Era of Mist

It was an old factory district, surrounded by steel staircases, scaffolding, thick pipes, and valves hissing with hot steam. Many people, some hidden and others in plain sight, were positioned all around. They all held guns, their aim vaguely pointed in this direction.

Mai Ba was hanging high up on a steel frame, seemingly unconscious, but still alive.

Looking down, he saw the Black Warrior in a wide-open clearing.

In the pouring rain, the Black Warrior remained in a kneeling position, prim and solemn. Behind him was a flag inscribed with the words: “There is honor in death, but shame in a life of disgrace.”

With the entire city watching, the Black Warrior looked up. He gave a wave, and a man immediately ran to Mai Ba’s side, taking out bandages to wrap his wounds. The bleeding slowed, and Mai Ba let out a few weak groans, his injuries finally somewhat under control.

Then, on every screen in the city, the Black Warrior spoke to Shi Tiexin.

“Black Venerable, you are indeed impressive. In street racing, I am no match for you.”

SHWIIING! A golden light burst forth from the void and landed on Shi Tiexin.

‘Celestial Golden Light?’

Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but exclaim, “You actually wanted to race me for real?”

“Circumstances prevent us from competing in person, which is truly regrettable.” The Black Warrior, still kneeling, gave a slight nod, his tone devoid of any killing intent. “But my desire to compete fairly with you is witnessed by heaven and earth. I ask that you believe me.”

Shi Tiexin nodded slightly. “I believe you.”

“To have earned your trust, I am deeply grateful.”

‘It really must be witnessed by heaven and earth,’ Shi Tiexin thought. ‘In a long-distance comparison like this, without a physical opponent, the Celestial Golden Light would never have appeared unless the other party was truly serious about competing under relatively fair rules.’

Not only had it given him the golden light, but… but the amount was massive!

In the blink of an eye, the second certificate was filled, and it immediately began filling the third. Looking closely, he saw that this one long-distance competition had awarded a full one hundred points of Celestial Golden Light!

Such a quantity was anything but ordinary.

“If what you say is true, and you were able to cross the finish line at the exact same time from so far away, then you’re no nobody.” Shi Tiexin pointed forcefully at his opponent. “Since you call yourself a Martial Family Warrior, why hide your face? Why not reveal your identity and state your name!”

“I am terribly sorry that I cannot meet you face to face.” CLANG. With a sound from his armor, the Black Warrior slowly rose to his feet. “But after all is said and done, I will naturally state my family name.”

Shi Tiexin narrowed his eyes. “So, what now?”

“Today’s matter is not a personal grievance. If circumstances were different, I would much rather share a drink and conversation with you than cross blades. But alas, for the sake of my house and country, I must do what I must.”

The Black Warrior’s left hand rested on the scabbard at his waist, his thumb bent and pressing against the hilt’s guard. The jet-black Celestial Dog Mask looked terrifying.

His tone was no longer the calm one of idle chatter, but now carried a bone-chilling killing intent.

The two stood fifteen meters apart.

“Do you require a weapon?” SHING. With a flick of his left thumb, the Black Warrior’s blade emerged an inch from its scabbard. The light caught the inch of exposed steel, reflecting a sharp, cold glint. The Black Warrior’s right hand slowly closed around the hilt. He crouched, pressing his weight back, the scabbard tilting up behind him, hiding the sword and his left hand from view, making his attack impossible to predict.

Shi Tiexin also turned to the side, extending his left hand forward in a fist-fighting stance, while his right hand was similarly hidden behind his back. “Don’t need one.”

‘A weapon? Who needs one?’

ADD, ADD, ADD. He tapped fifteen times in his vision’s system interface, extravagantly maxing out Basic Marksmanship all the way to its limit, breaking through to Perfect.

The Perfect barrier of Basic Marksmanship shattered, and a star ascended into the Qingming. At the same time, a brand-new attribute appeared.

[Basic Marksmanship Level 1 Cultivation Progress increased to Perfect]

[Attribute Activated: Gun Sense +1]

[Gun Sense: Become one with the firearm in your hands.]

His heart steadying, Shi Tiexin’s expression remained calm. “My divine fists are invincible. Today, I’ll let you witness my fist techniques.”

“I have long heard that your fist techniques are god-like. In return, I invite the Black Venerable to critique my Martial Family Swordsmanship.”

The two locked eyes, as if they were observing each other’s movements, judging each other’s reactions, contemplating each other’s possible moves, and mentally rehearsing the entire duel.

All the spectators held their breath.

The next moment, Shi Tiexin moved, and the Black Warrior moved. They acted at almost the same instant. One brought out his right hand, holding a gun. The other brought out his left hand, also holding a gun.

BANG!

The gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, they dodged almost simultaneously, and they were hit in the chest and abdomen almost simultaneously, the impacts absorbed by their respective ballistic armor.

SWOOSH! The two went from stillness to motion in a flash, both darting along their pre-planned escape routes while firing furiously at each other. BANG! BANG! BANG! The rapid gunfire echoed as Shi Tiexin did his best to evade his opponent’s trajectory, suppress his opponent’s fire with as much accuracy as possible, and sprint toward the nearest available cover.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! His body armor was struck repeatedly, but the handgun’s firepower wasn’t enough to penetrate the ballistic plates.

SWOOSH. Shi Tiexin dove into a roll, taking cover behind a large sheet of iron.

He slapped his body, and CLATTER, five slugs fell to the ground. His opponent had naturally been aiming for his head, but his high-speed movements and dodges had made it impossible to target his skull, forcing him to shoot for the torso instead.

Similarly, Shi Tiexin had also been aiming for his opponent’s head, but…

“That’s a tough steel helmet.” Shi Tiexin shouted over his shoulder as he rapidly reloaded his magazine. “So this is your Martial Family Swordsmanship? Quite an original take.”

“This is the very essence of Swordsmanship. No matter how well Sasaki Kojirō practiced his Swallow Reversal, it was Miyamoto Musashi who became the Sword Saint in the end.” From behind another iron plate, the Black Warrior shook seven slugs from his body, felt the dent a bullet had left in his helmet, and shouted back, “The Black Venerable’s fist techniques are just as admirable!”

“All warfare is based on deception.” Shi Tiexin replied with a stylishly classical quote, then quickly changed his position.

BANG! BANG! BANG! Bullets tore through the thin sheet metal. If Shi Tiexin hadn’t moved, he would have been hit. At the same time, Shi Tiexin returned fire. In the downpour, the two sprinted while trading shots, bullets piercing the curtain of rain and their feet splashing through puddles. The scene was both poetic and insane.

Shi Tiexin felt immense pressure. The Black Warrior opposite him was far stronger than the cannon-fodder gunmen he had faced before. He was agile, nimble, and his marksmanship was superb, with astounding reaction speed. Although the firearm in his hand lacked power, it was better suited for suppressing an enemy with a high rate of fire and rapid attacks.

If he had encountered him before, he likely would have been pinned down by the man’s firepower and lost his life.

But unfortunately for him, *I* paid to win.

So, feel the firepower of a pay-to-win player!

BANG! BANG! BANG! Shi Tiexin’s rate of fire wasn’t as fast as his opponent’s, especially since he had to manually reload his bullets and couldn’t attack with abandon. But his accuracy was greater, and his reaction speed was faster. In the realm of rapid-fire on the move, the buff from his [Gun Sense] attribute had elevated his aim to a whole new level.

BANG!

With a loud DING, another spark erupted on the Black Warrior’s helmet, and he was thrown backward. The bullet that should have hit Shi Tiexin’s face now only grazed past his ear, puncturing a pipe behind him and leaving a hissing hole.