Chapter Sixty: The Viper

Chapter Sixty: The Viper

“Doctor! Doctor!”

At this moment, Chen Xiao was already darting through the crowd, forcing his way to Young Master Xu’s side. Xu’s eyes were bloodshot, and the old man’s breath was growing weaker by the second, his exhalations outnumbering his inhalations.

“Doctor!” Chen Xiao also shouted at the top of his lungs, but at the same time, he yanked Young Master Xu aside and barked, “Don’t touch him! The situation isn’t clear—moving him could make it worse!”

The scene had already devolved into chaos, the guests staring in shock at the sudden turn of events. The hotel’s private doctor quickly rushed in and knelt beside the three unconscious people. In less than ten seconds, he diagnosed the situation: “Poisoning!”

He then turned and glared at the wine glass lying on the floor, his expression darkening. “Everyone, stop drinking! Someone’s poisoned the wine!”

An uproar swept through the crowd—shrieks and cries filled the hall. Some, though unharmed, were seized by panic, recalling how much they’d drunk; their minds played tricks on them, and their legs buckled as they collapsed, wailing, “I—I’ve been poisoned too…”

The tumult grew, people screaming and stumbling for the exits.

Young Master Xu was stunned. After a few seconds, he suddenly seized a nearby hotel attendant by the collar, eyes wild. “Speak! What’s going on with the wine?!”

The attendant was petrified, unable to utter a single coherent word.

Chen Xiao watched as the doctor swiftly began unbuttoning Lu Bancheng’s shirt. Suddenly, a thought flashed in Chen Xiao’s mind, and his expression turned grim.

“Let go of him!” Chen Xiao roared, clenching his fist and landing a heavy blow on the doctor’s back.

“Are you insane?!” Young Master Xu, still clutching the attendant’s collar, gasped as he saw Chen Xiao’s sudden move. He was about to intervene but it was too late.

A cold gleam flashed in the doctor’s eyes. As Chen Xiao’s fist neared, the doctor spun, twisted at the waist, and raised a single arm in defense—

Bang!

The doctor was sent flying but landed lightly some distance away, his gaze icy and fixed menacingly on Chen Xiao.

With a flick of both hands, two slender, razor-sharp blades slid out from his sleeves.

“Chen… Chen Xiao…” Young Master Xu was dumbfounded.

Chen Xiao took two quick steps forward, placing himself between the three victims and their attacker. “He’s not a doctor!” he shouted.

He hardly needed to say it. Seeing this, the Xu and Lu family bodyguards rushed over, immediately encircling the three unconscious men.

The “doctor” smiled coldly, his eyes sly and almost androgynous. Even his voice took on a syrupy softness. The muscles of his face began to twitch and contort, transforming rapidly into the face of an alluring woman. She regarded Chen Xiao with a trace of curiosity. “You’re quite strong, aren’t you… How interesting, little one.”

“Seize her!” Young Master Xu shouted and lunged forward, but Chen Xiao grabbed him back—if this woman could withstand a punch from him, she was far beyond Xu’s abilities.

“I’ll handle this!” Chen Xiao twisted forward, but the woman merely smiled, twisting her body nimbly. “Catch me? Are you sure you’re up to it, little one?”

Chen Xiao had only taken two steps when, without warning, the brilliantly lit hall was plunged into total darkness—all the lights snuffed out in an instant.

The abrupt change caught Chen Xiao off guard. The woman’s mocking laughter echoed through the darkness, and suddenly a chill swept toward him. Instinctively, he dodged to the side, but pain flared in his right arm.

Slash!

A sharp blade sliced through his shirt and flesh with ease. Had he not moved, his arm might have been lost. Even so, the blade bit nearly two centimeters deep, and blood quickly soaked his sleeve.

The woman’s mocking, androgynous laughter seemed to come from all directions. “Does it hurt, little one? Do you want big sister to take care of you?”

The voice seemed distant, but suddenly Chen Xiao felt a cold breeze graze his throat. He shrank back just in time, narrowly avoiding the strike, but when he touched his neck, he felt a line of blood.

He sensed a gust of wind sweep past him, and with no time to think, he exhaled and threw a powerful punch in the direction of the sound.

The woman in the darkness was fast—far faster than Chen Xiao. Yet his punch, though not a direct hit, grazed something soft. Her laughter trailed away, full of teasing. “Oh my, little one! You hit big sister right where it hurts… Aren’t you a naughty boy? Of all places to aim…”

Chen Xiao remained wary, recalling that the woman’s voice always seemed far away, but in the next instant—

Sure enough!

A cold gust swept toward his side. Chen Xiao, prepared, dropped into a crouch and lashed out with an uppercut.

Bang! This time he finally made contact. A muffled cry of pain came from the woman, and Chen Xiao felt bone crunch beneath his fist. The woman’s breathing grew ragged with anger. “Well, well, you little brat!”

Chen Xiao was about to pursue when suddenly a familiar voice called out from across the hall, “Ah-hah! So it’s you, little viper. Bullying one of our new recruits, are you? Did you ask my permission?”

No sooner had the words fallen than a loud bang resounded.

At the entrance, a burst of fire blazed forth. A woman’s graceful form appeared, shrouded in flames, striding into the hall.

It was Zhu Rong!

She wore a hotel attendant’s uniform, her long hair whipping through the fire like a thousand serpents, as if she and the flames were one.

Within the firelight, Zhu Rong raised her arms. Two fireballs swiftly condensed in her palms, a strange smile playing at her lips. “Come on, it’s been too long since our last fight.”

Whoosh! The two fireballs shot forth.

By Zhu Rong’s light, the hall was illuminated once more. Chen Xiao could see the woman—formerly disguised as a doctor—clinging to the wall in a spider-like pose, her feet planted against the plaster.

The fireballs soared over the heads of the bodyguards. The “doctor” shot Zhu Rong a venomous glare, leaped from the wall, and landed awkwardly as the fire struck the spot where she’d been. The flames licked her hair, and her gaze turned dark as she looked at Chen Xiao. “Hmph! So you’re just a new recruit from your organization.”

She began retreating toward a door at the side of the hall, step by cautious step.

Zhu Rong strode forward, eyes like steel but a teasing smile on her lips. “So? Our new recruit isn’t so bad, is he? Kid, you’d better be careful around this beauty. Don’t be fooled by her looks—she’ll devour you whole, especially a handsome little guy like you.”

“…You win this time! The Service Society really is overbearing. But the poison I used—can you cure it? Ha!” the woman spat, then darted through the door and vanished.

Chen Xiao’s face changed as he heard her last words. He shouted, “Don’t go! Leave the antidote!”

Zhu Rong was about to call out, but Chen Xiao had already thrown caution aside and charged through the door.

“Damn!” Zhu Rong stamped her foot in frustration, hurrying after him. She was seething inside—this kid was too reckless! The enemy would never act alone. She’d let her guard down, being the only one on duty tonight, and had left for just a few minutes—only for disaster to strike.

This woman, the one disguised as a doctor, was Zhu Rong’s old nemesis. Zhu Rong knew her methods well and was not afraid of her, but this woman never operated alone—there were surely accomplices nearby. Zhu Rong’s abilities were enough to drive her off, but not to pursue her alone. She hadn’t expected Chen Xiao, the new recruit, to be so bold as to chase after her single-handedly.

…

Chen Xiao burst through the door into a silent corridor. He heard footsteps echoing from the far end—he didn’t hesitate. Only one thought burned in his mind: Old Xu had always treated him well, and he could not let his friend’s father die.

He sprinted after the sound, rounding a corner to reach a large terrace. The door was ajar—she had just passed through. Chen Xiao crashed through, his strength sending the thick door flying off its hinges.

The sprawling terrace was empty—no sign of the woman anywhere.

Anxious, he suddenly heard a cold voice.

“A strength-type psychic? Hmph.”

He spun around. On the left, a man sat casually on the terrace railing, one leg propped up, a cigarette dangling from his lips, idly toying with a Zippo lighter.

Even at a distance, with his long hair partly obscuring his face, Chen Xiao immediately sensed a powerful, dangerous aura—a feeling of deadly threat that was hard to describe.

“That woman—where is she?” Chen Xiao called out, trying to keep his composure and glancing around warily. “Is she hiding?”

The man took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring. Only then did he turn to look Chen Xiao in the eye. Chen Xiao noticed that the man wore an earpiece similar to the Service Society’s detectors.

“B-class strength, overall power not even at C… Heh…” The man looked him up and down, shook his head with a lazy, dismissive air, and seemed to mutter to himself, “What’s the world coming to, when a mere C-class psychic dares to raise his voice at me?”