A few minutes prior to Xu Feng's decision to enter the backyard, he was feeling something was amiss.
The three intruders weren't exactly skilled, but their movement and actions were somehow always at an ideal position to avoid the turrets and more defensive structure.
It was clear that they were amateur, so Xu Feng was suspicious that there was someone else commanding them what to do. Hence, he was trying to search for them through the tablet surveillance camera.
Alas, the blind spots were just too much, and he suspected the person commanding these intruders was standing at the blind spot, giving commands.
Of course, the person could also be commanding at a safe area far away from their current location, but Xu Feng quickly denied that notion.
After all, when one of the intruders failed to react in time to the turret, Xu Feng noticed a small piece of pebble directly shooting at the bullet fired from the turret.
The speed of that action was quite fast for regular people to spot, but not for Xu Feng.
Having witnessed that, Xu Feng knew that he could not wait idly inside the mansion and must go outside to confront that expert in hiding. Otherwise, once the turret got disabled, his and Allison's life would most likely be over.
And now back to the present, Xu Feng's eyes were wandering around the backyard's blind spots. He didn't even bat an eyelid on the three intruders in front of him.
"Hello, Mister Expert who's in hiding. Do you care to reveal yourself and introduce who you are?" Xu Feng cupped his fist and asked respectfully.
The moment he raised that question, a small pebble came flying straight at him, narrowly missing his cheek as it brushed past him. The small pebble then landed on the reinforced glass behind him.
The force of the small pebble caused a tiny crack to appear in the reinforced glass. And Allison, who was standing right behind it was startled by the small pebble causing a small crack in her reinforced glass.
"Not even a single bullet could penetrate the glass but a small pebble did it?" Allison was bewildered, wondering just who was after her life and sent such a frightening intruder.
While this small pebble damage was devastating, to say the least, Xu Feng remained unfazed by it and smirked.
"Is that your way of greetings, Mister Expert Intruder?" Xu Feng shifted his attention to an uncanny corner and asked.
That uncanny corner had no one there, but Xu Feng continued to stare at that specific location.
A few seconds later, laughter finally erupted from there and a figure came out from hiding.
"I didn't expect a youngster to be capable of detecting my camouflage skill." The figure laughed and retrieved a painting that resembled the terrain heavily.
Without a doubt, no regular person would be able to tell it was a painting and not the actual terrain itself.
"I suppose you have been inspecting the layout for a long time before making a move, Mister Expert Intruder," Xu Feng mused and continued, "Or should I address you by your code and real name, Vince."
Instantly, the figure was startled for a brief moment before composing themselves. Their eyes widened in shock, clearly unable to believe Xu Feng was able to discern who he was.
"You've heard of me, youngster?" The figure, otherwise known as Vince, asked in astonishment.
After all, he was positive that this was their first encounter, and Xu Feng didn't remind him of anyone else or ring a bell in general.
"Have we met before?" Vince continued his inquiry, seemingly baffled and intrigued at how he got recognized with just a single glance.
"No, we didn't, but I have heard of you." Xu Feng shook his head and answered honestly. There were many hidden experts around the world, and some of them were known mercenaries with their skills being recognized worldwide.
And Vince was one of them, mostly recognized for his insane painting skill to camouflage himself to discreetly assassinate others. Of course, aside from his painting skill, he was also well known for his pebble strike akin to a bullet— no even stronger than a bullet.
Vince, however, was suspicious about Xu Feng and decided to give some leeway. "Since a youngster like you happened to know about me, then I shall be generous as an elder. Leave now and I won't pursue you."
"Ah, that's indeed quite the generosity, but may I ask why you are targeting my Professor?" Xu Feng feigned an astounded look and asked curiously.
"You shouldn't ask questions that won't do any good for you."
Hearing that, Xu Feng was silently calculating who would be after Allison at this moment. Unfortunately, he didn't have many clues since he remained unaware of Allison's past history.
Sighing softly, Xu Feng adjusted his glasses and assumed a battle stance, with one of his hands extended. "Mister Vince, how about we have a spar. If I can last three moves from you, then you will retreat."
"You are courting death!"
Almost immediately, the three intruders who were still occupied by the bombardment of the turrets roared in fury at Xu Feng's request.
However, their roaring seemed to have gone on deaf ears as Xu Feng had his gaze locked on Vince, completely undistracted. The threat here wasn't the three intruders, but rather Vince.
If this was the past timeline, then Xu Feng was confident in taking him on, but he was still inadequate enough to confront Vince directly. Hence, he made such a suggestion to hopefully resolve the situation without exerting much and waiting for the police to arrive.
"Haha, interesting. A youngster wants to have a spar with me." Vince laughed heartily.
Yet in the very next second, his expression turned cold and asked, "Are you sure you wished for it? Your life could be lost within the first move."
Nodding, Xu Feng gestured his hand and said, "Please, Mister Vince. Make your first move."