Beginning with the Ubume Bird - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Vicious Snake?

Translator: Larbre Studio

Editor: Larbre Studio

Li Yan didn’t see anyone in the apartment. He held the knife in a backhand grip in his left hand and the gun in his right as his shoes stepped onto the walkway.

The women who would normally be sitting on the couch with their legs crossed waiting for customers were nowhere to be seen.

The floor that was usually littered with used condoms, and the squeals and moans normally heard all around the place, were all gone as well.

Li Yan suddenly doubled over and rolled across the ground. He heard a thud right beside his ear. The dull red sofa had suddenly exploded, sending the springs and cotton scraps all over the place.

Behind the wall, Yu gritted his teeth. Li Yan’s senses were acute like a wild beast. This would be troublesome for him.

He drew a breath and then stuck his head out to look again. At once, there was a flash and a loud bang, and all he could see was black!

Li Yan frowned. The air rang with the sound of breaking metal that made one’s teeth ache. Li Yan involuntarily shuddered.

Li Yan was far less confident in his shooting skills compared to his sword skills. Just from the fact that “Firearms Specialization” was not unlocked on his status sheet, one could tell that Li Yan was only slightly better than someone who had never held a gun in their hand.

“Did I miss?”

Behind the wall, Yu’s dark face appeared again. Without thinking, Li Yan raised his hand and pulled the trigger. With the flare of the gun, bullets flew into Yu’s body, carrying quite a bit of kinetic energy.

“Clink clink…”

A semi-transparent snake appeared and coiled around Yu. It was completely black except for its green head, three meters long, and around the width of a man’s arm. Some of the bullets struck its scales and created sparks. Other bullets that seemed to almost hit Yu were swallowed by the snake, eaten as though they were mere peanuts.

“You have encountered the power of the Ba Serpent!”

“A Strong Impression, activated!”

“You have encountered The Predator!”

Name: Li Jiangyu

Status: Gluttony!

Specialization: Biological Appetency 63% 

Skills: 1 – A Strong Impression; 2 – Yellow Talisman (1/3); 3 – ???

Inheritance: Tooth of the Ba Serpent, Gluttony

Predator: When in an unresolvable conflict with another Walker who has ‘A Strong Impression’ activated, the only option is for one party to retreat or be killed. When the Predator is killed by the Prey, the Prey will obtain all of the Predator’s purchasing limit, as well as 30% of their total reward for the current Yanfu Case.

There will also be a chance to consume the Predator’s inheritance.

The Predator will not obtain any additional rewards by killing the Prey, but there is a 100% chance of consuming the Prey’s existing inheritance.

Predator status can be obtained through special tools.

“So that’s how it is.”

Li Yan read the description of the Ba Serpent’s inheritance and understood.

He kept his gun and took two steps forward. Increasing his speed, he closed the distance in two more leaps and charged headfirst towards the Ba Serpent.

“You’re asking for death!”

Yu was highly confident in his Ba Serpent, who had already reached the upper limits of its satiety. Seeing Li Yan charge towards him, he changed his tactics. The head of the Ba Serpent moved like lightning, snapping towards Li Yan’s neck.

Just as the serpent’s fangs were about to reach the charging Li Yan, he dropped his knees, thrust his waist forward, and slid forward in a strange kneeling posture. The Ba Serpent’s bite missed him by a hair’s width.

If Li Yan had He Andong’s gun-drawing speed, he could have shot Li Jiangyu right on the spot before the Ba Serpent could turn around.

Unfortunately, Li Yan was not capable of that. On the other hand, He Andong did not have Li Yan’s astonishing reaction speed that he used to dodge the Ba Serpent’s bite.

Hence, Li Yan did not think too much. He raised the kukri knife in his hand and swung it at Li Jiangyu.

Li Jiangyu saw that Li Yan was almost on him and also raised his pistol.

The knife whistled as it slashed through the air, and so did the bullets as they flew out of the pistol following a bright flare.

Perhaps the heavens felt that Li Yan’s luck had been poor after the unfortunate incident of wood flying into his eyes, or perhaps it was just that Li Jiangyu’s shooting skills were lousy. Regardless, the three bullets only grazed Li Yan’s arm, but the kukri knife found its target and hacked right into Yu’s shoulder.

“Argh!”

Yu let out a loud cry. The Browning, which already had a strong recoil, fell out of his grasp.

Li Yan sprang up from his knees and leapt towards Yu, who had lost his gun. However, he felt a sudden chill behind his back, and he could see Yu cry out in pain with a vicious look in his eyes.

“Hmph!”

Li Yan twisted his body violently in mid-air, using the strength of his waist to twist his body to the side, but a searing hot pain still hit his back.

Li Yan crashed into the nearby wall but he didn’t dare to hesitate. He immediately performed a sweep kick towards Li Jiangyu’s ankles and reached for the gun by his waist with his right hand.

Li Jiangyu was sent staggering by the sweep kick, which also momentarily stunned the circling Ba Serpent. But in this brief moment, the circling Ba Serpent suddenly turned its head.

Its cold sharp eyes turned and blocked Li Yan, who had his gun raised ready to shoot!

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Li Yan emptied all the bullets in his pistol into the large gaping mouth of the Ba Serpent, but it did nothing to stop its advance. Li Yan was smashed through the wall into a small cramped room nearby.

Li Yan rolled and retreated to a corner of the room. He was covered in dust and blood and a large chunk of flesh was gone from his left hand, leaving behind a mess of blood and flesh.

On this side, the kukri knife in Yu’s shoulder had gone right to his bone, causing him to nearly pass out from the pain. With his undamaged left arm, he shakily picked up his pistol, only to find that there were no more bullets. Enraged, he tossed the pistol aside and charged into the plaster-covered room that Li Yan was in.

…

“Li. There’s noise coming from below.”

Judy swallowed and then spoke to the feeble woman behind her.

Li’s face was pale. She was using her teeth to pull at the rope binding Judy’s hands. The ropes were covered in bristles.

She replied in a muffled voice, “Don’t bother. Jump out of the window and run away.”

“Maybe Li Yan is here.”

Li’s lips and gums were pricked and bleeding. At last, she managed to bite a gap in the ropes. She spat out a mouthful of blood and said darkly.

“It doesn’t matter who’s here. That strange snake simply can’t be killed.”

Li had never seen anything so ridiculous and absurd in all twenty-eight years of her life. The strange snake dancing around that man’s body was impervious to bullets. It turned whatever understanding she had had of this world upside-down.

“If that Yu person was so powerful, why would he insist on getting Li Yan to come here?”

When the people beside Judy had been turned to swiss cheese by that strange snake, when their blood was sent flying everywhere, when the people close to her suddenly had their heads bitten off… she had almost wet herself from fear.

But slowly, Judy began to calm down.

That man was clearly afraid of Li Yan.

“Judy, there’s no point in saying that now! Go out through the window and get someone on the streets to call the police!”

Li, who was normally handsome and gallant, was white as a sheet and looking much more crazed than normal.

Judy’s lips trembled slightly. When Li finally bit through the rope, she rushed to her feet and picked up the guns from the dead bodies.

“Judy, don’t do anything stupid!” Li shouted at Judy, her eyes wide as she watched her go for the guns.

In a practiced motion, Judy took apart the pistols, removed all the brass-colored bullets, and dumped them into the cracks between the floorboards.

“These things are useless against the snake, but they can harm you.”

Judy took another look at Li with red wounds all over her body. She bent down and removed her white heels and ran barefoot to the window. Her eyes red, she looked at Li one last time.

“You… take care.”