Special Forces Medic

’Vacanae’ is located in the old district of Palermo, and this place forgotten by the modern city has a natural platform. For some unknown reason, not a single blade of grass grows on this land, and right at this moment, there is a person standing on the platform, dressed in a white robe. Amid the non-black, non-white night sky, the person’s tall silhouette looks like a ghost, with the flowing hem of their garment rustling.

Under the deep night sky, at the time when night transitions to dawn, the grayish light far away is expanding increasingly, but this is not a premonition of impending daylight; rather, it’s a descent into deeper darkness.

Below, patches of neon lights are beginning to fade, with occasional billboard lights still standing there, emitting weak glimmers. Yet, these glimmers appear as insignificant as fireflies in this person’s eyes. It seems they are waiting, and have waited a long time, like a stone statue without moving an inch.

A gust of wind blows by, lifting the hem of their garment, as a shadow falls beside them. Unlike the person, this shadow carries an easily noticeable aura. The two exist like motion and stillness, the contrast of black and white making the sparsely populated platform seem somewhat crowded.

"I’m here! Hand over the person!" The shadow’s instant movement is so clear in the white figure’s eyes that even when it suddenly appears beside them, they remain calm.

"Later than I anticipated." The white figure turns, hidden by the night, as the shadow widens their eyes, clearly shocked by the face in front of them.

"You..."

The white figure curls the corners of their lips. Despite the smile, there is no expression on their face, merely the curled lips hinting at their emotion. The shadow steps back, perhaps realizing their loss of composure, forcibly halting their next move.

"Surprised? Just right."

"No, this is impossible!" The shadow takes a deep breath, staring at the face once more.

The lips curl again, but the face remains largely unchanged. Their hands move, and it’s as if a layer is draped over it, concealing the entire face. "Is this better?"

"Who exactly are you?" The shadow appears to recover from shock, stepping forward to seize the white figure’s collar, unable to hide their earlier astoundment even after changing the face. Even a glance could leave a deep impression, possibly unforgettable for life. "Why?"

"Safety." The white figure’s words are as sparse as their expression, but in the night, their eyes glisten with light.

The shadow blocks the white figure ahead. "And then?"

"If you want Yelu Shou alive, you have no choice."

"Liu Yi!" The words are almost pressed out from the throat, gritting teeth. "My people are my responsibility; it’s no concern of your Dan Clan."

"You? Can you? A person who can hardly protect themselves wants to play hero; do you really consider yourself the Xiao Family’s heir?" Liu Yi looks at the person before them with contempt. "Xiao Lin, open your eyes and realize you’re nothing more than a pawn of the Old Thief Xiao."

"Shut up!"

The shadow is none other than Xiao Lin, who in the video immediately recognized the other’s identity and rushed to ’Vacanae.’ "Who are you, really?"

"Who am I? You still don’t know? Or has Xiao Zhenfeng never mentioned someone like me in the Xiao Family?"

"What?" Xiao Lin hesitates, and amid his indecision, Liu Yi’s form elevates, suspended as if in mid-air.

A shimmer of silver, a cool breeze shoots towards Xiao Lin’s standing position, and the assault unfolds quietly without any forewarning. A flash suddenly explodes multiple times, aiming respectively at Xiao Lin’s throat, groin, and forehead. The fierce speed and force are not for play but a real attempt on his life; each separate gleam carries the cold hardness of Xiao Su.

The onslaught is fierce, but Xiao Lin is no novice. Facing Liu Yi, a formidable person whose limits are unknown, Xiao Lin adopts a serious stance. When Liu Yi suddenly leaps, his entire body tautens like a wound spring, brimming with power. As the silver gleam splits into three directions, he bursts with force, springing from place. From his sleeve, a piercing weapon quickly spins in his palm; right hand horizontal at chest, he turns aside the first glimmer. However, the second gleam is already at him.

Dodging is full of loopholes, Liu Yi doesn’t seize the opportunity to attack again, instead watching Xiao Lin dodge left and right alone. The speed between the three gleams doesn’t exceed half a second; even if able to defend the first two, the third is surely unavoidable. Does he keep attacking due to overconfidence?

After blocking the second gleam, the side of his neck feels the biting cold air. "Only this much? You underestimate me too much."

It’s unclear how he achieves it; normally, a person would step back or sideways to evade. Yet, after the second dodge, Xiao Lin remains upright, Liu Yi clearly sees Xiao Lin’s upper body pulling back sharply, as if punched backwards. Surprisingly, while the upper body recedes, the head follows the movement distinctly.

The third gleam was intended to hit the left of the throat but instead pierces the gap and impacts the tree behind. After successive evasions, Xiao Lin’s legs exert force, launching him like a beast. Body leaning so low it’s nearly grazing the ground, right palm strikes the ground forcefully, leveraging rebound to propel into the air, reaching Liu Yi within seconds.

However, Xiao Lin is fast, Liu Yi far surpasses him.

As he nears, Liu Yi steps diagonally, body moving horizontally, gripping fist suddenly hooks upwards!

No flamboyant moves imagined, and no dazzling techniques, yet producing lingering afterimages. The fist wind howling, scarcely arriving, and before Xiao Lin can respond, a solid fist appears at his throat, precisely the direction the gleam shot earlier.

"Crack!" As the fist nears Xiao Lin’s throat, Liu Yi suddenly jerks away, flashing to the side! Xiao Lin merely feels a cold sensation at his throat, as if clogged by something, even lungs seem drained of chill. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)