Chapter 53 God of Slaughter

"Fine, I'll admit defeat to you, Earth Serpent. That kid really was hiding there. I almost fell for his trap."

After firing a few arrows and seeing no further sign of Chen Yi, Golden Tiger assumed he had fled. With a grin, he remarked, "That kid is as cunning as they come. How did you figure it out?"

For once, a rare smile appeared on Earth Serpent's usually cold and grim face.

Chen Yi's choice of route earlier had been impeccable, and Earth Serpent hadn't actually seen him. His discovery had been purely instinctual. If their roles had been reversed, Earth Serpent would have chosen the exact same position.

Having spent over a decade abroad as a mercenary sniper, Earth Serpent had honed an extraordinary battlefield intuition. Such instincts required not only innate talent but also the life-and-death tempering of countless combat experiences. Yet this Chen Yi, who seemed like nothing more than a greenhorn in his eyes, had chosen the same position as he would have. It made him reevaluate the young man entirely.

If not for their adversarial relationship, he might have even considered taking Chen Yi as a disciple. It was rare to encounter such a promising talent, and losing him felt like a wasted opportunity—a pity that lingered faintly in his heart.

"That kid is definitely still in that building. You launch a feint attack from the front, and I'll circle around the back to cut him off. Let's trap him and finish this."

Earth Serpent issued his orders through the earpiece.

"Alright, we'll do it your way. But this time, the credit's a 70-30 split—70 for you, 30 for me!" Golden Tiger replied before charging forward with his men.

Earth Serpent's smile deepened. It seemed this foolish tiger had been thoroughly rattled by the kid.

"Let's go. Once we catch him, drinks are on me," Earth Serpent said to the men at his side, his rare good mood evident as he led the charge into the night.

However, when he regrouped with Golden Tiger, his expression darkened considerably. Not only had they failed to catch even a glimpse of Chen Yi, but the young man had also ambushed them, costing them two more men. Just moments ago, Earth Serpent had confidently declared they would trap Chen Yi, but now the only ones caught in a trap were themselves. It was a humiliating blow, as if he'd been slapped across the face.

From the moment he and Golden Tiger had devised their plan to the time they arrived at the scene, barely two minutes had passed. Yet somehow, that kid had managed to slip away with ease.

It was as if Chen Yi had anticipated their every move. Otherwise, given Golden Tiger's injured state, Chen Yi wouldn't have simply let him go.

"The earpieces!" Earth Serpent suddenly exclaimed.

"The earpieces—of course! That kid must have gotten hold of one of them," Golden Tiger said, realization dawning on him. If Chen Yi had had enough time to set traps, he certainly would have discovered the earpieces they were using.

"Everyone, switch to the backup channel!"

With everything ready, Earth Serpent and Golden Tiger resumed their pursuit.

As a former elite sniper, Earth Serpent excelled at tracking and assassination. It didn't take him long to find traces of Chen Yi amidst the dust and debris of the abandoned building. He quickly moved to follow the trail.

Chen Yi, meanwhile, was hiding in another derelict building. Seeing that they had switched channels, he discarded the earpiece and climbed to the tenth floor. From a window, he picked off two of their men with ease, reducing their twelve-person team to just five.

Despite the dwindling numbers, Chen Yi didn't let his guard down.

The remaining five were all elite fighters. Besides Earth Serpent and Golden Tiger, the other three were no less formidable. If they managed to corner him, escape would be impossible.

As this realization struck him, he noticed that Golden Tiger and Earth Serpent were already leading their men in a charge.

Earth Serpent's earlier good humor had vanished. Though his face still wore a faint smile, it was a chilling, bone-deep coldness that sent shivers down the spine.

Once again, he and Golden Tiger split up, each taking a different route.

Time ticked by. Ten minutes later, Earth Serpent heard the sounds of a fierce struggle coming from Golden Tiger's side. He immediately rushed over with his men.

As he cautiously approached the source of the commotion, his pupils contracted sharply at the sight before him.

Two bodies lay sprawled on the ground. One had been shot through the right eye with an arrow, while the other was riddled with wounds.

Golden Tiger lay lifeless on the floor, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling. From the dilated pupils and glassy stare, Earth Serpent could tell he was unquestionably dead.

Though accustomed to death, Earth Serpent instinctively avoided looking at Golden Tiger's throat, which had been completely sl*t open.

Golden Tiger's camouflage uniform was in tatters, as though he had been subjected to a gruesome execution. Fresh blood still gushed from the gaping wounds, pooling beneath him.

Earth Serpent crouched down, gently closing Golden Tiger's unseeing eyes before turning the body over. The back was similarly covered in knife wounds, some so deep that bone was visible. His military knife, crossbow, and earpiece were all missing.

Staring at the scene, Earth Serpent could almost visualize the brutal battle that had unfolded between Chen Yi and Golden Tiger.

At that moment, Chen Yi was upstairs in the same building, sitting in a room as he tended to a through-and-through wound on his waist.

When Golden Tiger and his men had charged up, escape had no longer been an option. Chen Yi had instead rushed downstairs, hiding in a room to lie in wait. It was there that Golden Tiger and his companion had discovered him.

Chen Yi had killed one of them with a single arrow before drawing a knife he had taken from an earlier victim. In the confined space, he clashed with Golden Tiger in a deadly melee.

Caught off guard, Golden Tiger had hastily fired a crossbow bolt, but the shot was slightly off-target.

At such close range, Chen Yi narrowly avoided a fatal hit, the bolt piercing through his side and grazing muscle.

Golden Tiger, shocked, quickly regained his composure and launched a ferocious counterattack with his knife. Confident in his knife skills, Golden Tiger believed even Earth Serpent couldn't match him, let alone an injured Chen Yi.

But within a minute, he realized how gravely mistaken he was.

Chen Yi's knife work wasn't particularly refined, but it was terrifyingly fast and powerful. In just a few exchanges, he had inflicted seven or eight wounds on Golden Tiger, front and back alike.

Meanwhile, Chen Yi himself had suffered only a few superficial cuts.

When Golden Tiger finally recognized he was outmatched and tried to call for help, he found he couldn't utter a sound—Chen Yi's blade had already sliced through his throat.

After finishing off Golden Tiger, Chen Yi swiftly grabbed his crossbow and fled.

The moment the bolt had pierced his waist, Chen Yi had felt no pain, only numbness. But now the searing agony was spreading, making it difficult to breathe. The triangular arrowhead had left a wound that bled profusely. If he didn't treat it soon, he wouldn't need Earth Serpent to finish him—he'd pass out from blood loss on his own.

Earth Serpent, having shed his initial disdain, ordered the two remaining men to take the lead while he followed from a distance, crossbow at the ready.

Though reluctant, the two men dared not defy Earth Serpent's orders, knowing full well the consequences of disobedience.

Better to face the danger head-on than risk the wrath of Earth Serpent. At least this way, there was a chance—however slim—that Earth Serpent might kill the kid before he struck again.