Chapter 79: Twisted Logic

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat…

The deafening roar of gunfire filled the surrounding space.

Flashes from the muzzles flickered, plunging the area into a rapid strobe of light and shadow.

The men accompanying Mr. Xu were well-trained private armed guards.

As they charged closer they instinctively formed a line, unleashing a merciless barrage at Lu Xin. Their aim was precise, their attack vicious. Yet, through their sights they saw Lu Xin meet their bullets with what looked disturbingly like excitement. His body twisted unnaturally in mid-air shifting several meters sideways, the bullets hitting empty space.

By the time they scrambled to readjust their aim Lu Xin had already closed the distance.

Under the intermittent glare of gunfire and streetlights his figure moved with eerie speed, like a fleeting afterimage. The guard on the far left frantically swung his weapon towards him but just as the muzzle found its target Lu Xin was already right in front of him.

His face pressed against the gun barrel.

The guard’s heart leaped in terror and he yanked the trigger.

Lu Xin, still staring down the barrel, offered a chilling grin. A tilt of his head was all it took to dodge the whistling bullet. He reached out grabbing the guard’s arm. An icy chill instantly spread through the man’s right limb as if invaded by frost rendering it unresponsive. Shock and fury surged through him as his left hand darted down to draw the dagger strapped to his thigh.

But just as he pulled the dagger free his right hand, seemingly acting on its own, drew the handgun from his waist and fired into his left arm.

His own hands were fighting each other, and brutally at that.

Immediately it wasn’t just his hands fighting. His legs tangled together his body contorting into a grotesque folded shape as if his right shoulder had fallen in love with his left abdomen his left ribs smitten with his right cheek…

…

…

The other armed guards watched frozen as a dark blur flashed past their leftmost comrade, twisting him into an unrecognizable shape. Indescribable horror gripped them. No longer worried about hitting their teammate they simultaneously raised their guns and fired wildly in that direction.

But while their bullets riddled their fallen teammate the dark shadow was gone.

They searched frantically looking everywhere before suddenly glancing up to find Lu Xin standing right in their midst.

He even wore a smile that suggested he found this all very amusing.

Stunned they all scrambled backward raising their guns.

But in that instant Lu Xin’s bizarre shadow had already swept through them.

“Clatter! Bang!”

Someone screamed swinging a dagger at the shadow only to feel a sudden coldness on his neck. His arm had twisted impossibly backward. He thought he was striking forward but instead he viciously slashed his own throat…

Someone else fired wildly but the gunshots erupted from behind him.

He looked down only to realize his neck had somehow been twisted 180 degrees; he was staring backward.

It was impossible to describe the sheer level of chaos in that moment.

The quiet villa entrance suddenly exploded into a cacophony of gunfire, screams and bullets ricocheting off the ground.

Everyone twisted into strange contorted shapes like puppets whose strings had gone haywire.

Amidst the mayhem some heard the faint, echoing laughter of a little girl.

…

…

The gunfire had started abruptly and the eerie silence that followed descended just as suddenly.

Seven or eight bodyguards lay twisted on the ground. Some made no sound at all.

Others still clung to life but were utterly stunned into silence by the scene before them.

“Heehee, fun, so much fun…”

Lu Xin appeared amidst the tangled limbs of the armed squad, the scattered firearm parts, daggers, bullet casings and human parts. He turned his head slightly looking towards his Sister. She was crouching beside him her eyes shining darkly clapping her hands softly. She surveyed the surrounding chaos like an artist admiring her masterpiece, her face alight with excitement.

Sensing Lu Xin’s gaze she suddenly looked up seemingly wary.

As if afraid Lu Xin might scold her.

But Lu Xin just looked at her for a moment then gently bent down and patted her head. No praise but no reprimand either.

Then he straightened up surveying the scene.

…

…

To others it looked as if Lu Xin’s form had suddenly turned bizarre then instantly reverted to normal. He seemed completely motionless as if the terrifying shadowy figure hadn’t been him at all as if none of this had anything to do with him.

He carefully lifted his feet stepping around the armed guards on the ground as if afraid to tread on them.

Then he walked towards Mr. Xu and his daughter standing on the steps by the entrance.

“Bang…”

A gunshot suddenly rang out from behind him. Lu Xin turned his body with that strange fluidity.

He saw that the butler who had fallen earlier had finally managed to struggle enough to accidentally pull the trigger.

And the gun that had been aimed squarely at his own forehead instantly claimed his life.

Lu Xin seemed relieved and continued walking forward.

…

…

“Mr. Lone Soldier…”

A trembling voice suddenly called out from the side.

Lu Xin paused slightly turning his head to look.

It was Fat Manager Liu. Meeting Lu Xin’s gaze he instinctively took a step back.

He had encountered Ability Users before, even witnessed them settling issues privately. But clearly the abilities he’d seen—some wondrous, some strange—had always evoked a sense of amazement. What he saw today however instilled genuine fear, a bone-chilling dread…

It was as if even though this person was just looking at him quietly now with no apparent anger or hostility…

He could still feel an unnerving sensation crawling up his spine.

Like being targeted by something incredibly dangerous.

“Mr. Lone Soldier, I wanted to say…”

He paused forcing his voice not to tremble. “Whatever the issue, it’s always better to discuss things. Mr. Xu holds significant status in the Main City. Some matters… following reason… is better than escalating things until nobody can clean up the mess…”

Hearing this Lu Xin showed a surprised expression. “Wasn’t I being reasonable?”

“No… that’s not what I meant…”

Fat Manager Liu quickly explained, “I mean, it didn’t have to come to this.”

Lu Xin frowned slightly then glanced at the daughter held tightly in Mr. Xu’s arms. “She pointed her gun at me first.”

After a moment he added, “And she definitely intended to shoot.”

“That… Yes, Miss Xu was in the wrong…”

Fat Manager Liu stammered not denying the point but trying hard to explain:

“But with your abilities subduing her would have been easy. Was it really necessary… to ruin her hand?”

Lu Xin’s brow furrowed as if genuinely pondering the question.

After thinking for a moment he said seriously, “Are you saying I should have gone easy on her?”

Fat Manager Liu blinked, momentarily confused but it did seem to be the logical point…

Lu Xin shook his head. “Just because I have abilities doesn’t mean I have to yield to her.”

“We are equals. I don’t use my ability to bully her and she shouldn’t bully me just because she doesn’t have one.”

“Right?”

…

Lu Xin delivered these words with utter seriousness.

Although he also felt his Sister might have gone a bit too far he knew he shouldn’t blame her for something like this or shift the responsibility onto her. After all one had to distinguish between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Furthermore if his Sister hadn’t helped him he would just be an ordinary person. And if he were an ordinary person why should he have to yield to her?

Nobody should bully anyone else. That’s true fairness.

“This…”

Faced with Lu Xin’s earnest words Fat Manager Liu was clearly stunned.

After a long moment he could only lament, “Even so, now that it’s reached this point, it won’t be easy to resolve…”

“Exactly…”

Lu Xin nodded unexpectedly. “If everyone had just been reasonable things wouldn’t have gotten this far. I would have helped cure her pollution and dealt with the Pollution Source… I wouldn’t have even charged extra… Her hand wouldn’t be injured, the butler upstairs wouldn’t be dead these bodyguards would be fine and you wouldn’t be here worrying like this…”

“Now that it’s become such a mess…”

He glanced at Mr. Xu and his daughter. “They definitely need to reflect on their actions!”

…

Fat Manager Liu was suddenly speechless.

He vaguely sensed something was wrong but logically he couldn’t find fault with Lu Xin’s words.

Seeing he had nothing more to say Lu Xin continued walking forward.

“You…”

Only when Lu Xin stood right before him did Mr. Xu finally react.

He hugged his daughter tightly trying to shrink back his voice dry and strained as he yelled, “What exactly do you want?”

“Do… do you really think just because you joined that department… you can act lawlessly?”

…

“I don’t think I’m acting lawlessly…”

Lu Xin glanced at him calmly. “I’m just saving your lives. Whatever that painting you want to hide is, whatever you plan to do with it none of that matters. I’m just certain about one thing: that painting is definitely not something you can casually dispose of. Especially if something really goes wrong it won’t just be you who suffers.”

“So even if you don’t want my help I have to intervene.”

As he spoke he glanced at Fat Manager Liu adding, “After all your business is just a private matter.”

“But handling these things is part of my official duties… one of them!”

…

“You… how did you know?”

Mr. Xu froze then suddenly realized Lu Xin had mentioned the painting. His expression changed drastically.

“What I need to discuss with you now is something else.”

Lu Xin ignored his question looking at him seriously. “According to regulations I cannot allow you to privately hoard a Pollution Source. Originally if you had agreed we could have resolved this smoothly. Then I could have helped maintain your confidentiality or other things as per the contract terms. But now it seems you’re being particularly uncooperative on this matter.”

“Therefore I now need to report this incident to my superiors.”

“Since you were uncooperative first reporting it can’t be considered a breach of contract on my part…”

“You can understand that right?”

…

Lu Xin stated these points very seriously.

After all violating the contract meant not getting paid.

So clarifying responsibility was very important.