Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Pretender

As Gu Sha ran along a wide avenue, he suddenly heard fierce gunfire erupting from a nearby refugee camp. The intensity of the shots told him at once that members of the Purification Society must be engaging the Bastion's troops. Chaos reigned throughout the Bastion: the military was everywhere, trying to maintain order while hunting down wanted Purification Society members. Skirmishes were frequent, but only the Purification Society could provoke such violent clashes.

Without hesitation, Gu Sha rushed toward the camp. The shantytown was a mess of ruined shelters, refugees fleeing in all directions, and military squads scattered about, rescuing civilians and restoring order. With the Tang blade strapped to his back, Gu Sha darted across the rooftops of steel sheds, swiftly reaching the site of the battle.

There, a group of heavily armed terrorists were herding refugees, sowing confusion with bombs tossed everywhere, fighting off the official troops. Despite their numerical superiority, the soldiers struggled, unable to retaliate freely for fear of harming the refugees. Worse still, the terrorists were all extraordinary warriors. Their ferocity in combat was terrifying, and the official forces suffered heavy casualties.

Standing atop a roof, Gu Sha saw the terrorists driving refugees in every direction. As a ninth-level warrior, his vision was hardly hindered by the night. He took out his phone, compared the faces with photographs, and confirmed that every one of them belonged to the Purification Society. Entry into the Bastion required strict screening and registration, including photographs, so the authorities had already identified these individuals once they revealed themselves.

Gu Sha slowly put away his phone and searched intently. Soon, he locked onto a cluster of refugees—among them, Bai Ziyu of the Purification Society was hiding. Gu Sha chuckled softly. No wonder, in the vision of the future he had seen, Bai Ziyu could make his way to the Bastion’s perimeter and leave openly without ever being exposed; the man always concealed himself among the chaos of the crowd, making detection exceedingly difficult.

Gu Sha immediately sped towards them, a specter in the night.

Amid the chaos and the raging battle, the Purification Society’s members fought like madmen, fearless of death. Some, already wounded, detonated bombs strapped to their bodies, dragging scores of soldiers into oblivion with them, their hysteria boundless. Among the refugees, Bai Ziyu and a few Purification Society members disguised themselves and quietly slipped away.

One member whispered, "Damn it, it's all because of that bastard Gu Sha. If he hadn't forced us to act ahead of schedule, we wouldn't be in such a mess, nor would so many have died."

"No matter," Bai Ziyu replied calmly. "It's only that we can no longer proclaim the greatness of the Divine in this decaying world. They were the most devout followers; death is not an end, but a beginning. The Divine has led them to the new world. We should be honored for them. They have entered the Divine's embrace before us, while we must continue to shoulder the burden of salvation. Our duty is heavy; we must carry faith and purpose forward. The Divine is watching us."

Their eyes burned with fervor. Someone asked, "What about Gu Sha? How should we deal with him?"

Bai Ziyu answered softly, "The Divine has guided me. I will meet him again. Then, I will try to break his bonds and open his eyes to truth. I believe he will see the Divine's will and walk with us. If he remains hopelessly ignorant, we will help release him, send him to the new world. Then, he will understand our intentions. The Divine is merciful—destruction is not annihilation, but rebirth."

The battle raged on, artillery thundered, gunshots echoed. Bai Ziyu and his companions blended into the crowd, breaking out of the military encirclement in their predetermined direction. Bai Ziyu looked back at the chaotic battlefield of the shantytown and sighed gently, "Send them all to the new world."

"Yes." A member took a detonator from his backpack and gripped the lever, ready to press it.

Suddenly, a blade of white light flashed through the night like a shooting star, slicing with a wet sound across the member’s wrist—blood sprayed, and a severed hand fell to the ground. A Tang blade stood embedded in the earth beside the detonator.

As the injured member screamed, Bai Ziyu and the others turned urgently toward the direction from which the blade had come. They saw a shadow leap from a rooftop, ghostlike, rushing forward so swiftly the eye could barely follow.

"Detonate!" Bai Ziyu shouted.

Another member reached for the detonator, but Gu Sha suddenly drew two pistols, firing rapidly. The gunfire forced the Purification Society members to retreat.

At that moment, Bai Ziyu recognized Gu Sha, a smile appearing on his face. He instructed a nearby member, "Kill him!" Then Bai Ziyu slipped away unnoticed.

The remaining members all removed their backpacks, producing an array of firearms and bombs, and charged at Gu Sha en masse. A storm of bullets rained toward him.

Yet Gu Sha moved at a speed beyond belief, weaving through the hail of bullets. In a flash, he reached his Tang blade, drew it, and slashed—quick strokes deflecting bullets, and with each swing, heads flew.

Truth be told, these Purification Society members were not weak; all were extraordinary beings, two had reached the second rank of power, and two possessed special abilities. But their strength was nothing compared to Gu Sha’s—a disparity so vast it was like a dimensional gulf.

As Bai Ziyu withdrew, the calm expression on his face grew grave, then resolved, and finally relaxed. He called out to Gu Sha, "Mr. Gu, what a pity—circumstances leave me no choice but to send you to the new world ahead of schedule. Farewell!"

With that, Bai Ziyu snapped his fingers.

A deafening explosion followed. The members attacking Gu Sha suddenly burst into flames, igniting the bombs strapped to their bodies.

A violent blast shook the earth, fire roaring furiously.

Bai Ziyu had retreated to an armored vehicle, watching the inferno with a compassionate sigh. "The Divine will lead you onward."

But in the next instant, his face froze.

Out of the sea of flames, Gu Sha emerged, Tang blade in hand.

"Apparently, your Divine is not qualified to claim me!"

(End of chapter)