Chapter 439: Chapter 416: Mother-in-law
Leader of the Liger Gang, Lion, at seventy-one years old, has entered his elder years. His body, remarkably well-preserved, reflects his experiences through subtle wrinkles rather than the mere passage of time.
However, at this moment, it seems that the information obtained by Lian has discrepancies. From the moment the door was opened, a thrilling scent of bloodlust permeated the air, making it impossible for Xiao Lin to believe that this was the demeanor of a seventy-year-old gang leader.
Boots stepped onto the carpet, the long pile covering the tops of them. In his hand was a handcrafted longsword wrapped in cloth. Xiao Lin gazed into the unwavering eyes opposite him, sitting down on the sofa chair facing him.
As the teapot lost much of the nutrients of the fresh tea leaves during heating, the contents degraded into a pot of bitter tea. The porcelain, slow-cooked over a gentle flame, although not tainted with colors from the flame, destroyed much of its functionality in such a firing method. A true tea lover would cherish his tea utensils; surely, this person only had Lion’s delicate appearance but lacked even a fraction of his knowledge in living healthily.
He placed the sword on the tea table, picked up a white jade porcelain cup, and poured a pot of steaming hot bitter tea. Xiao Lin took a sip; although the tea itself was fine, unfortunately, the brewing method was misplaced.
Lion scrutinized Xiao Lin’s every move. This was different from what he had imagined. Wouldn’t it be more interesting to confront each other with force right from the start?
"So the legendary old lady is actually a man."
Xiao Lin placed down the cup, looking amusingly at the human skin on Lion’s face: "Let me guess, beneath this worn-out exterior, your actual age should be around twenty-two. Although the pupil color can be changed with contact lenses, the base color is too shallow, and the lens’s reflection gives your identity away quite well."
Lion chuckled, tossing aside the long smoking rod he had taken a few puffs from, remaining silent at Xiao Lin’s guess.
"You saved me a lot of time by killing Lion. However, I can’t quite understand why you would kill all those people outside just to deal with me. Where are they all?"
"Impressive! It’s often said that the Military Doctor is quite a smart person, and seeing you today certainly didn’t disappoint my expectations." Though it was widely rumored that the Military Doctor was a formidable expert, facing him in reality, his calmness and heaviness were the most terrifying aspects.
"You flatter me. It was only thanks to the old lady’s intentional exposure that I, Xiao Lin, got to investigate." He refilled the empty cup with tea: "Why did you kill Lin Jiaqi’s entire family?"
"Kill? Ha ha ha!" Lion laughed arrogantly, getting up from the sofa, refilling the empty cup in front of him with tea: "Every person is a work of art. I merely turn these useless things into useful art. Surely, the Military Doctor has seen those artworks."
"It’s a pity Xiao Lin passed by the old lady’s art several times. Xiao Lin can hardly compare to the old lady’s cutting technique and perfect artistry." Xiao Lin paused: "How much did Poison Dragon offer you?"
"Ha ha ha!" The bitter tea made Lion frown: "Do you think the Wang Family alone could afford it? You’re overestimating that unremarkable role, Wang Family. What is Poison Dragon worth?"
The old lady’s words surprised Xiao Lin. Such a conceited person wouldn’t lie; if it wasn’t the Wang Family pulling the strings, then who else wanted him dead?
"Then, I wonder how much Xiao Lin is worth to make you go to all this trouble?"
"How to say it? It’s already beyond what money can measure." With that, a long spike protruded from beneath the old lady’s sleeve. Xiao Lin didn’t get up but extended his left hand to block the weapon out of his reach.
"Was it you who harmed Consort Ling?" The barbs on the spike were more intricate than described by Consort Ling, with countless thorns on the barb. Once hooked, it was difficult to escape, and struggling would only make the flesh and barb tighter. Among cold weapons, it’s a weapon that Xiao Lin highly despises. Users of such weapons are rarely upstanding individuals.
The first attack was merely a trial. The old lady withdrew the weapon, its silver sheen beautifully radiating a cold light under the finely made weapon.
"To tear off your perfect face and make it into art would be an honor."
"That depends if you have the skill to walk out of here alive!" Unrolling the cloth to reveal the sword hilt, the roughly crafted handle showed no sign of refinement, though the exquisite gaps and seams reeked of skilled workmanship.
A fresh wave of attack swept past Xiao Lin’s left side, a long spike weaving and tilting slightly to the side, forcing Xiao Lin, lounging in the sofa chair, to dodge right. At this moment, another spike, assailing from the right, aimed directly at his chest.
The moves were simple and direct, unlike many of Nightmare’s flashy moves. Xiao Lin couldn’t break through from either side. With a cold smile, he kicked over the tea table in front of him. The old lady dodged the tea table with a leap, using the strength of her arms to lift herself, Xiao Lin taking advantage of her dodge, flipped backward, shooting his right foot toward the old lady’s chest.
The struck individual staggered back a step, retracting the weapon, the bloodlust in her eyes intensified. Xiao Lin landed behind the sofa chair, the longsword remained unsheathed, handing the sword to his left hand, and taking off his coat.
The opponent had not used full force, it was yet another test. Such an opponent wasn’t terrifying, but indeed vexing, a person fond of prolonged battles. If someone like this isn’t drawn into his rhythm, it will become a dangerous ordeal. Physical exhaustion is the opponent’s most common tactic, likely the reason Consort Ling was defeated.
The old lady leapt onto a side cabinet, observing from above where Xiao Lin stood. He crouched, holding the barb in both hands. From his angle, Xiao Lin was within his attack range. After the previous two encounters, some hesitation crept in, as this person had no observable weaknesses from left or right, contrary to the profiles provided. Attacking at the same time would leave no room for him to counterattack. Contemplating this, he floated down from above, left hand stabbing towards Xiao Lin’s abdomen.
A sidestep and his left hand grasped the old lady’s wrist, the sword sliding past his waist from below, upwards.
"A careless blade has no eyes, next time you may not be so lucky." Xiao Lin released the old lady: "Just tell me who is behind you, and I can spare your life."
The old lady, surprised by Xiao Lin’s actions, showed rare confusion. He couldn’t decipher his thoughts, yet it didn’t influence his determination to kill him. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (), your support is my greatest motivation.)