Chapter 156 : The Bronze Armor Statue’s Kill Command
Chapter 156: The Bronze Armor Statue’s Kill Command
“This kid is just like Zhang Chiguo.”
Once Han Su left, the atmosphere in the club had all but disintegrated. Only then did the Red Trench Coat woman softly speak:
“Stubborn and foul-tempered.”
The Bulbous-Nosed Man also slowly pinched the bridge of his nose, took a swig from the wine pot, and exhaled a puff of alcohol. “Maybe he’s just a kid who hasn’t suffered a loss yet.”
“But one has to admit, in any circle, what people fear most are these ignorant young brats—reckless, arrogant, completely oblivious to the bigger picture. Even gangsters are wary of hotheaded fools.”
The Red Trench Coat thought of how that young man had dared to confront her head-on even before officially obtaining his investigator license. At the time, she had only been angry, and instinctively refrained from doing anything. The thought left her feeling more unsettled:
“What about Night Lamp and that Green-Hatted gentleman? This plan needs their support.”
“……”
The Drunkard Investigator replied, “Night Lamp’s been fully absorbed in decoding the Life Code. As for Green Hat, all he sees are women.”
“They neither support nor oppose the plan, but they’re quite happy to do less and treat it like a vacation.”
“All I hope now is that Zhang Chiguo shows some sense. With the tide approaching, stirring up unrest in the Disaster Management Bureau is not a smart move. The fact that he arranged for that kid to use Miss Ai’s recording—he went a little too far.”
“……”
The Red Trench Coat nodded in agreement, then suddenly recalled something, her expression tightening as she said:
“But no matter what, don’t escalate this to the point of directly attacking that stubborn rock.”
“Back in the Special Operations Unit, he once saved my life.”
“……”
The Drunkard Investigator chuckled and said, “You’re quite sentimental.”
“No.”
The Red Trench Coat shook her head. “It’s precisely because he saved my life that I know how terrifying he is when he acts!”
“Back then, they didn’t have so many encrypted spells. The esoteric faction hadn’t even chosen to back Secretary No. 5 yet…”
“……”
“Terrifying…”
Hearing this word, the Drunkard Investigator momentarily lost focus, as if vaguely recalling the prime years of those earliest investigators and where they had all ended up. After a long pause, he gently shook his head and said, “Of course not.”
“We’ve got backing from above, and so does Zhang Chiguo. The people above have differing opinions; they want us to sort out who's on top.”
“But neither side wants this to escalate too far.”
“I can tolerate this kid for two reasons. First, he’s one of Zhang Chiguo’s people—I don’t want our hands stained with blood first.”
“Second, I consulted the higher-ups. They just want me to convince the kid not to stir trouble. Since they didn’t give me permission to take him out, it’s better to make him more sensible.”
At this, he seemed to recall something, turned to the Red Trench Coat and said, “It was I who asked Sparrow to handle this matter—don’t blame her. She was actually quite cautious.”
When the Red Trench Coat heard him mention Sparrow, she smiled slightly and looked at the Drunkard. “What reason did you use to persuade my assistant to help you with this?”
The Drunkard smiled and said, “We’re all in the same boat—why draw such hard lines?”
The Red Trench Coat looked him in the eye and said, “Just reminding you—that freak in D7 is someone even we can’t get information on. If he bites like a madman, I’m not taking the fall for you.”
The Drunkard merely nodded with a smile and gave no further explanation.
With that, the conversation ended, and the two got up to leave. In the club, other investigators and people also either left or stayed to relax. It looked as if many of them didn’t even know each other well.
Yet the shared sense of advancing and retreating together was unmistakably strong.
As the Red Trench Coat led Miss Crow and Sparrow to the elevator, she glanced at her niece.
Her head was still lowered, face expressionless.
Ever since she had returned from that reckless guy’s side, she’d been like this—silent all day, only occasionally lifting her eyes to glance at people.
There was a sense of disappointment.
This niece’s innate power was both a curse and a gift. If cultivated properly, her achievements could far surpass her own.
But her personality was difficult.
She had arranged for her to toughen up in the wilderness over the years, and while it did help balance her condition, her personality issues seemed to have worsened.
It seemed there was still a long way to go before she could replace Sparrow.
If only she were like Sparrow—clever, quick-witted, always knowing exactly what to do at every stage.
Thinking this, she turned around and grasped Sparrow’s hand. She could feel Sparrow’s body clearly tremble, but she smiled and said, “Don’t worry. It was I who asked you to cooperate with the Drunkard, so you won’t be blamed for this.”
“I just want to know—what terms did he offer? You arranged it without even telling me?”
“……”
Sparrow lowered her head. After a long moment, she softly said, “The Drunkard said… he’s about to be promoted to Independent Investigator.”
“And he… doesn’t have an assistant…”
“So he promised to pass his investigator license on to you?”
The Red Trench Coat nodded thoughtfully and said, “I’ll do everything I can to help you get that license he promised, but you need to stay alert.”
“We do this to avoid being manipulated during critical times. But the Drunkard isn’t like us—he’s always been afraid deep down. Don’t let yourself be the scapegoat when things go wrong.”
“I understand, Teacher.”
Sparrow—tall, toned, with long, powerful legs and ashen hair—was overjoyed upon hearing this. She nodded repeatedly. “With you helping me, that’s all I could ask for. I know who my true teacher is.”
The mood seemed good, but none noticed the sudden, cold, vicious glare Miss Crow—wearing headphones and indifferently listening to music—cast at Sparrow.
Sparrow saw it but pretended not to.
Miss Crow didn’t let it slide. In her fierce glare, there was even a trace of mockery: “You're performing so well—willing to shoulder the blame. But can you bear it?”
Sparrow frowned slightly, lips pressed together.
While they spoke, they reached the elevator. Suddenly, the Red Trench Coat looked surprised. “I forgot my handbag.”
Sparrow immediately smiled, “Then you two wait in the car. I’ll go back up!”
The Red Trench Coat and Miss Crow went ahead to the lobby. Now that it was just the two of them, her face turned cold and she said sternly, “What did you mean by what you said earlier?”
“After years of wilderness training, if you still can’t control your emotions, you’re useless—forever stuck in this pit.”
“……”
Miss Crow remained silent. Just as the Red Trench Coat thought she would refuse to answer again, Miss Crow suddenly said:
“That man said you once fell in love and nearly got married. Was it Zhang Chiguo or the Drunkard?”
The Red Trench Coat froze for a moment before realizing that “that man” referred to her brother—Miss Crow’s father. The term alone annoyed her.
She gave her a cold look. “Don’t ask about things that don’t concern you.”
Miss Crow calmly replied, “Zhang Chiguo would never go for you.”
“You…”
The Red Trench Coat instantly grew angry, raising her hand, but Miss Crow lowered her gaze, ignoring her entirely.
Just then, the elevator chimed. Sparrow stepped out with the handbag. She clearly saw the Red Trench Coat and Miss Crow in conversation and rushed over to defuse the situation.
As she passed the unprotected Snake-Headed Bronze Armor Statue displayed in the center of the lobby, she failed to notice the eerie glow that flickered in the red gems embedded in its twin snake heads.
The next moment, the Snake-Headed Bronze Armor Statue slowly raised its arm—and thrust it forward.
There was no dramatic sound, not even much movement. The bronze hand gripped her throat directly.
Bit by bit, it lifted her into the air. Sparrow struggled fiercely, flailing her limbs.
But the bronze hand was unnaturally firm. She couldn’t break free. She tried to open her mouth and chant an encrypted spell, but the cold bronze fingers tightened around her neck—she couldn’t utter a single syllable.
“…Not good!”
The Red Trench Coat whipped her head around—and saw Sparrow dangling in mid-air. Her scalp tingled.
In a flash, her figure flickered, the air filling with countless shadows. In an instant, she appeared before the Bronze Armor Statue, murmured an obscure syllable, and struck with her hand like a blade—capable of cleaving iron.
Her palm landed on the statue’s outstretched arm—only to hear a resonant “Woom.”
Her palm bones throbbed in pain, as if fractured.
The spiritual power concentrated in her palm was instantly absorbed by the bronze arm.
The statue’s arm remained unscathed—still gripping Sparrow tightly.
“Shlaa!”
At that moment, as if aware of the Red Trench Coat’s attempt to stop it, the Bronze Armor Statue extended its other arm forward.
The Red Trench Coat sensed a shadow looming over her and the stench of rust. In desperation, she raised her arms, summoning a gray mist to block the attack.
But the statue merely clenched its fingers—shattering her defense—and its hand continued downward.
Throughout, the fingers around Sparrow’s neck steadily tightened. Not fast, but never stopping.
“What’s going on?!”
At that instant, more investigators rushed down. Seeing the scene, their expressions changed drastically.
They began chanting various encrypted spells—some trying to save Sparrow, others rushing to help the Red Trench Coat.
“Crack!”
Just then, the statue’s palm landed on the Red Trench Coat’s head. Under the looming shadow, even she felt a wave of despair.
But at the last moment, a wave of alcohol-scented air surged forth—the Drunkard arrived just in time, yanking her out of harm’s way. Yet the statue’s hand caught his arm—crack!—shattering it.
With a muffled groan, the Drunkard was lifted into the air by the statue, then hurled downward—about to be slammed into the ground.