Having exhausted all my strength, I finally managed to put this chapter together. Let me sleep a bit, and I'll continue when I wake up. I will make up for what I owe! Otherwise, I wouldn't have stayed up writing until now; please believe my sincerity. Thank you.
I’m back!
In the fight in the dark alley, not only did a young man named Liang Tao die in Shengjing, but many of the usual playboys were also injured. The two playboys responsible for blocking the alley entrance both had an arm severed by Qin Fen’s flying knives.
Cao Rong slumped on the sofa, his hand unconsciously flipping through television channels with the remote, his mouth occasionally twitching into a vicious, resentful smile.
With the advancement of technology, severed limbs could now be reattached perfectly through high-tech surgery and function as before, allowing a person to do almost anything they used to.
“But…” Cao Rong’s fingers, stained crimson, pressed the remote again, his sinister smile deepening considerably: “But, the path of martial arts is almost entirely cut off from reaching its zenith.”
The development of technology had not weakened the power of martial arts; on the contrary, with the appearance of experts from the Four Divine Beasts, both ancient and new martial arts had become forces to be immensely respected.
Cao Rong fretfully kept changing channels, glancing up at the clock on the wall. It was already one in the morning. Usually, by this hour, Third Brother Cao Bo should have been back, yet there was still no sign of him.
“Hmph!” Cao Rong let out a cold laugh. The remote slipped from his hand and smashed against the wall. The plastic casing cracked audibly: “Even his nephew is dead, and he still acts like a shrinking turtle. Are you even a man? But, it doesn't matter. Soon, very soon, you will see just how much power we women possess…”
Pfft…
A muffled sound, like a watermelon suddenly splitting open under a heavy stick, resonated softly in the quiet hall. Cao Rong’s body was still leaning against the sofa, but nothing could be found above his neck. Blood gushed incessantly from his chest, like a fountain of crimson.
Not far from Cao Rong’s corpse, the floor-to-ceiling window was webbed with countless cracks, centered around a hole the size of a human head.
“Who?”
A door on the second floor suddenly flew open. Old Madam Diao rushed out, wielding her dragon-headed cane with surprising swiftness. Her somewhat bear-like physique moved with the agility of a monkey in a zoo, showing absolutely no sign of old age. Her strength in Ancient Martial Arts whipped the voluminous fabric of her clothes, creating a sharp whipping sound as she moved through the air.
Before the crisp sound of her clothing rubbing against the air had even ceased, she suddenly plunged into darkness; before she could react, her body froze in place, her grip tight on the sturdy dragon-headed cane, blood sputtering from her decapitated neck.
Beneath the dark sky, on the rooftop of a building two kilometers away, a modified sniper rifle was being rapidly disassembled.
Qin Fen let out a long breath. He hadn't expected the black market website to offer rental services, not just sales; otherwise, purchasing all those materials would have bankrupted a lesser man.
Sealing everything in the case, Qin Fen carefully placed it in a corner. This was the agreed-upon method for returning the leased item; someone would come to collect it at three in the morning.
Stealthily exiting the rooftop, Qin Fen touched the satchel at his waist, confirming once more that everything was secure, and quickly descended the stairs, leaving the building.
Outside, Qin Fen pulled his cap lower, his body moving like a nimble cat to evade the street cameras, swiftly vanishing into the darkness.
Ten minutes later, an explosion suddenly rocked the Future Star Villa community, the massive roar echoing across several miles. The detached villa where the blast originated was instantly reduced to rubble.
Three minutes later, the fire brigade arrived, only to find that the explosion had caused virtually no fire; even the destroyed house left almost no smoldering embers.
Five minutes later, the ambulance arrived to begin search and rescue operations, only to discover no living souls. Only small fragments of human remains were recovered.
Simultaneously, the police arrived to investigate. The spokesperson’s reply to the reporters who flocked to the scene was: “Preliminary assessment suggests terrorist involvement, the methods bear strong resemblance.”
Qin Fen lay on the hotel bed, quietly watching the temporary news bulletin on the television. He relaxed and sank into a deep sleep.
Those two wolves behind him were finally dead!
Qin Fen slept more soundly than ever before; he didn't need to worry about being discovered.
The Future Star Community boasted a five-star security rating, but that was only for those who hadn't undergone specialized professional training. To seasoned experts, it was merely an amateur defense system—one that could be breached without even using tools.
In front of the villa reduced to rubble, the search operation had concluded, and most personnel had withdrawn. Only one slightly balding middle-aged man remained, dressed in a military uniform, a general’s star on his shoulder, silently gazing at the wreckage.
In the darkness, the silent general’s eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched tightly. No one knew what he was thinking.
That night, many in Shengjing learned the news.
Cao Rong, the wildest woman in Shengjing, was dead! And the fiercely protective old woman, Old Madam Diao, was also dead.
They died due to a “terrorist attack.”
A terrorist attack? Many people sneered. How could the Cao family have provoked terrorists? First, the madwoman’s son was killed in a “terrorist attack,” and immediately following that, these two were also attacked by terrorists.
Did General Cao Bo have such a deep-seated hatred with terrorists? If terrorists were attacking, shouldn't they target Snake King Du Hen? The man terrorists called the “Executioner”!
Few believed it was a genuine terrorist attack, but everyone gleaned one piece of information: the speed with which reporters arrived, broadcasting live alongside the police, clearly indicated someone powerful was covering things up, perhaps even shielding a specific person, given that even the usually reserved police stated the attacks might have been by “terrorists.”
This was clearly a massive power shielding someone, establishing a warning through the blatant trampling of federal law!
Such aggressive tactics hadn't been seen in a very, very long time.
Many people shook their heads and went back to sleep; conflict always claimed lives. The retaliation this time was somewhat anticipated; since the initial aggressors used murder as their tool, it was hardly surprising that they met the same fate.
The sun rose again, and Shengjing returned to its usual vibrancy and bustle. People seemed to forget the events of the previous night almost immediately.
The world never lacked news; upon waking, people found even fresher headlines, and aside from a select few, no one cared about last night’s terrorist attacks.
“Dead?”
Li Mingzheng stared at the fresh news report for a long moment before shaking his head, a flicker of almost admiring cold light in his eyes: “Impressive. Knowing the outcome would be life or death, he showed no hesitation and struck decisively. My judgment was correct; it’s fortunate I returned early, otherwise…”
Li Mingzheng raised a hand to touch the slightly cool back of his neck, the skin momentarily tightening into a tense knot: “The top fifty snipers in the Federation must have his name on their roster. He should be boarding a plane to Tianbei City now, right? Good, we’ll settle our scores in Tianbei City.”
An airliner roared down the runway and ascended into the sky. The powerful G-force made Qin Fen realize that this was far more comfortable than military aircraft.
Soon, the climb was complete, and a flight attendant stood up, gripping a small microphone, sweetly announcing: “Dear passengers, right now…”
“Killing intent?” Qin Fen’s eyebrows shot up. Four distinct auras of malice suddenly erupted from different locations within the cabin.
Almost simultaneously, a rough voice interrupted the flight attendant’s sweet address.
“Right now, this plane belongs to us!”
The coarse voice immediately captured everyone’s attention. Standing beside the flight attendant was a lean man holding a pistol made of ivory, its muzzle pressed against the flight attendant’s temple.
In the four corners of the cabin, a person stood holding an ivory pistol, smiling at every passenger. Some even pressed the gun barrels against the temples of the passengers next to them.
Ivory? Smart! Qin Fen inwardly praised. With a little processing, this material could easily evade detection scans. But… how much power did a gun made of such material possess? Qin Fen’s lips curled slightly. During his very first mission, a specially modified pistol that couldn't penetrate deeply—it couldn't even pierce the body of a bio-beast terrorist—and that person was merely a quasi-six-star martial artist.
A hijacking!
People quickly understood the terrible situation they were in, and screams of fear erupted throughout the cabin.
Qin Fen quietly raised his hand, methodically detaching the small, nail-sized metal studs from his military uniform. The metal felt slightly cool in his grasp, and the power of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Gong flowed to his fingertips.
“Shut your mouths!” the man holding the flight attendant roared. “Anyone else screams, and I’ll…”
A bolt of yellow lightning flashed through the air. The roaring man suddenly stopped, a transparent hole the size of a fingernail appearing in his brow. His eyes still held a fierce glare, and his hand began to slide down limply.
The flight attendant was stunned. She suddenly realized the vicious hijacker beside her had zero strength left in his body, as if he were dead.
The other three hijackers also paused. Qin Fen had already stood up, and the force projected from his fingertips erupted with a bang, seeming to push the very air apart.
The second closest hijacker couldn't react at all; a hole opened in his head as well.
Qin Fen tapped his toe, his body moving lightly and fluidly like a willow branch in the wind, yet possessing lightning speed. He instantly reached the corpse of the fallen hijacker and snatched the weapon that hadn't yet fallen to the floor.
The gun fired at that moment.
The third hijacker finally reacted, firing his weapon towards Qin Fen. The bullet drilled viciously into the corpse blocking Qin Fen but failed to pierce through it.
The third and fourth hijackers fired quickly. After their two companions dropped in an instant, they became fearful. Moreover, they still didn't understand what weapon their opponent used; they only knew that with a flick of his finger, their comrades died!
A rapid volley of gunfire instantly shredded the corpse shielding Qin Fen into pulp. They dared not stop shooting, terrified that pausing would mean the end of their own lives.
But bullets are finite.
When the last bullet was fired, the two hijackers hadn't realized their guns were empty and were still pulling the triggers. Qin Fen, hidden behind the decaying shield, stood up and aimed the ivory barrels at them.
Click... Click...
Two sounds of firing pins striking nothing echoed. The two hijackers finally realized their guns were unloaded. They needed to reload now...
Two gunshots rang out immediately after.
The hijackers, in the act of reloading, each received a red dot in the center of their foreheads.
At a moment like this, one absolutely could not hesitate. Who knew if they had hidden any other bombs?
Qin Fen scanned the other passengers. He instantly confirmed that their expressions of fear were not feigned due to the presence of other hijacker members. He turned and swiftly walked to the flight attendant at the far end of the cabin, then scrutinized every passenger.
Of the hundreds of passengers, only two people reading newspapers remained calm; the terror in the others' eyes was genuine.
Qin Fen smiled. These four hijackers were truly unlucky. Even if he hadn't intervened, there were two other capable individuals on this plane.
“Hijacking?” Qin Fen shook his head. Unless you strap yourself with high-yield explosives, attempting a hijacking with ivory guns is unlikely to succeed.
The ivory frame of the gun was simply too fragile to withstand the impact of powerful weaponry. Against a martial artist capable of executing the Thirteen Linked Taibao strikes, the weak bullets wouldn't even scratch him.
The flight attendants, who were usually well-trained, still hadn't recovered from their shock. They stared blankly at Qin Fen.
Hijackings were not uncommon in aviation history; even incidents ending in total destruction weren't strange. But this hijacking would surely go down as the strangest in history.
Failed hijackings were seen often, but one where the hijackers barely managed to shout, “Brothers, we’re hijacking the plane!” before being instantly eliminated, with the entire process devoid of any real tension or excitement—this was unprecedented.
The four thugs were as fragile as newly hatched chicks before this young man in a Lieutenant Colonel's uniform.
Many passengers snapped out of their astonishment and curiously looked at Qin Fen. This young man had subdued four thugs as if it were a trivial matter, not even offering a single token phrase like "Don't worry, everyone," before quietly returning to his seat.
The flight attendants recovered from their shock, only to face a new quandary. They had received extensive training on how to handle hijackings.
However, such situations usually involved rescue after landing or a mutual end. Training had never covered a scenario where the hijackers were suppressed immediately after announcing their intentions.
What to do with these corpses? Preserve them as evidence? Move them? Wouldn't that tamper with the scene?
The cabin fell into an unprecedented stillness. Some cautiously took out cameras, beginning to photograph the dead bodies on the floor, and Qin Fen, who had resumed reading his newspaper after neutralizing the threat.
The aircraft captain quickly established contact with the ground.
“This is SC1815; we just experienced a hijacking event…”
The news quickly reached the Tianbei government. Several city leaders held a brief meeting and immediately departed in a motorcade heading for the airport.
Their political instincts told them this hijacking provided a new opportunity—a chance for a "show" where they could deliver eloquent speeches showcasing their care for the citizenry.
The plane landed smoothly at Tianbei City Airport, where a dozen police cars, news vans, and ambulances were already waiting.
Once the plane stopped and the doors opened, the passengers slowly disembarked but didn't immediately leave.
They were instantly surrounded by enthusiastic reporters, then quietly stepped aside, watching the cabin door intently.
Qin Fen emerged from the aircraft and immediately heard a collective shout from the crowd below: “It’s him! He single-handedly eliminated the four hijackers! He is the hero who saved us all!”
Flashes erupted, popping continuously at that moment.
Reporters swarmed Qin Fen, surrounding him completely.
“What is your name, please?”
“What were you thinking when you faced the thugs?”
“Were you compelled to act because you were wearing a military uniform?”
“Please…”
Too many questions from too many people gave Qin Fen a headache. He had only wanted to prevent those fools from potentially damaging the aircraft in a fit of madness—they were at thirty thousand feet! Even a nine-star martial artist couldn't fly, and falling would result in the same bloody end.
“Everyone, please make way…” Several police officers pushed their way to Qin Fen, showing their badges: “May we ask, did you neutralize the hijackers on the plane?”
Qin Fen eagerly nodded. If he only had to give a statement, then he wouldn't have to face this barrage of interviews.
“Then we request your cooperation in returning to the police station to give a formal statement…”
Several stately but unostentatious sedans slowly pulled up outside the crowd. Several city leaders and their secretaries emerged from the vehicles. A young secretary quickly rushed into the throng, shouting loudly: “Everyone, everyone~~ The leaders are here to express their concern for everyone~~”
Hearing the announcement, people turned in unison toward the city leaders standing there with amicable smiles.
The Mayor of Tianbei City, walking at the forefront, asked with a beaming smile: “Which one of you is the little hero who saved the day during the hijacking?”
The crowd instinctively parted to the sides, and even the two police officers standing next to Qin Fen subconsciously stepped back, creating a large space for him.
The smiling faces of the five city leaders instantly froze. Qin Fen! The "Qin Fen" who had been suddenly transferred down from a higher authority!
Local leadership teams never welcomed parachuted-in personnel from the central command.
It was always when higher authorities intended to reorganize a region that they used this method of airborne assignment to disrupt the established network.
A Lieutenant Colonel seconded from the military into the police system—what did that imply?
Someone seconded from the military clearly wouldn't care about offending people; they weren't part of the local system anyway. Even if they alienated everyone, they could just dust off their hands and return to the army.
Before the hijacking incident, the five city leaders had been discussing Qin Fen’s placement. The higher-ups hadn't directly assigned him a position but merely requested that he be given a suitable police rank corresponding to his military title—this seemed like a good opportunity.
The five leaders all believed that if they quietly settled him into a position, he probably wouldn't cause much trouble.
No one expected this young master to create such a sensational event before even setting foot on Tianbei City ground!
“Truly a hero emerging from youth!” The Mayor of Tianbei City instantly plastered a smile back on his face, stepping forward to firmly grasp Qin Fen’s hands: “On behalf of Tianbei City, I thank you.”
The eyes of the other city leaders immediately flashed with sudden understanding: at this moment, they absolutely could not acknowledge knowing Qin Fen; they had to pretend not to know him! Otherwise, if the surrounding reporters publicized it, he would instantly rise to prominence in Tianbei City.
The Mayor of Tianbei City watched the other leaders shake Qin Fen’s hand and felt an overwhelming wave of regret. He should never have come here to "show off"! Now, even if they could suppress this issue temporarily, the bigger problem loomed! This man had become a huge ticking time bomb. If Qin Fen caused any more trouble in Tianbei City and was surrounded by reporters again, that time bomb could turn into a nuclear explosion—his fame would skyrocket even faster.
No! He absolutely cannot be allowed to rise! What were the intentions of this airborne operative? The Mayor of Tianbei City clenched his fist, making a firm resolution: he had to throw him to "that place"! Let that group of people ostracize him! Yes, those individuals all had powerful backing and were known as reckless young lords who feared nothing; even the city had to give them some leeway. Placing Qin Fen as their leader there—let's see how he stirs things up!
Once the decision was made, the Mayor of Tianbei City smiled happily, the wrinkles on his face slowly blooming like a tender flower.