Crimson Instinct

Chapter 114: Showdown in Tianjin (7)

*Bai Li*

"How dare you hold MY Ning in your filthy arms!?" 

Even if I couldn't see his face, I imagined how ugly his expression would be right now. He must be sending death glares my way, widening his eyes like a hideous monster. I could even hear him taking ragged breaths as if it was killing him to wait to deal with me.

I said, "First, she is not YOUR Ning. Zhang Ning is a free person, so she gets to decide to whom she would give her heart. Second, I take a bath every day. My arms are not filthy, and even if they are, they cannot be as filthy as your mouth. So I am cool."

"Heh. Do you think you can get away by talking that big? Don't forget that you are messing with a politician."

"And you don't forget that I don't give a shit about your background. All citizens are the same for every soldier. You don't get any special status because of your father."

Zhang Ning said, "Yi Xing! You have already crossed your line over and over again. If you don't let us go, then my father will make your life hell."

Yi Xing laughed. "My life hell? How? When the truth will get out to the public, how your father is doing such illegal dealings, will he be left with any power to deal with me?"

I felt Zhang Ning shaking in my arms. Naturally, she must be furious.

"Yi Xing, are you out of your mind? You are present here, not my father. You dealt with the clients. You exchanged the deal with them, and now you are shamelessly blaming my father? How thick-skinned can you get!"

I heard Yi Xing scream. "I am not a part of this! This was our plan! I only came here to get a confession out of those clients that it was Zhang Chao for whom they were working! Ning, your father, is not an innocent man either. He is also hiding many things from you, just like how he hid your mother, Zhang Qiyue's murder from you!"

I felt her stiffen. I sensed she gave the same reaction when we asked her about Zhang Qiyue.

Her reaction confirmed it. There was something, indeed, that she knew about her death.

I heard her gasp and sniffle. I felt her tears staining my arm wet a bit.

I heard her say as she choked in between her sobs. "W-what murder are you talking about!? It was an accident! My mother died in a terrible accident"

"Lies!" Yi Xing said with disdain. "As I said, your father is not any pure politician either. Their marriage was pure business. There was no love. We at the Yi party still don't know the inside details, but we know one thing for sure that he hated her. That's why he killed her and made it look like an accident."

"No!"

"After killing her, do you think that he would let anybody catch him and put him in jail? Hah! So naive. Do you think he would let anybody expose his crimes? Of course not! That's why he faked her accident. Everybody in the seven allied parties is secretly aware of this fact."

"Stop it...my father didn't kill anybody...Even if they didn't love each other, he could never kill Mom."

I sensed Yi Xing jump in front of us.

"You are so innocent, my Ning. That's why I like you so much. You are so pure and kind. You can never hurt anyone, and you think that the world is also just as kind as you."

I raised my brow. "Coming from someone who kidnapped her, forcing her to be at a place where she could be in danger."

I heard him stomp his foot hard. "Bai Li! Enough of your nonsense! Are you letting her go or will you only learn your lesson once you are beaten up?"

I chuckled. "Me? Beaten up by you? Did you forget what happened yesterday?"

I sensed that my words were successful in irking him. I heard him shifting uneasily in place. Yet what he said next was with utmost confidence.

"You got lucky that day, Bai Li. But tonight, you won't."

Then I heard a few more steps coming my way. With their footsteps, I guessed that they were two.

"I see. So you managed to find your minions. As I thought, you are useless on your own."

"Let me see how you manage to talk once they beat the shit of you."

I felt Zhang Ning clutch my collar tighter. It was clear that she was afraid.

"Yi Xing. Enough. How could you do this?"

How eerie laugh resounded in the place. "Why? Oh, of course! How can I forget? Bai Li cannot see. A pathetic blind man against three people."

Zhang Ning uneasily shifted her position.

"But I can pity him and let him go unscathed if you come with me."

"No," I immediately said.

"Ho? Didn't you say Ning is a free person? Let her make a choice then."

Zhang Ning said, "I...I will come with you. But don't hurt Bai Li!"

I heard a faint voice of someone gnashing his teeth. Yi Xing must be red in jealousy by now.

"Heh! Good choice, Ning. Come here, right now."

But I stopped her from moving in my arms.

"B-Bai Li...let me go. Yi Xing is really dangerous. How can you win against them in such a condition?"

I lowered my head towards her and whispered. "Don't worry. You are safe. I will deal with them."

"But"

I already put her down and helped her sit.

I turned to walk, but I felt her hand grabbing my wrist, stopping me. "Bai Li. T-take care. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you."

"It will be fine, trust me."

She slowly pulled back her hand.

"Ning come-"

I cut Yi Xing off mid-sentence. "So let me teach you how a real fight is like, Yi Xing. See and observe very carefully because you should understand not to underestimate me."

"So, are you not letting Ning go?"

"Nope."

A beat of silence, and then he yelled. "Go get him!"

I was ready in my stance. I shut my eyes and only focused on my ears to hear any sounds I could, no matter how tiny and faint they might be. 

Dealing with two baboons was not a big challenge. If one had to compare it in terms of a game, then you can mark it as an easy level or even low, a practice level.

From my left, I heard the faint sound of a pebble shifting. Even if they would be coming at me together, one of them will always be first just by a few seconds. I figured I would be attacked from my left first, followed by my right side almost instantaneously.

People usually used their arms first and then legs a little later in a fight. Using hands is always the first option for anybody. So either they would aim at my face or my stomach.

I ducked too low for them to hit anywhere on my body. I heard them stumble as their hits must have landed in thin air. I stretched my right leg to push the man on my right off balance. At the same time, I grabbed the shoulder of the man on my left and holding onto its support; I moved behind him in a flash.

I raised my knee and jerked it upwards to jab straight in between his thighs and on his balls. That is a sensitive spot for any man. One good strike, and he is down.

"Ah, fuckk!!!" He cursed loudly as he groaned loudly. "Ahhhh"

I heard a thud and concluded that he was out.

One left to go.

That man who fell previously came to me again. It wasn't much of a fight left. I sensed his blow coming from my right as I felt the air shift. I blocked his move with my hand. I twisted his arm and broke it at his shoulder while also kicking him hard on his abdomen.

"Ughhhh"

He fell too, and to be on the safer side; I checked if I heard any more noise, but I didn't.

I shrugged.

I turned back to where Yi Xing was standing and from where I heard him speaking.

"Any more?" I lazily asked.

"Youy-you...H-How"

Yi Xing did nothing but stutter the whole time. 

"How could you fight two men when you are blind!"

He was clearly shocked. I liked it.

"No...it's impossible...you are lying. This is impossible! You are tricking us! You are not blind at all!" Yi Xing yelled.

I had to give it to him. 

"Why? You think blind men cannot be capable?" I shook my head. "That's why I told you to observe carefully. Overconfidence is harmful to health."

Suddenly, I heard him shuffling something.

"G-gun!" Zhang Ning spoke. I sensed the terror in her voice.

"Come here to my side, Ning, or I will shoot him dead!"