Three Fingers

Whether it was because the saying that villains died from talking too much had taken effect, after Madame Gao landed a devastating blow on Li Congxin, she did not immediately pursue him. Instead, she gave a cold laugh and called out, "Come on out. It's time to close the net."

The moment her voice fell, Li Congxin suddenly felt a pang of dread. Then, from the surrounding shadows, dozens of ninjas wielding samurai swords leaped out and charged toward him and the others.

They had been lying in ambush all along!

Li Congxin frowned at the sight. He finally understood their true objective.

Mindy had been able to escape from them all the way here because they had deliberately allowed it. Their goal was to use her as bait to lure him out...

No!

Seeing Madame Gao standing off to the side, looking as if she were waiting to enjoy the show, without the slightest intention of quickly killing the two of them, Li Congxin suddenly realized there was an even more serious problem.

He himself had probably become their bait as well.

Their target was most likely the entire Heroes Alliance!

Only that explanation could make sense of everything!

What a vicious old hag!

After realizing this, Li Congxin wished he could immediately send a message in the group, warning the others to be extremely careful.

However, since the enemy had laid such an inescapable net, how could they let him break out of it so easily?

Just as Li Congxin realized what was happening, the ninja at the front had already swung his samurai sword down at him.

Li Congxin had no choice but to fight. He first kicked the ninja in the chest. The force of his 2,000-pound kick erupted in an instant, shattering the man's internal organs. Then he kicked him away like a hidden weapon, sending him crashing into the two ninjas charging up behind him. At the same time, he snatched the samurai sword from the man's hand and tossed it to Mindy.

"Protect yourself!"

After giving that instruction, Li Congxin pulled out the specially made black cloth hidden around his waist.

With a casual twist, he condensed the cloth into a staff!

The specially made black cloth was astonishingly tough. Even when it collided head-on with the ninjas' samurai swords, it was difficult to damage. Once he unleashed the Four Gates Staff Technique, the ninjas surging in to surround him could not approach within ten feet of him.

Anyone merely grazed by Li Congxin's cloth staff would be disarmed at best and suffer broken bones at worst. Those unlucky enough to be struck in a vital spot died on the spot.

Among the ninjas, not one could withstand even a single move from him.

Meanwhile, with Li Congxin looking after her, Mindy was also cutting loose. Although her efficiency was nowhere near Li Congxin's, she had no trouble protecting herself.

Even so, not the slightest trace of anxiety appeared on Madame Gao's face. She remained utterly calm.

Although Li Congxin knew what she intended, there was nothing he could do.

This was an open scheme. There was no way to break it!

He could hardly kill himself just because the enemy wanted them to live a little longer, thereby denying them the chance to use him, could he?

Li Congxin had to admit that he was not yet capable of treating life and death with such indifference.

With no other choice, he could only swing his cloth staff and beat the ninjas charging forward one after another to death. Every extra one he killed was a gain!

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

With a sudden thunderous shout, Daredevil made a dazzling entrance in his red suit. Holding two short batons, he slaughtered the ninjas on the perimeter, sending them sprawling in all directions.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After Daredevil, the man of few words, Punisher, joined the battle without saying a word. His first move was a twin-pistol barrage that sent sprays of blood flying.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Hawkeye took up a high vantage point and provided long-range support with his bow. Every arrow that left his string claimed a ninja's life.

With the three great experts of the Heroes Alliance arriving to reinforce them, the five of them worked together, and the dozens of ninjas turned into cold corpses in the blink of an eye.

Everyone surrounded Madame Gao, who had led the group, making it look as if victory was already assured.

Noticing that, aside from Madame Gao, not a single enemy remained alive, Daredevil frowned and complained, "Did you guys really have to go that far?"

Punisher curled his lip and asked disdainfully, "Didn't they deserve to die?"

Daredevil still sounded indignant. "But their lives and deaths shouldn't be for us to judge!"

"Actually, their crimes should be judged by God." Li Congxin stepped forward, his expression solemn. "What we did before was merely send them to the old man so he could judge them there."

Received 666 Impression Points from Frank Castle!

...I really like what he said.

Received 1234 Impression Points from Clinton Francis Barton!

...That kid always says things in such a unique way.

Received 233 Impression Points from Mindy Macready!

...What Clark said was just too cool! I'm writing it down in my notebook first!

Received 7777 Impression Points from Matthew Murdock!

...You're the first person I've ever seen make the grave sin of murder sound so fresh and refined!

Received 166 Impression Points from Madame Gao!

Received 177 Impression Points from Bakuto!

Received 199 Impression Points from Murakami!

When he saw the last three names on the system interface, Li Congxin's face darkened completely. "Besides, this is hardly the time for us to be fighting among ourselves."

As he spoke, Li Congxin looked solemnly around them and said with a bitter smile, "In fact, not only have we failed to gain any advantage, we've instead fallen into an unprecedented crisis!"

"The little fellow is pretty sharp." As if to prove Li Congxin's words, an old white-haired man wearing a black bodysuit—almost identical to those cannon-fodder ninjas except that he was not wearing a hood—walked over from one side behind them, holding a samurai sword. His pace was neither hurried nor slow, but every step radiated overwhelming confidence, as if the five of them were already fish on a chopping board, lambs waiting to be slaughtered!

"Click, clack, click, clack, click..."

At the same time, the crisp sound of wooden sandals striking the ground came from another direction. Though the sound was not loud, it placed immense pressure on the five of them, as if an asura from hell were slowly approaching them step by step.

They turned to look and saw an old man in a kimono. He likewise held a Japanese samurai sword with a yellow-flowering acacia guard. He looked utterly ordinary, yet somehow made the group smell the breath of death.

Madame Gao, Murakami, Bakuto...

The three old men each possessed a different air, but they were equally terrifying and equally deadly!

What Li Congxin did not know was that these three old men were all true core members of The Hand. Like a certain professor from the stars, they were all ancient monsters who had lived for more than four hundred years!

In fact, The Hand had five such powerful experts. They were known as the Five Fingers.

Facing three experts as powerful as Madame Gao at once, Li Congxin felt that he might be doomed today. The Heroes Alliance's advantage in numbers could not make up for the gap in quality!

Almost instinctively, Li Congxin tightened his grip on the cloth staff.

Even if he was going to die, he would at least spray the enemy's face with blood!

Perhaps sensing the resolve in Li Congxin's heart, the rousing "A Man Should Better Himself" abruptly stopped. In its place, a background song even more blood-pumping rang out across the empty park.

"Wind rolls dust and sand rise, clouds turn to rain and fall to earth, countless heroes surge from all directions, righteous spirit of the world exists through ages."

"Blades and swords flash and clash, love thoughts entwine hero's body, tears of love scatter with wine across heaven and earth, dipped full in hot blood, write the past!"

"Where is the always-victorious, the undefeatable?"

"Who among the people never leaves?"

"Where is the song with no ending?"

"Where is the feast that never disperses!?"