Chapter Forty-Eight: An Even More Difficult Situation

As Shen Tian roared, Fang Mu had already scrambled to his feet and was desperately sprinting back along the path he had come. He kept low, moving at incredible speed, and within a dozen seconds, he reached the far side of a relatively high ice slope, where he immediately threw himself to the ground.

Only after confirming no gunshots followed did he exhale long and slow.

“That was close…”

At last, Fang Mu’s nerves fully relaxed. The results of his shot were beyond pleasing, exactly as he had calculated in his mind—and perhaps even smoother than he had expected. Yet while it seemed effortless, Fang Mu knew all too well that he had just danced with death, circling its gates more than once.

The seemingly smooth process was, in reality, fraught with peril.

Since training with the Primordial Energy Mind Refinement Manual, Fang Mu had acquired an inexplicable ability: whenever a life-threatening crisis approached, his mind would throb with intense pain, like a warning. This had manifested before, and just now, that sharp pain returned with full force.

He instantly understood that he’d been targeted.

Those gunfighters were indeed formidable; after his first shot, they reacted quickly and succeeded in aiming at him. In that instant, he had already set foot in the realm of death. Had either of the two hesitated not at all and pulled the trigger—

He would now be nothing but a corpse.

It was sheer willpower, and his unwavering trust in his own judgment, that enabled him to fire a second shot.

Fortunately…

His gamble paid off.

He had felt the searing pain in his mind, but his opponent—ultimately—did not shoot.

That moment’s hesitation was real.

And Fang Mu seized it.

Thus, of the three gunfighters, one was grievously wounded—fate unknown. Another was killed outright.

Such results, frankly, would have been impossible without that momentary hesitation. Fang Mu was only at the Black Iron rank; in speed and marksmanship, any one of those three was far superior to him.

Yet he succeeded.

The entire ordeal was nothing short of dancing on the edge of a blade.

Heaven or hell, all hinging on a single thought!

Had he made the slightest mistake, he would have been dead already.

But he won his gamble.

…

…

“But such things—once or twice, maybe. If it happens too often, I’ll surely lose years off my life…” Fang Mu mused.

His adrenaline had soared, and now, as its effects faded, he felt a lingering emptiness.

He waited a moment, then exhaled softly and steadied himself.

He knew the matter wasn’t over.

Instinctively, he glanced toward the direction of the battle. From his current position, the terrain was too low to see anything, nor could he hear the commotion. He couldn’t judge how things were progressing over there.

“Three gunfighters—two taken down by me, one remains. But the problem hasn’t been solved; in fact, it’s become even more difficult.”

Fang Mu recognized this clearly.

With three companions dead nearby, the last man would be on the highest alert. Even the slightest disturbance would provoke an immediate response.

Moreover, the man would not hesitate again. If he spotted Fang Mu’s location, he would fire without a second thought, regardless of what was in his chamber.

That was why, after killing the second man, Fang Mu had fled without hesitation.

Had he stayed, death awaited him.

This was a gene bullet—capable of killing even a golden beast!

A mere ice slope could never shield him from such a weapon. If the enemy pinpointed his position, with his experience, he’d instantly deduce Fang Mu’s hiding place and fire—a death sentence.

Fang Mu had chosen to aid Lin Chuyin, but he had no intention of sacrificing his life for her.

Even if he did, it would be meaningless.

There were four gunfighters in total. Each clearly had a gene bullet loaded. Now two were dead, another had fallen off the cliff—Fang Mu had seen his weapon tumble down as well, so he could be discounted for now.

Still, the enemy had three gene bullets within easy reach.

Even if one was wasted on Fang Mu, two more remained.

Therefore, if he died, not only would Lin Chuyin remain in peril, but the enemy would be able to focus on her without distraction.

So, though only one enemy was left, the situation had actually become more difficult.

Fang Mu understood that his earlier success against three foes had been largely due to catching them off guard.

Now, the surviving gunfighter would be watching him constantly. With the tactical prowess of a Bronze-rank gunfighter, a sneak attack would be almost impossible.

Just as that day, when he shifted his firing position, Chang Le had found him without effort.

What followed would be the true showdown.

This confrontation would test reaction speed, tactical decisions, predictions, and anticipation of the enemy’s moves… and much more.

Every aspect was tangled and complex.

Fang Mu exhaled lightly, feeling the weight of the situation.

The enemy’s lightning-fast reaction had put tremendous pressure on him.

But there was no turning back.

If he left, what would happen to Lin Chuyin was one thing—

But more importantly, the enemy had surely seen his face in that fleeting moment.

Never doubt the memory of a Bronze-rank gunfighter.

Even if Fang Mu tried to leave now… trouble would find him sooner or later.

And when it did, with his current level of evolution, it would almost certainly mean death.

Fang Mu harbored no illusions—he had truly provoked Greedy Wolf this time.

Not only had he killed three of Greedy Wolf’s gunfighters, he had done so at a crucial moment in their operation… Greedy Wolf would undoubtedly seek revenge.

So, leaving was useless!

To resolve this crisis, there was only one option—

While the surviving gunfighter was still isolated, and only he knew Fang Mu’s face—

Kill him!

Only then could the danger be truly eliminated.

Fang Mu took a deep breath and quickly scanned his surroundings, his mind whirling.

But first, he needed to leave this dangerous area.

With that, he stopped hesitating, moving like a swift fox, sprinting toward the small ice mountain where he had first arrived…