Chapter 804

Returning to the place where he was originally detained, Jiao Qiu's breath caught the moment he stepped inside.

The three innocent personnel he had previously communicated with were now having their hands tightly bound behind their backs by the Bu Li Ren, unable to move.

Jiao Qiu felt as if an invisible hand were tightly gripping his heart, making even breathing difficult.

"You're back, Jiao Qiu."

"Mo Du let out a cold laugh: 'Come see, who are these people?'"

"The pilot of the Xingcha, still confused, said to the Bu Li Ren beside him, 'This Yun Qi elder brother says there's official business I need to cooperate with.'"

"Jiao Qiu gritted his teeth; Hu Lei heard tension in his voice for the first time: 'Mo Du, what are you trying to do? This has nothing to do with them!'"

"Irrelevant? I only had you go to the port to check the situation… but I never allowed you to be of two minds when talking with people.' Hu Lei smirked and raised his hand, 'Remember, they died because of you.'"

"As Hu Lei's hand came down, a sickening bone-cracking sound echoed in the small courtyard. There was no scream; he couldn't even hear the sound of struggle."

"You have to prove to me… that everyone's lives here are completely in your hands, right, Hu Lei?!"

"Hu Lei said calmly: 'What you say is correct. Then, have you waited for the Yun Qi to blockade the port?'"

"Jiao Qiu felt his voice trembling; he took a deep breath and spoke each word clearly: '…No.'"

"It seems they don't want my escape to become public knowledge. That's no surprise—fear is deadlier than fangs and claws, especially during a festival like the Martial Exhibition. Those here now aren't a bunch of hiding prisoners; they're wolves that have entered the flock. My wolf pups are starving, eager to devour flesh and blood, using your fear as seasoning."

——

DC Universe.

Before that bone‑cracking sound rang out, Lois had already anticipated what would happen. She turned her back to the window, her shoulders trembling slightly. Clark walked to her side and tightly grasped her hand.

"It's fine,' he said softly, 'those matters are far away from us.'"

"I know.' Lois took a deep breath, lifted her head, and tried to restore her usual composure, 'but that's true, right? In a corner of the Immortal Vessel, three people have indeed just died, killed by the Bu Li Ren.'"

"Clark fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said, 'As long as the Abundant Folk exist even for a single day, such tragedy will occur every day—they enslave too many planets.'"

"Ah, Jiao Qiu is probably the most desperate right now.' Lois's voice sounded a little hoarse, 'because of him, three innocent bystanders were dragged into this. He might be wondering whether, if he hadn't chosen to leak information back then, none of them would have died.'"

"But that's not his fault; his choice was sound. To capture Hu Lei, he had to make the attempt. These three deaths aren't because of Jiao Qiu, but because of Hu Lei.' Clark supported his girlfriend's shoulder, 'The biggest problem now is the port's opening—which, as things stand, is a double‑edged sword: not blocking the port won't cause fear, but opening it gives Hu Lei a chance to escape.'"

"What would you do if you were in his position?"

"... I also know that the enemies I've encountered so far are all clear‑cut.' Clark said, 'Seek out the hidden rats; bats are my specialty. Once all the rats show up, you can hand them over to me.'"

——

"Jiao Qiu, your feigned calm is no match for me in my eyes—it's as easy as tearing open your flesh to reveal the pitiful bone beneath. Before me, you have nowhere to hide."

"Hu Lei lifted his head proudly: 'You can certainly hope to rely on your quick wit to escape this situation. But remember, in the midst of the bustling market, we don't have only you as a hostage. Any move you make will cause innocent people to die because of you.'"

"Now, let's talk about the Yaoqing Fox-person General you serve. Modu said she came for me, which means she will personally come to hunt me. Before the hunt begins, I want to know my opponent. You can refuse, show me your backbone; or you can cooperate a bit, to save time for both of us, medic."

"Jiaoqiu didn't answer, but the expression on his face already made his choice clear."

"Hulei wasn't surprised; he simply extended a finger, moving so fast it was invisible, and poked Jiaoqiu's shoulder blade, as if a dagger had gouged out a piece of flesh, the pain boring into the joints, leaving Jiaoqiu barely able to stand."

'"Ugh..." Jiaoqiu gritted his teeth, enduring this intense pain.'

"Hulei seemed to enjoy the feeling of watching his prey writhe in pain, and he smiled satisfied: 'Very good, you weren't stupid enough to draw attention with a scream. This way, no one will die pointlessly.'"

'"If you refuse next time, I will crush your hands that heal and save people, then your breastbone, then your spine… I will break you apart piece by piece, leaving only that three-inch tongue that never rots, until you decide to speak."'

——

"A Certain Scientific Railgun"

'"Tch, this just got troublesome..." Yusaka frowned; this kind of terrorist is usually the most troublesome, and once they take civilian lives hostage, the initiative is completely in their hands.'

"Given Jiaoqiu's attitude, he certainly won't speak, but Hulei has already shown his skill—he really will act to kill Jiaoqiu."

'"Yusaka, aren't you curious?"'

"On a park bench, Shangtiao Dangma sitting on the other side suddenly asked."

'"Curious? Curious about what?"'

'"The weakness of General Feixiao!" Shangtiao crushed the empty soda can in his hand and flung it far toward the distant trash can. "As Jiaoqiu, who usually follows the general as an aide, surely knows her weakness? She calls herself a 'three-no' general—could there truly be an invincible person in this world? Do you believe that?"'

"Yusaka was momentarily speechless; reason told her no, but looking back at General Feixiao's performance since arriving at the Immortal Vessel, sensually she again felt there was none."

"Strong enough, calm enough, with impeccable experience dealing with the Step-leave People— isn't that invincibility?"

'"Hey… do you think she has a weakness?" Yusaka asked.'

"Shangtiao Dangma didn't answer directly, but lowered his head and pondered: 'Earlier, General Jingyuan mentioned that the Step-leave People can control Moon Madness, while fox-people cannot. As the war chief of the Step-leave People, Hulei surely understands Moon Madness very well. So is it possible that Feixiao's greatest weakness is herself?'"

——

'"…I can tell you everything about her, but I want to exchange one answer for another."'