Suddenly, he decided to fight fire with fire, his gaze filled with ruthlessness as he spoke.

"Kid, we don't want to kill you, but if you continue being this uncooperative, don't blame us brothers for sending you on your way!"

At this, Wang Zhan's initial panic deepened into fear, and his movements became much smaller.

What a classic bully, preying on the weak and fearing the strong.

Everyone felt immense contempt. This nobody had actually made so many of them come out searching for him—what an absolute waste of time.

Immediately, he waved his hand and commanded,

"Come, help him up! Even if we have to drag him, get him before Big Bro! Kid, you'd better behave yourself. Otherwise, I'll kill you halfway there!"

Wang Zhan seemed too frightened to speak, merely nodding his head repeatedly with a terrified yet docile expression, allowing a burly man on each side to grab him and treat him like a piece of cargo.

To make his act more convincing, Wang Zhan went completely limp, like a boneless shrimp.

As soon as he was lifted, his legs dangled uselessly, nearly making him kneel on the ground.

This only made these supposedly upstanding men despise him even more.

If Wang Zhan hadn't, at least, managed to avoid soiling himself out of fear... well, never mind. There was no 'otherwise'; they weren't the boss anyway.

"By the way, where are those two from Snakehead?"

However, after they had taken Wang Zhan some distance, one of the men suddenly realized something.

They had found Wang Zhan, the main culprit.

But what about the other two assailants? Where were they?

According to their intel, weren't those two supposed to be sticking to Wang Zhan like glue, never leaving his side, as if determined to corner him?

In their eyes, Wang Zhan, an ordinary person, simply didn't have that kind of capability. Meeting him in person had only deepened their disappointment.

They even privately scoffed, thinking Snakehead's men were utterly useless!

They couldn't even handle such a loser; what exactly were they good for?

But when Wang Zhan heard this, a flash of panic crossed his face, and he immediately began to struggle desperately, like an ordinary person trying to escape.

One of the men holding Wang Zhan down immediately growled,

"Move again? Move one more damn time, and I'll feed you to the rats in the Underground City!"

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" Wang Zhan paid them no mind.

Two living people were being treated like that. If he didn't react extremely, it would be a huge flaw in his act.

Only by acting out of line could such behavior seem like a reasonable response, not a flaw.

"Leave him to me!"

Just then, a deep, authoritative voice suddenly rang out.

Evidently, the boss had arrived!

As the voice finished speaking, the man holding Wang Zhan immediately flung him away, sending him flying through the air.

"AAAHHH!!"

It was a despair similar to what those two poor wretches had experienced earlier.

Of course, Wang Zhan wouldn't deny that he'd gotten the idea by observing those two losers.

Immediately, this newcomer caught Wang Zhan and held him tightly in his grip.

Only then did Wang Zhan get his first proper look at the man's profile. His face was unblemished by scars and even possessed a certain refined elegance.

But his attire, from head to toe, exuded an imposing, domineering aura.

With Wang Zhan clutched in his hand, the man seemed like a majestic eagle soaring through the sky.

As for Wang Zhan, he was, of course, the pathetic little chick clutched in its talons.

Then, Wang Zhan found himself staring into a pair of eyes filled with boundless killing intent and Dignity. The man said in a deep voice,

"Where are the two men who were chasing you? Tell me! Naturally, I won't take your life. But if you're unwilling to cooperate, I don't mind sending you on your way!"

Of course, only the leader himself knew his true thoughts. What truly angered him was that Snakehead's men had dared to infiltrate his territory, wander around, and even attack people on his turf—his anger wasn't directed at a small fry like Wang Zhan.

This was simply unforgivable.

Wang Zhan could clearly feel the killing intent. But, of course, this man wouldn't know for now that what he held in his hand was no mere chick, but a true crocodile, sharp-witted and ready to devour someone at any moment.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH! Let... let... let go!"

Wang Zhan's face turned crimson from lack of air as he desperately tried to pry the large hand off his throat.

The man then emotionlessly released him, causing Wang Zhan to crumple to the ground.

Seemingly terrified and threatened, Wang Zhan immediately clutched his throat, gasping. Then, pointing in the direction where the two pitiful wretches were about to meet their end, he cursed aloud,

"Damn it! What the hell is your problem with me?! They're over there! If you've got the guts, go after them yourself! Just let me go, quick!"

However, the moment he uttered the words "let me go," he was surrounded by the leader's underlings.

Wang Zhan shivered violently, his face filled with terror. Only then did he seem to regret his outburst, slapping himself hard across the face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Big Bro, Big Bro! Please let me go! They're over there, just let me go! I won't do any more business, I just want to live..."

A flicker of cold mockery crossed the man's face, and he chuckled indifferently.

"Want to live? Then follow us. Kid, it's not your time to die yet!"

He had heard from the shopkeeper, after all.

This kid had a deal, one big enough to ensure the shopkeeper's family could live comfortably even after the shopkeeper himself was dead.

He, naturally, wasn't interested in the shopkeeper's money.

However, he could certainly entertain the small thought of using the kid's terror to see if he'd offer up the deal directly, allowing the shopkeeper to earn a bit more.

So, he waved his hand decisively and ordered,

"Bring him along! I want to see exactly what's going on..."

Just as this group was moving through the dim, shadowy area, about to reach the small house, Wang Zhan's net of mental energy suddenly trembled, and the mad man, being a being condensed from mental energy himself, reacted instantly.

He was in darkness, but for a phantasmal mental energy entity like him, what did the absence of light matter?

HEHEHE! Laughing eerily, he increased the infusion of mental energy into the two wretches beneath him—who were already only breathing out and not in—and even bolstered the mental power within their minds.

This immediately reawakened their thoughts. Their eyes seemed to roll back, and their minds filled with the tormented scenes they had just endured.

"HEHEHE, enjoy!"

HUM.

It was like the resonant hum of a sword, adding a final, strange flicker of light to the small room, which had been filled only with silence and fear.

And so, the two Martial Artists, who had once fought side-by-side, now faced each other.

They looked at each other's exposed bodies, feebly rising and falling, seemingly devoid of all vitality.

BOOM!

A violent pain suddenly shot through their minds. Both men forgot their current predicament, consumed only by mad howling, as if their previous agony was merely a prelude to the true suffering that was only now beginning.

"AAAHHH!!"

"HEHEHE..."

To ensure their screams were even louder, the mad man could be said to have spared no effort.

He even applied some of the stimulating medical techniques he had learned to these two poor wretches.

Fortunately, Wang Zhan didn't question why a disciple from a supposedly righteous and prestigious sect could be so ruthless and merciless when it came to killing.

In the final analysis, this was merely a minor application of the power the mad man had accumulated over his past.

If he had used this technique during his battle with Wang Zhan, he likely wouldn't have ended up in his current state.

Having witnessed all the mad man's actions, Wang Zhan's understanding of his capabilities naturally deepened, especially those few techniques that simultaneously amplified both the victims' potential and their suffering.

"Impressive skills. I wonder if I can wheedle them out of that fellow..."

Wang Zhan knew he definitely lacked such profound foundations himself and had always relied on external help.

But that technique just now was truly stunning, almost magical!

If it could be used on the battlefield, whether against enemies or to stimulate oneself, it would undoubtedly be an excellent choice, capable of greatly extending one's endurance.

It wouldn't be like his own situation, where without external power, he'd be finished in a single exchange.

However, while these two—Wang Zhan and the mad man—were each harboring their own ulterior motives and had incidentally sent two poor wretches to their deaths,

「Meanwhile.」

The group, just about to reach that area, was suddenly assaulted by a series of piercing, echoing cries.

Even through the lingering echoes, they could sense the immense pain and horrific torment contained within them.

At this, all their expressions changed.

"Stop!"

The refined yet domineering man immediately waved his hand, signaling those following him to slow down.

Without even glancing at Wang Zhan, who was struggling in his subordinates' grasp, trying to flee the scene, he ordered solemnly,

"The situation has changed! No one is to disperse! We must maintain formation! All Martial Generals and above, except for one Grandmaster who will remain, are to stay close to me.

The rest will form a single-file line, with three ranks ready for attack. If anything seems even slightly amiss, alert us immediately! If you see us run into trouble or get bogged down in a fight, then under the Grandmaster's command, retreat swiftly and secure a suitable escape route for us..."

"Yes, sir!"

But this man didn't know that even Wang Zhan, the true instigator of all this, was inwardly astonished. An unnoticed, profound gleam flashed in Wang Zhan's eyes.

This fellow's identity isn't simple. His style and methods are so much like those of the Military Department. Prudent in advance and retreat, meticulous in arrangements. Even if the opponent's realm is unknown and possibly very weak, he prioritizes stability, attacking with full force while also considering the preservation of his effective strength.

Moreover, I was specifically assigned to Quan State this time. Is this really just a coincidence?

Of course, Wang Zhan wouldn't give up on hamming it up, even if it was starting to visibly annoy the refined-looking man.

Pointing directly at Wang Zhan, the leader ordered,

"Bring him along! Make him lead the way!"

Wang Zhan's face filled with shock and terror; he struggled and resisted.

"No! ..."

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