# 129
**Chapter 129 – The Mangy Dog**
“One, two, three, four…”
Lin Qiye’s mental power swept across the area. Two figures were rapidly approaching from both his left and right. They wore white camouflage helmets with earpieces tucked behind their ears, their bodies concealed beneath layers of weapons.
Though the four wore snow camouflage, within Lin Qiye’s mental perception, they were completely exposed.
*Creak… creak…*
Their footsteps pressed into the thick snow, producing soft sounds. With a flick of their hands, they pulled several guns from their backs.
*Dadadadada—!*
All the gun barrels were fitted with suppressors. Combined with the sound-dampening effect of the falling snow, there was hardly any noise—only the flash of gunfire. Lethal intent was hidden within the drifting snowflakes, whistling through the air!
Bullets flew from all directions. A shade of night crept into Lin Qiye’s eyes. Utter darkness spread outward from him, like a drop of ink on white snow—startlingly conspicuous.
Under the enhancement of the night, Lin Qiye’s speed multiplied several times. His figure flickered, evading the dense barrage of bullets. Using momentum, he carved a half-circle through the snow. With a flick of his wrists, the black cases in both hands spun open!
*Click—!*
A soft sound. Two Straight Blades shot out.
Lin Qiye stood still, the darkness in his eyes deepening. With a light flick of his fingers through the air—
*Clang—!*
The twin blades unsheathed midair!
Pale blue edges sliced through crystalline snowflakes. The blades clearly reflected the figures of the four Scorpion mercenaries. They spun midair and shot toward Scorpion Four, the closest to Lin Qiye.
Lin Qiye’s Mortal Divine Realm only extended 20 meters. That meant he could only control the Starlight Blades within that range. It wasn’t far, but it wasn’t short either.
Seeing the two blades flying toward him, Scorpion Four decisively tossed his gun and drew two short blades from his thigh.
*Clang—!*
The Scorpions were battle-hardened. Scorpion Four’s short blade firmly blocked one Starlight Blade. With a roll, he dodged the second.
He sneered, flinging one of his short blades straight at Lin Qiye’s face.
Lin Qiye moved like a ghost, dodging midair bullets while flicking his fingers. The short blade flying toward him was suddenly swallowed by darkness, then shot back even faster!
At the same time, the two Starlight Blades Scorpion Four had blocked reversed direction!
A three-blade pincer!
Scorpion Four’s pupils shrank. He swung his remaining short blade to block one strike, but a Starlight Blade flew in from behind, piercing cleanly through his chest!
With a grunt, Scorpion Four collapsed backward.
Though he had just killed one man with two blades, Lin Qiye was still in danger. The other three had realized firearms were useless and closed in for melee.
Scorpion Five and Six reversed their grips on short blades and charged the unarmed Lin Qiye. Blades, fists, elbows, knees, shoulders—every joint became a deadly weapon!
They were veteran mercenaries. Close combat was their forte—ruthless, every strike lethal!
Bare-handed, Lin Qiye fended off their storm-like assault, steadily retreating.
Though his close-quarters skills weren’t bad, he had only trained for six months. Against two mercenaries forged in life-and-death battles, he was struggling.
Without the speed and strength boost from Starry Night Dancer and the terrifying dynamic vision from Mortal Divine Realm, he would’ve collapsed long ago.
Just then, the two Starlight Blades returned to his hands.
With twin blades in hand, Lin Qiye’s aura shifted. The blades danced, blurring into shadows. He easily parried Scorpion Five and Six, even gaining the upper hand.
Since finding his path, Lin Qiye had poured effort into dual-wielding. His talent was clear. In pure cold-weapon combat at the training camp, he still couldn’t match the top elites from martial families, but he wasn’t far behind.
With a shake of his blades, he knocked Scorpion Five and Six back. Two more enemies flanked him from behind, joining the fray.
So far, only four of the nine-member Scorpion squad were dead—two by Leng Xuan, two by Lin Qiye. Of the remaining five, one hadn’t shown himself. But the rotating assault of Scorpion Two, Five, Six, and Seven was enough to pin Lin Qiye down.
He saw their plan—wear him down with numbers. Too bad… they were doomed to fail.
Under Starry Night Dancer’s boost, Lin Qiye could outlast all four!
The only unknown was the last man—Scorpion One—still hidden.
As Lin Qiye fought the Scorpion squad, no one noticed a blur of light drift across the snowy battlefield and settle in a stairwell of a low building.
The light faded, revealing a middle-aged man.
He stood by a window, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the distant battle with a sneer.
“Idiots… With skills like that, you dare call yourselves Lady Snake’s Believers? Disgraceful.”
He took a deep drag, exhaled a smoke ring, and flicked ash. “To subdue that kid, just grab the woman and child. So simple, yet so many dead… Hmph.”
He tossed the cigarette, crushed it underfoot, shoved his hands in his pockets, and turned up the worn stairs.
He was the 16th Seat of the Believers—Lü Liang, a River Realm powerhouse half a step from Sea Realm.
He was strong—but cautious.
From nobody to 16th Seat, he’d relied not on brute force, but wit and prudence. If he could avoid a fight, he would—even against a mere Pond Realm youth.
A mysterious dual-god agent, or two powerless civilians—Lü Liang knew the choice.
In this world, caution never hurt. Over the years, the so-called “strong” who relied on power and arrogance? Their graves were overgrown.
Only he had survived to become the 16th Seat.
Lü Liang climbed the stairs, already imagining the boy kneeling, begging for his family’s lives…
He loved that scene.
His lips curled into a grin—then froze.
One floor from the top, a small, black, mangy dog lay across the steps.
It saw Lü Liang, yawned lazily.
Lü Liang raised an eyebrow, studied the dog, and laughed.
“Ugly little mutt…”