Chapter 1252: Who?

Watching more and more Lóu Yǐ on the square beginning to touch the ground, Yan Zhichun felt a chill run down her back.

They hadn't completely lost their senses; they still had touch and reason.

Now, all the Lóu Yǐ seemed to be trying to figure out what was happening. After all, it was well past the time they should have gone out to work, yet no one had opened the doors for them, so they could only feel around the ground to sense their surroundings.

Yan Zhichun thought that for these Lóu Yǐ, even if pieces of flesh fell on them, they might just assume it was another Lóu Yǐ accidentally brushing against them. Perhaps the Lóu Yǐ had an unspoken rule to avoid such contact, which is why they were scattered all over the square, each in their own corner to prevent panic from touching one another.

Seizing the moment when Tianniu had vanished, Yan Zhichun held the strange strand of hair and followed its guidance to quickly approach one of the Lóu Yǐ, crouching down beside him.

From appearance alone, Yan Zhichun couldn't tell any difference between this Lóu Yǐ and the others. They all had pale skin, no facial features, and no hair. At that moment, he was also squatting on the ground, hands spread apart, tilting outward at an odd angle to feel the surface.

Yan Zhichun acted decisively, stepping forward and patting the other on the shoulder.

The Lóu Yǐ was clearly startled, turning his hollow-eyed face toward Yan Zhichun as if "looking" at her. He seemed confused, and so was she.

Because Yan Zhichun had no idea how to communicate with this being.

The Lóu Yǐ stopped touching the ground and extended his dirty hands toward Yan Zhichun.

Although Yan Zhichun felt her hair stand on end, she didn't back away immediately. Gradually, she realized the direction of his hands seemed aimed straight at her eyes, leaving her no way to dodge, so she reached out and grasped his wrist.

In that instant, Yan Zhichun felt as if she were holding two ice-cold sticks, and the Lóu Yǐ seemed scalded, his whole body trembling slightly.

The two stayed frozen for a few seconds before the Lóu Yǐ quickly gripped her hand in return, using all his strength to pull Yan Zhichun's palm toward him. Then, with his fractured arm guiding his wrist, he awkwardly wrote a character in the center of her palm—

Who?

Yan Zhichun knew the Lóu Yǐ possessed reason, but she hadn't expected their minds to be so clear, even capable of writing words on her hand. This meant communication was possible.

However, answering this question wasn't easy. If she wrote "Yan Zhichun" or "Jidao," it might require even more explanation.

So, after thinking for a moment, she wrote four characters in the Lóu Yǐ's palm—

The one who killed Tianniu.

The Lóu Yǐ cupped his palm to feel the characters. Though he couldn't show any expression, Yan Zhichun sensed he was puzzled.

Heiyang narrowed his eyes and, from a distance, saw Yan Zhichun starting to communicate with the Lóu Yǐ. He quickly reaffirmed his strategy and called out into the empty air:

Since you're not making a move,why not come out and have a chat?You're just "Yin Ni," not "Jian Mo," right?

His loud voice echoed across the square, reaching everyone except the Lóu Yǐ.

Speaking will give away your position,and you don't think you can definitely beat me, do you?When "Yin Ni" no longer works,your other two "Xianfa" won't help much either.I'm starting to worry about you.

Heiyang's words were arrogant, but his eyes were sharply cautious, carefully sensing every air current around him. As soon as a breeze stirred in any direction, it would mean Tianniu was losing patience.

I'm worried that a great Tianniu like you might lose to a mere Diyang here.And speaking of which... why does it feel like the Diyang are harder to kill than you?Are you really fit for that position?

No sooner had he spoken than Heiyang felt a surge of wind from his left side. He instantly bent his arms to block, roughly anticipating Tianniu's attack and raising his hands to protect his chest. But soon, he realized something was wrong—this wind was even stronger than before.

This is bad... it's "Ti Ji"...

Tianniu hadn't punched this time; instead, he swept his leg toward Heiyang's ribs. By the time Heiyang realized it, it was too late to defend—after all, he was fighting thin air, relying on instinct and a bit of luck for the rest.

His ribs took a heavy blow, and Heiyang coughed, tasting blood in his throat as if his organs had been shattered.

Surprisingly, though, he didn't budge from his spot.

His left hand bent downward, as if clutching something.

Ha...I've finally got you...

With that, he tightened his grip on the leg and lifted his foot to kick viciously at what he thought was the enemy's other knee.

Just as he was about to connect, he suddenly felt Tianniu leap into the air, and Heiyang lost his footing, being yanked upward with him.

Before he could orient himself, the air in front shattered, and an invisible fist slammed into his nose, but Heiyang refused to let go.

Since he couldn't restrict Tianniu's movements right away, Heiyang changed tactics, raising his hand to strike at the unseen body.

Thud!

A dull sound rang out, and Heiyang furrowed his brow.

Because that punch had landed solidly.

A faint grunt came from in front of him, confirming his suspicion.

Although he had a hold on one of Tianniu's legs, the other still had three limbs to work with and could even dodge in midair. So why had that punch hit?

The air in front of him split again as something charged toward his neck. Heiyang jerked back, feeling his chin take the hit. Without pausing, he thrust out another punch, and again, a dull sound—this one had connected too.

Effective. Heiyang momentarily forgot his pain and launched a flurry of attacks.

Tianniu seemed to know better than to get tangled up, so he thrashed his body and moved rapidly through the air. The injuries made it impossible for Heiyang to fully focus on controlling the leg, and soon he was shaken off, plummeting straight to the ground.

Heiyang's body slammed into the earth, but he didn't linger, rolling to his feet and wiping the blood from his face.

Those two punches were strangely accurate...

Every time he was hit, his counterattack landed perfectly on Tianniu.

So...

Does Tianniu only have one hand left to use...?