Chapter 54: Reality and Illusion

"Ah, finally out! I nearly fell asleep waiting for you," the culprit across the street muttered, his chin cocked with a light, irreverent tilt. He casually shook the incendiary bottle in his hand, squinted one eye to aim at Tanya’s position, and hurled it with force.

After dealing with the unexpected zombie, he used his night vision goggles to spot another Tanya entering the scene, secretly pondering whether he'd targeted the wrong person.

Earlier, he had seen what seemed to be Tanya appear, charging menacingly toward him. Sticking to a principle of "better to err on the side of caution," he immediately greeted her with a fiery bottle.

There was no such thing as senseless slaughter here; the overwhelming aura of corpses would never be ignored by anyone with even a passing knowledge of the supernatural.

To vanquish demons and protect the people—this was his duty, not some meddlesome act. And seeing her rush at him so fiercely, she hardly seemed like a harmless soul. He wasn’t foolish enough to choose the “real man’s duel”—hand-to-hand combat!

His superficial combat ability was negligible; he’d surely suffer in any direct confrontation. Humanity’s dominance in nature comes entirely from its clever use of tools.

And the incendiary bottles were meticulously prepared; he had hauled a whole crate of them with great effort. He glanced down at the heavy box at his feet, and the answer presented itself naturally.

So, let the fire rain!

Chu Ning, seeing the incoming incendiary bottle, remained calm compared to the frantic Tanya. He’d long expected the opponent wouldn’t give up so easily—and, after all, the enemy was an old acquaintance: Nightshade, who once tried to abduct Tanya.

Unlike Nightshade, who relied on night vision for vigilance, Chu Ning could see clearly in the dark. Following the trajectory of the thrown bottle, he spotted Nightshade lurking at the corner of the wall.

The moment he saw Nightshade, he braced himself for conflict. Chu Ning focused intently on the weapon in Nightshade’s hand, quickly calculating its arc as it was thrown, readying his defenses.

“It’s coming!”

With that, Chu Ning’s silhouette shifted rapidly, flickering indistinctly in the darkness. Finally, he intercepted the bottle mid-air with his bare hands.

“No way, is that real?” Tanya was stunned by this feat. Catching an incendiary bottle bare-handed—her worldview was shattered.

She couldn’t help but marvel at Chu Ning’s skills. He really did know so much! Had she tried, she’d likely have ended up engulfed in flames, consumed in a fiery inferno.

Humans, when faced with danger, might unleash boundless potential—or else freeze, unable to react, watching helplessly as peril arrives.

Tanya suspected she’d be the latter: she couldn’t react at all when danger struck. Thankfully, Chu Ning was there, his abilities off the charts—otherwise, the outcome would have been disastrous.

She knew she couldn’t completely avoid an attack, and had already resolved to sacrifice a limb, minimize burn area, and then, spurred by pain, flee for her life.

As long as it wasn’t instant death or crippling injury, she could rely on her pain response for a burst of energy—used only for escape, mind you, not to turn and fight in rage.

Despite all the flaws she’d seen in Chu Ning, at this moment Tanya felt immense gratitude toward him.

After catching the incendiary bottle, Chu Ning immediately threw it back at Nightshade, barely bothering to aim. It was scalding hot! But to maintain his heroic image, he calmly clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the lonely distance.

Indeed, TV dramas were full of nonsense. Chu Ning discreetly rubbed his burning hands, nearly cooked alive, eyes brimming with tears.

“Why are you crying?” Tanya saw a sea of fire ignite in the distance, and, following the wind, heard angry shouts. She finally relaxed.

The opponent had no time to attack now; Nightshade was busy escaping the inferno. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take advantage—two walls of fire separated them completely.

The area burned by a single incendiary bottle shouldn’t have been so wide—this was fiercer than when she herself was nearly incinerated. Tanya wondered if this was magic, for how else could such a grand scene be created?

“It’s just the smoke, nothing to worry about!” Chu Ning wiped his tears, the heat still lingering, the danger still palpable.

“That’s good!” Tanya patted her chest, still shaken as she looked ahead. They were like grasshoppers tied together—neither could escape alone.

“Can you explain what’s going on here? It doesn’t seem very scientific!” Tanya turned to Chu Ning, curiosity piqued, as they took advantage of Nightshade’s distraction to hide inside the corridor, avoiding further attacks.

Chu Ning unconsciously stroked his chin, then reflexively withdrew his hand, remembering the lingering heat. He had to pretend nothing was wrong—an agonizing act.

“Have you ever watched those legendary TV dramas?”

Tanya frowned in confusion, “What do you mean, ‘legendary TV dramas’?” She’d never heard the term—was it an old phrase, or was their generational gap that wide?

“Oh, I mean those over-the-top shows! They exaggerate the protagonist’s incredible feats—hence, legendary dramas,” Chu Ning explained quietly, not wanting to elaborate too much lest it get troublesome.

“Got it, but I don’t really see the connection.” Tanya smiled awkwardly; those dramas weren’t her usual fare. Still, she knew many enjoyed them—sometimes, mindless viewing was satisfying and catered to the senses.

Chu Ning chuckled and shook his head, “Of course there’s a connection! Haven’t you seen war movies where someone throws a grenade, and the other side quickly picks it up and tosses it back? So don’t make such a fuss—what just happened is pretty normal.”

Tanya smiled uneasily, eyeing Chu Ning with a bizarre look, “I seem to recall someone saying not to confuse fiction with reality—how come that doesn’t apply to you?”

“What did I do? Think before you speak! And war films are always very rigorous, showing battles realistically,” Chu Ning replied with utmost seriousness, locking eyes with Tanya, intent on “winning her over with virtue.”

“Uh…” Tanya was left speechless. Chu Ning’s logic was sound, but she couldn’t shake the odd feeling and didn’t know how to argue back.

Don’t think she hadn’t watched absurd shows—exploding buns, shots fired from hundreds of miles away, endless ammo, and countless other bizarre tropes. Tanya had seen them for amusement.

She knew full well those strange setups were impossible, but Chu Ning had shattered her common sense—he’d thrown back the incendiary bottle just like a TV protagonist.

“And how did the incendiary bottle create such a firebomb effect?” Tanya nearly jumped in her urgency, grasping at any inconsistency to keep her dignity intact, hoping reality would defeat her.

“Well…” Chu Ning paused, scratching his head in confusion before giving a vague answer, “Maybe the bottle struck another, causing a chain reaction.”

Tanya sighed helplessly, “Fine.” She didn’t know what really happened, but judging by Chu Ning’s usual tricks, it was surely magic defeating magic. He always tried to explain everything with science, but she’d grown used to it.

They idly discussed the firestorm, waiting for it to die down before settling accounts with Nightshade. Chu Ning believed he could defeat Nightshade, even with his opponent’s powerful weaponry; he wasn’t afraid of losing.

After all, Nightshade was a beaten foe—not worth worrying about! Chu Ning was best at bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Facing Nightshade again, his confidence was solid; he didn’t think Nightshade posed any threat.

The distant buzzing of alarms grew louder. Chu Ning gazed unwillingly at the wall of fire separating them, and through the flames, seemed to meet Nightshade’s gaze.

He gently shook his head, rubbing his aching eyes, “Let’s go. Don’t think about attacking anymore—we’ll meet again someday.”

Chu Ning touched Tanya’s shoulder, turning her around. He furtively glanced at where his hand had rested—her white dress now bore a black handprint, which actually looked rather fitting.

Feigning indifference, he distracted Tanya from the stain, hoping to secretly wipe it off—only to end up cleaning his own hand. Awkwardly, he turned away, pretending nothing had happened and urging Tanya to leave quickly.

This investigation had gone smoothly enough; there was no need for deduction—the criminal came knocking, and those deserving punishment received it. He’d completed his task.

So, when it was time to settle accounts, Chu Ning grabbed Tanya’s hand and dashed toward the other side of the fire. He could already picture the officials’ frantic reaction upon discovering the carnage in the corridor.

Staying would have been disastrous—a calamity in the making!

After running for some time, they stopped, panting heavily—mainly because Tanya’s stamina couldn’t keep up. As she sat on the steps, Chu Ning took the opportunity to ask, “Where are we? What do we do next?”

Earlier, Chu Ning had led them away from potential pursuers and officials who might interrogate them, always choosing the least populated path. He wasn’t familiar with the area anyway; anywhere was as good as anywhere else.

Tanya blushed and lowered her head, shaking it vigorously. She said something that left Chu Ning utterly astonished: “I don’t know!”

“What?”