arms covered in bluish-purple bruises.

Bang.

A heavy door slammed shut. Disorderly footsteps and voices came from outside the room. There were no fewer than five or six people.

“We can’t stay here for long. We need to move these people out immediately.”

“What happened?”

“Long-ge sent word. The cops are on your trail.”

“I’ll arrange a car to pick them up in a bit. Xiao Wu, go drive that piece-of-shit van away and dump it somewhere far off!”

“Got it!”

“After this job, we’re calling it quits. Long-ge has gotten in with a big shot. When the time comes, he’ll take you all to make real money!”

…

Shi Lan’s heart sank slightly. Judging by those few lines, there were quite a few of them outside.

As her thoughts turned, Shi Lan began considering how to save herself.

The girl curled up in the corner had clearly heard the conversation outside as well. She slowly lifted her head, her expression numb.

Creak.

The door opened a crack, and a bag of steamed buns was thrown in before it was shut tightly again.

Shi Lan retreated a little and sat down against the wall. The girl in the corner got up, walked over to the buns, wolfed down several of them, then after a long pause tossed the bag toward Shi Lan.

“Eat. There’s nothing in them.”

Her voice was very hoarse.

Only now that she was closer did Shi Lan get a clear look at the girl’s face. She looked like a quiet, gentle sort of girl, with large eyes and several bruises on her face.

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“Thank you.”

After tossing over the buns, the girl shrank back into the corner and said nothing more.

Shi Lan still had a stabbing ache in her head. After eating two buns, she felt like vomiting and tossed the rest aside.

The silence in the room was suffocating.

…

“Out!”

About two hours later, the door opened again, and two middle-aged men in black short-sleeved shirts came in.

One of them picked up the still-sleeping boy and went out. The other remained behind, continuing to bark orders.

“Move it!”

The girl huddled in the corner showed a slight change in her gaze. It was dark beyond measure as she slowly got to her feet.

When she passed the doorway, the man reached out and pinched her, chuckling.

“Taking you somewhere new to have some fun.”

Shi Lan followed behind the man out of the room, her eyes moving everywhere as she observed the surroundings.

It was a single-story house. Right outside the room was the living room. Newspapers covered the floor, scattered with cigarette butts, liquor bottles, and used barbecue skewers. A few broken bricks had been placed on the corners of the papers to hold them down.

On the coffee table in the middle sat a plate of fruit, and beside the fruit lay a fruit knife…

Shi Lan’s gaze paused for an instant, and her breathing gradually slowed…

The middle-aged man walking in front tossed the boy onto the sofa, first taping his mouth shut, then picking up a rope from the side and binding the boy’s hands and feet one by one.

Clearly, it would be their turn next.

Bang!

Before Shi Lan could make a move, the girl standing in the middle of the living room kicked aside the chair next to her and lunged for the coffee table.

The moment she gripped the fruit knife in her palm, her expression became wildly crazed, her eyes bloodshot. She spun around and threw herself back.

The middle-aged man had not even reacted before she knocked him to the floor. In the next instant, the fruit knife had already plunged into his chest.

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The girl yanked out the bloodied blade. Before she could drive down the second stab, the man caught hold of her. The knife had not gone in very deep, and he still had strength to struggle.

Shi Lan stepped forward and kicked the man in the temple.

The arm he was bracing himself with went limp at once, and the blade drove straight in again, piercing his chest a second time.

One stab…

Two stabs…

Three stabs…

The girl sat astride the man, hair disheveled, gripping the knife in both hands and stabbing down wildly again and again. Her white dress was stained with blood, and hoarse, hysterical cries spilled from her throat like those of a beast.

After more than ten stabs, the man who had been struggling moments before had gone completely still.

The other middle-aged man heard the commotion, turned around, and saw the girl madly driving the knife into the man’s chest. His pupils dilated sharply.

He fumbled around nearby, found an iron bar in the corner, and rushed forward in two quick strides.

After only two steps, he slowed. A question suddenly leapt into his mind.

Where was the other one?

Crack.

The instant that doubt arose, he heard a sharp sound. Pain exploded in the back of his head, his vision went black, the iron bar slipped from his hand, and he pitched forward at the girl’s feet.

Shi Lan flipped her wrist, turned the half brick in her hand over, aimed its sharp edge at the back of the man’s head, and smashed down another three or five times before stopping.

Creak.

The sound of brakes came from outside, followed immediately by shouted curses.

“Where are they? Hurry up!”

“What the hell’s taking so long? You want to die?”

The girl walked to one side and sat down on the ground, clutching the fruit knife tightly in her hand as if it were a lifeline. Her body could not stop trembling faintly.

Bang bang bang!

“Open up!”

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Urgent pounding sounded at the door, followed by heavy kicks.

The color drained from the girl’s face, leaving it pale.

Suddenly, a shrill police siren sounded, rushing closer from far away, followed in quick succession by the screech of brakes.

“Hands on your head! Squat down!”

“Don’t move your hands!”

Light appeared in the girl’s dim eyes, but there was little joy on Shi Lan’s face.

Lowering her head to look at the girl, Shi Lan’s eyes held a trace of complexity.

Whatever the reason, the girl had killed someone. Even if, in the end, it was ruled self-defense, she would still have to go through complicated questioning and interrogation. That process would undoubtedly deal an even heavier blow to her already fragile mind.

Her mental state had clearly already reached the brink of collapse. To heap more on top of that would be too cruel.

Shi Lan crouched down, gently patted the girl on the back, slowly pried open her fingers, and took the fruit knife into her own hand.

The blade turned once in midair, hovered behind the unconscious man on the ground, and then slowly descended, piercing precisely through his back into his heart.

This was the only human witness.

The girl looked at Shi Lan, her eyes full of shock and confusion.

Shh…

Shi Lan raised a finger, signaling the girl to stay quiet.

Bang!

The already tottering front door was kicked completely open, and the living room, a complete wreck, came into view.

Qi Pingxia stepped inside. The first thing she saw was Shi Lan crouched beside a corpse, hand gripping the knife hilt, her face calm.

Xiao Teng and Zhang Guang, who came in right behind her, both felt a moment of unreality when they saw the scene in the living room.

“This…”