The Pursuit!

Less than five minutes after Xia Ping left, two or three figures appeared in the shadowy alley. At their head was a tall, middle-aged man dressed in black. His muscles bulged, and he looked incredibly strong. A powerful aura radiated from him, hinting at unfathomable martial arts prowess.

"Boss, look! This guy's dead." One of the men, who had a hooked nose, spotted the corpse lying on the ground. His pupils contracted sharply, and he seemed shocked.

"What?!"

The middle-aged man in black's expression changed. "What happened? Given his strength, even if we'd surrounded him and left him badly wounded, he shouldn't have died so easily!"

"There's a hole in his chest. Someone must have punched straight through it with their bare hand." The hooked-nosed man examined the corpse. "A third party came into this alley and killed him."

He hadn't expected anything like this to happen. Someone else had gotten involved.

"What about the stuff he had on him? Where is it?" the middle-aged man in black demanded.

The hooked-nosed man checked and replied helplessly, "It's gone. Someone probably took it."

"Damn it!"

The middle-aged man's face darkened. "Notify Black Bear Company at once. Seal off the entire area within a hundred miles and hunt down every suspicious person.

"If you find any leads on the target, I authorize you to kill on sight. I don't care whether they live or die. I just want those things back. Otherwise, you can come back with your heads in your hands!"

Fury boiled over in him. A terrifying killing intent radiated from his body, and his aura shook the air. Cracks spread across the concrete at his feet with a series of sharp snaps.

"Yes, boss!"

His two subordinates shouted in unison.

The area where Black Bear Company operated was a ruined district of Black Moon City. Abandoned buildings stood everywhere, with countless derelict high-rises packed tightly together. The roads were a maze, and the ground was littered with rubble and scraps of paper, pockmarked with deep pits. The whole place was chaotic.

It was said that during the Great Cataclysm, this area had been attacked by hordes of monsters. The residents had fled, leaving the district in ruins, its buildings damaged everywhere.

Even after the monsters were driven away, the area never prospered again. Instead, it became a gathering place for gangsters, with a lawless atmosphere and a motley population.

The district was also vast, at least two hundred kilometers across. It was a massive maze, and without a map, it was easy to get lost.

Half an hour after fleeing Black Bear Company at full speed, Xia Ping had run twenty kilometers before reaching the ground floor of an abandoned high-rise. At last, he could catch his breath for a moment.

"Damn, what a stroke of bad luck. I never thought I'd run into something like this." Xia Ping felt helpless. "I killed someone near Black Bear Company. How am I supposed to buy the Golden Potion now? Do I have to buy it from another company?"

He knew perfectly well that by killing that strange middle-aged man and taking the mysterious package, he'd completely antagonized Black Bear Company.

If he went back there, the consequences were obvious. Even if no one had seen what he looked like, he didn't dare take that risk.

But what had that mysterious middle-aged man been carrying? Why had it drawn so many top experts after him and enraged a gang like Black Bear Company?

Xia Ping's eyes flickered. He immediately decided to open the package and see what was inside. What could it possibly be that had enraged Black Bear Company enough to send a group of experts after him?

Just then, a voice came from an alley in front of the abandoned building. "Huh? I think I heard footsteps in that building just now. Let's go check it out."

What?!

Xia Ping's instincts warned him that something was wrong. He immediately hid behind a nearby corner, out of sight from the alley. He heard hurried footsteps coming toward him.

"What are the odds? Are these people here looking for me?" His eyes flickered.

With several quick whooshes, two or three men appeared at the building's entrance. They were all wearing red tank tops, and each had the strength of a Martial Apprentice Fourth Heaven. A bloodthirsty aura clung to them. They had vicious eyes, scars on their faces, and tattoos on their shoulders. They were clearly no harmless men—they had probably killed before.

The three men entered the building's ground floor and looked around, on high alert.

"Strange. I'm sure I heard a noise just now. Why is it quiet now?" One man's eyes flickered, and he looked puzzled.

Another man said, "Maybe it was a cat. You must've mistaken it. This place is abandoned. Who could possibly be here? We should search somewhere else."

"Shut up!"

The third man spoke sternly. "You know our superiors ordered every Black Bear Company member to check anyone suspicious entering Black Moon City. Any stranger who shows up on our turf has to be searched carefully. If we find the target, kill them on the spot. No mercy."

"Exactly. The boss gave the order, and everyone on our turf has been mobilized. We've formed a tight encirclement around this area, leaving no way in or out. If we slack off, the boss will punish us. We'll be lucky to get off with our hides intact." One man looked terrified, clearly afraid of what might happen.

"I wonder who had the guts to steal from Black Bear Company. They're just asking to die." Another man sneered. "It won't be long before we find that guy and tear him limb from limb! Nobody gets to cause trouble on Black Bear Company's turf."

"No. Something's not right here."

The third man had sharp eyes. He studied the marks on the floor. "Look at this floor. No one's been in here for a long time. There's dust everywhere, but there are footprints besides ours. Someone definitely came in here."

Damn it!

Xia Ping's expression changed. He'd been in too much of a hurry when he hid and had forgotten to cover his tracks. The three men were already following the footprints toward him, their eyes gleaming with malice as killing intent filled the air.

No choice. They'd found him. He'd have to kill them!

Boom!

In an instant, just as the three men came within two or three meters of the corner, Xia Ping leaped out. Like a leopard, he lunged forward with explosive force and threw a punch.

Leopard Fist: Leopard Chain!

The punch was incredibly fast, its angle treacherous and vicious. It tore through the air with a furious whistle, unleashing a terrifying force in an instant.

The three men could never have expected their enemy to move so fast. Xia Ping had caught them completely off guard, and they were only two or three meters away. How could they possibly block him?!

Thud! Thud! Thud!!!

Three muffled impacts rang through the air. His terrifying fists slammed into the men's chests. Two of them had their chests caved in on the spot, their bones shattered and their hearts crushed.

"Damn it!"

The last man had a tenacious hold on life. Even after taking the blow, he managed to pull out the sharp knife he carried and tried to stab Xia Ping in the abdomen. His attack was vicious.

"Die!"

Xia Ping wasn't about to give him the chance. He was in front of the man in an instant, grabbed him, and with a sharp crack, snapped his neck.

All three men died on the spot.