Chapter 38: The Collapse of the Powerful Group (2) The Puppeteer

Bullets rained down on Yan Tian like a storm. He darted toward the rear diagonal, narrowly dodging the passing projectiles, and instantly reached the underside of the steel platform. Raising his palms toward the sky, he struck upward with all his might, his flesh hitting the base of the steel structure with a thunderous boom. Under the sheer force of his internal energy, a steel plate nearly two meters long and half a meter wide was ripped from the platform and sent flying upward.

Yan Tian’s palms hollowed slightly, converting his outward explosive force into an inward suction. The steel plate plummeted, landing on his palms where he clamped it fast. He held the plate upright before him, transforming it into a five-centimeter-thick shield that covered his entire body.

Bullets struck the steel, producing a rhythmic, crisp clatter and showering the air with brilliant sparks. With one hand fixed to the shield, Yan Tian advanced rapidly toward Gao Lan’s position.

Now completely hidden behind the plate, his safety seemed assured. In truth, given his speed, he had no need to use the shield; he could have avoided the bullets with his agility alone. However, Yan Tian sensed that something was deeply wrong with Gao Lan, and he suspected a hidden hand at work. For the sake of caution, he had resorted to this desperate measure.

Gao Lan emptied two magazines, then discarded the guns with lightning speed, drawing two large-caliber pistols. Her firing speed was incredible; in less than a second, she had emptied both weapons.

The twenty shots from the two magazines struck the exact same spot on the steel plate, with a precision as if she had held the muzzles directly against the metal. The bullets were made of an unknown, high-density alloy; under the cumulative impact, the final three shots punched clean through the five-centimeter-thick steel. Had Yan Tian not reacted quickly, tilting his head to dodge, his skull would have been shattered.

Even so, the three bullets grazed his cheek, carving a deep, bloody trail into his left face.

With a hole now in the shield, Gao Lan swapped for two new pistols, firing lightning-fast shots directly into the aperture. Her marksmanship was terrifying; all fourteen rounds from the new pistols passed perfectly through that single bullet hole.

More terrifyingly, she intentionally created minute variations in the angle of entry, causing the bullets to graze the edges of the hole, thereby altering their trajectories as they exited the other side. The fourteen bullets followed fourteen different paths, covering Yan Tian’s entire upper body with computer-like precision.

What was intended to be a shield had become a trap. Faced with imminent danger, Yan Tian let out a roar, discarded the plate, and threw his body backward in a high-difficulty "iron bridge" maneuver. His knees bent at a ninety-degree angle, with his torso parallel to the ground.

Thanks to his swift reflexes, he barely managed to evade the barrage, though he still sustained fourteen deep bloody gashes from the grazing shots.

Before he could even channel his energy to stop the bleeding, Yan Tian tensed his thighs and waist, springing up like a coiled wire. But the moment he stood straight, a cold muzzle was pressed firmly against the center of his forehead.

Gao Lan held a large-caliber submachine gun to his brow with her right hand, while her left hand pressed an AK-47 against his heart.

Having subdued Yan Tian, Gao Lan’s face was now a mask of agony. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving tracks on her beautiful face. Her cherry lips trembled as she let out a faint, wheezing sound from her throat.

Her entire body shook uncontrollably. For an elite marksman, steady hands were essential, yet her arms, from fingertips to shoulders, were shivering violently.

Yan Tian narrowed his eyes, studying her. The ring of blood around Gao Lan’s neck was becoming more pronounced, with countless tiny droplets of blood seeping out like a crimson necklace. On her exposed wrists, two thin red lines appeared, as if she had been bound by wire.

Looking closer, Yan Tian realized that every joint on her ten fingers was also circled by a thin ring of blood.

It looked as though she were being restrained by something invisible.

Yan Tian slowly closed his eyes and opened them again, a sea of blood-red clouds surging in his pupils as he activated his inner sight. Under his keen gaze, he was shocked to discover that Gao Lan was like a marionette on a stage, with every joint of her body bound by thin, transparent filaments.

These countless threads wove a web, and Gao Lan was a butterfly caught within it, unable to control any part of her own body. Seeing how easily the threads cut into her skin, Yan Tian had no doubt that if she made even the slightest unexpected movement, those filaments would slice her to pieces.

Even more terrifying was that no matter how he looked, he could not find the source of the threads; they vanished into thin air two meters away from her body. This meant he could not locate the person manipulating her.

He drew a deep breath, a pang of heartache striking him.

He saw the pain in her eyes and knew she did not want to shoot him, but the situation left her no choice.

Sighing, Yan Tian smiled gently and reached out to wipe away her tears, whispering, "There, there, don't cry, Lan. Didn't I tell you that you’re most beautiful when you smile?"

Gao Lan fought through the heartache, forcing a tearful smile for him.

She could not let this man down.

Being treated as a puppet and forced to shoot the man she had just fallen in love with was a pain far deeper than Yan Tian could imagine. She valued emotions above all else, yet Gao Qianduo had personally destroyed her hope and her family ties, shattering the love she had held for her foster father.

If not for Yan Tian, if not for the care she had found in him—a new, special kind of connection—she might have already gone insane.

Yet, seeing Yan Tian under her gun, and not knowing when the manipulator might pull the threads on her fingers to force the trigger and leave Yan Tian dead before her eyes... this unknown, desperate torment was more agonizing than a thousand cuts.

Gao Lan hated herself. She hated that she hadn't listened to Yan Tian and stayed home. If she had, she wouldn't have fallen into the hands of that monster, and she wouldn't be forced to act as his puppet to take the life of the man she loved.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Seeing the remorse and sorrow in her eyes, a smile that blended tenderness with cruelty touched the corners of Yan Tian's mouth. "You know? I originally intended to just kill Gao Qianduo and be done with it. But... the Gao family has crossed my bottom line. They shouldn't have dragged you into this. So, I have decided: I will wipe out the entire Gao clan."

To speak of such cruelty with the gentlest of tones was chilling. Yet, to Gao Lan, his words were more moving than any declaration of love. He was making this decision for her.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh..." An effeminate, androgynous laugh suddenly rang out, echoing through the empty warehouse, making it impossible to tell where the speaker was hiding. "You can’t even save yourself, and yet you’re thinking about killing others?"

Yan Tian smiled enigmatically. The mastermind had finally revealed himself. "Is that so? Why don't you try and see if Lan can actually kill me?"

The androgynous voice sighed softly. "You are an exceptionally talented individual. Your myriad skills are truly breathtaking to behold. I am a man who cherishes talent. If you are willing to serve us, I might consider sparing you and Jing Ling."

"Jing Ling?" Yan Tian raised an eyebrow. From this, he deduced that the mastermind was from the Destiny assassin organization. "Who are you? An assassin from Destiny? You’re a hired hand for the Gao family, yet you think you have the authority to decide who lives and dies? I recall that an assassin's reputation is their life."

"Heh, heh... money and reputation mean very little to us. Sparing you would do no harm to our organization's standing... I recall you just said you wanted to wipe out the Gao family. No one else knows that Gao Qianduo hired me. If you kill everyone in the Gao family, who would ever know that our organization had betrayed its contract?"

Yan Tian laughed. "It seems you really are thirsty for talent! But can you truly make that decision? After all, a talent like me, compared to a wealthy and powerful client like the Gao family, hardly seems worth the sacrifice."

In reality, Yan Tian was now certain the voice was telling the truth. He knew the background of Destiny; it was not a simple organization founded for money. Its true purpose was to recruit all the world's experts to retaliate against the mysterious organization behind the "Man-Made God" project.

From this perspective, recruiting talented individuals was their primary goal.

Of course, to oppose such a mysterious organization, wealth was also critical. Destiny was working for the Gao family precisely because they coveted the family's resources.

Yan Tian knew clearly that if he wiped out the Gao family, their wealth would eventually fall into the hands of Destiny. The reason was simple: if all the Gao family members died, Gao Lan would be the sole heir. Since she was already a key operative for Destiny, and if he joined as well, the Gao family's fortune would be effectively controlled by the organization.

Compared to a mere commission fee, the Gao family’s 12 billion dollars in assets and their ever-growing corporate profits were far more attractive.

In a split second, Yan Tian had pieced it all together. He sneered inwardly; the Destiny organization had a massive appetite, and their calculations were far too clever for their own good.

The androgynous voice spoke again, languidly. "How could I not have the authority to decide such a trifle? As long as you agree to join us, I will release you and Jing Ling immediately. Of course, you are welcome to change your mind. You have already seen my abilities. If you do, our organization can easily find out your background. I trust you would not want to see your loved ones pointing guns at your head again, would you?"

Yan Tian smiled. "For me, my life is the most important thing. I can agree, but you should at least show yourself and tell me your true identity. Hiding in the shadows to negotiate makes me highly suspicious of your sincerity."

The voice chuckled. "You are quite interesting. In your current situation, do you really have the right to question my sincerity? Remember, you have no leverage; you can only do as I say. However, I am a kind person. Since you have agreed to join us, we are now on the same side, so showing myself is not out of the question."

As the voice faded, a series of faint whistling sounds filled the air, as if something extremely thin was cutting through it. Yan Tian held his breath and focused, scanning his surroundings, yet he could see nothing. It was not until the sounds reached within two meters of him that he finally saw it: countless thin, shimmering threads manifested in the air, appearing out of thin air two meters away from him.

Centered on Yan Tian, those countless filaments wove a web that enclosed the entire two-meter radius around him, wrapping him up tightly.