Chapter 554: Red Rose

Ailin's eyes lit up; she immediately realized this was a good opportunity: "Then we'll take advantage of now——"

"Not urgent."

Cheng Shuili interrupted her, her gaze still fixed on the opposite side.

"Wait a bit longer."

Time passed minute by minute, second by second.

The opposing Freedom Wings seemed to sense something as well, beginning to stir.

A little mouse darted out from the grass, ran swiftly to Cheng Shuili's feet, and handed her a slip of paper.

Cheng Shuili unfolded the slip, glanced at it, and her smile deepened further.

"Now," she said, "we can move."

Ailin's spirits lifted; she immediately shouted into the communicator: "Everyone, attack!"

Black Feather's forces surged out of cover like a tide, charging toward the Freedom Wings' defense line.

This time, the Freedom Wings' resistance was obviously much weaker.

Their ammunition was truly running low.

Moreover, no new supplies were arriving anymore.

……

The Freedom Wings' command headquarters.

Jieke was roaring at the screen: "Where are the supplies?! The supplies we agreed upon earlier?!"

"Report… the Rat King side suddenly halted cooperation… supplies… can't be delivered…"

Jieke's face turned completely black; he snatched whatever was in his hand and smashed it to pieces, then looked up at the two words "Black Feather" in the chat box.

"Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji…"

He gritted his teeth, uttering each word with a pause.

"What a fine tactic."

Before his words had even finished, a Freedom Wings member rushed in panic, shouting: "Boss! It's bad, they're attacking! Black Feather's people have broken in!"

Jieke's pupils contracted sharply.

"What?!"

He sprang to his feet, the chair toppled over with a dull thud.

"How dare they, what about our defenses?!"

That member's face turned ashen: "The defense line… has been overrun. Black Feather's people are charging in like madmen; our ammo isn't enough, we can't hold them back!"

Jieke rushed to the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked outside.

In the distance, fire shot up into the sky, gunfire and explosions intertwining into a chaotic scene.

He could see his own people retreating step by step, and see Black Feather's forces surging in like a tide.

It truly was a defeat as swift as a collapsing mountain.

"Damn it——" he gritted his teeth and slammed a fist into the window frame.

"Boss!" another member burst in, "Retreat quickly! Black Feather's people have already reached the outskirts!"

Jieke turned his head, glanced at the few people in the command headquarters—his deputy, his close confidants.

They were all looking at him, waiting for his decision.

Jieke took a deep breath, suppressed his inner panic, and tried to appear calm.

"Withdraw," he said, "take the important supplies and pull out."

Several people sprang into action, gathering belongings, packing them up to leave; Jieke lastly glanced out at the blaze outside, turned, and followed them out of the territory.

He had just steadied himself when he saw a vehicle suddenly appear beside his transport.

A road merger? How could it be such a coincidence?

Had Black Feather's forces come after him? How could they possibly have anticipated this as well?

Jieke was about to sit back in the driver's seat, shake off this suddenly appearing vehicle, when a voice rang out: "Jieke Fuluode."

Jieke's steps halted abruptly, his blood turning to ice at that moment.

He slowly turned his head.

The door of the suddenly appearing vehicle opened, and a person stepped out.

In the firelight, that face was calm as a deep pool of water.

Cheng Shuili.

Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji.

He had hated this person for so long that even if they turned to ash he could still recognize them.

But in reality, this was their first meeting.

Jieke opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found he couldn't utter a single word.

Cheng Shuili looked at him, her eyes devoid of emotion, as if she were gazing at an insignificant person.

"You ran pretty fast," she said, "but not fast enough."

Jieke's back was already soaked in cold sweat.

He instinctively stepped back a pace; although he had never admitted it, this unconscious movement couldn't lie.

In Jieke's heart, he had indeed always feared this opponent.

Since Cheng Shuili snatched his server-wide first place from him, in Jieke's heart this person became his nightmare.

The position that should have been his, the glory that should have been his, the future that should have been his—all were taken by this woman.

Therefore he hates.

He hates her to the point of not sparing any cost, and also wants to destroy her.

But now, when this woman truly stands before him, when he truly faces those dark, deep eyes, Jieke finally understands——

What he hates is not what she snatched away.

What he hates is that he can never measure up to her.

"You… how do you know I'll come this way?" His voice was hoarse to an extreme, carrying a tremor he himself didn't even notice.

Cheng Shuili did not answer.

She merely looked at him, her gaze so calm it was suffocating.

"Jieke Fulode," Cheng Shuili spoke again, her voice still soft, "Do you know how long I've waited for this day?"

Jieke opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Cheng Shuili took a step forward.

Jieke took a step back.

"You had people spread rumors on the regional channel," Cheng Shuili said, "trying to kill with a borrowed knife."

She took another step forward, and Jieke took another step back.

"You bribed Mingri to have him kill my people."

Another step.

"You bought equipment from the Rat King, intending to use force to wipe me out."

Another step.

Jieke's back had already hit his vehicle, with nowhere left to retreat.

Cheng Shuili planted herself before him, lifted her head, and looked at him.

"Jieke," she said, "is there anything else you want to say?"

Jieke opened his mouth, and a few broken syllables escaped his throat, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Cheng Shuili waited a few seconds, then nodded.

None is fine.

She raised her hand and grasped a suddenly appearing crimson long blade; the blade caught a cold gleam in the sunlight, and as she swung it, it drew a ribbon of flowing blood.

Jieke's pupils contracted sharply. His hand rose, trembling, as if he wanted to grasp something.

His fingertips touched Cheng Shuili's shoulder, so light, as light as a falling leaf.

Then that hand dropped in an irretrievable way.

Cheng Shuili took a step back.

The process of the blade being pulled from Jieke's body was slow.

He could feel that dull dragging sensation, as if something was being peeled away from his body bit by bit.

He tried to cover the wound with his hand, but found his limbs no longer obeyed him.

He leaned against the vehicle, his body sliding down bit by bit.

Blood seeped from between his fingers, warm, sticky, carrying a sweet‑scent he couldn't even name.

He lowered his head to look at his hand, watching the red liquid fill the lines of his palm, and suddenly recalled many years ago, when he was building his power, someone had given him a bouquet of flowers.

Red roses.

Red.

Jieke lifted his head.

Cheng Shuili had already turned and was walking toward the firelight.

Her silhouette flickered in and out of the smoke, the black hem of her robe lifted by the wind in a corner, then quickly fell back down.