"Hurry, keep up! That assassin is running away!"
The sound of chasing came from behind Chuanliu.
She moved with lightning speed, weaving through the intricate courtyards, using narrow gaps as shortcuts to escape. The moonlight was thin, but enough for her to catch a faint glimmer of light; she stayed close to the ground, minimizing her noise.
Relying on his memory of the way there, Chuanliu arrived at the foot of the wall without hesitation. He gripped the rough tree trunk with both hands and, as agile as a cheetah, quickly climbed the towering wall, his figure drawing a resolute arc in the moonlight.
However, the pursuit from behind did not stop.
The guards formed a human ladder, and more than a dozen figures leaped over the wall, surging like a black torrent in the direction the shadowy figure had fled.
The night sky is dotted with stars, and the moonlight tears a hole in the darkness, making the chase and escape even more thrilling amidst the interplay of light and shadow.
The seemingly agile shadowy figure actually has a tough time.
At this moment, Chuanliu gritted her teeth, one hand tightly clutching her shoulder, which had been injured from the falling chandelier. Blood seeped through her fingers, mingling with the rolling sweat, each drop like a scorching flame, stinging her nerves.
The wounds tore open with each jolt of running, and waves of pain washed over her, but she did not stop.
The pursuers behind them were drawn by an invisible chain, relentlessly chasing after them. Their figures cast long shadows in the night, and their footsteps echoed through the silent streets.
The lead guard kept a close eye on the direction Chuanliu had fled, issuing short, forceful commands from time to time to direct the team to adjust their formation and gradually tighten the encirclement. Their movements were swift and coordinated, as if they had practiced countless times, leaving Chuanliu no chance to escape.
No matter how hard Chuanliu tried to escape, the pursuers behind her were like leeches clinging to her bones, relentlessly following her, determined to capture her.
Even Chuanliu couldn't help but admire in his heart that the quality of the guards on the upper floors was indeed unmatched by other regular residents.
However, facing pursuers who were like a pack of wolves, Chuanliu had no time to think about any of that.
As his physical condition deteriorated and his strength gradually ran out, Chuanliu's heart was like a fire, and his mind was exceptionally clear.
A map of the blocky city quickly formed in her mind, every street corner and alleyway seemingly unfolding before her. She precisely calculated the best escape route, the distance between each point instantly forming accurate coordinates in her mind.
Just as the lead guard was less than twenty meters away from her and about to lock onto her completely, Chuanliu suddenly nimbly turned off the main road, like a nimble cat, and turned into a complex fork in the road.
This sudden change of direction caught all the pursuers off guard and disrupted their pursuit rhythm.
Her figure disappeared at the fork in the road, leaving only a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps echoing in the night.
The pursuers stopped at the fork in the road. The leader quickly adjusted his strategy, splitting into several detachments that pursued along different forks in the road.
"Captain, this road ends, and we haven't seen our target!"
"Report to the captain, our search here has also yielded no results."
Fifteen minutes later, the three groups of people converged on the same side road.
The team leader frowned, muttered a curse under his breath, and finally fixed his gaze on the abrupt door.
This side road leads to a wide avenue, where there are no houses except for a conspicuous gate.
The door wasn't made of wood or metal; instead, it was entirely covered in mirrors, shimmering with a cold and mysterious light in the night.
Two fully armed guards stood at the entrance, each holding a gleaming longsword.
What's even more eye-catching is that above the lintel, a large, prominent character is written – “A”.
In the City of Blocks, and indeed throughout the entire Paradise Island, there should be no one who doesn't know what this letter represents.
"Could that guy have infiltrated 'Ace of Diamonds' mansion?"
The team leader's gaze tried to pierce through the mirrored door to glimpse the figure of the vanished man. Under the moonlight, the reflection in the mirror made him squint, but he couldn't find any clues about the man in black's whereabouts.
"Captain, could the assassin we're chasing be one of 'Ace of Diamonds'?" A guard's voice carried a hint of unease.
Upon hearing this, the team leader frowned, but quickly shook his head, saying firmly, "Impossible. The boss clearly stated that the man is just a vagrant. We'll just say we found someone suspicious. He's dressed as a woman, even in a maid's outfit; the 'Ace of Diamonds' wouldn't let such a suspicious person go unnoticed. Here's the plan: you take your men and block off all the exit routes from 'Ace of Diamonds' without making a sound."
With that, he handed the weapon to his teammate, straightened his clothes, and walked out with two other people behind him.
Their sudden appearance instantly alerted the guards at the gate of "Ace of Diamonds'" mansion. The two guards reacted swiftly, drawing their longswords, their cold glints flashing, and forcibly halting the three's advance.
"What are you doing so late! Step back!"
The team leader gave a friendly smile, but his expression also carried a hint of worry and anxiety. "Brothers," he said, "we are Li Chengfeng, 'Jack of Diamonds,' and his men. We saw a suspicious man dressed in women's clothing break into your residence, and we've come to warn you."
The two guards exchanged a glance, half-believing their leader's explanation. One of them said, "Alright, we understand. We'll report this to our superiors. You step back and don't come any closer."
Li Chengfeng's men nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, we won't go near him, but this man just broke into our residence. If we don't catch him, we brothers won't be able to explain ourselves when we get back..."
He paused for a moment, looking at the two guards in front of him, hoping they could make an exception.
The two guards weren't unreasonable, so they said, "We'll respond to what you say. If you don't want to leave, you can stay here. However, if we can't find the person you mentioned all night, you might have to wait all night for nothing."
"Yes, yes, yes." Li Chengfeng's subordinate led his two teammates to the side and sat down on a step.
One of the two guards went inside and came out a while later, saying, "I have already notified the captain. We have increased our security. Thank you all for reminding me."
Li Chengfeng's men were still a little uneasy and asked, "If you don't have enough manpower, our people can go in and help you..."
"No need."
Unsurprisingly, his proposal was rejected.
Li Chengfeng's men could only sit idly at the door, waiting for news from inside.
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