HBWMA -Chapter 388 Underwater Kiss

“Bang—”

A bullet tore through the rain curtain and precisely punched through a centuries-old circular pillar of the corridor.

“!”

Manager Hu trembled violently, staring blankly at Shen Guiling beside him. If the young master of the Shen family hadn’t pulled him out of the way in time, he would have ended up like the man before—his head blown open.

Not far away on the lawn lay a man, eyes dull and lifeless, a bloody hole in the center of his forehead. Rainwater pooled around him, quickly diluting the blood beneath his body.

Shen Guiling and his group were crouched under the sloped corridor for cover, finally able to catch their breath under the terrain’s protection.

Just moments ago, they had been ambushed. A sniper was positioned at the twelve o’clock direction ahead. They had been rushing to the covered bridge to meet up with Shen Qingyu and had no time to prepare. The enemy’s first shot had instantly killed a young man beside Shen Guiling.

That shot had come without warning—even Shen Guiling had frozen for a moment.

He quickly organized everyone to take cover while using the rainstorm as concealment to observe their surroundings.

To be able to lock onto a target in such heavy rain meant not only exceptional marksmanship, but also top-tier equipment. He had dealt with sea bandits before—those people didn’t have this level of skill.

Shen Guiling’s expression grew increasingly grave as he looked thoughtfully at the corpse on the lawn.

Since these people dared to shoot at him, they clearly weren’t assassins sent by Shen Qian. Not sea bandits, not Shen Qian’s men… then it was even less likely to be Zhou Yanheng. Zhou only had access to the shooting range’s weapons—nothing that could create this level of oppressive force.

If none of those groups fit, then…

A dark glint flashed in Shen Guiling’s eyes.

Another faction.

There was another group of assassins in this mountain estate—one they had no knowledge of.

“Sir, what do we do? The road ahead is blocked. Should we retreat?”

“We can’t fall back!” Shen Guiling’s usual gentleness was gone entirely. “Our mission is to reach the stone pier at the covered bridge for rendezvous. Didn’t you all want to redeem yourselves? One step back and your entire future narrows.”

“But—” Everyone looked grim. If they didn’t retreat, there was no path forward at all.

“No ‘buts.’” Shen Guiling crouched down, pressing his ear to the ground. “There’s water nearby… we’re close to the inner lake?”

“I—I remember!” Manager Hu suddenly said excitedly. “Go to Meiren Manor! There’s a room there where the swimming pool connects directly to the inner lake. We can swim through to the covered bridge!”

After a brief thought, Shen Guiling made his decision.

“Lead the way.”

“Yes!” Manager Hu crawled forward on the ground, terrified of the next bullet appearing in front of him at any moment. The rest followed closely, using the pavilion for cover.

They crossed the pavilion and rushed into the inner courtyard.

“Which room? Hurry!”

“This one! Follow me!” Manager Hu nearly sprinted on all fours.

“Here it is.”

Shen Guiling glanced at it, shot the lock apart, and kicked the door open.

At that exact moment, a shadow flashed inside.

Shen Guiling instinctively raised his gun. The others behind him also aimed.

But suddenly, his gaze shook. He knocked down the hand behind him and inserted an electric card into the slot on the wall.

Instantly, the room lit up brightly—then came a splash from the pool.

Without hesitation, Shen Guiling jumped in.

He saw a figure dive like a mermaid into the depths. He took a deep breath and followed immediately. As the figure kicked forward, he grabbed the slender ankle.

It was none other than Jiang Huashan, who had been chased into Meiren Manor.

Feeling the grip on her foot, Jiang Huashan only paused for a split second. Then, twisting gracefully in the water, she kicked straight toward Shen Guiling’s face.

He hadn’t expected her to be so agile underwater. The kick landed squarely, nearly knocking the air from his lungs and forcing him to release her.

Jiang Huashan originally intended to escape—but then she changed her mind.

With a sudden 360-degree spin, her body moved like soft seaweed, slipping effortlessly behind him. Before he could react, she struck his lower abdomen with lightning speed.

“!”

Shen Guiling’s expression changed slightly. He failed to hold his breath, and lake water surged into his mouth and nose.

Jiang Huashan had already taken down one person with this move earlier, and now she executed it even more smoothly. Watching bubbles rise from his head, she smirked in satisfaction.

Die.

But just as she turned to escape, the man suddenly reacted. In an explosive motion, he flipped around, seized her neck tightly, and pulled her into a close, suffocating kiss underwater.