Ambush

Monk Yuanjian shook his bell once more. The chime was melodious and soothing, causing the bewildered crowd to quiet down. Calmly, they picked up their own heads, reattached them, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

"That madwoman! So many people were caught in the crossfire. What do we do now?" Monk Yuanjian gasped, his anxiety far from relieved by the capture of Song Lili.

"How are we supposed to explain this to our superiors?"

Tang Feng patted the monk's shoulder, offering comfort. "It’s not as bad as you think. We are the protectors. I’ll handle the higher-ups."

Song Lili’s direct combat capability was only at D-rank; her true threat lay in her bizarre ability to swap heads and faces. For her to storm into the hospital head-on was truly unwise—a case of using one’s own weaknesses against another’s strengths.

"I honestly didn't expect her to cause such a scene..." Tang Feng patted Yuanjian’s shoulder again. The Dragon Squad could use a decent start to their reputation.

"For such a grand spectacle, I was racking my brain trying to guess her plan, but in the end, she just smashed down doors and killed people. What an idiot!" Zhang Lingyan stepped out of the ward, hands on her hips, her face filled with mockery.

Tang Feng did not look at her.

Monk Yuanjian knelt to observe the victims; they all still showed signs of life.

"Her energy is shifting!" the petite girl in the black leather jacket shouted urgently.

Zhang Lingyan waved her hand dismissively. "The Universe Web isn't something that can be easily..."

She didn't finish her sentence. She suddenly realized her perspective was dropping lower and lower, while her body seemed to be rising higher. *Why am I looking at myself from the perspective of my feet? Wait, why is my head not on my neck?*

Her thoughts grew sluggish; she could no longer form coherent sentences in her mind.

Song Lili had vanished from within the Universe Web, appearing behind Zhang Lingyan in the blink of an eye. She deftly plucked the girl’s head off and tossed it onto the floor. As she raised her foot, intent on crushing Zhang Lingyan’s skull, Tang Feng acted.

"No!"

With a palm strike accompanied by the phantom sound of a dragon’s roar and blinding golden light, Song Lingyan was sent flying. She shattered the wall and continued hurtling into the distance, the momentum of the blow unabated.

"Yanyan, don't scare me like this!" Tang Feng scooped up her head, his lips trembling as tears streamed from his eyes.

The petite girl watched in shock. *Does our team leader’s palm strike really only have A-rank power? The energy inside him just now seemed to touch S-rank.*

The fair-skinned boy frantically pulled various items from a small pouch, but none of them could reattach a human head.

"Yuanjian! Save her!" Tang Feng knelt on the ground, cradling Zhang Lingyan’s head in agony.

Monk Yuanjian merely closed his eyes in pain.

"Asun! Save Yanyan quickly..."

The fair-skinned boy continued to pull out tools, beads of sweat the size of peas covering his forehead. He knew there was nothing he could do; searching for tools was merely a delay.

The petite girl carefully examined one of the victims, then glanced at Zhang Lingyan’s body. "The victims were all transformed by Song Lili into special vessels. Their bodies might be able to save Sister Yanyan."

The others froze.

"Azeng, are you serious?" Monk Yuanjian asked, disbelieving.

Azeng nodded, very certain. "You know my ability; I can see energy. That woman’s bodily energy should be quite compatible with Sister Yanyan." She pointed to a woman lying on the floor.

"What about her own body?" Tang Feng asked, clinging to a glimmer of hope.

Azeng shook her head. "Her body is already dead. Even if it weren't, it hasn't been modified by Song Lili’s power and can’t be used. You must hurry; Sister Yanyan can hold on for ten seconds at most."

Tang Feng bit his gums until they bled, his body shaking violently. "I am the leader of the Dragon Squad. My duty—the Dragon Squad’s duty—is to protect the people. We... we should be the ones to sacrifice ourselves. How, how can we..."

Three seconds remained.

"Ah!" Monk Yuanjian removed the woman’s head and snatched Zhang Lingyan’s skull from Tang Feng’s arms, attaching it to the new body.

"Asun, quick, the life-enhancement serum!" Azeng began emergency procedures. The items in Asun's universe pouch were becoming more useful now.

Monk Yuanjian unhooked his kasaya and sat helplessly on the floor, appearing as if he had lost something of vital importance.

"It’s done. She’s stabilized. She should be fine after a sleep," Azeng said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

Tang Feng suddenly had a thought. He looked at his own hands, his eyes bloodshot, and finally made a decision. He squeezed his eyes shut, and his palms erupted in golden light once more. The thick, substantive radiance flowed onto Zhang Lingyan’s original body, which instantly disintegrated into ashes.

"I never thought my Pure Yang Vajra Palm would be used for this."

One must commit to a lie completely. By destroying the original body, this new one was now officially hers.

As for the poor, innocent woman, only her head remained. Azeng could still see the energy within it; she was likely caught in some dream.

"What should we do with her?" Asun asked cautiously. "The police will probably be here soon."

No one answered.

Azeng had an idea and dialed a number. "Daly, I have a test subject. I think you’ll be interested."

Rain drizzled from the dark, vaulted sky. A bat flew over to where Azeng stood, surveyed the surroundings, and then small claws picked up the discarded head. Strangely, as soon as the bat grabbed it, the head transformed into a smaller bat.

After the bat left, Tang Feng felt no relief; instead, his heart felt heavier. The Dragon Squad had become a joke.

Song Lili descended from the sky, landing in a pile of garbage. The Pure Yang fire inside her left no chance of survival. The golden, liquid-like flames flowed slowly but tyrannically through her body, destroying every type of energy and every shred of flesh it touched. Golden light seemed ready to burst from her mouth and nose.

A stray dog watched her from not far away, curious, yet fearful of the golden light leaking from her breath.

"If I’m going to die, then die. Xiaobao, Mommy is coming to join you."

A girl in tattered clothes, chased by several men, stumbled and fell into the trash heap.

"Run, keep running! Hahahaha!"

The girl trembled with fear, unable to speak. One of the men spotted Song Lili in the pile. "Yo, there’s another one!"

"Not bad looking, and still breathing. We’re having some good luck today, boys!"

"Hahaha!"

They laughed lewdly. Song Lili found a strength she didn't know she had and struggled to sit up.

"Get lost."

She spat out the words, but as she opened her mouth, golden light shot out, and the Pure Yang fire continued to consume her from within.

"Little sister, did you swallow a lightbulb? Hahahaha!"

She stood up, drawing the men's attention. She walked in front of the girl, shielding her.

"Get lost."

Before the men could react, the girl jumped up, shoved Song Lili forcefully toward them, and took the opportunity to run away. Shortly after, the men’s terrified screams echoed through the air.

Song Lili had swapped into a new body. "Let’s start by taking your face."

She touched her face; it was now the face of the girl who had just fled. As she left, she looked back at the body in the trash heap being consumed by golden flames. She knew the past was behind her.

She rummaged through the bag in her hand and pulled out an ID card. "Tong Qiubai. What a lovely name."