Kidnapping II

Li Shifu had only gotten halfway through his sentence before he breathed his last. Only then did Su Ti realize how severe his injuries were. Half his chest had collapsed inward; there was no saving him. That final burst had been his last flash of life.

"Fuck!"

Su Ti clenched his fists, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.

Li Shifu had been killed, and his older and younger cousins had been kidnapped right in front of him. Who exactly were these people?

Were they Li Zong's people, or was there someone else behind this?

And what had Li Shifu meant by saying they were not human?

Su Ti had no time to think. Li Shifu was already dead, and there was no reason for him to stay. He leaped into the driver's seat of the black sedan, started the engine, and floored the accelerator. With a screech, the car shot forward like an enraged bull.

"I didn't expect that Tongli Stage bodyguard to have a gun. That really caught me off guard. These bullets fucking hurt when they hit."

A pale-faced man in a black hoodie sat in the passenger seat of the van, cursing under his breath. Looking closely, his body was covered in blood. It had soaked through the seatback and pooled on the cushion.

Visible bullet holes covered his upper body, yet the man seemed completely unfazed. He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. White smoke drifted out from both his mouth and the bullet holes in his chest.

Seeing this, the short-haired man driving revealed a look of disgust mixed with apprehension.

"I was startled too. I didn't expect you to be so reckless. You didn't even dodge. You just took the hits head-on and killed him."

At the short-haired man's words, the hooded man bared his pale teeth and gave a low, chilling laugh.

"I can't die, so why would I dodge? Heh, if that Su bastard hadn't wanted to play it safe, I could've handled this job alone. We wouldn't have needed you at all."

"You're saying I didn't contribute?"

The driver's expression turned dangerous. Even the hands gripping the steering wheel began to redden slightly.

"Hehe, I didn't mean that."

"Then what did you mean?"

The hooded man blew out a mouthful of smoke and curled his lip. Though his body was unusual, his actual strength was still inferior to the driver's. Seeing that the driver was clearly angry, he took a step back and chuckled.

"What I mean is, who am I, Lian Wei? As long as the money's right, I'll take any job—murder, kidnapping, robbery, rape, whatever."

As he spoke, Lian Wei turned to glance at the unconscious Su Yuwei and Su Qiaoqiao in the backseat. A trace of lust appeared in his eyes as he licked his dry lips.

By then, the bullet holes on his body had begun to close, and the bleeding had stopped.

"But you, Wang Jiu—a proud disciple of the Songyang Sect, one of the righteous and respectable. You're doing dirty work like this for money. If your sect finds out, you'll be utterly disgraced."

"None of your fucking business. I know Corpse Puppet Sect people are hard to kill, but if you don't watch that rotten mouth of yours, I can make you experience a fate worse than death."

Lian Wei snorted coldly, clearly disdainful, but said nothing more.

Wang Jiu continued driving, though his gaze was somewhat complicated. There truly was a vast difference between their identities.

The Songyang Sect was one of the righteous and prestigious sects in Nanfeng Province. It was vastly different from Heretical Sects like the Corpse Puppet Sect, sinister and bizarre organizations that would commit any evil for money.

This was Wang Jiu's first time working with a Corpse Puppet Sect disciple on dirty work like kidnapping and abduction. If word got out, he would have no place left in the righteous martial world. He might even be expelled from his sect and have his martial arts taken away.

But Wang Jiu had always loved gambling and had racked up a mountain of debt. He had truly run out of options.

The amount he owed was simply too enormous. Even an Inner Refinement Stage martial artist would be unable to repay it without doing this kind of dirty work.

At that thought, Wang Jiu took out his phone and made a call.

Beep, beep.

The call was answered quickly.

"Hello."

A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end.

"President Su, we've handled what you asked us to do. Su Zihao's two daughters are both in our hands now. You can make your demands to Su Zihao."

Wang Jiu spoke into the phone in a deep voice.

The moment he heard this, the middle-aged man on the other end let out an excited cry.

"Good, good, good! Heaven has eyes, heaven has eyes! Su Zihao, Su Zihao, you've taken so much from me over the years. Now you've finally fallen into my hands!"

Hearing the man's excited voice, Wang Jiu suddenly reminded him.

"President Su, don't forget what you promised us. No matter how much you squeeze out of Su Zihao, half of it belongs to us."

At that, President Su gave a cold snort.

"Don't worry. You won't be shortchanged. What Su Zihao has taken from me over the years is enough to ensure that the two of you live comfortably for the rest of your lives."

"But remember this: I still have use for Su Zihao's two daughters. Don't you dare kill them. If anything happens to either of them, neither of you will get a single cent!"

Those words were not directed at Wang Jiu, but at Lian Wei.

Lian Wei had been born into a Heretical Sect like the Corpse Puppet Sect, an organization that killed people to cultivate and was rejected by the secular world. He was cruel and bloodthirsty by nature. Of every ten hostages who fell into his hands, nine were tortured to death. He also had a severe cannibalistic obsession and enjoyed eating living people raw. The name Human Demon Lian Wei was infamous even in the underworld.

President Su had specifically brought in Wang Jiu, an Inner Refinement martial artist from the Songyang Sect, for two reasons. One was for added insurance. The other was to have him keep Lian Wei in check so he would not cause trouble again.

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on him."

"Good."

President Su hung up, excitement filling his heart. He could hardly wait to share this good news with Su Zihao.

The instant the call ended, Lian Wei, seated in the passenger seat, gave a lewd chuckle, unbuckled his seat belt, and crawled toward the backseat.

"What are you doing?"

Wang Jiu's brows drew together as he drove.

"What am I doing? Of course I'm going to fuck them. Two gorgeous beauties, soft and lovely as jade. You're not tempted?"

Lian Wei grinned obscenely. He did enjoy eating human flesh, but he was still a man and had needs in that regard.

Hearing this, Wang Jiu relaxed slightly. As long as no one died, it was fine. Still, he despised what Lian Wei was doing and cursed.

"Scum."

Lian Wei snorted coldly.

"Scum? If I hadn't lost so much blood that I couldn't get hard, I'd have done them already. I can't stand you so-called righteous sects. Every one of you is filthier than the last in private, yet you still mock us heretics."

As Lian Wei spoke, he climbed into the backseat and began unfastening his belt.

A look of shame and anger appeared on Wang Jiu's face. But then he saw the women's delicate faces and fair skin in the rearview mirror, and his throat involuntarily bobbed as he swallowed.

"Wait."

The sudden words made Lian Wei stop. He turned his head and asked.

"What?"

After a long silence, Wang Jiu finally said.

"Leave one for me."

Lian Wei burst into laughter.

"Now that's more like it."

Just as Lian Wei was about to make his move, a beam of snow-white high beams suddenly pierced through the van's rear window and shone directly onto his face.

His vision turned completely white, and Lian Wei raised a hand to block the glare.

"Fuck, which little bastard is that?"

Wang Jiu, however, saw clearly through the rearview mirror. It was a black sedan with a somewhat damaged hood.

"That's the car Su Zihao's two daughters were riding in earlier. Someone caught up to us!"

Earlier, Su Ti had still been some distance away, and it was nighttime. Though he had chased after them at full speed, they had not noticed him.

But now someone had caught up. This was far beyond Wang Jiu's expectations. Could Su Zihao have had another bodyguard hidden away?

Lian Wei was utterly unafraid. He had done countless dirty jobs involving kidnapping and murder, and he remained perfectly calm in situations like this.

He pulled up his pants, a fierce expression appearing on his face.

"Hmph, so what if someone caught up? We're out in the middle of nowhere. Just kill him."

Wang Jiu nodded slightly, agreeing with Lian Wei. Whoever the newcomer was, what they had done absolutely could not be exposed.

The two had planned their escape route before carrying out the kidnapping. They had driven straight toward the outskirts, and after traveling for so long, they had already reached the suburbs.

There was no one around, not even a surveillance camera. Wang Jiu deliberately slowed down and gradually pulled the van over to the roadside.

Su Zihao's two daughters were still in the van, so the car behind them did not dare ram into them. After Wang Jiu slowed down and stopped, it merely halted a short distance behind them with its headlights on.

Bang!

The passenger-side door of the van opened, and Lian Wei got out. He had vaguely seen that there was only one person in the other car, so he instructed Wang Jiu.

"Don't make a move yet. This bastard dared ruin my fun. I'll make him regret being born!"

The black sedan's high beams made the person getting out appear as nothing but a dark silhouette. He could not see the person's face, only that he seemed to be a young man.

Watching the black figure emerge from the sedan, Lian Wei twisted his left fist with his right hand, making his bones crack, and walked over with a savage grin.

"You little bastard, I'm going to break all four of your limbs and shove your head up your ass."

Before he could finish, the silhouette suddenly lashed out with a kick. It struck Lian Wei in the abdomen like a cannonball!

Boom!

Lian Wei's limbs flung forward, his eyes bulged, and he was sent flying backward!

He crashed viciously into the van's rear compartment with a deafening boom, forcibly denting the entire back of the van inward!

Seeing that terrifying sight, Wang Jiu's expression changed sharply from the driver's seat.

"An Inner Refinement Stage martial artist?!"

They had investigated Su Zihao for a long time for this job. They knew he only had one Tongli Stage driver under him, but they had known absolutely nothing about an Inner Refinement Stage martial artist.

"So what if he's an Inner Refinement Stage martial artist?!"

A furious roar rang out.

Crack, crack.

Lian Wei was embedded in the van's rear compartment, with a sunken shoeprint in the middle of his abdomen. Yet in the next instant, his joints crackled, his entire body erupted with strength, and he forcibly tore himself free from the twisted metal.

Once he was down, his abdomen swelled, changing from sunken to flat. Blood streamed down his upper body, but he moved without any difficulty.

Su Ti's full-force kick had done little more than tear open some of the bullet holes on Lian Wei's body. It had barely injured him at all!

Seeing this, Su Ti narrowed his eyes. That kick had felt as though it had struck a tough piece of tree bark, with most of its force greatly reduced.

Noticing Su Ti's surprise, Lian Wei gave a cold chuckle.

"Hehe, kid, scared now? This is the Corpse Body Skill of my Corpse Puppet Sect. You think ordinary fists and kicks can break my—"

Boom!

Before Lian Wei could finish, a huge hand as thick as a giant python, swollen red and dark, suddenly lunged at him. The terrifying aura made his expression change.

He raised both arms, trying to block the grab. But in midair, the giant arm instantly changed from a grab into a chop, and the edge of the hand slashed viciously into Lian Wei's neck.

Boom!

Lian Wei's neck was directly smashed inward and deformed. He was sent flying like he had been hit by a car, both feet leaving the ground as he spun wildly through the air.

Lian Wei flew five or six meters, eyes bulging and neck twisted, before crashing heavily onto the ground. Only then had Wang Jiu just stepped out of the van.

Seeing this, his expression, which had not yet calmed, changed drastically again.

"Great Accomplishment of Inner Refinement?!"

That strike's power, speed, and the reaction to change moves mid-combat were absolutely not something someone at the middle stage of Inner Refinement could achieve!

There were two possibilities. The first was that this person had reached Great Accomplishment of Inner Refinement, attaining the fifth or even sixth layer of Inner Refinement.

The second was that this person was at the middle stage of Inner Refinement, but his fighting style had reached, or was infinitely close to, Great Accomplishment. Only then could he send an Inner Refinement Third Layer martial artist like Lian Wei flying with one palm.

Su Ti did not answer Wang Jiu's question. Instead, he spoke coldly.

"I'll only ask this once. Who sent you?"

With one palm, he had seemingly beaten Lian Wei to death. Su Ti's voice was ice-cold and carried immense pressure as he walked toward Wang Jiu.

He could already confirm that these men were not Li Zong's people. If they were, there was no way they would not recognize him.

Wang Jiu was also an Ancient Martial Arts practitioner. His martial arts were even stronger than Lian Wei's, and he possessed the cultivation of the Inner Refinement Fourth Layer! Naturally, he would not be intimidated so easily.

Seeing that Su Ti did not take him seriously at all, Wang Jiu felt both nervous and angry. Yet his face remained calm as he slowly stepped backward.

As he retreated, he hid one hand behind his back, its palm turning red at an incredible speed.

Only when it had reddened to the point where it seemed ready to drip blood did he stomp forward. With a boom, a ring of dust exploded from the concrete beneath him, leaving two deep shoeprints in the shattered ground. Then Wang Jiu shot high into the air like a cannonball fired from its barrel, crashing toward Su Ti.

His blood-red right palm slammed down at Su Ti as he roared wildly!

"You want to know?! Ask the King of Hell!"