Chapter 35: A Hundred Times Stronger Than You

“Wait, we’re solving our issues on the arena. Does the guard team have to interfere too?” Wang Zhi asked, questioning the situation.

“We’re not interfering with your fight, but you killed someone, and we need to understand the situation,” the vice-captain replied, signaling the guards to approach and take Wang Zhi and his team away. Wang Zhi didn’t question or resist this time, knowing that since Zhao Yan was here, things were likely more complicated than they seemed.

The situation had escalated. While Jiexī had not arrived, Zhao Yan was present with the vice-captain, which likely meant Jiexī was in a resting phase.

“Did you consider the consequences when you killed them?” the vice-captain asked coldly.

“Take them away!” The vice-captain issued the order, and immediately, Wang Zhi and his team were escorted by the guards.

At this point, Wang Zhi’s group was being taken to the first floor. All their weapons had been confiscated, and they were shackled, which was more extreme than Wang Zhi had expected. The three gunshots Zhao Yan had fired into his back still caused him intense pain, and the worst-off was Old He, who had only been given a simple bandage for a shoulder wound from a knife. He hadn’t had time to go to the medical room before being taken away.

“I say, we have an injured team member. Shouldn’t we let him go to the medical room for treatment?” Wang Zhi asked.

The guards, as if they hadn’t heard him, kept walking, pushing them forward.

“Hmph, still thinking of treatment? Once you go in, you won’t leave alive,” Zhao Yan muttered coldly from the side.

Before long, Wang Zhi and his group were locked inside a dark room on the first floor. The room was empty, and the air was still heavy with the smell of blood. After they were locked in, the iron door was slammed shut, and the light outside was instantly cut off. Inside, it was pitch dark, and they couldn’t see their hands in front of them.

“What do we do now, Captain? Can we still get out?” the Fat Guy asked.

“There’s a bloody smell here. They’ve definitely killed people inside. In our current state, we’re probably in grave danger,” Old He said, his voice tense.

Wang Zhi didn’t know when they had been taken out, so he wasn’t rushing to destroy the pendant. He needed to wait for the right moment. If the timing wasn’t right, even if Jiexī came, it would be a wasted effort. The worst part was that unless Zhao Yan was dealt with, there would be endless problems.

“Don’t panic. We need to buy time,” Wang Zhi whispered to his team, being cautious, aware that there might be surveillance or monitoring in the room.

He knew that once Zhao Yan arrived, he would destroy the pendant. He wasn’t sure how long Zhao Yan would take to deal with them, but Jiexī’s rest period was short, and the window of opportunity was extremely tight. So, they wouldn’t be in this small dark room for long. It was likely that Zhao Yan would arrive soon.

As he thought this, the iron door suddenly opened. And walking in was none other than Zhao Yan. As soon as Wang Zhi saw Zhao Yan, he quickly bit through the pendant, and it slid down his chest, falling to the ground, where he crushed it with his foot.

Zhao Yan turned on the lights. After adjusting to the light, Wang Zhi’s group squinted, their eyes unable to adjust immediately. When their vision cleared, they saw Zhao Yan holding a silenced handgun, smiling as he stared at them.

“It’s you? What do you want?” Wang Zhi asked, pretending to be surprised. He moved to stand in front of Sakura, using his hands cuffed behind his back to subtly signal her.

Wang Zhi had a bulletproof vest on, so standing in front of the others made the most sense. As long as he didn’t get shot in the head, he should be okay.

“Captain Wang, I didn’t expect you to be so bold. Not only do you have a relationship with my goddess, but you also killed my brother. Do you really think you can walk out of here alive?” Zhao Yan said, his smile growing colder.

“So, tell me. What do you want?” Wang Zhi asked, staring directly at Zhao Yan.

“After you’re dead, who cares what I want?” Zhao Yan said, raising his gun, ready to shoot.

“Hey, big brother, why not talk things over? I’m innocent, really. I’ll stick with you from now on.” Sakura slowly stepped out from behind Wang Zhi and moved closer to Zhao Yan.

“Hmph, the leader of the Black Rose mercenary group, Su Mu Sakura. You think I haven’t checked your background? You expect me to trust a killer like you?” Zhao Yan sneered as he revealed Sakura’s past.

Wang Zhi and Sakura’s tactic had been seen through. The Fat Guy then stepped forward, “Big… brother, what about me? I don’t have a criminal record. I’ll stick with you, don’t kill me.” The Fat Guy moved away from Wang Zhi, creating some distance, making it seem like he was betraying them.

“Ha, ha, ha! You guys crack me up. Are you trying to stall for time? Waiting for Jiexī to come save you? Let me tell you the truth—Jiexī has already been called away by the Tower Master for important matters, and my men have already sent the vice-captain away. Alright, that’s enough, time to go,” Zhao Yan said, preparing to aim his gun at the most dangerous target, Sakura.

Wang Zhi moved first, charging at Zhao Yan. Since he had a bulletproof vest on, he had the best chance of surviving, and he hoped his luck would hold. If it didn’t, at least he’d have done his best for his team.

Bang! Seeing Wang Zhi charge, Zhao Yan immediately changed targets and shot at him.

Wang Zhi collapsed to the ground.

“Captain!” Liuli cried out in pain when she saw Wang Zhi shot again.

Just as Zhao Yan was about to target the next victim, Sakura, who was closest to him, moved. Though her hands were cuffed, her legs were still free. She moved quickly, but Zhao Yan, underestimating his strength, blocked her strike and swept her to the ground. He then aimed his gun at her head.

“Is it worth dying for such a weakling?” Zhao Yan asked coldly.

“He’s a hundred times stronger than you!” Sakura retorted, lying on the ground.

“Looking for death!” Zhao Yan sneered, raising his gun.

Bang! Sakura closed her eyes, expecting to be shot, but instead, something hit her. She opened her eyes and saw the Fat Guy lying on top of her, having thrown himself in front of her to take the shot.

Seeing the Fat Guy cover her, Zhao Yan went into a rage.

“Good! Good! A sacrifice for another, living and dying together. You really make me look at you with new eyes! I’m curious now—what kind of brainwashing did Wang Zhi do on you to make you go this far?”

Just as Zhao Yan raised his gun to continue targeting the next person, the iron door was suddenly kicked open. A wave of panic surged through Zhao Yan, who had been so confident earlier. Who could have arrived here now?