Chapter 10 The Greatest Traceur in History
Chapter 10 The Greatest Traceur in History
Xie Fei and Er Lu were caught off guard by Li Yundong's sudden retaliation. They never thought Li Yundong had the balls to make the first move.
SWISH! SMACK!
Xie Fei managed to block the incoming grocery bag with his forearm. However, a second later, he felt a strong force slam into his chest, pushing all the air out of his lungs. Before he could even scream, he was in the air with his arms and legs flailing. Seconds later, Xie Fei's body crashed into ground about two meters away from where he'd been standing.
Er Lu's eyes flashed menacingly at the sight of Xie Fei on the ground, hands on his chest, writhing in pain and gasping for air. Reaching behind his back, Er Lu pulled out a long melon knife and swung it at Li Yundong.
Tiannan City had been thriving economically in recent years and was now considered a second-tier city. Alas, old habits die hard. Notwithstanding the city's recent economic success, and the resulting boost in living standards, the barbaric ways of its citizens endured. Minor disagreements still led to blows and, sometimes, even knife fights.
Skirmishes on the streets still happened on occasion, especially in the city slums. These violent bouts typically involved gangsters beating the crap out of each other with metal sticks. Of course, there was also a bloodthirstier bunch who resorted to melon knives and the like. Needless to say, Tiannan City remained a breeding ground for organized crime, with gangs and the mafia running rampant. In all fairness, it wasn't that the police were deliberately leaving these gangs unchecked, just that they had neither the manpower nor resources to deal with them.
Er Lu and Xie Fei were members of such gangs. Ruthless and merciless, they were both mean sons of bitches who walked around carrying knives at all times. Whenever they struck, they struck hard, and there sure as hell would be blood involved.
Er Lu's brutality was obvious from the way he swung at Li Yundong with the melon knife. The attack was aimed at Li Yundong's arm, the one that was holding on to Su Chan's wrist.
Although Li Yundong had been granted superhuman strength by the Renyuan Jindan, he had no idea how to put that strength to good use. Li Yundong's current situation was, in fact, similar to one portrayed in the Wuxia novel series by Jin Yong; when Zhang Wuji first started his training in the Jiuyang Martial Arts system, he was completely clueless as well.
If Er Lu's strike found its target, not even the Jindan's power could prevent Li Yundong's arm from being hacked off at his shoulder.
The first thing Li Yundong felt after he landed his kick on Xie Fei's chest wasn't satisfaction. Instead, it was a sense of dread, of imminent danger. He looked behind him and froze at what he saw.
Shit! Li Yundong thought, instantly breaking out in cold sweat.
The moment Li Yundong saw Er Lu standing behind him with a f*cking melon knife raised overhead, he knew he was probably going to lose an arm today. Yet, he couldn't do anything at that moment except stand there like a pig waiting to be slaughtered. All of a sudden, he saw Su Chan make an abrupt one-eighty, then a beautiful leg shot out from under her skirt to deliver a powerful kick which sent Er Lu flying a few feet away.
Alas, Li Yundong didn't have time to marvel at Su Chan's timely kick because he saw three more guys charging at them from the front. And, if that wasn't bad enough, the five guys he saw earlier were now removing their weapons from inside their newspaper rolls: five shiny melon knives.
Li Yundong didn't even have to think about his next course of action as he grabbed Su Chan's hand and broke off into a sprint.
However, he had barely taken two steps before he felt Su Chan freeing her hand from his grip. Alarmed, Li Yundong turned around and saw Su Chan charging back towards the five knife-wielding thugs, looking like she wanted to skin those guys alive. Li Yundong lunged forward and seized Su Chan's bicep.
"Let me go!" Su Chan yelled. "I'm going to teach these guys a lesson!"
"Are you out of your f*cking mind?!" Li Yundong yelled back. "There are so many of them! And they've got knives!"
Enhanced by the Jindan, Li Yundong was definitely a match for Su Chan in terms of physical strength. Li Yundong gave his hand on Su Chan's bicep a quick jerk, pulling her towards him. Su Chan's face smacked into his chest and she squeaked in surprise. Without giving her a chance to protest, Li Yundong hooked an arm under her knees and picked her up in a bridal's carry, then ran hell for leather towards the campus.
"Grab him! F*cking chop that son of a bitch into pieces! And bring the girl to me!" Xie Fei yelled from the ground.
Su Chan struggled relentlessly against Li Yundong's tight hold.
"Put me down!” she snarled. “I'm going to kick their asses!"
Her voice was, unfortunately, heard by those thugs who were chasing them. Rage filled their hearts as they tightened their grips on their weapons. The sinister smiles on their faces left their clenched teeth open to view. Let's just see who will be the ones getting their asses kicked!
Su Chan felt as light as a feather in Li Yundong's arms. The sudden threat had instantly activated Li Yundong's fight or flight response. Tension coursed through every inch of Li Yundong's body as he ran, his muscles contracting forcefully with every firing of his neurons. His heart pounded rapidly against his ribcage, pumping adrenaline throughout his system, and his skin burned as though the blood inside his veins was boiling.
Once every few steps, Li Yundong's eyes would dart around to observe his surroundings while his mind calmly worked out possible escape routes.
They were currently on a straight two-way street with shops on both sides.
Three in front and five behind, Li Yundong thought. Shit… We’re surrounded. I've got to get us off this street. Okay. Should I go right? Or left?
Li Yundong made a split-second decision and sprinted towards a fried dumpling shop on his two o'clock.
Shit... Li Yundong thought when he saw that the three thugs in front had gotten to the dumpling shop in time to intercept his path. He looked behind his back and saw the other five thugs hot on his heels. Returning his eyes to the front, he noticed that the three thugs in front of the dumpling shop already had their knives out. It was already too late to pick another route, so Li Yundong made yet another split-second decision.
Here goes nothing...
Using all the momentum from his sprint, Li Yundong leaped straight at the wall which formed the side of the shop, narrowly avoiding a slash by one of the thugs. He planted his foot on the surface of the wall, using it to propel himself further up the wall.
Step! Step! Step!
Li Yundong landed on the ground behind the three thugs and took off in a sprint once again.
The three thugs turned around simultaneously and stared in shock as Li Yundong landed on the ground behind them before sprinting off again. All that, and the f*cker was carrying a woman in his arms!
Xie Fei stood up from the ground, still rubbing his chest with his hand.
"Hey! What are you guys still standing around for?" he growled. "Go get that son of a bitch!"
The thugs roared and ran after Li Yundong.
This particular street was just the right width. Along it were restaurants, cafes, and delis, all of which were frequented by students. Needless to say, the street was currently teeming with students because it was their lunch break.
Today, these students were granted a break from the mundane as they watched a slightly chubby dude running around with a chick in his arms. That wasn't the only thing that left them gaping in awe though; it was the speed at which the dude was running and the superhuman agility that he must possess to execute those superhuman dodges and leaps. It was like one of those parkour stunts they saw on TV.
Then again, traceurs usually dress in light clothing whenever they practice parkour, and they sure as hell never did backflips or ran along walls while carrying someone in their arms.
Some students were so amazed by what they were seeing that they began reaching for their phones, hoping to capture the whole thing on video. But, by the time their phones were out, they realized that Li Yundong was already more than ten meters away. All they could capture at this point was Li Yundong's back.
What the... How could anyone be that fast? And while carrying a person?
A ruckus interrupted the students' musings a moment later, at which point they saw a bunch of gangsters running past them like a gust of wind, cursing and brandishing their knives as they ran.
Li Yundong ran around for a while with Su Chan in his arms. Then, from the corner of his eyes, he caught side of Tiannan University's front gates nearby, and an idea struck him. These bastards wouldn't dare follow me onto the campus, right?
With that, Li Yundong changed course and ran towards the campus.
However, Li Yundong regretted his decision the moment he arrived at the gates.
Morning classes had just ended, and a lot of students were leaving the campus grounds through the gates. Those were the students who preferred to have lunch in the cafes and restaurants nearby rather than the campus' canteen.
Li Yundong looked ahead and noticed a large group of students leaving the gates. Slowing down wasn't an option since he was currently charging at top speed towards the gate, and turning around wasn't an option either because Er Lu and those thugs were already close enough behind him for him to hear their shouts.
Damn it!
"Move! Move! Out of the way!" Li Yundong yelled in frustration.
Needless to say, Li Yundong's voice drew the attention of the students, who were all looking towards him.
Those who knew him thought, Who are you to be shouting orders at us? You're just a sophomore.
Those who didn't know him decided to just ignore him.
Sun Li, who was among the group of students walking out of the campus gates, stared at Li Yundong in confusion. She noticed the anxious look on his face and also the fact that he was carrying a woman as he charged right at her like a mad bull. Before she could ask him what kind of games he was up to this time, she noticed about ten gangsters with knives chasing after him. Startled, Sun Li tried to step away, but she knew it was probably too late because Li Yundong was running too fast and he was already too close. Sun Li closed her eyes and waited for the impact to come.
Li Yundong knew damn well that he would send Sun Li flying and break a couple of her ribs if he barreled into her at this speed.
To hell with this shit! Li Yundong clenched his jaw tight and leaped into the air, landing about half a foot in front of Sun Li with both of his knees bent. Then, as though using the ground like some kind of springboard, he pushed hard with both legs and somersaulted over Sun Li.
Gasps and shouts broke out among the crowd. Holy f*cking shit! Did he just somersault over a girl while carrying a person?? Is he even f*cking human?
The impact that Sun Li had been expecting never came. Instead, she felt a strong gust of wind, which made her open her eyes. However, when she did, she only saw a shadow dart across her vision, then it was gone. By the time she regained her senses, she was already covered in cold sweat.
Xie Fei, Er Lu, and the thugs arrived at the gates just then, their faces and eyes red due to exhaustion. Xie Fei didn't even care that they were right outside of the campus. Like some kind of homicidal maniac, he yelled, "Get the f*ck out of the way!"
Not that he needed to shout. The students had already begun stepping aside from the moment they saw the knives that the thugs were wielding. In an instant, a path was created through the sea of students.
Turning his head around, Li Yundong looked behind him, then cursed inwardly when he saw that the thugs had actually followed him onto the campus. He kept running, never slowing his steps.
All the students and teachers on the campus did a double-take when Li Yundong hurtled past them. However, they all blanched and began shouting in fear when they saw a bunch of knife-wielding thugs running after Li Yundong.
Alas, Li Yundong had never been in a situation where he was on the run from a bunch of homicidal thugs. Eventually, he panicked, took a wrong turn, and found himself trapped in a dead-end path at the bottom of the men's dorms.
A chill ran down Li Yundong's spine. He turned his head around and realized, much to his horror, that those knuckleheads were still chasing after him. Worse, they now seemed legitimately pissed off.
Oh, shit...
Li Yundong was pretty sure he was going to end up in the minced meat section of the supermarket if those ruffians ever caught up to him.
Li Yundong's mind raced as he glanced around, searching desperately for a way to escape. Come on man, think! There has to be a way out. Somehow, his gaze landed on a corner of the building where the wall of the balconies meet another wall at a right angle. Wait a minute... If I can use that to get to the top...
Li Yundong began sprinting towards the wall before he even completed that thought.
At this moment, Ding Nan and Zhou Qin were leaving the women's dorms, which was directly opposite the men's, so they saw Li Yundong the moment they walked out of their building.
Ding Nan chortled. "Is he trying to run himself into a wall? What, is this a new way of committing suicide?"
Zhou Qin's response never made it past her lips because she saw something that literally took her breath away.
When Li Yundong was a few feet from the wall, he made a powerful leap off of one foot, then his body shot into the air as though he had springs attached to the sole of his shoe. Bam! His other foot slammed into the wall with a harsh kick, which was a remarkable feat in and of itself. It was as though all the blood in Li Yundong's body had amassed in that leg, causing his muscles to contract and relax in a quick explosion of strength, the effect of which was akin to the sudden release of a spring after being compressed to its absolute limit!
There had to be at least a thousand pounds of force behind that kick!
In fact, it was so powerful that it even left a dent in the wall.
Li Yundong's body surged upward as a result of the kick. At the same time, he was being propelled away from the wall towards the balcony walls.
There was only about a meter or so between the two walls. When Li Yundong reached the balcony, he delivered another strong kick to its wall, propelling himself back to the first wall.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Like one of those Judas' belt firecrackers, Li Yundong's body kept rising higher, section by section. With the agility of a monkey and the leg strength of a pouncing tiger, Li Yundong leaped from left to right, rising higher with each iteration. In just a matter of seconds, he made it to the roof, which was a good four floors above ground level.
The students on the ground floor were so shocked that their eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.
It wasn't until Li Yundong had finally reached the roof of the building that they finally recovered from their stupor.
"F*ck... Did you see that? Holy shit, that's f*cking badass! Is he even human?"
"Of course he's human, dumbass. Now, did you film that or what?"
"Film? How about I film your ass, dipshit? I was too stunned to even breath let alone do anything else. Dude! Nobody's gonna film jack shit when there's a Spiderman running up walls in front of them!"
"Argh, dang. That's too bad, brah. I tell you what, if you have it on video and we post it online? I'm gonna chop off my f*cking hand if it doesn't become a hit!"
Zhou Qin and Ding Nan gaped at what they just saw.
"Wh- what? How's that even possible? That's unreal," Ding Nan said stupidly.
Something flickered in Zhou Qin's eyes. At that moment, the look she was giving Li Yundong was no longer as aloof as it used to be. Instead, it was filled with shock.
Xie Fei and Er Lu had arrived at the dormitory just in time to see Li Yundong hopping between two walls like a cheetah to get to the roof. And no, it didn't escape them that Li Yundong was carrying a girl in his arms while doing so. The mere thought of the latter turned their faces pale.
Panting and breathless, one of Xie Fei's lackeys said, "Brother Fei, that son of a bitch really knows how to run. F*ck, he's like a monkey or something. How the hell are we supposed to catch him?"
"Shut up!" Xie Fei yelled, glaring at the guy who just spoke.
Then, Xie Fei shot Er Lu a menacing look.
"How come you never mentioned that this guy is such a pain in the ass?"
Er Lu scowled.
"I didn't think it would be this tough."
Xie Fei curled his lips when he noticed a bunch of teachers and the campus security guards heading towards them. Turning around to face his lackeys, he yelled, "Hey! Put the knives away you morons! You wanna get your asses carted off to jail?"
Xie Fei raised his head and glared at the rooftop, where Li Yundong and Su Chan stood. "I don't believe for a second that he can run from us forever!" Amidst all the madness, Xie Fei never stopped to consider one crucial question: if this guy could get four floors above ground to the roof using just a wall, all the while carrying a person in his arms, what would happen if he was trained in hand-to-hand combat?
Food for thought.