Chapter 224: You Know What I Want To See

"Not interested," Tan Qingying replied without hesitation.

She could sense the clear malice behind his words from the man's unmasked mockery. She was all too familiar with the decadent and corrupt ways of the elite scions from the Saints family. The man before her was one of those infamous supervillains she'd heard about.

"Heh, don’t you care about Uncle Tan?" The man slowly straightened, crossing his arms as he stared at her like a predator eyeing a canary about to be trapped in a cage. "If you don’t help him, he won’t get through this."

Tan Qingying laughed and said contemptuously, "Get lost."

The man's expression darkened as he replied, "The more arrogant you are now, the more pathetic and pitiful you’ll be when the tables turn... I look forward to that transformation."

His demeanor grew more domineering and sinister.

"If you don’t leave now, I’m going to call for help," Tan Qingying warned.

"Oh? Call for help?" The man sneered. "You mean that lunatic who’s been dressing like a circus clown ever since your mother died, with his top hat and tails? It's a pity; he might not even be able to protect himself right now."

Tan Qingying turned to look outside the shop. She noticed the black SUV parked by the roadside. But the tall, thin figure who had always been there to protect her was nowhere to be seen.

A chill rose in her heart.

His appearance is no coincidence. This was planned.

"I had initially hoped to play nice with you, but you’re too stubborn." The man said, his tone laced with regret as the mockery in his eyes deepened. "So, I guess I’ll have to resort to force... Miss Tan, you’d better come with me quietly. If you do, the people in this little shop and those around it will live."

Tan Qingying took a deep breath.

"As the legitimate son of the Gu family, you could have any woman you want. Yet you’ve spent so much time on me. You’re not interested in me—you’re trying to use me to get to my father," she said slowly.

The man nodded appreciatively. "You’re not as ignorant as the rumors suggest."

"You can’t handle my father, so you’ve decided to target me instead... This is the act of a truly impotent man," Tan Qingying added.

The man chuckled in amusement. "You’ll soon find out whether I’m impotent or not when we move to a different location... Of course, if you insist on staying here, that’s fine too. I’ve never had the pleasure of playing with a woman in a restaurant before."

Ding-dong.

The old-fashioned clock on the wall suddenly chimed the hour.

Tan Qingying’s expression shifted slightly and said, "Fine, I’ll go with you."

The man glanced at the time on the clock, and suddenly, he seemed in no hurry.

"Is Li Xiaofei about to arrive?" He asked, with a confident, mocking smile. "Worried that boy might get caught up in this?"

Tan Qingying glared at him, a cold sneer on her lips.

The young man clicked his tongue playfully. "I threatened you with your father’s career, and you didn’t flinch. But you’re willing to surrender because of someone who isn’t even related by blood? Is that Li Xiaofei, that worthless nobody, more important to you than your own father?"

"That’s none of your concern," Tan Qingying replied. "Are you leaving or not?"

"Hah, I’ll leave... if you beg me." The man said, remaining firmly in place as he savored the thrill of dominating a proud woman. "Beg me, and I’ll agree to take this elsewhere."

Tan Qingying’s face grew cold as ice. "What do you really want?"

The man looked at the bright, proud girl in front of him and was filled with a twisted sense of accomplishment. Stroking his chin, he said, "Open your collar, then spread your legs... You know what I want to see."

The ticking of the old-fashioned clock’s second hand suddenly became unnervingly clear.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

Each tick struck heavily at Tan Qingying’s heart.

***

The snow on the street had already piled up to over ten centimeters. Li Xiaofei’s modified motorcycle sped through the snowstorm without hesitation. He was racing against time.

Suddenly, an inexplicable, bone-chilling sense of danger rose within him as he took a shortcut. A faint sound, like the click of a typewriter, suddenly echoed from the darkness to the southwest. Li Xiaofei instinctively tilted his head, as something struck him hard.

He was thrown from the heavy motorcycle, hurtling through the air like a ragdoll before crashing into the snow ten meters away. He slid another seven or eight meters before slamming into the stone steps by the roadside.

At the same time, a man dressed in black combat gear suddenly appeared on the street. He moved like a ghost as he intercepted the speeding motorcycle with a single fluid motion, despite its tremendous momentum.

He effortlessly hoisted the unconscious young police officer by the collar. He began walking toward the snow-covered Li Xiaofei, who lay motionless in the distance. A dark short blade slid out from his right sleeve.

When he reached the body, he swung the blade down at Li Xiaofei’s neck. According to the organization’s rules, a finishing blow was required even if the target was already dead. The head had to be completely severed to ensure there were no mistakes.

But just as the blade was about to strike, Li Xiaofei suddenly opened his eyes. The man in black was shocked.

How could someone who was shot in the temple by a Beast Hunter-Class high-powered sniper rifle still be alive?

But before he could react, a sliver of sword energy pierced through his neck. His life was extinguished in an instant. Li Xiaofei sprang up, swiftly reclaiming the unconscious young police officer from the man’s grasp.

Click.

The strange typewriter-like sound echoed again. But this time, Li Xiaofei moved instantly, executing the Graceful Step of the Waves and leaving only an afterimage in his place.

Pfft.

A bullet struck where he had just been standing.

Li Xiaofei’s movements were erratic, his steps shifting like a ghostly mirage as he darted toward the southwest. The sharp pain in his right temple intensified; he had to find and eliminate the sniper hidden in the shadows.

Damn it.

This was the first time since his arrival in this world that he had suffered such a serious setback.

What kind of trouble did this young police officer get herself into? They even brought out firearms.

The Great Xia government strictly prohibited civilians from using firearms. Even most martial arts families wouldn’t dare privately stockpile firearms. If one was caught, it would be a serious crime.

The five major families of Liuhe Base City might possess firearms, but they wouldn’t dare use them unless it was absolutely necessary. Yet tonight, these black-clad men had brought out a sniper rifle, the most deadly weapon against martial artists. This was no ordinary power at play.

Sh-sh-sh.

Bullets whizzed through the air, piercing through the afterimages left by Li Xiaofei's Graceful Step of the Waves. The sniper hidden in the darkness was incredibly skilled as he constantly shifted positions as well. But Li Xiaofei eventually closed in on him.

Whoosh!

The Shaoze Sword of the Six Meridian Divine Sword shot through the air. A muffled groan echoed from the distant darkness.

When Li Xiaofei arrived, he only found a pool of fresh blood. The sniper had already vanished. The intensifying snowstorm aided the sniper in concealing himself.

A sniper with at least the strength of an Acupoint Opening Realm.

Li Xiaofei's heart sank. This trouble was bigger than anything Li Xiaofei had ever faced before. He had a vague sense that he was being drawn into a massive whirlpool of conflict. The danger was far from over.

He realized that he couldn't return to the slums. Doing so would bring disaster to his friends and family. He pulled out his portable light core and tried to call Tan Qingying. He needed to inform her that he wouldn’t make it on time and tell her to go home.

But the call didn’t go through. It was only then that he noticed his light core had lost all signal. All communication functions were jammed. He couldn’t make calls, nor could he access the internet.

A chill ran down his spine. He knew the situation had just escalated. He had to leave immediately. Just as this thought crossed his mind, the sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out from behind him.