Yue Hengyi did not see the send-off party, nor did he feel disappointed. He knew very well that those who wished to visit him could not appear at the execution ground at this time. Especially Shen Feng, who had already fallen out with headquarters. If he were to appear in Yanjing, he would inevitably be surrounded.
Thinking of this, Yue Hengyi could only smile wryly. He took one last look at the clear blue sky and closed his eyes, saying, "Alright, you may proceed."
The people at the execution ground were all soldiers, not a single esper. Gong Changfa was originally going to enter the courtyard to bid Yue Hengyi farewell, but he was stopped. The reason was simple: Lin Yue, who had been captured earlier, had escaped from Gong Changfa's custody. This proved that the Heavenly Selection Bureau was inefficient, and Gong Changfa absolutely could not be present here.
Among the comments in the live stream's bullet screen were many remarks: "What are you still waiting for? Hurry up and act! You're still letting the demon drink. What were you thinking?"
"So slow and hesitant. If you ask me, just spray a burst of bullets and finish this scum. Why the wait?"
"What do you know? This is all procedure, the last bit of mercy for the criminal."
"Is it worth showing mercy to a demon?"
... The netizens were eager to see justice served. They didn't care if there were any special hidden reasons behind Yue Hengyi's actions. They only wanted to do one thing: vent their emotions in the apocalypse. Who the target was no longer important.
Zhan Jinsu, dressed in a military uniform, quietly kept track of the time. According to the planned schedule, the disturbance would appear any moment.
Just as Zhan Jinsu predicted, as the soldier executing the sentence announced Yue Hengyi's crimes, chaos erupted in the city. Countless people began to flee in all directions, searching for air-raid shelters. The former subway had been converted into an air-raid shelter, which was usually not needed. But now, people were shouting, "Run for your lives! Mutated birds are here! Mutated birds have appeared!"
Chaos instantly enveloped the execution site. The soldiers were all flustered, not expecting such a sudden situation to occur on their side. Zhan Jinsu seized the opportunity to step forward and said to the leader present, "According to regulations, an accident has occurred. The execution must proceed immediately. The body will be handed over to us to be transported back to the Heavenly Dragon Bureau's prison for safekeeping."
The leader pondered. Such a rule did exist. At the time, no one had considered what might happen during the execution of an esper. But now that the situation had indeed arisen, it was best to follow the rules. In any case, Yue Hengyi was destined to die.
"No need for the pronouncement. Execute him directly, and hand the body over to the special vehicle," the leader stated.
The soldier who was reading the verdict quickly put down the paper. The execution personnel walked onto the platform, where a pistol and a magazine were placed. Yue Hengyi, sitting opposite on a chair, closed his eyes, his expression calm, as if awaiting death.
Yue Hengyi had achieved great enlightenment. He understood that his past was all an illusion. It was precisely because he was too attached to an imagined affection that he had gone into a frenzy and killed innocents after entering the illusion. Now, he had let go of everything, and there was no longer any resentment.
The soldier acted swiftly, instantly loading the magazine into the pistol and aiming it at Yue Hengyi.
However, at that moment, someone rushed in from the entrance of the execution ground. It was Qin Kewei. She shouted, "Wait, wait! I have a few questions for Yue Hengyi. Let me ask them before you shoot."
At the last moment, Qin Kewei still appeared. Yue Hengyi's eyelids twitched, but he ultimately did not open them.
Seeing this, Zhan Jinsu quickly shouted, "Act! The accident has occurred."
The execution personnel dared not delay any further. At this moment, they could only choose to act. The pistol was aimed at Yue Hengyi's chest, and a burst of bullets was fired.
The bullets struck Yue Hengyi's chest. Blood gushed out immediately. Yue Hengyi felt intense pain and the loss of blood. A wry smile appeared on his lips, and then he lost all consciousness.
Perhaps, for Yue Hengyi, this was true liberation. To leave a world that had lost all meaning and no longer had to ponder the mistakes he had made.
Qin Kewei watched Yue Hengyi being shot to death, completely at a loss. She had intended to seriously question Yue Hengyi about some matters, but this opportunity had vanished in vain.
At this moment, Zhan Jinsu said to Qin Kewei, "Captain Qin, chaos has broken out in the city. You can't just stand by. You should be maintaining order right now."
Hearing this, Qin Kewei also remembered that on her way to the execution ground, she had seen many residents running in the streets, all talking about mutated birds.
"I'll go maintain order immediately. However, I hope you will take good care of Yue Hengyi's body. If possible, I will bury him myself," Qin Kewei said helplessly.
Qin Kewei knew very well that Yue Hengyi's most precious possession was his brain, which was also something others coveted. Since she had known Yue Hengyi, burying him would be a final act of friendship. To watch him die without a burial place would be too tragic.
Thinking back, Qin Kewei discovered many suspicious points in Yue Hengyi's indiscriminate killing. Yue Hengyi's behavior throughout the entire incident was quite abnormal. Moreover, it was rumored that many masked figures appeared in the city that day. These figures were impossible to identify, and they were said to be espers, implying the involvement of others.
However, with Yue Hengyi now dead, nothing could be clarified. Dead men tell no tales, which was likely the case here.
Zhan Jinsu said confidently, "Of course, no problem. Although it's just the body of a scumbag, the right to bury him still exists."
Afterward, Zhan Jinsu had someone throw Yue Hengyi's body directly into the car, and casually removed the restraint chair while doing so.
Just as Zhan Jinsu was about to leave, Yanjing's air-raid siren also sounded. The piercing sound echoed through the sky. Upon hearing the air-raid siren, almost everyone in the city panicked. This was not a drill during peacetime, a mere formality. This was a true warning of danger.
When the air-raid siren sounded, the only thing to do was to find the nearest shelter. Preferably the subway. Yanjing's subway had been converted into an air-raid shelter, and hiding underground was always safer.
Upon hearing the piercing siren, Zhan Jinsu felt a sense of unease. She had only intended to create a disturbance around the execution ground, but now, the impact seemed to be too widespread. The city had directly sounded the alarm, which meant the entire city had been alerted.
"This is bad. If the rumors I spread turn into a riot, Yanjing will suffer heavy casualties. If I'm investigated, I might not be able to escape. Forget it, the martial world is treacherous. If it doesn't work out, I'll retreat." Zhan Jinsu was startled by the sudden turn of events and prepared to flee the scene.
Meanwhile, Qin Kewei had failed to obtain any crucial information from Yue Hengyi. Coincidentally, rumors were circulating that mutated birds had entered the city. Mutated birds were no good. Humans had hunted them extensively, making the birds seem helpless, destined only for captivity. However, in reality, mutated birds were also very aggressive, especially when facing creatures smaller than themselves.
Therefore, under these circumstances, Qin Kewei could only choose to rescue the vulnerable within the city.
Five minutes after the air-raid siren sounded, dark shadows suddenly appeared in the distant sky. On the previously clear sky, numerous dark shadows emerged. The live stream was shut down due to the sudden situation, and viewers watching the live stream began to worry. Why had Yanjing suddenly been attacked by mutated birds?
Zhan Jinsu drove quickly, preparing to return to the Heavenly Dragon Bureau. Yue Hengyi's body was in her car. Taking advantage of the current chaos, she intended to hide the body quickly and then cultivate a powerful esper at an opportune moment.
However, the city was already in utter chaos. Whether on the roads or sidewalks, there were dense crowds of people. Cars could not move at all. The panicked crowds were all looking for places to hide. The best option was to return home and hide.
Zhan Jinsu could only inch forward slowly. The car was made of steel plates and could not be easily breached. She planned to accelerate once the crowds dispersed.
Suddenly, a stream of white liquid fell from the sky. With a splash, it covered the entire front windshield, and a foul odor seeped in through the car's crevices.
Seeing this, Zhan Jinsu was stunned. She quickly sprayed water on the windshield and used the wipers to clear the glass. Looking up, she saw large birds in the sky. Many of them were defecating while flying. The windshield had been covered by a large bird's droppings.
"Do I have the talent of a prophet? I didn't expect to guess something like this. It's truly remarkable," Zhan Jinsu murmured.
The rumors Zhan Jinsu had spread earlier were also related to Shen Feng. She had always heard that Shen Feng was clearing mutated birds in the mountains, so she had casually mentioned it. She never expected Yanjing to actually be attacked by mutated birds. Such accurate predictions had never happened before.
Zhan Jinsu never imagined that she had predicted a disaster. For a moment, she couldn't believe it. At this time, the mutated birds began to dive, launching attacks on the people in the city.
Mutated birds had their own methods when attacking humans. Large birds with wingspans of two to three meters would grab women and children and carry them into the sky, then drop them. They would fall with a thud, splattering into a bloody mess. Only when the prey stopped moving would the mutated birds land on the street and begin to eat.
As for the smaller mutated birds, they were not large enough, about the size of chickens or ducks. Even a child could kill such a bird. However, these smaller birds would attack in swarms, without any sense of honor. Twenty or so mutated birds would surround a person and continuously scratch them, with their sharp beaks targeting the eyes and ears. Soon, people would be blinded.
In an instant, the entire Yanjing city was covered by a dense flock of birds. Those who were lucky had already hidden in their homes, closing all windows and drawing the curtains. The families held their weapons tightly, watching the windows, not daring to go out. Those who were unlucky were still running on the streets, facing almost endless attacks.
After the air-raid siren sounded, everyone in the city panicked. The last time they had experienced an air raid was a year and a half ago. They had thought such a situation would never occur again, but reality had dealt them a harsh blow. Mutated birds could appear at any time.
The leaders of headquarters were all shocked. They immediately gathered in the conference room and roared, "Weren't we told there was no threat of mutated birds around Yanjing? Then where did so many mutated birds come from?"
Previously, investigation reports had indicated that there was no threat of mutated birds around Yanjing. Yet, at this moment, Yanjing was suddenly attacked by a flock of birds. This situation was unacceptable. There was no prior warning, but Yanjing had clearly been preparing for such an event, yet it had still failed to prevent the disaster.