Chapter 133: Beneath the Red Moon

Previously, Gecko had deduced that these people—daring to hide here—might be colluding with the town’s armed forces.

So, while the safest approach now is to coordinate with the town’s peacekeepers to capture the suspects, it would be even better to apprehend them before the peacekeepers arrive, preventing any secret sheltering.

“Hey, the other side might have three ability users…”

Listening to Lu Xin’s words, Gecko grew visibly nervous and urgently shouted out.

But before his voice faded, Lu Xin had already dashed out, like a nimble cat, from the window the man in the red suit had used to escape. Gecko could only shake his head repeatedly and mutter, “Man, that squad leader got into action way too quickly…”

Furiously, he pointed at the others in the room and shouted, “Don’t move! Any further movement and I’ll kill you!”

“Big brother, do you really think I’d dare to move under these circumstances?”

No one answered. The rugged man was nearly petrified, and the two bunny girls looked teary-eyed.

“That’s true…”

Gecko snapped back to it, laughing as he holstered his handgun.

He straightened the chair and sat down, then looked at the slender bunny girl on his right and asked with a smile, “How old are you?”

Then he glanced at the voluptuous bunny girl on his left, grinning slyly, “You’re not that young…”

Clatter, clatter…

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed, and soon a group of gun-wielding individuals burst in.

“Haha, calm down, calm down—I really don’t feel like killing you…”

Gecko quickly raised his hand, showing them the gun and dagger he held, and smiled in an affable manner.

…

…

After Lu Xin burst out of the window, he immediately scanned his surroundings.

In the blink of an eye, he saw out the window at an angle to the west that the man in the red suit was rapidly turning a corner. He quickly lifted his gaze and spotted Mom: she was standing by a small courtyard with a little satchel over her shoulder, smiling warmly. Yet her eyes were fixed not on the corner but on another alley.

Lu Xin nodded, took his sister’s hand, and, as if defying gravity, scrambled up the alley wall with both hands and feet, quickly moving forward. After passing through the narrow lane, he spotted a warehouse with its door ajar.

In mere seconds, Lu Xin had reached the warehouse twenty meters away.

Mom stood outside the warehouse, smiling at Lu Xin and calling, “Be careful!”

Lu Xin nodded and dashed inside the warehouse at top speed.

“Rat-a-tat-tat…”

Just as he burst into the warehouse, he suddenly heard the clanking of a turning iron pipe.

Immediately, intense red lights began flashing from four different spots.

Countless bullets simultaneously sprayed toward the warehouse entrance where Lu Xin stood.

Amid the flashing red lights, he even saw three burly men on the second floor, each squatting in a different spot, expressionlessly pulling their triggers. Behind them, the man who had discarded his red suit now wore a helmet and rode a heavy motorcycle, revving the throttle with force.

…It was obvious that, even though Lu Xin had arrived fast—and rather unexpectedly—he was well-prepared.

After Lu Xin chased out of the window, the mastermind had arranged for another person to misdirect him, leading him astray.

At the same time, upon pursuing him into the warehouse, the mastermind deployed three machine gunners to target Lu Xin while he himself escaped on a motorcycle.

Originally, Lu Xin and Gecko had assumed that his mentally modified followers were nearly used up. But now, he surprisingly had at least six or seven still with him, and it was unclear how he produced them so quickly.

Three multi-barrel rotary machine guns, each from a different position, aimed at Lu Xin as their bullets fanned out.

The abrupt volley of gunfire instantly overwhelmed Lu Xin.

It was as if the scene at the Jiujiang Road Intersection in the Second Satellite City had replayed.

…

…

Pitter-patter…

Roaring bullets, carrying a sharp gunpowder scent, pounded the ground where Lu Xin stood.

The concrete ground shattered in pieces, instantly ripping open a huge hole.

But Lu Xin was nowhere near where the bullets landed. As soon as the enemy fired, he had already leapt, using all his limbs to climb along the ceiling; by the time the three machine gunners reacted, he was more than halfway up.

It would take them at least over a second to re-aim their guns toward Lu Xin on the ceiling.

And that was enough time for Lu Xin to charge to their rear.

…

…

Earlier, Lu Xin had suffered a setback when five multi-barrel rotary machine guns once targeted him.

That time, it was Mom’s protection that narrowly saved him.

This time, thanks to Mom’s warning, he was extra cautious.

A Spider-type ability user, if well-prepared, is unlikely to be cornered.

…

…

“Spider-type…”

As Lu Xin clambered along the ceiling, the man in the red suit—already seated on his motorcycle, waiting to start—squinted his eyes. He quickly calculated how long it would take Lu Xin to reach him and realized there was no time for a smooth escape.

So he suddenly turned his head, fixed his gaze on Lu Xin climbing down from the ceiling, and made a quick, forceful gesture.

He abruptly raised his left hand and clutched his own throat.

Bathed in the flames from a multi-barrel rotary machine gun’s muzzle, Lu Xin’s movements on the ceiling suddenly turned strange. Instead of using all his limbs to climb forward, he abruptly raised his left hand and clutched at his own throat.

…

…

“Puppet-type Ability No.2: Forced Imitation!”

In that involuntary moment of clenching his left hand on his own throat, a thought flashed across Lu Xin’s mind.

That was one of the Puppet-type abilities mentioned in the dossier.

Puppet-type ability users cannot easily control normal people; however, when they focus, they can force one to mimic a specific action. The effective range is about five to ten meters, affecting up to three individuals at once.

The dossier even recorded one case.

Once, a Puppet-type ability user, holding an unloaded gun, pointed it at his temple and fired.

The result was that three opponents simultaneously shot themselves.

In his haste, Lu Xin certainly wouldn’t choke himself to death using his left hand.

Yet, as he was climbing along the ceiling, the moment he made that move, his body started to descend.

And beneath him, the bullets from the multi-barrel rotary machine guns cascaded like a raging torrent.

…

…

“Sister…”

If it had been Gecko coming over, there might have been no defense at that moment.

But Lu Xin wasn’t defenseless; he had a sister.

As his body began to fall, he softly called out.

Amidst the whizzing bullets, his voice was so soft that most wouldn’t hear it—but his sister did. Then, cheerfully, she flipped over, stretched out her small hand, and caught the falling Lu Xin, using her strength to propel him forward.

Halfway through his fall, Lu Xin was flung toward the far end of the warehouse, seemingly soaring through the air.

“Clack, clack…”

Amid the staccato bursts of gunfire, Lu Xin landed behind one of the firing mentally modified individuals.

With a strange and fierce motion, Lu Xin lunged and grabbed the shoulder of the man on the far left. That mentally modified person’s body twisted, resembling scorched plastic; his arms and torso contorted, affecting his movements, and the machine gun he clutched was bizarrely angled toward his comrades.

Bang, bang, bang…

A flurry of gunshots then sounded, leaving the two mentally modified individuals in chaotic disarray, blood and flesh scattered.

Lu Xin turned and glanced toward the side door of the warehouse.

The man in the red suit, still on his motorcycle, looked at him in sheer terror.

Lu Xin gradually released the mentally modified individual he had been holding, stood up slowly, and flashed a brilliant smile at him.

“You don’t always get the chance to aim your gun at me…”

Release Thoughts for ‘From the Red Moon’.

‘From the Red Moon’ is about to launch, guys—tonight at midnight.

Look, it’s already at 300,000 reads; the free period turned out to be quite lengthy. Interestingly, when I began this book, I never intended to release it—just wrote as the story flowed. In the end, it’s become my best-performing book yet.

For those concerned about the plot outline and design, there’s nothing to worry about.

After writing just over thirty chapters and discussing in-depth with friends from my reader group, I had already fleshed out the outline and settings. I had a clear direction from the start, and after years of writing xianxia, I’m well-versed in these techniques.

As the release approached, I must thank a few people: Beihe, the chief editor of our second team, and my commissioning editor, Fuchen.

It sounds unthinkable for someone who’s spent years writing xianxia to suddenly venture into sci-fi, but these two truly had my back.

Then, two more legendary authors: Quan Jinshu Dan Ke and Rong Xiaorong.

At first, when exploring this genre, inspiration was plenty, but I had no idea how to begin or convey that feeling. After a long, rambling phone call with Dan Ke (you know why I’m single—I talk to men for over an hour every day), he perversely gave me some wild ideas, and suddenly, inspiration struck.

Honestly, my opening isn’t nearly as edgy as he envisioned it to be (sorry, Dan Ke, I did it on purpose!).

After writing the opening, I hesitated, unsure if I should publish it.

One day, while chatting with Rong Xiaorong, I showed it to him, and to my surprise, he was decisive—one word: “Publish!”

I was astounded by Rong’s eccentric vibe, and quickly set up a new title.

And that’s how this story came to be known by everyone.

I released the new book almost nonchalantly, then updated it gradually. Back then, I wasn’t sure about its fate—I even told my loyal readers not to invest or force themselves to read it. But the book had its own life, climbing onto the new releases chart, attracting a dedicated following, and eventually surpassing 100,000 favorites.

That said, I don’t believe this book is meant to be a blockbuster—the genre makes it inherently niche. Sometimes, the painstaking details may only touch a few readers, while others might think I’m just rambling or complaining (and I’d never admit it’s because of my writing skills).

For those craving exhilarating, fast-paced thrills, I’ll write those scenes when the moment feels right—but I won’t force it. If you really love that kind of plot, check out my xianxia—it’s fantastic (just kidding).

Now, let me be straightforward.

Back when I wrote xianxia, I loved the dramatic highs and lows, the epic narratives that stirred the soul (I eventually found overdoing it gave me colitis). But this book is a change of pace—I add more details without forcing conflict, simply telling a good story that resonates.

From start to finish, I’ll lean toward a subtly eerie style with plenty of detail and story.

Lately, I’ve seen some urging for rapid killings—there’s really no need to rush. I won’t drag it out or speed it up; I’ll stick with this pace and tell a better story. Even if you threaten me, I won’t alter my outline.

Because of these issues, I’ve banned accounts that use foul language—if anyone was mistakenly caught, I apologize. If you truly love this book, join the group and ask the moderators for reinstatement. But for those snarky ones—I recognize some IDs; you not only read pirated copies but also criticize each of my books in varied ways…

More reports and attempts to manipulate the narrative—seriously, we don’t know each other, and I’m not your Yu Qian, so why are you doing this…

Although it’s not ideal to speak like this before release, I must say:

As an author, I truly value each reader and every subscription—but honestly, I don’t have any special affection for you.

…

…

As for promising true love for true fans, I really don’t know what to say—just that I’ll take full responsibility for my work. Lately, I’ve been juggling two projects, often collapsing in exhaustion, lying in bed as if my heart might stop at any moment. Every chapter is refined through at least three rounds of editing, and I’ll continue this meticulous approach.

Look, it’s already over a thousand words—I’ll stop here for now. I still have more writing to do, as a massive update is coming soon.

Now, here’s the list of people I want to thank:

Thanks to [Chiji] for promoting my book.

Thanks to [Jiu Ge] from [Book Drought Relief Station] for helping promote my book.

Thanks to the big shot [Gun Kai] for promoting my book.

Thanks to [The Newspaper Boy] for promoting my book—Da Feng’s updates were just too slow.

Thanks to [Rong Xiaorong] for promoting my book.

Thanks to the big shot [Jicha] for promoting my book.

Thanks to [Yu] for promoting my book.

Thanks to [Feng Yue] for promoting my book.

Lastly, I sincerely thank [Old Eagle Eats Little Chickens]—damn, you finished your book and still managed to sacrifice me.

Thanks to my two operations managers, [Aiai’s Big Sisi] and [Chief Operations Officer Gegewu].

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to my dear alliance leaders: [Tongtang], [Mustlin], [Ehemann], [Wang Shiye], [Dog Emperor Pingtouge], [Early Dawn Overlord], [Immortal Qitian], [Chief Genius Gegewu], [Fierce Nine], [Comrade ‘Don’t Move’], [Aged Wine and Faded Days], [Xinyi], [Chiba Dage], [Don’t Worry Youtiao], [Old Dao], [Changshi Daren], [Zhang Weiyu the Handsomest], [Supreme Plainclothes], [Qingsha Wanzhuang], [Jianlai Second Young Master], and [Sweeping the Horizon].

Of course, thanks also to the leaders of my Silver and Gold Alliances…

…They may not exist for now, but who knows—maybe they will someday!

…And lastly, thank you to all my unwavering supporters. Tonight, the world of Red Moon officially begins!