Chapter 91: A Knife in the Shoe!

The live chicken finally broke free from the human's grip and the cruel fate of being plucked to death, letting out a piercing, yet relieved cry.

It flailed its wings desperately, but the feathers had already been plucked by the Taoist, leaving only two bare, flapping pieces of flesh. Its once graceful posture now looked grotesque.

Its sharp claws extended, ready to make all those who intended to harm it pay a price, and in front of it was only Tang Zhong.

Tang Zhong didn't expect to encounter a killer while visiting a Taoist temple, as if this Taoist had been waiting for them on the mountain for years.

His heart tightened suddenly, then calmed down just as quickly.

Stay calm in the face of great events!

These were the words the boss often made him practice. He said that tension and anger would affect one's judgment and action, causing one to lose the most precious time and opportunity.

Tang Zhong's body moved.

He lunged at the ugly chicken.

Then he clenched his right hand into a fist and punched.

Thud

His fist passed through the chicken's extended claws and struck its abdomen forcefully.

It was like a watermelon smashed by a sledgehammer, or a strawberry crushed underfoot. The chicken's body suddenly swelled and then burst open.

Bright red blood, internal organs, and the fecal matter inside the intestines splattered out, and the dead chicken, now a mass of heavy, fleshy chunks, flew toward the Taoist's face with even greater speed.

The Taoist's lunge at Qiu Yihan's body was blocked, and he punched the dead chicken away.

This brief delay was enough for Qiu Yihan, who had been standing there in shock, to be grabbed by the arm and pulled behind Tang Zhong.

"Run!" Tang Zhong shouted loudly. The situation was not one for gentlemanly manners.

"Ahh!" Qiu Yihan finally reacted, screaming and turning to run toward the temple gate.

"You won't escape," the Taoist sneered. He quickly retreated to where he had killed the chicken, and with a flick of his foot, the dagger he had discarded on the ground flew toward Qiu Yihan's back.

"Damn it." Tang Zhong lunged forward, tackling Qiu Yihan to the ground just as she had taken two steps.

Swoosh

The sharp dagger embedded itself in the rotten wooden door, making a piercing sound as it pierced through the wood. The door shuddered, and a cloud of old dust fell.

The two bodies rolled on the ground, with Tang Zhong's hands tightly protecting Qiu Yihan's head and face, worried that her delicate skin might be injured.

When they finally stabilized, the Taoist had already reached the small door entrance, pulled the dagger from the door, and was playing with it, a sinister smile on his face as he looked at Tang Zhong.

"You're not bad, young man," the Taoist praised.

"Qiu Yihan, are you okay?" Tang Zhong got up from Qiu Yihan's body, asking anxiously.

Qiu Yihan's eyes were wet with tears, and she was shaking her head frantically, unable to speak. The pampered princess was truly terrified.

But Tang Zhong could understand.

Not just her, but any other student or normal adult would be at a loss if they suddenly encountered a murder during a trip. Many women, when they accidentally walk into a murder scene, are so frightened that their legs turn to jelly, making it hard to walk, let alone in a situation where they are the direct target of a killer, with their lives hanging by a thread every second.

Tang Zhong tried to pull Qiu Yihan up from the ground, but her body was like a soggy noodle, and no matter how hard he tried, she remained in a limp, unconscious state.

Tang Zhong slapped Qiu Yihan's face, his expression fierce, and shouted at her, "Qiu Yihan, if you want to live, you have to stand up."

If she didn't stand up, even if Tang Zhong created an opportunity for her, she wouldn't be able to escape.

Roll and run?

Of course, if she could do that, Tang Zhong wouldn't criticize her for the ungraceful posture. In this world, nothing is more important than survival.

After the brief exchange, Tang Zhong had already gauged the Taoist's formidable strength. His speed was astonishing, and the skill of kicking a flying dagger was hair-raising.

If he were alone, Tang Zhong might have considered a confrontation or a direct escape. But now, he couldn't leave Qiu Yihan behind.

Tang Zhong didn't know if the Taoist's target was him or Qiu Yihan, or what sinister purpose lay behind his sudden attack.

But he knew that whether the Taoist attacked him or Qiu Yihan, it would make him flustered.

He had to be distracted by protecting Qiu Yihan.

This was the worst thing in a battle between experts.

Therefore, he needed to create an opportunity for Qiu Yihan to escape, either by staying to fight the Taoist to the death or by ensuring she left first.

Whether it was the loudness of Tang Zhong's voice or the force of the slap, Qiu Yihan reflexively sat up from the ground, but her mind was still blank, and she stared at Tang Zhong with a dazed, tear-streaked face.

"Damn it," Tang Zhong cursed in his heart. "Old lady, you've spoiled your child."

"There's no point in wasting your effort," the Taoist said, slashing his knife into the door frame, each cut leaving a deep gash, sending wood chips flying. "She can't escape. Neither can you."

Tang Zhong no longer tried to rouse Qiu Yihan but stood up to face the Taoist. "I can't escape? It seems you're after me. I really can't understand why my life is worth so much that you would send such a skilled killer after me?"

He finally got a good look at the Taoist's face. It was a very ordinary square face, with nothing particularly striking or unusual about any feature.

The only thing that stood out was that his face barely moved when he smiled, as if he were wearing a mask.

The gray Taoist robe he wore was slightly loose, dirty, and stained with chicken blood, feces, and black and yellow entrails. It was a mess, making it hard to look at.

"Does it matter?" the Taoist said with a sinister smile. "Aren't we all going to die?"

"It matters," Tang Zhong said. "Even if I die, I want to die with a clear conscience. Besides, I'm worried you might have the wrong person. We're just students. How could a student have a life-and-death grudge with you?"

"The more you say, the less I want to tell you," the Taoist said. "I like to leave people in the dark. Isn't the fun of killing in the complexity?"

Tang Zhong understood that this guy was a psychopath.

He could think of such a method to kill a chicken by plucking its throat and feathers; he must have even more varied methods for killing humans.

Tang Zhong also knew that this guy must have disguised himself as a Taoist to lure him and Qiu Yihan closer, making it easier for him to act. He didn't believe that such a person would be a real Taoist at a place like "Tianyi Temple."

The old Taoist who was sunbathing at the entrance must have been drugged, otherwise, he wouldn't have been sleeping so long.

"But, are there no others who have climbed to the top?" Tang Zhong thought.

He was both hopeful and worried about the outcome.

If others had climbed up, he hoped they could help Qiu Yihan escape. But he was worried that if they were weak, he would have to divert his attention to save them as well.

Being a superhero was a terrible feeling.

"If you're after me, let her go," Tang Zhong said to the Taoist.

"No," the Taoist turned to close the back door of the temple.

He had thought he could resolve the situation quickly, but Tang Zhong's strength forced him to put in more effort.

The opportunity came.

Tang Zhong's body suddenly moved, bending low and charging forward, preparing to punch the Taoist's back just as he had punched the chicken.

The Taoist seemed unaware, still reaching forward with both hands to pull the door shut. His back was completely exposed, with no defense.

Tang Zhong's feet touched the ground, and with a slight push, he sprang up again. If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn't believe a student could run so fast.

Closer.

Even closer.

His fist swung and then struck down.

If it hit, the Taoist would surely die.

Swoosh

The Taoist still faced away from Tang Zhong, but just as Tang Zhong's fist was about to hit his back, his right foot suddenly kicked backward.

It was like a wild donkey's kick, or a vulture's strike, an ungraceful but terrifying move that made Tang Zhong break out in a cold sweat.

His right leg kicked up, and the gray Taoist robe parted, revealing a pair of ordinary-looking leather shoes.

And at the heel of the shoe, a black, dull, sharp object protruded, aiming straight for Tang Zhong's chest.

A knife in the shoe!

A killer!

This guy was a professional killer!

Tang Zhong's body was moving too fast, and it was too late to stop.

His fist was still poised to strike the Taoist's heart, but before he could hit, he would be pierced by the Taoist's knife.

The leg is longer than the arm.

The Taoist had calculated this and deliberately lured Tang Zhong to attack.

A matter of life and death!

A moment of crisis!

In this most critical and fatal moment, Tang Zhong fell.

Clearly, it was intentional. It was his only way to save his life.

His body leaned back, and his chest narrowly avoided the knife on the Taoist's foot. His feet extended forward, sliding like an eel to the Taoist's crotch.

Then, while the Taoist was still in the position of a dog urinating, Tang Zhong punched him in the groin.