Chapter 14 Desperate Pursuit

In the latter half of the night, the entire Lanyue City seemed to have fallen into slumber, utterly silent.

Xu Jingming, Ziteng, and Mr. Lü, all wearing black masks and clad in black, stood at a street corner, gazing at a distant residence.

"That is Dong Xiao's residence," Mr. Lü pointed out. "Inside, besides Dong Xiao, there are several maids and servants, as well as over ten gang members. These gang members are generally weak and not worth mentioning, but if they manage to set off the signal flare, the Flowery Moon Gang will immediately be alerted and swiftly send reinforcements."

"Before they arrive, we will have already killed Dong Xiao," Miss Ziteng said confidently.

"According to the plan," Xu Jingming said, "enter through the side door and follow the main path. Those involved in gangs are very cautious, and many places within their residences will have hidden traps. The main path, on the other hand, is frequently used by maids, servants, and guards, making it relatively safe."

"Using the main path makes it easier to be discovered by the gang members," Mr. Lü said, looking at Miss Ziteng. "If you encounter any, you must kill them immediately to prevent them from shouting."

"Rest assured," Miss Ziteng nodded.

"Dong Xiao is very afraid of death, and he always sleeps in his own small courtyard, which must be heavily guarded with traps," Xu Jingming said. "I will be the first to charge in when the time comes."

"Understood," Ziteng and Mr. Lü both nodded.

The three immediately moved out silently.

They arrived at the east side door of the residence. Miss Ziteng was the first to leap over the courtyard wall, landing silently behind the door. Her feet were like a cat's paws, landing lightly and making almost no sound. After landing, Miss Ziteng cautiously surveyed her surroundings. Xu Jingming and Mr. Lü both leaped in as well.

Having achieved cellular-level control, one's footsteps could indeed be lighter than a cat's, moving without a sound.

"Let's go."

This residence was much smaller than Young Master Chang Yi's.

Entering through the side door and passing through a door and corridor, they reached the inner residence.

Xu Jingming and his companions quickly approached, suddenly spotting two gang members guarding the entrance to the inner residence courtyard. The two were drinking wine and chatting in low voices.

"Why hasn't Qiu the Second come to relieve us? We've been on guard for half an hour longer today. He'll have to make it up to us next time."

"The boss recently gifted him a widow. Qiu the Second probably overslept."

The two grumbled.

*Poof! Poof!*

Two flying daggers instantly pierced the insides of their heads, and the two immediately collapsed.

Only then did Miss Ziteng appear, gently cutting the inner residence courtyard door with her long saber. *Chi*—with her mastery of saber force, the thick door bolt was easily severed. A thin wire was also attached to the bolt, which was also cut.

"Jingle jangle..." A bell tied to the wire fell to the ground, making a piercing sound in the silent night.

In various locations throughout the residence, the six gang members on duty all jolted awake.

Xu Jingming, Mr. Lü, and Miss Ziteng's expressions all changed.

"There's a bell on the door bolt of the inner residence courtyard? He's too cautious!"

"We can't worry about it anymore."

Xu Jingming, wielding his spear, took the lead and kicked the inner residence courtyard door.

"Bang!"

With tens of thousands of pounds of force, the wooden courtyard door shattered, and countless wooden splinters shot into the inner residence courtyard in all directions. This triggered many traps, including animal traps, ropes, and hidden weapons.

Xu Jingming, Miss Ziteng, and Mr. Lü secretly cursed.

Everyone said that those involved in gangs were careful, but this was too much! Even when sleeping, their courtyards were filled with various traps. They seemed simple, but if one was caught… even experts would be injured if not killed.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a five-colored signal flare shot into the sky, resembling a five-colored flower, extremely conspicuous in the night sky.

It was the Flowery Moon Gang's signal flare!

"Bang, bang, bang." Mr. Lü also continuously kicked the walls, sending countless rocks flying, striking various parts of the inner residence courtyard and the houses. Any traps that were triggered were mostly activated.

"Go!"

Xu Jingming, Mr. Lü, and Miss Ziteng rushed out of the collapsed wall, each leaping more than ten meters with a single step, arriving in front of the main house in the inner residence.

Mr. Lü directly threw out two circular blade wheels, which spun and easily cut through the house, flying inside to cut everything in sight. Xu Jingming, with his spear, struck the walls, causing a large section of the wall to collapse, sending countless bricks and stones flying. Miss Ziteng, holding numerous flying daggers in both hands, remained vigilant.

Such a grand house, instantly destroyed and collapsed by Xu Jingming and his companions. Arrows and poison fell from above, obviously damaging some of the traps inside when the house was destroyed.

"Such a reckless charge, are they assassins?" Dong Xiao, who had already woken up when the bell rang, watched as two circular wheels howled and cut through his house, followed by the collapse of a wall, sending debris flying everywhere. He was also quite frustrated.

"Daring to be so forceful, they must believe they can crush me with their strength. Very well, I must save my life first." Dong Xiao had originally intended to ambush them, but he was too afraid and immediately pressed the mechanism on his bedside, causing the entire bed to sink and fall into the secret underground chamber.

The reason he always slept in his own house was because he had modified it with numerous traps and an escape route.

"Whoosh!" A spear shadow swept through the collapsing wood and stone, and Xu Jingming, Mr. Lü, and Miss Ziteng had already charged in. Mr. Lü threw out his circular blade wheels to cut in all directions, searching for Dong Xiao.

"His aura..." Miss Ziteng pointed to the ground ahead. "He's underground!"

Every star-level lifeform who embarks on the path of evolution cultivates mind techniques, and some are particularly adept at sensing. Miss Ziteng was clearly better at sensing than Xu Jingming and Mr. Lü.

"Bang, bang, bang." Upon hearing this, Mr. Lü immediately hurled one circular wheel after another, cutting through bricks and stones at ultra-high speed with over ten thousand pounds of force, revealing an underground passage.

"Go!"

The circular wheels flew into the underground passage first, followed by Mr. Lü. Xu Jingming and Miss Ziteng followed closely behind.

…

"Discovering an underground passage and charging in without regard for traps, are they so reckless?" Dong Xiao had just pulled down the gate when he heard the rumbling sounds approaching, and his expression changed.

Normal experts would cautiously explore an underground passage, fearing a misstep.

But clearly, Xu Jingming and his companions were charging in headfirst, with the other two following close behind! Even if one of them died, they wouldn't care! What they cared about was...killing 'Dong Xiao' as quickly as possible.

Because in their minds, Dong Xiao's life was worth 900,000 cosmic currency. Their own lives were only worth 100,000 cosmic currency if they died once. It was a worthwhile trade!

"Bang."

The sharp three-sided circular wheel tore through the gate, and Mr. Lü immediately spotted Dong Xiao fleeing in a panic.

"Who hired you three? I'll pay double the price!" Dong Xiao shouted loudly, fearing that if he shouted too slowly, he would lose his life.

*Whoosh!*

The whistling circular wheel was blocked by Dong Xiao with a short halberd, and the circular wheel flew back to Mr. Lü's hand.

Mr. Lü, Xu Jingming, and Miss Ziteng all stared at him, their eyes gleaming.

"Double the price?" Mr. Lü said hoarsely.

"The person who hired us spent a full three hundred taels of silver," Xu Jingming said in a low voice. "Can you afford to pay double?"

"Yes, I have double. Six hundred taels, I can afford it!" Dong Xiao said quickly. "I am the vice leader of the Flowery Moon Hall!"

Xu Jingming and his companions exchanged glances.

"Give us the money now, and we'll spare your life," Miss Ziteng said. "Otherwise, you will surely die today."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Dong Xiao said with a forced smile. "If I give it all to you, what if you turn on me? How about this, I'll give you two hundred taels of silver first! Tomorrow...you can send someone to contact me again. If I don't make up the rest, with your strength, you can come back and kill me."

"Give us two hundred taels first? That's too little."

"The person who hired us paid three hundred taels."

Xu Jingming, Miss Ziteng, and Mr. Lü stared at Dong Xiao with murderous intent, like three wolves looking at a lamb.

Dong Xiao had no doubts that he was a second-rate expert and a member of the Flowery Moon Gang, so the reward for killing him would be two or three hundred taels of silver. Any less, and you wouldn't be able to hire a strong enough expert.

"These three are incredibly strong, each no weaker than me. But I spend money lavishly, and I only have a little over two hundred taels of silver...where would I get six hundred taels?" Dong Xiao thought to himself.

"You must give us at least three hundred taels first, and then tomorrow we'll send someone to contact you and make up the remaining three hundred taels," Mr. Lü said hoarsely. "Alright, I don't have time to waste with you. Yes or no, one word."

"I can't gather that much money right now. How about this, there's a hidden compartment in that wooden cabinet with two hundred taels of silver inside," Dong Xiao said immediately. "You can take those two hundred taels first as a sign of my sincerity. As for the other four hundred taels...you have to give me time to prepare, and I'm also afraid that if I give it to you all at once, you'll kill me."

"Bang."

Xu Jingming stabbed his spear into the wooden cabinet, shattering it. A small hidden compartment inside cracked open, revealing silver ingots, each worth ten taels, totaling twenty ingots.

In the Blood Rain World, the value of gold and silver was very high, with one tael of silver being worth a thousand coins!

"I keep my word, there are two hundred taels here..." Dong Xiao was still talking.

*Shu shu shu!!!*

Miss Ziteng suddenly launched a series of flying daggers! Mr. Lü followed closely, throwing out his blade wheels, which howled as they flew. Xu Jingming also charged forward with his spear.

"You're breaking your promise!" Dong Xiao shouted in shock and anger. He didn't dare to turn and run, because exposing his back to these three assassins would be suicide. Wielding his twin halberds, he blocked all the flying daggers. But at that moment, the blade wheels had already arrived.

Dong Xiao was angry and unwilling. He blocked with one short halberd, and after blocking the blade wheel with the other short halberd, he suddenly threw it out. At such a short distance of only a few meters, Mr. Lü, who was charging too fiercely, also changed his expression and blocked with his blade wheel.

"Clang!"

The thrown short halberd was too fast, and the distance was too close. Mr. Lü's blade wheel failed to completely block it, and the short halberd grazed his waist, tearing a large piece of flesh.

"Poof." Xu Jingming's spear took the opportunity to pierce Dong Xiao's throat.

Two fists were no match for four hands! Facing the combined attack of Xu Jingming and his companions, Dong Xiao simply couldn't withstand it.

"Still too reckless," Mr. Lü said, looking at the wound on his waist. By controlling every cell, the large wound tightened, with only an occasional drop of blood slowly seeping out.

"Take the money and let's go quickly," Xu Jingming grabbed a piece of clothing from the underground chamber and wrapped the two hundred taels of silver in it. With his spear in one hand and the silver package in the other, he turned to leave. Mr. Lü and Miss Ziteng immediately followed.

*Swish, swish, swish,* the three leaped to the ground, becoming afterimages as they quickly left along the path they had come.

While the gang members of the Flowery Moon Gang were still on their way.