Chapter 285: The Return Of Zhong Kui

"Tianshun Manor, the temporary interrogation group base, in one hour," Zhen Jiahui said before hanging up.

"Li Xiaofei will definitely come." He said smugly. "I’ve studied him. Not only is he impulsive, but he’s also fiercely protective of his people. The Incense Masters we captured from the Cloudy Sky Gang are just bait. He thinks we’re just giving him trouble, but he doesn’t know that this time... it’s meant to be his end."

Across from him, Gu Juechen exhaled in relief. "The boy has the strength of a Five Spirits Realm expert. We need to be careful. If we fail to kill him, we risk serious consequences."

Zhen Jiahui smiled confidently. "We have a power armor combat team, two Jiepeng cyborgs, and two Five Spirits Realm mercenaries from the darknet waiting in ambush at the manor. Inspector Wu himself promised to intervene if needed. Plus, we have you, me, and those hostages. I refuse to believe we can’t take him down."

Gu Juechen nodded. "Once he’s gone, Tan Zhenwei will be as good as crippled. Even if the Tan family headquarters applies pressure, our plan can still succeed if we force him out of Liuhe Base City. We’ll need more time to gain full control of the city without the Ye family, but it's still possible."

Zhen Jiahui chuckled. "The five major families of Liuhe Base City will remain. We still have the Du, Mu, and Qi families. They ask for less and are more obedient than the Ye family... heh, there’s always an abundance of dogs in this world, as long as you have bones to offer."

Gu Juechen nodded again but, truthfully, he felt no fondness for the man before him. Zhen Jiahui was nothing more than a lowborn from a fallen noble family in Lanfu Base City. His very essence reeked of the stench of an inferior, someone unworthy of standing on equal ground with someone of Gu Juechen’s noble lineage.

Moreover, after several interactions, Gu Juechen had already discerned Zhen Jiahui’s narrow mindset. The man could only see what was in front of him and was blind to the future. He lacked any real vision. Yet he believed that he possessed remarkable talent and constantly basked in self-satisfaction and delusions of grandeur.

Perhaps he was adept at backstabbing and scheming. But his selfish, profit-driven nature meant he would never have true allies. He would certainly never be taken seriously by the great noble families.

"Very well, if necessary, I can take action tonight," Gu Juechen said, despite the distaste he felt toward Zhen. "However, as we agreed, Li Xiaofei’s body will belong to the Gu family."

"No problem," Zhen Jiahui replied.

If you live long enough to see the end of the battle, that is.

He, too, wanted Li Xiaofei’s body. The street rat from the slum possessed an unnervingly powerful cultivation. The various Saint families had analyzed his combat footage, and their final conclusion had been chilling.

Suspected bloodline bearer.

And it wasn’t just any bloodline. It was highly likely that his bloodline didn’t belong to any of the seven hundred and twenty recognized bloodlines in the world today. Instead, it was posited that it was an undiscovered special bloodline.

Jiepeng had long placed a hefty bounty on the darknet for Li Xiaofei’s blood. If they could obtain his body, the price would skyrocket. Rumor had it that Jiepeng's New Martial Arts surgery had developed cutting-edge technology that allowed for the extraction of ability factors from bloodline bearers.

Li Xiaofei’s exceptional performance had caught Jiepeng’s attention. He was now marked as the ideal research subject. Obtaining his body would win a favor from Jiepeng, potentially securing support from the restless superpower. With their backing, Zhen Jiahui’s ambitions in Liuhe Base City and the entire Northwest Administrative Region could soar.

Zhen Jiahui had already put his plans in motion. It would be ideal if Gu Juechen died at the hands of Li Xiaofei. If not, Zhen Jiahui would handle it himself in secret. After all, Gu Juechen was merely a fallen member of a once-great Saint family. Killing him would not be a problem.

Zhen Jiahui wasn’t blind. He could see clearly that Gu Juechen, despite their cooperation, looked down on him for his lower-class origins. They were only working together out of necessity, and both were fully aware of the unspoken contempt between them.

"Alright, let's prepare ourselves. In one hour..."

Gu Juechen stood and was about to leave when suddenly, a series of screams echoed from outside. The blaring sound of alarms filled the air. Zhen Jiahui’s expression darkened.

What’s going on?

"Sir! Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui has infiltrated the premises!" A panicked patrol soldier rushed in, shouting, "He’s already killed several of our men!"

Zhong Kui?! At such a critical moment, why is that demon here?

Zhen Jiahui shuddered, a cold frisson running down his spine.

Gu Juechen was equally taken aback. "If he’s attacking now, he must be in league with Li Xiaofei. He must be killed before he joins forces with Li Xiaofei; otherwise, tonight’s plan will fall apart."

Zhen Jiahui immediately gave the order, "Deploy the power armor squad."

After fully arming himself, he stepped out onto the balcony of the pavilion to look down into the courtyard below. There, a demon seemed to be rampaging through the manor grounds. Wielding a massive crimson broadblade, the figure cut down the Star Council warriors like grass. Every flash of the blade caused another body to drop.

"What incredible swordsmanship!" Gu Juechen couldn’t help but exclaim.

It was Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui. His sword technique was a display of unparalleled skill.

"How did he infiltrate the manor?" Zhen Jiahui wondered aloud, scanning the surroundings.

The manor's defense systems had neither been breached nor triggered. The combat teams stationed outside had failed to detect the intruder in time. The warriors inside the manor were the first to encounter Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui.

Tianshun Manor was one of Jiepeng's well-fortified estates in Liuhe Base City. It was meticulously designed with formidable defenses. Even a typical Five Spirits Realm warrior would find it difficult to breach. Not even a Golden Body Realm master could sneak in unnoticed. Yet, somehow, Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui had appeared deep within the heart of the estate. It was too strange.

"This fiend must possess some highly advanced stealth technique," Gu Juechen muttered.

He harbored deep hatred for Zhong Kui. If that monster hadn’t wiped out the Ye family, Gu Juechen’s plans in Liuhe Base City wouldn’t have faced so many setbacks and forced him to cooperate with the likes of Zhen Jiahui.

In no time, nearly all the warriors in the courtyard had been slaughtered. But neither Zhen Jiahui nor Gu Juechen appeared worried. The power armor squad had been deployed.

Out of the darkness, a laser beam suddenly cut through the air. The silent light beam struck Zhong Kui before he could react, forcing him back several steps.

The massive, godlike figure's chest emitted black smoke as a large charred wound appeared just above his chest.

In the next moment, five figures clad in metal exoskeletons revealed themselves from different angles. They didn’t hesitate as they unleashed their first barrage at Ghost Slayer Zhong Kui.