Shadow Heir II: Dark Glory - Chapter 30

“This woman’s insane! She came all the way from the capital just to steal my car?”

Su Wuji scowled as he watched Jiang Wanxing hijack his ride and vanish down the street.

From the other side, Xiao Pang screeched up in a domestic off-road SUV, leaned out the window, and waved a long rectangular box. “Boss! The gear’s ready to go!”

“You idiot! You’re trying to flash that thing in public? Get it out of sight, now!”

Before the vehicle even stopped, Su Wuji took a running start and dove straight through the open window.

Xiao Yinlei let out a huff. “Doesn’t even take me along.”

But just as she was about to turn and head back, she noticed someone standing at the bar entrance, watching her with a soft, teasing smile.

It was Mu Qianyu.

“You’re here, Boss Lady?” Xiao Yinlei blinked, surprised.

In truth, Mu Qianyu had arrived nearby earlier, while Su Wuji was still on the phone.

“I just wanted to see what kind of choice your boss would make,” she said quietly.

In that moment, her radiant smile outshone every neon light in the city. “He really is… a good man.”

She spoke as though she already knew Ducaro’s assassins had entered Linzhou.

Xiao Yinlei pressed her lips together, hesitant. She wasn’t sure if she should tell the boss lady what Su Wuji had actually gone to do.

But Mu Qianyu didn’t push further. She simply smiled and said, “I won’t be in Linzhou these next few days. Heading to the capital. Please let your boss know.”

“You could tell him yourself, you know,” Xiao Yinlei chuckled.

But Mu Qianyu shook her head with that same gentle smile. “Wuji has enough to handle here. I’d rather not distract him any more than necessary.”

She turned and walked away.

As she moved, her figure shimmered in the night, each step adding color to the surrounding shadows.

Xiao Yinlei couldn’t help murmuring to herself, “No wonder the boss couldn’t help falling for her. Miss Mu really is breathtaking…”

Then, watching that elegant silhouette vanish into the distance, she smiled faintly again.

“But… is he the only one who’s fallen for her?”

—

Xiao Pang floored it, tearing down the streets for several kilometers, but Jiang Wanxing was already long gone.

“Boss, where to now?” he asked, pulling to a stop.

“You couldn’t keep up with a woman? What kind of driver are you?” Su Wuji scowled.

To be fair, this wasn’t entirely Xiao Pang’s fault. Jiang Wanxing’s driving skills were borderline terrifying. Even though she barely knew Linzhou’s streets, she’d maneuvered through alleys and traffic with pinpoint precision—drifting, cutting, spinning the wheel like a veteran.

She wasn’t lying when she said, I’m not your average operative.

Just then, Su Wuji’s phone buzzed.

A new message. Real-time location tracking. A pulsing red dot lit up on the map.

Silver Moon’s assassin—spotted.

Su Wuji narrowed his eyes. “Two kilometers out. Moving fast.”

Another line of text popped up beneath the tracker:

Four Ducaro hunters were spotted. Silver Moon requests Ranger support.

“Four hyenas in one go…” Su Wuji muttered. “Perfect. Time to teach these bastards a lesson.”

Due to Ducaro’s brutal methods, people rarely called their agents anything but hyenas.

Before he could even give the order, Xiao Pang slammed on the gas again.

Su Wuji pulled the long box from the backseat, checked Silver Moon’s trajectory, and pointed ahead. “Drop me at that building. Leave the car. Try to catch one alive.”

Xiao Pang, ever thorough, asked, “Half-dead still counts as alive, right?”

Su Wuji gave a deadpan nod. “As long as they’re still breathing. Don’t go overboard.”

That kind of trust said everything about Xiao Pang’s skill.

“Got it. One breath. No more.”

At the designated building, Su Wuji slung the box over his back and got out. Xiao Pang parked at the entrance, then took off running.

Don’t be fooled by his tank-like frame—when he moved, he was fast. Silent.

Meanwhile, the Silver Moon assassin was on the move too, zigzagging through the city. Sometimes pausing, speeding up. Clearly caught in a fight.

One minute later, Su Wuji reached the rooftop.

He opened the case, pulled out a set of matte-black components, and assembled them in a matter of seconds. A sniper rifle took shape under his fingers.

“Old friend… You haven’t had your Linzhou debut yet.”

He set the rifle up on the rooftop edge and melted into the shadows.

Through the scope, he spotted his stolen, beat-up Tiguan parked across the street.

“Jiang Wanxing. Talk about a narrow road for enemies.”

He clicked his tongue and rested his finger on the trigger.

The driver’s side door hung open. She’d left in a hurry.

Suddenly, a figure burst out from a nearby building—dressed in black athletic wear, stumbling and bloodied. The man darted into the underground garage.

From his gait, he was clearly injured.

Su Wuji checked the tracker. That was the Silver Moon assassin.

Then, two more figures charged out.

Both tall. Both are  wearing baseball caps. Both gripping knives.

Ducaro hunters.

Next out—Jiang Wanxing.

Wearing a white fitted track suit, her curves slicing cleanly through the night air. She leapt like lightning, slammed into both men, and brought them down in one clean motion.

So she had come to Linzhou to hunt Ducaro too.

They rolled, wrestled, and rose in near-synchrony.

Jiang Wanxing didn’t pause.

She sprang into the air, twisted, and lashed out—her leg arcing down like a blade. One of the hunters flew backwards, crashed to the ground, and rolled twice.

Then—

Bang!

A gunshot echoed from the rooftop.

The downed hunter’s body jolted violently. He screamed, collapsing into the dirt.

A massive hole had torn through his abdomen. Blood poured out in waves. Even his intestines spilled out.

Thank the heavens it was late and the street deserted. That kind of shot would’ve sparked a city-wide panic.

Jiang Wanxing flinched at the sound. Her next move stuttered.

The second hunter seized the moment, dove forward, and grabbed her ankle—yanking hard.

Caught off guard, she fell with a cry.

She kicked at his head, but he clung to her leg like a mad dog, his knife flashing toward her thigh.

She had no weapons. This was a rush job. If that blade cut her, she’d be crippled.

And against someone this vicious, injury meant death.

Bang!

Another shot split the silence.

The hunter screamed—high-pitched, guttural. His leg had been blown clean through.

Blood sprayed like a fountain.

Jiang Wanxing twisted free, leapt to her feet, and slammed her knee into the base of his skull.

He dropped.

Probably wouldn’t be waking up again.

Blood speckled her white suit. Her breath came heavy, eyes sharp and wary.

She looked toward the sniper’s location, but the rooftop across the way was lost in shadow.

That shot had been surgical. One inch off, and she would’ve been the one to lose a leg.

Linzhou had a sniper like that?

That wasn’t a small deal.

Suddenly—whoosh!

Wind shifted behind her.

Danger.

Jiang Wanxing twisted—

Thud!

A punch smashed into her shoulder. She staggered back, pain blooming through her nerves.

Another hunter!

If she hadn’t turned in time, that punch would’ve shattered her skull.

These hunters were stronger than the intel suggested.

Jiang Wanxing flew back, hit the ground. Her attacker used the opening to escape.

“Stop right there!” she shouted, pushing off the pavement and chasing him down despite the pain.

But the delay had given him a head start—thirty meters and counting.

He was no rookie. Each step was calculated to weave behind cars and buildings, staying out of the sniper’s line of sight.

The rooftop remained silent. No follow-up shot.

Either the sniper lost line of sight… or the target was just that slippery.

The hunter ran faster. Further.

Too far.

“Damn it. One got away,” Jiang Wanxing cursed, breath ragged.

Just then—screeeeech—BAM!

A domestic SUV came flying around the corner and smashed into the fleeing hunter, launching him over ten meters through the air.

Footnotes
Hyena is a derogatory nickname for Ducaro assassins, implying they’re vicious, cowardly predators.