178: Chapter 177 Soul Weapon

Cao Xiao returned to Biyuntian Villa by helicopter, pretending to retrieve some items from the basement and placing them in the trunk of the bulletproof car. He then had Li Quanshuo and twelve other bodyguards move some wooden boxes to fill the trunks of the other two mercedes-benz s600. Subsequently, the two mercedes-benz s600 escorted the stretched bulletproof car out of the Biyuntian residential area, speeding toward the city center.

After a busy morning, he hadn't just resolved the Huanghe City bomb crisis; for himself, there were significant gains. At the very least, he now had a thorough understanding of the entire Huanghe City. Information on terrain, roads, buildings, and properties had been scanned into his AI Brain to create a 3D real-world model. This was far more intuitive than a 2D electronic navigation system. It would not only make running errands and shopping in the city very convenient but also serve other ingenious purposes, potentially creating immense economic value for Cao Xiao.

"Mr. Cao, what are we going to do?" Having spent some time together, Duan Hong had long since become accustomed to Cao Xiao's occasionally mysterious actions, but seeing the mischievous smirk on Cao Xiao's face now, he couldn't help but ask.

"Hehe, you'll find out in a bit. Turn left ahead and get directly onto the Ring Highway," Cao Xiao said with a sly, devious chuckle, without giving a direct answer.

After the three cars got onto the highway, they ignored the speed limits and accelerated to over 180 kilometers per hour. Along the way, they saw several police cars whistling past. Half an hour later, the three vehicles stopped outside the perimeter wall of an abandoned Machining Factory in an old suburban industrial zone.

"The targets are inside that abandoned factory building, thirteen people in total. They have no firearms. Everyone, get out and blockade the exits. Do not fire without my command," Cao Xiao ordered the bodyguards over the walkie-talkie, then spoke to Niu Zhen beside him.

The bodyguards quickly exited the cars and rushed into the factory area, finding cover around the building and raising their guns in readiness. Niu Zhen held a small wooden box in one hand and his gun in the other, walking in front of Cao Xiao so that he wouldn't be the first to be harmed if they were attacked. Duan Hong also carefully guarded Cao Xiao's side.

The abandoned factory was constructed of steel and color-coated steel tiles, and it was rusty everywhere. In many places, the walls had rusted through, creating holes of various sizes, though they had been blocked from the inside. The few windows were quite high, making it impossible to see the situation inside.

Holding a megaphone, Cao Xiao stopped ten meters away from the tightly closed factory doors. He pressed the switch and the amplification button, shouting loudly into the building in the local dialect: "Rabbit, Rabbit! You are surrounded! Open the doors and surrender immediately! Otherwise, we're going to burn the mountain!"

After finishing his shout, Cao Xiao didn't care if the people inside understood or not; he let the megaphone repeat the broadcast while he stood with his arms crossed, observing the reactions inside the factory through his detection abilities.

Unsurprisingly, the sudden commotion threw those who already had guilty consciences into a panic. However, under the shouting and urging of their leader, everyone became extremely fanatical. They searched for objects nearby to use as weapons and organized themselves under the leader to guard the door. Several of them hid behind debris with bombs in hand, flicking lighters and ready to ignite the fuses to throw them at the entrance at any moment.

"Brother Niu, open the box. Brother Duan, shoot out the windows," Cao Xiao said to the two.

"Boss, we can't see the situation inside. The factory is very large, and old-style grenades have limited lethality," Niu Zhen said to Cao Xiao, frowning in confusion as he felt the light weight of the old-fashioned wooden-handled grenades in his hand.

"These aren't ordinary grenades; they're gas bombs. Just throw three to five of them in. Get closer and throw accurately! This stuff is too powerful; run far away as soon as you're done throwing," Cao Xiao said as he rapidly retreated. He had made these himself, and no one knew their power better than him. Once used, even gods and ghosts would flee, and those caught in it would never forget it for the rest of their lives!

"Grenade! Scatter!"

Duan Hong fired two bursts, shattering the glass of the windows on both sides of the door. Niu Zhen set the box on the ground, grabbed two grenades simultaneously, crossed his fingers to quickly pull the rings, and threw them accurately through the windows to the left and right. Immediately, chaos erupted inside the factory as terrified screams rang out. Niu Zhen didn't stop; perhaps thinking the grenades were weak, he continuously threw six more inside.

"Eh, it's just smoking, no explosion! Smoke bombs?"

"Don't get close, it's tear gas! Don't be afraid, this space is huge! Open the windows and cover your nose and mouth!"

"What's that smell? It's so foul!"

"Ah! It's too disgusting! Blegh!"

"My head is so dizzy!"

"The people outside are devils!"

"It's a Skunk bomb! Open the door and rush out!"

"Just kill me! I don't want to—vomit—"

"Covering my nose is useless!"

"Protector, let's open the door and fight them! Waaah—"

"Ugh, my eyes can't—! Waaah—"

"Surrender! Surren—waaah—!"

"My breathing—!"

Looking at the chaotic scene inside the factory and the eyes filled with a mixture of despair, pain, and fear, Cao Xiao felt a surge of satisfaction. It wasn't that he was insane for using something that could be called a biochemical weapon, but rather that what these people had done was too inhumane! Cao Xiao wanted to clear their heads a bit.

The truth behind the bombing case was now clear; this group in the factory were members of the extremist organization that had manufactured the bombs and planned the serial explosions. To fulfill his promise, Cao Xiao hadn't handed them over to the police but had prepared some special items to personally entertain them. Today, he had dismantled over eighty bombs distributed across various important public places and facilities in the city. Landmark buildings, the Yangtze River Bridge, the River Tunnel, the airport, the train station, subway stations, and the headquarters of large enterprises had all been more or less targeted. Because they were homemade bombs designed to be portable and inconspicuous, they weren't large, and the power of a single bomb was small. However, if placed in specific locations, they could cause fatal damage to buildings and facilities. For instance, in sensitive places like the Yangtze River Tunnel or the airport, a single bomb exploding within the airport perimeter would be enough to paralyze it, and destroying key facilities would lead to a major disaster. If a bomb exploded at a weak point in the underwater tunnel, the consequences would also be catastrophic.

But none of these were the reason Cao Xiao was being so ruthless. The real reason was that these bastards had actually placed bombs in school buildings and the municipal government building—and in more than one school! These beasts had placed napalm bombs in classrooms across three different schools! One of them was even an elementary school! This anti-human, anti-social, and utterly inhumane animalistic behavior had far exceeded the limits of his tolerance! Moreover, this was the true goal of the extremist organization. If their plot had succeeded, it would have been enough to push panic to its peak and spread it across the entire country. In terms of its sheer malice, it would have been the world's number one terrorist attack, making Huaxia the center of world attention for a long time and bringing irreparable trauma and deep grief to the city and the nation.

From these people's memories, Cao Xiao obtained intelligence regarding this religious extremist terrorist organization, including a partial list of domestic members and some domestic gathering spots. Unfortunately, the true mastermind was hidden abroad, controlling things remotely. Those responsible for execution were just low-level leaders, and the information they knew wasn't very valuable; even their superiors didn't know much. Many important details, such as the organizational structure, the list of main members, and the backing forces, were unclear, so Cao Xiao's plan to wipe them all out had to be temporarily set aside. Actually, it wasn't impossible; he did know the leader of this organization. He was the descendant of Qi Que Deng Zhu, the 14th Dalai Lama and Living Buddha of Tibet Province's Esoteric Buddhism, who had incited an armed coup and fled into exile decades ago under the instigation of foreign forces. Qi Que Deng Zhu considered himself the 16th. Due to some political reasons, this man and his family now lived openly in the United States and occasionally appeared in various social settings. Thus, finding him would be easy. Regardless of whether he was a puppet, the moment Cao Xiao caught him would be the moment this extremist organization was annihilated, and the forces supporting them behind the scenes would also pay the price they deserved!

The skunk is a small omnivorous mammal in the Mephitidae family, shaped somewhat like a squirrel but much larger. An adult male skunk is nearly seventy centimeters long, with a very striking coat of thick, fluffy black and white fur. It has small eyes, short rounded ears, short limbs, long front claws, and short back claws. Each paw has five toes, with the back heels touching the ground. The tail is covered in thick fur and looks like a brush. The head is shiny black with a narrow white stripe between the eyes, and two broad white back stripes start at the nape and extend back to the base of the tail, making it look very cute.

However, this is just an illusion based on appearance. A skunk has two large scent glands near its tail that produce a special skunk musk. When a skunk is angry or startled, it sprays an unbearable, foul-smelling liquid with a strong skunk musk odor from its rear to make its escape. The spray distance can reach three and a half meters. This liquid can cause temporary blindness, throat swelling, and difficulty breathing in whoever is hit. If one is too close and the smell is too concentrated, it can even affect the brain and lead to fainting. Its intense stench remains overwhelmingly soul-stirring within an 800-meter range, even after being diluted countless times. Therefore, the skunk has always been a legendary existence in the animal kingdom with an invincible physiological advantage, the most untouchable of creatures. From small snakes and insects to large wolves and tigers, all give it a wide berth.

Weapon researchers took inspiration from the skunk's behavior of releasing foul gas to deter predators, analyzed the components of the liquid sprayed by skunks, and then artificially synthesized a similar liquid to develop a highly irritating, non-lethal weapon called the Skunk bomb. The main component is Butyl mercaptan, and the goal is to stop riots without causing casualties. Once such a stink bomb is deployed, no one can remain on the scene. The thrower must also be cautious and maintain an appropriate distance to avoid accidentally spraying themselves. This incredibly foul skunk odor is difficult to remove once it gets on clothes and can last for up to five years. The best way to deal with an item contaminated by skunk scent is to throw it far away, as no detergent is effective; even washing it dozens of times with plenty of tomato juice will leave a lingering scent. If the skin is unfortunately contaminated, one can only be congratulated—they will be abandoned by human society, their social index dropping to a negative value. This indescribable smell will make one a person rejected by both gods and ghosts.

The items Cao Xiao brought out, which looked like old-fashioned wooden-handled grenades, were actually Skunk bombs. He had specifically manufactured them for this group of extremists on short notice. Making them look like old grenades was just to deceive people. This disgusting stuff was truly malicious; while killing someone was a quick end, the Skunk bomb didn't take lives but instead placed a permanent mark on the soul. Those hit would find life worse than death and would never forget it, living up to its name as a Soul Weapon. Anyone who knew the power of a Skunk bomb would not have the slightest good feeling toward the person who deployed it, so it could only be used stealthily.

Although Cao Xiao had never actually smelled skunk spray before, given its prestigious reputation, he took precautions. When manufacturing the Skunk bombs, he didn't dare use concentrated Butyl mercaptan; instead, he used a small amount of vaporized Butyl mercaptan mixed and compressed with other inert gases. The entire bomb body was molded as a single piece; only when the pull ring was pulled, triggering a delay device to automatically open the pre-set spiral air vents, would the gas begin to spray out rapidly. However, he still severely underestimated the power of the Skunk bomb. Even a single wisp of this scent was enough to leave him with a massive psychological trauma. Standing twenty meters away from the factory, a faint, strange smell reached his nose, scaring him into quickly covering his nose and holding his breath. He didn't dare speak and ran back to where the cars were parked as if for his life. He pulled the door open and climbed in, closing the windows tight before finally picking up the walkie-talkie with lingering fear and shouting: "Everyone get in the cars and leave immediately! Fast!"

In fact, the bodyguards had already sensed something was wrong. They had heard no explosion after the grenades were thrown inside, yet there was a chorus of ghostly wailing and wolf-like howling from within, which left everyone very confused. Naturally, the first to enjoy the effects were Duan Hong and Niu Zhen, who were closest. When the two first caught the scent, they didn't realize it was a Skunk bomb, but seeing Cao Xiao cover his nose and flee in panic, they instantly understood what it was. Without waiting for Cao Xiao's command, the two followed him in flight by unspoken agreement.

The other bodyguards, being further away, hadn't experienced it yet. They thought their boss was being attacked and were about to open fire, tensely scanning the surroundings but seeing no attackers. It wasn't until they heard Cao Xiao's voice over the walkie-talkie that they suddenly realized the truth. As retired special forces soldiers, although they had never used Skunk bombs, they had long since committed the prestigious name of this unconventional soul-attacking weapon to heart. Under the immense power of this weapon, any living creature would have to kneel. It was no exaggeration to say that life would be worse than death; within the range of the stench, even if you were smoked unconscious, you would be smoked awake again, making it impossible to even faint. Thus, the bodyguards didn't give it a second thought, shouldering their guns and sprinting back desperately. Without needing Cao Xiao's instructions, they dove into the cars, immediately fired them up, and drove away.