Chapter 102: Heavens Beyond Heavens

I smirked disdainfully. I had seen plenty of thugs like him—bullies who thought they could do whatever they pleased just because they knew a bit of martial arts. If I didn't teach him a lesson, he would truly believe he was invincible. I fired a shot without hesitation. Duan Shuiliu possessed some skill, managing to dodge the bullet. However, the man behind him was not so lucky; the bullet struck him in the shoulder, and he collapsed, clutching his wound in agony. Seeing the lethal power of the weapon in my hand, Duan Shuiliu hesitated to strike. He pointed at me and said, "Kid, let's mind our own business. If you've taken a liking to these girls, I can let you have one. If you know what's good for you, take your people and leave now. Otherwise, don't blame me for not showing mercy."

I thought to myself that he was indeed a thug; even his attempt at a truce sounded so abrasive. I wasn't buying it. I continued to fire. Because several girls were huddled in the corner, I didn't dare shoot recklessly and had to aim with extreme caution. Slipping up for just a fraction of a second, I watched as Duan Shuiliu leaped off the wall, lunged right in front of me, and brought a heavy fist down. This downward strike carried immense force. Caught off guard, I hurriedly raised my arms to block. The impact nearly knocked me to the ground, leaving a searing pain throbbing through my arm. It seemed I had underestimated Duan Shuiliu's strength.

Giving me no time to catch my breath, Duan Shuiliu aimed another punch straight at my temple. Damn it, was he trying to kill me? I quickly ducked to evade the blow. Missing his target, Duan Shuiliu immediately straightened up to press his advantage. I hastily dropped my revolver to defend myself with my bare fists. His fists rained down like a relentless storm. Even with my cultivation as a Martial Grandmaster, I could barely track the trajectory of his strikes. Just as I was struggling to find a countermeasure, dozens of soldiers wielding broadswords rushed in, sealing the alleyway completely. We halted our fight. Leading them was a young man clad in white beast hides. My first impression of him was one of pure coldness. He possessed exceptionally handsome features—sword-like eyebrows and a high nasal bridge. While Yu Jing was already considered very handsome, he paled slightly in comparison to this newcomer. The man stared at us impassively, sending a shiver down my spine. Instinct told me that this man was stronger than I was.

"Who is causing trouble here?" the newcomer asked, his voice deep and resonant, carrying an explosive authority. One of the soldiers behind him quickly stepped forward, pointing at Duan Shuiliu. "Captain, he's the one who injured our brothers."

Captain. So this young man was the leader of these soldiers. He must either possess extraordinary abilities or be a well-connected scion of the elite. The captain strode over to Duan Shuiliu and delivered a sharp, resounding slap across his face. It happened so suddenly that both Duan Shuiliu and the rest of us were stunned. Who would have thought that this scholarly-looking captain could be so fierce? Duan Shuiliu was the first to react—after all, the slap had landed on his own face. His eyes widened in fury, looking deeply humiliated. With a twitching mouth, he launched into an attack. He threw punch after punch at the young captain, but every single strike missed, hitting the walls instead and leaving deep craters in the solid stone. Driven to absolute rage, Duan Shuiliu leaped high into the air, bringing his foot down like a falling mountain. The captain met the attack with his fist. Clearly no match for the captain, Duan Shuiliu was thrown back, flipping twice in mid-air before managing to steady himself. Standing five meters away, he glared at the captain and spat, "Fine, brat. Do you dare leave your name?"

The captain smiled contemptuously. "I am Chu Jun, one of the founders of the World Alliance. What, do you intend to seek revenge? I advise you to come with me quietly and plead guilty. Otherwise, you will be hunted by the World Alliance to the ends of the earth!"

Chu Jun, a founder of the World Alliance. He certainly had a formidable background. The aura emanating from him felt off, very similar to what I had sensed from Leng Wushuang last time. Still acting as though he feared nothing in heaven or earth, Duan Shuiliu spat on the ground and said, "Do you think I'm easily frightened? Let me tell you, I am the Vice Commander of the Aeolus Corps. If you dare arrest me, my big brother will flatten your World Alliance!"

The Aeolus Corps? Weren't they supposed to hunt the Sky-Rending Beast tomorrow? I had heard that the Aeolus Corps was an established faction and that their commander was a cautious, meticulous man. How could he let a scoundrel like Duan Shuiliu serve as vice commander? Chu Jun completely ignored Duan Shuiliu's words. Without any visible movement from Chu Jun, blood suddenly began to stream from Duan Shuiliu's eyes. He collapsed, writhing and howling in agony on the ground. The soldiers then dragged Duan Shuiliu and his accomplices away. Before leaving, Chu Jun glanced at me, and I did not take it as a look of gratitude.

The young women, gradually recovering from their panic, patted their chests and said, "Thank you, young master. If you hadn't arrived in time, we would have..."

"Don't mention it, ladies. I'm just glad you're safe. By the way, what is the background of that Chu Jun?"

The girls looked frightened and hesitant. Finally, the one wearing red told me that if I wanted to know about Chu Jun's background, I could ask around at the Aeolus Corps. With that, they left in a hurry. In any case, that beast in human clothing, Duan Shuiliu, had finally been captured. Still, I couldn't understand. Even if he was strong, how could he act so recklessly? Had he never heard the saying that there is always a higher heaven?

"Old Li, I think there's something off about Chu Jun," Yu Jing said to me as we walked.

"I felt it too."

"Did Miss Murong notice it as well?"

Murong Xue nodded. "The technique he used to subdue Duan Shuiliu just now was very similar to the one Leng Wushuang used—attacking with his gaze."

"Do you mean mental power?" the Nine-Tailed Fox asked.

"Ling'er, you know about this?" I understood what mental power was, of course, but I wasn't sure if that was what they had used. Even I could barely channel it now. However, before the virus outbreak, I had never heard of such a thing, nor were there people as powerful as Duan Shuiliu or Chu Jun. They were most likely evolved humans.

"My grandmother once told me that mental power existed thousands of years ago. Powerful life forms could even use it to bring the dead back to life," the Nine-Tailed Fox said.

"Yes, I've heard some things about it too," Murong Xue said, shooting a warning glare at a creepy-looking man who was leering at her. It seemed traveling with these girls was indeed unsafe; they attracted too much attention wherever we went.

"Old Li, we forgot to get our identity badges. It's getting dark, and we need to find a place to rest," Yu Jing pointed out. His words hit the mark. It seemed the mystery of mental power would have to wait. At the registration hall, with Duan Shuiliu arrested, everything had returned to normal, and people were bustling about. The five of us walked in. The girl at the entrance recognized us immediately. She poured us tea and found us seats, her attitude completely transformed. She told us to wait for a moment, saying we didn't have to queue and just needed to fill out some forms. However, we would still have to go next door for a physical evaluation afterward.