Chapter 104: Success

Chapter 104: Success

Boom!!!

A violent explosion shook the twelve-story building to its foundations, the shockwave blasting the outer glass curtain wall into smithereens.

Shards of glass, flung into the air, mingled with the torrential rain, crashing viciously toward the ground.

Thick black smoke billowed from the top floor, orange-red flames spreading rapidly, devouring the office door blown to splinters.

"Pah, pah, pah. I'm telling you, Er Tiao, next time you set off a bomb, can't you give a heads-up first? You've got my face covered in dust."

'Yao Ji' spat out the debris in his mouth, waving a hand to disperse the pungent smell of gunpowder before him, shooting a reproachful glare at the burly man beside him.

The other man had a five-chi-long iron dragon propped on his shoulder, its muzzle still curling with faint wisps of smoke.

'Er Tiao' curled his lip downward in disdain, seemingly too lazy to even acknowledge the other, stepping over the floor littered with wood chips and debris into this office atop the building.

A moment later, a muffled voice rang out from within: "Boss, the target isn't here."

"How is that possible?!"

'Yao Ji' cried out in alarm, rushing into the office in two strides, eyes wide as he scanned the surroundings.

The room was a scene of utter devastation; priceless antiques, calligraphy, paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones lay scattered across the floor from the blast's impact.

Only the primary target of this job—Gu Yong—was nowhere to be seen!

'Yao Ji's expression froze instantly. He subconsciously glanced back at the burly man walking in slowly, a layer of cold sweat instantly soaking his back.

As the scout of this 'Tiao'-suited deck, 'Yao Ji's duty within the group was to lock down and track the target's location.

Even to ensure this mission was foolproof, 'Si Tiao' Gong Qinghong, who had organized the deck, had specifically spent a fortune letting him eat, drink, and make merry in the Jiaofangsi for four days.

Just so he could plant tracking markers on every single Jiaofangsi courtesan Gu Yong fancied.

For 'Yao Ji', with his thick skin and silver tongue, this trivial matter was child's play, presenting zero difficulty.

The whole plan proceeded exactly as anticipated, progressing smoothly. He had successfully contaminated Gu Yong with his custom-made tracking agent.

But the current situation was that Gu Yong, confirmed to be in the office just a short while ago, had truly vanished!

"Could Gu Yong have discovered he was marked? Impossible. Even if he found out, he couldn't have found a way to remove it in such a short time!"

As a Nong Jiu Feeder, 'Yao Ji' had absolute confidence in the tracking agent he had brewed himself.

"Boss, don't panic. He's definitely on this floor, just hiding in some secret compartment. I'll drag him out right now!"

'Yao Ji' didn't dare look at 'Si Tiao' Gong Qinghong's expression. He grabbed a handful of air and crushed it to his nose.

His twitching nostrils continuously analyzed the various scents in the air until he captured that unique odor only he could distinguish. 'Yao Ji's tense expression relaxed slightly.

But the very next second, his brows furrowed tight again.

"The marker's position is still in this office; I can lock him down immediately. But this smell... why is there a stench of rotting corpse mixed in?!"

Clang!

At that moment, a hidden compartment in the ceiling suddenly slid open. A figure in a cyan robe dropped down, a three-inch blade tearing through the air, stabbing straight for 'Yao Ji's brow.

"Boss, save me!"

The cry had barely left his throat when 'Yao Ji' felt a massive force surge into his shoulder. His whole body flew sideways involuntarily, smashing a surviving rosewood chair to pieces.

A towering figure appeared in the spot he had just occupied!

The savior was none other than 'Er Tiao'.

Only to see 'Er Tiao' casually toss aside the iron dragon on his shoulder, five fingers splayed, reaching straight for the tip of that cyan blade.

"Courting death!"

Gu Yong sneered viciously at such arrogance, his thrust accelerating another notch!

Ding!

Palm met blade tip, yet the sound was a crisp metallic ring.

The sensation traveling up his hand felt like stabbing an iron plate. Gu Yong's face changed drastically.

He shrugged and twisted his waist, trying to withdraw his longsword, but was horrified to find the blade stuck fast, utterly immovable, like a mud cow entering the sea!

Click, click, click.

A series of mechanical extension sounds rang out.

Only to see the flesh and blood of 'Er Tiao's palm split open, his arm actually serving as a scabbard to swallow the longsword whole!

The instant it swallowed up to the guard, a mechanism in 'Er Tiao's palm snapped shut like a guillotine. *Clang!* The sword was severed clean at the guard.

Only now did Gu Yong react, trying to abandon the sword, but a large hand had already seized the crown on his head, yanking him down from mid-air and driving him straight into the floor.

The force of this slam was no joke; the entire office floorboards shuddered.

Gu Yong lay limp on the ground, dazed for a long while, before blankly lifting his head, only to crash straight into a pair of mocking eyes.

"Seems the rumors on the streets weren't wrong. You really did dare embezzle your own master's property, secretly advancing to Ru Eight."

Gong Qinghong shook his head, a look of pity on his face. "A top scholar's brain tissue slices, in your hands, couldn't even be fused—only used as a temporary plug-in. What a waste of heaven's gifts."

"Who the hell are you people!"

Gu Yong's topknot came undone, hair disheveled over his face, he screamed with every ounce of strength.

"I'm your daddy!"

A foot lashed out from the side, kicking Gu Yong in the cheek, sending him rolling away.

"Turtle grandson dares ambush me? Really doesn't know how to write the word 'death'."

'Yao Ji', covered in dust, pounced over, raising his foot to rain chaotic kicks down on the cyan-robed scholar.

Only after venting the shock and rage in his heart did he turn to look at the impassive 'Er Tiao', grinning sheepishly: "Er Tiao... bro, thanks."

'Er Tiao's tone maintained its usual coldness, "Trifling matter. You're trash, so you deserve extra care."

'Yao Ji's eyebrows shot up, he gritted his teeth: "You—"

"Enough."

Gong Qinghong cut the two off with a cold voice, looking down at Gu Yong trembling like a quail, a faint smile hooking his lips.

"Boss Gu, we brothers only want money. Got anything valuable on you? Hand it over now, might buy you your life."

"Ah!"

Covered in bruises, Gu Yong threw his head back and let out a heart-rending shriek, *putong*, passing out in a pool of blood.

Crouching beside him, 'Er Tiao' shook off the layer of scalp stuck to his fingers, hair and all, lowering his head to examine the few transparent slices, thin as cicada wings, at his fingertips.

"Vitality's dropped a fair bit, but still worth a pretty penny."

Beside him, 'Yao Ji' flipped through a few bank cards in hand, clicking his tongue in admiration, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. These Chengdu Prefecture bigwigs aren't just rich, they're stupid too. Had no clue their subordinates embezzled this much?!"

"This Gu Yong was just someone else's private treasury. We just happened to crack it open first."

'Si Tiao' Gong Qinghong stood with arms crossed before that shattered floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the Guard Bureau airship hovering in the distant sky, sneering: "These Confucian sects... are truly rather interesting."