Chapter Thirty-Four: The Alliance of Freedom

Facing the bodyguards who charged out one after another, Qiao’er burst into laughter, raising her submachine gun with excitement. She took aim at several of them, her finger poised on the trigger, but before she could fire, Lin Lei seized her firmly by the collar from behind.

“Calm down.”

Even if they were from the Bureau of Investigation, it wasn’t permissible to go on a killing spree.

Lin Lei restrained Qiao’er, then produced a badge with his other hand and displayed it to the bodyguards.

“We’re with the Special Operations Division of the Security Directorate!”

The bodyguards exchanged glances. One, braver than the rest, stepped forward and objected, “This is a private residence. Even if you’re with the Security Directorate, you can’t just—”

He didn’t finish his sentence before Chen Ning, already losing patience, interrupted him. “You clearly don’t know what the Special Operations Division does, do you? You don’t have the authority to negotiate with us!”

In truth, now that matters had escalated to this point, Chen Ning had no choice but to trust Li Xueshu.

Lin Lei released his grip on Qiao’er.

“Hmph!” Qiao’er’s face flashed with annoyance as she once again raised her submachine gun, its dark muzzle pointed straight at the group.

Instantly, the bodyguards wilted.

Chen Ning stepped forward to disarm them all, cuffing their wrists and confirming, “They’re just ordinary people…”

Li Xueshu nodded, glancing at the door to the basement nearby, then proceeded directly upstairs.

Lin Lei followed closely behind.

Qiao’er and Chen Ning remained on the first floor, keeping watch over the subdued bodyguards.

Li Xueshu stopped before a room on the second floor.

“Come out. How much longer do you intend to hide?”

The door remained tightly shut, no sound or response coming from within.

Li Xueshu only smiled and shook her head, then pressed her palm against the door.

With a boom, the bedroom door exploded into splinters, and only then did a piercing scream ring out.

Lin Lei saw, huddled in a corner of the bedroom, a sharp-chinned woman—the owner of the villa, Gao Yue.

“Please, don’t hurt me!”

Gao Yue’s wavy hair tumbled over her silk nightgown, exposing swathes of pale skin as she cowered in terror.

Li Xueshu shook her head, her gaze flickering with a subtle expression as she looked at the woman.

“I am Li Xueshu from Biyang City’s Bureau of Investigation. I suspect you’re involved in the recent string of disappearances and attacks in the Uptown District. If you value your life, you’ll come with me.”

“What are you talking about?!”

Gao Yue looked utterly bewildered, her terror unabated.

“I’m warning you, the villa’s alarm system is directly connected to the Security Directorate. The police will be here any minute—and my father… Do you even know who he is?”

“You’re wasting my time,” Li Xueshu said coldly, drawing a silver pistol from her waist.

With a swift motion, she pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Just as the flash of gunfire lit up the room, a ripple like water appeared in the air in front of Gao Yue, halting the flaming bullet just ten centimeters from her forehead.

With a metallic clatter, the bullet fell to the floor.

Lin Lei’s lips twitched at the sight. Not only was Li Xueshu ruthlessly direct, but the bullet’s sudden suspension confirmed her suspicions—Gao Yue, too, was someone who had set foot in the extraordinary world.

“Art of Freedom?”

A flicker of intrigue passed through Li Xueshu’s eyes. She looked at Gao Yue with curiosity, noting the black bracelet on her wrist.

“So it’s not the idiots from the Church of the Ghouls after all. I didn’t expect you to be with the Freedom Alliance… You’ve infiltrated quite deeply, haven’t you? Let me guess—the real Gao Yue is either dead… or you’ve hidden her away?”

Gao Yue rose to her feet, her previous panic gone, replaced by a chill.

“Aren’t you afraid you’re wrong? If I really am ‘Gao Yue’ and you kill me, you’ll face no small amount of trouble yourself, won’t you?”

With all pretense dropped, Gao Yue’s eyes brimmed with caution as she stared at Li Xueshu.

Li Xueshu smiled. “But… I’m not wrong, am I?”

Lin Lei’s expression turned strange.

Li Xueshu’s confidence was truly unmatched.

Gao Yue exhaled deeply, resignation washing over her features. “I don’t understand, Li Xueshu. For a few ghouls, why would someone like you be sent here?”

In truth, had Lin Lei not been attacked, even if the Bureau had discovered ghouls stirring up trouble in the city, it was unlikely they would have dispatched an investigator—let alone Li Xueshu, a third-rank investigator.

Li Xueshu chuckled, her eyes cool as she gazed at Gao Yue. “Since you recognize me, will you surrender and come back to the Bureau, or will you force me to kill you on the spot?”

Gao Yue took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with a sharp, dangerous light.

“To me, is there really much difference between the two?”

Li Xueshu’s smile turned icy. “You’re right… Members of the Freedom Alliance must die!”

Gao Yue and Li Xueshu stared at each other, a twisted smile curling Gao Yue’s lips.

“I’ve heard of your reputation, Li Xueshu. An A-rank elemental… but seeing you today, you’re not so impressive after all.”

Li Xueshu let out a soft “heh.” “You dare say that—what, just because you’ve been stalling for time, secretly preparing that Art of Freedom?”

At those words, Gao Yue’s expression changed instantly.

She raised her hand suddenly, the black bracelet on her wrist emitting a translucent band inscribed with runes.

A spark flared in her palm, swelling in an instant to engulf the furniture in the room, flames spreading toward Li Xueshu and Lin Lei like a wildfire.

A searing wave of heat surged forth, making Lin Lei instinctively shield his face with crossed arms.

But the expected pain and burning never came. Instead, a chill swept over him.

Lowering his arms, Lin Lei saw that the entire room was ablaze with ghostly violet fire, yet a sudden barrier of ice shielded him and Li Xueshu, keeping the flames at bay.

Clearly, this was no ordinary fire—it was imbued with supernatural power, and within seconds the room was an inferno.

Yet the ice barrier protected Li Xueshu and Lin Lei completely.

“I gave you all that time to prepare, and this is the level of Art of Freedom you muster? Perhaps enough for an ordinary third-tier, but against me… heh…” Li Xueshu shook her head, stepping forward calmly with a raised hand.

Blue, tangible cold radiated from her, wave after wave, and in an instant the fire was snuffed out.

In the blink of an eye, the room became a chamber of snow-white ice.

With the flames gone, Lin Lei could see Gao Yue again by the window, her face frozen in shock and terror.

“How can this be? We’re both third-tier…”

Li Xueshu extended a finger.

Icicles materialized before her, vanishing in a flash.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

On the other side—

Crack!

The watery curtain before Gao Yue shattered.

Slick!

The power of the ice pierced through her defense, running straight through her body.

The force carried her back, smashing through the window behind and sending her crashing heavily to the ground below.