Chapter 130: The Younger Brother Enters the Stage

From the rooftop, Ye Chen let out a triumphant shout when he saw the refrigerated truck begin to detour. This was exactly the effect he had aimed for. Compared to the intricate and complex traffic conditions of the market district, victory was merely a matter of guarding the key intersections. Due to the city's urban planning, the residential districts were laid out with remarkable regularity and order. While the roads crisscrossed, they all eventually led toward the workshop district. Therefore, his instruction to Jin Yinghui and the others had been simple: "Get as many people in the residential districts out on patrol as possible." The moving crowds would force the target to constantly change routes, helping to buy him time.

As for why Ye Chen judged the workshop district to be the target, the reason was simple: it provided direct access to the Inner City Prison. Combined with the information gathered from the Extraordinary Bureau, if the Research Bureau was involved, then using the prison to receive the abducted children was entirely consistent with the underhanded, collusive operations typical of the various inner-city departments.

The truck took a zigzag path, but he moved in a straight line. With their speeds being comparable, the distance between them narrowed steadily until the vehicle entered Ye Chen’s range—the range of his prismatic throwing darts. Yet, even so, Ye Chen held back. He was tempted to manifest a volley of darts and hurl them; at a cost of only five points per dart, he could afford it, feeling quite confident in his current reserves. But the target would have to be the tires or the driver’s cabin... At this thought, Ye Chen’s mouth twitched. "Ugh, what if I accidentally hurt the children inside?!" Lacking confidence in his own precision for the moment, he reluctantly abandoned that skill. "If the truck were empty, I would have already unleashed a rain of blades on it. It seems I need to accelerate my cultivation and increase its intensity. Just focusing on increasing my internal energy reserves isn't enough; if my skills don't keep pace, my methods remain too limited."

He inexplicably recalled a remark You Zhi had made offhandedly when they left the archives: "When your talent cannot yet support your ideals, you should calm your mind and study diligently; when your strength cannot yet master your skills, you should bury your heart and train arduously." ...A humble self-reflection from our protagonist.

The distance closed further. "Closer... come closer!" Ye Chen urged himself, sprinting with all his might. If he could just get close enough, he would slash the tires and put an end to their escape. At critical moments, his close-quarters combat ability remained the most reliable. Just then, Ye Chen reached the edge of a rooftop, and the refrigerated truck happened to pass directly beneath his feet. "Hah!"

With a roar, Ye Chen vaulted into the air, his movements a mix of resolve and grit. Like a hawk descending from the heavens, he lunged toward the passing truck. Ma Tupeng, in the driver’s cabin, turned his head to see the figure suddenly leaping down. Through the glass, their eyes met. He saw a mocking expression on Ye Chen’s face, as if to say, "I've finally caught you!" Seeing the man about to crash into the cabin door, Ma Tupeng frantically jerked the steering wheel, veering the truck to the right to swerve the body of the vehicle.

A dull "thud" echoed as flesh collided with metal. Ye Chen slammed heavily into the side of the cargo box. He quickly reached out and grabbed the edge of the roof, hanging on. Turning his head to look into the side mirror, their eyes locked once more, and he clearly saw the driver's face: a bland, unremarkable middle-aged man. If he were to shed the fierce, contorted expression he currently wore, Ye Chen believed he would look like a rather gentle person in everyday life. It matched the description provided by the tea stall owner perfectly.

Ma Tupeng realized instantly that he was being targeted. Perhaps the people patrolling the streets were all looking for him. His only thought now was to shake the man off—to shake him off and reach the workshop district as quickly as possible. The truck began to snake through the streets, swerving left and right. Ye Chen’s body hung like a sack of grain, banging against the side of the truck repeatedly. But he refused to let go, already contemplating his next move. He could withstand the impact. By now, residents in the houses and the patrols on the streets had witnessed this thrilling scene. Hearing the rhythmic thuds, they couldn't help but wince in sympathy for "Mr. Sack."

Having adjusted to the rhythm, Ye Chen realized the driver couldn't shake him off. He freed one hand, tilted his body slightly, and prepared to draw his broken blade from his pocket. Such sheet metal would not be able to stop his edge. But just then, danger struck.

"Bang!" A pale, sharp object suddenly pierced out from the interior of the cargo box with incredible speed.

"Pfft!" The sound of a blade cutting through cloth.

Hanging by one hand, Ye Chen felt a sharp, searing pain in his lower abdomen and instinctively looked down. A long, white spear of unknown material had torn through his coat and sliced his abdomen. The tip of the spear was stained with his blood. With a "whoosh," the spear was rapidly retracted back into the cargo hold.

"Damn it, this is bad!" Suddenly realizing what was about to happen, Ye Chen ignored the pain and, having no time to draw his blade, let go of the roof edge. He kicked off the side of the truck to propel himself away. A "thwack" of a piercing strike sounded again, aiming directly for the chest of the retreating Ye Chen, but it missed.

That was close! A split second more, and his heart would have been pierced through. The sound of his body slamming against the side of the truck had given his accomplice inside a precise target. If he hadn't shifted his body, he would have been run through. But it wasn't over; the rear door of the refrigerated truck was kicked open from the inside with great force, and a figure leaped from the moving vehicle.

"Hiss..." It wasn't the pain that made Ye Chen gasp, but the horrifying appearance of the figure before him. The nearby residents, who had been holding their breath for Ye Chen a moment ago, now covered their mouths in shock, unable to speak. The faint-hearted turned away, unable to bear the sight. A normal person consists of skin, then flesh, and finally bone. But this mutant defied all human biology: he was all bone, with the skin and flesh layered over them. His bones were entirely exposed. Through the gaps between the bones, one could see the raw, crimson muscle beneath.

He stood on the street like a monster clad in pale, bony armor. The bones of his left arm had fused into a circular shield, while a sharp, white bone spear extended from his right knuckles. The spear, about a meter long, was fused directly to his fist, looking more like a gauntlet blade. This was exactly what had wounded Ye Chen; the crimson stain on the tip was proof enough. At this moment, even Ye Chen felt a sense of absurdity... What kind of ability had this man awakened?!