There wasn't much for me to think about now; it was death either way, and sharing the same end as Liang Qian somehow made the prospect easier to bear.

Yet, what truly surprised me was that after Dr. Meichuan finished speaking, he quietly aimed the gun at the old man with white hair.

I stared, my eyes wide with shock at the unfolding scene.

The white-haired elder had his back to us, still grappling with Ishida, completely unaware that Dr. Meichuan had leveled his weapon at him.

I wondered if Meichuan had finally had enough of the old man's oppression and was seizing this moment for a surprise retaliation.

Before I could fully process the thought, Dr. Meichuan fired.

I silently willed in my mind, Don’t dodge, don’t dodge…

But my luck, as usual, was terrible—perhaps Heaven intended to wipe me out. Before the bullet had traveled halfway, the white-haired man turned, his large hand shooting out to meet the projectile.

As the bullet arrived, he actually pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, as easily as catching a common fly.

The needle tip on the bullet failed to pierce the white-haired elder’s skin in the slightest.

Seeing this, my heart turned instantly cold. All my grievances dissolved into a bitter, almost mocking smile.

The white-haired elder brought the bullet close to his eyes for inspection and addressed Meichuan, “I knew something was off about you long ago. Tell me, what exactly are you…”

Mid-sentence, his face suddenly darkened, twisting into an ugly mask. He clutched his chest with one hand, pointing accusingly at Meichuan with the other, sputtering, “You!”

I looked closer and realized there were two toxin injectors already embedded in his chest. The shot Meichuan just fired had actually dispersed three darts—it was a scattershot.

Meichuan smiled, and beginning at his jawline, he slowly peeled a layer of skin from his face. “My apologies, but you shouldn't assume only my friends are capable of disguise. I am as well. Furthermore, I modified this gun specifically for old foxes like you.”

I glanced at the face beneath the mask, and it was Xie Yuting.

He must have neutralized the real Meichuan, assumed his appearance, and allowed the white-haired elder to ‘rescue’ him, all for this single, fatal blow.

I silently admired Xie Yuting's cunning. Even the most wily old man like the white-haired elder would never anticipate us using the same deception tactic twice against him.

The white-haired elder’s face was now ashen. He tried to point at Xie Yuting, but only foamed at the mouth.

Moments later, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, convulsing violently on the floor.

Seeing the white-haired elder incapacitated, Xie Yuting let out a long breath and dragged himself toward me, favoring one shoulder.

I opened my mouth, intending to ask how he was injured, but instead coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Xie Yuting saw my condition and warned, “It’s best if you don't move right now. Your internal organs are damaged. We’ll talk later.”

With that, he helped lift the nearby Liang Qian, then pulled a syringe from his personal bag and injected her.

As he administered the dose, he explained, “This drug was found on Meichuan. It can suppress the brain toxin, but after receiving this much, whether she wakes up is a matter of fate.”

Hearing this brought a small measure of calm to my spirit.

I had been confused as to why Xie Yuting hadn't struck sooner, but now I understood: if the white-haired elder hadn't been worn down like this, that single shot might never have landed. In that case, it wouldn't just be Liang Qian suffering; we would all be dead.

As I pondered this, the sound of rhythmic footsteps echoed from down the corridor.

Xie Yuting instantly tensed, drawing a pistol from his hip and pointing it toward the approaching figures.

Since the footsteps were coming from behind, I couldn't see them, nor could I turn my head.

But then a familiar, gruff voice called out, “So there you are. Xiong Ye has been looking everywhere for you. A lot of Thunder Corpses are coming down from above; we need to move now or it’ll be too late.”

The one calling himself Xiong Ye could only be Da Xiong, and the other figure panting heavily beside him must be Nie Chuan. It seemed they were both safe.

Xie Yuting told Da Xiong, “Hu is severely wounded, and Liang Qian is fading fast. You two carry them; follow me. I have a way out.”

Next, Da Xiong gently lifted me and hoisted me onto his back.

Seeing the extent of my injuries, he didn't say much, only grit his teeth and urged me to hold on.

Nie Chuan took the still unconscious Liang Qian, his brow furrowed deeply, his expression laced with sorrow.

At that moment, Long Jia also emerged from the room. Her face was pale, as if she had just undergone an exhausting physical ordeal.

I noticed she was holding a jar etched with complex Wu script.

And resting atop that jar was the human skullcap I had given her earlier.

When she first mentioned the skullcap was a lid for something, I hadn't believed her. But now, seeing the identical Wu markings on both the jar and the lid, fitting together seamlessly, I understood everything.

I couldn't know if this jar was the one depicted in the D'ban ruins frescoes—the vessel for reviving the True God. If it was, then the item Xie Yuting had mentioned taking me to find must be this very thing.

To think that when combined, the jar and its lid could unleash a Wu technique capable of controlling another person’s consciousness—it was terrifying beyond measure.

I had no time for further thought. The six of us bolted down the corridor.

Xie Yuting directed Da Xiong and the others to stop before a door marked with green paint.

I noticed the door bore the words: “Garbage Room,” which confused me.

Xie Yuting didn't hesitate; he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Da Xiong carried me in after him, and I saw the room piled high with foul-smelling, miscellaneous refuse. Opposite us on the far wall was a small hatch, large enough for a man to pass through, and I immediately grasped the situation.

On large cruise liners, refuse is usually stored until docking for off-ship disposal.

However, massive ships like this one typically have discharge chutes for waste.

It’s similar to how waste is flushed directly onto the tracks when using the lavatory on a train; the same principle applies to the vessel.

So, if we entered that small door, we would be expelled into the sea like trash.

By now, the slow, deliberate footsteps of the Thunder Corpses were audible in the corridor, mingled with the sounds of ordinary people running. There were a great many of them.

Perhaps because their leader was dead, the enemy had deployed their entire force, intending to eliminate us in one sweep. If we were caught, the consequences would be unimaginable.

So, discarding any pretense of dignity, we jumped through the opening as soon as the door was opened.

Da Xiong, carrying me, was the last to leap.

My vision went black, followed by a gurgling sound as the icy shock of the seawater permeated my entire body.

Although our cruise ship was surrounded by enemy vessels, it had never stopped moving, maintaining a slow forward momentum, as was the other ship.

So, after holding our breath underwater for about twenty seconds, the ship had already passed overhead.

Da Xiong saw the sunlight streaming down from above and quickly pulled me to the surface.

The moment I broke the water, the sun stabbed painfully into my eyes.

Yet, a sliver of relief settled in my heart, even as my consciousness began to fade.

Though the scenery blurred, my hearing remained sharp.

I heard the sounds of the boats receding into the distance, confirming that the enemy's entire force was still aboard and hadn't spotted us on the surface. We were safe, for now.

Then, I overheard Xie Yuting say, “Fortunately, he prepared a radio on the ship. After subduing Meichuan, he managed to notify our friends in Japan to rendezvous. Their boat will be here soon.”

Hearing this, I finally felt completely at ease. I thought, as long as my injuries don't prove fatal, I’ve dodged death again. I only wished I knew how Liang Qian was doing; I desperately hoped she wouldn’t end up in a vegetative state.

Just then, Xie Yuting added, “However, the situation isn't entirely optimistic. There is someone on the ship who can generate electricity, and we never encountered him. We still don't know who that is.”

Da Xiong chimed in, “Isn’t that the white-haired elder?”

Xie Yuting was silent for a few seconds, seemingly shaking his head. After a pause, he replied, “That Sasuke was merely one of the electric-powered individual's subordinates. That’s what Meichuan revealed under duress. But the lightning wielder is elusive; even Meichuan never saw him. All he knew was that he is known as the 'Raijin of Japan,' and shrines dedicated to him exist all over the country.”

“To think such a formidable figure only has subordinates? That defies logic. If that person decides to oppose us, aren't we finished?” Nie Chuan exclaimed.

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