Chapter 25 The Lone City (25)

Chapter 25: The Lonely City (Part Twenty-Five)

Xie Zhihang heard the gunshot and knew at once something had gone wrong. After hesitating for a few seconds, he forced himself to remain where he was. The shot had come from Building 20, but that didn't necessarily mean Xie Wenxing had failed to control Xia Li. Perhaps that shot had been fired by Xie Wenxing himself.

Whether by trickery, persuasion, or force, as long as Xia Li was brought to Building 7, it would prove to Xue Xiaofeng that Xia Li was a two-faced liar. Xue Xiaofeng wasn't the brightest, and Xie Zhihang knew exactly how to play him.

Xie Zhihang had fallen from the third-floor balcony. Glass shards littered the ground, piercing his thin undershirt. He coughed a few times, groggily sat up, and pulled out a piece of glass embedded in his flesh.

Xue Xiaofeng leaped directly down from the third floor. He completely failed to notice Xie Zhihang's superhuman physique, still consumed by rage and agitation.

"You're trying to drive a wedge between us! Framing Yali! You want him dead! And I considered you a brother. You're so disappointing, you selfish bastard. You're just like all the others!" Xue Xiaofeng shouted angrily.

Xie Zhihang clicked his tongue, surprised his plan had failed. Xue Xiaofeng was a fool, and Xia Li was no better. Turning two fools against each other was proving more difficult than manipulating intelligent people.

Xie Zhihang stood up, spread his hands, and said regretfully, "You're the stupid one. You think you're a knight, a hero, but in reality, you're just a pathetic simp."

Xue Xiaofeng threw a punch at Xie Zhihang. This time, Xie Zhihang didn't just take it. He drifted back a step, evading the blow.

"What Xia Zhenye, what uncle? If he genuinely cared about you, would he send you into danger among the crazies? Psychics can get hurt too, and their wounds are hard to heal." Xie Zhihang pointed at his own arm, where flesh was torn open.

"So what! Yali is a very kind person! He would never want his uncle to be in danger. That's just human nature, something a selfish person like you could never understand!" Xue Xiaofeng retorted angrily.

The two of them launched into a heated back-and-forth argument.

Upstairs, Xia Li, sucking on a lollipop, muttered, "Why aren't they fighting yet? Such a waste of breath." The sun beat down, making it hard to keep his eyes open. He pressed a frozen bottle of mineral water against his cheek and sighed, "Psychics really aren't afraid of the heat. Xue Xiaofeng is like this, and so is Xie Zhihang."

Xia Li scanned the residential area with his binoculars, mumbling, "So many psychics."

"Listen, Xue Xiaofeng! Xia Li just wants you to go to your death! Search your conscience—what about you could possibly make him interested in you?" Xie Zhihang sneered.

Xue Xiaofeng suddenly fell silent. He clenched his fists tightly, his voice choked. "You look down on me too... You look down on me too!!!!!!"

Xie Zhihang offered no denial.

They were on the brink of coming to blows.

Just then, a woman, trembling, emerged from around the corner, her voice hoarse. "I can testify."

Both men turned to look at her. Xie Zhihang narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"My name is Hong Yafen. I live downstairs from them and am quite familiar with their family." Hong Yafen looked haggard, her eyes dry and red. Her lips trembled as she rasped, "They're from out of town. Their uncle's family lives in Tianhai City, not near the airport."

Xie Zhihang raised an eyebrow. The old man upstairs was still looking out for him. Just when all seemed lost, a turning point had appeared.

Xue Xiaofeng roared, "Shut up! Nonsense! How could you possibly know that!"

Hong Yafen shrank back a step but spoke with increasing conviction. "Of course I know. After they moved here, their uncle came to make trouble! Their relationship isn't good at all. They even called the police. If you don't believe me, ask the other neighbors! Many people saw it."

Xue Xiaofeng flew into a rage, punching the air in frustration before storming towards Building 20.

Xia Li saw this from upstairs. He frowned and quickly rushed to the elevator entrance. He crouched down, grabbed Xie Wenxing by the legs, and stared intently at the floor display of the adjacent elevator. After waiting a few seconds, seeing the indicator light up for descent, he knew Xue Xiaofeng had already called the elevator.

Xia Li swiftly pushed Xie Wenxing's corpse into the elevator and pressed the button for floor -1.

Both elevators descended simultaneously, with a few seconds' gap. The empty one would reach the ground floor first. By then, Xue Xiaofeng would take the adjacent empty elevator upstairs, while Xia Li would enter the parking garage from the other elevator.

Xia Li was playing an extremely tight game of timing to buy himself a chance to escape.

Xie Zhihang waited outside the building. He didn't know how Xia Li would try to persuade Xue Xiaofeng later—maybe with excuses, maybe with tears, or something else. Xie Zhihang wasn't concerned with that. What concerned him was that Xie Wenxing still hadn't come downstairs.

Until he faintly caught Xie Wenxing's scent in the air. It was very faint, mixed with a hint of blood, but he was sure it was Xie Wenxing's smell, and it was moving.

Since becoming a psychic, Xie Zhihang couldn't feel heat or cold. More accurately, his body automatically regulated its temperature, and his five senses had become heightened. But that didn't mean he could absolutely distinguish everyone's scent. Especially in summer, his sensitive sense of smell was torture; everywhere he went, he smelled the disgusting stench of sweat.

Putting that aside, Xie Zhihang realized everyone's body odor was different, hard to describe accurately with a single scent. Some people smelled sweet, others bitter, with varying degrees of sweetness or bitterness.

He was all too familiar with Xie Wenxing's scent. After all, that was his closest nephew, who spent every summer vacation with him.

That scent was gradually fading into the distance, followed by another gunshot.

Xie Zhihang was puzzled. He rubbed his nose and entered Building 20. The scent was drifting from the parking garage. He followed it downstairs.

The lock on the main door had been pried open by Xie Wenxing, and the lock on the door to the parking garage had been shot open—that was the gunshot he just heard.

Xie Zhihang pushed the already-raised rolling shutter door all the way up and walked into the parking garage. The garage was a jumble of smells. After Xue Xiaofeng left, Xie Zhihang had announced everyone was free to move around. Many residents had come to the garage, taking things from their cars or chatting with each other. After all, it was too hot outside, even more suffocating than the stuffy garage.

Xie Zhihang took a deep breath, trying to distinguish the scents, when Xue Xiaofeng came storming downstairs, his face twisted. "Yali! Where's Yali!"

Xie Zhihang frowned. "Isn't he upstairs?"

Xue Xiaofeng ignored him. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened. Gnashing his teeth, he said, "Stop hiding! I can smell you!" He suddenly turned right and charged forward, stopping behind a Mercedes-Benz. Then he paused, looking somewhat bewildered at the ground.

Xie Zhihang walked over slowly. "What is it?"

Xue Xiaofeng picked up a white T-shirt with a little bear design from the ground, perplexed. "Why is Yali's shirt here?"

Xie Zhihang suddenly understood! Xia Li had taken off his own clothes and put on Xie Wenxing's clothes! To mask his own scent.

He never imagined Xia Li could be so perceptive. He rushed forward and demanded sharply, "Where's Wenxing! Where is he?"

Xue Xiaofeng said impatiently, "Don't bother me! Piss off!"

Xie Zhihang grabbed his collar, eyes wide with fury. "Where is he!"

Xue Xiaofeng shook off his arm, furious. "He's dead! Don't delay me from finding Yali!"

"Dead..." Xie Zhihang's eyes turned red. "Dead? How could he be dead?"

"Dead is dead. What's so strange about that?" Xue Xiaofeng walked on, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He had to kill Xia Li. No! He would break Xia Li's legs! Make it so he couldn't go anywhere!

Xie Zhihang remembered the first gunshot earlier and suddenly understood.

Xie Wenxing had been shot dead by Xia Li.

Xie Wenxing had been shot dead by Xia Li!

Xie Wenxing had been shot dead by Xia Li!!!!!!

Xie Zhihang almost vomited. Crushing despair surged in his heart. He charged from behind, shoving Xue Xiaofeng out of the way, and chased the faint, lingering scent towards another building.

He was going to tear Xia Li to pieces!!!!!!

*

Xia Li walked out of Building 19. The sun was about to melt him. Considering himself a thoughtful and good kid, he headed towards the open community square. There was a pavilion there, adjacent to the fitness and rest area—a wide, open space.

Xue Xiaofeng often received the adoration of his "subjects" here. Xia Li thought he was out of his mind, but Xue Xiaofeng took pride in it, believing himself a great hero.

Xia Li knew he couldn't hide for long. He stood under the dazzling sunlight, his slender, pale fingers shielding his forehead from the scorching rays. He didn't know if Xue Xiaofeng would beat him to death, but Xie Zhihang would definitely not let him go. He had heard Xue Xiaofeng recount Xie Zhihang's deeds a thousand times.

He was getting a bit impatient. The sun was nearly melting him. Sweat streamed down his fair face. He pouted, looking utterly pitiful and innocent, enough to make someone want to hug him.

In an instant, Xie Zhihang and Xue Xiaofeng appeared at the corner simultaneously, with Xie Zhihang even leading the charge, his expression more ferocious than Xue Xiaofeng's.

Xia Li tilted his head. "Took you long enough."

Xie Zhihang fixed his gaze on the clothes Xia Li was wearing, his entire body trembling as he demanded, "You killed Wenxing! Admit it!"

"I don't know who Xie Wenxing is. Someone tried to bully me, so I fired a shot." Xia Li paused, then covered his lips with his fingertips, saying regretfully, "Ah, I've given myself away. Xie Wenxing, Xie Zhihang—he's your son, isn't he?"

Xie Zhihang swung a slap down with enough force to kill.

Xue Xiaofeng raised his hand to stop it, but the slap still grazed Xia Li's face. Even with ninety percent of the force dissipated, Xia Li was still sent sprawling on the grass. His cheek swelled instantly, half of his face rising high and swollen.

"You think you can get away with this? I will definitely kill you!" Xie Zhihang's face flushed with rage as he looked down at Xia Li with contempt.

"Hahaha, you're the one who's going to die." The grass had been scorched by the sun, leaving only cracked soil and withered weeds. Xia Li pushed himself up from the ground, sneering, "You're a Psychic, aren't you? I saw your eyes—they're misty blue."

Xie Zhihang and Xue Xiaofeng both froze.

Xie Zhihang frowned, remaining silent as he glanced sideways at Xue Xiaofeng.

Xue Xiaofeng was devastated as never before. Trembling, he said, "Zhihang, why didn't you tell me?"

Xue Xiaofeng stood stunned, his long-held beliefs collapsing entirely. He clutched his hair in agony, asking humbly, "Yali, you're joking, right? You're so kind. How could you say such things? Did someone corrupt you? Did they?!"

Xia Li sneered as he stood up. His palms were already burned by the scorching ground. He looked disheveled and frail, his body swaying and vulnerable, seemingly weaker than the withered weeds. Yet his voice was cold and merciless: "Yes, someone taught me—countless bullies like you taught me! Xue Xiaofeng, you're trash, worthless, not even fit to be scraped off a shoe! You're the scum of society!"

Xia Li suddenly paused. He lifted his chin, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said in a gentle yet resolute tone, "You're still the same coward you always were."

Xue Xiaofeng hung his head low, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Xie Zhihang frowned deeply, solemnly saying, "He's spouting pure nonsense! Xiaofeng, kill this ant. He doesn't deserve your feelings. Show him what you're made of!"

Xue Xiaofeng clenched his fist, gathering all the strength from his entire body into his palm.

All his pent-up rage poured out with this punch!

A piercing scream rent the air, and the withered grass was splattered with blood.