Chapter 24

Just as Jia Jingzhong was about to lose control of his bladder and bowels out of fear, a hint of satisfaction appeared in Baihu's eyes, as if a great vengeance was about to be exacted. Suddenly, a piece of light gauze, which should not have existed, abruptly blocked Baihu's line of sight!

A unique fragrance of a woman lingered in the air. In the moment Baihu was distracted, a black shadow flashed past him. Looking down, he found a silver metal whip had wrapped around his wrist without him noticing.

"Ah!" A sharp scream echoed in his mind, and a powerful force sent Baihu flying. While Baihu couldn't see, the others could. They saw a black-veiled woman from a foreign land wrap her whip around Baihu's wrist as they crossed paths. What followed was an unbelievable scene: a man weighing over a hundred pounds was flung away by a slender woman!

Baihu hit the ground, and even with his internal energy protecting him, he felt as if he had been crushed by a small mountain. Gasping, he struggled to his feet, and the sight of the woman before him sent a chill down his spine!

A先天高手 (先天 expert)! This foreign woman was a先天 expert! Looking at Jia Jingzhong, who had just climbed up from the floor, and then at the foreign woman with her qi surging and eyes gleaming, he couldn't believe that a mere eunuch could recruit such a先天 expert.

The foreign woman didn't give Baihu much time to think. The silver whip lashed down with a fierce force, aiming to split Baihu in two. For the first time, Baihu retreated. The true qi on the silver whip wasn't abundant, but it was of the先天 level, making it qualitatively stronger than internal energy. A direct confrontation would be disadvantageous.

Dodging the whip, Baihu moved forward, determined to turn defense into offense. However, the foreign woman easily stepped out of his sword's range. Baihu's strength lay in attack, and facing a woman with superior lightness skills, he was at a disadvantage. The silver whip came again, this time tracing a strange arc in the air, gently deflecting Baihu's steel sword. Then, the silver whip rapidly contracted into a long sword, piercing Baihu's side as he watched in shock. Fortunately, Baihu remained calm and, at the last moment, slightly shifted his body to avoid the vital points.

The long sword drew a splash of blood and, as it was pulled out, transformed back into a whip. Baihu, now severely injured and losing his fighting spirit, was circled by the foreign woman, who relied on her powerful and strange lightness skills.

Her lightness skills weren't particularly fast, and Baihu had several chances to strike her with his sword. However, she always left behind afterimages, especially when hit, she would escape like a cicada shedding its shell, leaving behind a floating shadow. The combination of shadows, afterimages, and her real body made it impossible to distinguish. The deadly sword and whip flashes flickered among these real and fake figures.

In just a few breaths, Baihu's body was covered in large and small wounds. Though the wounds weren't deep, they made him increasingly weak. Perhaps the woman had grown tired of the game. Seeing Baihu stagger and barely stand, she swung the silver whip directly at his neck. Baihu, a man who had long been on the brink of life and death, immediately recognized the difference in this attack. However, his battered body no longer allowed him to dodge!

Jia Jingzhong was excited, his hatred somewhat relieved. Even without martial arts training, anyone could see that Baihu would die in the next second. Both Xuanwu and the surrounding guards secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This fierce beast was finally going to die, and at the hands of a mysterious foreign woman!

At this moment, it seemed everything was settled, but how could anyone truly predict the future in a world that developed so rapidly!

A spark of fire seemed to streak across the night sky, turning into a brilliant firework after a brief moment of stunned silence.

Just as the silver whip was about to wrap around Baihu's neck, the foreign woman felt a sudden, overwhelming sense of death. Her move was too old to retract, and her only option was to use her strange escape technique again.

Her premonition was correct. The light gauze she had just shed was instantly ignited by the passing spark, turning into a fleeting firework.

Bang! The loud explosion echoed throughout the prison. As everyone was shocked, five more sparks flew toward them. The foreign woman didn't move this time because the targets were not her. Before she could react, the gauze she had left floating in the air turned into floating torches.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Another five loud explosions! The guards were both amazed and intimidated. Ling Xiao really wanted to tell them that this was because the bullets traveled faster than the speed of sound, so they saw the sparks before hearing the explosions. However, his past experience told him that mysterious heroes were more impressive, like those who always wore masks! Superman was an alien, so he didn't count...

Clang! Baihu, now a blood-soaked man, could no longer hold on and knelt on the ground, leaning on his sword. The foreign woman no longer saw Baihu as a threat and instead stared coldly at Ling Xiao, who was slowly emerging from the shadows.

"Wow! What a lively scene! This must be the first time in the Jinyiwei prison!" Ling Xiao said sarcastically, reloading his pistol as he spoke. He had rushed here, even running out of breath, using the Dragon Protector clan's token to enter the Jinyiwei prison without hindrance.

However, he was still a step too late. Glancing at the decapitated body of Zhuque, a cold look flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes. When he looked up again, he feigned surprise, "Oh! Isn't that Lord Jia! It's been a while, I've missed you so much!"

Jia Jingzhong, hearing this, carefully examined Ling Xiao. Covered in dust and with disheveled hair, he didn't immediately recognize him. Ling Xiao, seeing this, continued, "Lord Jia, you must have a lot on your mind! You forgot, didn't you? When you and Xuanwu were sneaking around the palace, I was sweeping the floor from a distance!"

Ling Xiao's sincerity was evident, but his words were disrespectful. Jia Jingzhong was furious but also remembered that this man had no fear of exposing their secret. Could he have a powerful backer?

"Ling Xiao! Who gave you the courage to come here and act so recklessly? Is it Ling Lingfa?" Jia Jingzhong didn't recognize Ling Xiao, but Xuanwu did and immediately identified him.

After Xuanwu's reminder, Jia Jingzhong realized, "So you're that disciple of Ling Lingfa! Hmph! Even your master wouldn't dare speak to me like that! What gives you the right?"

Ling Xiao smiled, shaking his head in exasperation. Jia Jingzhong clearly hadn't had much contact with Ling Lingfa. Would someone who dared to climb onto the roof to interrogate Ye Gucheng be afraid of a dead eunuch? What a joke! "Hehe! Lord Jia looks so mighty. I wonder how you maintain such a rough voice despite your disability?"

Sigh! A collective gasp echoed through the prison, even more shocking than the previous gunshots. Xuanwu looked at Ling Xiao in horror. Was someone wearing Ling Xiao's skin here to cause trouble? This was openly provoking enmity!

Ling Xiao, not satisfied, turned to the foreign woman and asked with a grin, "Miss, I thought you were conservative with all those layers, but you started stripping for us, Tiger! Are you by any chance surnamed 'Tuo'?"

Xuanwu's mouth twitched. He didn't know where this woman came from, but her ruthlessness was evident from Baihu's wounds. Insulting such a fierce woman would surely invite trouble, even if she didn't act immediately.

Everyone was amazed by Ling Xiao's audacity, but no one noticed the sharp look in the foreign woman's eyes. Her name was indeed Tuo Tuo! Was this boy aware of it or just guessing? The difference was significant!

At first glance, Ling Xiao had offended the two people he shouldn't have, but the deep, meaningful smile on his face gave everyone a sense of mystery.

"Look at you all! What a mess! How has the Jinyiwei's discipline declined since I left! Wipe your mouths, have you never seen a woman before? Do you want me to take you to Huixian Yaxu to cool off?" After sternly criticizing the guards, he turned to Jia Jingzhong with a fawning smile, "Of course, a mighty man like you, Lord Jia, doesn't need to go."

The guards awkwardly wiped the saliva from their mouths, ignoring Jia Jingzhong's already pale face. Ling Xiao then turned his attention to Tuo Tuo, "Miss, are you a prostitute? In broad daylight, you're dressed so provocatively. How much would it cost to have a deep conversation with you about life?"

Tuo Tuo's hands clenched tightly in her sleeves, a surge of qi wrapping around them. After a moment, she relaxed. Her anger at Ling Xiao hadn't subsided, but she noticed the strange looks from the guards. Reflecting, she realized that during her fight with Baihu, no one had noticed her attire. But due to Ling Xiao's interruption, almost all her clothes had been destroyed. Now, she was barely covered by a black gauze, revealing her curves provocatively.

The guards' eyes gleamed like those of martial arts experts, probably the brightest they had ever been! Even the strong Tuo Tuo blushed, but the black veil on her face hid the flush. Regaining her composure, Tuo Tuo's eyes swept over the guards, sending a chill through the prison. The guards, feeling as if they had fallen into an ice cave, hastily retracted their lecherous gazes, though a few couldn't resist occasional glances.

The same words had different meanings to different people. Tuo Tuo heard the mockery, Jia Jingzhong heard the desperation, and Baihu heard hope!