Chapter 33

"Brother Luo..."

He whispered while carefully prying open the bedcovers with the dagger in his hand.

At the same time, he held his breath, his muscles tensed and ready for anything.

The bulging quilt was slowly lifted.

However, there was no one underneath, only a few upright, withered branches.

The dark figure's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly raised his dagger and retreated quickly to the corner behind him, his gaze darting suspiciously toward every corner of the room.

Where was he?

He had clearly seen that kid in this first room just a moment ago!

He was both shocked and puzzled, thinking to himself, I've been guarding the outside the whole time. How on earth did that kid manage to leave?

Hm?

Just then, the tinderstick in his hand flickered slightly.

The dim, yellowish light shone onto the area beside the bed.

He suddenly noticed that in the darkness beneath the bed, a corner of clothing seemed to be visible!

Under the bed!

That kid was actually hiding under the bed!

His heart surged with joy, and a sharp glint erupted in his eyes, as if a lost treasure had suddenly returned. He immediately lowered the tinderstick, gripped his dagger tighter with his other hand, and walked toward the bedside step by step, saying affectionately, "Brother Luo, why are you hiding under the bed? I'm not a bad guy; I'm just worried about your health and came to check on you. Come on out."

There was no response from under the bed, but the outline of a dark figure was revealed.

"Brother Luo..."

A cold sneer appeared on his face. While calling out affectionately, he walked step by step to the bedside, knelt on one knee, and slowly extended the tinderstick and dagger, lowering his head cautiously.

The dim light immediately illuminated the darkness under the bed.

The dark figure under the bed had nowhere left to hide!

—It was just a black garment.

"Damn it!"

He couldn't help but curse, the muscles in his face twitching uncontrollably.

"Where the hell did that little bastard hide?"

He stood up, raised the tinderstick, and searched every corner of the room again, his heart filled with the resentment of being toyed with and the anxiety of failing to find his target.

The more the other party acted this way, the more it meant he was currently terrified and weak.

He had to find him as soon as possible!

"There's still the third room left. He couldn't have hidden there, could he? But how did he even get over there?"

Just as he was wondering, his peripheral vision caught a dark shadow appearing in front of the window.

His heart jumped. He immediately retracted the tinderstick, crouched down, and slowly retreated into the corner behind him, hiding in the darkness.

At this moment, a thin tube was silently extended through the gap in the window.

Then, a plume of green smoke rose from the tip of the tube.

The smoke quickly enveloped the entire room.

A moment later, the iron latch on the window was quietly pushed aside.

The window opened.

A dark figure poked his head in to scan the room, then, dagger in hand, cautiously climbed inside.

He closed the window behind him, his eyes fixed on the bed, and walked toward the bedside step by step.

Just as he was about to reach the bed, his footsteps suddenly faltered. He stopped in his tracks, then, without warning, spun around. The cold light of his dagger flashed as he struck like lightning toward the corner on his right.

The first dark figure hiding in the corner also leaped up, dodging the incoming blade while thrusting his own dagger forward.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The two moved with the agility of rabbits, trading blows back and forth, but neither managed to land a hit.

One was thin and small, the other strong and sturdy, but both were extremely nimble and their strikes were ruthless.

Just then, as the first, smaller figure dodged another attack, he accidentally stepped on several iron nails. He couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, his movements stalling for a split second.

In that very instant, the stronger figure who had entered later seized the opportunity and slammed a heavy punch into his opponent's chest.

Thud!

A muffled sound echoed.

The first, smaller figure was sent flying, crashing heavily into the wall behind him before rolling onto the floor in a sorry state.

But he immediately crawled up through the intense pain, kneeling on one knee, and raised his dagger to fight to the death. His face was twisted from the agony, his eyes filled with the ferocity of a wild beast.

The sturdy figure who had just entered, intending to press the attack, suddenly froze in place, the muscles on his face beginning to twitch.

It turned out he had also stepped on an iron nail.

The two men held daggers, one standing and one kneeling, breathing heavily as they confronted each other in silence.

At this moment, it seemed neither dared to make the first move.

Neither knew in which corner of the room other traps might be hidden.

The brothers Wang Long and Wang Hu were a cautionary tale.

They stood in a standoff for a while longer.

The thin, small figure kneeling on one knee suddenly gasped and spoke, "Boss? Is that you?"

The sturdy figure standing heard this and seemed to pause for a moment before saying, "Chen Ju?"

The two fell silent for a moment, then both let out bitter laughs.

"Have we been played by that cunning brat?"

Chen Ju's tense tone seemed to relax slightly, but the dagger in his hand remained gripped tightly, and his muscles did not relax in the slightest.

"It seems we were played by that brat. I thought you were him."

Zhang Jiu spoke, his own dagger held just as tightly, his gaze still locked firmly onto the other man.

Chen Ju gave a bitter smile. "I didn't expect the boss to be toyed with by that brat time and time again."

Zhang Jiu narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean? This is my first time coming here tonight."

Chen Ju chuckled. "Is that so?"

The two locked eyes in the darkness, both falling silent.

The atmosphere solidified once more.

Chen Ju suddenly sneered, "I am indeed injured, but if the boss wants to kill me tonight, I reckon you won't come out unscathed either. There might be others watching from outside, and perhaps that brat is waiting in the shadows. If the boss accidentally gets injured, can you ensure you'll make it out of here alive?"

Zhang Jiu remained silent in the darkness, saying nothing.

After several breaths, he slowly sheathed his dagger and said, "We are all brothers. Tonight was a misunderstanding; I hope Brother Chen won't take it to heart."

Chen Ju also smiled and sheathed his dagger. "Indeed, it was all a misunderstanding. I hope the boss won't take it to heart either."

Smiles appeared on both their faces.

The atmosphere seemed to shift instantly from tense to relaxed.

"Then I'll be going."

Zhang Jiu did not linger; he glanced at him once more before turning toward the door.

His steps were very slow, his feet dragging across the floor as he dared not lift them. The pain in his soles made his body tremble and his face turn pale, but he dared not show it.

He remained tense, extremely wary of what was behind him, moving his feet inch by inch toward the door while keeping his body turned sideways.

Finally, he reached the doorway, opened the door with a trembling hand, then turned his head. Enduring the sharp pain, he forced his tone to remain calm. "See you tomorrow, Brother Chen."

"See you tomorrow, Boss."

Chen Ju remained kneeling on one knee, his face full of smiles, his tone equally calm.

Zhang Jiu's gaze turned toward the darkness outside, and he immediately gritted his teeth, lifted his feet, and walked away, feigning indifference.

Once his figure disappeared into the darkness outside, Chen Ju, who was kneeling in the room, suddenly swayed and collapsed onto the floor. He gasped heavily, clutching his chest, while his gaze fell to the soles of his feet. His face twisted in pain, his body trembling, and his head drenched in sweat.

"Damnable little bastard! You just wait!"

He hissed, drawing in several sharp breaths, and while cursing viciously, he bent over, braced his hands on the ground, and prepared to crawl out.

"Is Brother Chen cursing me?"

Just then, a cold and familiar voice suddenly rang out above his head.