Chapter 481 - 337: Explosion of Public Opinion

Chapter 481: Chapter 337: Explosion of Public Opinion

In the narrow, dim maintenance corridor, Wu Liangchen stood motionless, his chest heaving and his breathing ragged.

Although the fight had been brief, the pressure had been immense.

Facing Yin Jiu’s final, life-betting death curse, in particular, had consumed a massive amount of Wu Liangchen’s Life Fire.

Fortunately, Wu Liangchen’s Qi and Blood reserves were profound, so he hadn’t suffered any fundamental damage.

Just then, Song Ling’Er’s urgent question came through his earpiece.

"Big Brother Wu, how are things on your end?"

Wu Liangchen quickly controlled his breathing, making his voice sound as steady as ever.

"I’m fine. Just took care of a small problem."

"That’s good." Hearing that Wu Liangchen was truly fine, Song Ling’Er audibly sighed in relief.

"Stay put and remain hidden. Things might get messier soon," Wu Liangchen warned her.

"Okay! You have to be careful, too." Song Ling’Er’s voice held a slight tremor.

She had been on this abandoned office building for a while. Although the view was wide open, she couldn’t see the fighting inside the skyscraper at all. The sudden explosions just moments ago had made her heart pound in her chest.

But there was nothing she could do. She could only remain on the cold rooftop, observing the distant skyscraper’s activity through her spotting scope.

Meanwhile, after cutting the comms, Wu Liangchen didn’t linger. After briefly getting his bearings, he moved like a phantom along the maintenance corridor, retreating toward the designated position.

Although this was his first time in the skyscraper, he had already memorized its layout beforehand thanks to his powerful memory. He moved as if he knew the place like the back of his hand.

Not long after he left, the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps grew closer.

A team of well-equipped guards from the Sun family cautiously entered the maintenance corridor, searching for any clues along the way.

Beams from their tactical flashlights swept back and forth in the narrow corridor, kicking up clouds of dust that swirled like smoke.

"Captain, look over there!" a guard suddenly exclaimed in a low voice.

Everyone looked over. In the middle of the corridor, a black robe lay abandoned, surrounded by scattered ashes.

The lead captain’s expression changed. He hurried forward and examined it carefully.

’This black robe... Why does it look so much like the one Mr. Yin Jiu was wearing?’

’But where is he?’

’Could it be...’

A terrible thought surfaced in the guard captain’s mind.

Not daring to delay, he immediately reported it on his communicator.

"Reporting to Command. We’ve found Mr. Yin Jiu’s clothing in Sector B7. There are no other signs at the scene, except... a pile of ash."

The news was quickly relayed to Sun Fusheng and Qin Zhen.

Sun Fusheng’s face was deathly pale, and his whole body trembled slightly.

The situation had spiraled completely out of his control.

Based on the report and Yin Jiu’s continued silence, the powerful, bizarrely-skilled, level-five Adept he had hired at great expense was very likely dead.

And he hadn’t even left a body behind.

He whipped his head to look at Qin Zhen opposite him, his eyes completely bloodshot.

"Hall Master Qin, what do we do now?"

Having completely lost his composure, Sun Fusheng pinned all his hopes on Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen’s expression was also unprecedentedly grim.

Although he wasn’t close to Yin Jiu—and in fact, detested the man’s personality and methods—he couldn’t deny that Yin Jiu was genuinely powerful.

Even he would have to endure a bitter struggle to win a fight against Yin Jiu.

As for killing him, that would be even harder.

’So this Wu Liangchen... just how strong is he?’

However, upon hearing Sun Fusheng’s question, Qin Zhen took a deep breath, his mind quickly regaining its composure.

His long years of immersion in the martial path had forged his character into one of extreme fortitude.

Although Wu Liangchen’s performance was certainly surprising, Qin Zhen felt no fear. In fact, he felt a faint thrill of excitement.

A Martial Artist should possess the will to challenge anything and everything.

If he lacked that mindset, Qin Zhen would never have been able to reach his current heights.

"Patriarch Sun, do not panic. I am here. I will keep you safe!" Qin Zhen said slowly, his voice carrying a reassuring power.

As expected, Sun Fusheng calmed down considerably upon hearing this.

"Yin Jiu’s strength was undeniable, but he was too arrogant. That’s why he met this fate."

As he spoke, Qin Zhen’s gaze swept over the large screens, which were filled with flashing alarms and chaotic surveillance feeds.

The damage from the explosions was still spreading. Although the emergency power had kicked in, communications and surveillance in many areas were still down.

The entire skyscraper was like a giant, porous labyrinth.

And Wu Liangchen was like a slippery viper lurking amidst the chaos, ready to strike at any moment.

Qin Zhen’s mind raced.

’Actively hunt him down?’

Qin Zhen dismissed the thought the moment it appeared.

’Now that even Yin Jiu has been eliminated, Wu Liangchen’s strength must be re-evaluated.’

’In this situation, sending ordinary guards after him would be suicide.’

’As for myself, I can’t make any rash moves either.’

’Because I have to hold the center and protect the core target, Sun Fusheng.’

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Zhen made a decision.

"Patriarch Sun, at this point, we can no longer afford to split our forces and actively search for him!"

"You mean..." Sun Fusheng wasn’t a fool; he had just been panicked by fear. Now that he had calmed down, he immediately understood what Qin Zhen was implying.