48: Chapter 48

48

Instead, a low mechanical grinding sound echoed from deep within the walls.

The entire left wall slid open slowly, revealing an even darker space behind it.

It was a cage.

Behind the massive iron bars, dozens of figures were curled up or sitting blankly.

Their eyes were hollow, showing no reaction to light or sound, as if their souls had been stripped away, leaving only husks soaking in a thick, strange, putrid stench.

Jiang Haojie frowned and was about to step forward—

The hum of tightening cables came from the elevator shaft, and the indicator light turned from dark to bright.

Someone was coming.

He quickly looked around; there was almost nowhere to hide in this open laboratory.

His gaze finally landed on a heavy metal storage cabinet.

He slipped to the side of the cabinet, concealing himself in that narrow patch of shadow.

The elevator doors slid open silently.

A middle-aged man in a dark suit stepped out of the car, his pace steady, his eyes scanning the entire space like a hawk.

He didn't look around aimlessly; instead, he faced the center of the lab directly, his voice not loud but echoing clearly in the silence:

"No need to hide, X.

I know you're here.

Come out."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar; Jiang Haojie's brow twitched slightly as he recognized the newcomer.

He had been wondering how to find him, but unexpectedly, the man had come looking for him instead.

Thinking of this, Jiang Haojie shook his head gently.

Could it be that the other party still thought he was the same person he had been half a month ago?

"I hope you've been well."

Jiang Haojie stepped out slowly from the other side of the cabinet.

"X, this time, let's see where else you can hide!"

Seeing Jiang Haojie appear, a sharp light flashed in Kamo's eyes.

Before he had even finished speaking, his figure lunged forward like a gale.

The corners of Jiang Haojie's lips curled up slightly.

The heavy pressure he felt when facing a Fourth-Order Awakened in the past seemed like it was just yesterday, but now, it felt like nothing special.

He stood his ground, waiting until Kamo was right in front of him before unhurriedly assuming a fluid opening stance.

Although he had only just begun to scratch the surface of Tai Chi, his own cultivation was already different; he wanted to see what kind of unexpected surprises this seemingly soft and slow style could bring.

"No wonder you're so calm; it turns out you've had a breakthrough."

Kamo sensed the change in Jiang Haojie's aura and saw through his Second-Order status at a glance, but he didn't take it to heart.

Forget a Second-Order; even if a Third-Order were here, they would be no match for him.

In an instant, Kamo closed the distance and threw a punch straight at Jiang Haojie's face.

This punch seemed simple and unadorned, but it harbored hidden killing intent and carried eighty percent of his strength—clearly, he was still brooding over letting Jiang Haojie escape last time, so this strike was a lethal move intended to kill in one blow.

Facing this heavy and fierce punch, Jiang Haojie neither dodged nor retreated; his hands flowed out like water in a 'Parting the Wild Horse's Mane' move.

He quietly neutralized the force behind the punch.

Kamo's pupils shrank in disbelief—his thunderous strike had actually dissipated into nothingness under the other man's seemingly casual redirection.

Before he could regain his senses, Jiang Haojie's figure moved like a 'White Crane Spreads Its Wings,' suddenly closing in.

This was followed by a continuous 'Brush Knee and Twist Step.'

Those seemingly soft and powerless palm strikes actually forced Kamo to retreat repeatedly.

Kamo steadied himself, a mix of shame and rage.

He, a dignified Fourth-Order Awakened, was actually forced into such a state by a Second-Order! As his anger surged, he attacked again, his moves falling like a torrential downpour, fierce and cunning, all aimed at vital points.

However, no matter how sharp or treacherous his offensive was, it was all countered one by one by Jiang Haojie's circular, flowing techniques.

After a while, Jiang Haojie's breathing remained steady, while Kamo was already starting to sweat.

Jiang Haojie was secretly impressed.

Although Tai Chi lacked fierce killing moves and wasn't suited for fighting groups, it contained hardness within softness; defense was offense.

By using this method, even if they fought all day, he probably wouldn't exhaust his strength.

"What kind of style is this?"

Kamo finally couldn't help but shout, his eyes full of shock and suspicion.

Jiang Haojie responded with silence.

His martial arts couldn't be stolen by others, but that wasn't a reason to explain himself to an enemy.

Kamo squeezed a cold snort from his nose and lunged forward again.

He couldn't accept that a Fourth-Order powerhouse would lose to a mere Second-Order.

Seeing the other party coming at him aggressively, Jiang Haojie resumed his stance.

But this time, Kamo didn't use his fists and feet; a cold light flashed from his cane as he drew a thin sword and thrust it forward.

Facing this sudden weapon, Jiang Haojie withdrew his opening stance, and with a flip of his palm, a crimson longsword appeared out of thin air.

Sword light immediately crisscrossed in the lab, and the sound of clashing metal was endless.

In terms of true strength, it would be easy for the current Jiang Haojie to take Kamo's life.

He just didn't want to destroy the laboratory, which was why he hadn't used his more destructive techniques.

---

After finishing the call with Jiang Haojie, Liu Jinglong immediately contacted the Guard Department.

Both parties acted simultaneously, racing toward the abandoned factory on the outskirts.

An hour later, the convoy arrived at the destination.

Almost the moment they came to a stop, another car drove into the factory area.

When Bai Wenluo pushed open the door and got out, a trace of hard-to-detect astonishment flickered across his face.

Xu Jing quietly took half a step back and quickly sent a message while no one was looking.

"President Liu, Director Kong."

Bai Wenluo put on a composed smile and walked forward to greet them. "What brings you two to the outskirts for a stroll today?"

"We'd like to be at leisure."

Kong Wenguang sized him up meaningfully. "Unfortunately, there are always people who won't let us rest."

Liu Jinglong asked as if casually, "Is this factory an asset of the Bai Group?"

"Not at the moment."

Bai Wenluo's answer was airtight. "We are currently negotiating the acquisition with the original owner. We came here today for a site inspection and didn't expect to run into you two."

He knew clearly that he must not admit any connection to this factory right now.

Fortunately, when this place was established, he had left a back door—the registrant wasn't himself, and there were no overt ties to the Bai Group.

Even if they investigated, the trail would have gone cold long ago with the disappearance of that figurehead.

Liu Jinglong and Kong Wenguang exchanged a look, both silently cursing the old fox for how quickly he distanced himself.

"Then that's quite unfortunate."

Liu Jinglong maintained a professional smile. "We received a report that illegal activities are suspected to be taking place here. Until the investigation is over, I'm afraid any transactions will have to be suspended."

"Such a thing is happening?"

Bai Wenluo showed just the right amount of shock and admiration. "With the two of you personally overseeing things, it is truly Dragon City's good fortune."

"With the two of you personally overseeing things, it is truly Dragon City's good fortune."

While he expressed his thoughts outwardly, his chest was churning with rage.

It must have been that mysterious 'X' who brought these people here.

This batch of experimental subjects about to be shipped out, this batch of results that cost so much effort—at the thought of the impending loss, Bai Wenluo almost ground his teeth to pieces.

At the thought of the impending loss, Bai Wenluo almost ground his teeth to pieces.

"It is indeed a blessing for Dragon City to have someone like Mr. Bai.

Rest assured, Mr. Bai. Once this matter is settled, the handover of the factory will still proceed as originally planned."

After Liu Jinglong spoke with a smile, he gave Kong Wenguang a look.

Kong Wenguang understood and said no more to Bai Wenluo, leading his men straight into the depths of the factory.

Bai Wenluo lowered his eyelashes, hiding the dark light in his eyes.

Having stalled for so long, Kamo should have finished things on his end.

When these people enter the factory, all they will see is X's corpse.

At that time, he would only need to insist that this property belonged to X, and there would be no witnesses left.

He glanced sideways at Xu Jing, and seeing her nod, he stepped forward to follow Liu Jinglong and his group.

"President Liu, Director Kong, allow me to accompany you. Perhaps there is still some small way I can be of assistance."

Liu Jinglong and Kong Wenguang gave no definite answer, and the group walked silently into the interior of the factory.

...

A dull boom.

Kamo's back slammed hard against the concrete wall, a metallic taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He propped up his upper body, staring at the figure in front of him in disbelief.

This was the sixth time he had been sent flying by his opponent.

He clearly only had the aura of a Second-Order; why was the combat power he unleashed able to crush his own Fourth-Order body?

Jiang Haojie didn't give him a chance to breathe; his figure lunged forward like lightning, and the crimson blade was already against Kamo's neck.

"You've lost."

Kamo spat out the blood in his mouth and grinned with his blood-stained lips: "Heh... you think you've won? I might as well tell you, I am a member of the Black Dragon Society.

If you touch me today, the Black Dragon Society will ensure you never have a day of peace."

"Bluffing."

Jiang Haojie shook his head; black dragon or white dragon, he had never heard of them and didn't care at all.

"I hope you can still be this stubborn in a moment."

Before Kamo had even finished speaking, he suddenly lunged! The thin sword in his hand wasn't aimed at Jiang Haojie, but instead drew a silver arc, striking directly at the glass containers holding ten man-made monsters.

Since he couldn't defeat X, he would release these fierce beasts from their cages.

He didn't believe that one person could contend with ten Fourth-Order monsters.

Jiang Haojie used his Lingbo steps, his figure moving like an illusion, and he grabbed the blade a split second before the tip touched the glass.

"Not bad skills, but unfortunately..."

Kamo's cold laugh came from the other side.

Jiang Haojie suddenly turned his head to see that Kamo had already flashed to the nearest container, his fist carrying astral qi as it smashed down!

"You're looking for death!"

Jiang Haojie's expression darkened instantly.

He hadn't wanted to destroy the laboratory, which was why he hadn't dealt a killing blow while they were circling each other, but now it was too late to stop it.

If he allowed these ten monsters to break out, even with his ability to fight above his level, it would be difficult for him to face ten Fourth-Orders head-on.

Kamo's smile was cold and grim.

Although he couldn't control these monsters, in order to kill X, he no longer cared about the consequences.

Bang—!

The heavy punch landed, and the tough glass surface instantly cracked like a spiderweb before shattering completely!

The sound of the container breaking exploded in the silence, and thick liquid splashed everywhere.

The monster that had been dormant suddenly snapped its eyelids open, revealing a pair of cloudy and violent eyes.

"Roar—!"

A deafening roar tore through the air, and the monster's gaze was like a physical hook, instantly locking onto Jiang Haojie and Kamo.

Kamo's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed his fear, his feet uncontrollably stumbling backward.

As a Fourth-Order Awakened, he knew better than anyone that monsters of the same rank were not something human strength could face head-on.

A dark shadow, carrying a fishy wind, had already lunged toward them.

...

Outside the factory, Liu Jinglong's hand was about to touch the rusty iron door.

Boom!

The ground beneath their feet shook violently, and the entire building seemed to have been hit by an invisible giant hammer; the intense vibration caused the expressions of everyone outside to change drastically.

Then, amidst the ear-piercing sound of twisting and snapping, the factory collapsed inward, and dust billowed into the sky.

Ten hideous figures, looking like half-human half-lizards, were as fast as ghosts as they leaped out of the ruins and dust one after another.

Almost simultaneously, Jiang Haojie's figure also burst out of the dust, dragging a pale middle-aged man in his hand.

However, both of them looked quite disheveled; Kamo was on the verge of death, his old injuries unhealed and having been severely wounded by the monster in the basement.

In contrast, Jiang Haojie only had a few scratches, and his fighting spirit was still blazing.

Seeing Jiang Haojie appear safely, Bai Wenluo's fists clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles turning white.

X was actually still alive! That useless Kamo, a dignified Fourth-Order, couldn't even take down a Second-Order and instead ended up in this state.

"President Liu, watch him, don't let him slip away."

Jiang Haojie flicked his wrist and threw the limp Kamo toward Liu Jinglong, speaking rapidly, "There are kidnapped civilians locked in a hidden compartment in the basement; they need immediate rescue."

The situation was urgent; as soon as he finished his instructions, the ten monsters were already roaring and rushing toward the crowd.

Kong Wenguang shouted sternly, and the Guard Department personnel quickly formed a formation to meet them.

They absolutely could not let these monsters break into the city; the consequences would be unbearable for anyone.

"You guys, go down to the location X mentioned immediately for search and rescue, ensure everyone's safety!"

Liu Jinglong gave a decisive order to several Bounty Hunters beside him.

"Yes!"

Several people didn't hesitate; their figures blurred as they headed straight for the basement entrance of the ruined factory.

"President Liu, why don't I watch this fellow? That way, you can fully assist Director Kong in dealing with the monsters."

Bai Wenluo suppressed the surging rage in his heart and stepped forward to propose.

He absolutely could not let Kamo fall into the hands of the Guard Department or the Bounty Guild; any possible leak would be a catastrophe.

Liu Jinglong shook his head: "No need, with X here, nothing will go wrong."

His gaze swept over that young but steady figure in the field.

Although X was only a Second-Order Awakener, who could forget that he already had the terrifying record of going head-to-head with a Fourth-Order when he was only at the First-Order.

Now that he had been promoted to the Second-Order, his strength would only be even more unfathomable.

Hearing this, a flash of sinister light passed through Bai Wenluo's eyes, but he couldn't insist any further; too much concern would only arouse suspicion, so he could only retreat stiffly to the side.

At this moment, the battle in the field had already begun.