Beginning with the Ubume Bird - Chapter 38
Chapter 38: A Notion
Translator: Larbre Studio
Editor: Larbre Studio
Li Jiangyu raised his gun in panic. Li Yan was hardly a step behind as he pointed the barrel of his gun at his foe.
Li Jiangyu’s palms began to sweat.
“Chang Shen’s gunmen couldn’t kill you. You’re not even afraid of the Ba Serpent. There’s no way this is your first Yanfu Case…” Li Jiangyu said through gritted teeth as he felt a chill in his heart.
“You’re a Deserter?”
Li Yan raised his eyebrows as he thought of the broken corpses all over Xiu’s home.
“You said that Chang Shen sent men to kill me… so you really are from He Lian Sheng.”
Li Jiangyu pursed his lips but didn’t speak.
Li Yan looked at the gun in Li Jiangyu’s hand.
“M1923? You can’t hold that steady with your left hand, can you?”
“Want to try me?”
Li Jiangyu shouted back through gritted teeth, but it looked like he was just putting up a brave front.
Li Yan ran his tongue over his gums. His whole mouth was filled with the salty taste of blood.
“If you let that woman go, I’ll go easy on you. We’ll both throw down our guns. How about that?”
A black vein throbbed on Yu’s temple. A thick black cloud whirled around him, slowly forming the shape of a black snake.
Li Yan’s eyes widened. If Li Jiangyu had the Ba Serpent by his side as well as a gun in his hand, then the gains he had achieved by sacrificing his right hand would be for nothing.
“Shoot now! His gun has no bullets!”
Wobbling at her feet, Li suddenly spoke. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it caused the two men’s hearts to pound.
In the end, Li Yan reacted faster, attacking with the butt of the gun. Why didn’t he shoot? Well, his gun was out of bullets, too.
The Ba Serpent bit onto the pistol but staggered back in response, as though it could vanish at any moment.
Li Jiangyu saw that his chances looked bleak. Li Yan’s fist was already in front of his face!
The Ba Serpent howled to the skies and the air rang with a sound like shattering glass. The body of the snake burst into smithereens, and amongst the broken pieces, a black light shot into Li Yan’s forehead!
Scorching, fierce, and terrifying.
This was the scent of death.
There was no way to avoid it.
Li Jiangyu bled from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth as he stared ahead.
“You have chosen to self-destruct the Ba Serpent. This Inheritance ability will enter cooldown for the duration of one Yanfu Case.”
“Your specialization has been lowered by 10%.”
The final skill, Inheritance Self-Destruction!
“Actively destroying one’s own Inheritance is a huge price in exchange for a fatal strike.”
I have to get through this first…
Li Jiangyu had a vicious look in his eyes.
“You have uncovered a weakness in your opponent!”
‘A Strong Impression’ suddenly gave Li Yan a hint!
Weakness: For the next attack (including but not limited to the use of firearms, blades, poison, or anything that could harm your foe), attack speed will be increased by 100%. Damage will be increased by 100%.
“Tap.”
A single hand landed on the handle of the kukri knife in Li Jiangyu’s shoulder. The hand pulled the knife and slashed horizontally in a smooth motion like flowing water. A line of red appeared across Li Jiangyu’s neck. At the same time, that black light also pierced right through Li Yan’s head!
Li stumbled to the ground, staring blankly at the two motionless men.
Blood poured out continuously. After a while, she managed to struggle over and grab the leg of Li Yan’s trousers.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Li Yan looked down at her calmly.
“You…”
Li was at a loss for words.
Li Yan avoided using his right hand and picked up Li in his arms. His touch was extremely gentle.
“I’ll send you to the hospital. Where’s Judy?”
Outside the window, police sirens were blaring. Li Yan carried Li and walked over to the window. Inside the police car, Judy looked outside frantically and saw Li Yan upstairs, looking down as he carried Li in his arms. She saw him raise his eyebrows at her with a face covered in blood and grime.
“Whew!”
Judy crumbled in her seat.
…
“You have killed the Predator!”
“You have earned all of the other party’s purchasing limit as well as 30% of their total reward.”
“Unfortunately, because you are not in possession of an Inheritance, you are not eligible to consume the Ba Serpent.”
…
“In three months’ time, I want to see Chang Shen and his son in Stanley Prison.”
Judy was sitting in a wheelchair. Her hands placed on the table were clasped together.
The person sitting opposite her was rather advanced in age, and his facial features were hidden in a shadow. He looked at the spoon and then replied to Judy in fluent Mandarin.
“Ms. Judy, I completely understand how you are feeling. I can promise you that the government will not tolerate such unhinged criminals to do as they please in Hong Kong.”
Judy squinted as she stared.
“Mr. George, your Mandarin is very good, but I hope you are not simply patronizing me.”
“How could that be?” the man shook his head. “However, I still prefer that Ms. Judy address me by my Chinese name.”
“I shall leave this matter to you then, Uncle Zhong.”
Judy’s face broke into a smile. She stood and picked up her hat from the side.
“Since this is settled, I shall be leaving.”
“Where are you hurrying to?”
George stood up.
“Two of my friends lost their lives in that incident. I’m going to attend their funerals.”
Judy’s normally bright eyes looked duller than normal. It was a heartbreaking sight.
“My condolences.”
The man sighed and shook his head.
“Uncle Zhong, I heard that Chang Shen and his son are also involved in large scale drug trafficking in Hong Kong, in addition to their gang activities. You must investigate carefully.”
“You can rest assured.”
He nodded in reply.
On July 2nd, 1986, Li Guangyao received a call from the Chief Colonial Secretary. The moment he put down the phone, he knew it was all over for Chang Shen.
…
“Achoo!”
Li Yan finished his third bowl of Wanton noodles and let out a loud sneeze.
The salty sea breeze blew through his hair as Judy sat opposite him, legs crossed. She wore a pair of white slippers that revealed her delicate little toes.
The two of them were in a floating restaurant. The ship was called Jumbo Floating Restaurant and was one of Hong Kong’s most famous seafood restaurants. The ship weighed almost 3,300 tons and had a capacity of nearly 4,000 guests. It had cost 32 million Hong Kong dollars to build, and it looked like a palace with its elaborate carvings and painted pillars.
What’s worth noting is that this ship was part of Stephen Chow’s movie “The God of Cookery” in the nineties. It was the ship where he had prepared his Tragic Soul-Stealing Rice in the final scene…
But for today, the entire ship only had two guests: Judy and Li Yan.
“Is this enough food for you? Let’s talk when you’re done eating…”
“I think I could take another bowl.”
Li Yan replied in full seriousness.
Judy snapped her finger and instructed the approaching waiter.
“Give this sir ten more bowls of Wanton noodles.”
She gave Li Yan a wide smile and said, “We have plenty of time tonight.”
The waiter smiled and left. This woman in front of him had reserved the whole ship for the night and then ordered thirteen bowls of Wanton noodles. But he had no issue with any of that. Whether Judy had wanted another thirty bowls or three hundred bowls, he would have had the kitchen prepare them immediately.
“That much isn’t necessary…”
“Why did you break up with me?”
Judy had a fake smile on her face.
Li Yan simply shrugged.
“Why don’t you ask the magic conch shell?”
Judy swallowed, resisting the urge to curse.
“Is it because of Grand Duke?”
Judy’s eyes exuded a killing aura as she asked the question.
“Who?”
Li Yan did not react.
“Don’t play stupid.”
Li Yan shook his head.
“A sharp sword needs to find a suitable sheath for it to rest in peace, not another sword that is even sharper.”
“And why is that?”
Li Yan took a sip of his hot soup.
“These Wanton noodles really aren’t bad. Call the chef out here later and let me ask him how he makes them.”
Judy stared quietly at the man in front of her. Her expression was becoming unpleasant.
“That way, after I leave Hong Kong I can cook it myself, too.”
Li Yan turned his gaze to look at Judy as he finished speaking.
Judy raised her pretty brows.
“Where are you going?”
Li Yan didn’t reply. She sighed.
“I asked, where are you going?”
Judy’s expression was serious and the tone of her voice was raised.
“What’s important is not where I’m going, it’s that I have to go.”
Li Yan’s expression became more stern.
“Actually, about the breakup, I was thinking… I must have gone mad at the start. You have a beautiful voice, a wonderful figure, and you’re incredibly rich. I could have just had the sex, taken your money, and then left. Who would have found me after that?”
Li Yan seemed to be partly talking to himself and partly explaining things to Judy.
“Honestly…” said Li Yan as he stared at Judy seriously.
“In the beginning, I thought you were just playing with me…”
Some problems were cliché, but that didn’t mean that they did not have to be dealt with. Naturally, as they spent time together and got to know each other, feelings could develop and sparks could fly. But that could have been it, and they could have carried on with their lives after that.
But later on, Li Yan had realized that this was not the case. At some moment, without him realizing it–perhaps it was once when Judy tucked her hair behind her ear, or when she had laughed out loud–a ridiculous notion flashed across his mind.
“This is a good girl. I can’t let her down.”
The moment that damned notion had popped up in his head, he found that he could no longer get rid of it.
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