Liu Hui was startled. This was the first time since he started using steel bearings in combat that he had missed, failing to injure his opponent despite hitting him. He didn't have time to think further; using the cover of the car explosion, he swiftly rolled over and ran deeper into the parking structure. A roar erupted from the enemy behind him as they gave chase.

Entering the first level of the parking garage, Liu Hui fired a steel bearing that shattered one of the overhead lights, plunging the area into immediate darkness. He quickly retrieved a motorcycle from his storage space, mounted it, and sped toward the exit. The pursuing enemies, caught off guard by the sudden glare of his lights and lacking an immediate vehicle nearby, couldn't keep up, allowing Liu Hui to escape.

Seeing no one in the rearview mirror, Liu Hui felt a surge of relief, relaxing his tense posture. This enemy was simply too strong—not only experienced but possessing immense physical power, seemingly impervious to bullets, as his steel bearings had failed to wound him.

Suddenly, the roar of another motorcycle echoed from behind. Liu Hui looked back to see the enemy rapidly closing the distance, having somehow acquired a bike of his own. Furthermore, the pursuer exhibited exceptional riding skill, quickly gaining on him.

The highway in the pre-dawn hours was virtually deserted, offering Liu Hui no opportunity to lose his pursuer through superior technical driving. Gritting his teeth, Liu Hui pushed his motorcycle to its absolute maximum speed, heading out of the city limits, with the second bike tightly glued to his tail.

Thanks to his physical enhancement, Liu Hui’s reaction time had dramatically improved. While speeding down the highway, he deliberately weaved through narrow side streets and maneuvered around obstacles, hoping to break the tail. Unfortunately, the enemy seemed to be an equally expert racer, staying right on his bumper, and the gap between them was steadily shrinking.

Panicked, Liu Hui slammed the throttle wide open. They had just left Ba City and were entering the mountainous region. Mountain roads generally consisted of winding, perilous switchbacks, difficult to navigate. Spotting the familiar S-curves, Liu Hui was suddenly elated and steered directly toward the steepest, tightest turns. The enemy behind him seemed less accustomed to this terrain, and the distance between them began to slowly widen.

Just as Liu Hui was celebrating his small advantage, the fuel gauge warning light on his dashboard flashed red. He froze in shock; the motorcycle was out of gas at the worst possible moment. The pursuing bike was closing in, and he realized with horror that he had neglected basic motorcycle maintenance, failing to refuel. Though he carried fuel in his storage space, how could he possibly siphon it into the tank in this critical situation?

Biting his lip, Liu Hui intentionally slowed down. With his left hand steadying the bike, his right flicked out, pulling a steel bearing from his storage space and firing it toward the motorcycle behind him. Fired at speed, the bearing lacked accuracy, but it managed to shatter the enemy's headlight. The pursuer flinched violently, jerking the handlebars and nearly losing control, causing his speed to drop instantly.

Liu Hui cheered internally and immediately fired off a rapid succession of bearings. While those that hit the enemy couldn't penetrate his defenses, they inflicted sharp, searing pain. The enemy yelled out in agony with every impact. Stung repeatedly, the pursuer grew enraged and suddenly ripped the motorcycle helmet strapped to the back of his bike off, hurling it at Liu Hui. Unprepared for a projectile attack, Liu Hui was struck squarely on the back by the helmet. Though the impact wasn't crushing, the blow caused his left hand to jerk, the motorcycle swerved sharply, and he crashed to the ground, sending a long shower of sparks skidding across the asphalt.

Sensing danger, Liu Hui launched himself into the air, executing a series of rapid tumbles upon landing to dissipate the massive inertia, before quickly darting into the adjacent woods.

The enemy immediately stopped his own motorcycle and followed Liu Hui into the forest. They were now far from the city and the main roads, deep within a remote, pitch-black woodland area devoid of habitation or artificial light.

Liu Hui took cover within the trees. The deep night did not significantly impede his enhanced vision; he could clearly make out his surroundings. Suddenly, a shadow flickered ahead in the darkness, and he immediately loosed several steel bearings. He heard only the soft thump of the bearings striking wood, missing the target.

Liu Hui swiftly repositioned himself—he understood the basic tenets of sniping. He intended to use the dense cover of the forest to wear down his opponent. However, having lived in the city for so long and being unfamiliar with the terrain, his movements inevitably created faint sounds.

The experienced enemy instantly pinpointed Liu Hui’s location. Silently, he scaled a large tree and began stalking toward Liu Hui. Reaching the trunk where Liu Hui was concealed, the enemy roared and lunged down, his palms emitting a faint white glow that enveloped Liu Hui completely, leaving him nowhere to evade. Caught completely by surprise, Liu Hui instinctively raised his arms to block, but he was unprepared for the sheer power of the enemy, who slammed him far across the clearing until he slammed against another massive tree. Liu Hui coughed up a mouthful of blood and slowly slid down the trunk.

The enemy let out a long breath, rubbing his palms, and advanced toward where Liu Hui had fallen. He was supremely confident; in his estimation, anyone struck by his palm strike would be either dead or severely injured. He was, however, surprised that Liu Hui possessed such formidable strength; the counter-attack had left his own hands throbbing faintly.

Reaching the base of the tree, the enemy's eyes widened instantly. There was no one there. Sensing trouble, he tried to retreat, but suddenly, a barrage of steel bearings rained down on him, firing like an automatic weapon. Though these bearings could not pierce his defense, they struck his body with painful force. In a fury, the enemy let out a great shout, rooted his feet in a low stance, his muscles bulging beneath his clothes, and swept his arms outward. A powerful aura erupted from him, tearing his upper garments away and revealing a physique as hard as iron. A white luminescence began to radiate from his body, enveloping him entirely. This light immediately radiated an intense sense of pressure toward Liu Hui.

Every steel bearing fired by Liu Hui struck the white light surrounding the enemy and rebounded. The bearings could no longer cause the slightest harm. Alarmed, Liu Hui dodged and fled deeper into the mountains. Seeing Liu Hui run, the enemy pursued, charging straight ahead without evasion, smashing through every obstructing tree and vine in his path. His speed was in no way slower than Liu Hui's, keeping right on his heels.

The white light emanating from the enemy made him highly visible in the dark night—an excellent target. Yet, Liu Hui's bearings were useless. Realizing he couldn't shake the enemy on the ground, Liu Hui leaped into the canopy, sprinting across the branches, slowly increasing the distance between them. The enemy roared in anger and ripped a large fallen tree from the ground, hurling it toward Liu Hui. Startled, Liu Hui nearly fell from his perch. Inspired by this success, the man began continuously launching large trees like javelins at Liu Hui.

With a heavy sigh, Liu Hui was forced to leap down again and resume his flight on foot. Thus, the chase continued, one pursuing and one fleeing, and they soon ventured deep into the remote mountains.

Liu Hui had sustained damage from the enemy's heavy blow earlier. Although he had suppressed the injury at the time, the sustained flight had caused it to worsen, and his pace began to lag. The pursuer, too, was clearly suffering; the white glow surrounding him gradually dimmed, suggesting it was not sustainable, and his speed had also slowed significantly by this point.

The pursuit ended when they reached a narrow gorge, where both men collapsed, unable to run further. Liu Hui leaned heavily against a large boulder, gasping for breath, a sheer stone wall at his back. The enemy behind him fared no better, leaning over his knees, panting.

"Hey, why have you been chasing me this relentlessly?" Liu Hui finally managed to ask.

"Why did you keep running?" the enemy retorted, equally frustrated.

"If you weren't chasing me, why would I run?" Liu Hui countered, even more exasperated.

"Did you burn down the headquarters of the Kuang Long Gang today?" the enemy finally got to the point.

"So what if I did? Are you here to avenge them?" Liu Hui snapped back.

"Though I am associated with them, I don't care about their fate. The reason I'm pursuing you is to avenge my brother," the man’s breathing began to steady.

"Who is your brother? I don't know him. You must have the wrong person," Liu Hui said, confused.

"I wasn't sure at first, but I confirmed it later. My brother was killed by one of your steel bearings," the enemy stood up straight.

"Oh, I've killed countless people with steel bearings; I can't remember which one was your brother," Liu Hui straightened up as well.

"My brother's name was Laohu (Tiger). You can call me Laomao (Old Cat). You blew his head apart with a steel bearing and sent yourself to die off a cliff—you can't possibly have forgotten that?" Fire began to burn in Laomao's eyes.

"Heh, Laohu then Laomao. Your family is truly strange; only producing beasts? Are you some kind of Beast Clan?" Liu Hui sneered. Having killed the man's brother, reconciliation was impossible. He decided to drop all pretense and fight to see who would prevail.

"Heh, still so sharp-tongued. We'll see if you beg for mercy later," Laomao scoffed.

"Heh, if I could kill your brother, I can kill you too. I wonder if you have any descendants? Don't let your family line end here," Liu Hui pressed the psychological attack. Only now, with a moment's pause, did he take a proper look at Laomao. Laomao was not built like Laohu; he was of medium height. Dressed, he wouldn't reveal the immense musculature beneath, appearing quite ordinary.

Laomao suddenly charged Liu Hui, his hands forming claws, reaching for Liu Hui’s head. Liu Hui had been watching Laomao’s movements closely, and as soon as he saw the slight shift in the shoulder, he fired several bearings. The bearings struck Laomao’s hands precisely, emitting a sharp crack sound along with a spray of sparks.

Laomao abruptly stopped his attack, smiling faintly at Liu Hui. "Your steel bearings are formidable, but they cannot penetrate my Golden Bell Shield. Haven't you considered begging for mercy? Perhaps if I'm in a good mood, I might just let you go?"

Qian Yu thanks the book friends Ben Beng and Yueya Kaixinguo for their tips! Another chapter at 8 PM tonight, stay tuned!