The event ends

Extremely close, indeed!

The Robber Leader finally slowed his frantic pace, halting only when he reached the sanctuary of a narrow alley.

He gasped, “Almost, I almost fell there.”

“Hiss, it hurts so much.”

Xǔ Tiānlí’s blade had not only shattered his killing move but had also carved a gruesome wound across his body.

His clothes were completely soaked in blood, the coppery scent clinging stubbornly to his nostrils.

Had it not been for the escape route he had prepared in advance, the Robber Leader would surely have met his end there.

“Damn it, this isn’t what we agreed upon,” he cursed.

With every step the Robber Leader took, a drop of crimson liquid splattered onto the ground.

His face was pallid, yet his expression was contorted with fury.

“How could such a powerful guy suddenly appear?”

The Robber Leader knew he had been careless, but he never expected to be left in such a wretched state by Xǔ Tiānlí.

Regardless of whether Xǔ Tiānlí was a member of the Heaven’s Will Bureau, it was unlikely anyone else could have escaped that abandoned factory besides himself.

Even the hostages held inside would have been rescued, completely derailing his plan.

Bang!

Whenever this thought crossed his mind, the Robber Leader couldn’t help but slam his fist against the nearby wall.

Each impact left faint cracks in the concrete.

“They said it was a simple kidnapping mission, but it turned into this mess.”

“What in the world is the liaison playing at?”

A puzzled expression settled on the Robber Leader’s face.

He had known that the Branch Head was a Tier-3 Spirit Wielder, an enemy he couldn’t possibly contend with.

Therefore, he had prepared a contingency plan long before the operation.

If Féng Yè truly came knocking, he intended to send his subordinates to hold the line while he escaped with the hostages.

However, the sudden appearance of Xǔ Tiānlí completely shattered his scheme, forcing him to use his escape plan, originally meant for Féng Yè, on Xǔ Tiānlí instead.

“Just who is that kid?”

If Féng Yè had been defeated by one of the nation’s renowned prodigies, his loss wouldn’t have been so unjust.

Those monstrous talents hailed from powerful factions, nurtured from a young age with resources far superior to those of ordinary Spirit Wielders.

In such cases, being defeated by someone of a higher tier was quite normal, and the Robber Leader would, at most, lament his own inferiority.

But who was Xǔ Tiānlí?

How could a mere passerby achieve such a feat?

The Robber Leader couldn’t recall Xǔ Tiānlí’s face matching any known genius.

No, on second thought, he did have a faint impression of that face.

‘I remember now!’

‘Isn’t that kid the protagonist of that much-talked-about annulled engagement incident from a while ago?’

‘Didn’t they say he was a good-for-nothing?’

‘How did he suddenly jump out and defeat a Tier-2 Spirit Wielder like me?’

Something was amiss, extremely amiss.

The Robber Leader inwardly vowed that once he returned and saw the liaison, he would first punch them, then investigate Xǔ Tiānlí’s background.

He was nearing the edge of the old district.

Once he blended into the bustling city, he could evade the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s search at his hideout.

A smile once again spread across the Robber Leader’s face.

Then, that smile froze at the sight of the person before him.

The individual had appeared without a sound, as if they had been standing there all along, patiently awaiting the Robber Leader’s arrival.

The newcomer was smoking a half-finished cigarette.

Seeing the Robber Leader, they didn’t seem surprised; in fact, a knowing smile played on their lips.

“Féng, Féng Yè!”

The Robber Leader instantly recognized the man standing there.

His already pale face turned even whiter, almost indistinguishable from a corpse.

‘Why now, of all times?’

‘Why is he here?’

The Robber Leader had been closely monitoring Féng Yè’s movements.

When he last received intelligence, Féng Yè had still been far from this location.

“I truly didn’t expect to actually ambush someone here,” Féng Yè remarked.

He extinguished his cigarette butt underfoot, then raised a hand and clapped softly.

Almost simultaneously, the Heaven’s Will Bureau patrols, who had been lying in wait, emerged from their hiding spots, sealing off every escape route except for the one directly ahead.

“Could this all be your plan?”

“Did you deliberately send that brat?”

“Are you referring to Xǔ Tiānlí?”

Féng Yè pondered for a moment.

“I’m not entirely sure what happened on your end, but I certainly owe him a great deal of thanks.”

Upon receiving Xǔ Tiānlí’s message, Féng Yè had immediately rushed to the vicinity with his team.

Having already studied the map, he had deployed his men to ambush every connecting road between the old district and the city.

Coincidentally, the Robber Leader had chosen the very path Féng Yè was personally guarding.

“What a blunder,” Féng Yè sighed.

“To think I actually doubted Master Qín’s words.”

“I should have known she would never mislead me.”

“Master Qín?”

“She deserves the real credit for this operation.”

“Without her, I doubt we could have captured you so quickly.”

The image of himself questioning Qín Yuè resurfaced in his mind.

Féng Yè was already contemplating how to apologize and thank her later.

Last time, she had dealt with the Wolf Fang Gang leader; this time, she helped him rescue Qiao Yíng.

It proved that she was an extremely valuable ally to win over.

With her assistance, protecting the peace of Wufeng City would become much simpler.

Just as Féng Yè took a step forward, the Robber Leader’s body abruptly recoiled backward.

The capture net descending from above didn’t land on him, but the Heaven’s Will Bureau patrols blocking the rear gave him no chance to break through and escape.

In his prime, he might have been able to fight his way out from the back.

Had he retained his contingency plan, he could have easily escaped Féng Yè’s grasp.

But now, severely wounded and having used his escape plan prematurely, he was out of options.

The ground beneath his feet suddenly caved in.

After a messy fall, he was immediately tackled and apprehended by the Heaven’s Will Bureau patrols.

Féng Yè personally oversaw the entire process before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

With the Robber Leader’s capture, the kidnapping incident was officially brought to a close.

Féng Yè saw Qiao Yíng again in his office.

The girl who pushed open the door looked quite disheveled, her clothes and hair covered in dust from rolling on the ground.

Fortunately, apart from her wrists and ankles being painfully constricted and swollen, she had sustained no other injuries.

“Uncle Féng…”

“It’s good that you’re safe.”

“You worried me to death.”

“I’m sorry.”

After such an ordeal, Qiao Yíng found it hard to smile.

She could only lower her head and sit down.

“Thank you, Uncle Féng, for looking after me so much and saving my life.”

“Don’t thank me.”

“If you want to thank someone, thank Master Qín and Xǔ Tiānlí.”

“I’ve already thanked them properly.”

“Good then.”

After a brief silence, Qiao Yíng took a deep breath, remarking,

“Although I was kidnapped, I also witnessed a very interesting scene.”

“Overall, it was worth the price of admission.”

“Huh?”

Féng Yè was taken aback.

“You girl, is that really what you’re concerned about?”

“Uncle Féng, Xǔ Tiānlí is only Tier-1.”

“He just recently advanced to Tier-1, yet he could heavily injure a Tier-2.”

“Isn’t that incredibly interesting?”

“…You do have a point.”

Féng Yè paused his work.

“What exactly did Master Qín do to him to make a ‘good-for-nothing’ grow at such an astonishing rate?”

To be honest, he felt a touch of envy for Xǔ Tiānlí.

If he could have met a good master like Qín Yuè, perhaps he too could have reached a higher position.

Instead of being stuck as a Branch Head, feeling that the Tier-4 was out of reach, merely saving enough money to retire.

“And you, Qiao Yíng, are you tempted?”

“Do you have any plans to become her disciple?”

“Well… I feel it’s still too early for that,” Qiao Yíng said, scratching her cheek.

“I can’t very well approach the master with this fake face, can I?”

“For now, I don’t want anyone to know my true identity.”

More importantly, Qín Yuè was clearly investing her resources in Xǔ Tiānlí at the moment.

If she abruptly sought apprenticeship, it would likely disrupt Qín Yuè’s rhythm.

“Besides, I still want to visit other cities and see more of the wider world, rather than just standing in front of a camera.”

Qiao Yíng raised her hands, forming the shape of a camera lens, and aimed it at Féng Yè, who sat not far away.

“It’s good for young people to have dreams, and your talent is excellent.”

“If you start slacking off this early, I’ll have to give you a serious lecture.”

Féng Yè was greatly relieved by her words.

“Alright, you must be tired too.”

“Go back and get some good rest.”

“I can keep your identity concealed for a while longer, but don’t cause any trouble during that time.”

“Understood!”

After seeing Qiao Yíng off, Féng Yè received a phone call from his subordinate.

–Branch Head, should we proceed with the original plan?

–Yes, get as much information as you can.

–Understood.

–Also, tell me everything you’ve learned so far.

After acknowledging the order, the subordinate relayed the Branch Head’s request to their team, resuming the interrupted interrogation.

Because Spirit Wielders possess a more resilient physique than ordinary people, forcing them to speak through pain was no simple task.

Too little force would be ineffective, allowing them to remain defiant.

Too much force, however, might accidentally kill them, wasting a valuable source of information.

The Heaven’s Will Bureau certainly cultivated a righteous image for the public, but to preach morality when facing heinous enemies would be cruel to themselves.

Thus, every employee working there understood that necessary measures must be taken when required.

This was a rule personally established by the current president of the Heaven’s Will Bureau.

He was not an indecisive man; otherwise, he wouldn’t have collaborated with the Alchemical Pact to develop something like the Heavenly Thunder System.

The intelligence gathered from the Robber Leader so far was limited, but not without some yield.

Initially, they had assumed he belonged to some gang, but the result exceeded Féng Yè’s expectations.

“Hongshou Security Group?”

Féng Yè froze.

“How could it be someone from that organization?”

“Branch Head, that’s what he said.”

“Question him further.”

“We must find out what’s going on.”

“Understood.”

“Hey, you all… hmm, what’s happening?”

Several screams erupted from the other end of the phone.

Féng Yè immediately stood up, asking what had occurred.

“Branch… Branch Head, something’s wrong.”

“The prisoner escaped?”

“No, the prisoner… the prisoner committed suicide.”