Had Xu Lie not been mentioned, Li Zhonglou's eyes would have instantly filled with bloodshot veins, his gaze as cold as ice.
Gritting his teeth, he said in a low voice, "Did I say I wanted to fight you?"
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Da and Guan Jian had successfully drawn their guns, aiming at the woman and Tian Shan.
They immediately tried to move forward and subdue the two.
However, Li Zhonglou pulled them back one by one: "Don't go over there. They aren't ordinary criminals, and your guns are useless."
"How is that possible!" Xiao Da looked incredulous.
Guan Jian, being more experienced, wore a grave expression.
The woman's attacks twice had nearly cost them their lives; if not for Li Zhonglou, he would have died twice today.
A single woman's skill was enough to make them look up to her. It was unimaginable how formidable Tian Shan, the main culprit, must be.
"Heh heh... you police officers only rely on numbers," the beautiful woman chuckled, raising her hands, yet her face showed no trace of fear.
It was as if she was accustomed to such situations, her demeanor calm.
Tian Shan was even more audacious, directly sitting down on a nearby chair with the expression of someone watching a show.
However, the gaze from his single eye, through the sunglasses, remained fixed on Li Zhonglou.
"You guys be careful," Li Zhonglou whispered, meeting his gaze through his own sunglasses.
He knew he could no longer make a move. Tian Shan's killing intent made his entire body tense, and even his body trembled uncontrollably.
This sensation was not fear, but an excitement generated by the interplay of their auras.
He wouldn't have felt it before reaching the Qi Movement realm, but now it was crystal clear. Tian Shan, sitting there, was like a vast abyss, ready to swallow him at any moment.
Every subtle movement he made felt monitored, completely escaping Tian Shan's sight.
The two remained motionless, staring at each other.
Xiao Da and Guan Jian exchanged a glance, then drew their handcuffs and barked at the beauty, "Hands behind your head, get down!"
Showing no leniency.
A sly glint flashed in the beauty's seductive eyes. She obediently put her hands behind her head, slowly squatted down, and then lay prone.
Her proud, pointed breasts, pressed to the ground, did not completely flatten but supported her body at least two centimeters.
"So fake, all silicone, right?" Xiao Da sneered.
From his angle, he could clearly see the ravine between her proud peaks.
Yet, he felt profound disdain for it. He had seen plenty of beautiful women; artificial things held no appeal for him.
As he spoke, he bent down to handcuff her.
*Click!*
The moment the first handcuff was secured on the beauty, her eyes suddenly shot out a strange gleam.
"Watch out!" Guan Jian warned with a drastic change in his expression.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Xiao Da was too close. Although his gun was pointed at the beauty's head, he had no immediate instinct to fire upon hearing the warning.
He was a People's Police officer. Despite his usual rebelliousness, the ingrained habit of protecting people and property was etched into his bones.
Even criminals should not be shot before being judged.
It was this sliver of hesitation that made him half a beat slow.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, followed by a sharp pain in his wrist and the world spinning. The beauty had already flipped up and disarmed him.
She then slammed him to the ground and held the gun to his throat.
The cold muzzle sent goosebumps crawling all over him.
"Now it's my turn. Hands behind your head, drop your weapon, and lie on the ground," the beauty commanded Guan Jian, a smug look on her face.
Li Zhonglou was filled with anxiety, wanting to help but unable to move.
He knew that if he made any move, Tian Shan would deliver a fatal blow.
Fortunately, Xiao Da was only temporarily subdued, not in mortal danger.
Guan Jian, to protect his partner, could only comply, slowly placing his handgun on the ground and kicking it away, his expression remarkably composed.
As the team leader, remaining calm in the face of adversity was the primary quality of leadership.
But he was also a police officer. A gun was merely a weapon; without it, the fight was not over.
As long as he was alive, there was still a chance.
"Captain Guan..." Xiao Da endured the intense pain, his handsome face contorted with self-reproach.
Li Zhonglou had clearly warned him not to get close, but his pride wouldn't allow him to be looked down upon by a woman.
Ultimately, he chose to ignore the advice, resulting in his complete inability to resist this woman.
Instead, he had become a hostage threatening his companion.
Damn it, damn it!
At that moment, Xiao Da realized how weak he was.
Compared to Li Zhonglou, he was like an ant, not worth mentioning.
"You, what are you standing there for? Pack up those antiques and bring them over," the beauty commanded the stunned auctioneer standing on the stage after Guan Jian had lain down.
The auctioneer quickly began to collect the antiques that the host had placed on the stage for display.
"Li Zhonglou, any thoughts?" Tian Shan finally spoke again at this moment, his tone filled with disdain and contempt.
From beginning to end, Li Zhonglou's plan was a joke in his eyes,
full of loopholes and laughable.
He had actually wanted to lure him out with an auction. So what if he had come?
With two police officers, two guns, and such an impulsive young man, he could confidently say he was in an invincible position.
"It's good that you didn't escape Yong'an," Li Zhonglou said coldly.
"Why would I escape? What do you think you are?" Tian Shan acted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his face full of mockery. "Shen Yishou was left in Qin Prefecture by you, and Lin Zhendong went to Shangluo. With these two gone, you think you can catch me?"
"Kid, you're still too green. Learn from your seniors."
He spoke condescendingly, looking down on Li Zhonglou, but in reality, he was deliberately humiliating him.
Because of Li Zhonglou, his Xingzhi Group was destroyed, and the efforts of half his life were wasted.
And this eye was also gone, making him feel like he only saw half the world from now on.
These two grievances were like maggots, wriggling and gnawing at his heart day and night.
If he didn't eliminate Li Zhonglou, he couldn't even sleep soundly.
"Learn to smuggle cultural relics from me? Learn to hide like a rat?" Li Zhonglou smiled. "Don't forget how your Xingzhi Group fell."
"Senior? You dare?"
These three sentences turned Tian Shan's face pale and green, his single eye filled with immense hatred.
He stood up straight, his voice seeping through his gritted teeth, "You're looking for death."
Saying this, he stepped in front of Li Zhonglou and slapped him across the face.
*Thwack!*
The air itself seemed to emit a sonic boom from the slap. Its speed was so fast it was invisible to the naked eye. He had unleashed this blow with all his accumulated hatred,
holding back no strength, wishing to shatter Li Zhonglou's face with a single slap.
Li Zhonglou's expression instantly became extremely solemn. The moment Tian Shan closed in on his body, he had reacted.
He just hadn't expected him to want to slap him.
By the time he realized it, there was little time left. Dodging was impossible. His strength was not on the same level as Tian Shan's; once his gaze locked onto him, there was nowhere to escape.
He could only take the blow head-on.
At this moment, Li Zhonglou's thoughts were handed over to his body's instincts; he placed absolute trust in his own physique.
*Slap!*
He raised his hands to cushion his left ear. Instantly, he felt as if he had been hit by a speeding car. The immense concussive sound pierced his eardrums, causing them to ache.
The sheer force pushed him sideways nearly three meters.
A sharp ringing sounded in his ears, and his head felt dizzy and heavy.
He inwardly cursed his misfortune.
The gap between them was too vast.