Heizi studied her quietly. Under the dim light, her figure appeared small, fragile even. Yet standing before him now, she felt anything but.
He shifted his gaze away and spoke in a lowered tone, "The guards will not be gone for long, we need to move quickly."
Li Shuying nodded and asked in a low voice, "Why is the security here so tight?"
Heizi did not seem surprised by the question. "This is quite common," he replied quietly. "This place is always guarded heavily." After a brief pause, he added, "There are eleven guards stationed here in total, and one of the eight core members remains inside the warehouse. He does not leave, he spends the entire night within."
Li Shuying absorbed the information without comment. Then, after a moment, she asked, "How do we get in?"
Heizi shook his head slightly. "There is only one way," he said. "Through the front. There are no other entrances."
Li Shuying's brows knit faintly. Her mind moved quickly, calculating.
"There are four guards at the front," she said. "How do you plan to deal with them?"
In response, Heizi reached beneath his robe and produced a small cloth bundle. Unwrapping it, he revealed several rough, yellow-green wild pears.
"I can try something," he said.
Li Shuying frowned. "What are you planning to do with those?"
Heizi's lips curved faintly, though there was little warmth in the expression, "I coated them with a sedative we use back in the village… for hunting wild beasts."
For a brief instant, Li Shuying's eyes sharpened.
Chloral hydrate? But she said nothing. Instead, she merely inclined her head slightly, "Be careful," she said.
Heizi did not respond. He had already begun moving.
At the front of the warehouse, the remaining guards stood in loose formation, their spears resting against their shoulders as they spoke idly to pass the time.
Heizi approached with a casual gait, as though nothing were amiss.
"I want to take a short rest," he said, his tone unremarkable. "Can some of you move to the back for a while?"
One of the guards frowned immediately.
"Why would we guard the back?" he said. "The orders are clear, the front must remain heavily guarded. What, are you tired already? The night has only just begun."
Another one said with a smirk, "Did you see something that frightened you, hmm?"
Heizi scratched the back of his neck, letting out a small, self-conscious laugh.
"It's not that," he said. "But earlier, I heard there was movement near the rear slope. You all know how Master is tonight, if anything goes wrong, none of us will escape blame."
The guards exchanged glances. There was a brief silence.
Then, with a reluctant sigh, one of the guards gestured with his chin, "Fine," he said. "You two, go check the back."
Two of the guards obeyed, picking up their spears and heading toward the rear of the warehouse.
Heizi watched them go, his expression remaining unchanged. He moved to a broken section of wall nearby and sat down casually, stretching his legs as though settling in for a brief rest.
He than glanced at the two guards and spoke in a relaxed tone, "The nights are getting colder," he said. "Early autumn always bites harder than expected."
One of the guards grunted in agreement.
Heizi reached into his robe again and brought out the cloth bundle, "Back in my village there are many pear trees on the mountain slopes. I picked some wild pears before coming here." He unwrapped the cloth, revealing the fruit, "Would you like to try?"
The guards' eyes immediately lit up, "Why didn't you say so earlier?" one of them said, stepping closer. "We've been standing here for hours, haven't had a proper bite to eat."
The other chuckled. "You finally did something useful."
Heizi smiled faintly and handed each of them a pear, keeping one for himself.
As they took their first bites, he leaned back slightly, as though relaxing, while his gaze subtly swept the surroundings, seeing no one approaching he relaxed slightly.
Heizi began speaking again, light, meaningless chatter, nothing more than idle conversation.
The two guards, unaware of the danger continued to eat the wild pears with visible satisfaction. Heizi spoke casually, his tone light. Yet his eyes remained sharp, observing every flicker of movement, every subtle change in their expressions.
It did not take long.
One of the guards frowned faintly, his grip on the pear loosening. "Strange…" he muttered, his voice sluggish. "Why does my head feel..."
Before he could finish, his body convulsed violently.
The second guard blinked, trying to steady himself, but his vision had already begun to blur. "You… what did you..."
His words cut off abruptly as his knees buckled.
Both men collapsed almost simultaneously, their bodies hitting the ground with dull thuds.
Heizi did not hesitate.
In a single swift motion, he rose and dragged them both behind the crumbling wall nearby, concealing them carefully in the shadows. He adjusted their positions, ensuring that from any casual glance, nothing would seem amiss.
Only when he was certain did he turn back, just in time to see Li Shuying already approaching him from the darkness.
Heizi lowered his voice, "Once you enter," he said, "you will find a stack of old carding drums in the far-left corner. Beneath them, there is a concealed chamber."
He paused, his gaze sharpening slightly, "But those drums are extremely heavy," he added. "Can you manage?"
Li Shuying nodded without hesitation, "Don't worry," she said calmly. "I can handle it."
Heizi studied her for a moment, then reached into his robe and took out a small tin bottle, "Take this," he said. "It's what remains of the sedative. Use it carefully. If you inhale it by mistake or it enters your mouth… you won't stay conscious for long."
Li Shuying accepted it, her fingers brushing briefly against the cold metal. She examined it for a moment before slipping it away into her system space.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
Without another word, Heizi moved to the side gate of the warehouse. He pushed it open just enough to allow her to slip through.
The interior of Warehouse Eight felt suffocating. A cluster of kerosene lamps illuminated one section of the vast space, their flickering flames casting long, wavering shadows across rusted machinery and stacked debris.
Near the light a tall, broad-shouldered man reclined lazily in a wooden chair, his eyes closed, as though asleep. His presence alone, however, carried a weight that made the air feel heavier.
Li Shuying's gaze lingered on him for only a moment, so he is one of the core members, she thought. Even at rest, he exuded the restrained tension of a trained martial artist.
But she did not falter. I am not weak either, she thought. In her previous life, she had endured more than thirty years within prison walls, and has trained under a violent, cutthroat criminal. Compared to that… this was merely another battlefield.
Her small frame was her only disadvantage.
Without wasting another breath, she slipped into the darker section of the warehouse, moving soundlessly along the edges where the light could not reach.
The deeper she went, the more oppressive the darkness became.
Old machines and their hulking shapes created a labyrinth of shadows, concealing everything within.
No one would suspect that beneath such decay… lay hidden wealth and weapons.
Li Shuying reached the far-left corner.
But here there was nothing but darkness. The faint glow of the kerosene lamps did not reach this place. Her vision blurred into black. "Damn it…" she muttered inwardly.
Extending her hands, she began to feel her way forward, touching the cold metal surfaces one by one, searching for the carding drums Heizi had mentioned.
Her movements were careful, deliberate.
Seconds stretched, the silence pressed in.
Then suddenly she heard a low and grave voice laced with a chilling menace behind her, "Looking for something?"
A shiver ran down her spine. Instinct took over and she turned sharply and saw a dark figure looming right infront of her.
The voice came again, colder this time, "How did you get in?"
Once her heartbeat settled Li Shuying once again calmly looked at his shadowed figure and let out a soft chuckle, "How did I get in?" she said, her tone light, almost mocking. "The same way you did. You think anyone can stop me?"
The man let out a cold snort, his patience already exhausted. Without another word, he lunged. His movement was sudden and explosive like a coiled spring released. His hand shot forward, fingers curled like iron claws, aiming straight for Li Shuying's throat.
Li Shuying instinctively stepped back but her heel struck cold metal, she realised she was blocked on three sides by old machines.
There was nowhere to retreat. In that fraction of a heartbeat, her mind emptied of all hesitation and her consciousness flickered and she vanished into her system space.
The man's hand tore through empty air and his eyes widened in disbelief. Before he could even process what had happened, his momentum carried forward unchecked and his palm slammed violently into one of the iron machines beside him.
A dull, heavy clang echoed through the warehouse and pain shot up his arm, "...agh!" He staggered, clutching his wrist as a sharp jolt spread through his bones.
A chill crept up his spine, "Where… is she?" he murmured hoarsely. He had seen many things in his life, blood, death, betrayal but never this. A person… disappearing into thin air. His breath grew uneven and a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.
Is she even human?
Then she suddenly reappeared, right where she had been.
The man jerked violently, his balance faltering as he stumbled backward and dropped heavily onto the ground, "Who… are you?" he demanded, his voice no longer steady.
Li Shuying let out a soft chuckle, "What?" she said lightly. "Don't you want to fight anymore?"
Before he could react she moved. Her body shifted forward with startling speed. Her left foot planted firmly, hips twisting with precision as she drove her right palm forward in a sharp, controlled classic inch-force palm aimed directly at his chest.
Bang...!
The impact was explosive. The man's body jerked as if struck by a hammer. The air was forced violently from his lungs, a strangled gasp tearing from his throat as he was thrown backward, crashing against the ground.
For a moment he couldn't breathe as his chest burned and vision blurred.
This… girl…
Realization dawned upon him, she was not just strange but also dangerous.
A trained martial artist who can disappear in the thin air, Is she… a cultivator?
But fear did not stop him, it only fueled him. With a harsh breath, he forced himself upright, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His injured wrist trembled slightly, but his stance steadied.
"You may be a ghost… or some cultivator," he said, voice hoarse but resolute, "but I will fight you to my last breath." His eyes hardened. "Otherwise… how could I face Master?"
Li Shuying's lips curved faintly, "Then you must die," she said calmly. "Don't worry... your master will join you soon enough."
He roared and charged again, this time, he held nothing back. His strikes came fast, fists cutting through the air, legs sweeping low, elbows driving in with brutal force. Each movement carried the precision of trained combat and the ferocity of a cornered beast.
Li Shuying moved, not forward but around him.
She twisted her body sideways, letting his punch graze past her sleeve. She stepped back just enough to evade a sweeping kick, then pivoted, her foot sliding across the ground as she avoided another strike aimed at her ribs.
The man's attacks grew heavier, more relentless. He pressed forward, forcing her deeper into the maze of machinery.
A fist slammed into the iron frame beside her head but thankfully she ducked, narrowly avoiding a follow-up elbow that would have shattered bone.
Her breathing remained steady, but her eyes sharpened. He's strong… Stronger than the average fighter she had encountered.
Every movement was practiced and every strike carried weight.
Soon she retaliated, a quick step forward, her fingers darted toward his throat. But he easily blocked. She pivoted her knee, rising toward his abdomen and he twisted aside.
Li Shuying retreated a step, her gaze darkening slightly. He can keep up, the realization settled in.
The man grinned grimly, blood staining his teeth, "Is that all?" he taunted, though his chest still ached from her earlier strike.
Li Shuying said nothing. Her mind was already calculating. She shifted her stance again, testing angles, probing for openings but each attempt was met with resistance.
They were evenly matched. Li Shuying narrowed her eyes, this won't work. Brute force alone would not be enough, she realised.
Then, in the midst of the tense stalemate, something flickered across Li Shuying's mind. Her expression did not change, but the sharpness in her eyes deepened. Instead of pressing forward, she suddenly stilled, her body relaxed, her stance opening just enough to appear vulnerable.
The man noticed it instantly and his lips curled into a grim smile. He surged forward without hesitation, seizing the opportunity. His steps were heavy and fast, his fist driving forward with full force, aiming to crush her before she could react.
At that very instant Li Shuying vanished again. The man's attack cut through empty air. Caught in his own momentum, he staggered forward several steps, unable to halt his charge in time.
And behind him she reappeared silently with a red brick in her hands, one she had stored within her space. Without the slightest pause, she swung it down with all her strength.
Crack...! The sound was sharp and brutal. The brick shattered upon impact, fragments scattering across the ground as blood burst from the man's scalp. His body jerked violently, a strangled cry rising in his throat, but before it could escape, Li Shuying's hand clamped tightly over his mouth.
"Mm...!" His muffled struggle lasted only a few seconds before pain overwhelmed him and his strength faltered. And then he collapsed.
Li Shuying released him slowly, her breathing steady despite the violence of the moment.
Without delay, she took out the electric torch from her space and a narrow beam of light cut through the darkness, illuminating the fallen man.
She examined him carefully, his chest still rose and fell. Though blood soaked his hair and trickled down his temple and face, his body, hardened by years of training had endured the blow.
"He won't die," she murmured softly.
Her gaze dropped to her own hand, the one she had used to silence him. It was stained with blood. A flicker of distaste crossed her face. Without hesitation, she bent down and wiped her hand clean against the man's robe. Then she rose again, turning her attention to the task at hand.
The beam of the torch swept across the shadowed corner finally falling on the carding drums. Without wasting a moment, Li Shuying stepped forward. She placed her hands upon the cold metal surface and instead of attempting to move them physically, she simply willed them away one by one into her system space. The massive drums vanished into her system space.
The ground beneath them was revealed. There, just as Heizi had said was a wooden board.
She crouched and lifted it carefully. The moment the torchlight fell into the hidden chamber below, her eyes widened.
Weapons were piled there in deadly abundance. Rifles, bolt-action military rifles, semi-automatic firearms, along with precision pieces resembling sniper rifles, far more advanced than what their military possessed.
There were also military-grade knives, compact pistols, grenades, advance bullet-resistant jackets, ropes, binoculars. It looked like they were prepared for an organized operations far beyond mere banditry.
And at the back she also saw three large wooden crates which were locked.
It must be gold, antiques and jwellery as Heizi had mentioned, she thought.
Without hesitation, she acted. With a single thought, the entire cache of weapons vanished into her system space.
She completely ignored the wooden crates.
She replaced the wooden board exactly as it had been, ensuring no trace of disturbance remained. Then, with equal precision, she brought the heavy drums back out of her space, restoring them to their original positions and stood up slowly, her expression calm.
Behind her, the unconscious man lay in a pool of blood. She did not spare him another glance. Instead, she turned toward the exit.
As she approached the side gate, the faint night air slipped in through the narrow opening.
She paused for just a fraction of a second and smirked, First step… successful...