Chapter 19

Among all the people around Ma Yuan, not everyone was fleeing in a panic. There was one person who did not run away. He was the man who had just stopped the burly man, the one who looked very refined. Although he seemed to be barely maintaining his composure, he had, after all, managed to stay calm.

Ning Yue didn’t even glance at him. Having lived for seven hundred years, he had seen countless people, including many heroes. Although this man showed some backbone, he was still just an ordinary person. Such people were rare in peacetime, but in times of war, they were a dime a dozen.

Ning Yue actually didn’t want to kill anyone. Although these people had disturbed his meal, they hadn’t done anything so despicable that they deserved to die. Ning Yue had long noticed that something was off about these people, but he hadn’t wanted to get involved in trivial matters. He usually left such things to Fei Li, rarely handling them himself. However, since these people, or their backers, were determined to cause him trouble, Ning Yue didn’t mind taking matters into his own hands.

“Are you a monster or a deity?”

The refined-looking man suddenly mustered the courage to ask this question. Ning Yue smiled faintly and replied, “I can be considered a deity! If you don’t think the rank of a land god is too low!”

The refined man’s spirits immediately lifted. Since Ning Yue was willing to answer his question, it meant there was still room for negotiation. As long as they could communicate, he was confident he could persuade Ning Yue.

The refined man patted his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Ning Yue. Ning Yue didn’t smoke and was about to refuse, but he changed his mind and took it. The refined man immediately took out a lighter and lit the cigarette for Ning Yue.

Then, he cautiously said, “So, you are the land god. I apologize for my lack of discernment. I am Han Wu, known as the Fifth Elder. I’m a minor figure in the underworld!” In a few words, Han Wu introduced himself clearly. Observing Ning Yue’s reaction, which seemed not to be particularly hostile, he cautiously continued, “Although Young Master Ma had some intentions towards your girlfriend, he didn’t do anything. Zhang Wei deserved to die, but killing him would soil your hands. Why don’t you let me handle this? I promise to make it right.”

Ning Yue laughed and said, “The First Elder of this province, Han Wu, is no minor figure. I was thinking of letting this matter go, but some people don’t agree. You’d better just watch from the side; a sequel is about to play out.”

Han Wu was a shrewd person. He wasn’t as weak as he appeared. He was the top figure in the province’s underworld. To unify the province’s underworld, he had committed countless crimes, being ruthless and cunning. Even Ma Yuan didn’t dare to offend him much.

If it weren’t for Ning Yue’s display of superhuman power, Han Wu wouldn’t have been so intimidated. However, underworld figures who were always aggressive and never knew when to back down rarely lived long.

Ning Yue didn’t activate his protective fire dragon. Instead, he spread his hands and then gently closed them. The dimensional battlefield immediately began to collapse from the edges, gradually spreading to the center.

After more than ten minutes, Ma Yuan and his group were forced to emerge from their hiding places. Soon, they all ran out, moving closer to Ning Yue. They watched as the tall buildings and various structures crumbled into nothingness, their faces turning pale.

Ma Yuan looked very disheveled. When he suddenly saw Han Wu standing beside Ning Yue, he felt a mix of emotions. Although he had cooperated with Han Wu, as the son of a government official, he didn’t really look up to Han Wu. However, he secretly admired Han Wu’s methods.

Seeing that Han Wu seemed to have connected with Ning Yue, Ma Yuan couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. He shouted loudly, “Fifth Elder! Help us explain. It was just a misunderstanding. I’ll give this young man an explanation for what happened with Zhang Wei. Let him spare us! We promise not to say a word, not to reveal any of his secrets.”

Ma Yuan shouted a few times, but as the collapsing buildings drew closer, he was too afraid and took a few steps toward Ning Yue. Ning Yue casually released his protective fire dragon, which formed a ten-meter-diameter ring of fire around him, blocking everyone else.

Ning Yue said coolly, “I don’t care who you are, but if you don’t show yourself, I won’t give you another chance.”

As Ning Yue spoke, Ma Yuan and the others showed signs of extreme discomfort, as if something was trying to emerge from their bodies. Their muscles bulged, as if dozens of small creatures were trying to break through their skin.

Han Wu, standing nearby, turned pale and couldn’t help but look at Ning Yue for help.

Ning Yue smiled and said, “You can rest assured. You have more backbone and a stronger will than these people, so that thing hasn’t attached to your body.”

Han Wu couldn’t help but blurt out, “What is that thing?”

Ning Yue shook his head and said, “We’ll know soon enough.”

In the next moment, dozens of tentacles emerged from Ma Yuan’s body, dancing in the air and releasing a strange force that managed to resist the collapse of the dimensional battlefield.

Although Ma Yuan had transformed into a monster, his strength was still not enough to match Ning Yue. He managed to resist the collapse for only a moment, but as tentacles emerged from the others, transforming them into monsters, their combined strength finally halted the collapse of the dimensional battlefield.

Ning Yue watched all this coldly, not making a move. He said in a cold voice, “Can you tell me who you are and why you’ve been causing me trouble?”

The transformed Ma Yuan suddenly emitted a strange, rhythmic laugh, speaking in a very peculiar Henan accent, “It seems you’re not the one we were after, but your strength is greater than the person we’ve been hunting. Someone as powerful as you hiding in this city must have some earth-shattering secret. Can you tell me?”

Ning Yue said coldly, “You’re courting death!”

The fire dragon, now a ring of fire, suddenly surged forward, heading toward Ma Yuan and the others. The intense flames immediately engulfed them. Ma Yuan and his group of monsters desperately used their tentacles to release a strange force, which could block the fire dragon’s flames, but in terms of quality and quantity, it was no match for the fire dragon’s flames. In an instant, the black smoke they released was burned down to a thin layer.

The strange voice finally showed a hint of surprise and called out, “You’re actually a Phase-Level expert. I failed to recognize your greatness. Can you spare my subordinates...”