Chapter Eighteen: Joining Forces to Strike Down the Enemy

Chapter Eighteen: A Combined Strike to Kill

Late at night, a faint rustling of footsteps came from the rooftop. Although the intruder controlled their breath well, it was still impossible to escape Xu Yun’s ears. Soon, another footstep followed—light yet weighted with heaviness, as if the person were seriously injured.

Xu Yun didn’t recognize the first, but the second was undoubtedly Qiu Yan.

The steps echoed, rising and falling, as if the two were engaged in a silent duel. Suddenly, the second set retreated rapidly, as though suffering a hidden loss.

It seemed tonight promised another spectacle. Abruptly, two shadowy figures froze atop the roof, and in an instant, the air turned suffocatingly tense.

Xu Yun swiftly slipped into his pants, pulled on a vest, and slid his feet into his flip-flops. Without a sound, he opened his window and leapt out, his toes barely brushing the sill before his figure vanished, landing lightly on the rooftop.

Hidden in the shadows, Xu Yun’s eyes immediately caught the glint of cold steel beneath the moonlight.

Qiu Yan stood on the southern edge of the medicinal restaurant’s roof, her Dragon Abyss soft sword in hand. Her delicate frame radiated a sharp, chilling aura. With the blade drawn, the murderous intent grew almost unbearable.

She had never expected their pursuers to arrive so quickly. The skirmish just now had nearly drained all her strength.

On the northern edge stood a towering man, seven feet tall, his powerful physique exuding murderous intent. His eyes were those of a beast, and the scar across his face looked especially terrifying in the moonlight.

“So you really did hide out in this insignificant, nameless city! Seems my luck’s good—they searched high and low, but I, Wildcat, found you without even trying!” This was none other than the man called Wildcat, who had appeared at Wang Shunxi’s residence.

Wildcat’s face was twisted with malice, his scar making him even more fearsome. “Qiu Yan, I suggest you surrender quietly.”

Qiu Yan’s expression was icy. She snorted in disdain. “Wildcat, you think you’re qualified to challenge me? You really don’t know your place.”

Despite her words, Qiu Yan knew how hard-pressed she was. If not for Wildcat’s hesitation, she would have already lost.

“Hmph! Qiu Yan, do you still think you’re the invincible Fox Venerable you once were?” Wildcat sneered viciously. “Don’t think I don’t know your current state. Even if I leave you be tonight, you won’t live long. Might as well come back with me and become the boss’s plaything. Maybe, out of great mercy, he’ll use his inner power to prolong your pitiful life a few more days.”

A chill flashed through Qiu Yan’s eyes. She wanted nothing more than to end this braggart with a single stroke.

But her body reminded her—she couldn’t kill him in one blow. And if she failed, this second-rate expert could wear her down to death.

Xu Yun frowned slightly. The earlier fight had clearly pushed Qiu Yan beyond her limits. If this continued, she would surely die at the hands of this killer.

“Qiu Yan, I, Wildcat, may have only just entered the ranks of second-rate experts, but a wounded Fox Venerable like you won’t be able to do much! I want to see how long you can last!” Wildcat suddenly let out a cold laugh. His gauntlets flashed with silver—three claws extending, gleaming menacingly. Clearly, his nickname came from these weapons.

Suddenly, Wildcat’s body erupted with murderous intent. With a howl, he shattered the night’s silence, charging straight for Qiu Yan!

Crack!

A flip-flop whistled through the air, striking Wildcat’s face squarely and effortlessly stopping his unstoppable charge.

“Who’s there!?” Wildcat rolled backward, immediately on full alert, every nerve taut with danger.

Xu Yun stood on one leg at the rooftop’s edge, wearing a mocking grin. “Sorry about that—my feet sweat, got a bit slippery. Didn’t mean to toss it.”

Wildcat choked with fury—this was utter humiliation! He probed carefully, but could sense no fighting aura at all from the young man before him. Who was this idiot who’d come out of nowhere?

“You’re looking to die!” Wildcat’s face twisted in savagery. To be hit by a flip-flop thrown by an ordinary person was unforgivable! With a roar, he leapt for Xu Yun like a hungry wolf.

But Xu Yun remained nonchalant, still balancing on one leg. Just as Wildcat pounced, a powerful surge of murderous intent erupted from Xu Yun, as unstoppable as a raging river.

Wildcat was stunned! With a crisp snapping sound, all the blades on his gauntlets were caught and broken by Xu Yun’s two fingers!

In one exchange, Wildcat lost his prized weapon. Staring at the broken claws, he realized this was no ordinary man—someone who could snap his steel blades with bare fingers!

“I’d like to see how a declawed cat still manages to scratch,” Xu Yun quipped, a faint trace of menace in his smile.

Wildcat had never expected this man to be an expert—one no weaker than himself! Panic seized him. He had never imagined the “Violent Fox Venerable” could summon such an ally.

As Wildcat hesitated for a split second, Xu Yun’s bare foot shot out with a cry, slamming down like a hammer onto Wildcat’s nose!

With a sickening crunch, Wildcat’s nose shattered and his teeth were sprayed with blood. But, as a true second-rate expert, he quickly responded—two backflips took him out of Xu Yun’s range.

He knew well how dangerous a fight between experts could be. His chances of winning tonight were slim.

Solo glory was out of the question. He had to save himself and call for reinforcements. He quietly slipped a dark red chip from his pocket and tossed it into a corner of the rooftop.

But Wildcat had forgotten—there was someone else on the roof. Someone far more dangerous. Even grievously wounded and near death, she would find the perfect moment to strike.

Suddenly, a cold flash sliced through the night like lightning from the heavens. The Dragon Abyss soft sword tore open Wildcat’s throat, spraying blood into the moonlit air.

In his final moments, Wildcat’s gaze locked on the dark red chip in the corner, his eyes filled with madness and vengeance.

How could a second-rate expert hope to withstand the combined strike of Qiu Yan and Xu Yun?

Qiu Yan’s kill was so ruthless that even Xu Yun frowned. So cold-blooded.

Hopping on one foot, Xu Yun retrieved his flip-flop, drew a cross over his chest, and murmured, “Amitabha, may you be reborn quickly. If you have grudges, seek revenge; if you have wrongs, demand justice. None of my business.”

Qiu Yan paid him no mind. She had never believed in gods or ghosts. If vengeful spirits truly existed, she would be haunted by too many to count.

Though tonight’s enemy was only a newly ascended second-rate expert, it was enough to make Qiu Yan feel immense pressure and threat. She had not expected their pursuers to track her down so quickly. Who knew what kind of enemies would come next.

Although Qiu Yan was a first-rate expert, in her current condition, even a second-rate opponent was hard to handle.

If not for Xu Yun’s intervention, Qiu Yan would have been exhausted to death by Wildcat.

The thought left her secretly shocked—she had never imagined Xu Yun was such a concealed master.

“With your current state, you still think you can protect Guoguo alone?” Xu Yun threw her a cruel question.

Thinking of the innocent, lively Guoguo inside the restaurant, Qiu Yan was overwhelmed by uncontrollable emotions. She even considered ending her own life—at least it would end her torment.

“I told you, didn’t I? The restaurant’s hiring a waitress. Salary’s a thousand a month, with free room, board, and medical care. Why won’t you believe me?” Xu Yun chuckled. “Did you take the medicine I gave you?”

Qiu Yan looked at Xu Yun, her gaze now filled not with cold suspicion, but with curiosity and doubt. “Who exactly are you?”

“I already told you—a pathetic soul who was betrayed.” Xu Yun raised his brow. He didn’t want to revisit the past—it only made his anger surge uncontrollably.

“Then how do you have Nine Treasure Revival Pills?” Without that pill’s power, Qiu Yan would never have been able to face Wildcat tonight. She would hardly have had the strength to resist, let alone kill.

Xu Yun blinked. “You mean that pill made with cordyceps, wild ginseng, ganoderma, agarwood, gecko, dragon’s blood, antelope horn, deer antler, and viper?”

“That’s right.” Qiu Yan’s surprise deepened. He could name all nine ingredients, yet didn’t know the pill’s name?

“I just call it a power pill,” Xu Yun replied carelessly. To him, it wasn’t anything special. As long as he had the materials, he could make as many as he wanted. “So, did it work?”

Qiu Yan gasped. In the underworld, a Nine Treasure Revival Pill could fetch a million, yet to him, it was just an ordinary tonic! Who was this man?

Qiu Yan realized that the secrets behind this man surpassed her own. She understood the desire to keep one’s past private. Perhaps, above all, she felt deeply grateful to Xu Yun, and found herself murmuring, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. We’re neighbors now, after all.” Xu Yun shrugged.

Qiu Yan said nothing more. She quietly sheathed her Dragon Abyss soft sword, then picked up Wildcat’s lifeless body.

Xu Yun offered no comment. She had killed him; it was her business to clean up. He’d seen enough bloodshed, but truth be told, he didn’t care for it.

Night returned to its earlier calm, and Xu Yun climbed back into his room.