Chapter 582: Intricate Mechanism

Lao Liu was slightly stunned, looking at Zheng Yingxiong in front of him, whose body was covered in blood, and for a moment, he couldn't say a word.

Zheng Yingxiong landed and used the sword in his hand to support his body, struggling to catch his breath.

After just a few seconds, he sniffed the air, his gaze sweeping past the people in front of him and locking onto Tian Tian.

"I smelled the fragrance of 'Qiao Wu'."

At that moment, Lao Liu, Xiao Cheng, and Tian Tian didn't say anything; they just stared blankly at the short sword in Zheng Yingxiong's hand.

Zheng Yingxiong noticed their unusual gazes and glanced down at it himself.

In just a second, his eyes widened.

The sword in his hand was extremely strange, seemingly pieced together from dozens of mechanical parts. It had wires of various colors, circuit boards whose purpose was unclear, and gears of different sizes that were still turning. The blade was made of some unknown glass-like material.

The newspaper short sword that had been limp earlier had somehow transformed into a precise mechanism built entirely from mechanical parts and gears.

"Amazing..." Zheng Yingxiong seemed to completely forget about his own injuries as he stared at the treasure sword in his hand, examining it closely. "What on earth is this thing?"

The creator of this "Qiao Wu," Tian Tian, looked even more surprised than Zheng Yingxiong. She felt that it looked somewhat familiar, but how could it be in the shape of a sword?

"Indeed, you've got some skill..."

Lao Liu instantly showed a ferocious expression. Even if the kid in front of him had luckily killed Lao Fang, he was still just a child.

The chances of him picking up that sword again and killing a fully armed middle-aged man were zero.

Taking advantage of Zheng Yingxiong's distraction, Lao Liu stepped forward and kicked the sword out of his hand, then raised his own dagger to stab down.

Tian Tian's mind went blank for a moment. She hadn't yet figured out how to use her ability properly, and now Zheng Yingxiong was facing a death threat again.

Just as the two of them were at a loss, Xiao Cheng suddenly rushed forward and tackled Lao Liu to the ground right as the dagger was about to strike Zheng Yingxiong.

In just a few seconds, the two were grappling on the ground, each grabbing the other's hands without giving an inch.

"Xiao Cheng... have you lost your mind...?" Lao Liu said. "Do you have any idea what'll happen if you mess with me...?"

"I can't take it anymore..." The young man called Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "I've had enough of this life..."

"Hey, heh heh..." Lao Liu's veins bulged, but he still forced a smile. "You little brat... we're in the same room, after all... If you dare mess with me... I've got all the time in the world to deal with you..."

Xiao Cheng seemed completely overcome; he gripped Lao Liu's arm tightly, controlling the direction of the dagger in his hand.

Although he was young and strong, Lao Liu appeared to be well-trained too, and the two were locked in a stalemate, rolling around on the ground.

Tian Tian took a few seconds to confirm whether this was some kind of trick, and when she saw that the young man was about to give out, she quickly pulled Zheng Yingxiong toward the bicycle.

"Sister... that brother..."

"I can't worry about that right now...!" Tian Tian said in a panic. "Little brother, you ride away first. Once you're gone, I'll figure out how to save him..."

"But..."

"Listen to me!" Tian Tian helped Zheng Yingxiong onto the bicycle. "I can't be sure if that guy helped us out of personal grudge or for some other reason. The only thing I can do right now is get you out of here!"

Before Zheng Yingxiong could say anything, a scream came from the two fighting in the distance. The cry was so piercing that it was impossible to tell who was hurt.

"I'm going!" Tian Tian said. "Little brother, you be careful!"

Tian Tian ran over in a panic and saw that Lao Liu had gained the upper hand. He was pinning Xiao Cheng down, using his full body weight to press his hands downward, while Xiao Cheng used his palms to block the dagger aimed at his chest. A large amount of fresh blood had already soaked his chest.

"Damn... Xiao Cheng... you're pretty tough..." Lao Liu gritted his teeth and kept pushing, as if he had gone berserk. "From now on, I'll make sure you stay locked in the interview room forever... You'll never get out for the rest of your life..."

"That's not going to happen..." Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "As long as I can 'Hui Xiang' this time... you won't succeed next time either... I'll lead the others to fight back against you two..."

"You're not going to 'Hui Xiang'... You're going to die right here..."

Without hesitation, Tian Tian went to the side and picked up the "treasure sword" that Zheng Yingxiong had used earlier.

She had thought that this sword, assembled from precise parts, would be heavy, but surprisingly, it was very lightweight.

No wonder Zheng Yingxiong had been able to swing it with his small frame using just one hand.

Most of the materials weren't steel; they were precious metals commonly used in electronic devices.

Tian Tian grabbed the sword and charged at the two men. Without any hesitation or words, she thrust it straight into Lao Liu's ribs.

The sword was even sharper than she had imagined.

In her memory, she had never killed anyone before, yet she didn't hesitate at all when striking.

"Ah!!!!!" Lao Liu screamed and instantly lost his strength.

At that moment, Xiao Cheng flipped over, pulled the dagger from his palm, and stabbed Lao Liu several times in succession while he was on top of him.

This young man seemed to have been oppressed for a long time; he showed no mercy with each stab. He started with the abdomen, then the chest, and finally several more to the neck.

Each strike hit a vital spot, leaving the other no chance of survival.

Once Lao Liu stopped moving, the young man collapsed to the ground as if completely drained. His palm was still bleeding, but his expression was utterly blank.

Tian Tian carefully approached, then pulled the sword out of Lao Liu's body. The young man didn't move at all during this.

"I'm sorry..." The young man said with a face full of regret. "Really sorry... You two should run..."

Tian Tian didn't respond; she just stared at him and slowly backed away.

Although this young man had saved her and Zheng Yingxiong at a critical moment, he had been with those two all along, and every stab he made had targeted vital areas. It was hard for her to believe that his hands were clean of blood.

"Sister!" Zheng Yingxiong rode the bicycle up behind Tian Tian and said, "Are we leaving?"

The young man on the ground heard the sound of the bicycle and slowly lifted his head, staring at the two with a complicated expression.

Tian Tian immediately became alert, holding the sword in front of her. Luckily, the sword was very light and extremely sharp, so she could use it for self-defense.

The young man stared at the bicycle with a strange look for a moment, swallowed hard, and said:

"Although... although this might not be the right time to say it... could you two give me the bicycle?"