Breaking Through the Encirclement 1

The surroundings were empty and unremarkable, yet an unanticipated, oppressive atmosphere filled the air. Shangguan Xiong had succeeded in summoning the army, and he had managed to rescue his beloved as he wished. But in doing so, he lost all his brothers and sisters.

It was a bitter price, one he would never forget for the rest of his life. Yet none of this could be told to the children. All he could say was that the whip must never fall into another’s hands—even if it meant destroying it, he could not let others succeed.

He had witnessed firsthand the power of the army in those years. So when passing the whip to Xiao, he had hesitated. But Han insisted that the item be given to Xiao, and he had no other choice.

He could only entrust it to Xiao, hoping it would not bring harm, and that the Qilin Whip would bestow strength when Xiao needed it most. Now, Xiao fully remembered his father’s instructions.

His father had said that even if it meant destroying it, the whip must never be allowed into another’s hands. Was it possible that their enemies targeted him only for this whip? Staring at the whip in his hand, Xiao repeatedly recalled his father's words.

In the end, he chose to put it away. For the first time, he turned and looked directly at Ouyang Qianyu, saying seriously, “This dilapidated house won’t hold much longer. We must find a way out!”

The two surveyed their surroundings—there was no other exit. Was this truly their grave? They had endured grueling training before, but now, heroes found themselves with no place to display their skill.

Their opponents were armed, while they were bare-handed. No matter how capable they were, they were helpless. Suddenly, with a loud “snap!” something was thrown inside.

Both of them turned their heads and, to their delight, discovered a miniature pistol. Looking outside, they saw it was their instructor who had thrown it in. At that moment, they clung to it as a drowning man seizes a straw.

Yu and Xiao exchanged glances, nodded, and then Xiao dashed toward the door. Instantly, all gunfire focused on the entrance. Smoke and bullets raged in the air.

Yu seized the opportunity to rush to the window and pick up the pistol. He quickly checked the magazine—over twenty rounds remained! That would suffice. With several backflips, Yu returned to their original hiding spot.

He made an “OK” gesture to Xiao, signaling him to fall back and let Yu take over. Xiao saw the sign and smiled knowingly. He glanced at the places where bullets had been fired, then turned without hesitation and returned to Yu’s side.

Their current shelter was the corner of the room, where a gap had been left behind the pillar during construction. Now, it was the safest spot in the house.

Their priority was to escape. If they didn’t, and their enemies tossed in a grenade, they would perish here. Yu sketched a simple layout of the ruined house on the wall; the structure was basic.

To the southwest, there was a large window. The sole entrance and exit was the door. Judging from the situation, they could either leap from the window or try the main door—but the door was impossible. They would be riddled with bullets before they even got out.

The window posed its own dangers, and the gaping hole in the wall essentially created another “door.” But escaping would not be easy.

———Side note———
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