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Chapter 33
Chapter 33 - First Encounter - Part 2
Tong checked the distance between him and Sima Xin. The distance was a little over 400 meters which was not the best range for the pistol Tong had in his hand.
The best effective range for Glock 17 was 30 to 50 meters for average shooters. Any longer range than those would affect the accuracy, but the 9mm bullet would still be lethal at the range of 100 meters.
Tong's best record during his military school was 200 meters. But at that time, Tong managed to luck out and hit the target one time out of the entire magazine of 15 bullets.
He still couldn't reliably shoot at a live target at a distance more than 100 meters yet. All instructors in his school taught him not to rely on the long distance shooting with a pistol, but to use it as a covering fire or for collateral damages on vehicles or bigger targets.
Tong need to get closer to Sima Xin to the range of 100 meters or shorter to get to the effective shooting range.
He reached to the fence which separated the area of Zhang household and the backyard wild grasses and trees. Tong climbed the fence and was about to drop onto the other side.
"What are do you doing?"
Zhang Jiao showed up with Hua Shi and Zhang Bao. Each of them was holding a fire torch in their hand.
The sun had already set and it was the nighttime. The sky was brightened with stars of the Milky Way galaxy. But in contrary of the sky, the land below was in complete darkness. Only the area with torches and lambs were brightened.
Tong had a small candle in his cloth, but he hadn't lightened it yet. He wanted to sneak up to Sima Xin without him noticing Tong.
"An enemy is here. Get back in the house."
Tong said to the three and gestured them to hurry. However, before they could react, a loud gunshot sounded from inside the woods.
*BANG*
*CLANK*
Tong could feel something small hit him at the back of the head when he turned around to talk to his family.
The sound of gunshot made Tong lost all blood in his face. His face became pale as if he had just seen a ghost. It was the signal that the other side had a gun.
"THERE'S A SNIPER!! GET DOWN!!" Tong shouted with all air in his lung.
Hua Shi jolted and shifted her position to the front of Zhang Jiao while she told her in-laws to escape into the house. She had seen enough war movies to know what she should react to snipers.
*BANG*
*CLANK*
Another shot fired and hit Tong's left eye. Tong could see the trajectory of the bullet for an instant before the bullet hit his eye lit, deformed and dropped itself on the ground.
Though Tong didn't feel any pain, but the impact still made him feel uncomfortable and put a mental pressure on him.
"Zombie! Get the two into the house right now!!"
Tong shouted again while dashing toward Sima Xin in the distance. He was immune to all physical attack so he decided to rush toward the sniper to get rid of him.
"I know! Uncle, father-in-law. Please run into the house! There's an enemy!"
"What?"
"NO TIME FOR ASKING!! GET INTO THE HOUSE!!"
Hua Shi also yelled at Zhang Jiao and Zhang Bao while pressing them back to the house. Then she drew her short sword and stared into the darkness where the bullet came from.
Then she noticed a light reflection on one of the trees. It was the reflected light from the torches shining to a glass lens, or a scope.
Because of the reflected light, she could tell the direction the sniper was. At the same time, she could roughly guess where the sniper was going to shoot next.
'Crap, the next target is me!?'
The reflected light landed on her. Then...
*BANG*
A bullet flew at Hua Shi who suddenly hacked her sword at empty air by instinct. Her sword master passive skill activated.
The sword path and the bullet trajectory crossed each other, causing a spark on the impact.
*TINK*
*Poek*
The bullet that was deflected by Hua Shi's sword hit the ground.
Hua Shi was astonished by her action. She didn't order her body to move her arm and her shoulder in the last moment. She felt like her body moved by itself.
Hua Shi eased up a lot when she realized that it was possible for her to parry bullets. She stopped urging Zhang Jiao and Zhang Bao to escape, but stood firm in front of them, ready to deflect any bullet that came in her way.
She felt proud and started to act cocky. Hua Shi then mocked the sniper.
"Hahaha! Fool! As long as I'm here, it's all useless!"
*BANG*
Another bullet fired.
"Useless!"
*TINK*
Another bullet parried.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Three gunshots were burst-fired this time. They didn't go for Hua Shi, but to the two people behind her.
"MUDA!! MUDA!! MUDA!!"
Hua Shi's sword moves left after images, striking toward the incoming bullets with precision.
*TINK* *TINK* *TINK*
After all bullets was swiped away, Hua Shi felt elated. The skill she bought was worth every penny. However...
*CRACK*
The continuous intense movement put a strain on her arm, hand, wrist and her shoulder. As a result, she dislocated her shoulder and her wrist.
"FFFFUUUUU!!"
Instead of screaming in pain, Hua Shi cursed out loud. The pain on her shoulder was like a cold bucket of water pouring on her. She regained her cool and not allowing her judgement to go along with the adrenaline.
Zhang Jiao who was crouching and hurried back to the house noticed Hua Shi's scream. He rushed back to her, lift her up on his shoulder, and ran back to the house without looking back. He was scared of the thunder magic that roared out in the woods.
Fortunately after Hua Shi's stunt, the sniper stopped firing and seemed to disappeared, relieving Zhang Jiao and co.
...
Meanwhile, Tong was running and making a beeline toward Sima Xin. He heard another four gunshot sounds which worried him. But Tong kept his focus and continued chasing Sima Xin. The distance was now 200 meters.
Although everything was dark and Tong could barely see anything, he still managed to pick a path by observing the HUD map terrain indication.
Tong still didn't light his candle. He continued moving in the darkness as he didn't want to spook Sima Xin yet.
Then, he noticed that Sima Xin was moving in his radar. Sima Xin retreated toward the road outside of the village.
Tong clicked his tongue and continued the chase, only to find out that Sima Xin was faster than him. The distance between Tong and Sima Xin continued to increase.
215 meters... 230 meters... 250 meters.
Tong was astonished. This was in the middle of a forest where trees and bushes were in the way and the terrain was uneven. Even Tong found it difficult to get through this forest with the HUD map.
Sima Xin could run away as if he could see in the dark!
Tong felt helpless. The rat was getting away each minute of chasing.
Then he was surprised by another white dot that started moving in the map. It had been in a hut nearby the roadside which Tong assumed it was just a villager sleeping inside the hut.
However, this white dot seemed to move to the direction of Sima Xin as if it was also chasing him.
'Huh? Why is this person chasing after the sniper?'
Tong was confused. Since he couldn't catch up with Sima Xin anyway, he checked the name of the white dot. Then he was shocked when the map revealed his name.
'Zhou Cang? That guy is Zhou Cang!? What is he doing over there?'
Zhou Cang was one of the famous characters in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was once a Yellow Turban Rebellion member. After Zhang Jiao's main force was annihilated, he became a mountain bandit.
Then he met Guan Yu and became his follower after. It was said that he died later in the battle of Fancheng Castle in Jing Province in the year 220 A. D. when Cao Cao and Sun Quan conspired and sent forces to attack Guan Yu in secret.
Tong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He could not confirm if Sima Xin and Zhou Cang were in league together or had a feud against each other. But from the first look, they appeared to be the latter.
Zhou Cang intercepted Sima Xin midway before Sima Xin could run past Zhou Cang.
Sima Xin's movement stopped for a few seconds before Tong heard sounds of fighting and a gunshot.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*WHOOSH*
*CLANG*
*BANG*
"AARRRGHHH!!!"
A painful scream of a teenage was heard. Tong managed to shorten the distance down to 200 meters. He could finally see a faint shadow figure and an area of torchlight in the middle of darkness.
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