Li Tiannan's face was grim.
Facing the concentrated firepower, he had no good countermeasures, and it seemed he could only wait for death.
Li Tian Ce was also losing his composure. He stepped forward and said, "Old Master Jiang, can't we just sit down and talk things through calmly? Must it come to this?"
Jiang Cheng Xi sneered, "Isn't it all thanks to Jing Chen?"
"It's not that a peaceful resolution is impossible—"
"Unless you make Jing Chen leave Yue Zhou Province and guarantee she'll never meddle in anything in Yue Zhou Province again. Only then can I consider letting her off the hook."
Li Tian Ce took a deep breath, unable to make a decision for his aunt.
Li Zhi Qing had clearly made up her mind. She didn't compromise with Jiang Cheng Xi. Instead, she said coldly, "Since I've fallen into your hands, you can do as you please, kill me or torture me. It's impossible for me to give up the interests of Yue Zhou Province. Even if you kill me, the outcome will be the same."
Jiang Cheng Xi's anger began to smolder.
At the same time, several people standing around Jiang Cheng Xi began to scold Li Zhi Qing for her ignorance, declaring that they would make her lower her arrogant head.
"What if I capture your daughter? Will you still be so defiant?" Jiang Cheng Xi asked again.
Li Zhi Qing's expression changed slightly.
Before she could speak, Chen Jin Zhao said expressionlessly, "If you dare touch a single hair on her, I guarantee you and the Jiang family will regret it. You can try it if you don't believe me."
Jiang Cheng Xi's expression froze. He felt a sense of apprehension.
In their circle, Chen Jin Zhao was regarded as a lunatic. Only a fool would be stupid enough to provoke him.
"Chen Jin Zhao, you have guts," he said in a deep voice.
Chen Jin Zhao remained silent, contemplating how to break the stalemate.
At this moment, Li Zhi Qing stepped forward again, looking directly into Jiang Cheng Xi's deep, dark eyes. "Jiang, as long as you let my juniors descend the mountain safely, I will agree to your demands."
Everyone was stunned.
Li Zhi Qing interrupted Yu Meng Zhi, who was about to speak, and said with a smile, "There's not much I can do for you. Not being able to watch you grow up is a great regret in my life."
"Hurry up and leave, you don't need to worry about me anymore."
"Aunt, we can't abandon you. I refuse to believe that the Jiang guy dares to make a move against us in broad daylight," Li Tian Nan urged, as abandoning his relatives was not his style.
Li Tian Ce frowned, saying nothing.
Li Zhi Qing smiled at them and said, "It's all the same, isn't it?"
Jiang Cheng Xi also said, "All irrelevant people, descend the mountain quickly, or you will all die here."
Of course.
He dared not kill everyone here; he would only act against Li Zhi Qing.
If Chen Jin Zhao and the others had no intention of leaving, Jiang Cheng Xi would have no choice but to use snipers to inject them with tranquilizers and then deal with Li Zhi Qing.
By the time these people woke up, Li Zhi Qing would already be dead.
"I'll count to three. This is your last chance. Don't make the wrong move," Jiang Cheng Xi said again.
Li Zhi Qing tearfully said to Yu Meng Zhi, "Hurry up and leave! Chen Jin Zhao, you must protect my daughter well. I am entrusting her to your care now."
Chen Jin Zhao and Li Tian Nan exchanged a look.
Both were ready to act. Seeing Chen Jin Zhao's gaze, Li Tian Nan instantly understood his intention – proceed according to the original plan and take down Jiang Cheng Xi.
Li Tian Nan returned a look of understanding to Chen Jin Zhao.
It was a moment of extreme urgency. The surrounding atmosphere became exceptionally tense, and a faint scent of blood hung in the air.
They were gambling, betting that Jiang Cheng Xi was afraid of death!
Jiang Cheng Xi felt another sharp chill. He realized that Chen Jin Zhao and Li Tian Nan, two S-class solo operatives, might launch a surprise attack. He retreated a few more steps and said to Chen Jin Zhao, "If you dare to make a move, I guarantee I will kill them all the instant you do."
"If I don't die, then you will," Chen Jin Zhao replied with a stern tone.
Jiang Cheng Xi: "..."
The two sides were locked in a stalemate, neither making the first move.
Jiang Cheng Xi took a deep breath, ready to act, and so did Chen Jin Zhao and Li Tian Nan. Both sides were waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"Master, something terrible has happened," a middle-aged man rushed into the temple from outside with a panicked expression.
Jiang Cheng Xi's train of thought was interrupted, and he frowned displeasedly, growling, "What is it? How can you be so reckless?"
The middle-aged man was the Jiang family's steward. His face was pale, and he was trembling.
Meeting Jiang Cheng Xi's stern gaze, the steward stammered, "Master, many people have arrived at the foot of the mountain. They appear to be soldiers from the Yue Zhou Provincial Military Region. They've even brought armored vehicles."
"What?!" Jiang Cheng Xi exclaimed in shock.
Chen Jin Zhao, Li Tian Nan, and the others also exchanged glances, all shaking their heads and denying that it was their plan. Li Tian Ce suddenly seemed to realize something. Seeing this, Li Tian Nan quickly asked, "Brother, do you know something?"
Li Tian Ce shook his head slightly, "I'm not sure. Let's wait and see."
"Big Brother, you're still playing coy at a time like this. Don't you consider me your brother?" Li Tian Nan was anxious, like an ant on a hot pan, eager to know the truth immediately.
Li Tian Ce remained silent.
Chen Jin Zhao also seemed to have guessed something. If that were the case, they might be saved.
Meanwhile.
The steward was still reporting the situation to Jiang Cheng Xi. Jiang Cheng Xi had never expected such a twist of events. He said to the steward in a deep voice, "Tell the men outside to hold them off for five minutes!"
"No!"
"Just three minutes! You must hold on!"
Three minutes was enough for Jiang Cheng Xi to kill Li Zhi Qing.
The steward, sensing the anger in Jiang Cheng Xi's voice, agreed and scurried out to direct the operations. Jiang Cheng Xi turned his gaze back to Li Zhi Qing. "It seems you still have a plan. I underestimated you. But do you think those people down the mountain can save you? Distant water can't quench near fire."
"So, you're still going to die."
As the words fell, Chen Jin Zhao and Li Tian Nan moved in an instant. One embraced Yu Meng Zhi, while the other pushed Li Zhi Qing away from her original position.
Bang, bang, bang!
Gunshots rang out, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.
Chen Jin Zhao and Li Tian Nan exchanged another look. Chen Jin Zhao frowned and said, "Strange, why do I feel like these people aren't shooting at us?"
Li Tian Nan agreed, "Indeed. They seem to be... fighting among themselves?"
The gunshots were indeed intense, but their direction was not covered by fire. Everything remained as peaceful and serene as before.
The two thought of something and, with tacit understanding, turned to look at Jiang Cheng Xi.
Jiang Cheng Xi was even more bewildered than they were. Why were his men starting to kill each other? After the gunshots, the people around Jiang Cheng Xi fell one after another. The snipers on the high ground were also hit and tumbled from the eaves to the ground. The once sacred and peaceful temple instantly turned into a living hell.
The bodyguard in front of him was shot and fell, blood splashing all over Jiang Cheng Xi's face, making him look disheveled.
"Why?"
"Why is this happening? Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"Jing Chen, I'll never forgive you even in death!"