Chapter 167: Farewell, the Cage

9:00 a. m. sharp.

"Woo—!"

The piercing, shrill alarm sound tore the usual bustle and tranquility of Landen Shi without any warning.

The sound, like a horn from Hell, instantly covered every corner of the city.

The street's giant screens, the office towers' video walls, the phones in people's pockets…

In the same second, all lit screens were forcibly switched.

On a bright red background, a line of shocking English warning flickered wildly.

【Emergency Evacuation Order: Landen Shi City Center detected high concentration of unknown Sheng Hua Bing Du Xie Lu! Repeating! This is not a drill!】

【All citizens, evacuate immediately along the designated routes!】

Panic, like a real virus, detonated instantly.

The whole city, in just a few minutes, fell from an orderly heaven into chaotic Abyss.

Car horns, people's screams, children's cries merged into a flood of apocalyptic torrent.

Countless vehicles stalled on the streets, people abandoned their cars and fled, merging into a massive crowd that surged madly toward the only green corridor marked on the city map—the North City Expressway.

Above the sky, the roar of armed helicopters was deafening.

On the ground, armored military trucks blocked every intersection, armed soldiers with stern faces forced the chaotic crowd toward the sole Exit with their bodies and muzzles.

A textbook‑level city lockdown was being carried out efficiently in an indisputable, absolutely domineering manner.

Temporary command center.

On the massive holographic map, blue dots representing civilians were being driven by red arrows representing the military into a single torrent.

A group of North American Union officials and generals stared dumbfounded at the scene.

Crazy!

Too crazy!

With only a single conjecture, they sealed off an economic hub of three million people!

Such boldness—or madness—made their scalp tingle.

"Captain Wang... really... really necessary to go this far?" a Four-star General couldn't help but speak, his voice hoarse.

Wang Zhangzhi didn't even look at him, his gaze still fixed on the map, tone serious.

"To fish, you must drain the pond dry."

"Only then will the craftiest fish jump out on its own due to lack of oxygen."

West of the city, inside a luxurious villa perched on a hillside.

Scott irritably pulled down the curtains, cutting off the deafening alarm outside.

"Dammit! What on earth is happening?"

He grabbed the remote, turned on the TV, and the glaring red warning on the screen weighed down his eyes.

Sheng Hua Bing Du Xie Lu?

City lockdown?

A foreboding premonition seized his heart instantly.

He walked to the floor‑to‑ceiling window and lifted a corner of the curtain.

Below, the city had turned into a complete mess, everyone fleeing in the same direction.

Suddenly, a yearning from deep within his soul began to howl wildly inside him.

If the whole city empties, where will he find fresh blood?

He needs Intelligence.

He needs to know what the heck is going on!

He needs… blood!

But now, with the whole city evacuating, crowds everywhere, there's no lone target outside for him to seize.

Scott licked his cracked lips, his gaze slowly turning behind him.

Two loyal bodyguards stood at the door, tension evident.

"Boss, the situation's off, we must evacuate immediately!"

"Yeah, boss, staying here is too dangerous!"

Scott looked at them, "Don't worry, guys."

"Come, have a whiskey, calm down, we'll discuss the plan again."

He turned toward the liquor cabinet, and with his back to the guards, his smile twisted into a grimace.

Half an hour later.

Scott expressionlessly wiped the blood from his hands and gently cradled the Human Skin Paper, soaked with fresh blood and emitting an eerie red glow, in his palm.

Rows of twisted Blood Characters slowly rose on the paper.

【Federal Weird Investigation Bureau intervenes, codename 'Fishbowl' operation, target: you.】

【Seal the entire city, set up a screening station at the sole Exit, all evacuees must pass through the Weird Detection Instrument.】

Seeing this, Scott's cold sweat instantly soaked his shirt's back.

But immediately, new Blood Characters resurfaced.

【Escape Plan: On the abandoned Metro Line 3 unmarked by officials, a secret maintenance tunnel bypasses all surveillance and blockades, leading straight out of the city.】

An ultra‑detailed underground map then appeared on the Human Skin Paper.

Huff...... Huff......

Scott gulped breath after breath, his heart pounding wildly.

The ecstatic joy of having survived the calamity nearly made him burst into laughter.

"Ha ha...... ha ha ha!"

"Federal Weird Investigation Bureau? A bunch of stupid pigs!"

"You think you can catch me like this?"

He tucked the Human Skin Paper close to his body as if it were a treasure, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain.

These so‑called elites were nothing more than stepping stones for him to ascend the throne.

Scott showed no hesitation; he immediately followed the map's directions, entering the dark, damp Underground Passage from the villa's secret wine cellar.

Darkness.

Cold.

Water droplets fell from the pipe—"drip, drip"—and the echo lingered in the deathly silent passage.

Scott switched on his Tactical Flashlight and stepped unevenly through the mud.

The air reeked of rust and rot; a few plump rats, startled by the light, squeaked and scurried deeper into the darkness.

Yet the harsh environment did not affect Scott's mood at all.

In his mind, a grand blueprint was already taking shape.

Once he escapes, he'll assume a new identity and go to a place where no one knows him.

Guided by the Divine Oracle, he will easily seize wealth rivaling a nation's treasury and build his own dark empire!

He can even manipulate wars and toy with politicians!

He will become the world's true… god!

A twisted smile spread wildly across his face.

Ahead, a point of light appeared.

Exit!

Scott's heart raced; he quickened his pace, practically sprinting toward the light that symbolized freedom and rebirth.

Farewell, cage!

"Wha—"

He shoved aside the rust‑stained iron fence in one swing and burst out of the passage.

The glaring sun made him squint instantly.

The air of freedom!

He breathed greedily, spread his arms, ready to embrace his brand‑new life.

However.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the light and he saw the scene before him, his smile froze completely.

Beyond the Exit, it was not the empty wilderness he had imagined.

Instead, a tall figure clad in a Black Combat Suit stood there silently.

Like a statue.

Like a hunter who had waited for ages…

It was an Eastern boy, still somewhat green, his gaze as sharp as a drawn blade, watching him calmly.

As if saying.

"You have come."

Scott's mind went blank.

How could this be?

How could he be here?!

The guidance of the Human Skin Paper cannot be wrong!

Meanwhile.

Jiang Yuan lifted his left wrist.

The custom tactical terminal on it, its tiny screen now bathed in blood‑red.

The detector emitted a faint yet rapid hum!

Target… confirmed!

Jiang Yuan looked up, his gaze meeting Scott's eyes—filled with shock, confusion, and fear—in the air.

He spoke calmly, his voice low yet clear in Scott's ear.

"Sir."

"You are under arrest."