Chapter 74

"Roar..."

It was unclear how long it had been, but a loud noise interrupted Ding Hao's train of thought. He quickly put down his teacup and held his breath, focusing intently. It seemed like a group of people were fighting?

Why were there fewer fights in the bustling city now, yet they often occurred in this once peaceful mountain forest? The last time Qinglong and others attacked Liu Yiding, they chose the outskirts. Ding Hao couldn't quite understand it, but despite his confusion, he instinctively followed the sound.

It was a fight, another brutal one. After climbing over a hill, Ding Hao saw a group of people and three Audi cars from a distance.

These people were divided into two groups. Four burly bodyguards were protecting a frail woman. The bodyguards seemed skilled, but they soon found themselves at a disadvantage. The attacker was a single person, wearing a blue shirt, not particularly tall, but very agile.

Ding Hao watched for a while and felt that this person's skills were similar to those of Baihu, whom he had saved in Qianjiang's outskirts. What was going on? He either stayed at home or, once he went out, he would encounter these powerful figures. Wasn't Liu Yiding, who wasn't at the level of Qinglong or Baihu, a rare exception?

Why did he always run into them whenever he went out? The first time he went for a walk in Qianjiang, he met Qinglong, Baihu, and his master Liu Yiding, who was a freak. When he went to the capital to find Xia Lin, he was beaten up by Zhao Jing at the Zhao family's doorstep! Now, he came to the mountain to drink tea and encountered another powerful figure?

After two such experiences, Ding Hao decided to stay out of it. Last time, he offended Qinglong and was coerced by his current master, Liu Yiding, to join the organization. If he hadn't gotten involved, he might be living a carefree life now! He wouldn't have to worry about Qinglong's revenge or Liu Yiding's surveillance.

Especially Qinglong, whom Liu Yiding repeatedly warned him about. Even Liu Yiding, a general of great importance in China, had to move his home in the middle of the night. This showed how powerful Qinglong and his family were!

In the capital, he almost died. It seemed that these powerful figures were not to be offended lightly. At least, he should avoid them until he became one of them.

Thinking of Qinglong, Ding Hao felt a sense of unease. He wondered if Qinglong was involved in Xia Lin's situation. Could those letters have been written under duress? With Qinglong and Zhao Jing, it was hard to imagine they weren't connected. If they were, then...

Ding Hao shook his head, trying to calm himself. If Qinglong was after him, he would have contacted him by now. If this fight was to lure him out, then his purpose should have been achieved, and he should show himself!

On the other side, two of the four bodyguards had already fallen. The woman tried to call for help, but the blue-shirted man kicked her phone away, sending it flying dozens of meters.

The woman, seemingly unwilling, said, "The Song family actually dares to send people to kill me. Aren't you afraid that my father will make a big fuss when he finds out?"

The blue-shirted man remained unmoved, perhaps not wanting to be distracted by the woman.

With two loud thuds, the two remaining bodyguards were thrown out and fell heavily to the ground, unable to get up for a while.

The blue-shirted man slowly approached the woman. "Speak. How do you want to die? I'll grant your wish!"

"You..." The woman, who had been calm, was now backing away step by step, soon pressed against her car. Just as she reached for the car door, the blue-shirted man grabbed her. Clearly, she didn't know martial arts, unlike Zhao Jing or his senior sister.

"Aren't you afraid that my father will come after you?" Clearly, the woman's main reliance was not the bodyguards but her father. She repeatedly emphasized the consequences if her father found out, hoping to move the killer to spare her.

"Hmph, you could fall into a stream and drown, be hit by a car, or hang yourself from a tree. Who would suspect me?"

"Shameless..."

"This isn't my fault. You should choose to drown. Although the water in this stream is shallow, it's enough to drown you." The man stepped forward, grabbed the woman like an eagle catching a chick, and dragged her to the stream. Without any mercy, he held her head underwater in the middle of the stream.

What a sin, what a sin. Another daughter of a boss or high official was about to suffer. Ding Hao thought the woman didn't deserve to die. Although her bodyguards were skilled, they were at most ordinary special police. In front of this man, even fourteen of them couldn't save her.

Ding Hao was hesitating about whether to save her. He was a soft-hearted person! He couldn't stand to see anyone bullied, especially women. This might be related to his upbringing. Over the past ten years with Old Man Yang, he had endured many cold looks and beatings before he had the magic space.

The woman was already completely submerged, her head shaking uncontrollably, clearly suffocating. Her struggles were futile.

The man changed his position, holding her waist with one hand and repeatedly pushing her head underwater.

Perhaps the woman couldn't hold her breath any longer, or the man did it on purpose. The woman managed to surface, took a deep breath, and was immediately pushed back underwater.

Once, twice, something was wrong. Ding Hao clearly saw a golden plaque around the woman's neck, similar to the one Liu Yiding had shown him. Oh no! It was a dragon pendant! The woman had a dragon pendant! Didn't his master say there were no more than thirty people in China with dragon pendants?

No wonder such a woman would attract someone with skills like Baihu. The dragon pendant explained it all. This person was either extremely wealthy or a princess...

"Stop! Let her go!" Initially, watching a weak woman drown was hard for Ding Hao to bear, but with the dragon pendant, he had to save her. If the woman died and his master found out he was there and didn't help, it would be...

Since he had joined the organization, he had some sense of duty. Moreover, this was Liu Yiding's territory, and he would likely get the news soon. From the occasional appearance of some idle people outside the villa, it seemed the surveillance hadn't stopped. If Liu Yiding found out he had seen the woman die and did nothing, he would be in deep trouble.

The man didn't stop when he saw Ding Hao. He pressed the woman's head underwater and sneered, "Looking for death!"

As Ding Hao approached the stream, the man lunged at him, throwing a punch at his face. It seemed he wanted to take him out in one move.

But Ding Hao wasn't an ordinary person. He ducked, avoiding the punch, and walked toward the woman, more concerned about her life than the man's attacks.

"Hmph..." The man was angry that Ding Hao didn't take him seriously. After a brief adjustment, he released the woman and threw two more punches.

Ding Hao, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, skillfully dodged and quickly reached the woman, picking up the golden plaque around her neck. It was indeed a gold dragon pendant. This must be the one his master mentioned. Turning to the blue-shirted man, he said, "Since she has a dragon pendant, you still want to kill her? Are you tired of living? Aren't you afraid of being wiped out?"

The man was surprised that Ding Hao recognized the dragon pendant. After several failed punches, he realized he had met a formidable opponent. Since his first attack failed, he decided to ask for clarity.

"Who are you, and why do you care about this matter?" The man had received accurate information before tracking the woman, knowing that Liu Yiding was not in Qianjiang but accompanying the leaders of Jiangsu and Zhejiang on official business, and most of the Yanlong organization members were dispatched. He didn't expect to encounter someone who recognized the dragon pendant in this remote area. Since Ding Hao was walking, he must have been nearby.

So, he wasn't sure if Ding Hao had been watching the whole time or had just arrived. If he was just watching, he might be persuaded to leave.

"You should be the one to answer. Who sent you to assassinate her? Don't you know the consequences?"

"Consequences? Hmph, the consequence is that you die, and she dies!" He attacked again, perhaps realizing that this person might be one of Liu Yiding's people.

Reluctantly, Ding Hao quickly carried the woman to the shore and then focused on the fight.

Soon, the two were engaged in a fierce battle. Ding Hao quickly realized that this person's skills were even better than Baihu's, perhaps because Baihu had been injured and couldn't perform at his best. He couldn't be careless, remembering the severe lesson from Zhao Jing.

Fortunately, Ding Hao was no slouch. He was the type who became stronger when faced with a strong opponent. The man clearly didn't expect such a skilled person to appear in the forest. After a few dozen exchanges, he began to struggle.

"Die!" The man retreated a few steps, then charged at Ding Hao again after a brief pause.

Thud! Ding Hao felt a burning sensation. He was frustrated. What was going on? He hadn't even shown his full strength, but the man had already used his. He quickly focused his energy, and the burning sensation in his arms and legs disappeared.

Damn, he dared to copy me! Ding Hao shouted, "Looking for death!" and struck the man.

Surprisingly, it worked. The man didn't see it as a sign of Ding Hao's counterattack but thought Ding Hao was scared and mechanically repeating it.

Before the man could react, Ding Hao struck again. The man was taken aback and quickly retreated several steps.

Seeing the man retreat, Ding Hao crossed his hands, preparing to counterattack, but noticed blood on the man's lips. Had his palm strike been that powerful?