Logan's incredible speed had already convinced Harley that he was facing no ordinary opponent.
Even the slightest mistake...
Could cost him his life.
The dense undergrowth stretched in every direction, providing countless hiding places.
Now, Logan was concealed within the tall grass.
Harley, meanwhile, was completely exposed.
He had two choices.
He could leave immediately with the stolen gold, jewelry, and the million euros in his backpack...
Or he could kill Logan first.
His burning rage made the decision for him.
A cold gleam flashed across Harley's eyes.
He tossed his rifle onto the ground.
Then he drew a combat knife from the sheath strapped to his leg and slowly advanced toward the grass.
The twenty-one-foot rule.
Within that distance, a knife could become deadlier than a firearm...
Especially a long rifle.
Step by step...
Harley pressed deeper into the undergrowth.
His sharp eyes swept across every blade of grass.
Every shadow.
Every possible hiding place.
Suddenly...
His expression changed.
A terrifying realization struck him.
He knew the twenty-one-foot rule...
But what if Logan knew it too?
His instincts screamed.
Without another thought, Harley spun around and lunged for the rifle he had discarded moments earlier.
At the exact same instant...
A figure burst from the tall grass like a phantom.
It was Logan.
Everything had gone exactly as Logan predicted.
He had deliberately hidden in the grass to lure Harley into abandoning his rifle.
The moment Harley threw it away...
His chances of winning had already dropped.
But Harley wasn't ordinary.
The instant he sensed danger, he abandoned his plan to search the grass and rushed back toward his weapon.
He grabbed the rifle.
Turned.
Raised it.
And fired.
Bang!
The shot echoed through the wilderness.
Logan reacted instantly.
He twisted his body and threw himself sideways.
The bullet grazed past him by inches.
At almost the same moment...
Logan's own pistol roared.
Bang!
Harley finally understood.
He had been tricked.
No matter how skilled flesh and blood were...
They couldn't compete against a firearm.
Fortunately, the travel bag strapped to his back was packed with bundles of euros.
The thick stacks of cash absorbed much of the rifle's already limited penetrating power.
Even so...
The tremendous impact sent Harley crashing to the ground.
Cough!
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Ignoring the pain tearing through his body, he desperately rolled toward the nearby grass.
As long as he could disappear into cover...
He might still survive.
But before he could move another inch...
A cold, black muzzle was already resting against his forehead.
Harley's eyes widened.
He looked up.
Logan stood over him silently.
Bang!
Blood exploded outward.
Harley's body fell limp.
The last robber...
Was dead.
"Ghh..."
Logan suddenly coughed violently.
Blood poured from his mouth.
Had Harley wounded him?
No.
Harley had never managed to touch him.
The real price had been paid much earlier.
When Logan fought the robbers...
He had burned the final trace of inner energy within his body to unleash that impossible burst of speed.
That tiny remnant of inner energy...
Had been the only thing keeping him alive.
Without it...
The mysterious force draining his life would consume him unchecked.
The three months he originally had left...
Had now been reduced...
To less than a single day.
Logan wiped the blood from his lips.
There was no time to think.
No time to hesitate.
He turned and fled into the wilderness as fast as his failing body would allow.
No matter what happened...
He couldn't remain here.
If the police discovered his true identity...
The consequences would be disastrous.
For years, his organization and Ancient Splendor had maintained an unspoken peace.
As Qinglong...
His appearance within Ancient Splendor could easily trigger dangerous misunderstandings.
At best...
Diplomatic tension.
At worst...
A conflict involving his entire organization.
Less than two hours after Logan disappeared...
A police helicopter thundered overhead.
Eight heavily armed SWAT officers rappelled to the ground.
Weapons raised.
Eyes alert.
Yet...
There were no gunshots.
No resistance.
No enemies.
Because there were...
No survivors.
The officers cautiously swept the area with their rifles.
Every one of them froze in disbelief.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
What exactly had happened here?
The team immediately split into groups.
Some secured the perimeter.
Others began a preliminary investigation.
The rest contacted headquarters to report the shocking discovery.
Before long...
More police vehicles arrived at the scene.