Chapter 135: The Vile Arrow

“Whoosh!”

A sharp sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came from afar.

Immediately after, an arrow pierced through the back of Matupeng’s neck, trailing a stream of hot blood.

Yet, it narrowly missed the egg-shaped girl standing before him—such precise control of force...

Matupeng’s eyes widened in shock. He gasped desperately for air, but with his punctured throat, no breath could pass through.

Crimson foam bubbled at the corner of his mouth as his consciousness began to blur.

In his final moments, he summoned his last strength to look at his younger brother by his feet and softly whispered:

“Brother is here with you now.”

Ye Chen quickly turned his gaze toward the direction from which the arrow had come.

In the distance, a figure nimbly flipped onto a rooftop.

A billowing cloak fluttered in the wind, a high ponytail swayed, and a purple-stringed longbow gleamed... Ye Chen felt an urge to curse—damn it, it’s you again, Cloak Man!

At first, he hadn’t intended to kill Matupeng.

His only goal was to save the egg-shaped girl; there was no need to squander the chance to uncover the truth.

But now... damn it!

...

The atmosphere on the street shifted abruptly from tense to electrifying.

People cheered for tonight’s hero. Were it not for his severe injuries, Ye Chen might have already been hoisted high in celebration.

Parents of missing children hurried forward, clutching their kids tightly, some weeping with their heads bowed, others anxiously checking every limb to ensure no harm had come.

The egg-shaped girl stared blankly at the disheveled yet strangely familiar figure before her, wanting to approach but unable to move.

She was uncertain.

Was this the handsome big pot guy from before? Half his face resembled that, the other half looked like a pig... The little girl’s candid description.

Ye Chen, looking pitiful beside the lifeless Matupeng, crouched down and picked up a fallen candy box, pouring a few candies into his palm.

Red, yellow, and blue—the colors matched those he had held before, similar in size, but now the disgust he once felt was gone.

He quietly pocketed the candy box. There was still one thing he needed to verify later.

At that moment, two familiar figures emerged from the crowd.

Gong Xiao cleared his throat, his voice hoarse:

“Not bad, young Ye Chen. You even took down such a formidable opponent! Cough... cough...”

Ye Chen was momentarily stunned... that earth-shaking roar just now was indeed from him. Unexpectedly, it even helped break free from mental control.

Your hoarse voice now—I’m barely used to it!

Dai Guangjun examined Ye Chen’s wounds closely, surprised to see the flesh slowly twitching—was it beginning to heal?!

But noticing Ye Chen’s pale complexion, he suppressed his curiosity and asked with concern:

“You did great this time. Whatever’s going on, we’ll talk after you leave the infirmary.

“Leave the cleanup to Gong Xiao and me.

“You’ve got a long break ahead!”

...

Inner City, a laboratory.

The dark room glowed faintly green.

The source of the eerie light was rows of incubation tanks.

Many tanks held various subjects: whole mutated animals preserved, half-dismembered bodies, or just severed heads.

Among them, ten tanks contained fully intact children.

They wore respirators on their mouths, tubes inserted throughout their bodies, suspended in liquid.

Dense bubbles escaped the edges of the respirators, rising in steady streams.

In the innermost room of the lab, incandescent light spilled out. Approaching closer, one could hear the faint rustling of paper.

From the silhouette, a silver-haired old man was feverishly writing under a desk lamp.

The light illuminated only part of the room.

He was none other than Dr. Gu Yi, the chief researcher.

After a long while, Dr. Gu Yi paused, removed his silver glasses, and rubbed his tired eyes.

Perhaps from speaking so little for a long time, his voice was dry and unnatural as he suddenly spoke:

“Speak. What’s the matter?”

Though he directed the question to his teacup, the reply came from the shadow behind him.

“Doctor, I hope I’m not disturbing you.

“The Ma brothers’ operation failed. The second batch of specimens may not arrive on time.”

The respectful voice from the shadows belonged to a young woman.

“Clink!”

The teacup struck the table.

“You’ve already disturbed me.” The old man’s tone was indifferent.

The woman was silent, uncertain whether she had truly interrupted the doctor’s research or if her own mishandling had caused the delay in specimen delivery.

“Thud!” The sound of knees hitting the floor came from behind, accompanied by a fearful voice:

“Forgive me, Doctor. It’s my fault. I will find another batch of specimens as soon as possible.

“In one month—no, half a month will suffice.

“Please believe me, Doctor.”

The fearful tone turned into pleading, gradually becoming tearful.

“You pale in comparison to Yaoyin!” Dr. Gu Yi’s expression remained unchanged, but his voice carried a hint of displeasure.

The kneeling figure trembled involuntarily.

Silence engulfed the room, oppressively heavy. After a moment, the doctor calmly asked:

“Where are the two brothers now?”

“They’re... they’re dead.”

“Huh? Brother Matupeng is dead too? Do you know who did it?”

The woman’s answer surprised him. He personally tested Matupeng’s strength.

Though young and inexperienced in battle, his power was terrifying.

To wound him required at least a mature Level C Awakener—or several people firing elemental energy guns in succession.

That he was killed outright was unexpected. He wanted to know who possessed such capability.

“We investigated. It was a reckless newcomer from the Outer City Patrol Department.”

For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed Dr. Gu Yi’s otherwise expressionless face.

“Outer City Patrol Department? I distinctly ordered them not to interfere too much. Who dared defy me?”

The woman answered timidly:

“According to patrol reports, this member was suspended at the time. He accidentally collided with the Ma brothers’ fleeing vehicle, which led to the ensuing fight.

“The suspension was due to a verified brawl at a bar involving other team members.

“As for Brother Matupeng’s death, it was caused by an unknown assailant’s arrow to the throat. I regret to say I have no information on this person.”

Dr. Gu Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully, then said:

“Hmph, a suspended patrolman and an unknown assailant?

“Keep a close watch on this reckless patrolman. Report any strange behavior to me immediately.

“To single-handedly kill an early-stage Level C Awakener, this person is no ordinary soldier.

“Such combat power is rare even in the entire Outer City Patrol.

“As for your claim that he accidentally collided with the Ma brothers’ vehicle, I don’t believe in such coincidences.”