kvmb 128. As expected of a top agent.
128. As expected of a top agent.
Once chaos erupted, all factions no longer concealed their true intentions. The lion dance team, composed of gang members, pulled out machetes and began slashing at the other lion dancers.
Soon, the gang members wielding knives were blocked by several men carrying axes. The clash of blades and axes sent sprays of blood flying through the air. Judging solely from their weapons, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the knife-wielders were from the Viper Gang, while the axe-wielders were undoubtedly from the Axe Gang.
The Viper Gang is a gang that made its fortune entirely off the Japanese, profiting from national disaster and betraying the country. The Axe Gang, led by Liu Yaqiao, participated in this Lion Dance Championship not to win, but to prevent others from winning. Now, the two gangs, which already had a grudge, have escalated from a lion dance to a full-blown fight.
The bloody scenes assaulted the fragile nerves of pedestrians, as if they were back in time to the day Shanghai fell, with blood everywhere, crowds of refugees everywhere, crowds, trampling, separation, and injuries. The New Year's Lion Dance Competition in Shanghai had finally turned into a chaotic farce.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hongyi, "Awakening Lion" comrade, and another big-headed doll had already distanced themselves from the bloody brawl route. However, when the panicked fleeing crowd rushed in, they were quickly scattered to different locations and could no longer stay in sync.
Fortunately, Zhou Hongyi had already pointed out the escape route and direction for everyone, and had also given everyone a compass. In this chaotic situation, it seemed that even the chubby baby with the leg injury was still able to stagger towards the direction of life and freedom.
Wearing a large-headed doll helmet, Zhou Hongyi saw through the small hole that two suspicious individuals were approaching another large-headed doll.
As the two spies drew closer to the chubby-headed doll, another large-headed doll suddenly appeared from the side. This doll waved a ball and smashed it directly into the face of one of the spies, causing him to fall backward. The other spies were about to reach for their gun when the doll stepped on their foot. Just as they opened their mouths to scream, a stick was shoved into their mouths. The agent clutched his throat in pain, unable to utter a sound for a long time.
Zhou Hongyi thought to himself, "Well done." This "Lion Dancer" seemed to be quite skilled and had indeed been a great help to him.
Thinking of this, he raised the long-handled embroidered ball in his hand and spun it in the air. The copper bells hanging on the ball jingled, attracting his two companions to come closer to him.
"Go this way!"
With a wave of his hand, Zhou Hongyi led the two into another alley. With the help of his [Master of Deception] ability, each street and obstacle was marked with a different color. He only needed to avoid, detour, and advance in the lighter, greener directions to shake off his pursuers in this intricate environment.
Kondo stood on a high platform, observing the process below. He cursed at the chaotic scene, but instead of being overly hasty, he respectfully addressed a shorter, cloaked man behind him: "Mr. Sasaki, the situation is rather complicated. Can you still catch up with your target?"
The slender figure standing behind him, barely 1.6 meters tall, spoke in a hoarse voice, "Don't worry, sir, the noisier the environment, the better for me, hehehe..."
After speaking in that unpleasant voice, as harsh as an old donkey pulling a millstone, he suddenly removed his cloak, revealing a hunchbacked, thin-handed, and coarse-clothed ronin dressed in a simple linen garment.
The man looked to be in his sixties or seventies. His sparse hair was tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. He wore straw sandals and a ronin's robe with wide sleeves, tied in the center with a belt. A samurai sword was hanging on the side of the belt.
But what's most surprising isn't his attire, but the fact that this old, beggar-like wanderer only has whites in his eyes, no pupils—he's blind.
The fact that someone as blind as him could command such politeness from Kondo speaks volumes about his exceptional abilities.
Sasaki is one of the most recognized swordsmen in the country. Although he is blind, his hearing and sense of smell are far beyond those of ordinary people, which has enabled him to develop superhuman abilities.
After Kondo's bodyguard, Yamamoto Sekito, died, he used his connections to bring Sasaki, who was living in seclusion, to his side. His purpose was to use the New Year Lion King Competition to find the "Monkey King" who had caused him to suffer two defeats.
Sasaki, who was blind, sniffed around in the crowd a few times, then suddenly smiled, revealing a mouthful of black and yellow teeth. Immediately afterward, he braced his withered arms against the railing and lightly leaped off the roof.
Kondo, watching this scene, smiled as if releasing the master of the hyenas: "With Master Sasaki in charge, no matter what tricks they play, they won't escape my grasp. Now, order the military police to bring back those lion dance troupes that fled north! A bunch of clowns, do they think their smuggling routes can completely deceive our eyes and ears? Let's see if they still have any more fools left. I'll kill them one by one!"
Following Kondo's order, the military police soldiers who were maintaining order on the street turned north to intercept Gu Tianbo's caravan.
The special agents, mainly from the Special Higher Police and the 76th Division, focused their main efforts on the lion dance troupes heading west.
As chaos ensued, only three lions remained truly participating in the Lion King competition. In the aftermath of the chaos, overturned stalls, discarded items, and trampled shoes were everywhere. The three lion dancers were dumbfounded; the Lion King competition was supposed to feature over forty lions battling it out, but now only three remained.
On Zhou Hongyi's side, more and more disruptive lion dance teams approached them. Wearing a big-headed doll mask, he and his comrade codenamed "Awakening Lion" stood like two unbreakable iron gates, surrounding another big-headed doll. They would drive away one by one, and two by two.
Comrade "Awakening Lion" was alright; although he was equally agile, he only used a stick and kicked. But Comrade "Four-Faced Buddha" had two sharp blades on the soles of his shoes that had slashed the throats of countless people. He was a killer move, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Seeing this bloody scene, Comrade "Awakening Lion" was speechless. This Comrade "Four-Faced Buddha" was too bloodthirsty. Moreover, the two sharp blades on the soles of his shoes were fast and had tricky angles. He had only ever felt such a sense of oppression and crisis from his master.
"As expected of our Party's top-secret ace agent, truly amazing!"
The "Awakened Lion" secretly praised himself and quickened his pace, as if unwilling to fall behind.