Zheng Zha instinctively thrust his left arm between the dagger and his chest. In that instant, the dagger pierced through his arm, its very tip burying itself into his sternum. The dagger wasn't long, and with his arm in the way, this strike only managed to penetrate halfway into his chest. However, the fierce flames blazing on the blade caused Zheng Zha to cry out in agony.

This agony, the burning of the soul, was too terrifying; even Zheng Zha could not easily endure such pain. Thus, he let out a horrifying shriek. As a warrior who had already survived several life-or-death engagements in mock combat, before Zhao Yingkong could reach for a throwing knife at her waist, he kicked her fiercely in the stomach, sending the little girl flying. Simultaneously, the dagger finally tore free from his body.

Zhao Yingkong’s reaction was incredibly swift. A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth, but using the momentum of being kicked away, she vaulted directly toward the open window. In a flash, she vanished into the night. Zheng Zha hesitated for no moment, kicking off the ground and surging after her, simultaneously retrieving the hemostatic spray from his storage ring.

Just as he managed a few sprays, a cold glint flashed directly ahead—two throwing knives shot in from the darkness. However, he was now on guard. Before the blades reached his face, he drew the high-vibration particle cutting dagger to block them. After a few sharp metallic clangs, Zheng Zha used his Qinggong technique to leap away.

Outside, the area was pitch black, comprised of what used to be residential apartments. Consequently, alleyways crisscrossed in every direction. Zheng Zha used Qinggong to leap several meters high, pushing off the wall of another building, and ascended onto the rooftop. From this vantage point, he could survey all the surrounding alleys, but Zhao Yingkong was nowhere in sight.

She seemed to have dissolved, vanishing into the dark night. In terms of close combat, with his enhanced Vampire Count mutation activated, Zheng Zha’s actual strength completely surpassed everyone else in the team. Of course, this only applied to direct, face-to-face melee. If one considered other skills, such as assassination techniques, he was no match for Zhao Yingkong.

Furthermore, Zhang Heng’s archery was terrifyingly powerful, and Xiao Honglü’s strategic planning was beyond his capability. Zhan Lan’s psychic scanning was one of the most critical skills for the team. Looking at it this way, every member was indispensable; only by cooperating could they survive this horror movie reincarnation—this was the unanimous consensus of everyone. Zheng Zha sighed.

He had intended to knock Zhao Yingkong unconscious right then. According to Zhang Jie’s advice, knocking someone out allowed them to regain consciousness later, presenting a perfect opportunity. The strength Zhao Yingkong displayed during assassination was too frightening; her style of instant kill was as inescapable as the Death God in this horror movie. Unless he could secure a one-on-one duel with her, the thought of a shadow lunging with a dagger from behind sent chills down his spine.

Besides Zhao Yingkong, there was Zhang Heng’s deadly arrow. Zheng Zha sighed again. He knew that trying to locate an assassin in this pitch-black environment, especially amidst such complex terrain, was essentially inviting death. Who knew when a dagger might suddenly strike from the darkness?

It was a pity to waste this rare chance. Just as he finished sighing and was preparing to return to his room, a sudden, sharp sense of danger jolted his heart. The feeling of impending death was so vivid, as if a hunter’s scope was fixed upon him from afar. "Hiss!" A sharp sound tore through the air—two arrows shot toward him from nearby.

Their speed was already extreme, but the second arrow struck the tail end of the first, causing it to explode. Then, the first arrow—now resembling a flaming rocket—accelerated several times faster, shooting straight toward him. Zheng Zha barely managed to shift his footing slightly before he could only watch as the arrow pierced his chest, passing directly between his two lungs, exiting just centimeters from his spine. This single shot nearly blew Zheng Zha apart.

The immense power hadn't even dissipated; it carried Zheng Zha several meters, flinging him tumbling deep into the alleyway. Zhao Yingkong was actually hidden in the shadow of an alleyway. She hadn't intended to flee immediately. The code of an assassin dictated that one should not flee right after an attack, as that was when capture was most likely.

Indeed, Zheng Zha had not spotted the shadow-hidden Zhao Yingkong because he had been searching for moving objects, thus overlooking the stationary one. As soon as Zhao Yingkong saw Zheng Zha hit the ground, she began to move toward him lightly. However, after only a few steps, the communicator on her waist beeped. Xiao Honglü’s voice echoed from it: "Retreat.

He’s waiting for you to get close." Zhao Yingkong paused, then quietly asked, "Why? Wasn't he hit?" "Zhang Heng says it wasn't a vital hit. The wound looks severe, but it's likely just torn flesh, possibly not even fracturing the bone. And yes, the force was enough to throw him into the alley, but don't you think the speed at which he hit the ground was slightly too slow?

He was using Qinggong. Although he wanted to act realistically to lure you closer, his body's self-preservation mechanism kicked in. When falling from a height, his body naturally employed Qinggong. If you approach now, he will definitely erupt in an attack.

Retreat. This is only the first day; we have countless opportunities ahead." Xiao Honglü’s voice was equally subdued. Zhao Yingkong exhaled. She decisively tucked her dagger into her belt, then spun around and ran back into the depths of the alley behind her.

With her high speed, she vanished into the alley depths in mere seconds, as if she had never been there at all. Zheng Zha lay motionless on the ground for nearly ten minutes. Only then did he let out a sigh and sit up. His entire upper body was covered in blood, and an arrow was still lodged in his chest—a rather imposing sight.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the arrow and yanked it out forcefully. Blood immediately gushed from his chest again. After he sprayed some hemostatic agent, the bleeding finally stopped. When Zhang Heng fired that straightforward arrow, Zheng Zha had already entered the Gene Lock release state due to the sensed danger.

Since he was constantly vigilant, the arrow did not catch him off guard. In that instant, he had two options. One was to block with his arm. While he would still be injured, it would be similar to how he blocked Zhao Yingkong's dagger: his arm would be pierced through, but his body would receive most of the protection.

He might then have a chance to track the source of the arrow and possibly catch Zhang Heng. The second option was to let the arrow pass through his body, creating the impression of a severe injury, and then lie in wait for Zhao Yingkong’s next move. If he got another chance in close combat, he was certain he could knock her out! But as he was propelled by the arrow's force toward the alley, he realized things were going wrong.

His body unconsciously activated Qinggong. He had forgotten he was still in the Gene Lock release state, where the body naturally takes protective measures. Thus, to mitigate the damage from the fall, his body engaged Qinggong. He could only pray that Zhao Yingkong or anyone else wouldn't notice the unnatural speed.

For that slim chance, he remained lying on the ground for a long time, but alas, even after all that time, Zhao Yingkong never reappeared. "Heh, I see. Our team has become this formidable," Zheng Zha chuckled wryly. His arm, pierced by the fiery dagger earlier, felt itchy and painful, as if small insects were crawling on it.

When he finally couldn't resist scratching it, he discovered the wound on his arm had already scabbed over, looking like an injury from a week ago. This discovery immediately astonished him. When Zheng Zha returned to his room, he quickly switched on all the lights. Under the bright illumination, he saw that the wound from the piercing on his left arm was indeed beginning to heal.

When he tested its movement, the bone that should have been pierced along with the flesh seemed fine, though there was an itchy, crawling sensation deep within the bone—this time, like insects burrowing in the marrow, making it impossible to scratch. "Vampire Count mutation—as long as the heart and brain avoid fatal damage, one cannot easily die. So that explanation was true?" Zheng Zha felt both shock and joy in his heart. He hurried to the washroom and peered into the mirror, examining the wound on his chest where the arrow had passed through.

This wound had been extremely deep, and because the arrow carried immense power, it had caused a localized rupture upon impact. The wound opening was nearly the size of three coins. Now, the edges were scabbed over, and the center was visibly clotting and healing at a nearly visible rate. It seemed likely the wound would fully close by tomorrow.

"Indeed, it’s impressive. According to Zhang Jie’s explanation, even if I can only exert a fraction of the Count's power now, this regenerative ability is already terrifying. The Count's bloodline truly is extraordinary." As Zheng Zha was meticulously examining the healing of his chest wound, a knock came at the door. When he went to open it, he found not only the blonde beauty but also more than a dozen men dressed in strangely shaped clothes.

Leading them was the punk who had mentioned "Chinese Kung Fu"—it seemed these fair-skinned men were the local gang leaders he had rounded up. "Come in." Zheng Zha carelessly stepped aside and walked toward the table. For some reason, he was suddenly ravenously hungry, as if he hadn't eaten in days. He supposed the Count's recovery likely demanded a massive influx of sustenance.

He failed to notice that the group of punks was staring in horror at the arrow wound on his chest. As he turned, the exit wound on his back was even more terrifying to ordinary people. Seeing this, the gang members stood frozen, none daring to step inside the room.