Suddenly, a gunshot pierced the silence.
Xia Luyao was hit, and a bloody hole appeared instantly.
Lin Beichen was forced to stop, his gaze locked on the figure standing up from the grass.
"You're here," said the person, lowering the sniper rifle and casually pulling out a cigarette and lighter, "Don't worry, I won't kill you."
Lin Beichen's expression grew somber, quickly applying a Healing Talisman to Xia Luyao.
He understood that this person's words weren't false — the divination of "no disaster, no joy" was precisely this.
Xia Luyao's injury was also within his talisman calculations.
However, the appearance of this person rendered his best divination art ineffective.
Lin Beichen took a deep breath, feeling increasingly annoyed by Joseph.
But why did the divination show that after this person appeared, he couldn't continue to trace the source of the sound?
The omen of "no joy" meant he couldn't escape from this person.
"Lin Beichen, right?" The person pulled out a handgun, aiming at Xia Luyao, who was discreetly reaching for her gun, "Ma'am, please remain silent while I speak."
Xia Luyao bit her lower lip, deeply frustrated by the helplessness felt during this mission. She seemed unable to defeat any enemy.
Lin Beichen stared at this seemingly ordinary middle-aged man, his beard visible, a melancholic look between his brows.
His hands were somewhat dirty, yet his demeanor differed from mercenaries, more like an ordinary office worker.
"What significance does it have for you to ask my name?" The middle-aged man asked with a bitter smile.
He watched as the talisman before Lin Beichen slowly rose, instantly pulling the trigger.
This shot, taken without aiming or thought, accurately pierced the talisman.
Lin Beichen, stunned, was utterly impressed by the man's shooting skills.
Unless his cultivation advanced, his marksmanship seemed so immature before this gentleman.
"If you insist on knowing my name," the gentleman took a deep inhalation of smoke, "Then I can only keep you here forever."
Lin Beichen didn't take his threat seriously. He was confident in close combat, this gentleman was no match.
Simultaneously, he weighed in his mind whether he should use the trump card reserved for Joseph.
Xia Luyao seized the opportunity to shoot again, yet the gentleman seemed unconcerned, casually firing a shot into the air.
This seemingly random shot precisely deflected Xia Luyao's bullet.
Lin Beichen's expression grew increasingly grave. He couldn't fathom the true level of the gentleman's shooting skills.
"If this is all you have," the gentleman shrugged, "then don't bother looking for Joseph."
Lin Beichen stared at the gentleman's face, attempting to discern some clues.
However, besides calm and casualness, there was only a trace of melancholy on that face.
"Who exactly are you?" Lin Beichen asked again, while his aura underwent a change.
The gentleman sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Lin Beichen and became serious: "Do you truly wish to know?"
Lin Beichen calculated on his fingers but found the outcome of this battle to be extremely ominous.
However, rather than being afraid, he felt exhilarated.
He buried the fear deep in his heart, waiting to bring it out only at the moment of failure.
But before that, he wouldn't back down.
"Yes," Lin Beichen grinned, "I want to know who could make me go all out yet still lose."
The gentleman looked at him intently, helplessly pursing his lips: "I still can't tell you my name, but I can tell you my profession."
"I am someone with a bit of ability who doesn't like dealing with people but owes someone a favor."
Listening to the gentleman's description, Lin Beichen speculated: "Are you an assassin?"
"No," the gentleman denied, "I'm just a lazy bodyguard."
Lin Beichen was momentarily stunned, his imposing manner paused involuntarily.
Then, the gentleman shot Lin Beichen's shoulder.
The bloody hole appeared instantaneously, but the prepared talisman failed to activate — because the bullet accurately hit the talisman.
Lin Beichen clutched the wound on his shoulder, stepping back two paces, cursing inwardly.
This blasted gentleman didn't deliver a fatal blow, yet he rendered his soon-to-expire Shapeshifting art ineffective.
"You possess some special abilities," the gentleman continued smoking, "but from now on, don't reveal them easily. Your weaknesses are too obvious."
He blew a white smoke ring, looking at Lin Beichen, who still seemed capable, with a bitter smile: "Young man, perhaps you are indignant about my preaching. But what else can you do?"
The gentleman shook his head: "You're strong, and you have trump cards, but you overthink, lack caution, and don't know how to fully utilize your power, blindly relying on it."
Sensing Lin Beichen's increasingly strong fluctuations and the electricity on his right hand, the gentleman fired again.
One shot aimed at the forehead, the other slightly off the heart's position.
Lin Beichen automatically activated his Shapeshifting to avoid the deadly blow, yet the second shot struck his arm, breaking his momentum.
The gentleman, surprised by his inability to kill Lin Beichen, murmured: "So, receiving a fatal injury triggers random teleportation, how boring…" With that, he turned and fled.
Lin Beichen didn't chase, just sighed heavily.
Xia Luyao looked tenderly at his wounds bleeding profusely.
Lin Beichen merely smiled: "That vigilant gentleman almost got me."
With that, he quietly released the hand controlling the array and collapsed to the ground.
As he fell, he slightly turned his head, spotting a corpse where the gentleman had previously stood.
Lin Beichen swiftly took a Healing Talisman from his bag, tossing it lightly into the air, the runes gently rotating, releasing healing powers.
He and Xia Luyao vigilantly surveyed the surroundings, fearing a deadly bullet might shoot from some corner.
Wild Ox's expected reinforcement failed to materialize; if not for the gentleman's lone intent to kill, they might have perished in the Yellow Springs.
Lin Beichen bowed his head to check his status panel, the gentleman's words echoed in his ears, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He wasn't a fool, naturally understanding the significance of that crushing loss, and knowing the gentleman spoke truthfully.
This defeat ultimately was due to being caught in unfavorable territory, which finally made him realize why they were so passive.
Xia Luyao lay beside Lin Beichen, as if only by his side could she maintain her clarity.
The transport vehicle's rumble grew distant, the sound of wheels echoed in Lin Beichen's ears.
The vehicle had left, footsteps had vanished, yet he felt puzzled: What was the purpose of that helicopter?
Joseph, hands in pockets, slightly curved his lips, watching the gentleman's woeful return: "Well, isn't this our esteemed bodyguard? Why so pathetic?"
The gentleman paid Joseph's unusual behavior no mind, shifting the topic with concern: "I just threw my cigarette there, could it cause a forest fire? Would I be convicted for this?"
Joseph, startled by the gentleman's words, had initially thought he faced some setbacks, not expecting it to be a life-and-death threat.
He stared at the gentleman's back, aiming his gun at his rear brain, hesitating whether to pull the trigger.
Nonetheless, the gentleman remained oblivious to the crisis, continuing his determined escape.
Ultimately, Joseph lowered the gun, a tear rolling down his cheek, turning away with a return to his unruly smirk.
Lin Beichen struggled to stand up, facing the soldiers before him.
These soldiers came from that helicopter, on the ground ahead lay Barney and the others.
Lin Beichen had no time to tend to the rapidly healing bloody hole, standing silently before Xia Luyao, vowing to keep her safe.
He tossed a talisman, one capable of stopping bullets, he watched the soldiers intently, fearing their ability to breach the talisman's defense.
However, the soldiers had no recourse, Lin Beichen sighed in relief, nearly having expended his final trump card before them.
He clenched his fist, electricity flickered across his hand.