Free Web NovelChapter 127: Chapter 126: Matches
A dense hail of bullets rained down, kicking up clouds of wood splinters and sprays of mud. Like hyenas that had smelled blood, bladesmen in gray swarmed forward, and the men of the Qinglian Gang fell one after another.
Big Cat and Kitty flanked Fu Juemin, one on each side, shielding him. Bullets struck their bodies with the dull thud of impacts on thick leather, the slugs clinking as they dropped to the ground.
The group retreated to the mouth of a nearby alley. Less than half of the Qinglian Gang members Fu Juemin had brought with him were still alive.
Big Cat planted himself at the mouth of the alley. His over two-meter-tall, burly frame was like an impenetrable wall, sealing the entrance completely.
The whistle of bullets and slicing blades was kept at bay. Big Cat’s steady voice cut through the clamor, reaching everyone’s ears.
"Get the Young Master into the building."
The remaining Qinglian Gang members, as if shaken from a daze, surrounded Fu Juemin and began running toward the side entrance of a tenement building.
But as soon as they turned, they saw more bladesmen in gray emerging at the other end of the alley, while bullets rained down from overhead.
Another five or six Qinglian Gang members fell, spewing blood. Then came a low shout, and a dense "dark cloud" shot over their heads, followed by a heavy THUD and several pained screams.
Kitty had moved from the rear of the group to the front. Grabbing a man in each hand to use as shields, he charged violently toward the end of the alley.
In an instant, countless muffled grunts and pained cries rang out. Kitty had single-handedly blocked the gray torrent pouring from the alley’s end.
"BANG!"
A Qinglian Gang member kicked open the old, locked building door, startling a cat that was napping inside.
The seven or eight men scrambled to get Fu Juemin inside. Before they could even catch their breath, a muzzle flash erupted from the gloomy depths of the building—
"BANG!—"
The man who had kicked in the door collapsed without a sound, his face twisted in a look of unwilling disbelief.
The others were horrified. Several men voluntarily shielded the front, while the rest escorted Fu Juemin, rushing up a narrow staircase near the entrance.
Gunfire echoed through the building. Amid the flickering muzzle flashes, the group had just reached the second-floor landing when the two Qinglian Gang members covering the rear were riddled with bullets.
Just as the group reached the third-floor stairs, they heard the clamor of numerous footsteps from the second floor.
The ambushing gunmen and bladesmen seemed to be everywhere, emerging from all directions.
Fortunately, the Qinglian Gang members escorting Fu Juemin seemed quite experienced with these situations. Aided by Fu Juemin’s occasional directions, they always managed to find an unexpected way out, weaving through the interconnected old tenement buildings.
Finally, on the second floor of an old apartment building, the gunfire and footsteps seemed to have momentarily faded. Now, only four Qinglian Gang members remained to protect Fu Juemin.
"Wait."
Fu Juemin’s voice suddenly stopped the Qinglian Gang members, who were all sweating profusely, their faces etched with terror.
Fu Juemin looked at the men before him, slowly taking off his black lynx fur coat. He spoke calmly:
"One of you, take my coat and run a different way. Otherwise... none of us will make it out of here."
The men exchanged dismayed glances. Quickly, one of them stepped forward, took the coat from Fu Juemin, and draped it over his own shoulders. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Young Master..."
"Don’t worry."
Fu Juemin looked at him, his voice devoid of emotion. "I know the Gang’s rules. After you’re gone, whatever settlement Aunt Ding provides, I, Fu Juemin, will triple it."
"I hope you remember what you’ve said today, Young Master."
The man gave Fu Juemin a long, hard look, cupped his fist in a salute, and then ran off to the side without looking back.
Two of the three remaining men quickly followed. As they ran, one of them shouted at the top of his lungs, "He’s over here!"
Watching the trio lead the pursuers away into the distance, Fu Juemin turned his gaze to the last man, who hadn’t moved. "Why didn’t you go with them?"
The man lowered his head, avoiding his gaze, and said respectfully, "Someone has to stay by your side, Young Master. To watch your back."
"You’re a considerate one."
Fu Juemin patted the man’s shoulder with an appreciative tone, then turned without looking back and headed upstairs.
The man followed closely behind Fu Juemin, heading up the stairs of the old apartment building.
On the landing between the second and third floors, Fu Juemin suddenly stopped.
He seemed completely unconcerned about being followed, showing no sign that he was a man being hunted. He even had the leisure to stand still on the landing, peering with great interest at the chaos below through the hollow bricks in the wall and a palm-sized hole in a broken window.
The man behind him watched Fu Juemin stand with his back turned. In the dim light, a sharp glint flashed in the man’s eyes as his right hand slowly reached for his waist.
The very instant his hand gripped the hilt of his knife, a voice suddenly broke the silence—
"Got a light?"
The man jolted, snatching his right hand back as if he’d received an electric shock.
But when his eyes focused, he saw that Fu Juemin hadn’t turned around at all. He was still facing the wall, merely beckoning casually with one hand.
The man’s nervousness subsided, replaced by an even more intense ferocity welling up in his eyes.
"Yes. One moment, Young Master."
He reached for the short blade at his waist again. This time, without hesitation, his eyes turned cold as he raised the knife and lunged, aiming viciously for the vital point on the neck of the man before him.
The blade struck like a viper leaving its hole.
He could already picture the ensuing fountain of blood, and with it, his own meteoric rise to a future of power and glory.
A pity...
"CLANG—"
Before this beautiful fantasy had any chance of becoming reality, it was shattered—pinched between two long, slender fingers.
The man facing the wall hadn’t even turned his head. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head; he had simply reached back with a casual air...
...and the fine steel tip of the blade snapped as easily as a cracker.
Then, in a smooth motion, he scraped the broken tip against the wall.
"SCRAAAPE—"
Amid the grating sound of the blade tip scraping against the wall, a shower of bright sparks erupted, as if he had just struck a match.
A crimson cherry ignited in the darkness. Amidst the curling wisps of smoke, Fu Juemin slowly turned around, a lit cigarette between his fingers. His handsome face, illuminated by the flickering tip, appeared utterly casual and composed.
"Who sent you?"
The man’s face went deathly pale. Clutching the hilt of his broken blade, he stumbled back two steps, staring at Fu Juemin as if he had just seen a ghost.
From the moment the first killer had been exposed, Fu Juemin had activated [Yao Ling].
The situation for miles around was laid bare in his mind, completely unobstructed.
If he had wanted to leave, he had a hundred ways to escape easily.
The only reason he had remained was to find out the identity of the true mastermind behind this obviously well-planned assassination.
’Someone who could plant a mole among my Qinglian Gang guards, and who also has a grudge against me... I can guess one person, but I’m not sure... if there are any more.’
The Qinglian Gang member, his cover blown, began to back away nervously. Fu Juemin didn’t stop him. He took a light drag from his cigarette, then shifted his gaze toward the third-floor landing.
Soon, a cacophony of footsteps rang out.
Immediately, droves of grim-faced bladesmen in gray surged out from the landings both above and below, instantly sealing off the narrow corridor.
From among the gray-clad crowd, a man with an aquiline nose strode forward. His hair was slicked back with heavy pomade, and he was dressed in fine brocade.
Standing on the upper steps, he sneered and tossed something toward Fu Juemin—
A lynx fur coat, soaked through with blood, landed heavily on the floor with a dull thud.
The Qinglian Gang traitor, who had been so frightened moments before, seemed to regain his courage. He scurried over to the aquiline-nosed man and addressed him respectfully, "Master Jiu."
The latter gave a slight nod, then looked down from his higher position, sizing up Fu Juemin with a mocking gaze. "The famous Young Master Shenghai. A pity, such a pity... that today you die by my hand, the hand of Yan the Ninth..."
Despite having countless blades and muzzles pointed at him, Fu Juemin’s face showed not a single trace of panic or tension.
He tilted his head back slightly, quietly observing the aquiline-nosed man on the steps.
Suddenly, Fu Juemin crushed the cigarette butt in his hand and flashed the man a wide, toothy grin.
A mouthful of pearly whites, utterly chilling to behold.
In that instant, a gunshot shattered the silence of the corridor!
"BANG—!!"
In the sudden muzzle flash, a massive, terrifying shadow seemed to flicker across the corridor’s dim walls and vanish.
And then.
"BOOM!"
.....
"BANG—"
The gunshot, sounding as if it were right outside her door, startled Tang Nianzhen, who had been feigning sleep beside the bed.
She shot to the window like a spring, her face falling the moment she saw the figures darting about below.
"Huaisuang! Let’s go! Now!"
Tang Nianzhen couldn’t be bothered with any pretense. She hastily threw on some clothes, pulled Li Huaisuang out of bed, and rushed for the door.
Keeping Li Huaisuang safely behind her, she hesitated for a moment at the door with her pistol raised. Then, gritting her teeth, she yanked it open—
The hallway was empty. Only a faint commotion could be heard in the distance.
Tang Nianzhen breathed a small sigh of relief. Her eyes darted down both ends of the hall. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she pulled Li Huaisuang and sprinted toward the hotel’s rear exit.
