Chapter 194: Chase in the Snow
The villagers of Xu Family Town, recognizing the familiar sight, breathed a sigh of relief. They knew Xu Chunlei had come to their rescue. Struggling from the riverbank, Xu Chunlei used his power to create a snowstorm, blocking Zhang Yi’s line of sight while shouting to the villagers, "Run! Run!"
Awakening from their shock, the villagers realized the attack had failed, and they had suffered heavy casualties. Unsure of what other traps Zhang Yi might have in store, they hurriedly gathered their injured relatives and carried the bodies of their fallen family members. Some, reduced to pieces, could only be taken in larger chunks, further slowing their retreat.
Xu Chunlei was extremely nervous, terrified of dying, yet he knew he couldn’t live with the guilt if everyone died here. He maintained the snowstorm, giving the villagers time to escape, the same tactic he had used to escape before.
Zhang Yi watched the snowstorm inside the shelter, obscuring his vision and putting away his sniper rifle. His defensive abilities were incredibly strong, but his offensive capabilities, particularly at long range, were more limited. Shooting blindly into the snowstorm would only waste bullets. However, Zhang Yi had prepared to deal with the ice and snow ability user.
Maintaining such a large snowstorm consumed a lot of energy. The distance from the shelter to the riverbank was over 700 meters. "Let's see how long you can keep this up!" Zhang Yi muttered as he closed the window, letting the snowstorm rage outside. He opened his dimensional space and methodically suited up: bulletproof vest, pants, helmet, thermal clothing, and cut-resistant gloves. He armed himself with a knife, grenades, a claw knife, and a pistol, leaving heavier items in the dimensional space for easy access.
Fully equipped, Zhang Yi quickly descended the stairs. He glanced at Zhou Ke'er and Yang Siya, leaving them with a brief "Wait for me here," before heading out.
Yang Siya, having just finished vomiting, felt weak on the couch. Watching Zhang Yi's decisive and vigorous demeanor filled her with a strong sense of security. The attack showed her how weak and powerless she was and how strong and composed Zhang Yi was. She couldn't help but wonder how lucky she was to be by his side, yet she felt guilty for being unable to contribute more. All she could think to do was try harder in bed, feeling inadequate in every other way.
Zhang Yi left the shelter, bypassing the chaotic southern route and opting for the western path to avoid his own traps. He wasn’t worried about the villagers escaping because he had a vehicle. Zhang Yi took out his snowmobile and drove out of Cloud Manor via the other route, circling back to the riverbank for the chase.Xu Chunlei struggled to maintain the snowstorm, blocking Zhang Yi’s line of sight. After a while, noticing the gunfire had ceased and Zhang Yi hadn’t followed, he felt a brief sense of relief. But soon, everyone heard the sound of an engine.
The snowmobile roared down the path, Zhang Yi using autopilot while firing an assault rifle at the retreating villagers. Bullets sprayed out like fire, taking seven or eight lives in an instant. The villagers screamed in terror. "Chunlei, stop him!" someone shouted.
Hearing the call, Zhang Yi scanned the crowd, spotting a conspicuous figure: slightly overweight, facing Zhang Yi with raised hands while everyone else fled. "It's you!" Zhang Yi tossed the assault rifle to the passenger seat and set up his sniper rifle.
"Boom!" The shot rang out, but an icy barrier suddenly formed, diverting the bullet. The enhanced bullet, wrapped in energy, pierced through the ice but veered off course, missing Xu Chunlei by just twenty centimeters and slamming into the ice.
Xu Chunlei felt a chill run through him, narrowly escaping death. With Zhang Yi’s improved spatial abilities and the power of the sniper rifle, he could now penetrate the snowstorm. However, the bullet’s trajectory was still affected.
"Chunlei, go!" A sled pulled up, and a man extended a hand. Realizing Zhang Yi’s threat, they were all fleeing for their lives. Xu Chunlei grabbed the hand and was pulled onto the sled.
Zhang Yi stopped at the riverbank. The wide river, its thick ice formed over a month of freezing temperatures, was likely five or six meters deep. After briefly hesitating, he turned and drove onto the ice in pursuit.
This was the perfect chance to eliminate the enemy ability user. They had caused too much trouble already, and Zhang Yi had no reason to let them go. The snowmobile roared across the ice, rapidly closing the distance on the sleds. Despite the sled dogs' efforts, they couldn’t outrun the snowmobile.
As he closed in, Zhang Yi set up his sniper rifle, seeking an opening to target Xu Chunlei. Killing the ability user would turn the remaining villagers into defenseless sheep. In the face of danger, Xu Chunlei summoned incredible strength, maintaining the snowstorm to block Zhang Yi’s view. Knowing his attacks couldn't harm Zhang Yi, he focused on obstructing his aim.
However, the fleeing crowd was scattered. Spotting Xu Chunlei protecting himself, Zhang Yi turned his gun on the villagers instead.
"Boom!" The shot echoed across the river, piercing through three people huddled on a sled and dropping them onto the ice.