Chapter 582: Precision Mechanism
Old Liu paused briefly, looking at Zheng Yingxiong, whose body was covered in blood, and found himself temporarily speechless.
After landing, Zheng Yingxiong supported himself with his sword, struggling to catch his breath.
A few seconds later, he lifted his nose and sniffed, his gaze bypassing the few people in front of him and locking onto Tiantian. "I smell it... the fragrance of a 'Clever Craft'."
At that moment, Old Liu, Xiao Cheng, and Tiantian said nothing, merely staring blankly at the short sword in Zheng Yingxiong's hand.
Noticing their strange looks, Zheng Yingxiong looked down as well.
In just a second, his eyes widened.
In his hand was an extremely bizarre sword, seemingly assembled from dozens of mechanical parts. Not only did it have wires of various colors, but also circuit boards with unknown functions. Gears of different sizes were still turning, and the blade was made of an unidentified glass-like material.
The soft, flimsy newspaper short sword from before had somehow transformed into a precision mechanism entirely composed of mechanical parts and gears.
"So impressive..." Zheng Yingxiong seemed to have completely forgotten his own injuries, staring at the precious sword in his hand and studying it intently. "What exactly is this?"
And Tiantian, the creator of this 'Clever Craft,' looked even more astonished than Zheng Yingxiong. She felt the object was somewhat familiar, but how could it have taken the shape of a sword?
"So you've got some skill after all..."
Old Liu's face instantly twisted into a vicious expression. Even if the kid in front of him had managed to kill Old Fang by luck, he was still just a child.
The chance of this child picking up the sword again and killing a fully armed middle-aged man was zero.
While Zheng Yingxiong was distracted, Old Liu stepped forward and kicked the sword out of his hand, then raised his dagger to strike.
For a moment, Tiantian's mind went blank. Before she could even fully understand how to use her ability, Zheng Yingxiong was already facing a new death threat.
Just as the two were at a loss, Xiao Cheng suddenly charged forward, tackling Old Liu to the ground just as the dagger was about to strike Zheng Yingxiong.
In a matter of seconds, the two were already wrestling on the ground, grabbing at each other's hands, neither willing to back down.
"Xiao Cheng... the hell are you doing..." Old Liu said. "You think crossing me is going to end well for you...?"
"I can't take it anymore..." The young man called Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth. "I've had enough of this life..."
"Heh, heh heh..." Old Liu's veins bulged, but he still forced out a smirk. "Good kid... we're in the same room, you know... daring to cross me... I'll have all the time in the world to deal with you..."
Xiao Cheng seemed completely enraged, gripping Old Liu's arm tightly, controlling the direction of the dagger in his hand.
Though he was young and strong, Old Liu appeared to have some training as well. The two remained deadlocked, rolling across the ground.
Tiantian took a few seconds to confirm this wasn't some kind of trick. When she noticed the boy was about to lose his grip, she made a quick decision, grabbed Zheng Yingxiong, and ran toward the bicycle.
"Sister... that brother..."
"I can't afford to care about that!" Tiantian said, flustered. "Little brother, you ride away first. Once you're gone, I'll find a way to save him..."
"But..."
"Listen to me!" Tiantian helped Zheng Yingxiong onto the bicycle. "I can't tell if that boy helped us out of personal grudges or something else. The only thing I can do right now is get you out of here!"
Before Zheng Yingxiong could say anything, screams came from the two still wrestling in the distance. The cries were so harsh that it was impossible to tell who had been injured.
"I'm going!" Tiantian said. "Little brother, be careful!"
Tiantian ran over frantically and saw that Old Liu had gained the upper hand. He was on top of Xiao Cheng, using his full body weight to push down, while Xiao Cheng blocked the dagger aimed at his chest with his palm. Blood had already soaked his chest.
"Damn it... Xiao Cheng... you're quite strong..." Old Liu gritted his teeth as he pushed, as if his eyes had gone bloodshot. "From now on, I'll make sure you stay in the interview room forever... you'll never get out..."
"That's impossible..." Xiao Cheng also gritted his teeth. "As long as I can 'Resonate' this time... I won't let you get away with it next time... I'll lead the others to fight against the two of you..."
"You won't be 'Resonating'... you're going to die right now..."
Without hesitation, Tiantian walked over and picked up the 'precious sword' that Zheng Yingxiong had been using.
She had expected the sword, assembled entirely from precision parts, to be somewhat heavy, but it turned out to be surprisingly light.
No wonder Zheng Yingxiong could wield it with one hand despite his small frame.
Most of the materials weren't steel, but rather the precious metals commonly used in electronic devices.
Gripping the sword, Tiantian rushed toward the two. Without hesitation or a word, she drove the blade straight into Old Liu's ribs.
The sword was sharper than she had imagined.
In her memory, she had never killed anyone before, but when she struck, there was no hesitation at all.
"AHHH!!!" Old Liu screamed in agony, instantly losing his strength.
At that moment, Xiao Cheng flipped over, pulled the dagger from his own palm, and plunged it into Old Liu multiple times.
This young man seemed to have been oppressed for a long time. He didn't hold back at all, stabbing Old Liu's abdomen, then his chest, and finally landing the last few strikes on his neck.
Every blow hit a vital spot, leaving no chance for survival.
Seeing Old Liu go still, the young man sat down on the ground as if all his strength had drained away. His palm was still bleeding, but his expression was completely dazed.
Tiantian cautiously walked over and pulled the sword out of Old Liu's body. The young man didn't move the entire time.
"I'm sorry..." The young man said, his face full of regret. "I'm really sorry... you two need to run, now..."
Tiantian didn't respond. She stared at him as she backed away step by step.
Although this boy had saved her and Zheng Yingxiong at a critical moment, he had been in league with those two all along. And every stab he delivered was aimed at vital points. It was hard to believe his hands were clean.
"Sister!" Zheng Yingxiong rode the bicycle up behind Tiantian and asked, "Should we go?"
The boy sitting on the ground heard the sound of the bicycle and slowly looked up, his expression complicated as he stared at the two.
Tiantian immediately became alert, holding the sword in front of her. Luckily, the sword was lightweight and extremely sharp, so she could defend herself while holding it.
The boy stared at the bicycle with a strange look for a moment, then swallowed hard and said, "Although... although it might be inappropriate to say this... but could you give me that bicycle?"