Chapter 816: Lin Yuan, do you like me?

Finally, the sniper's chest cavity blood and qi completely shattered, his throat continuously surged, he vomited mouthfuls of bright red blood.

His legs could no longer support his ruined body; his knees gave way heavily, and he dropped straight to his knees on the icy concrete rooftop.

The overwhelming sense of exhaustion and the tearing pain throughout his body completely locked his limbs, leaving him unable to move even a bit.

In that brief moment of extreme melee, his whole body suffered a full hundred and eight stab wounds, each thrust vicious and cruel.

Each wound precisely avoided vital spots, yet the pain pierced to the bone, making life worse than death.

The fascia of both his hands and feet were completely severed by the sharp dagger; the torn tendons curled up within the damaged flesh.

All superficial bones of his body were damaged and displaced; his limbs utterly lost the ability to exert force, reducing him completely to a crippled wreck.

At this moment he lay collapsed on the ground, his flesh and blood a blur, unable even to lift a hand or raise his head.

His chest rose and fell weakly; only the last thread of a dying breath clung to his life, a mere gasp.

Qin Bore stepped forward slowly, her clear, cold footsteps echoing softly across the silent rooftop.

She stood before this shattered sniper, her expression calm, her eyes tranquil and unwavering.

Her voice, soft and carrying a hint of chill, slowly began the interrogation.

"Speak, who sent you?"

The extreme torment had already utterly shattered the sniper's psychological defenses; his will completely collapsed.

Blood kept seeping from the corners of his mouth; his body shuddered violently, and he struggled to speak in broken fragments.

"It… it's the Shangqing Group…"

Having said that, his eyes filled utterly with despair; trembling with a sobbing tone, he begged desperately for mercy.

"Please… give me… give me a quick death…"

Qin Bore's almond‑shaped eyes drooped slightly as she gazed quietly at the kneeling, dying sniper.

She murmured softly, her tone flat, yet hinting at a subtle, intriguing coldness.

"Oh, the Shangqing Group?"

A faint, cold curve touched the corner of her lips.

"Heh, interesting."

After a brief silence, Qin Bore spoke again, probing the crucial point.

"The Shangqing Group's base is in Hu Sea; how could you dare to assassinate so brazenly within Jiangnan City?"

"Not only did you illegally enter the territory to kill, but you also managed to bring heavy weapons like sniper rifles into the city. You should know that Jiangnan City's public security controls are always extremely strict; even ordinary regulated equipment hardly circulates, let alone large‑caliber sniper rifles, which are prohibited heavy arms."

"Once such weapons enter the city, they will inevitably be subjected to layered screening and strict inspection by the Public Security Bureau."

Qin Bore gazed at him quietly and asked, "So, exactly through what channel did you sneak the sniper rifle into the city?"

The dying sniper's body convulsed violently; his lingering consciousness teetered on the edge amid the agony and despair.

Blood kept seeping from the corners of his mouth; each word came with a tearing pain, and he struggled to utter the truth in broken fragments.

"It… it's the New Faction Alliance forces within Jiangnan City…"

"It's them… they've been secretly supporting us…"

"Swish."

The instant she heard those words, Qin Bore's previously calm eyes narrowed sharply.

A flash of icy, bone‑piercing chill crossed her gaze, and the air around her suddenly turned cold and oppressive.

New Faction Alliance!

As expected, it's them!

All the doubts weighing on her heart instantly cleared up; every puzzling point was resolved.

The Shangqing Group's foundation lies far in Hu Sea, separated by regional barriers, making it impossible for them to privately dispatch gunmen across cities.

Under normal circumstances, not to mention carrying guns for assassination, even bringing firearms into the city is utterly impossible.

Moreover, bringing such heavy prohibited weapons as sniper rifles into Jiangnan City is a grave crime against the law.

Qin Bore instantly grasped all the connections; her thoughts raced, crystal clear.

These foreign snipers could infiltrate Jiangnan with impunity because they lay hidden in secret, waiting to strike.

It was entirely due to the local underworld force, the New Faction Alliance, which covertly provided end‑to‑end support and cover.

It was the New Faction Alliance… that covered their backs, giving these killers a safe haven and room to operate.

It was the New Faction Alliance… that leveraged local connections, channels, and influence to help them evade every inspection and control.

The New Faction Alliance… feared Qin Bore's strength and deterrence, and had long harbored malicious intent.

They dared not act themselves to provoke trouble, so they secretly colluded with the distant Shangqing Group in Hu Sea.

They intended to use outsiders' hands to silently exterminate Qin Bore.

They hoped to use this cross‑city assassination to eliminate a major threat, while remaining uninvolved themselves and reaping the benefits.

The truth surfaced completely; this assassination was far from a simple cross‑city pursuit.

Qin Bore lowered her gaze, silently fixing on the kneeling, dying sniper before her, her expression indifferent and unchanging.

"May the road to the underworld be smooth; in your next life, stay out of the martial world and don't become an assassin."

The instant her words fell, she showed no hesitation, lifting her wrist lightly and cleanly.

A flash of icy, bone‑piercing bright blade light… suddenly appeared, swift enough to leave no afterimage.

The sharp dagger… instantly slit the sniper's neck, clean and decisive, a single cut sealing his throat.

On the side of the sniper's neck… a fine yet extraordinarily deep, smooth blood‑filled gash instantly appeared.

His trachea and blood vessels were completely severed in an instant, so he couldn't even utter a whimper of pain.

The next second, the delicate blood‑filled orifice burst open, and scalding blood gushed out like a high‑pressure fountain.

Scarlet blood sprayed wildly, staining the ground before her red, and a thick scent of blood filled the air.

The sniper's air pipe completely ruptured, his chest cavity unable to exchange air, instantly plunging him into a state of total asphyxiation.

The sniper's pupils suddenly stared wide, his eyes filled with endless regret and deathly stillness.

The last trace of strength in his body instantly drained, his physique completely losing all support.

He pitched forward heavily, his broken body slamming hard onto the icy concrete of the rooftop.

The sniper's limbs twitched lightly twice, then went utterly rigid and still, with no movement whatsoever.

This final hidden sniper breathed his last, dying on the rooftop.

In the stairwell below, hurried footsteps echoed closer and closer, rapidly approaching the top‑floored rooftop.

Lin Yuan rushed heedless of his injuries, sprinting full speed up the stairs and bursting onto the office building's rooftop.

The moment he stepped onto the rooftop and took in the scene, he froze on the spot, utterly dazed.

The very sniper who had been lying in wait to ambush and kill him now lay stiff and fallen on the rooftop ground.

His body was covered in countless knife wounds, soaked in blood, already long dead.

The gruesome bloody scene spread across the ground, making hearts shudder and shocking the eyes.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the open rooftop's railing, a slender, stunningly beautiful figure stood silently.

Ink‑black hair cascaded wildly, spilling over her slender shoulders and fluttering in the night wind.

The cool night breeze lightly stirred her robes; her posture was tall and independent, exuding an aloof yet alluring aura.

She held a thin cigarette between her fingertips, its glow flickering as thin white smoke curled upward and drifted away.

Her gesture of raising the hand to smoke was languid and sensual, every pose elegant to the utmost.

Against the dark night, her skin shone fairer than snow, her brows and eyes delicate as a painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

Lin Yuan stared at that familiar yet stunning back, his mind short‑circuiting as he stood completely stunned.

He hadn't yet processed what had happened before him, his heart filled only with disbelief and incredulity.

Just as Lin Yuan lost himself in a daze, the beautiful figure standing in the night slowly turned around.

Cold moonlight fell on her delicate features; her brows and eyes were clear and cool, her gaze lucid yet touched with aloofness.

Her lips slightly pursed, smoke haze curling around her, her cool temperament and seductive charm blending perfectly, utterly natural.

Every frown and smile radiated an aura; though her figure was slender, she exuded a majestic presence that outweighed the entire night.

This stunning figure was none other than Qin Bore.

Lin Yuan stared at her, his eyes brimming with utter shock, his tone laced with obvious bewilderment and incomprehension.

"Miss Qin Bore, you, how are you here?"

"Aren't you in the apartment across the way?"

Qin Bore heard this, her lips curling slightly as she raised a hand to point at the edge of the rooftop railing beside her.

"I came from here."

Hearing her voice, Lin Yuan instinctively turned his head toward the outside of the railing, his gaze scanning the entire expanse of high air.

His gaze swept over the empty, dark night sky, repeatedly assessing the space between the two buildings.

The whole stretch of high air was empty—no stairs, no suspension bridge, nothing at all that could serve as a conveyance.

Lin Yuan stood utterly stunned, the shock in his eyes deepening, his face full of disbelief.

"You came from here?"

"That's a full kilometer of empty air—did you fly over?"

Faced with Lin Yuan's bewildered expression, Qin Bore let out a light laugh.

The night breeze gently stirred her black hair, setting off her smile as gorgeous and moving, bright yet enchanting.

Without further explanation, her slender, fair hand reached out and lightly grasped Lin Yuan's wrist.

She took Lin Yuan's hand and slowly lifted it toward the void, letting his fingertip lightly touch a thin cord almost invisible against the night.

"I came from here."

The instant his fingertip met the cold, taut metal cord, Lin Yuan's pupils contracted and he suddenly understood.

This steel cable was as fine as a hair, uniformly silver‑gray, perfectly concealed in the black night sky.

Unless observed up close, no one looking from afar could detect it in the slightest.

The cord was pulled taut, strung steadily between two buildings a kilometer apart, spanning the entire district.

Lin Yuan truly felt the cord's tense, hard pull through his fingertip, his heart jolting with nervous excitement.

He could scarcely imagine that Qin Bore had crossed using nothing but that slender steel cable.

In the sheer, unprotected expanse thousands of feet above ground, she had traversed a full kilometer, gliding from the opposite building to here.

The night wind howled aloft, blowing away the faint blood‑smoke on the rooftop and easing the killing chill left from the fight.

Qin Bore withdrew her gaze from the kilometer‑high night sky; her profile under the hazy moonlight was cold and stunningly beautiful as she spoke calmly.

"All the snipers have been dealt with."

"These people were sent by the Shangqing Group of Shanghai specifically to assassinate us."

"They originally had neither the qualification nor the channel to bring guns into Jiangnan City."

"Their unimpeded advance and covert hunting were entirely thanks to the local New Faction Alliance in Jiangnan providing secret support."

As her words fell, her clear, captivating eyes sank slightly, a fleeting hint of icy coldness flashing in their depths.

"New Faction Group—looks like they're begging to die."

Lin Yuan stood to the side, gazing at the gruesome corpses on the ground, then at Qin Bore's cold expression, his face grave.

He frowned slightly and asked.

"What do you intend to do?"

Qin Bore's lips parted softly; her voice was gentle yet carried undeniable resolve, her aura intensely oppressive.

Since they want to die, I will grant them their wish.

A brief remark, flat and unruffled, yet it conceals an irreversible, lethal resolve.

She no longer brought up the New Faction Alliance's conspiracy, gathered her thoughts, and spoke calmly and efficiently.

Alright, I'll have my people handle the scene.

We're going back now.

Having said that, Qin Bore lingered no longer, turning and walking toward the silver steel cable that stretched across a thousand meters of night sky at the edge of the rooftop.

She intended to bring Lin Yuan along, using the zipline to return the same way to the residential balcony on the opposite bank of the Qiantang Jiang.

Lin Yuan gazed at the cable, as thin as a hair and suspended a thousand meters in the air, and a sudden flutter of anxiety rose in his chest.

He instinctively spoke up, his tone laced with obvious concern.

Will the steel cable hold for both of us??

Seeing his slightly nervous appearance, Qin Bore's lips curled into a faint, lively smile.

Are you planning to climb back down the stairs the way we came? That would be exhausting.

She turned her side, her gaze falling on the taut, straight cable, her tone firm and composed.

Rest assured, this steel wire is military-grade titanium alloy, extremely tough and high-load bearing; it will absolutely not break.

Not to mention the weight of two people, it could easily bear any additional load.

As her words fell, without waiting for Lin Yuan to hesitate further, Qin Bore leaned lightly.

Her slender, soft arm extended directly, firmly wrapping around Lin Yuan's waist.

His previously steady heartbeat suddenly lost control, racing violently, thumping wildly, utterly chaotic.

Lin Yuan's heartbeat inside his chest was exceptionally clear—so clear that even he could hear it distinctly.

The fierce night wind at altitude billowed their garments, pressing them tightly together; the night was gentle, the atmosphere ambiguous yet tense.

A faint, refined fragrance rode the night wind, washing over him and completely enveloping his person.

The sudden intimate contact caused Lin Yuan to stiffen instantly.

The warm, soft touch, the peerless beauty inches from his face, the fragrance curling around his nostrils—layer after layer assailed his mind.

Lin Yuan's previously steady heartbeat suddenly lost control, racing violently, thumping wildly, utterly chaotic.

Lin Yuan's heartbeat inside his chest was exceptionally clear—so clear that even he could hear it distinctly.

Their bodies pressed tightly together with no gap, the ambiguous atmosphere spreading freely through the high-altitude night.

Lin Yuan's nostrils were filled with Qin Bore's unique, refined fragrance—a clean, gentle woman's scent.

Such close contact made Lin Yuan's already uncontrolled heartbeat become even more disordered.

The faint fragrance was not strong, yet highly penetrating, threading into his nostrils and completely enveloping his senses.

His whole body tensed, his posture rigid, even his breathing unconsciously softened; he dared not move an inch.

His heart hammered against his chest, the thundering beats unceasing, nearly bursting his ribcage.

Qin Bore, oblivious to this, raised one hand steadily and firmly grasped the taut titanium-alloy divine cable above her head.

She feared that even the slightest movement would shatter the ambiguous yet serene atmosphere aloft.

Her other arm remained locked around Lin Yuan's waist, gentle yet incredibly secure, keeping him close.

Her palm was slender yet strong, her fingertips gripping the cold, hard steel cable, her posture composed and steady.

Once she confirmed the cable was secure and the forces balanced, Qin Bore leaned slightly forward, using the momentum to glide.

The two embraced, and along the high-altitude divine cable spanning the two buildings, they suddenly shot forward at high speed toward the opposite building.

Their entire bodies hung suspended beneath the ten-thousand-meter height, with no protection or cover, the danger reaching its extreme.

Below them lay hundreds of meters of empty air; the streetlights on the ground looked as tiny as fireflies, enough to make one dizzy.

Qin Bore's silky black hair was lifted entirely by the gale, fluttering wildly in the night sky.

The midnight high-altitude wind was especially biting, howling as it swept past, fiercely buffeting their garments.

Cool moonlight spilled across her brows, eyes, and hair, tracing a captivating outline, filling the scene with atmosphere.

Amidst the flying strands, her side profile was rendered exquisitely beautiful, her skin fair as snow, sensual and alluring.

Lin Yuan remained tense throughout, partly wary of the perilous height, partly lost in the stunning beauty beside him.

During the rapid glide, the wind whistled incessantly in his ears, carrying the unique chill of the high altitude.

The night wind muffled her soft voice into a faint whisper, tinged with a hint of lingering tenderness, echoing in Lin Yuan's ears.

Just as they traversed the thousand-meter night sky, speeding to the midpoint of the glide, Qin Bore suddenly spoke softly.

Lin Yuan, do you like me?