Chapter 10: Three Birds with One Arrow

Whoosh, whoosh!

Just then, two bullets, missing the two women and one man further back, sped straight toward Chen Xian, swift as thunder.

It was as if the bullets had eyes, seeking Chen Xian alone, aimed precisely at his heart and forehead—vital spots.

Chen Xian’s eyes widened, terror flooding his gaze, his breath caught in his throat.

He knew he had the ability to absorb external attacks, but absorbing a bullet’s force—he had never tried that.

The unknown often meant danger, and fear.

If the strange tree in his mind couldn’t absorb the energy from a bullet, he knew he would have no hope of survival.

In his vision, the bullets rapidly grew larger, the acrid smell of gunpowder rushing toward him, unsettling and harsh.

Instinctively, Chen Xian turned his head aside; the bullet aimed at his forehead whizzed past his ear.

But the other bullet struck his chest, hard and true.

Buzz—

A red vortex immediately appeared on his chest, slowly rotating. The bullet halted just outside his body as wisps of red vapor flowed into the vortex.

Chen Xian felt a faint warmth flooding into his mind—no pain at all.

He looked down and saw the red vortex.

Phew—

Chen Xian let out a long breath; his life had been spared.

He closed his eyes, seeing the strange tree in his mind grow red and solid once more.

“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have dodged the bullet aimed at my head.”

“A villain’s bullet is a precious energy source for nurturing fruit.”

“Four men and a woman, all armed? Could they be yesterday’s jewelry store robbers?”

His thoughts raced. Chen Xian snapped his eyes open, gazing down the alleyway. The four men and one woman had already dashed another hundred meters away.

“If they are yesterday’s robbers, why are they shooting at each other?”

“Disputes over the spoils? Internal conflict?”

“No matter. Since the mysterious tree in my mind can absorb the energy of bullets, I need not fear them.

These robbers not only steal, but shoot to kill—evil to the core.

Catching them would not only be justice served, but earn me a reward, and more importantly, provide the mysterious energy to solidify the tree and its transparent fruit.

And in turn, obtain more treasures.

Any way I look at it, this venture is all profit and no loss.”

Quickly, Chen Xian made up his mind. He drew a large repair wrench from the electric scooter’s trunk, turned the scooter around, and charged into the alley.

“Damn it, leave your stuff behind if you don’t want to die!”

“Hell, these things are mine—no one is taking them from me!”

“…”

Bang, bang, bang!

Ahead, the robbers’ curses and gunfire thundered, making his eardrums buzz.

Chen Xian pushed the scooter to its top speed, rushing toward the nearest male robber.

The robber sensed something, turning sharply. He was a young man with eyes like a hawk, sharp and intimidating.

He saw a student-like youth charging at him, fearless, and was taken aback.

“Damn, this brat’s got guts—looking for death!” Regaining himself, the robber cursed and fired at Chen Xian.

Bang!

A bullet shot from the barrel, aiming straight at Chen Xian’s forehead—a savage move, intent on killing him in one blow.

Chen Xian did not dodge, continuing his charge.

The bullet reached him, but was blocked by a red vortex, unable to pierce his skin.

The hawk-eyed youth did not see the vortex, only that the bullet stopped in front of the student’s forehead, spinning slowly, unable to move forward.

He stared in terror—this was beyond anything he understood!

Shouldn’t a speeding bullet tear through the student’s skin and skull, ending his life?

Yet here, the bullet hovered before his forehead, as if held by an invisible hand.

Instinctively, the hawk-eyed youth squeezed the trigger again and again, firing wildly at Chen Xian.

Bang, bang, bang!

But as before, every bullet was stopped outside the student’s body.

“This… this isn’t natural!” The hawk-eyed youth cried in horror, “Are you human or ghost?!”

Chen Xian did not answer, surging forward on his scooter.

His scooter could hit sixty kilometers per hour—he’d bought this high-powered model for quick deliveries.

Quickly, he closed in on the terrified hawk-eyed youth.

Crash! Ah!

The scooter slammed into him, sending him flying. His head struck the alley wall, knocking him out cold.

Not satisfied, Chen Xian lifted his wrench and struck him again on the back of the head.

In soap operas, knocking people out always went like this.

Bang, bang, bang!

At this moment, the other man and woman reacted, ignoring the two fleeing ahead and unleashing a wild hail of bullets at Chen Xian.

Had he not possessed the power to absorb bullet energy, he would surely have been riddled with holes.

Buzz, buzz, buzz~~~

Vortex after vortex appeared on Chen Xian’s body, stopping all the bullets outside, madly absorbing their energy.

Chen Xian had no time to check whether the tree and fruit in his mind had solidified; he pushed the scooter to maximum speed, brandishing his wrench, and charged at the scarred woman robber and the bald man robber.

When the hawk-eyed youth had fired at Chen Xian earlier, the two robbers hadn’t noticed. Now, seeing bullet after bullet halted outside his body, they too were stunned, just like the hawk-eyed youth.

It was all so strange—chilling to the bone!

Seizing the moment, Chen Xian rammed his scooter at them.

The two snapped out of it, pulling the trigger repeatedly—bang, bang, bang. Bullets buzzed toward Chen Xian like angry bees.

But as always, they stopped outside the student’s body.

“We’re out of bullets—this kid is too freakish, run!” The scar on the woman’s face flushed crimson, ferocious and contorted. She shouted, grabbed her scalding pistol, hurled it at Chen Xian, and dashed away.

Chen Xian did not dodge; the pistol struck his body, caught by a red vortex with a sizzling sound as red vapor poured into him.

“None of you are getting away today!” Chen Xian shouted coldly, swinging his wrench in pursuit.

His little scooter performed admirably, quickly overtaking the scarred woman.

She leapt nimbly aside, dodged the scooter, and stabbed a gleaming dagger at Chen Xian’s throat. “Die!”

Chen Xian did not evade, letting the blade strike his neck—no surprise, the vortex blocked it.

As the scarred woman’s strength waned, he sidestepped and brought the wrench down on her head.

Bang! Ah!

She screamed, collapsed, and blacked out.

Chen Xian ignored her fate and continued after the bald robber…