RMM -Chapter 195 The Fall of the Imperial City

Bai Xiong had no idea how he had provoked the Armed Police tonight, to the point that they had sealed him in so tightly. Judging by their posture, they were clearly prepared for a fight to the death.

It wasn’t as though he had never experienced situations like this before. In the end, every time, the lack of concrete evidence meant things fizzled out unresolved. So what about this time? Was it just another false alarm meant to scare him?

Even if everyone here were captured tonight, what could a mere banquet prove? There was nothing here that could be used as evidence of an illegal gathering. Even if they were detained, it would only be for a few days before they were released.

After all these times, why were they still playing the same old trick? Fortunately, the delivery location had already been—
Wait!

Whose man was Cheng Yue, really?!

Bai Xiong’s heart lurched violently, unease surging up inside him. Trouble had just erupted at Zhaowan Bay, and now this place was suddenly under attack. How could there be such a coincidence in this world? Unless… the two forces were actually one and the same!

And now that he thought about it, every single thing that had gone wrong had begun with Cheng Yue’s disappearance. It was impossible not to associate all of this with him.

At this moment, Bai Xiong was certain of Cheng Yue’s true background. Damn it—he was actually with the Armed Police!

The realization sent a chill through Bai Xiong despite himself. For so long, Cheng Yue had stayed by his side. He knew far too much—what he should know and what he shouldn’t. Especially tonight—if the batch of goods at Zhaowan Bay had been intercepted… the consequences would be unthinkable!

Another bullet whizzed past him, snapping him out of his daze. Regaining his senses, Bai Xiong spat out a vicious curse and threw himself fully back into the fierce firefight.

No matter what, he absolutely could not let himself be captured tonight. The shipment no longer mattered—his life came first! If he went in because of that batch of goods, he would probably never come out again. Over the years, he knew all too well how much those people hated him. If given even the slightest chance, they would ensure he never had a chance to turn things around again. That was precisely why he had been so cautious in everything he did all these years.

But… he had never imagined that decades of painstaking effort would be destroyed by Cheng Yue!

That score could be settled later. The urgent matter now was how to escape. As long as the green hills remained, there would be no fear of running out of firewood. Once he got out alive, today’s grudge would be repaid—principal and interest included!

“Boss! We’ll cover you—find a chance to escape!” Liu Qi shouted toward Bai Xiong.

After they had come down from upstairs, many members of the Yan Sect had gathered here, forming a loose protective formation around Bai Xiong and the others.

Bai Xiong’s brows shot up. “No! If we leave, we leave together!”

Everyone here was one of his most capable confidants, the brothers he trusted most. To abandon them and flee alone was something he simply could not do.

“Boss, you go first! We’ll follow shortly—don’t worry about us!” Wu Changxiao shouted anxiously from the side.

Others echoed him, nodding and urging Bai Xiong to escape first.

How could they not understand? If they stayed behind, they would probably never be able to contact the boss again. Looking at the sheer number of Armed Police here—and who knew how many more were waiting outside—escaping was far easier said than done. If they could buy time and send the boss out alive, then even dying would be without regret.

But no matter what, Bai Xiong refused to leave alone, insisting on breaking out together. Seeing his determination to live or die with them, Liu Qi, Wu Changxiao, and the others felt both anxious and deeply moved. They hadn’t expected that, at such a critical moment, the boss would still treat them with the same wholehearted loyalty as ever.

Precisely because of this bond, they were determined to send the boss out of the Imperial City safely—no matter the cost.

“Fine, Boss. We’ll break out together!”

Liu Qi clenched his teeth and said fiercely. But when Bai Xiong wasn’t looking, he shot the others a look. Almost without hesitation, several men nodded firmly in response.

These men were clearly prepared to risk their lives to escort Bai Xiong out of the Imperial City. Bai Xiong might have committed countless unforgivable crimes in his lifetime, but he was genuinely good to his brothers. Otherwise, Liu Qi and the others would never be willing to fight so desperately for him at the very edge of life and death.

To have brothers like these was perhaps Bai Xiong’s greatest fortune in this life.

Still, deciding to do so was one thing—succeeding was another. The Imperial City was now wrapped in a dragnet laid by the task force and the Armed Police. How could they possibly allow the biggest fish of the night to slip away?

Not to mention those inside the Imperial City—who knew how many more people were waiting outside, just to catch any stragglers walking straight into the net.

Han Zhiyuan had been watching Bai Xiong’s movements the whole time. His earlier miss had cost him the best opportunity. Now, with Bai Xiong tightly shielded by his subordinates, any attempt at another sneak attack was impossible.

Seeing the movement on their side, Han Zhiyuan let out a cold laugh. Escape? If only it were that easy.

By now, some time had passed. The second floor was basically under control. Aside from Bai Xiong, Boss Zhao, and a few others, nearly everyone else had been subdued. A nauseating stench of blood permeated the entire scene, giving rise to a faint sense of panic that hung over the hearts of those still struggling in their death throes.

That same panic seeped into Bai Xiong’s group as well. Glancing around, their steps toward escape stalled—everywhere they looked, it was their enemies.

Given the situation, it seemed… escape was impossible.

Bai Xiong’s eyes burned red. Was tonight destined to be the day of his downfall? No! Impossible!

A desperate man was terrifying—especially someone like Bai Xiong, driven into a corner with nowhere left to go. Surrender was out of the question. The only choice left was to fight desperately to the very end.

“Have they gone mad?” Han Zhiyuan stared in disbelief.

Bai Xiong and his men had stopped trying to flee and instead launched a frenzied counterattack. In an instant, several Armed Police officers on their side were gunned down.

Though the Armed Police were skilled, they ultimately lacked the composure of the task force. The task force regularly trained for such scenarios and had carried out many live-fire missions. Faced with this kind of situation, they were far more at ease.

The Armed Police, however, were still short on experience. Since the firefight began, several comrades had already been killed.

“Damn it—lunatics!” Han Zhiyuan’s eyes turned bloodshot as he looked at his fallen comrades. Unable to hold back any longer, he rushed forward and opened fire on Bai Xiong’s group.

After several sharp gunshots, the scene descended into total chaos.

Screams. Shouts. Gunfire. Crying… everything blended into a single, nightmarish cacophony.

Everyone present, after witnessing this chaotic and tragic night, would never be able to erase it from their memory.

By the time Xi Yuechen and his team arrived, the Imperial City had already fallen into deathly silence.

The hurried group looked at the stunned expressions on their comrades’ faces, and an ominous dread seized both their minds and hearts.

Xi Yuechen stared at the bodies being carried out under white sheets, his face frozen in shock he had never known before. As those bodies passed by him, the pungent smell of blood hit his nose, followed by the heavy aura of death itself.

For the first time—truly for the first time—Xi Yuechen was left speechless by reality, at a loss for what to do. He had thought this side of the operation would be easier, no more than closing the door and catching the prey. He had never imagined…

…that it would be this brutal, to the point where even his heart trembled.

“Where’s Han Zhiyuan?! Where is Han Zhiyuan?!” someone shouted loudly.

The cry snapped the newcomers out of their daze, and they turned to look around at their comrades.

From the moment Xie Haomin stepped out of the vehicle, he had felt deeply uneasy, a restless anxiety rising from the depths of his heart. Sure enough, the scene before him confirmed his fears one by one.

Seeing his comrades all looking dejected made his heart race. The bodies being carried out filled him with dread. How had it come to this? How could so many have died?

In his panic, Xie Haomin began carefully counting his teammates. After one round, several were missing—nowhere to be seen!

And Han Zhiyuan, who was always the first to charge forward, was gone as well. Overcome with alarm, Xie Haomin shouted out.

Xi Yuechen noticed that many were still missing. His gaze grew even darker, the icy aura radiating from him making the Armed Police nearby tremble.

The remaining task force members followed behind Xi Yuechen, moving as if to head back into the Imperial City.

Only the few team members who had just come out of the Imperial City stood there, looking at their comrades with words caught in their throats. Their fists were clenched tight, eyes red-rimmed—they didn’t even dare to glance again toward the entrance.

Just as Xi Yuechen and his group reached the doorway, they suddenly stopped, their eyes locking onto several figures slowly emerging from inside.

They were task force members—but they were also carrying two stretchers, covered in white sheets. The pristine fabric was soaked with large patches of stark, horrifying red.

Xie Haomin opened his mouth. He tried several times, but in the end couldn’t say a single word. His face turned ashen, his hands hanging at his sides trembling uncontrollably.

There was no need to ask who lay on the stretchers. The answer was painfully obvious.

At this moment, among all the task force members, only two people were unaccounted for.

Xiao Qiteng—and Han Zhiyuan.

“Captain.”

The men carrying the stretchers stopped when they reached Xi Yuechen’s group and spoke softly.

Xi Yuechen stared numbly at the stretchers just before him. His lips parted, but no words came out. He only nodded in silence.

“Who did this?” Xie Haomin asked hoarsely, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the stretchers, his voice dry and frightening.

Knowing what he meant, one of the men carrying the stretchers replied heavily, “Bai Xiong,” then walked straight on.

The Imperial City was filthy—how could they let their comrades stay here any longer? Even heroes who feared no death should not have their souls stained by this place’s corruption.

For a time, only silence hung over the Imperial City—silence, like death itself. Everyone mourned quietly, without a sound.

Although the area around the Imperial City had been sealed off, many onlookers still lingered at a distance. Hearing gunshots and seeing the Armed Police cordon, they had originally come for the spectacle. Yet now, even they seemed infected by the grief, feeling the air itself grow heavy with sorrow.

“Wait!”

As the men carrying the stretchers were about to reach the vehicle, Xie Haomin suddenly called out.

He stepped forward a few paces, staring at the blood soaking into the white cloth, the red stabbing painfully at his eyes.

Seeing Xie Haomin’s hands trembling uncontrollably, the men gently lifted the white sheet.

The person lying on the stretcher was Han Zhiyuan. His face was clean and composed, just as it had been not long ago when they parted. His usually vibrant expression showed no trace of decay; his eyes were peacefully closed, as though he were merely asleep—except…

There were several dark red wounds on his chest, bullet holes where rounds had torn straight through. Soaked in blood for too long, they had turned nearly black.

From these small bullet wounds, a vibrant life had vanished in an instant.

The men carrying the stretcher seemed to hear a suppressed sob. But when they looked at Xie Haomin, all they could see was his lowered head, his expression hidden.

Yet they all saw it—the drops of water falling continuously as Xie Haomin trembled while pulling the white sheet back into place. The droplets fell onto the blood-stained cloth, blending together without a trace.

The air was thick with a salty, bitter scent.