My Mosquito Clones Are on a Killing Spree

Lin Yi walked down the stairs with a light spring in his step.

The cold night wind, carrying the scent of sulfur and gunpowder, rushed to meet him.

But it couldn’t disperse the festive atmosphere in the open space below.

The dim yellow streetlights stretched out Zhou Meng and Luo Qian’s shadows, intertwining them with the flickering light of fireworks exploding all around.

"Master! Happy New Year!"

The moment Zhou Meng saw him, she bounded over like a joyful fawn, waving two burning sparklers that scattered fiery motes everywhere. Her face was slightly red from the cold, but her eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the sky.

She shoved one of them into Lin Yi’s hand.

"Quick, take it! These are so much fun!"

"Happy New Year, Meng Meng."

Lin Yi took the sparkler. The cold metal rod was a stark contrast to the sizzling sparks at its tip, which drew a brilliant arc of light in the night.

His nerves, which had been stretched taut all day, finally began to unwind in this purely joyful atmosphere.

"Lin! What took you so long? We were waiting for you!"

Luo Qian sauntered over boisterously and clapped Lin Yi hard on the shoulder.

With his other hand, he pointed to a nearby truck filled with over a dozen boxes of large fireworks.

A group of bodyguards in black combat suits stood by the truck.

One of them, a middle-aged man holding a silver spear, had his gaze locked firmly on Lin Yi ever since he came downstairs.

Luo Qian, however, paid them no mind and continued speaking.

"Look! The ’big guns’ Meng Meng bought—the ’Nine Heavens Thunderflame’ special edition, which is restricted in Yang City! They say it can light up half the sky! The three of us have to set one off tonight and start the new year with a bang!"

His tone was exaggerated, and he wore his usual lazy grin, but his eyes shone with genuine happiness.

He seemed to take great pride in being able to drag Lin Yi, who had been completely immersed in a frenzy of Cultivation, out to celebrate on this New Year’s Eve, a time for family reunions.

"Alright, let’s do it!"

Lin Yi was also swept up in their excitement, temporarily pushing the dark shadow of the Illuminati and his bottleneck with the Fast Gun Intent to the back of his mind.

He and Luo Qian walked toward the truck to move the large firework boxes.

Just as Lin Yi got close to the truck...

A figure in the shadows beside the vehicle moved.

It was the middle-aged man who had been staring intently at Lin Yi earlier.

He had a lean, powerful build, dressed in a sharp, dark combat suit. His broad shoulders and back seemed to contain explosive strength.

"You’re Lin Yi from Yang City No. 1 High School? Zhang Quan’s student?"

The middle-aged man’s voice was deep and powerful. He looked Lin Yi up and down, a flicker of indiscernible approval in his eyes.

"Mm, not a bad aura. Solid bones, vigorous Qi and Blood. Zhang Quan has found himself a promising seedling."

Lin Yi felt a chill run down his spine under the man’s almost tangible gaze.

An invisible pressure washed over him.

It was the aura of a true master.

He immediately clasped his fist in a standard, respectful salute and said clearly:

"This junior is indeed Lin Yi. May I ask who this senior is...?"

A faint smile touched the corners of the middle-aged man’s mouth. He casually twirled the spear in his hand, creating a soft whistling sound as it cut through the air.

"My name is Zhao Zhuo."

He stated his name in a level tone.

"Years ago, I studied spear techniques under Zhang Quan’s father for a few years. According to seniority, you should call me Senior Uncle."

"Greetings, Senior Uncle Zhao!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yi clasped his fist again and gave a deep, crisp bow.

’It doesn’t hurt to acknowledge a convenient elder, so I might as well,’ he thought.

’It never hurts to have another connection.’

’Especially one who looks like someone you don’t want to mess with.’

’Since it’s New Year’s Eve, maybe he’ll even give me, his junior, a red envelope?’

Unfortunately...

Zhao Zhuo seemed to have no intention of giving Lin Yi a red envelope.

He just laughed heartily and patted Lin Yi’s shoulder. The force of the pat made Lin Yi feel his shoulder blade sink slightly.

"Good kid, you’re quick on the uptake! Take down my contact information. If you ever run into trouble that Zhang Quan can’t or shouldn’t handle, you can contact me directly."

Joy surged in Lin Yi’s heart. He bowed again, his tone sincere.

"Thank you, Senior Uncle Zhao."

The two of them moved quickly, pulling out their respective communicators and exchanging numbers.

Zhao Zhuo’s communicator was a special military-grade model with a sturdy casing that glinted coldly.

"Alright, go on and have fun. Young people should act like young people."

Zhao Zhuo waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face like an elder watching a junior, and gestured for Lin Yi to leave.

Lin Yi and Luo Qian, who had been waiting nearby, immediately each picked up a heavy box of fireworks.

The boxes were quite heavy and gave off the faint smell of gunpowder.

Huffing and puffing, the two carried the boxes to the wide-open space in the center of the residential complex.

The moment they set the boxes down,

Luo Qian eagerly sidled up to Lin Yi and nudged him with his elbow, his face a mask of awe and envy.

"Damn, Lin! You’ve been hiding your connections! How did you manage to get in with a big shot like Zhao Zhuo so quietly? From now on, you’ll be untouchable in Yang City. I’d like to see anyone dare mess with you now!"

Lin Yi asked in a low, confused voice,

"Who exactly is this Senior Uncle Zhao? This is my first time meeting him, and I just found out he’s from the same school as Teacher Zhang Quan."

He was genuinely curious.

For someone to elicit such awe from a well-informed rich kid like Luo Qian...

Luo Qian immediately glanced left and right. After confirming that Zhou Meng hadn’t come over yet, he lowered his voice even more and said mysteriously,

"That Senior Uncle Zhao of yours is a renowned heavy-hitter in Yang City’s Martial Dao world! A genuine Fourth-Grade Martial Artist! Uncle Zhou really broke the bank this time, paying a fortune to hire him specifically to protect Meng Meng!"

"Specifically to protect Meng Meng?"