Myth Beyond Heaven

Startled by Lei Hao's ability to walk, Zhu Ding whipped his focus onto Yun Lintian. His face hardened as he raised his gun, a growl escaping his lips. "It really is you!"

Before arriving, he'd obsessed over the logic of Yun Lintian's "return" from death, but answers remained elusive. Now, with Yun Lintian undeniably alive, such questions faded. Only vengeance burned in his eyes.

"I don't know how you managed to deceive everyone back then. Today, I'll make sure such a thing won't happen again." Zhu Ding snarled, his expression twisting with ferocity. "Kill them all!"

The order was immediate. Zhu Ding squeezed the trigger, his gun barking a challenge. The soldiers behind him followed suit, a storm of bullets erupting towards Yun Lintian and Lei Hao. A direct hit would turn them into human colanders.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

However, the bullets defied physics. They hung suspended in mid-air, inches from their targets, as if an invisible barrier had materialized.

Zhu Ding and his men stood frozen, their minds incapable of grasping the fantastical scene before them. It was like a scene ripped straight out of a science fiction movie.

Clang!

In a clatter, the bullets rained down to the ground. The sound was a harsh reminder, jolting Zhu Ding and his men back to reality. This was no illusion.

"You..." Zhu Ding stammered, his face a mask of confusion.

"There's no inherent conflict between us at the beginning," Yun Lintian said calmly. "Your family's secretive actions held no interest to me… But you, fueled by jealousy, chose to attack me and my comrades."

"Today marks the beginning of your downfall. I will ensure you can enjoy the painful experience to the fullest."

A flicker of realization crossed Zhu Ding's face. "My grandfather... what did you do?" He grasped the connection - Zhu Tianlong's removal was undoubtedly Yun Lintian's doing.

"He architected his own downfall," Yun Lintian said with a faint smile. "Minimal effort was required on my part."

Bang!

Suddenly, a soldier from Zhu Ding's ranks fired, a desperate attempt to eliminate Yun Lintian. The bullet tore through the air, stopping dead in its tracks just before Yun Lintian's forehead.

Yun Lintian cast a casual glance at the shooter. "Impressive aim."

Swoosh! Puff!

In a flash, the bullet reversed course, slamming into the soldier's leg with a sickening spray of blood. He crumpled to the ground, screaming painfully.

Zhu Ding and his men recoiled in horror. This was another display of defiance against the laws of physics, leaving them utterly bewildered.

Terror choked Zhu Ding as his legs buckled beneath him. The realization that he faced something beyond human comprehension clawed at his sanity.

"Can I, boss?" Lei Hao cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing in the tense silence.

"Don't let him die," Yun Lintian said softly.

A chilling smile played on Lei Hao's lips. "Don't worry, death won't be his reward."

With a blur of motion, he rocketed towards Zhu Ding.

Panic seized Zhu Ding and his men. They opened fire in a desperate volley, but the bullets defied physics, hovering harmlessly before clattering to the ground. Lei Hao was upon them in an instant.

Lei Hao snatched Zhu Ding's gun with lightning speed, the weapon a flimsy toy in his grasp. A brutal kick slammed into Zhu Ding's knee, buckling him to the ground.

Before Zhu Ding could even whimper, a bone-jarring knee strike connected with his face.

Bang!

A sickening crunch echoed as Zhu Ding was launched backward, his mangled face erupting in a crimson geyser. He lay crumpled and unmoving, a testament to Lei Hao's wrath.

Zhu Ding's men, their faces etched with terror, fumbled to raise their weapons again. But before a single shot could ring out, Lei Hao cut through the tense silence.

"All of you better cherish your lives," he growled, his voice laced with icy contempt. "Is this fool worth a pointless death?"

His words hung heavy in the air. The soldiers exchanged panicked glances, their bravado crumbling under the weight of the situation. Facing these inhuman adversaries, victory seemed an impossible dream. Survival, however, was a flicker of hope they desperately clung to.

Ignoring the soldiers, Lei Hao stalked towards Zhu Ding, who writhed pathetically on the ground.

With a cold fury in his eyes, Lei Hao raised his leg and slammed his boot into Zhu Ding's chin. "This is for Ah'Kai," he growled, the words laced with venom.

The kick was a calculated burst of violence meant to punish, not obliterate. Had Lei Hao unleashed his full power, Zhu Ding's head would have been a gory mess.

"Argh!" A guttural scream erupted from Zhu Ding's throat as all his teeth shattered, filling his mouth with a metallic tang. The world spun, his mind overloaded with pain and the echoing voice of his tormentor.

Mercilessly, Lei Hao loomed over him, raising his foot once more. A sickening crunch resonated as he brought it down on Zhu Ding's kneecap, shattering it with a single, brutal blow.

Bang!

"This is for Ah'Feng," Lei Hao hissed, his voice devoid of warmth. "Honestly, death would be a kindness, but you don't deserve that easy escape. Now, you'll get a taste of the suffering you inflicted for years."

With his legs mangled and useless, Zhu Ding's future was one of agonizing immobility. The once arrogant leader was reduced to a whimpering wreck, a broken testament to Lei Hao's vengeance.

Zhu Ding's men cast nervous glances at the scene, a flicker of relief warming their hearts. Thankfully, their defiance had been minimal. Otherwise, they might have shared Zhu Ding's tragic fate.

Yun Lintian regarded Zhu Ding's abject misery with chilling indifference. To him, the man was a mere speck of dust, unworthy of his attention.

The vengeance that had once burned in his heart had dissipated long before his return to Earth. However, that didn't mean he would let Zhu Ding go.

Wooo—

A low, resonant wail shattered the tense silence. A line of police cars materialized behind them, sirens screaming their approach.

Lei Hao cast a cold glance at Zhu Ding. "Enjoy,"

He then stalked back to the car. Yun Lintian followed suit, offering a parting shot to the soldiers. "If a shred of decency remains within you, you should resign when you go back."

Slipping behind the wheel, he sped away, leaving Zhu Ding and his men in a chilling silence. Years of iniquity committed under the guise of national security finally bore the weight of consequence. Shame, a stranger for far too long, settled heavily upon them.

"Hands up!"