Chapter 145: The End, Completely Drained
Then, with a smile, he said, "Why bother!"
A trace of mockery and helplessness laced Li Chao's smile.
The mockery seemed to ridicule Shi Wanli's stupidity, while the helplessness felt like a sigh over the ugly nature of human beings.
Shi Wanli slammed his head against the ground even harder:
"I was possessed by a ghost!"
"I swear I'll never dare do it again!"
Shi Wanli's voice carried a crying tone, a miserably wretched sob, and his body trembled even more violently,
shivering like a withered leaf in the autumn wind.
He looked like a frightened quail, pathetic and in a sorry state.
Yet in the very next second, as Shi Wanli was still kneeling,
a murderous intent suddenly flashed in his eyes. That murderous intent was as cold and vicious as a venomous snake; with a stretch of his arm, he snatched the short sword lying beside him.
Then, all the internal energy within his body erupted in a single instant, rushing toward Li Chao like a fierce tempest accompanied by the sound of thunder!
The sudden turn of events happened with astonishing speed!
It was like a sudden clap of thunder bursting through the silent air.
In Shi Wanli's mind, Li Chao surely would not refuse the surrender of a Mystic Realm expert.
As long as Li Chao drew closer and let down his guard, he would have his final—and only—chance to strike.
He did not expect to kill Li Chao; if he could merely injure him and create an opening to escape, that would be enough.
However, an even greater surprise awaited him further ahead!
The very moment he lunged forward, what greeted him was a flash of sword light!
Dazzling!
Icy!
Decisive!
That sword light cut through the night sky like lightning, brilliant and fatal.
It gave the distinct impression of having been waiting there all along, precisely for Shi Wanli to charge right into it!
Slash!
At such close range, Shi Wanli had no way to dodge. The sharp blade pierced straight through his chest.
The merciless sword tore through his body, spraying a burst of blood.
The short sword in his hand twitched weakly, as if still attempting to thrust forward,
yet it ultimately slipped from his grip and clattered onto the ground with a crisp sound.
Shi Wanli stared at Li Chao, spitting out bloody foam as he struggled to utter his final words:
"Wh—why?"
Shi Wanli's eyes were filled with lingering resentment and confusion, and his gaze gradually lost its luster.
He could not understand.
Logically speaking, Li Chao should not have been able to react with such speed in that brief window of time.
Li Chao looked down at him and chuckled lightly:
"I told you long ago!"
Li Chao's smile was brimming with utter confidence and disdain.
That confidence seemed to hold absolute control over everything, while his disdain was the ultimate contempt for Shi Wanli.
"I wouldn't believe a single punctuation mark of what you said!"
No matter how eloquently Shi Wanli had spoken, Li Chao had not taken a single word to heart.
That resolute attitude was as unshakable as an immovable fortress within his mind.
Therefore, the outcome had been predetermined all along.
With those words finished, Li Chao raised his right foot with lightning speed and kicked Zhongli away.
Shi Wanli's body flew like a kite with a snapped string, crashing heavily onto the ground in the distance.
As the sword was pulled free, a fountain of blood splattered all over Liu Hongmei's face.
"Ah!"
Liu Hongmei shrieked, her voice piercing and shrill, before her head tilted to the side and she fainted from sheer terror.
Her body slumped limply to the ground like a lifeless puppet.
In the distance, Shi Wanli's body twitched on the ground a few times, the convulsions growing weaker and weaker until he finally stopped moving altogether,
the aura of life completely dissipating from his frame.
Li Chao walked over, used Shi Wanli's clothes to wipe the blood clean from the sword with calm and practiced efficiency,
and then stored the blade away into the ancient tower within his mind.
Next, he tapped a few acupoints near his wounded arm to stem the bleeding,
pressing his fingers swiftly and accurately against the pressure points before wrapping the wound simply with a strip of cloth.
He glanced back at Liu Hongmei and shook his head helplessly,
his gesture tinged with lingering reluctance and complexity, yet he casually helped her stop the bleeding as well.
Even though he cared nothing for whether she lived or died, watching her bleed to death right before his eyes was still a bit too much for his conscience to bear.
Ah, humanity!
What a truly contradictory existence!
Li Chao sighed inwardly to himself.
The sentiment drifted like a gentle breeze, stirring ripples deep within his heart.
Having finished all this, Li Chao let out a long breath, as if exhaling all his accumulated exhaustion and tension, and slumped down onto the ground nearby.
The great battle had finally come to an end!
Damn it!
What another utterly exhausting day!
Li Chao could not help complaining mentally.
His internal grumbling was drenched in fatigue and resignation.
He picked up his phone and called Bai Haiyang to briefly update him on the situation.
Then, after a moment of thought, he contacted Duan Tian as well.
Since this matter involved Hidden Realm cultivators and a considerable number of casualties, notifying him would help avert unnecessary complications.
With both phone calls completed,
Li Chao finally sat down to rest in peace.
After waiting for about half an hour,
several black cars drove up the distant road.
The vehicles came to a halt in front of the unfinished building.
A group of people alighted one after another.
Liu Zhenhua led the way, accompanied by Old Zhou on his flank, followed by a squad of men dressed in black.
Upon entering and seeing corpses strewn across the floor, they were deeply astonished.
That look of shock froze momentarily on their faces before Liu Zhenhua instructed the men in black to quickly clean up the battlefield, while he and Old Zhou hurried up to the second floor.
By this time, Li Chao had regained some of his strength.
Seeing the two of them arrive, he stood up.
"President, are you alright?"
Liu Zhenhua asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern and worry.
Li Chao shook his head, his expression looking somewhat fatigued.
Old Zhou walked over, gave Shi Wanli's corpse a few kicks, and cursed:
"Bastard!"
"How dare you secretly try to harm President Li? When I get my hands on you, I'll hack you into a thousand pieces, skin you alive, and make you into dried meat to soak in wine!"
Old Zhou was furious, his eyes wide as he poured out a continuous stream of curses,
his indignant demeanor making it seem as though he wanted to drag Shi Wanli out of his grave to torture him all over again.
Li Chao glanced at him and said:
"Calm down!"
"This fellow practiced a rather bizarre technique; his whole body is shrouded in eerie yin energy. Even in death, who knows what kind of curses might linger on him?"
"You'd better stay away!"
Li Chao's tone was solemn, carrying a hint of warning.
Holy crap!
Upon hearing this, Old Zhou's face instantly turned as pale as a sheet of paper, devoid of all blood, and he hastily retreated several paces.
After a moment of fearful thought, he even took off both his shoes and tossed them far away.
There was no helping it.
Shi Wanli had never looked like a decent person.
He radiated ghost-like energy even while alive; who knew what he might do now that he was dead?
At that moment, Old Zhou wished he could slap himself twice.
Damn these feet of mine!
Wasn't it fine just standing to the side? Why did he have to run over there?
Seeing his thoroughly terrified appearance, Li Chao burst into laughter:
"I was just joking with you!"
"Don't worry! Everything's fine!"
Li Chao's laughter sounded exceptionally relaxed amidst the tense atmosphere.
Phew!
Hearing those words, Old Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief, though even so, he still refused to go back and retrieve his shoes.
Better safe than sorry!
Gazing at Shi Wanli's corpse, Liu Zhenhua spoke up.
"I never imagined they could be so greedy! Fortunately, the President is formidable; otherwise, something catastrophic truly would have happened!"
Liu Zhenhua said with lingering fear, a shiver running down his spine as he recalled the recent peril.
Having said that, as if remembering something else, he continued:
"The Scorching Fire Sect has been completely wiped out from top to bottom, which makes things simple in that regard!"
"However, this incident also involves the Yuan Family Village."
"Yuan Yang was a powerhouse of the Yuan Family Village, and now that he has died here, I'm afraid..."
Li Chao narrowed his eyes:
"You're worried the Yuan Family Village will seek revenge?"
Li Chao's gaze turned vigilant, his eyes sharp as daggers.
"Are they really so unreasonable as well?"
Li Chao's tone carried skepticism, his voice filled with dissatisfaction.
Liu Zhenhua offered a wry smile:
"The world of cultivators is entirely different from the world of ordinary mortals!"
Liu Zhenhua's smile was filled with helplessness, which seemed deeply etched into the ravines of his face.
"Secular concepts are utterly useless to them!"
"Many cultivators act purely on impulse, and now that a genius expert of theirs has perished, no one can predict how the Yuan Family Village will react."
Liu Zhenhua analyzed the situation with a heavy heart, his brows locked in a tight frown.
Liu Zhenhua paused for a few seconds before continuing:
"How about this? I can return Yuan Yang's corpse to the Yuan Family Village, explain the situation clearly to them, and offer some monetary compensation to try and smooth things over. What do you think?"
Liu Zhenhua offered his suggestion cautiously, his eyes full of probing tentativeness.
Li Chao frowned, contemplated for a moment, and then replied:
"Return the corpse and explain the situation—that's enough!"
"As for compensation... not a single penny!"
Li Chao's attitude was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation, his firm stance resembling an unshakeable mountain.
Back then, he had saved Yuan Yang's life on the summit of Dushan Mountain, only for that ungrateful wretch to turn around and launch a sneak attack on him.
Allowing him to be returned to his hometown for burial was already an immense act of mercy.
Compensation?
Are you kidding me?
This... Hearing Li Chao speak thus, Liu Zhenhua hesitated for a moment and whispered cautiously:
"What if they become enraged because of this?"
Liu Zhenhua remained deeply anxious, his worried expression tightening his brow even further.
Hearing this, Li Chao immediately sneered:
"When the soldiers come, block them; when the water comes, earth will absorb it!"
"If they push things too far and provoke me into a rage, I'll go wipe out the Yuan Family Village myself!"
Li Chao's words were overwhelmingly domineering, sounding like rolling thunder bursting through the air.
His voice was cold and filled with oppressive coercion.
Hiss.
Liu Zhenhua and Old Zhou were rendered speechless by this invisible aura, feeling as though breathing itself had become difficult.
After a long while, Old Zhou managed to squeeze out a few words:
"The President is truly epic!"
Old Zhou said with a face full of adoration, his adoring gaze brimming with reverence.
Once that matter was settled, Liu Zhenhua glanced back at Liu Hongmei, who was still unconscious, and asked:
"What should we do with her?"
Li Chao took out his phone:
"I'll call her daughter and have her come pick her up!"
Yet, as he prepared to dial, he realized he did not have Xiao Yali's number.
After a brief thought,
he walked over to Liu Hongmei and searched somewhat roughly through her pockets.
Finding her phone, he unlocked the screen using Liu Hongmei's fingerprint and dialed Xiao Yali's number.
The call connected.
"Mom, what is it?"
Xiao Yali's voice came through, tinged with a trace of impatience, as if she were dealing with an extremely annoying chore.
The background was very noisy; she seemed to be in a bustling, uproarious venue.
Li Chao said:
"Your mother is in trouble! She's currently unconscious. You should come over and pick her up."
The other end fell silent for a few seconds, evidently startled by the unexpected voice. Once she processed the words, she shouted angrily:
"Are you Li Chao?"
"What did you do to my mother?"
"Let me tell you, if my mother suffers even the slightest mishap, I'll make you pay!"
Her voice was sharp and shrill, filled with accusations and threats.
What the hell!
Li Chao was so infuriated he almost threw his phone, his face instantly turning pitch black with rage.
What an absurd creature!
Throwing accusations without even asking questions?
Like mother, like daughter indeed!
Had he known, he wouldn't have bothered stopping Liu Hongmei's bleeding!
Suppressing his rising anger, Li Chao forced himself to say:
"Your mother was stabbed by someone else. I just helped stabilize her condition. Drive over here immediately and take her to the hospital!"
Li Chao raised his voice a notch, laden with palpable annoyance.
He had originally expected Xiao Yali to agree right away.
To his surprise, the other party flatly refused:
"As long as it wasn't you who did it!"
"But I'm currently watching a celebrity concert right now. It's my favorite star!"
"I definitely can't make it!"
"How about this, just send my mother to the hospital yourself!"
"Whatever the cost, I'll transfer the money to you later!"
The words were spoken in a rush of cold indifference, devoid of any hesitation or concern.
Before he could reply, the line went dead.
At the very end, the faint, heart-wrenching screams of "Somebody, I love you!" could still be heard from the speaker, apparently belonging to some popular young idol!
Li Chao held the phone, utterly speechless, his expression a mix of disbelief and resignation.
To chase after a star and completely abandon her own mother's life or death?
Truly a pair of deeply affectionate mother and filial daughter!
Still, parents are a child's first teachers.
At this thought, Li Chao couldn't help feeling a wave of emotion, laced with a deep sigh and contemplation on human nature.
With a mother like Liu Hongmei, it didn't seem so strange that Xiao Yali had turned out this way.
"President, what should we do now?"
Liu Zhenhua asked cautiously again, hesitation coloring his voice.
Li Chao shoved the phone back into Liu Hongmei's pocket, waved his hand, and said:
"Find a car and dump her at the hospital!"
Li Chao looked thoroughly impatient, his expression akin to swatting away an annoying fly.
In truth, Li Chao was fully capable of healing her himself.
He simply had no desire to lift a finger.
Leaving her alive rather than tossing her out in the wilderness to fend for herself was already an act of extreme benevolence!
The men in black brought by Liu Zhenhua were evidently well-versed in handling such affairs.
With practiced efficiency, they cleaned the entire area spotless in no time.
What needed burying was buried, and what needed tidying was sorted out, leaving no trace of the fierce battle behind.
Even Liu Hongmei was placed inside a vehicle and dispatched to a nearby hospital.
Seeing that Li Chao was stained with blood, Old Zhou had one of his subordinates strip off his own jacket for Li Chao to change into, and even re-bandaged the wound on his arm.
Just as the cleanup finished, a man chewing on a toothpick strolled over from afar. It was Duan Tian.
"You guys head back first! I'm going to chat with Captain Duan for a while!"
Li Chao said to Liu Zhenhua and Old Zhou, his voice calm and composed.
The two nodded and left with their subordinates.
At the scene, only Li Chao and Duan Tian remained.
A ruined building, the setting sun, and two men—
it actually possessed a rather peculiar ambiance.
Standing amidst the unfinished structure,
Duan Tian looked around and remarked:
"I honestly didn't expect you to be this formidable!"
"A whole sect, featuring two Mystic Realm experts, and you wiped them out just like that!"
Duan Tian's tone was full of praise and astonishment, his amazed expression mirroring the sight of an incredible miracle.
Li Chao smiled faintly:
"What else could I do?"
"I couldn't just sit around waiting for them to kill me, could I?"
Li Chao chuckled helplessly, a hint of bitterness lacing his smile.
Duan Tian grinned, then asked:
"Well?"
"Do you finally realize how cruel the Hidden Realm is now?"
"And this is still under the supervision of the Dragon Squad. Without the Dragon Squad, imagine what kind of state society would be in."
Duan Tian hoped to make Li Chao understand the vital importance of the Dragon Squad, his eyes shining with earnestness and anticipation.
Li Chao raised an eyebrow:
"You still haven't given up on trying to recruit me into the Dragon Squad?"
Li Chao looked at Duan Tian with a half-smile, his gaze tinged with teasing humor.
Duan Tian wore an expression of profound helplessness:
"Who told Hall Master Lin to think so highly of your potential!"
"And you're something else too!"
"Other people would kill for a chance to join, but look at you—you reject an invitation right to your face!"
Duan Tian shook his head resignedly, wearing the expression of someone dealing with an incorrigible child.
Li Chao scratched his head,
flashing an awkward yet polite smile.
"By the way, you're free for the rest of the day, right?"
Duan Tian pondered for a moment before asking, anticipation glimmering in his eyes.
Li Chao nodded.
"Alright then! Come with me on a trip!"
With that, he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off into the distance, his stride steady and forceful.
Li Chao blinked in surprise, then hurried after him and asked:
"Where are we going?"
His face was painted with confusion.
Duan Tian replied:
"You'll know once we get there!"
His tone remained shrouded in mystery.
Fine.
Following along would have to do.
The two walked out of the narrow path and onto a broader avenue further away.
Then, they stood side by side in the wind.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long and thin, making them appear even more solitary against the wide road,
like two wandering souls forgotten by the world.
Five minutes...
Ten minutes...
Twenty minutes...
Li Chao finally grew restless, turned to Duan Tian, and asked:
"Tell me, are you planning to make me watch the sunset out here?"
His tone carried a trace of grievance.
Uh!
Duan Tian said with a somewhat embarrassed expression:
"I honestly didn't expect taxis to be this scarce out here!"
"If I'd known, I would have had your men leave a car behind for us!"
Duan Tian scratched his head sheepishly, looking very much like a child caught doing something wrong.
Li Chao was utterly speechless:
"Don't you guys get assigned vehicles when you go out on official business?"
His eyes were filled with exasperation.
Duan Tian shrugged and said:
"It's not that we aren't assigned any!"
"It's just that the casualty and wreckage rate is too high; no matter how wealthy the organization is, it can't sustain that kind of loss!"
His expression looked thoroughly innocent.
Fine!
You win!
Just as Li Chao was about to call Liu Zhenhua and have him dispatch a car, a taxi finally appeared in the distance.
Phew!
The long-suffering Xing Ye hastily raised his hand, his eager motion akin to a drowning man grasping at a straw.
The taxi pulled up beside them. The driver turned out to be a woman.
She had long hair and a rather ordinary appearance.
Upon noticing Li Chao and Duan Tian, she looked visibly hesitant.
After all, stranded in the middle of nowhere like this, picking up two grown men naturally felt somewhat unsafe.
Duan Tian seemed to perceive her apprehension and hurriedly patted the car window, shouting:
"Big sister, we're good people! We've been waiting here forever, and running an empty meter is a waste anyway—give us a ride!"
His voice was urgent and sincere.
The female driver looked Duan Tian and Li Chao over a few more times before rolling down the window to say:
"You guys sit in the back then!"
A hint of vigilance lingered in her voice.
There was a protective wire mesh separating the front and back seats.
At the very least, it provided a psychological sense of security.
Duan Tian didn't quibble over the details at that moment and readily agreed:
"Deal!"
His tone was crisp and decisive.
The female driver unlocked the doors.
Li Chao and Duan Tian climbed into the back seat.
The female driver offered a somewhat apologetic explanation:
"Sorry about that, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just that this area is way too remote!"
"Hope you understand!"
Her tone was tinged with apology, like a gentle breeze attempting to clear away the awkward atmosphere.
Duan Tian smiled and said:
"Understand, absolutely!"
"Life isn't easy for anyone!"
"Still, a female taxi driver is quite a rare sight."
Duan Tian's smile was warm and friendly.
The female driver replied:
"This was my husband's car!"
"He passed away not long ago."
"With old folks above and young kids below, everyone needs to eat!"
"I had no choice, so I had to shoulder the burden myself."
Her voice carried a mix of helplessness and resilience, the former weighing like heavy storm clouds while the latter shone like sunlight piercing through them.
This...
Duan Tian felt a bit awkward:
"I'm sorry."
"I shouldn't have gone asking random questions."
Duan Tian wore an expression of genuine remorse clearly etched across his face.
The female driver shook her head:
"It's fine!"
"Where are you headed?"
Her voice regained its composure, as though she had long since grown accustomed to the twists and turns of life.
Duan Tian said:
"The Royale Nightclub in the North District!"
Hearing those words, the female driver's body visibly stiffened. She fell silent, pressed down on the accelerator, and drove forward.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the exertion.
Li Chao cast a curious glance at Duan Tian and asked:
"Are you planning to treat me to a club?"
Li Chao teased, a playful glint in his eyes.
The corners of Duan Tian's mouth twitched a few times:
"What are you thinking!"
Duan Tian shot Li Chao a sideways glance filled with exasperation.
"The thing is..."
He got halfway through his sentence, remembered the female driver in the front, and abruptly stopped, waving his hand as he said:
"It's inconvenient right now!"
"I'll tell you once we get out of the car!"
He had meant well, but he could clearly sense that the female driver's face had grown even paler.
Fortunately, both of them behaved normally for the remainder of the trip.
The taxi drove on for roughly twenty minutes before entering the downtown area.
The lights along both sides of the street gradually grew brighter, and pedestrians became more numerous.
The female driver visibly exhaled, her tense frame finally relaxing somewhat.
Yet, immediately afterward, another problem arose.
It was currently the peak evening rush hour.
People were everywhere, and traffic was heavily congested.
As they turned onto a relatively narrow road, the vehicle could only crawl forward at a turtle's pace.
The woman did not seem accustomed to driving frequently, and facing this sort of road condition, she struggled to coordinate the clutch and accelerator, causing the car to lurch forward in erratic jerks.
Li Chao kindly offered a reminder:
"Take your time, sister, no need to rush!"
Li Chao's tone was solicitous, his voice gentle and steady.
The female driver smiled and said:
"Thanks for understanding!"
"It's mostly because my driving skills aren't great!"
"You'll get the hang of it with more practice!"
She replied with gratitude, a touch of bashfulness coloring her tone.
Just as she was speaking, the driver of a car alongside them grew impatient, whipped his steering wheel around, and forcefully cut in front of the taxi.
Since the female driver already lacked proficient skills, the sudden lane-cutter startled her into panicking and stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake.
Bang!
The taxi surged forward violently, slamming straight into the rear spoiler of the vehicle ahead.
The female driver was scared out of her wits.
Li Chao and Duan Tian exchanged glances, neither anticipating such a turn of events.
A flash of surprise crossed both of their eyes.
Swish!
The doors of the leading car flew open.
Four men stepped out.
Each one was tall and robust, sporting tattoos along their arms.
Leading them was a bald man.
With a fierce, fleshy face, he looked like bad news at first glance!
The group swarmed around the taxi.
The bald man delivered a swift kick to the taxi's door, denting the metal inwards.
Then, pointing at the female driver, he began to curse:
"Are you fucking retarded?!"
"Don't you know how to drive?"
"Are your eyes for decoration?"
The bald man's language was vile, his crude insults piercing the air like poisoned barbs aimed at the female driver.
His companions joined in, pointing and jeering with ferocious expressions, looking as though they intended to tear the woman apart limb from limb.
Faced with this situation, the woman hurriedly pushed open her door, bent down, and began bowing in apology:
"Sirs!"
"I'm sorry! I am truly sorry!"
The female driver looked utterly humble and terrified, her trembling body betraying her immense fear.
Clearly, she was not primarily at fault for this accident, yet she continued to offer profuse apologies.
There was no helping it; in this world, fairness did not always exist.
Weakness, in itself, was considered a sin.
Even as the woman humbled herself so deeply, the group of men continued to hurl abuses relentlessly.