Chapter 360 - 236: Requesting Reinforcements, Slaying the Enemy

Chapter 360: Chapter 236: Requesting Reinforcements, Slaying the Enemy

Yang Meng suddenly roared, "Taolang, listen to me! They’re just trying to bleed you dry. Without me dragging you down, you can get our brothers out of here. Just avenge me in the future."

Taolang remained silent, but his Inner Qi suddenly flared. Countless blade lights crisscrossed the air, the black flashes swift and lethal. The four men were thrown into chaos, scrambling to defend themselves. Amid their haste, a crimson blade light imbued with a viciousness that seemed to devour all slashed down in an instant.

"Ah... Save me!"

Two of them were too slow to dodge and were killed on the spot. The remaining two hastily retreated, their will to fight completely shattered!

"Damn it!"

The remaining attackers instinctively closed in, but they didn’t dare to attack. They were stunned by Taolang’s vicious, explosive assault, terrified he might have another trick up his sleeve.

"Iron Hand, what do we do? This guy is too strong!"

A gaunt man wearing steel gloves and a skull mask snapped, "What do you think we should do? Kill them, of course! Otherwise, if that bastard turns traitor and lets those dogs from the Security Bureau get their hands on the password book..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but the eyes of the others hardened with vicious intent.

The men besieging Taolang all wore distinctive masks; some even wore full hoods, completely concealing their identities in an obvious disguise.

Unlike cults, some members of assassin organizations initially just wanted a part-time job that paid well. But they strayed further and further down a path of crime, eventually reaching a point of no return.

Furthermore, Night Owl Mansion was made up of a complex mix of people, and it wasn’t unheard of for individuals with clean backgrounds to join.

The men besieging Taolang were mostly in the Inner Qi Realm, and among them were four Five Realms Divine Intent Martial Artists.

If it weren’t for their superior numbers, Taolang could have taken care of them all by himself.

By all standards, Taolang had been assessed as a B-rank prodigy at Yuqing University. But he later strayed from the right path and, refusing to mend his ways, was stripped of his status and expelled from the Celestial Pride Class.

This led him to join the Security Bureau early. He also gave up his specialty, the Cloud Dragon Staff, and took up dual blades instead, so his overall prowess had suffered as a result.

Otherwise, for a prodigy from one of the Seven Greats, dealing with such ordinary enemies would have been a trivial matter.

This time, the several Five Realms Divine Intent Martial Artists, led by Iron Hand, spearheaded the assault. They immediately overwhelmed Taolang, leaving him unable to retaliate and in constant peril.

Yang Meng cried out in a hoarse, desperate voice, "Taolang, take the password book and go! Just go!"

Taolang said nothing. ’I can’t tell them I’ve called for reinforcements,’ he thought. ’Right now, it looks like they’re all attacking me, but a few of them are holding back, clearly intent on just wearing me down.’

’If they knew backup was on the way, they’d definitely launch an all-out assault. I’m not sure I could hold on then.’

"Taolang, stop struggling," the brawny man in the fat monkey mask coaxed. "Hand over the password book, and we’ll let you live. We’re all just trying to make a living here. No need to be so uncompromising."

He wielded a large, folding spear and was the primary offensive force; he was the one who had shattered Yang Meng’s legs.

Taolang paused in his tracks, his chest heaving.

’I can’t underestimate these guys,’ he thought. ’Their martial techniques might be simple, but they’ve been immersed in them for years. They’ve mastered every variation and honed their skills into pure muscle memory.’

’I’m only holding on because I have a wider range of techniques and a more versatile style. But the drain on my Inner Qi is real, and my stamina is starting to fail.’

"Hey, have you guys not eaten today? Trash is still trash, I guess!"

Xie Qing froze when she heard him. ’Why is Taolang still provoking them at a time like this?’

Lu Qian explained in a low voice, "There’s no room for negotiation with these Night Owl Mansion members. Handing over the password book would be a death sentence anyway."

Xie Qing realized he was right. ’The assassins can’t be sure whether we’ve tampered with the password book or not,’ she thought. ’Since their identities are at stake, they’d never take that chance.’

Yang Meng said weakly.

"You don’t have to protect me. If I die, I die. Go help Taolang. Even though you’re only at the third realm, you can still block a move or two for him at a critical moment. Escape if you get the chance!"

Saying this, he mustered his remaining strength and gave the two of them a push.

Taolang was cursing inwardly. ’These guys are taking turns, using the old tactic of boiling a frog in warm water. They aren’t confident they can take me down in one go, so they’re just constantly draining my stamina and Inner Qi.’

Now, they were increasing the pressure, and Taolang was at his breaking point.

"Senior! Are these the guys? Can I kill them? I need your authorization!"

Taolang, who was barely holding on, suddenly heard a voice that sounded like a gift from the heavens.

’So Yu Fei got here first, just as I’d hoped.’

There, standing atop the collapsed ruins, was Yu Fei, a giant sword on his back. He spoke with a casual air.

He had sent a request for help to both the Security Bureau and Yu Fei. Based on the travel distance, Yu Fei had arrived an hour earlier than expected.

Taolang found a sudden burst of strength. His dual blades flashed with cold light as he said in a booming voice,

"These cowards hiding their faces—kill them all! Don’t hold back, Junior! Anyone who dares to attack the Security Bureau will be slain!"

Yu Fei laughed. "None of these guys are getting away!"

On his way here, Yu Fei had repeatedly checked his surroundings for any ambushes. Only after confirming the area was clear did he reveal himself and call out.

’These guys are as good as dead,’ he knew.

According to the legal statutes taught in general education, the Security Bureau was granted exceptionally broad investigative authority on the home planet.

Ordinary Martial Artists were obligated to cooperate fully if questioned or investigated by Security Bureau personnel. If they dared to resist openly, agents could engage directly after a warning proved ineffective. And if they took the initiative to attack Security Bureau investigators...

...they could be executed on the spot, depending on the circumstances.

When Iron Hand saw that Taolang’s reinforcement had arrived, his heart skipped a beat. After all, they operated in the shadows. If a large Security Bureau force surrounded them, their only option would be to scatter and flee for their lives.

After a moment, he saw it was just one person—Yu Fei—and he was only a fourth-realm Inner Qi practitioner. Iron Hand let out a long sigh of relief.

"Fat Monkey, take two of our brothers and take care of that kid in the back! Make it quick!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Fat Monkey charged forward, spear in hand. ’A fifth-realm versus a fourth-realm, and with backup, no less. That kid is done for. It won’t matter even if he’s from one of the Seven Greats.’

In his naivety, Fat Monkey never even considered the Celestial Pride Class. Ordinary graduates from the Seven Greats were already first-class masters out in the world, sought-after talents that every faction vied for. Very few would ever join the Security Bureau to do its dirty work.

’A prodigy? Aren’t people like that the stuff of legend?’

Iron Hand then instructed the others:

"Stop holding back! Go all out and take down Taolang! His Inner Qi and stamina have bottomed out. He can’t use any tricks even if he has them. Delays breed trouble, so let’s move!"

"Ah... Ugh!"

BANG!

Iron Hand’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. He saw Fat Monkey’s spear bent at an acute angle, his chest caved in as if he’d been rammed by some terrifying beast. His body sailed over their heads and slammed heavily onto the ground.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

He vaguely heard two more muffled thuds from that direction, followed by the sickening crunch of shattering bones.

A tremor of fear shot through Iron Hand’s heart. In a flash, he leaped straight into the air, letting out a piercing scream.

"Run!"

An unprecedented terror flooded his mind. ’That guy in the back is definitely not in the Inner Qi Realm! He has to be an old monster from the Gang Qi Realm... he has to be!’

Night Owl Mansion members specialized in solo combat and rarely cooperated. These lone wolves were naturally cautious, so the moment things went south, they scattered like birds and beasts. Their escape speed was incredible, a testament to their excellent Body Techniques.

At that exact moment, the clear ring of a sword echoed out. Streaks of cyan sword light bloomed like a lotus, its petals of light dancing through the air. In their wake, the scattering Night Owl Mansion members were reduced to a bloody mist, severed limbs raining down from the sky.

Taolang paid it no mind, sheathing his dual blades.

"You sure got here fast!"

"If I hadn’t, it looked like you were about to kick the bucket, Senior!"

Weakly, Taolang plopped down on the rubble.

"Hey, do you have any medical supplies?"

Yu Fei walked up and shrugged. "Nope!"

He really didn’t. The situation had been urgent, and he hadn’t even brought supplements to restore his Inner Qi.

After resting for a moment, Taolang walked over to Yang Meng and carefully checked his injuries.

"Team Leader, you’re going to live. Xie, give him anything you have to stop the bleeding and kill the pain. It’ll at least ease his suffering."

"Oh, okay."

Only then did Xie Qing snap out of her daze. Just moments ago, a group of vicious Night Owl Mansion assassins had surrounded them; now, they were nothing but a pile of bloody pieces on the ground. The sudden turn of events was too much for her to process. She glanced at Yu Fei again, and the cheerful, handsome young man greeted her with a nod.