Chapter 35: Interception

"A sword from the past... pins the demon to the throne." Li Guanqi repeated the words, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

Qin Dongzhu chuckled and said, "It probably refers to karma, doesn't it?"

"Something like—" He pondered for a moment, then offered an analogy: "A boy fires a shot that hits his future self sixteen years later."

"Good begets good, evil begets evil?"

Li Guanqi joked, "How come it feels more like a show of force to me?"

"Like two armies at war, hanging the enemy general's corpse on the gate before the battle even begins."

Judging by his simple values, he viewed the Spirit Detention Bureau as a righteous institution, much like the police, with the demon representing the enemy criminal.

"Hahaha." Qin Dongzhu stood up and laughed, "Just answer it like that on the written exam; the meaning of the emblem is tested every year."

As he spoke, he pressed a device in his hand, summoning a small vehicle.

"It’s going to rain..."

"Give me a hand, let's get these two into the car."

Qin Dongzhu dragged Lin Yu like a slab of sausage and tossed him into the passenger seat.

Li Guanqi walked over to Tang Xin, bent down, and carefully lifted her, placing her gently in the back seat with extreme tenderness.

Tang Xin’s head lolled to one side, her long hair spilling across the seat. She mumbled something, her brows knitting together slightly.

"Eighth Brother..."

She reached out and hooked her arms around Li Guanqi’s neck, her voice soft and sweet, her breath carrying a faint scent of alcohol.

"Cheers!"

Tang Xin suddenly shouted, her grip tightening around him.

"Let's save the cheers for next time."

Li Guanqi was caught between laughter and tears. He gently unhooked her arms and adjusted her into a more comfortable position. He then shifted to the other side, leaned against the window, and slowly closed his eyes.

It was a three-to-four-hour drive back to Bianyuelong; he could afford a light nap.

The drizzle arrived as expected. The night was torn into countless points of light, and the rhythmic patter of raindrops against the windowpane became hypnotic. Qin Dongzhu gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed intently on the road ahead, while the wipers worked frantically, unable to clear the sheet of water from the windshield.

The rain grew heavier, turning into a steady hiss.

An hour later, Li Guanqi shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. His face turned from the window toward Tang Xin. Sensing something, his nose twitched slightly. He opened his sleepy eyes just a crack.

A familiar girl's face appeared right before him, staring straight at him.

"White Paper?" Li Guanqi mumbled groggily, "Where did you go..."

He murmured a few more words and drifted back into a deep sleep.

Qin Dongzhu glanced at him through the rearview mirror and muttered to himself, "Was he talking in his sleep?"

White Paper brushed a lock of hair from Li Guanqi’s forehead, as light as a breeze. She whispered, "Could it be you, my sweetheart?"

She flicked her white cane, tapping the car floorboard a few times.

"Bang—"

Two loud crashes erupted from both sides of the vehicle, and Qin Dongzhu’s eyes snapped wide open.

The car shook violently. Li Guanqi woke up instantly, instinctively protecting his head. In the rearview mirror, over a dozen modified motorcycles burst out of the darkness, their headlights flickering like the eyes of wild beasts in the rain.

"Damn it!" Qin Dongzhu gritted his teeth, his hands locked onto the steering wheel. "The Black Car Gang!"

Two black motorcycles pressed against the car like hungry wolves, repeatedly ramming the vehicle. Each impact sent everyone inside reeling; Lin Yu and Tang Xin let out incoherent groans in their drunken stupor.

"Hold on tight!" Qin Dongzhu yelled and jerked the steering wheel hard.

The small car swerved sharply in the rainy night, shaking off one motorcycle, but another immediately took its place, surrounding them completely.

"These people..." Li Guanqi squinted, peering through the rain at the bikers.

They were fully armored, wearing full-face helmets and black leather jackets, their backs painted with wild, chaotic patterns.

White Paper had disappeared, but Li Guanqi didn't have the luxury of wondering where. His voice was tense: "Who are they?"

"The Black Car Gang from the Satellite District," Qin Dongzhu said, sweat beading on his forehead. "They're all lunatics..."

A motorcycle suddenly accelerated, pulling parallel to the car. The rider raised an arm, a dark gun barrel aiming through the window.

"Gun! Get down!" Li Guanqi lunged toward Tang Xin.

Qin Dongzhu reached out to pull Lin Yu down, ducking his own head.

"Bang!"

The sound of shattering glass was piercing in the rainy night.

The moment the bullet smashed the window, a metal hook reached in from the broken opening, latching firmly onto the frame. The biker accelerated outward, trying to drag the car into a skid.

"Damn it!" Qin Dongzhu gritted his teeth and floored the accelerator.

The team’s yellow car emitted a mechanical shifting sound; the roof and doors opened slowly, revealing hidden cannon muzzles.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two shots rang out, striking the motorcycles on either side with precision.

Fire erupted, and debris scattered everywhere. The riders screamed as they fell, their bikes rolling into piles of scrap metal. The violent impact shook the car, the tires screeching as they fought for traction on the wet ground.

Inside, the four were tossed about, and Li Guanqi couldn't wake Tang Xin or Lin Yu no matter what he did.

"Damn it!"

Qin Dongzhu clenched his jaw, one hand gripping the wheel while the other frantically tapped the car's communication system.

"This is the Bianyuelong team. We are under attack by the Black Car Gang, requesting backup! Location..."

He reported the situation urgently, his voice muffled by the chaotic sound of the rain.

[Location where...]

The communicator suddenly let out a shrill burst of electrical interference, and the signal cut out.

The dozen motorcycles surrounded them once again.

"The signal has been jammed." Li Guanqi’s brow furrowed, and a crisp 'ding' sounded in his mind.

Sanity Rate: 75% → 70%

All negative emotions—anger, sadness, worry, fear—could lower one's sanity.

Qin Dongzhu pulled out a black box and handed it to Li Guanqi in the back seat, his tone tense: "The steering wheel has an autopilot button."

"If something happens to me..."

"Destroy all the cards inside, and turn on the autopilot to run..."

Li Guanqi froze, clutching the black box tightly, his voice dull: "Destroy all the cards..."

Once a Spirit Card is destroyed, the stored spiritual essence is instantly released. Without an owner, the summoned creatures would run wild.

It was an irreversible process.

Once destroyed, everything was gone, unless one was truly driven to the brink.

"Don't give them a single card!" Qin Dongzhu roared.

"Ya—" White Paper whispered like a vengeful spirit, "You're mistaken, it's not your cards I want."

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound came from the roof, as if something heavy had crashed onto it. The roof buckled inward instantly, the metal twisting and deforming.

"What is that?!" Qin Dongzhu’s eyes widened.

Heavy, dragging sounds came from the roof; the creature's sharp claws scraped against the metal, producing a screeching noise. Li Guanqi felt goosebumps break out across his skin.

Sanity Rate: 70% → 68%

"Bang!"

Another heavy impact hit the roof, pressing the metal plate lower, almost touching Li Guanqi’s head.

A pair of hollow eyes slid slowly down from the windshield, looking upside down at the two inside. It was a twisted human face, the skin pale and cracked, the corners of the mouth stretched to the ears, revealing sharp, jagged fangs.

"Hehehe..."

"Found you..."

The monster let out a bone-chilling laugh, its voice raspy and harsh. Its face pressed against the glass, the heat from its breath condensing into white mist in the rainy night.

"King Bone..." Li Guanqi felt a sudden, icy shiver throughout his entire body.

Sanity Rate: 68% → 65%