Chapter 197
Malcolm Merlyn sighed in frustration and had no choice but to accept the challenge and continue fighting.
This time, however, he had already decided to back down.
The woman in front of him was getting stronger the more he fought, and there was another mysterious figure hiding in the shadows who knew his identity as Su Quan. If the fight continued, he would definitely not come out on top.
Let's retreat!
Malcolm Merlyn suddenly launched a fierce attack, forcing Laurel Lance back. Then he turned around and leaped swiftly off the roof.
He stopped in mid-air!
Malcolm Merlyn:???
Laurel Lance, who caught up:???
"Su Quan!"
Malcolm Merlyn shouted Su Quan's name in shame and anger.
His reaction was quick. Although he didn't know how Su Quan did it, there was no doubt that it was Su Quan who did it!
"Come out here!"
"No, put me down first!"
Malcolm Merlyn shouted through gritted teeth.
As soon as he finished speaking, an inexplicable force flung him back onto the roof, and then an even stranger scene unfolded.
The arrow he had just shot suddenly flew back from all directions on its own.
"Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish,"
One arrow after another flew precisely back into the quiver. But that wasn't all; one arrow actually landed directly in his hand, and his other hand involuntarily raised the bow.
So, he's going to keep playing by himself?!
That guy, he wouldn't let me leave, he wanted me to keep fighting this woman in front of me?
He made himself this woman's sparring partner!
That damn bastard, he's humiliating me!
Time and time again, Malcolm Merlyn gradually became numb.
He tried many times, but whenever he tried to escape, no matter how fast he moved or how realistic his previous feints were, as soon as he jumped off the roof, he would be shamefully frozen in mid-air by a mysterious force.
Then they threw him back onto the roof like trash, and thoughtfully put the scattered arrows back into his quiver.
He considered taking a passive approach, but every time he thought that way, his body would feel inexplicably heavy, making it impossible for him to properly parry or dodge the opponent's attacks. Although the opponent did not use any particularly vicious attacks, he was still seriously injured.
More importantly, he lost face being beaten like that!
He admitted that the woman was indeed very skilled in combat, and that she was improving very quickly, but that did not change the fact that she was just a novice who only knew how to talk about fighting.
Who am I?
Malcolm Merlyn!
He endured so much pain and suffering, and finally learned all the skills from the League of Assassins, becoming the Leader of the underground alliance in Starling City.
With a single word from him, Starling City would tremble. Calling him an underground emperor wouldn't be an exaggeration. Yet now he's being mocked like a puppet, being used as a sparring partner for a newbie. This kind of humiliation is unacceptable to any proud person!
A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!
Malcolm Merlyn completely lost his temper and said, "You wanted me to be your sparring partner? I'm done! Go ahead and kill me!"
Su Quan's goal is to use him as her sparring partner, so that she won't get angry and kill him, right?
Su Quan never showed up, but Malcolm Merlyn had no doubt that he could easily kill him.
Malcolm Merlyn's plan was brilliant: to prove his point by dying, forcing Su Quan to show himself or end this humiliating sparring match.
However, he underestimated Su Quan's methods.
You don't want to fight?
It doesn't matter, I can control you to fight, and that will be more effective than if you fight it yourself!
I'm just using your body and abilities; whether you want to or not is completely irrelevant.
A true tool!
Ultimately, Malcolm Merlyn had no choice but to lie down.
Do whatever you want, I'm giving up.
Destroy it already, I'm tired.
Time flowed by like water, and in his daze, Malcolm Merlyn suddenly felt a faint light appear in the previously dim sky.
Daylight broke!
Malcolm Merlyn blinked; the woman was no longer on the rooftop.
It's over?
It's finally over!!!
Malcolm Merlyn almost burst into tears of joy. He raised his arms and shouted, then dragged his tired and aching body slowly, slowly, toward the edge of the roof, and tentatively jumped off like a snake in a bow.
"Bang."
He landed, and he was finally—free!
Malcolm Merlyn glanced at the Void Bookstore unconsciously. Even though the doors and windows were tightly shut, he seemed to see someone inside the bookstore nodding to him, as if welcoming him to visit again.
He shivered inexplicably, turned away with apprehension, and hurriedly left.
After returning home, he remained tight-lipped and refused to mention anything, whether it was his son Tommy asking him questions or Moira Queen calling him.
Before figuring out Su Quan's identity and strength, and without absolute certainty, he would not provoke Su Quan again.
He already had a vague idea about the woman he had fought with all night.
Nine times out of ten, it should be the bookstore employee who boarded the ship with Su Quan. She is said to be the sister of the woman named Sara who was sent to the League of Assassins, and the eldest daughter of Detective Quentin Lance — Laurel Lance!
But what good will knowing her identity do?
Her progress has been so rapid that, in terms of strength alone, she has already surpassed him. Moreover, she has a set of powerful equipment, so he simply cannot do anything to her.
Dealing with her father, Quentin Lance? That's easy, but can she bear the consequences of her and Su Quan's retaliation afterward?
So he endured it and accepted it!
That night, Malcolm Merlyn, who had already fallen asleep, suddenly woke up and, without his control, put on his uniform and equipment, and once again came to the roof of the bookstore.
On the rooftop, Laurel Lance, fully armed, had been waiting for a long time!
"Asshole!"
"Su Quan, you're a bastard!"
Malcolm Merlyn was so angry that he cursed, "I haven't bothered with you at all, but you still won't let me go!"
You, you're not human!
If you try to hold back for a moment, you'll only get angrier the more you think about it: if you give in, you'll only get worse!
Malcolm Merlyn roared angrily, turned around, and jumped off the roof.
"Bang!"
A few seconds later, he was thrown back.
"I knew this would happen!" Malcolm Merlyn cursed viciously, and could only obediently become a sparring partner.
Another sleepless night.
Just like yesterday, at dawn, Laurel Lance left, and Malcolm Merlyn silently jumped off the roof and went home.
Then, night fell—
The sparring session has arrived as scheduled!
Malcolm Merlyn was numb; he was truly numb.
I have no choice but to accept it; what can I do?
In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.
As night fell, Malcolm Merlyn very consciously and voluntarily came to the rooftop. However, this time, the person waiting for him on the rooftop was not Laurel Lance, but a very young Asian man.
"Su Quan!"
Malcolm Merlyn's expression hardened; he wondered what Su Quan's purpose was in suddenly appearing today.
Does that mean you no longer need to be your sparring partner?
It's possible that Laurel Lance has improved too quickly, and although he doesn't want to admit it, he seems to no longer be qualified to be her sparring partner.
"I am no longer of any value. Are you finally going to kill me?" Malcolm Merlyn said in a low voice.
Su Quan was surprised. Putting aside the fact that you have worked hard this past month, even if you haven't made any great contributions, just the fact that you are Thea Queen's biological father is enough for me not to kill you so easily!