Gou Yitian suddenly realized he had been too showy. Gou Yitian scurried back, phone held up to light the way. "Brother Da Ri, watch your step. The ground is sticky."
Brother Da Ri nodded. Maybe he was overthinking it. Brother Da Ri slipped a gun from his clothes anyway. Better safe than sorry.
Then the same scene replayed.
"Brother Da Bi, where are you?"
"Damn it, what is all this slick stuff on the floor? Somebody use a flashlight."
The men at the front had just crossed the threshold when three giant nets crashed down. Half the rest found their ankles trapped and locked. At the same time, Jing An, Jing Shu, and the repeating crossbows from the Cube Space went biu-biu, bolts hissing out. The unprepared men erupted into screams and curses.
Eight were caught under the nets. The steel rings at the doorway clamped the remaining seven. Compared to the last wave, this was much easier. They were off guard and there were fewer of them.
"You bastard Da Bi, did you sell us out? Where is that woman? Did they buy you?" Gou Yitian shouted.
"Da Bi, let us talk. If you want big brother's chair, I will give it to you. Get us out first."
Brother Da Ri fought to free his trapped foot while lifting his pistol to aim.
In the dim phone glow, they could only see the men ahead turned into pincushions and lying motionless. Those shackled at the door dropped in fear. A sticky warmth spread over their hands. "Blood. The floor is covered in blood."
In the darkness, Jing Shu clearly saw the gun in Brother Da Ri's hand. Jing Shu's eyes glittered brighter.
Jing Shu untied Brother Da Bi and gave him a hard kick. "Your job is done. You can go."
Jing An blurted, "We cannot release him." Jing Shu put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Watch."
Disheveled and pale, Brother Da Bi stepped into the cone of weak light. A twisted smile tugged at Brother Da Bi's mouth. Brother Da Bi staggered toward the door. "Dead. All dead. Every last one of them."
"What happened? Explain."
"They were all slaughtered. They are demons. Too terrifying. That woman made me lure you here. Blame her."
Brother Da Bi walked faster. "I am going home. I am done. Let him build his new social order if he wants."
Brother Da Bi edged past the men shackled at the door and sprinted for the dark.
He ran.
Bang.
A shot cracked. Brother Da Ri turned and put a bullet in the back of Brother Da Bi's head. Brother Da Bi froze, then collapsed.
"So you just did as you were told and lured us here?" Brother Da Ri snorted. Then more bangs rang in his ears. Pain like fire stabbed Brother Da Ri's abdomen and right chest. Brother Da Ri toppled backward and his gun flew.
Jing Shu burst from the dark, tucked into a roll, and scooped up the fallen pistol. Only then did they finally see the woman Gou Yitian had raved about.
"Perfect. One more gun." Jing Shu holstered the weapon. A few stubborn fools were already dialing for help. Jing Shu did not waste words. Jing Shu twisted their necks, one after another.
Flat on his back, Brother Da Ri watched Jing Shu finish the survivors, then drag the corpses from inside the villa and toss them out. Only then did Brother Da Ri understand why Brother Da Bi had called Jing Shu a demon. With such simple methods, Jing Shu had wiped them out?
Gou Yitian shook his head in terror. "Impossible. This is impossible. Damn it." Gou Yitian knew he was finished. So earlier, when the woman came to his place, she had shown mercy. This was her real face.
"Help!" Gou Yitian howled.
Jing Shu walked over with a stack of wet papers. Jing Shu bound the struggling Gou Yitian first, then waved the sheets. "Do you know what this is?"
Gou Yitian shook his head, eyes wide with fear.
"Ever heard of Paper Mask?" Jing Shu narrowed her eyes. This was the man who had brought dozens of robbers. Jing Shu should have ended him earlier. Then none of this would have happened.
Gou Yitian shook his head frantically. Someone save him. Anyone.
"You soak sheets of paper and layer them on your face until you suffocate. They say it is far worse than having your neck snapped. I had planned to send you off tonight anyway. Now works too."
Gou Yitian finally broke, sobbing in fear.
Brother Da Ri swallowed with difficulty. Brother Da Ri had been shot in the belly and right chest. The pain pinned Brother Da Ri to the ground. Brother Da Ri knew tonight was the end. "Just make it quick." Brother Da Ri closed his eyes. If he could choose, he would take a broken neck. Too bad he was not getting his wish.
Sirens wailed. In minutes, three or four patrol cars rolled up to the villa. More than thirty armed police jumped out. Jing Shu quietly slipped both pistols back into the Cube Space and went to meet Minister Niu Mou as he hurried over.
Inside the villa, Su Lanzhi had heard the noise and came out as well.
"Director Su, Jing Shu, is your family safe? As soon as I heard, I came. I hope I am not too late. What are the casualties?" Minister Niu Mou asked.
"It is alright. We survived," Su Lanzhi said, shaking Minister Niu Mou's hand in thanks.
Minister Niu Mou had braced for the worst. He had heard that at least dozens of knife-wielding robbers had surrounded the villa. Minister Niu Mou knew this smelled bad. He thought he might be here only to collect bodies.
Even so, Minister Niu Mou swallowed his pride and begged a good friend to bring men. He had not expected this. "Hm? It looks like Jing Shu was the one who controlled the scene. That seems off. Also, whose corpses are these?"
More than thirty armed police formed rings around the gate, staring at the heap of bodies and the two survivors on the ground.
Gou Yitian let out a long breath of relief and wept with joy. "Help. I am finally saved. This woman is a demon. She killed dozens. She was going to kill me too. Arrest her."
"What is this?" a young officer beside Minister Niu Mou asked, confused. "Did we not come to rescue someone? Where are the victims? Where are the knife-wielding robbers?"
"Allow me to introduce Major Yang Yang of the Armed Police Detachment. We could not have brought this many people without him," Minister Niu Mou said.
Facing Major Yang Yang's look, the family scrambled for words. Jing Shu coughed lightly. "This stack of bodies are the knife-wielding robbers. This one is Gou Yitian, the man who led 'Bi Ri' to try to take over our community. This is Brother Da Ri, one of their leaders."
"'Bi Ri,' is it? What a coincidence." Major Yang Yang's eyes lit up. "He is still alive?"
"Yes."
"Then we will take this one." Major Yang Yang hauled Brother Da Ri up. "You know about that person, right?"
"Who?" Brother Da Ri gritted his teeth. "I do not know."
"Whether you know or not, listen closely. Cattle can be injected with dozens of jin of water to bloat them for market, and they do not die. If a person is injected with 3 jin (1.5 kg) of water, the pain makes them wish for death. If it is dozens of jin, say about 20 to 40 jin (10 to 20 kg), well, you can imagine."