Impossible! He had clearly kicked the handgun ten meters away just now. How did this barely conscious boy manage to retrieve it?
The middle-aged man's face was filled with shock. Unfortunately, he no longer had the chance to find the answer.
Bang!
A dazzling crimson burst from the man's forehead, and his sturdy body collapsed with a heavy thud, like a fallen pillar of gold and jade.
Losing the mental connection with the middle-aged man, the short blade on Xu Mo's shoulder reverted to its original yellow shard form and tumbled to the ground. With nothing sealing his wound, blood gushed uncontrollably.
If he didn't do something soon, he'd bleed out… Dying among a pile of Apocalyptic shards—that would be an ironic way to go.
If this fight had been an online game, then the middle-aged man, a high-bounty enemy, had just given Xu Mo a massive loot drop. The dozen or so Apocalyptic shards of varying colors scattered around him left him dazzled. Now he somewhat understood why some wielders targeted others of their kind—this kind of instant fortune was an irresistible temptation.
Xu Mo's luck wasn't bad. On the middle-aged man, he found a red Apocalyptic shard that had never been activated. It was likely a life-saving trump card, meant for treating serious injuries. But since Xu Mo had landed a headshot, even the shard's regenerative powers couldn't bring the man back—leaving it to benefit Xu Mo, who was on the brink of death.
After picking up all the scattered shards, Xu Mo sat down to recover as much strength as possible. He felt no thrill from surviving this ordeal—only lingering fear. If he hadn't secretly released his Fallen-Feather Crow under the cover of darkness to retrieve his handgun, he'd be the one lying dead now.
Earlier, when Du Chang and his companion had warned him about the "constant dangers" of the wielder world, Xu Mo had considered it just an abstract concept. But now, he had truly experienced what constant danger meant. The threats from fellow wielders were far more terrifying and ruthless than the creatures of the Apocalyptic Environment!
"Can avoidance… really solve anything?" Xu Mo muttered, unsure if he was lamenting or questioning himself.
With the New Year approaching, even at night, the neighborhood occasionally echoed with the sounds of firecrackers set off by playful children. Xu Mo's gunshot blended into this natural cover, sparing him from the attention of the community. However, the real problem was the middle-aged man's corpse.
This wasn't Xu Mo's first kill. During his first kidnapping, he had already taken six or seven lives, including those of Black Wolf and his gang. But since those men were gangsters and had died on their own turf, the Southern City Gang had no choice but to clean up the mess and keep the police from finding the bodies.
This middle-aged man, however, was different. His behavior pattern made it clear that he was a lone-wolf Apocalyptic shard wielder—like an assassin in a game, lurking in the shadows, striking swiftly before vanishing without a trace. A man like this died alone, without any allies to cover his tracks. That meant the gruesome task of disposing of the body fell entirely on Xu Mo.
Handling a corpse wasn't necessarily difficult, but if done improperly, it could expose his identity as an Apocalyptic shard wielder to the police. That would be real trouble.
Xu Mo cursed the man inwardly. Of all places to attack, why choose right outside his home? Now he couldn't just walk away—because the police would investigate the surrounding area first.
Thinking back to crime movies and TV shows, he recalled three common ways to dispose of a body: fire, water, and burial.
But none of those methods could be used in his neighborhood. Burning a body? Way too obvious. Dumping it in water? No accessible waterways nearby. Burying it? Not exactly feasible with so many residents around. Transporting the body was also out of the question—the area was full of people, and the main road was right there. Carrying a corpse in plain sight? He wasn't about to test if the street patrol officers were blind.
Damn it! This was impossible. Even an international assassin would be stumped by this situation. What was he supposed to do—make the body disappear into thin air?
Disappear…?
Wait. That might not be impossible.
Xu Mo glanced up at his Fallen-Feather Crow, which had been perched motionless on a tree branch. A relaxed smile crept onto his lips—he knew exactly what to do.
To minimize evidence, Xu Mo personally stripped the corpse of all clothing. Then, he summoned his Fallen-Feather Crow and had it land on the body's chest. Activating his spatial transfer ability, he waited twenty seconds. With a sudden explosion of black feathers, the naked corpse vanished, taken away along with the crow. Only faint indentations remained on the ground.
The hardest part was done. Now, the rest was easy.
Using his Demon's Hand as a makeshift shovel, Xu Mo dug up the blood-soaked soil, carried it to a hidden shrub in a flowerbed, and buried it. He carefully camouflaged the disturbed earth with dried leaves and twigs, making the scene look untouched.
Disposing of the clothing was even simpler. Earlier, on his way home, he had noticed a public trash bin with a burning pile of garbage. He casually tossed the clothes into the flames. Cleanup complete.
Just as he finished, the blue light of the Fallen-Feather Crow returned from the sky. Xu Mo quickly dealt with the bloodstains on his shoulder before heading home.
Due to the unexpected attack, Xu Mo arrived home fifteen minutes late. As he unlocked the door, he saw his father, Xu Nanshan, sitting sternly on the couch in the living room. On the coffee table in front of him lay the so-called "family law"—a centuries-old heirloom rod that had been passed down for three generations.
His mother, Liu Shuxian, sat beside his father, distractedly knitting a sweater. Hearing the door open, she instinctively began to rise but was stopped by a firm glance from Xu Nanshan. After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly sat back down.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home."
Xu Mo had originally planned to sneak in quietly, but seeing the tribunal-like setup, he knew tonight's punishment was unavoidable. Resigned, he braced himself and walked in.
"Do you know what time it is?" Xu Nanshan asked in a deep voice.
"I'm sorry. Something unexpected happened on the way, so I was delayed… I promise it won't happen again." Xu Mo adopted a perfectly obedient attitude—in a situation like this, arguing would only make things worse.
"Huh? Xiao Mo, what happened to your arm? Why is your shirt covered in blood?" Liu Shuxian, sharp-eyed as ever, immediately noticed the stain on his shoulder and rushed over in concern.
"Mom, it's nothing. Tonight at the restaurant, one of my classmates got hit in the head with a beer bottle by some drunk in the restroom. A few of us took him to the hospital. He was leaning on my shoulder, so I probably got some of his blood on me." Xu Mo calmly delivered a half-truth—difficult to verify, yet completely believable.
Hearing this, Liu Shuxian sighed in relief and hurried to find him clean clothes.
Xu Nanshan, however, seemed a little suspicious. He personally checked Xu Mo's left shoulder, and after confirming there was no wound, he finally relaxed. Placing a hand on Xu Mo's head, he spoke in a solemn tone.
"You did the right thing. Human life is paramount—no matter how big the issue, it's trivial compared to a life. Tomorrow, be sure to buy something and visit your classmate. But next time something like this happens, call home. Don't make us worry… Now go take a shower. Put your clothes in a plastic bag and throw them out tomorrow."