A perfect counterkill!

Yu Bu'e felt a chill run down his back as he stared at the man who had somehow appeared in his home.

The dagger flashed silver under the light and easily pierced the cookie tin.

Yu Bu'e had never expected that thin sheet of metal to serve as a shield.

In that split second, the tin altered the trajectory of the dagger in the man's hand.

Seizing the opportunity, Yu Bu'e swiftly backed away while pushing his arm down.

The dagger that had pierced the tin skimmed past his waist in a dangerously close call!

Seeing the man lean forward, Yu Bu'e suddenly lunged, first ramming him back, then flinging away the tin and throwing a punch at his face!

But the man reacted swiftly. He turned his head to dodge the attack, malice flashing in his eyes, and swept his hand upward, the dagger tracing an arc through the air.

Luckily, Yu Bu'e leaned back on instinct, or the dagger would have pierced his throat.

Before the man could follow up on his failed strike, Yu Bu'e quickly retreated, trying to put some distance between them.

The initial attack had been an ambush, catching him completely unprepared.

Though he had narrowly avoided it, his response had been frantic.

Taking this opportunity, he sized up the man holding the dagger.

The face was entirely unfamiliar. Yu Bu'e was certain he had never seen this man before.

He was around six feet tall, a little shorter than Yu Bu'e, and wore a tight black outfit. His build was muscular, his limbs thick and strong.

The man looked at him with a hint of surprise as well.

According to the information he had, Yu Bu'e was merely a high school senior with unremarkable martial talent. He had only barely broken through to the Qi Refining Realm thanks to his luck in obtaining a Meridian-Opening Pill.

With his own strength at the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm, killing Yu Bu'e should have been as easy as crushing an ant.

What was more, he had held the advantage and struck first.

Yet the situation seemed to be diverging from his expectations.

"Hey, who the hell are you? We've got no quarrel-"

Yu Bu'e had hoped to buy some time by talking.

But the man before him gave him no such chance, thrusting his dagger at him again.

Apparently, he also understood the rule that villains died from talking too much.

"Help! He's trying to kill me!"

Yu Bu'e kept shouting as he dodged.

Whether or not anyone came, he could at least put some psychological pressure on his attacker.

Sure enough.

Hearing Yu Bu'e's shouts, the man's expression immediately changed.

His attacks instantly grew faster, his gaze sharper!

Yu Bu'e dodged again and again, gradually finding his rhythm.

The uncertainty in his eyes gave way to resolve.

Suddenly, he spotted an opening. As the man raised his hand, Yu Bu'e swiftly closed in and slammed his shoulder into his chest!

But the man was a skilled fighter too. The instant Yu Bu'e rammed into him, he twisted his wrist, turning the dagger downward.

As he was knocked back, the dagger sliced open Yu Bu'e's shoulder.

Yu Bu'e first felt a chill across his shoulder, followed by searing pain. He furrowed his brow but refused to glance back at the wound.

The room was cramped to begin with, and the man reached the wall after only a few backward steps.

Planting one foot against the wall, he used it to propel himself forward and attacked again without the slightest pause.

Had Yu Bu'e glanced back at his shoulder just then, he would not even have had a chance to dodge.

Facing someone intent on killing him, Yu Bu'e dared not let his guard down for a moment.

Villa Three, Hao Ting.

Watching Chen Qiao continue to drag out the discussion, Luo Feixuan finally realized something was wrong.

She quickly rose and headed for the door.

Chen Qiao frowned.

"Stop!"

Luo Feixuan ignored him completely and was already making a call.

"Uncle Qing, go check on Yu Bu'e. He might be in danger!"

All that haggling over shares had merely been an excuse to summon her back!

The real purpose was to draw her away from Yu Bu'e, creating an opportunity to strike!

Sitting in the car, Uncle Qing looked up through the windshield at the window of Yu Bu'e's apartment, surprised.

After all, he had been following Yu Bu'e the whole time and had not seen anyone suspicious.

"Yes, miss. I'll go upstairs and check right away!"

He got out of the car and quickened his pace as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

What if...

Someone had sneaked into the apartment ahead of time while he was following Yu Bu'e outside?

A gust of cold wind hit him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Just as he reached the foot of the building, he suddenly heard Yu Bu'e's voice.

"Help! He's trying to kill me!"

Uncle Qing's expression changed drastically. Muttering a curse, he hurried even faster.

He pounded up the stairs and first shouted at the tightly shut security door.

Hearing the sounds of a fight inside, he mustered his strength and kicked the door.

The man grew increasingly alarmed.

The strength Yu Bu'e displayed far exceeded his expectations.

It was clearly the most basic Meridian-Opening Fist, something any random person off the street could demonstrate a few moves of.

Yet Yu Bu'e's Meridian-Opening Fist was exceptionally fluid, his angles tricky, and his footwork even harder to read.

Even more surprising was that the way he generated force with the Meridian-Opening Fist was completely different from the man's understanding of it.

An earlier punch from Yu Bu'e had struck his chest so hard that his ribs had felt as though they might snap.

Fortunately, his extensive combat experience allowed him to drive Yu Bu'e into a corner with a relentless series of attacks.

The dagger traced an arc through the air, slashing Yu Bu'e's raised arm, followed by a straight kick that landed squarely on his chest!

The kick left Yu Bu'e's chest tight, momentarily knocking the breath out of him. His back slammed into the wall with a dull thud, as though the entire building had shuddered.

In an instant, the man closed in, thrusting the dagger at his face. Yu Bu'e instinctively raised his hands to brace against the man's arm.

But the man's strength far surpassed his. Even with his face flushed crimson and veins bulging on his forehead, he could only watch the dagger draw closer and closer to his eye.

His clothes were soaked through with blood and sweat, and his arms trembled slightly. The man's gaze was cold, as though victory were already assured.

But suddenly, he saw a flash of cold ruthlessness in Yu Bu'e's eyes. Even the corners of his mouth were lifting. The man's heart lurched, and he sensed that something was terribly wrong.

This was the moment I'd been waiting for!

Yu Bu'e suddenly dropped one arm, and the Evil-Slayer short blade, ready all along, slid down his sleeve into his palm.

When Uncle Qing kicked the door open, he saw Yu Bu'e plunge the short blade into the man's neck.

Blood shot out like an arrow, splattering the wall like red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

The man staggered backward, clutching the wound in his neck. Blood gushed like a spring, pouring between his fingers.

His eyes filled with the terror of death, and his chest heaved as he tried to draw more air into his lungs.

Yu Bu'e tightened his grip on Evil-Slayer and charged again. Lost in bloodlust, he had only one thought in his head.

Finish him off!

Don't give him even the slightest chance!

With all his attention focused on the fight, he did not even bother to check who had kicked the door open!

But just as Yu Bu'e reached him, before he could deliver the finishing blow, the man's body crashed to the floor.

Strangely, on the verge of death, the man reached inside his clothes, pulled out a piece of Green Jade, and clenched it tightly.