A night breeze drifted by, carrying with it the faint scent of blood.
The concrete wall of the narrow alley was slightly dented, spiderwebbed with several fine, half-meter-long cracks that exposed the red brick underneath.
The masked man lay half-slumped on the ground, his neck snapped. His grotesquely twisted head rested against the dented wall, surrounded by a splash of crimson blood.
He had stopped breathing, clearly devoid of any signs of life.
"HUFF!"
"HUFF! HUFF!!"
His taut nerves finally allowed him to relax a fraction. Lu Chao bent over as if drained of all strength, his hands on his knees. His chest heaved violently as he gasped for air.
He stood at the mouth of the alley, half his body swallowed by the surrounding gloom.
His heart was still pounding like a drum, refusing to quiet down.
The toll of his high-intensity outburst was immense. His clothes were visibly soaked in sweat, and wisps of white steam rose from his skin, evaporating into the air.
