Chapter 1531: Truly Cannot Not Report It
Facing an A-rank player from the Eerie Sound Knights, Xu Huo did not rashly use his spiritual power, so he could not see the player who was conveniently blocked by the corridor wall. However, judging from Bai Tiaoyi's attitude, the opponent was at a disadvantage.
"The Eerie Sound Knights have killed countless people, and everyone wants them dead. Even if we can't kill you today, tomorrow, or the day after, there will be plenty of people coming to kill you!" The man spoke with difficulty, struggling to move to the position by the glass window.
Using a prop, Xu Huo could finally see clearly. The man's shoulders, chest, and both thighs were pierced by chains of varying thicknesses. The chains hadn't fully penetrated his body, but judging from the blood he was shedding, he had struggled fiercely without being able to break free.
Verbal attacks were useless against Bai Tiaoyi. He smoothed his hair and straightened his clothes, as dignified as if attending a formal occasion. "Too many people want to kill me. Most of them say something similar to what you just said. How pitiful. People like you can't even make your words carry any power."
The injured man was enraged. Overwhelming hatred made him bite down so hard he shattered his own teeth. "Beasts! You're all beasts! Aren't you afraid the innocent dead will come back for revenge?!"
Bai Tiaoyi lifted his chin slightly, looking down at him from a condescending position. "Only the powerless believe in souls after death. They can't change reality, so they pin their hopes on illusions."
As his words fell, the chains on the man suddenly tightened toward the ground, forcing him to his knees. From Xu Huo's angle, he could barely see the man's shoulders.
But Bai Tiaoyi wasn't in a hurry to kill him. Instead, he took out a black notebook, flipped to the middle, pulled out a pen, and asked the man, "What's your name?"
The man naturally refused to reveal his identity, but the next second, his expression stiffened, and his mouth seemed to open uncontrollably: "Fang Zhong."
"Origin."
"E26 wormhole point, Zone 029."
"Any family left? Who sent you to kill me? Any other companions?"
The man hadn't completely lost his senses. Realizing Bai Tiaoyi's intention behind these questions, he opened his mouth to bite off his own tongue!
"Don't move, don't move." The pen in Bai Tiaoyi's hand turned into a small brush. As he raised it, the man froze completely, forced to keep his mouth open.
"Although you can still write without a tongue, it's not as convenient as speaking." Bai Tiaoyi smiled. With a flick of his finger, the person lying in the other corridor flew to his feet.
Stepping on that person's back with his clean leather shoes, he looked at the man opposite. "How about you consider trading the truth for your companion's life?"
The man glanced at his already unconscious companion. Conflict and struggle flickered in his eyes, and his expression was no longer as resolute as before.
Bai Tiaoyi was satisfied and put away the small brush. But unexpectedly, the man, who seemed ready to compromise for his companion just a second ago, decisively bit off his own tongue. He spat it out with a "pfft" onto the ground, looking at Bai Tiaoyi with a provocative glare.
Bai Tiaoyi's props all disappeared. He walked up to the man, using a black umbrella to lift his chin. "Very good. E26-029. The Eerie Sound Knights will find time to visit that district."
Hearing this, the man's eyes widened. Ignoring his bleeding wound, he lunged forward with his head, as if trying to bite Bai Tiaoyi. But the latter let out a contemptuous laugh, and the umbrella gently thrust forward, piercing through his throat.
At the moment of death, the man revealed a strange smile. Bai Tiaoyi squinted slightly. The next second, a blade-like wind swirled up beneath the man's feet, trapping Bai Tiaoyi inside as well!
The wind, like a solid barrier, blocked the view from outside. All that could be seen was Bai Tiaoyi locked inside the wind circle, from which came the sound of metal clashing, showing no signs of fading anytime soon.
Was Bai Tiaoyi trapped?
Xu Huo's eyes darkened slightly, but then he noticed several people who shouldn't have been there.
Although the wind circle blocked the view, it couldn't cut off space. Bai Tiaoyi wasn't injured. The player's death-triggered attack hadn't worked. And the few people lurking outside the playground were clearly also targeting him.
Releasing his spiritual realm, Xu Huo teleported the three of them away from the school just before Bai Tiaoyi could emerge.
Suddenly teleported away, the three, still highly tense, immediately used props to attack Xu Huo. The one who had been kneeling and "begging" earlier tried to kneel to him on the spot.
Xu Huo quickly trapped them in a space barrier and called out their identities. "Assassinating Bai Tiaoyi—was that an order from the Special Defense Department?"
The three froze but remained on guard. "Who are you?"
"A player from Zone 014." Xu Huo said directly.
Realization dawned. The player with the red forehead quickly said, "Was it you who saved us just now?"
Xu Huo didn't know the "begging" player, but he had seen one of his companions at the Special Defense Department. So he guessed these three had all come from Zone 014. He had pulled them out on a whim, planning to put them somewhere safe. He hadn't expected them to dare sneak close to Bai Tiaoyi again.
"Although we don't know who you are, we're very grateful you saved us. But why did you stop us? Bai Tiaoyi was already trapped. If we fought to the death, we might have had a chance."
Among the three, the "begging" player was about fifty or sixty, looking honest with a hint of pitifulness. The other two were younger. One with a buzz cut had an injured arm, and the shorter one had a back injury. The one speaking was the one with the injured arm, his tone not very good, seemingly holding back anger.
"Are you A-rank players?" Xu Huo raised an eyebrow.
The three choked. The buzz cut said, "But I'm a B-rank player."
"Don't you know your own situation?" Xu Huo said bluntly. "Do you even know how much water is in your B-rank? The one you were fighting just now was probably a B-rank too. What were your odds, three of you together?"
The three had no comeback. When the guillotine was aimed at them, they indeed couldn't escape. If they hadn't been saved, they might have already left Zone 017.
"But... even just wounding someone from the Eerie Sound Knights would be worth it..." the buzz cut argued. "There are so many high-rank players here. If he gets injured, he'll definitely be targeted!"
"You can't wound him." Not only could they not wound him, but once caught, they might even expose their home base.
"Are we supposed to just let such a good opportunity slip?" the buzz cut clenched his fists.
A good opportunity? Did he misunderstand something?
The "begging" player was older and not as straightforward as the buzz cut. He tried to mediate. "We came to avenge our relatives and friends who died in Hai City. We were already mentally prepared for sacrifices. I know this gentleman doesn't want us to take unnecessary risks, but this grudge truly cannot not be reported."
(Chapter End)