Three Fingers

It wasn't clear if the villain's tendency to monologue was at play, but after heavily wounding Li Congxin, Madame Gao didn't immediately pursue. Instead, she let out a cold laugh and declared loudly, "Come out, everyone. It's time to cast the net."

As her words fell, Li Congxin felt a sudden jolt of unease. Then, he saw dozens of ninjas wielding katanas leap out from the surrounding darkness, converging to attack Li Congxin and his companions.

An ambush!

Li Congxin's brow furrowed at the sight. He finally understood their true objective.

Mindy's ability to escape to this point was entirely intentional on their part. Their goal was to use her as bait to lure him out...

No!

Seeing Madame Gao standing aside, already in a posture of enjoying the show and showing no intention of quickly killing them, Li Congxin suddenly realized a more serious problem.

He suspected that even he had become bait for the enemy.

Their target was likely the entire Heroes Alliance!

This was the only explanation that made sense of everything!

What a vicious woman!

Realizing this, Li Congxin wished he could immediately send a message to his friends, warning them to be extremely careful.

However, since they had laid such a comprehensive trap, how could they allow him to break free so easily?

Just as Li Congxin grasped the situation, the ninjas at the front swung their katanas, bringing them down towards his head.

Li Congxin had no choice but to fight. He first kicked one of the ninjas in the chest. The 2000 pounds of force instantly erupted, shattering the opponent's internal organs and sending him flying like a projectile. He knocked over the two ninjas following closely behind him, and in the process, Li Congxin snatched a katana from one of them and tossed it to Mindy beside him.

"Protect yourself!"

After giving the instruction, Li Congxin retrieved the specially made black cloth hidden at his waist.

With a casual flick, he rolled it into a staff!

The special black cloth had excellent toughness; even when directly colliding with the ninjas' katanas, it was difficult to damage. Wielding the Four Gates Staff Technique, the surrounding ninjas couldn't even get within a few feet of him.

Anyone grazed by Li Congxin's cloth staff would either drop their weapon or suffer broken bones. Those unlucky enough to be hit in a vital spot would die on the spot.

Among the ninjas, none were his match.

Meanwhile, Mindy, with Li Congxin's protection, was also fighting fiercely. Although not as efficient as Li Congxin, she could protect herself.

Even so, Madame Gao's expression remained utterly unconcerned, as calm as ever.

Li Congxin knew her plan but was powerless to stop it.

It was an open scheme, with no easy way to break it!

He couldn't exactly kill himself just because the enemy wanted them to live a little longer, could he? He didn't want to give them the chance to use him.

Li Congxin admitted he wasn't capable of disregarding life and death to that extent.

Helplessly, he could only swing his cloth staff, beating back the relentless wave of ninjas as hard as he could. Every one he took down was a victory!

"Black Mask, don't rush, Daredevil is here!"

With a sudden shout, Daredevil, clad in his red suit, made a spectacular entrance. Wielding two short batons, he sent the outer ninjas scattering.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Following Daredevil, the Punisher, a man of few words, joined the fray without a sound, unleashing a bloody barrage from his dual pistols.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!" Hawkeye occupied a vantage point, providing long-range archery support. Each arrow loosed from his bow took the life of a ninja.

The three top experts of the Heroes Alliance arrived to assist. With their combined efforts, the dozens of ninjas were instantly reduced to cold corpses.

They all surrounded Madame Gao, looking as if the situation was well in hand.

Sensing that no one else was alive besides Madame Gao, Daredevil frowned and complained, "You guys are a bit too ruthless, aren't you?"

The Punisher scoffed at his words and retorted, "Don't they deserve to die?"

Daredevil still sounded indignant, saying, "But their fate shouldn't be judged by us!"

"In fact, their sins should be judged by God," Li Congxin said, stepping forward with a solemn expression. "All we did was send them to face His judgment."

Received Impression Points from Frank Castle +666!

...This sentiment resonates deeply with me.

Received Impression Points from Clinton Francis Barton +1234!

...This kid always says such unique things.

Received Impression Points from Mindy Macready +233!

...Clark's words are just so cool! I'll write them down in my notebook!

Received Impression Points from Matthew Murdock +7777!

...You're the first person to describe the grave sin of killing so elegantly and refreshingly!

Received Impression Points from Madame Gao +166!

Received Impression Points from Bakuto +177!

Received Impression Points from Murakami +199!

When he saw the last three names on the system interface, Li Congxin's expression had completely darkened. "What's more, now is not the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves."

As he spoke, Li Congxin looked around with a grave expression and said with a wry smile, "Actually, we don't have any advantage at all. On the contrary, we are probably facing an unprecedentedly huge crisis right now!"

"The little fellow is quite alert." As if to confirm Li Congxin's words, an old man with white hair, dressed in a black skin-tight suit, indistinguishable from those cannon fodder ninjas except for not wearing a mask on his head, walked over from the side behind everyone, holding a katana. His steps were neither fast nor slow, but with every stride, he exuded an incredibly strong confidence, as if Li Congxin and the other four were already fish on a chopping block, lambs waiting to be slaughtered!

"Click, click, click..."

At the same time, a crisp sound of wooden clogs stepping on the ground came from another direction. Although the sound was not loud, it brought immense pressure to the five of them, as if an Asura emerging from hell was approaching them step by step.

Turning their heads, they saw an old man dressed in a kimono, also holding a Japanese katana. Yet, this seemingly ordinary old man made them smell the scent of death.

Madame Gao, Murakami, Bakuto...

The three old men, each possessing a different demeanor, were equally terrifying and deadly!

What Li Congxin didn't know was that these three elders were core members of The Hand, and like a certain professor from outer space, they were all old monsters who had lived for over four hundred years!

In fact, within The Hand, there were as many as five such powerful individuals, referred to as the Five Fingers.

Facing three powerhouses like Madame Gao simultaneously, Li Congxin felt he might be done for today. The numerical advantage of the Heroes Alliance could not compensate for the qualitative gap!

Subconsciously, Li Congxin clenched the cloth staff in his hand.

Even if he was going to die, he would spit blood in their faces!

As if sensing Li Congxin's resolve, the originally impassioned "A Man Should Better Himself" suddenly stopped, and in its place, a more blood-boiling background music began to play in the empty park.

"Wind rolls dust and sand, clouds turn to rain, countless heroes surge from all directions, righteousness remains in the human world from ancient to modern times."

"Swords and sabers shuttle swiftly, emotions entwine the hero's body, tears of love are sprinkled on the earth with wine, and the past is written with fervent blood!"

"Where is there constant victory and invincibility?"

"Where are people who do not leave?"

"Where is there an endless song?"

"Where is there a feast that never ends!?"