Chapter 581: No Way to Retreat

Lin Yuan shouted again, "Thunder Tiger Sect members, get out!"

But all around, there was still no response.

"Ding-ling-ling!" At that moment, Lin Yuan's phone in his pocket rang urgently again.

Lin Yuan pulled out his phone and looked; the caller ID still showed "Su Monong".

His brows knotted instantly, and the unease in his heart grew stronger.

Lin Yuan's fingertips tinged with anxiety, he swiped to answer, his tone icy as frost: "What exactly are you trying to pull?"

On the other end of the line, it was still that hoarse, grating male voice.

The man's voice carried undisguised mockery and calculation: "Lin Yuan, it seems you're quite obedient, coming alone indeed."

The man paused, then shifted tone: "However, the deal here has also been temporarily cancelled; change locations… the abandoned agricultural machinery factory in the northern suburbs, don't be late this time."

Lin Yuan's pupils contracted sharply.

He instantly saw through the other's malicious intent.

Continuously changing the transaction location.

This isn't a temporary change at all; it's to repeatedly observe whether anyone is following him from behind!

If Lin Yuan brought people and kept running between different locations, his trail would inevitably be exposed.

These kidnappers, truly cunning!

A surge of anger welled up in his heart; Lin Yuan gripped the phone tightly, veins bulging on his knuckles.

He almost crushed the phone: "You'd better not harm Su Monong, or I'll annihilate your Thunder Tiger Sect!"

"Heh heh heh, rest assured, as long as you obey, Su Monong will be fine for now." The hoarse man gave a weird laugh, his tone threatening: "Remember, only you can come alone. If we find any trace of a second person, we'll kill her outright!"

Having said that, the hoarse man snapped the phone shut with a "pa", leaving only the cold busy tone.

Lin Yuan violently flung the phone onto the passenger seat.

Anger made his chest heave violently.

Lin Yuan forcibly suppressed the anger and anxiety in his heart; he knew he had no choice, Su Monong was in their hands, and every minute delayed increased her danger.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Yuan immediately restarted the vehicle; the engine of the white Tesla Model S let out a deep rumble again.

Lin Yuan turned the car around and sped wildly toward the abandoned agricultural machinery factory in the northern suburbs.

The night was deep, and the road to the northern suburbs grew even more desolate.

The road was pitted and uneven, causing the vehicle to jolt continuously.

Lin Yuan gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes blood-red, his mind filled only with Su Monong.

His foot was flat on the accelerator, the speed so great it almost lifted off.

Along the way, the trees in the headlights turned into blurry black shadows, flashing backward.

……

After over twenty minutes, the vehicle finally reached the abandoned agricultural machinery factory in the northern suburbs.

This place was even more remote than the previous two factories.

Surrounded by weeds over a person tall, the rust-streaked wall had collapsed in many places.

Revealing the dilapidated factory buildings inside.

Moonlight was blocked by clouds, the surroundings pitch black; only the wind rustling the weeds made a "shasha" sound.

And occasional unidentified animal cries from afar, making it especially eerie.

Lin Yuan parked the car in the open space outside the wall, turned off the engine, opened the door, and strode out.

As soon as he steadied his footing, he immediately scanned the surroundings warily.

But as far as the eye could see, aside from swaying weeds and the outlines of the ruined factory, it was still empty, not a single person in sight.

"Thunder Tiger Sect people! Get out here!" Lin Yuan took a deep breath and roared at the empty factory.

His voice exploded like thunder in the silent night, spreading outward, striking the factory walls and producing a dull echo.

The echo gradually faded, the surroundings remained dead silent, with no response.

"Get out!" Lin Yuan shouted again, his voice thick with killing intent, his eyes sharp as blades, scanning every possible hiding spot.

Still no movement.

"Thunder Tiger Sect! You dare not come out?!" Lin Yuan shouted for the third time, his voice louder than before, shaking the surrounding weeds slightly.

"Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh!!!"

Just as Lin Yuan's words fell, a dense burst of breaking-air sounds suddenly came from all directions!

Lin Yuan's heart tightened; he immediately readied himself for battle!

Lin Yuan looked up and saw countless black shadows, like ghosts, leaping out from the weeds outside the wall, the distant woods, and the rooftops of the factory's dilapidated buildings!

These were all martial arts masters of the Thunder Tiger Sect!

Each possessed secret techniques, displaying exquisite lightness skills!

With a light tap of their toes on the wall tops and factory beams, they could trace a graceful arc, like a bat spreading its wings, easily leaping into the factory's enclosure.

Their movements were uniform, swift as lightning, leaving blurry black shadows in the air, instantly surrounding Lin Yuan from all sides.

Lin Yuan looked around and realized he was surrounded by at least fifty Thunder Tiger Sect masters in a tight, impenetrable circle.

These masters each had icy gazes and steady breaths.

They exuded a strong killing intent, each holding some kind of weapon.

There were daggers flashing with cold light, sharp long swords, and some peculiarly shaped strange weapons, clearly prepared in advance.

Lin Yuan's eyes sank; ignoring the forest of weapons and pressing killing intent around him, he shouted in a low voice: "I'm here! Where is Su Monong? Hand her over!"

His gaze swept quickly across the crowd, trying to locate Su Monong's figure.

But all who surrounded him were Thunder Tiger Sect masters; there was no trace of Su Monong.

A Thunder Tiger Sect expert standing in the front row stepped forward, a mocking cold smile curling on his face: "What's the rush? Want to see Su Monong? Easy." He sized up Lin Yuan from head to toe, his tone tinged with contempt: "As long as you obediently come with us, you'll naturally get to see her."

As soon as his words fell, several Thunder Tiger Sect experts moved forward in unison.

They slightly lowered their weapons, then took out the coarse hemp rope they had prepared, clearly intending to bind Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan instantly tensed his body, his aura suddenly turning sharp.

Lin Yuan watched the approaching few with wary eyes, his feet slightly shifting, ready to counterattack at any moment.

He would not easily surrender; once bound, not only would he be passive, but Su Monong's safety would also be harder to guarantee.

"Don't move!" the Thunder Tiger Sect expert who stepped forward said, seeing the situation, immediately warning with a tone of impatience: "Rest assured, we won't hurt you for now. Our leader said we captured you not for anything else, but only for the hidden weapon technique in your hands. As long as you cooperate obediently, Su Monong will be safe."

Lin Yuan's heart stirred; they were indeed after his Silver Needle Hidden Weapon Technique.

Lin Yuan hesitated for a moment, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind:

Currently the opponents outnumber us; if we clash head-on we might not gain the upper hand, and could instead provoke them to harm Su Monong;

It would be better to feign compliance for now, first learn Su Monong's whereabouts, then look for a chance to escape and rescue her.

The thought flashed through his mind; Lin Yuan gradually relaxed his tense body, though his eyes remained wary.

Seeing this, the several Thunder Tiger Sect experts stepped forward and swiftly bound Lin Yuan's hands behind his back with the coarse hemp rope.

The rope was tied tight, sinking deep into his flesh, leaving him unable to move.

Immediately afterward, one person produced a black hood and shoved it over Lin Yuan's head, instantly cutting off his sight.

"Move!" an expert shoved Lin Yuan roughly; he staggered a few steps before regaining his balance, then was escorted forward by the group.

The ground beneath his feet was uneven, mixed with the sound of weeds scraping, clearly heading outside the factory.

Soon, Lin Yuan was shoved into a vehicle.

A strong smell of gasoline and dust reached his nostrils; combined with the vehicle's shaking, he judged it to be a minivan.

The car door slammed shut with a "bang," blocking out the outside wind.

He had just steadied himself when a Thunder Tiger Sect expert rudely rummaged into his pocket, pulled out his phone, tossed it casually to a companion in the front seat, and said coldly: "Turn this off and put it away; don't give him a chance to contact outsiders."

Lin Yuan had anticipated this and offered no resistance.

Then the vehicle shuddered slightly, the engine started, and the minivan slowly drove away from the abandoned agricultural machinery factory.

Lin Yuan was pressed to sit in the minivan's rear seat; the hood remained tightly over his head, and his hands remained bound behind him, immobile.

He did not struggle; instead he slowly closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on his hearing.

The sound of the wheels rolling over the road and the movements of the surrounding environment were precisely captured by him:

At first it was the bumpy dirt road around the abandoned agricultural machinery factory, with gravel crushed by the wheels emitting a clear "creak-creak" sound, accompanied by violent shaking of the vehicle;

After driving for about ten minutes, the road surface suddenly became smooth...

The wheel rolling sound turned dull and continuous; he judged they had entered an asphalt road;

Along the way they passed three intersections in succession, hearing the "ding-ding" of traffic lights changing twice, and once the metallic screech of a toll booth barrier lifting;

In the latter half he could faintly hear the traffic din from the city outskirts and the distinctive wind howl of a riverside highway.

Lin Yuan quickly sketched the route in his mind, firmly memorizing each sound's corresponding position.

After about half an hour, the minivan gradually slowed, then jerked to a halt with a piercing screech of brakes, the vehicle coming to a steady stop.

The engine died, the surroundings fell quiet for a moment, only a few low voices from outside could be heard. Lin Yuan's heart tightened...

We've arrived.

That half-hour driving route had already been fully committed to his memory through his hearing.

Just then, Lin Yuan slightly moved his bound wrist, his fingertips quietly touching the Huawei watch worn on his wrist.

He had deliberately put on this watch before setting out; it not only tells time but also has built-in satellite positioning and emergency contact functions.

Moreover, the watch strap fit snugly against his wrist, and the kidnappers, whose view was blocked by the hood, did not notice it.

Using his fingertips, made tense by the rope's pressure, and taking advantage of the arm's binding as cover, he extremely covertly tapped and swiped the watch screen.

Thanks to his familiarity with the watch's button layout, he quickly pulled up the emergency contact interface and precisely sent the approximate coordinates he had deduced from his hearing to the preset emergency contact... Mu Lingxue.

A faint vibration signaling successful transmission came through his wrist, and Lin Yuan felt somewhat relieved.

Having done that, he immediately resumed his previous pose, his fingertips motionless, as if nothing had happened.

He knew this string of coordinates was the key to his and Su Monong's rescue, and he had to make absolutely sure of it.