Chapter 00123: No Battle in Cliff City
# No Battle in Cliff City
Chapter 123
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 123: No Battle in Cliff City
Safe at last!
Even though the little boy who served as my lifesaver was even prettier than me, something just didn’t feel right.
But when I saw that familiar face appear on my screen for a split second, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief—Is this the sense of security that Bai Lu gives me?
No wonder Xiao An is so reliable.
It really calms the heart!
At the very beginning, the long-charged projection turned out to be nothing more than a greeting.
But the moment Xiao An climbed to the high ground, the wind from his sleeve unleashed a storm of steel.
The thunder rumbled repeatedly, the metal showered down like a torrential rain, and the ground shook with every impact.
All I could see was a series of straight white lines cutting through the air, each one pointing directly at the enemy swallowed by the storm on the ground.
In an instant, the blazing red metal fragments, accompanied by booming thunder, plunged into the bodies of countless Chosen.
Heads, necks, hearts, livers, both hands, tendons, legs, even the lower regions…
The sheer destructive power, comparable to a state-of-the-art anti-material sniper rifle, burst open billowing mists of blood.
With just the impact, countless chunks of flesh and shattered bones were blasted away.
Yet, it just wouldn’t stop.
It was as if it were whipping a corpse—
“Brother Ji Jue, watch out!”
A tense voice rang out, “His array is from the Empire’s Iron Guard!”
The Chosen of this faction are descendants of the Empire’s military, known for their rugged fortitude and defensive warfare.
The mountain land dragon army, famous for holding off enemies many times their number in brutal trench battles, relied on this array month after month during endless sieges.
Countless foes had met their fate in what felt like a giant meat grinder.
In Bai Lu’s wild senses, Xiao An naturally detected the blessings and aura that his enemy had just used.
The blessings could predict the enemy’s next move – “Overcoming the Enemy and Taking the Initiative”; with “Lion’s Rally”, even in pain and interference, one could still unleash a full hundred percent force as long as there was a single breath left; and with “Wind Sweeping Away the Clouds”, both offensive and charging attacks became unstoppable…
If it really was the Iron Guard, then…
This level of injury might not be enough to render the opponent combat-ineffective!
In that moment, amidst the spreading blood, that mangled body twitched again.
Its shattered face, with flesh and what remained of its jaws, convulsed awkwardly halfway.
It offered, out of instinct, a prayer.
“O Mighty Soldier of Gao Yuan, I dedicate all my suffering to you—”
In that instant, within the searing, rising crimson flames, the shattered corpse began to rapidly rebuild before my very eyes!
Flesh regenerated, bones reconnected, skin wriggled as it grew, and on its mutated face, twisted demonic horns emerged.
One by one, blood-red eyes snapped open along its cheeks.
Then, as though a black-red armor made from hardened blood crust appeared in the flames.
Thud!
The iron fragment Xiao An had thrown embedded itself in that armor!
When the blessings “Fierce Battle”, “Flame of the Soul”, and “Blood Drinking” – blessings so common among the Chosen – were activated, they truly unleashed the effects of the Iron Guard array.
— “Reviving the Flag!”
In the blink of an eye, it was fully revived!
I was utterly stunned.
After barely managing to take down a Chosen, that damn bastard transformed into a second stage and came back full health…
What the hell is the point of even fighting now!
Even though such a terrifying effect clearly consumes a significant amount of spiritual essence, the issue was that from what I remembered, the ritual for the Iron Guard’s advancement granted Chosen the ability to steal the enemy’s spiritual essence through “Soul Conquest” upon killing them!
Although this stealing effect only reached about 50–60% at best, accompanied by heavy burdens on one’s consciousness and significant side effects, now the guy in front of me had mutated completely.
He was well beyond any point of reason!
Did anyone really expect him to balance out his losses with gains?
Boom!
A tremendous explosion shattered the air once again.
Had it not been for Xiao Niu Ma’s sudden burn-out drift in place, I reckon I would have been knocked off my vehicle.
But the enemy simply reached down, grabbed a broken piece of a curb from the ground, and tossed it at me.
Even so, the truck’s cargo bed was struck by flying shattered stones.
Amid Xiao Niu Ma’s agonized honking, it instantly dented and deformed.
I nearly lost my mind:
“I just got that paint fixed the day before yesterday!!!”
Damn it, my truck didn’t even have insurance.
I’ve looked all over Cliff City and couldn’t find an insurance company willing to cover Xiao Niu Ma’s three-wheeled ride.
I’ll have to fix this metal body myself.
“Charge! Charge! Charge!!!”
The blood-stained Chosen lifted their heads, brandishing long knives, and howled crazily, “Dragon Army, eternal victory! Eternal victory! Eternal victory!”
Once again, they began singing stirring military songs, completely immersed in the battle.
With a wild laugh, they swung their arms.
They chopped down every iron fragment thrown by Xiao An, advancing step by step.
But suddenly, one of them stumbled.
A motorcycle parked by the roadside suddenly started, accelerating relentlessly as it leaped into the air.
The vehicle, weighing several hundred jin, tumbled midair and slammed directly into Herbert.
However, with a swift, precise slash, he cleaved it clean in two, and it exploded!
Gasoline splattered and burst into flames, yet he seemed fearless of the burning heat, completely indifferent.
His blood-red eyes fixed on me.
The blessing “Wind Sweeping Away the Clouds” charged up once more and surged forward out of the blood-fire!
Then it collided head-on with an empty SUV.
The tremendous explosion roared.
Before he could steady himself again, I gritted my teeth and pointed to a rusted road maintenance truck nearby.
“Kill him for me now!!!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
One vehicle after another, I barely had time to think.
Anyway, most of the others had already fled.
Now there was little chance of friendly fire.
Besides, I was working for an official agency—who cares about a little compensation, right?
Today, the Safety Bureau is footing the bill for all the damages!
Amid the roaring chaos, explosions kept coming.
Tong Hua looked completely dazed watching the scene.
Until eventually, a loud, powerful horn blast rang out from the distance, raising a wild gust and more deafening noise while tires spun furiously as a vehicle sped towards us.
She couldn’t help but gasp in terror, “Holy—”
Wait, big brother, wait—calm down!
For crying out loud, who exactly is here to cause trouble in Cliff City?!
And the final encore turned out to be an oil tanker that Ji Jue had grabbed from a nearby road!
In an instant, silver chains burst through its window, yanked out the terrified driver aside, and I raised my hand to wipe the nosebleed caused by overusing my spiritual essence without hesitation:
“Die for me!”
Boom!!!
In the midst of swirling vehicle wreckage, that figure was instantly engulfed.
The violent collision sent a roar that could shatter every window in the whole block.
Flames danced and burst explosively, storms spread and escalated, thick smoke billowed upward.
Amid the frantic blaze, the dim yellow clouds turned blood red.
Scorching heat waves pounded in our faces.
Tong Hua gulped dryly and looked back, hesitating to speak, only to see that my actions still hadn’t ceased?!
I looked down and without pausing, rummaged through Xiao Niu Ma’s cargo bed to pull out a… six-barrel machine gun?!
Ever since the last time I got my head locked by a sniper just for stepping out the door, I’ve made it a point to carry every tool and piece of gear with me whenever I leave the workshop.
Besides, with Xiao Niu Ma around, I didn’t have to carry them myself.
Since returning from the shattered realm, I had only recently managed to repair this machine gun.
I even thought of handing it over to Sister Laila after the mission was done.
I never expected it would come in handy today.
In Tong Hua’s wide-eyed, almost ghostly gaze, my hands moved so fast they almost blurred.
In a matter of mere seconds, I had assembled it onto the hardened mercury support.
The gun’s muzzle lifted, zeroing in on that patch of dancing flames and rubble.
“No, big brother, what are you doing…”
Tong Hua gaped, “What on earth are you up to?”
I grew solemn and replied, “Stay alert. In horror movies, the losers always die this way… a little smoke and no harm, get it?”
Tong Hua’s lips moved several times as if to speak, but no words emerged.
Damn it, in horror movies those poor university students always end up dying, but none of them go around carrying an oil tanker and blowing people up in the streets like a lunatic!
Which family member turns into a terrorist the moment they get worked up like that?!
But then, I heard footsteps amidst the flames.
Step by stumbling step.
A blurry figure, almost like a charred corpse, dragged a broken, melting blade, slowly rose from the scorched depths of hell.
He was… still alive?!
Even if his body and blood were already on fire.
“Sounds… their… voices…”
Herbert staggered forward instinctively, his eyes moving dumbly and painfully as he searched.
But all sound had vanished.
It was eerily quiet.
When his burnt-out eyes looked ahead, amid his half-delirious hallucinations, he suddenly seemed to understand.
Fire.
It was fire.
At the end of this hellish nightmare, that majestic tide filling the sky and covering the land was beautiful—as if it were the very crystallization of destruction and death.
That was it—the end of the road.
From his charred throat came a laugh that sounded almost like crying.
He gasped for breath, stumbling forward, step by troubled step…
Towards me.
But now, I wasn’t afraid anymore.
At that moment, someone appeared beside me.
It was Old Zhang.
As we watched the dying beast gradually shatter amid its anguished cries, and its burning footprints abruptly halted halfway, Herbert looked up and collapsed.
In his blurry vision, the blood on the sky above slowly faded away.
The sunset was magnificent, the dusk resplendent.
A severed arm lifted weakly, reaching in vain for the last trace of sunset.
And with that, everything fell apart.
The endless war was finally over.
At last, I could get a good night’s sleep…
After the enemy fell, Old Zhang surveyed the area to ensure there was no hidden threat, then patted my shoulder.
“You did well. I thought I’d have to help out, but you handled it all yourself,” he said wistfully. “It was just a bit too massive in scale.”
Looking at the unbelievable scene before us, he couldn’t help but tap his bald head.
The ability these youngsters have when stirring up trouble is not to be underestimated.
Before I knew it, you’d ended up causing such a huge mess… It’s like the river’s current always pushing the next wave forward, isn’t it?
Back in my younger days, I’d barely managed to knock down a few walls, and now the Chosen are out there like a demolishing team.
Wen Wen went off without any care, and even you, Ji Jue, are beginning to surpass us old hands.
I gritted my teeth as I once again mourned for the wallet of North District.
Things aren’t going to be easy from now on…
“Old Zhang, how long have you been watching?” I snapped back to reality.
“Just arrived, just arrived!”
Old Zhang shook his folding fan and dodged the question: “Ah, the folks from Huang Ji who came to silence things—they really are troublesome.”
Troublesome in the literal sense of being too much to handle, right?!
“Eh, weren’t I just curious to see how you guys would handle it? No pain, no gain, as they say.”
Gain? Me? Are you sure?
My expression twitched as I answered numbly, “Based on my experience, people who go through too many storms usually don’t grow—they just become swept away by the tide.”
With that, once a bit of my spiritual essence had recovered, I managed to sit up, jumped off the vehicle, grabbed my toolbox, and set off at a quick pace.
Time was of the essence when it came to salvaging the remains of the dead.
Once a man truly breathes his last and his spiritual essence dissipates, the blessing begins to collapse.
It’s hard to say how much can still be rescued.
But looking at how crazy this guy got, his blessing was probably already one of those rare cases that had undergone several transformations.
Besides, even if he burns to ashes, those remains can still be used as material—a lot of use.
Every second counts.
Without Brother Qiu around, I had no choice but to use mercury to keep things stable as much as possible, hoping his blessing wouldn’t dissipate too quickly.
“Wait, wait, wait—”
Surprisingly quicker than me was Tong Hua.
Suppressing her nausea, she pinched her nose, gathered her courage, and finally reached toward the corpse.
Though a little simple-minded, dim-witted, stubborn, and not too bright, the radar that had been honed from growing up in the Tong household among all those eccentric folk had sensed something off.
It was like when a seasoned reader’s eyebrows furrow at a critical turning point in the story, suspecting that the author is about to digress.
The Eye of Ether observed, locked on, and captured the scene.
Matrix · Yesterday’s Return.
The moment Tong Hua’s finger touched one of the severed digits, her expression suddenly changed.
“Something’s wrong!”
Old Zhang frowned instantly. “What is it?”
“There’s a problem—definitely a problem!”
Tong Hua withdrew her hand and said decisively, “This person’s mutation process was deliberately triggered!”
“Going by the records of his bodily changes, tracing back a month, he was in a steady, controllable state. He must have been treated with some inhibitor during therapy. Though the quality was so-so and it couldn’t completely stop the mutation, it kept him stable with regular injections. But today, his mutation rate suddenly accelerated—from a stable phase to an acute phase in just half a day! That drug is definitely problematic. Moreover, before we arrived, his ether records showed abnormal interference and tampering, clear gaps in his consciousness, and loads of garbled memories that couldn’t be traced back… It was the Xin Shu!”
She explained, “The blessings from the Xin Shu faction had interfered with his consciousness, triggering his rebound syndrome, pushing him into a state of acute stress, which directly accelerated his mutation process!”
Once those words were out, everyone fell silent.
Xiao An still didn’t quite understand—the inexperience on my part hadn’t allowed me to react swiftly—but Old Zhang’s brows furrowed deeper as his face darkened.
A group Chosen at the mutation stage, maintained by using problematic drugs and with a fragile psychological state—and right at this critical moment, here in Cliff City? And getting entangled in the inner strife of Huang Ji as well?
It was like someone deliberately releasing a high-risk mental patient from an asylum into a public space.
One little stimulus—a word, a laugh, or a loud bang, just one signal—and the final dam would collapse.
From the moment he entered Cliff City, he had already been ticking like a time bomb!!!
Worse still…
I turned around in disbelief, scarcely able to believe it: “Someone deliberately sent him to An…”
“Little Ji—”
Old Zhang cut me off before I could finish.
The moment of understanding hit me and I fell silent immediately.
“Actually, you misunderstood.”
After a brief pause, Old Zhang continued slowly, “It’s not that complicated. We happened to run into this group fighting among themselves over the spoils, and we deduced that after many hardships, these mercenaries on the run from the Chosen decided to make a desperate move and cause even more damage before being wiped out—no survivors. Anything unnecessary, don’t bother reporting.”
“Due to the extensive collapse and severe destruction at the scene, most of the bodies couldn’t be recovered. Just bring back the two knives and a few weapons as evidence for sealing off the scene. As for the ‘other’ stuff, I recall that from the Embers faction, it also turned out to be useful.”
He looked meaningfully at me. “Do me a favor and bring it back along with your hand tools, however you’d like to handle it, just as soon as possible.”
He clearly understood how to deal with matters related to the Embers Way.
After being processed two or three times, no matter how advanced the ether was, it couldn’t read its original content anymore.
Naturally, there was no need to worry.
At this point, noticing so many oddities and doubts, one could easily feel that the slaughter among the Bai Lu had never been simple.
Or rather, it was never a random accident from the start.
Some hidden hand behind the scenes was leaving a trace.
But the Safety Bureau wasn’t involved.
They couldn’t dig any deeper—they had to cut their losses in time.
A bunch of trash fighting tooth and nail wasn’t my problem.
If Huang Ji blows up tomorrow, does the Safety Bureau care even a bit?
The urgent task was to extract North District from this whacky mess, wash our hands clean, and ensure that not even a speck of that dirt clung to us.
We must not become a fuse or even leave behind the tiniest spark.
Otherwise, if something happens later, someone will surely use North District as ammunition against the Safety Bureau.
The mess grows worse and more complicated, and the more serious it becomes, the more someone will want to divert attention or take on part of the blame.
Whether it’s a schemer in the shadows or someone desperate to solve the problem quickly, none of them will hesitate.
If that happens, Old Zhang might as well retire to open a massage parlor back home.
But for Wen Wen, Tong Hua, Xiao An, and even me helping out—trouble would never end.
“I understand.”
In a brief moment of eye contact, I realized, “That’s perfect—I’ve got nothing better to do. I’ll help retrieve the surveillance data.”
Old Zhang nodded.
Silently, he patted my shoulder.
Understanding his meaning, Tong Hua and I immediately set to work.
Gather evidence, prepare records, tidy up the scene.
This was just a routine case—when investigating a particularly heinous crime in North District, we tracked down a gang of roaming criminals and wiped them out completely.
Just like in our past assignments, nothing out of the ordinary.
Everything seemed normal.
From the surveillance recordings at the scene to the remnants of ether—it was all as expected, though the destruction was a bit more extensive, leaving some incomplete traces.
Still, it was normal and beyond reproach.
As for the extra box on Xiao Niu Ma’s cargo bed, no one paid any attention.
After the belated police finally finished discussing the situation at the scene, setting up barricades along the street and handing the North District company’s contact information to the accident’s insurance company, Old Zhang’s work was temporarily done.
He unscrewed the huge water bottle he always carried, took a big gulp of the tea he’d steeped all afternoon (chewing on the tea leaves as well), and stared at the neon glow in the night, letting out a long sigh.
“Troubled times indeed.”
He reached over to tousle Xiao An’s hair softly and said, “Let’s head back once we’re done here.”
“Okay,” Xiao An replied.
Under the same night sky, on the other side of Cliff City, the unrest was only just beginning.
Half an hour later, in Fanglan District at Mingyue Building, the place was bustling.
The streets on both sides were decorated with lanterns and streamers, making it look surprisingly festive.
“Uncle Hu, long time no see. Please come in.”
“Chairman Liu, old friend—you really don’t have to be so formal. Come on in.”
Amid the arriving guests, Lei Yaoxing stood by the door, greeting everyone with a warm smile.
Yet along both sides of the street stood one expressionless, indifferent man after another, their cold eyes scanning every unrelated person who dared approach.
After ushering in the Chief Inspector of Fanglan District’s Police, someone hurried in on small steps to stand next to him and whispered, “It seems there’s been a problem in North District.”
Lei Yaoxing nodded calmly after listening and waved his hand dismissively: “Don’t get involved. We’ll talk about it after tonight.”
Then he resumed his warm smile as he greeted another guest.
“Big brother, I can’t believe you’d actually offer terms,”
Said the elegantly graceful Eleventh Sister as she pushed aside the gatekeeper and stepped onto the steps, “So quickly, did those uncles come riding out to support you?”
“Father’s still in the hospital, not doing well. You should go see him more often.”
Lei Yaoxing patted her hand gently. “We grew up together. We’re all family. What can’t be overcome?”
“You really think you can take me on?” Eleventh Sister retorted with a cold laugh.
“Take on you? Did I ever treat you any worse than anyone else?” Lei Yaoxing sighed softly, speaking gravely, “Ultimately, we are one family. When the family is united, all things prosper. Today is very important to me—do me a favor and show some respect. Even if you’re ready to fight to the death with Old Four or Old Seven, it doesn’t have to be today. No matter how ugly the situation gets, I can’t bear to see you suffer. Haven’t I always kept that old house in Nan Lu District safe?”
Eleventh Sister’s expression stiffened for a moment, her pupils dark as if she were about to devour someone.
But Lei Yaoxing only patted her shoulder and said, “It’s getting late, let’s sit down inside. We’ll talk after dinner… Oh, Secretary Li, welcome, welcome.”
He then moved over to another person, shaking hands warmly and inviting them in.
Inside the banquet hall, the atmosphere was already lively and noisy.
Familiar faces sat together, sipping tea and smiling at one another.
Yet whenever they exchanged glances, there was always something unsaid lingering underneath.
They kept sneaking looks toward the entrance.
Until a black sedan pulled up at the door, and out stepped a round-faced middle-aged man with rigid spectacles.
His somewhat plump frame made him look like an enlarged version of Chen Yubai, except his skin was much darker.
His smile was gentle as he waved for everyone to come over.
It was hard to imagine that this was the very man whose involvement had indirectly sparked the Bai Lu civil war and the chaos in Cliff City—the notorious tycoon of Huang Ji.
After four continuous days of war, Chen Xingzhou finally appeared in public.
He glanced up the steps.
For a moment, my eyes met Lei Yaoxing’s, but there was neither anger nor malice—nor did their smiles change in the slightest.
Those few seconds made everyone around instinctively hold their breath.
Until Lei Yaoxing stepped down the stairs eagerly to greet tonight’s most important guest, and the two walked together with smiles.
Their hands met firmly, gentle yet steady, as if echoing the unspoken cooperation of old times.
“I never expected you to actually dare to come.”
Lei Yaoxing sighed softly, “I underestimated you.”
“Uncles said that if you were to settle accounts, I’d have to show up. I can’t just sit and wait to be killed, right?” Chen Xingzhou replied coolly, “Have you figured out how you’re going to deal with me today?”
“Guests are guests—I don’t have a habit of harming my guests.” Lei Yaoxing said, “Even if we can’t agree on something, we can talk it over after tonight.”
With that, he extended his hand.
Chen Xingzhou waved it off to stop Uncle Lin from following, then linked arms with the others dining.
They were so close, it was almost as if nothing could separate them.
Just when everyone began to breathe a sigh of relief, a soft, muffled sound came through.
Thud!
Chen Xingzhou’s steps immediately halted.
He lowered his head in confusion.
Seeing a trickle of blood seeping from his chest, he looked up in bewilderment at Lei Yaoxing beside him and instinctively grabbed him, opening his mouth as if to speak, but no sound emerged.
Stunned, dazed, confused—then suddenly it all became clear.
In the midst of the surrounding chaos, his hand slipped weakly, leaving behind a stark red stain on his pure white suit.
He collapsed, looking upward.
A terrified scream rang out—
Like the belated wails of those lost in blood pools.
They had never ceased—continuing from darkness, singing high amidst the battle of wolf and deer.
From the very beginning, Bai Lu had witnessed it all.
The bloody prologue had begun...
(End of Chapter)