“You have something important to discuss?”
I was somewhat confused about what Fang Huixin was up to. Normally, I had already helped her find Fang Yuan, and our past grievances were settled, with no further connection. Now, she was sending someone to invite me again. It felt as if her purpose in seeking me out was not entirely pure, even giving me the impression that she wanted to push me into a fiery pit.
However, outright refusal might not be appropriate. After much thought, I decided to go and see.
No matter what Fang Huixin was planning, I would not pay it any mind. I would simply insist on leaving the next morning, and see what options she had then.
Having settled on my decision, I informed the young secretary that I would come later and set a time with her before she turned to leave.
Zhang Dabiao had also overheard the secretary. After she left, he looked up at me, "Could this be a trap?"
I thought for a moment and shook my head, "It shouldn't be. I've interacted with this woman, Fang Huixin, twice, and she seems to be a woman of her word. There shouldn't be any problems."
"Then I'll go with you tonight."
"Alright!"
...
At eight in the evening, Zhang Dabiao and I arrived at Fang Huixin's house precisely on time. Su Dan Xiaoshuo Wang
The door was opened by the young secretary. With a nod, she led the way. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or a preconceived notion, but I felt she seemed a little nervous.
"Miss, we've met before. Why do you seem a bit nervous?"
The young secretary shook her head, turned, and smiled with pursed lips, "I heard you're a pervert who doesn't spare even the dead. I..."
Before she could finish, I interrupted her, "Stop, stop... Who told you that?"
The young secretary didn't reply, pointing to her eyes, indicating that she had seen it.
I was speechless and lost the mood for further conversation. However, Zhang Dabiao, walking behind me, nudged me lightly.
"Something's not right."
I turned and looked at Zhang Dabiao in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"Didn't you notice there are no bodyguards in the courtyard?"
His reminder made me realize the issue. This was the fourth time I had been here, and each time, there were bodyguards present in and around the courtyard. But today, it was strange; not a single bodyguard was in sight.
"Where are the bodyguards in the courtyard?"
The young secretary replied without looking back, "Boss Fang had them removed. She said she was afraid you wouldn't like it and it would affect your mood during the conversation."
"Afraid we wouldn't like it?" I mulled over those words.
This was not Fang Huixin's usual behavior. Even though I hadn't interacted with her much, she had secretly deployed people during the ghost marriage to guard against any unexpected incidents. How could she possibly have removed the bodyguards just because we were coming?
No, there was definitely something strange going on here.
I glanced at Zhang Dabiao, and he nodded at me slightly, signaling me to be careful.
We walked side by side to the living room door and saw Fang Huixin, dressed in loungewear, sitting behind a low tea table, preparing Gongfu tea. Her every movement and expression seemed natural. On the surface, nothing seemed amiss; she was just making tea.
However, upon closer inspection, I felt something was slightly off, though I couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"Please sit down, the tea will be ready shortly." Fang Huixin gestured for us to sit and then waved for the young secretary to leave. She did all this without looking up, her bangs obscuring her face.
This made me even more suspicious.
"Boss Fang, you..."
"Careful!"
Before I could finish speaking, I felt a strong push from the side, and my body involuntarily rolled to the side.
*Pa pa—*
A series of metal objects struck the spot where I had just been sitting.
"You're asking for death."
After pushing me away, Zhang Dabiao drew his Pishhan Blade and engaged the person impersonating Fang Huixin.
Looking at the row of iron nails of varying lengths embedded in the spot where I had been sitting, I broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, I had brought Zhang Dabiao along; otherwise, I would have been shot full of holes by now.
Zhang Dabiao's swordsmanship was broad and powerful, while the woman impersonating Fang Huixin adopted a light and agile style. She moved like a nimble wildcat, dodging and weaving around the room, refusing to engage Zhang Dabiao head-on. She also frequently threw hidden weapons at him.
I glanced at the iron nails stuck in the seat and immediately had an idea. If she could throw hidden weapons, couldn't I?
I struggled to pull out a few iron nails from the chair. I weighed them and felt they were slightly heavy, wondering if I could use the Tiansu Seal technique to launch them.
Finding an opportune moment, I shouted, "Brother Zhang, move aside!" Without hesitation, he flickered his body and immediately widened the distance between himself and the assassin.
At the same time, I had formed the Tiansu Seal mudra. The iron nail in my hand shot out like a bullet with a "whoosh."
The assassin was fast. She began to evade as soon as I shouted, but ultimately, her physical body could not compare to the magical arts. Although the assassin dodged the vital points, the iron nail still struck her shoulder.
She grunted, rolled on the ground, and turned to flee towards the backyard.
Zhang Dabiao, who had been waiting for an opportunity nearby, couldn't let her escape. As soon as she turned, his Pishhan Blade was already behind her. With a twist of the blade, the flat side of the blade struck her neck. She didn't even let out a sound before collapsing unconscious.
Seeing this, we didn't bother to check and turned to leave. Before we could take a step.
*Pa pa—*
A series of crisp claps came from inside the house, followed by the rumbling sound of footsteps from all around.
Li Rui walked out from the crowd with a gentle smile on his face, unhurriedly.
Looking at his fair face, I felt an urge to hit him with the sole of my shoe.
"I knew it was you, you pretty boy, causing trouble behind my back. Did you think sending me four million wasn't enough, and you were planning to send more?"
As I provoked Li Rui with my words, I quickly brainstormed countermeasures in my mind. It was clear that Li Rui had orchestrated all of this. The only way to leave easily would be to subdue him first.
Li Rui's smile instantly turned ferocious at my words.
"Kid, you're still tough-mouthed even when death is upon you. Is my money that easy to spend? I'll have someone break your legs later and then feed you shit. Let's see if you're still so tough."
"Are you planning to feed me yourself?"
While speaking, I hid a nail I had just pulled out in my palm, preparing to find a suitable opportunity to capture the leader.
Hearing this, Li Rui's face showed excitement, "Since you have this request, I will definitely fulfill it. Do you have any other requests? If not, then I'll have my men make their move."
Then he raised his right hand, and the bodyguards surrounding us all seemed eager to move.
"Wait... I have one more request."
I subtly moved forward a couple more steps.
Li Rui didn't notice my intentions at all. Instead, he looked like he had victory in his grasp and even stepped past the bodyguards around him, asking boisterously, "What other request do you have? Do you want to eat something fresh?"
I quickly nodded, "Yes, eat something fresh. I'm preparing to let you eat something fresh."
Before I could even finish speaking, I shot the iron nail in my hand towards Li Rui's chest. At the same time, I applied the Tianqiao Seal to myself and used my feet to surge forward like a released arrow towards Li Rui.
Seeing Li Rui so close, about to be grabbed by me, a look of excitement appeared on my face. Little brat, you want me to eat shit? This time, if I catch you, I'll make sure you eat until you're full.
Just as I thought I had the upper hand.
"Careful."
Zhang Dabiao's voice resounded in my ears like thunder.
In the blink of an eye, a burly man had appeared in front of Li Rui. The iron nail I had shot with the Tiansu Seal was caught by his left hand, and he was looking at me with a sinister grin.
I inwardly cursed my bad luck. It was too late to dodge.
I could only watch helplessly as the burly man's fist, as large as a sand pot, smashed towards me. With no other option, I crossed my arms to protect my chest.
Instantly, I felt a tremendous force hit me. My arm ached and then went numb. Then, I saw Li Rui's detestable smiling face receding further away from me.
"Damn it, joy turned into sorrow."