With an air of nonchalance, Tugou calmly closed the plates of his armor amidst the astonished gazes of onlookers, crossing his arms as he watched events unfold.
Xiaofeng turned to Tugou, setting down his Black Angel rifle, and said, "Honestly, you're ruthless—wiping out their entire gang with just one strike."
Tugou shrugged. "Sorry, I was just worried you might get hurt."
"But that was dozens of lives! Next time, you must be careful—no reckless killing, no wanton violence or insults. Killing indiscriminately is a matter of principle. Understand?"
Tugou nodded earnestly. "Yeah, I get it. I'll be more careful from now on, alright?"
Xiaofeng shook his head, then glanced at the stunned Alliance soldiers within the sanctuary. A proud smile crept across his face—such a demonstration of power truly boosted his prestige.
The commander stared at the burning vehicles before looking at Xiaofeng and his companions with even greater astonishment. He knew the strength Xiaofeng brought; Rush and Pandora had yet to act, yet they already appeared mightier than Tugou.
To ordinary people, these four were nothing short of terrifying.
Xiaofeng called out to the remaining gang members who hadn't fled yet: "What are you waiting for? Get out of here!"
They exchanged uneasy glances and fled swiftly.
Watching them retreat, Xiaofeng smirked, hoisted the Black Angel onto his shoulder, and told his companions, "I'll follow them up ahead. You all clean up here."
Tugou scoffed, "What's there to see? Just a bunch of losers."
Xiaofeng tapped Tugou's head. "You're a machine, right? Don't embarrass your kind. Think—how did the Ghost Fiends grow so fast? Someone's backing them. All this is just the surface. Finding who supports them is the real key."
Rush stepped beside Xiaofeng. "I'll go with you."
Xiaofeng shook his head. "No need. I can handle this solo." He tapped the communicator on his wrist. "We'll stay in contact. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Pandora eyed Xiaofeng curiously, surprised by his words. "You're a machine, you know. Don't disgrace your kind." Her tone softened, intrigue sparking in her eyes.
Though Pandora was also a machine, she was a higher-level model than Tugou or Hades, with superior intellect and more advanced tech. Such a shift in feeling toward Xiaofeng wasn't impossible.
She smiled again, "How about I come with you? My reconnaissance system's more advanced than Tugou's."
Xiaofeng glanced at Pandora's suddenly strange demeanor and replied, "Better not. More people means a bigger target. Don't forget—I'm a top-tier freelance hunter. I can handle it alone."
At that moment, Qintian grabbed Xiaofeng's arm. "Let me go. I'm a hunter too."
Xiaofeng regarded his newfound brother. "Alright, we'll go together."
Without delay, Xiaofeng and Qintian followed the fleeing gang members.
Rush snapped, "Fine, we're heading back to keep drinking."
Tugou trailed after Rush toward the barracks, while Pandora watched Xiaofeng and Qintian's figures vanish into the darkness, her brow furrowed.
The commander gazed at the burning vehicles and shook his head. Limited by their equipment, he decided to let the fires rage as long as the sanctuary's safety remained intact.
...
Qintian was intimately familiar with this mountainous terrain. Coupled with Xiaofeng's extraordinary vision and scent tracking, the two soon caught up to the scattered Ghost Fiends.
"Damn it, I never expected such a freak hiding in this crappy little sanctuary. I blinked, and we were wiped out," one muttered.
"We must report back to the boss. This can't be let go."
"Yeah, we've got hundreds more brothers. Next time, we take out that tin-man first."
"This time, Third Brother slipped up, thinking a few vehicles would intimidate the Alliance soldiers. Didn't expect there was someone else inside the sanctuary—a total freak. What the hell is he?"
Their murmurs reached Xiaofeng's ears. He glanced at Qintian and quietly asked, "How many did this Ghost Fiends gang have before?"
Qintian frowned. "Maybe just a few dozen."
"Dozens... and now they have hundreds. Their strength's grown tenfold. Someone powerful must be backing them, or this growth wouldn't be so fast."
Qintian nodded. "Let's follow them and find out."
Together, they slipped from the bushes and pursued.
After hours of cautious trekking through dense forest, they reached a sprawling camp cloaked in darkness. Summer foliage blanketed the area, obscuring all within.
Several gang members slipped into the thicket, winding their way through. Xiaofeng and Qintian trailed closely behind.
Even in the forest's murky depths, Xiaofeng's vision remained keen, though somewhat blurred.
Holding Qintian's hand, Xiaofeng ran effortlessly, prompting Qintian's surprise: "Xiaofeng, you can see clearly?"
"Yes."
"What kind of eyes do you have?"
"Heh, I'll explain that another time."
Minutes later, they arrived at the camp's edge. Dim lights flickered inside. Aside from a few sentries, the rest were asleep.
Frowning, Xiaofeng assessed the camp's scale by the faint glow—it was vast, rivaling Sanctuary 64 in size. If this camp was filled with bandits, their influence was undeniably formidable.
Quietly, Xiaofeng warned Qintian, "If danger arises, run. Don't wait for me. Understood?"
Qintian paused, astonished. "How can I do that?"
"Don't worry about me—I just don't want anything to happen to you."
"I'm clever. Besides, I have invisibility. You forgot? And that's not my only skill."