Chapter 100

100. Chapter 100: Sudden Ambush

The vehicle sped forward rapidly.

Wang Jian, driving, was fully focused on receiving the latest updates from the Investigation Bureau, tracking the fugitive Huang Xin’s movements.

According to the intelligence:

Huang Xin had hijacked a vehicle and crashed recklessly into the Ruined City Zone; upon arrival, he abandoned the car and proceeded on foot, vanishing into the ruins.

“Damn, this is a mess,” Wang Jian muttered.

Chen Hao asked: “What’s wrong?”

Wang Jian said: “He ditched the car and went on foot. He’s hiding somewhere in this area, but we don’t know where. We only have three people out here. Finding a Spirit Mediation cultivator in the Ruined City Zone is nearly impossible. All I can do is get to his abandoned vehicle as fast as possible and search.”

“If we’re lucky, we might find him. If not, we’ll have to abandon this mission.”

“There’s no choice. The Ruined City Zone connects to the Danger Zone. No one dares risk entering it to search,” Chen Hao said.

“Hold on, I’m accelerating,” Wang Jian understood the reality—he could only try.

The vehicle sped up, racing to reach Huang Xin’s abandoned car location in the shortest time possible.

But just then, Li Yi’s phone rang. He glanced at it—it was Sister Lin calling.

“Excuse me, I need to take this call,” he said, answering it.

On the other end, Lin Yue’s voice was urgent: “Li Yi, where are you? Are you in the Ruined City Zone?”

“Sister Lin, how do you know?” Li Yi was startled. His mission details were supposed to be confidential—she shouldn’t have known.

“Li Yi, listen to me—leave the Ruined City Zone right now. I just received a message from Qin Qing. She said someone from Yang Yilong’s side wants you dead. I’m afraid they’ve already acted. They’re setting up a fake case to lure you into the Ruined City Zone. Get back immediately—I’m driving to you now,” Lin Yue said anxiously.

“What?” Li Yi froze.

But before he could ask more, the speeding car lurched violently—either a blown tire or something worse—suddenly losing control and slamming sideways into the roadside.

“Watch out, the car’s flipping!” Wang Jian shouted.

The vehicle rolled over, roaring, before finally crashing into a pile of ruins and stopping.

But soon—

The doors and windows shattered. Li Yi, Wang Jian, and Chen Hao burst out of the cabin.

“Are you all okay?” Wang Jian asked immediately.

“Fine,” Li Yi exhaled deeply, still replaying Sister Lin’s call in his mind.

Chen Hao said at once: “Someone laid a steel cable across the road. Our car was deliberately ambushed.”

He spotted a thin, nearly invisible steel wire stretched across the road—the very cause of the crash.

Wang Jian realized what was happening: “Go. Leave now. Abandon the mission. We’re returning to the Investigation Bureau.”

He took a step—

Figures emerged from nearby abandoned buildings.

“Wang Jian, don’t rush off. We just saw each other not long ago. Don’t you want to catch up with an old friend?”

A low voice spoke. A man in a black trench coat leapt lightly onto a ruin, his expression cold as he stared at Wang Jian, Chen Hao, and Li Yi—as if they were prey.

“You’re one of Wei Bin’s men. I know you—you’re called Knife,” Wang Jian frowned. “What, lost last time and now you want revenge?”

“Wang Jian, I didn’t plan to target you. But you got unlucky—got on this car. To ensure no leaks, I’ve no choice but to eliminate you too,” Knife sneered, then glanced aside. “Stop hiding. This is a kill targeting an Investigation Bureau officer. Your Yang family won’t show up? You really expect me to take all the blame?”

“There’s someone else?” Wang Jian’s face darkened.

In the next instant—

From behind the abandoned building, a tall, middle-aged man in a suit stepped out, face grim: “I only told you to kill Li Yi. I didn’t say to kill Wang Jian too.”

“Are you an idiot? Kill Li Yi, spare Wang Jian—that’s just handing the murder evidence straight to the Investigation Bureau! Either don’t act, or kill them all. No witnesses, no proof. The Investigation Bureau can’t touch us. This is the Ruined City Zone—no cameras, no backup. If you won’t even do this, you shouldn’t be in the business of hiring killers. You’re a disgrace.” Knife’s words were brutal, utterly uncivil.

“You’re… one of Yang Yilong’s men?” Li Yi stared fixedly at the man in the suit.

He’d seen this man before—at Yang Yilong’s residence. He remembered him.

Yang Ye looked at Li Yi with a cold smile: “I warned Yilong from the start—when we took the fist art, we should’ve kept you alive, let you master it fully before killing you. But he insisted on some moral nonsense and let you go. Now you’re a threat. You’ve ruined our chance to obtain the artifact, and you’ve got a cultivation value of 420 percent.”

“You’re a latent danger. Yilong thinks too highly of himself—he doesn’t see you as a threat. But I do. Give you time, and you might truly turn the world upside down. Better to strike first. Kill you now, before you grow strong, and save ourselves the trouble later.”

“So that’s it,” Li Yi clenched his fists: “Your Yang family is truly ruthless.”

“I didn’t want to reach this point. But when we forcibly took your fist art, we already made enemies. I know you harbor resentment—you just bided your time because you were too weak. I’ve seen men like you before. Once they gain power, they always seek revenge.”

Yang Ye undid his tie, shrugged off his suit jacket, revealing a muscular torso—he was preparing to fight.

Li Yi laughed bitterly with rage: “You want my fist art? Do you expect me to hand it over willingly, for free, without a single complaint? Who do you think you are—the Emperor? Don’t be so arrogant. In a suit, you look like a businessman. Take it off—you’re just a thug, a bandit.”

“Big fish eat little fish. That’s how this world works,” Yang Ye sneered. “Now that you’ve shown yourself, good. After I kill you, I’ll take that robe off you, wash it clean, and return it to Yilong.”

“Try it if you can,” Li Yi’s eyes blazed with killing intent, fire burning in his chest.

Wang Jian’s expression turned grim: “Yang Ye, did Yang Yilong know about this ambush? I’m calling Yang Yilong. If this is a misunderstanding, I’ll pretend nothing happened.”

“Wang Jian, at this point, does it matter? Getting you to the Ruined City Zone wasn’t easy. Yang Ye, you handle him. I’ll kill Li Yi. Move fast—don’t let things drag on.” Knife spoke.

“You want me to be the one who kills an Investigation Bureau officer?” Yang Ye’s gaze flickered. “Fine. We’re past the point of pretense. Who kills whom doesn’t matter.”

The two immediately assigned their targets.

Seeing this—

Wang Jian understood: there was no way out. Whether Yang Yilong knew or not, once Yang Ye moved, the Yang family was implicated.

“Both Yang Ye and Knife are Spirit Perception cultivators. We can’t match them head-on. And they’ve brought ten Spirit Mediation enforcers. Our only chance is to split up and escape—don’t hesitate.”

“I’m sorry—I’ve dragged you both into this,” Li Yi lowered his head slightly.

Wang Jian shook his head: “No. I already had a grudge with Knife. He clearly planned to kill two birds with one stone. Chen Hao is the truly innocent one dragged in. Also, I’ve already sent a distress signal—but whether help arrives in time is uncertain.”

“I chose to become an External Operations officer. I’ve always known danger was part of the job,” Chen Hao said grimly, unafraid. “Li Yi, don’t blame yourself. Last time, if you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t be alive today. This time, consider it even. If we survive, I’ll still choose this job.”

Their exchange was brief.

Because Knife and Yang Ye gave them no time to live.

“Attack,” Knife growled, charging forward like a ferocious tiger straight at Li Yi.

“Watch out—Li Yi knows fist art. I’ll kill Wang Jian first, then come to help you,” Yang Ye warned, fearing complications.

“Understood.”

Knife gave a simple reply.

Yang Ye said no more—he charged at Wang Jian.

The other ten Spirit Mediation vagrants blocked and surrounded them, cutting off escape routes.

Their coordinated tactics crushed the three’s hopes of breaking out—hope sank to the bottom of their hearts.