Before the modern era, the Imperial Court ruled the nation, but the world of Ancient Martial Artists held sway outside its direct control. However, as modern high-tech weaponry flourished—with the appearance of guns, grenades, and even airplanes and cannons—Ancient Martial Artists found themselves at an increasing disadvantage, gradually receding into the shadows.

After all, based on the power scaling of Ancient Martial Arts, to become a Third Tier Powerhouse, advancing from Initiation to a proficient level takes at least five to six years.

That's to say nothing of reaching the Level of a Second Rate Expert, which stands even higher. Even for someone with exceptional talent, it would likely take ten years or more. Otherwise, one might end up like Elder Dong, whom Chen Fei had previously encountered. Despite practicing martial arts since childhood for nearly sixty years, he had only reached the peak Level of a Second Rate Expert. He was a typical example of someone without innate talent, forced to rely solely on hard work to advance.

High-tech weaponry, on the other hand, was a different story. Anyone wielding a gun could possess immense destructive power and pose a significant threat to society. Even a Second Rate Expert in the Ancient Martial Arts would be instantly incapacitated by a direct gunshot, unless they had reached the level of a First-Class Master and possessed Dark Energy.

As mentioned before, possessing Dark Energy is the criterion for measuring whether an Ancient Martial Artist has reached the level of a First-Class Master.

If one possessed Dark Energy, they had no need to fear ordinary firearms. Firstly, their reaction speed would far exceed that of a normal person, allowing them to easily dodge a bullet before it struck. Secondly, Dark Energy itself held terrifying power, capable of blocking bullets outright.

Therefore, in the modern nation, Second Rate Experts and First-Class Masters were entirely different concepts. The latter was comparable to an entire unit, or even several units, of special forces soldiers!

BANG!

Another gunshot grated on Chen Fei's already frayed nerves.

Although he now possessed strength comparable to the peak Level of a Second Rate Expert, he wasn't certain if his reaction speed was fast enough to dodge a bullet, or if his internal Spiritual Energy could withstand the impact of such high-tech weaponry.

Simply put, he was scared. After all, he was just a twenty-year-old. Who had ever seen such a spectacle?

"If you don't want to die, fight with me!" The woman suddenly pulled a gleaming, pitch-black handgun from her clothes. She boldly rolled out from the grass, rose to one knee, and fired a single shot before quickly dropping to the ground again. The entire sequence was as fluid as flowing water, a display of lethal, practiced grace.

The handsome man known as Poison Scorpion grunted as the bullet struck him. He had tried to dodge, but her reaction was faster. The bullet tore through his right thigh, splattering blood on the ground.

An opportunity! Seeing this, the hesitation in Chen Fei's eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp glint.

He shot out from the grass like a cheetah in the night. His muscles erupted with explosive power, his body a blur as he closed in on Poison Scorpion. A single, vicious kick knocked the man unconscious!

"Damn Ancient Martial Artist!"

BANG!

Poison Scorpion's companion reacted instantly, raising his pistol and firing again.

"Get down!" the woman screamed, her face tense.

The bullet struck the exact spot where Chen Fei had been standing. Though he was on high alert and had moved immediately after kicking Poison Scorpion, he was a fraction of a second too slow. The bullet grazed his arm, drawing blood.

"You little brat, go to hell!"

But just as Chen Fei dodged, before he could even regain his footing, a dark figure lunged at him from behind. It was the ferocious-looking Black Bear.

It turned out that while Chen Fei had crippled both his hands, leaving him unable to hold a gun, he hadn't passed out. Seizing the opportunity, Black Bear now charged, a tri-edged military spike clenched in his teeth. He aimed to plunge it straight into Chen Fei's spine.

BANG!

A single shot rang out. A bullet found its mark, and Black Bear's head exploded. It was the woman, Colorful Garment, who had fired.

Someone's dead? Chen Fei's mind went completely blank. Black Bear's head had just disintegrated right behind him, spraying hot blood all over his back. The warm, wet sensation made him want to retch, and his entire body began to tremble.

He had followed his master to learn martial arts since he was a child and had even received the inheritance of an expert from the Cultivation World, bringing him to the peak Level of a Second Rate Expert. But he had never killed anyone. He had never even seen someone die before. The grisly scene left him stunned, his mind a complete void.

Seeing Chen Fei's reaction, the last remaining enemy paused. A mocking smirk crossed his lips. So he's just a greenhorn! Without hesitation, he raised his pistol and fired.

The woman was also taken aback by Chen Fei's state, her expression turning to one of panicked helplessness. Damn it, has this guy never seen blood before? She never would have expected a powerful Ancient Martial Artist to be a complete greenhorn when it came to real bloodshed. Who would ever believe it?

Luckily, Chen Fei's reflexes were fast. The sound of the gunshot jolted him back to his senses. He instinctively dodged backward, forcing down the urge to vomit. A faint white light flickered into existence just as the bullet was about to hit.

With a muffled grunt, Chen Fei tumbled into the nearby bushes, leaving a smear of blood on the ground.

At the same moment Chen Fei fell, apparently wounded, the last enemy charged. He swung his empty pistol like a club, aiming for the woman. It seemed he was out of bullets.

Clearly, he wasn't just skilled with a gun; his hand-to-hand combat was formidable as well, at least at the peak of a Third Tier Expert. Panic flashed in the woman's bright eyes. Though her own gun was still loaded, his relentless assault gave her no opportunity to fire.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The dull sounds of their blows echoed in the desolate factory area. The woman was clearly well-trained, her close-quarters combat skills impressive. Her punches and kicks were sharp and powerful, and she matched her opponent blow for blow.

However, her opponent still held his weapon and was clearly the superior fighter in close combat. If this continued, she would inevitably be defeated.

"Give it up, Colorful Garment," the man said coldly. "You know you're no match for me."

The woman just snorted in response.

"In that case, don't blame me for being merciless," the man said, his voice grim and filled with killing intent.

"It seems you've forgotten about me." At that moment, a cold voice spoke from right beside the man's ear, making his expression change dramatically.

"Impossible! You're not hurt?" the man exclaimed. He violently kicked the woman to the ground and stared at Chen Fei in disbelief. My shot definitely hit him. How can he be fine?

BANG!

At that exact moment, a shot rang out. The man's body shuddered violently before he collapsed to the ground.

He may have been the stronger hand-to-hand combatant, felling her with a single kick, but he had forgotten one crucial detail: she still had a loaded gun.

Chen Fei stared at the motionless figure on the ground. Is he dead? he murmured to himself.

Just moments ago, he had been shot in the back, but the Spiritual Energy in his body had saved his life. It turned out his current level of Spiritual Energy was just strong enough to stop a bullet from an ordinary handgun. That's why he was uninjured, aside from a sore back.

"Are you alright? It looked like you got hit!" the woman known as Colorful Garment said, panting as she struggled to her feet. The man's last kick felt like it had broken her ribs. *Hiss*… The pain was intense.

"It was just a graze," Chen Fei replied, walking over to her. He noticed the wound on her side. "But you're hurt. Let me take a look. I'm a doctor."

"Wait, don't," the woman said, her face suddenly turning red. Her injury was on her side, very close to her chest.

"Come on, a patient shouldn't be shy with their doctor. Besides, it looks like your ribs are broken. If you don't get that treated immediately, you could be permanently crippled." Ignoring her protest, Chen Fei calmly knelt and carefully tore her clothing, exposing the wound while preserving her modesty.

But upon seeing the wound, his brow furrowed, and his gaze fell upon the dead man's feet.

On the edge of the man's leather boots was a small, finely serrated blade. He hadn't noticed it before because of the darkness and his own scattered thoughts.

"These guys are real pros, hiding blades in their shoes," Chen Fei said, dumbfounded. "Do they think they're in a movie or something? I've never seen anything like this."

"Those three were from Tiger Leopard Hall," Colorful Garment said weakly. "You've heard of them, right? The biggest underground power in the Three Provinces of Lingnan. Within the criminal underworld, they're a major force not just nationally, but across all of Asia. What they do is often more professional than what you see in the movies."

"Is that so? Then you've got some serious nerve, daring to steal from them," Chen Fei said, beginning to gently clean her wound as a way to distract her.

Colorful Garment grunted in pain but did her best to hide it. Her face was pale, but she managed a weak joke. "Aren't you just as bold? You killed two of them. I'm sure you'll be on their kill list now."

"What does that have to do with me? You're the one who killed them!" Chen Fei protested, dumbfounded.

"Besides, no one else knows but you," she teased. "If they come after me, I'll just blame it all on you."

Chen Fei rolled his eyes at her and asked, "What's your real name? Is it actually Colorful Garment?"

"No, that was just my codename for infiltrating Tiger Leopard Hall. My name is Zhao Xin," she said, then asked, "What about you?" As she said her name, Zhao Xin felt a blush creep up her cheeks, wondering why she was telling her real name to a stranger she had just met.

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