Chapter 179

This kid…… is very familiar with firearms, Lao Yang said quietly, "At least he knows how to use a shotgun well; from that shot just now he could accurately control the shotgun's spread, only hitting beside your foot, you can tell."

Ning Jinli was highly tense, and now it's even harder to deal with.

Yang Shao sized him up like prey, saying, "You beat my people into serious injury, crippled a man's hand—doesn't that count as offending me?"

Hearing that, Ning Jinli understood—it was aimed at her.

As long as they weren't coming to deal with Lao Yang, it would be fine.

"Strange, I feel he looks a bit familiar," Lao Yang muttered, "The more I look, the more he resembles my younger brother, especially the nose and eyes."

"Young man, what's your name?" Lao Yang shouted.

Yang Shao glanced at the middle-aged man sitting on the ground behind Ning Jinli and casually said, "I, the young master, bear the surname Yang."

Lao Yang and Ning Jinli both froze.

What a coincidence?

They even share the same surname?

"You……" Lao Yang's voice trembled, "Are you…… called Yang Zhengxing?"

Yang Shao was somewhat surprised, "Huh? Has my fame grown so great that even a sorry old fool like you knows my name?"

Lao Yang was struck as if by lightning.

He never expected this kid to actually be his own nephew!

Twenty years ago, just before his relationship with his brother broke down, this child had just been born, and he gave him the name, hoping his nephew would grow up to be an upright person.

As a result…… he has now turned into a lawless scoundrel?!

He truly felt both sorrow and disappointment.

"You…… does your father know you're acting so arrogantly now?" Lao Yang, straining to control his emotions, asked through gritted teeth.

Yang Shao laughed, "Old thing, are you close with my father? Using him to pressure me?"

Lao Yang's lips trembled, "My relationship with your father…… is more than just acquaintance, I am……"

"I know all my father's acquaintances and friends inside out," Yang Shao interrupted impatiently, "Don't even think about pulling strings! Believe it or not, I'll blast you with a shot!"

"You little bastard," Lao Yang could no longer bear it, "I am your great-uncle!"

Yang Shao froze, then burst out laughing, doubling over, "Hahaha! You? My great-uncle? I'm more like your father!"

He didn't believe it at all.

Since birth, he has never seen the great-uncle his father spoke of.

Moreover, his father had privately told him that, when he was just born, his father had severed ties with his great-uncle, a relationship of permanent estrangement.

Of course, for the sake of convenience in using the tiger's skin as a banner, this secret was known only to father and son.

So when hearing someone claim to be his great-uncle, he only thought this person was an idiot.

"You damned thing……" Lao Yang, furious, turned pale.

Yang Shao mocked, "Looks like you old thing know quite a bit about my family's affairs—who gave you the gall to impersonate my great-uncle? My great-uncle is a national-level bigwig; if you're going to impersonate him, at least dress the part."

Lao Yang clutched his chest, panting, unable to speak.

At this moment, several of Yang Shao's bodyguards had arrived.

Yang Shao pointed at Lao Yang and told the bodyguards, "This old thing has a filthy mouth and dares to insult me—drag him aside and slap him a few times."

The bodyguards were about to act.

Ning Jinli spread her arms to shield Lao Yang behind her, coldly saying, "Let anyone who dares to move him try."

Bang!

Yang Shao fired without hesitation.

The shotgun's scattered bullets flew past Ning Jinli's head.

Even two steel pellets left blood marks on Ning Jinli's ears.

Such formidable marksmanship made Ning Jinli's back instantly go cold.

It was obvious this was Yang Shao showing off—if he wished, he could at any moment blow Ning Jinli's head apart with a single shot.

A trickle of cold sweat ran down Ning Jinli's temple.

Although she possessed the Tian Xuan Heart Method and profound Internal Skill, she had no confidence she could rely on Internal Skill to fully resist thermal weapons and escape unharmed.

A slight mistake would mean death or injury for her and Lao Yang!

The bodyguards dragged Lao Yang several meters away, then without hesitation swung their arms and slapped him hard several times.

The blows left Lao Yang dizzy, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"What exactly do you want!" Ning Jinli's eyes blazed as she fixed a fierce stare on Yang Zhengxing.

Yang Shao glanced at the bodyguards' side, smirking, "You're on good terms with that old thing, so worried about him. Interesting… well, let me tell you this: I just want to vent for my subordinates, to let others know that Yang Shao isn't someone any cat or dog can provoke!"

"So you intend to beat me to death?" Ning Jinli asked, "Do you really think you can ignore the law and commit wrongdoing?"

Yang Shao curled his lip in disdain, "Law? Heck, law is just a piece of crap; this sort of thing only binds and punishes ordinary people like you—do you think I'm the same as you?"

Having said that, he casually tossed the shotgun to a bodyguard, ordered the bodyguard to hold Lao Yang at gunpoint, then himself assumed a fighting stance and hooked a finger at Ning Jinli.

Ning Jinli frowned, "What does this mean now?"

"Lao Liu said you're very good at fighting, not like a normal person," Yang Shao's eyes lit with excitement, "I want to try it myself, to see just how abnormal you really are."

Just from the stance Yang Shao assumed, one could tell he was a trained martial artist.

But Ning Jinli didn't take it to heart.

She only worried about Lao Yang's safety; if it weren't for her fear of that shotgun, she would have already dealt with Yang Shao.

"If you can't beat me, could you let him go?" Ning Jinli pointed at Lao Yang.

Yang Shao smirked, "No nonsense—let's fight first!"

As his words fell, Yang Shao lunged forward in a leap, swinging a fist straight at Ning Jinli's face.

Bang!

A muffled thud.

Ning Jinli stood still; as Yang Shao's fist was about to strike her face, she swiftly arched her back, lowered her head, and a rearward punch landed on his abdomen.

Yang Shao staggered back a few steps, clutching his stomach, his face showing shocked surprise, "You're a woman, how can you be so strong?"

Ning Jinli said nothing and leapt forward with a kick.

Yang Shao hurriedly raised both arms to shield his head.

Bang!

Another muffled thud.

Yang Shao flew diagonally three to four meters away, then rolled on the ground several times before stopping.

"Yang Shao! Yang Shao!" the bodyguards shouted in panic.

Yang Shao lowered his hand, indicating he was fine.

He then struggled to rise, wiped the blood at his mouth's corner with trembling hands, his eyes turning cold as a venomous snake.

"Listen up," he said to the bodyguards, "if this woman captures me, or kills me, you first shoot the hostage, then beat this woman into a sieve."

"Yes, Yang Shao!" the bodyguard replied loudly.

Ning Jinli's face darkened; that bastard was both cunning and ruthless!

"Come, continue!" Yang Shao's expression grew more excited; he drew a dagger from his waist and taunted Ning Jinli.

"You've become addicted to this?" Ning Jinli shouted angrily.

Yang Shao chuckled, "I rarely meet someone who can fight better than me, so of course I want to have some fun."

"Madman," Ning Jinli cursed, gritted her teeth and charged.

She now had no other way; she couldn't open the Time‑Space Gate in time, nor could she eliminate Yang Zhengxing directly, so she could only restrain him using Internal Strength.

Another round of combat began.

Yang Shao quickly realized she had no fighting technique, yet her speed and strength were astonishing.

Relying on his own skill advantage, he used the dagger to leave several shallow wounds on Ning Jinli's arms and legs.

A few bodyguards, seeing someone able to trade blows with Yang Shao, were fascinated.

This gave Lao Yang a chance.

He seized the bodyguards' distraction, stealthily took out the new phone he had just bought on his way here, quickly dialed a memorized number, and placed a call.

The call was to his brother.

His brother lived in a nearby villa district; he could try to have him come over to control the situation.

The call connected quickly.

From the handset came a middle‑aged man's voice, "Who is this?"

The voice sounded hoarse and weathered, but Lao Yang recognized it as his own younger brother.

Lao Yang curled up on the ground, his face buried in the grass, lowered his voice, "Brother, it's me… I don't have time to explain, come quickly… I'm in the woods near your house, roughly at…"

the other side.

Yang Laoer, after hearing this sudden call for help, couldn't calm his mood.

He suspected it might be a prank, someone impersonating his brother.

But that voice, that tone, was far too familiar!

After a brief thought, he decided to go see what was happening; after all, according to the description, the incident site was close.

Ten minutes later.

Yang Shao lay on the ground exhausted, sprawled, panting heavily.

His body bore many bruises, his cheeks swollen and bruised, several teeth loosened.

Yet his eyes still shone with excitement.

"Interesting… truly exhilarating… hehehe… haven't had this much fun in ages."

Ning Jinli looked at this crazy young man, suppressing her inner anger so she wouldn't kill him.

"Enough? Will you release him?" Ning Jinli patiently asked again.

Yang Shao bared his teeth, rolled over, and sneered, "I've confirmed that old thing is your leverage; if I let him go, how could I keep you under control? Would I still have anything to play with? Lao Liu really hit the jackpot this time, no wonder he still thinks about it even after breaking his hand…"

His eyes flicked, and he said to a bodyguard, "Go to my car and bring me two copies of that thing I usually use."

"Yes, Yang Shao."

The bodyguard sprinted away.

Ning Jinli didn't know what drug the madman was selling in his gourd, so she could only watch and, at the same time, try to use this interval to concentrate on opening the Time‑Space Gate.

Once the Time‑Space Gate opened, she could find a chance to rescue Lao Yang and instantly get him out of this deadly quagmire.

But in less than a minute, the bodyguard returned, holding two plastic syringes.

Ning Jinli stared closely; the syringes contained a faint amber‑colored transparent liquid.

Yang Shao took a syringe and without hesitation jabbed it into his own arm, injecting everything inside into his vein.

"Sss…"

After the injection, a strange satisfied smile spread across his face.

He lay on the ground, rolling his eyes, flailing, and let out a series of manic laughs.

Ning Jinli was shocked; without asking she knew what was happening!

The madman had actually… been contaminated with drugs!

The bodyguards showed little expression, evidently accustomed to this.

Not far away, Lao Yang watched this scene, sighed heavily, his heart like ash, muttering to himself, "No hope… that little bastard is completely beyond saving… Lao Er, Lao Er, how did you raise such a beast…"

Originally, out of consideration for blood‑related kin, he still thought that when the time came he would let Yang Zhengxing accept legal sanction, serve enough time in prison to be properly reformed, and even if he lost his prospects and future, at least he could continue living like a person.

As a result, he became addicted to drugs…

"Get lost! Give that… that girl… also, also give her a shot!" Yang Shao sneered, his face twisted in a vicious grin, pointing at Ning Jinli.

The bodyguard grabbed the remaining syringe and strode forward.

Ning Jinli clenched her fists, "Don't come over!"

Yang Shao burst into laughter, grinning wide, "Hahaha! If you don't cooperate, I'll… fucking kill that old bastard!"

"Stick out your hand," the bodyguard ordered coldly, "You're lucky—Yang Shao has taken a liking to you; from now on you'll follow him obediently."

Ning Jinli understood—this was about using drugs to completely control her.

The sharp needle glinted coldly in the sunlight.

The clear liquid in the syringe made Ning Jinli's hair stand on end.

"Miss Ning!" Old Yang shouted hoarsely, "At this point you can't hold back because of me! Your importance far outweighs mine—I can die, that's fine! You must not come to harm! All I hope is that you… absolutely do not let that little bastard off the hook!"

"Still pretty damn tough!" The extremely excited Yang Shao scrambled to his feet, rushed up to Old Yang, snatched the shotgun from the bodyguard's hand, lifted the butt and slammed it hard into Old Yang several times.

Old Yang's head instantly split open, blood pouring out.

Yang Shao's face twisted with savagery, he planted a foot on Old Yang's chest, pressed the shotgun's muzzle against his temple, and snarled, "I'll count to three! If you, surnamed Ning, dare waste my stuff, I swear I'll shoot! Don't believe me—try it!"

Ning Jinli's heart leapt into her throat, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

This guy was already a lunatic; now, after taking drugs, there's no doubt he's even more unhinged—capable of anything.

No matter what you say to him, it will have no effect.

"One!"

Yang Shao grinned, beginning to count.

"Two!"

His finger on the shotgun's trigger began to tense, his expression growing ever more savage and terrifying.

"Zheng Xing! What are you doing?!" a sudden roar rang out.

Yang Shao froze, turning toward the sound, "Dad… you… how did you get here?"

The bodyguards hurriedly shouted in unison, "Mr. Yang!"

Yang Shao's father's face darkened to the extreme; he stepped forward and slapped his son, "You damn brat! Are you trying to kill me?! Let the person go!"

Yang Shao was a bit unwilling, but he moved the shotgun aside.

"Lao Er…" Old Yang whispered hoarsely, voice weak.

Yang Shao's temper flared again; he raised the shotgun butt, intending to strike Old Yang a few more times.