Chapter 422: Deadly Hidden Weapons

Sun San had just climbed into the courtyard when he hunched his back and crept toward the main gate.

A pair of murky eyes had already locked onto him from the shadows.

The old man with the white beard gave a sharp tug on the rope behind the door, and the rope-bells in the courtyard immediately rang out with a "Jingle-ling" sound.

Sun Suzhen, in the second courtyard, was not sleeping soundly; the image of that grinning young man from the evening kept flickering in her mind. She couldn't say what was special about him, only that his gaze didn't seem as timid as a typical young man's, but rather like that of an old soul who had lived for many years.

She always slept in her clothes, the point being to be able to leave at any moment.

As soon as the bells rang, she rolled over and sat up in one motion, grabbed the small bundle she kept by the bed, dashed a few steps to the corner, and flipped open the trapdoor under the Eight Immortals table.

"Sun Daoyan, someone has entered the courtyard, hurry!" she whispered urgently.

A thin, tall figure immediately flashed into the outer room, followed closely by Sun Suzhen into the tunnel, and the trapdoor was then gently covered.

Outside the courtyard gate, Zhou Hao heard the bells ringing wildly and knew something was wrong; he waved his hand and shouted, "Quick, break the door!"

But the wooden door was thick and heavy; several Police officers kicked it a few times, but it didn't budge.

Zhou Hao was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead: "Get on the wall! Climb over! Watch for cover, they are already prepared inside!"

Inside the courtyard at this moment, the old man with the white beard saw that Sun San had already reached the door; he flicked his sleeve and threw out five poison-tempered steel needles.

Sun San had also spent time in the underworld; catching a flash of white light, he hurriedly shrank his body to dodge.

Three steel needles flew past his ear, but the fourth and fifth needles made two "Puff! Puff!" sounds and stuck firmly into his left and right shoulders.

At first, he didn't feel pain and still wanted to grit his teeth to pull the door latch, but the old man with the white beard had already rushed out of the gatehouse with a short club.

Sun San subconsciously wanted to draw his gun, but his arm suddenly went numb, and the numbness immediately surged through his entire body.

His legs went soft, and he watched helplessly as the old man's club smashed toward his head, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm to block it.

The other three Police officers who had just climbed over the wall were also hit one after another by poison needles flying from the shadows.

The men didn't notice at first, but a few seconds later, their bodies went limp, and they hissed, "Captain Zhou! There's an ambush inside!"

Outside the wall, Zhou Hao heard the shouting and his eyes turned red with anxiety: "Quick! Send more men in!"

But the Police officers who were about to climb the wall heard the commotion inside and all hesitated, unwilling to go up again.

Deputy Captain Zhao Xu lowered his voice and advised, "Captain Zhou, there must be an ambush inside; climbing the wall now is just suicide. It would be better to blow the door open and use firepower to suppress them while we charge in!"

Zhou Hao gritted his teeth and shouted, "Demolition team—blow the door!"

"Boom—!"

With a loud bang, the heavy wooden door was blown open, creating a large hole, and wood splinters flew everywhere.

Several Police officers charged in while firing their guns.

The old man with the white beard had already slipped behind a pile of firewood, holding poison needles tightly in his hand, waiting for them to get close.

At this moment, a poisoned team member on the ground still had a sliver of consciousness and used all his strength to hiss, "Firewood... behind the firewood pile... someone..."

Zhao Xu had just charged into the courtyard and saw three brothers lying at the base of the wall; his eyes immediately turned bloodshot.

Hearing the shout, he raised his gun and fired a full burst at the firewood pile!

The old man with the white beard had just wanted to raise his hand to throw needles, but the bullets poured in like a driving rain.

His body shook repeatedly, several flowers of blood bloomed on his chest, and his eyes were filled with unwillingness; he fell heavily to the ground, twitched a few times, and then went still.

"Quick! Save them!" Zhao Xu shouted when he saw the four fallen comrades.

The dozen or so people who had charged in immediately split into two groups: one group picked up the wounded and retreated out of the courtyard; the other group of ten or so kept firing their guns and charged straight toward the Houyuan.

Five minutes ago, outside the courtyard wall.

He Yuzhu was patrolling the perimeter of the courtyard with Tian Dan.

As his Spatial Perception improved, as soon as he approached the Houyuan, he scanned a tunnel leading to Baochan Temple three hundred meters away.

He Yuzhu remained calm and collected, raised his Telescope, and feigned looking toward the temple.

Tian Dan glanced at him: "I told you to watch the courtyard, why do you keep looking outside?"

He Yuzhu put down the Telescope and said seriously, "If there really is a tunnel in this courtyard, where do you think it leads?"

"If you have something to say, say it; I don't have time for your riddles!" Tian Dan was impatient.

He Yuzhu smiled: "Dan, don't doubt your subordinates; maybe Zhou Hao can become an excellent captain?"

"I'm annoyed, don't talk nonsense!"

He Yuzhu understood in his heart that she was worried that Zhou Hao would mess things up and sacrifice too many comrades.

"I think... if there really is a tunnel, it's ten to one leading to Baochan Temple," He Yuzhu said.

"How can you be sure?" Tian Dan blurted out without thinking.

Lin Wanning spoke up softly: "Why did Sun Suzhen choose this place as her lair?"

Tian Dan immediately understood what He Yuzhu meant and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to Baochan Temple!"

"Bang bang bang—!"

A burst of gunfire suddenly erupted.

Tian Dan's expression tightened: "Why did the firefight start so quickly? Hurry, the enemy might have already entered the tunnel!" After saying this, she ran toward Baochan Temple.

They were still more than three hundred meters away from the temple, and the three of them took off running.

He Yuzhu was in the lead; when he reached the temple wall, he didn't stop, but stepped on the wall for leverage and vaulted into the courtyard in two moves.

Tian Dan shook her head as she watched from behind: "This guy... he's simply not human."

He Yuzhu, having jumped into the temple, ran straight toward the location of the tunnel exit.

Just at this moment, the gunfire from the direction of the 43rd courtyard suddenly became intense.

Tian Dan slammed on the brakes, a flash of hesitation appearing in her expression.

Lin Wanning asked in a low voice, "Dan, Zhuzi alone is enough inside Baochan Temple, don't worry, should we go back to provide support?"

Tian Dan shook her head quickly: "We brought a team doctor this time, don't show yourself. Once your identity is exposed, you and I will be in big trouble."

And at this moment in the Houyuan, the operation led by Li Mazi had fallen into a desperate situation.

At first, the ten people climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard quite smoothly, but they hadn't gone far when the ground beneath their feet suddenly collapsed—five people instantly fell into a deep pit filled with sharpened bamboo! Screams tore through the night: three had their soles pierced, one had their thigh run through, and another had a bamboo spike jabbed into their abdomen, with blood flowing like a torrent.

The remaining few stopped in terror, not daring to creep forward any further, and could only raise their guns to fire blindly into the surrounding darkness.

In the front hall, He Yuzhu stood silently guarding the side of the tunnel exit.

Not long after, a floorboard inside the hall was slowly pushed open, and two black shadows crawled out one after the other.

He Yuzhu did not move immediately; only after the two had stood completely still did he speak leisurely in the dim light:

"Two fellow Daoists, I trust you have been well since we last met."

The two of them stiffened abruptly upon hearing the voice.

Sun Suzhen slowly turned around, and upon seeing clearly that it was He Yuzhu, a look that was neither a smile nor a frown appeared on her face: "Little brother, it must be said that our paths are deeply intertwined. You helped me light the lamps in the courtyard, but it is a pity... there are always those who do not want me to live here in peace. Now I also know what kind of person you are, little brother. I wonder if you could do me a favor and let the two of us go? There will surely be a generous reward in the future."

He Yuzhu shook his head and said in a calm tone: "Since you know my identity, you should understand that you cannot leave."

Sun Daoyan, who was to the side, did not say a word, his eyes staring fixedly at him.

When He Yuzhu said he would not let them go, he flicked his hand, and five Poison Needles flew straight out.