Chapter 1826 - 2018: Life and Death (1)
Without thinking much, Ling Chen directly picked up a glass bottle from the box and threw it at the approaching Dark Pavilion expert. The expert at the front swung his fist as the glass bottle came flying, smashing it to pieces. However, just as he shattered the bottle, there was a loud ’bang’. The bottle instantly became a burst of flames, engulfing him. In the blink of an eye, the Dark Pavilion expert turned into a fireball, his miserable screams echoing incessantly.
Seeing this, his companion immediately abandoned the attack and hurried to his side, trying to extinguish the flames on him. But they quickly found that the fire’s power was immense. In just a few seconds, their companion lay motionless on the ground, allowing the flames to scorch his body. Even if they wanted to save him, it was too late.
Before the sides even made contact, they had lost a member, dealing a significant blow to their morale.
"What are you all dawdling for, kill them!" Chen Qinghua yelled loudly from behind.
Watching the Dark Pavilion experts charge again, Ling Chen acted swiftly, grabbing two more Molotov cocktails, pinpointing the enemy’s position, and hurling them forcefully.
This time, the Dark Pavilion experts were prepared. Seeing the Molotov cocktails coming, they dodged to the sides, avoiding them completely. Despite throwing four or five Molotov cocktails, they had no effect.
"Ling Cheng!" At this moment, Zhang Zhongfeng’s voice suddenly came from behind. Ling Chen turned to see Zhang Zhongfeng gesturing subtly at him. Realizing the cue, Ling Chen picked up a few more Molotov cocktails and threw them at the Dark Pavilion experts. As the Molotov cocktails flew through the air, there was a sharp ’whiz whiz’ sound, as arrows pierced through, causing the bottles to shatter, the liquid splattering all over the Dark Pavilion experts.
Whizz!
A blazing arrow shot out from Zhang Zhongfeng’s hand, landing amid the group of Dark Pavilion experts. In an instant, roaring flames spread wildly along the liquid, engulfing at least half of the Dark Pavilion experts.
Seeing this scene, Chen Qinghua’s face sank. He had expected these Dark Pavilion experts to breach the opponent’s defense but didn’t anticipate their embarrassing defeat by such simple methods, unable to even retaliate.
Just then, a figure rushed in from the doorway, moving so fast it was impossible to catch him with the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, the figure passed through the group of Dark Pavilion experts, effortlessly extinguishing the flames on anyone he passed.
Once the figure stood still, Ling Chen looked up, his expression slightly changing. The newcomer was none other than the clandestine leader of the Dark Pavilion, He Honggang. As He Honggang appeared, two more individuals stepped in at the doorway, Chen Younian and Su Cheng’en.
Seeing the three of them appear simultaneously, the crowd’s eyes immediately turned serious, knowing that just now was mere skirmish—the real battle was just beginning.
He Honggang stood with his hands behind his back, less than ten meters from the defense line, looking indifferent as if the battle before him was insignificant. After sweeping his gaze across, he locked eyes with Ling Chen and said, "Hand over the corpse, and I shall spare your lives."
Ling Chen opened his mouth, preparing to speak, when a voice came from behind: "He Honggang, this isn’t your territory, so don’t act so condescending." With the words finished, Ling Gengqiu slowly stepped forward to stand beside Ling Chen.
"Humph!" Su Cheng’en snorted coldly, saying, "Ling Gengqiu, I advise you to wise up a bit, or everyone here will die."
"Even if you kill us, what then? Don’t forget your purpose—if any one of us dies, you’ll never get that corpse."
Upon hearing this, Chen Younian frowned and said, "Ling Gengqiu, why are you doing this? Don’t you know what that corpse means to us? We can uncover our secret from it. If you willingly hand over the corpse, I can guarantee that no one here will be harmed. Plus, you can choose to join us in unraveling the secrets on that corpse. If the four of us unite, who in the world would dare oppose us?"
Ling Gengqiu replied with a fake smile, "Your proposal is tempting, very much so. But if you truly wanted me in, you would’ve contacted me long ago—why wait until now? Besides, there’s deep hatred between me, you, and Su Cheng’en. Even if I don’t seek revenge, would you spare me? Chen Younian, I advise you to get real; I’m no child to be fooled by sweet talk."
"Then what do you want?" He Honggang interjected, "Today, regardless of any cost, I must take that corpse."
"That’s not how you ask favors." Ling Gengqiu took out his phone from his pocket, saying, "I’ve already hidden the corpse and strapped several explosives to it. If I press a button, it’ll obliterate the corpse instantly. So, you better speak respectfully; if I accidentally press the button out of fright, you’ll have to deal with the consequences."
Looking at the phone in his hand, He Honggang and his group fell into silence, not speaking for a long time.
"Ling Gengqiu, we’ve lived so long, stop dithering—just say what you want. If we can provide it, we’ll do our best." After a while, Chen Younian finally broke the silence, saying.
"Honestly, I don’t trust you. Even if you promise me something now, it’ll be fake. Who can guarantee you won’t renege later?" At this, Ling Gengqiu glanced at Chen Younian and Su Cheng’en, saying mockingly, "I know your character very well."
"Ling Gengqiu, I hold no grudges against you, nor do I wish to be your enemy. If you’re willing, I can ditch those two and cooperate with you alone."
As soon as He Honggang spoke, Chen Younian and Su Cheng’en’s faces changed, hastily saying, "He Honggang, we had an agreement before—are you foing to betray us?"
"It’s not that I want to betray you, but you’ve ruined my plans. If it wasn’t for your disputes, I believe he would’ve handed over the corpse by now. Given the circumstances, I’d better withdraw early to avoid being implicated." Pausing, He Honggang turned to Ling Gengqiu, saying, "As I said, for that corpse, I’ll pay any price, including helping you kill them."