Xiao Han retreated according to plan, lowering his body and speaking urgently, "Retreat! Quickly!"
Behind him, Xiao Lei followed closely, with Li Xinhu and Li Kui bringing up the rear. The four of them moved through the ruins like ghosts, their steps light, trying not to make a sound.
Suddenly, more than a dozen dark figures leaped out from the shadows on both sides simultaneously. The weapons in their hands gleamed with a cold light under the dim moonlight. Without a word, they swiftly charged at the four! It was clearly a premeditated ambush.
"Damn it! You're asking for death!" Xiao Han's eyes sharpened, and instead of retreating, he advanced.
His Wind Ability was instantly pushed to its limit!
"Whoosh—!"
A fierce wind suddenly whipped up, carrying countless tiny stones and broken bricks from the ground, turning them into deadly projectiles. They whistled through the air, smashing down on the charging dark figures.
Several of the guys at the very front couldn't dodge in time. Some were cut by Wind Blades, blood splattering, while others were brutally struck in the face or chest by the stones. They didn't even have time to scream before grunting and flying backward, their fates unknown.
Xiao Han moved like lightning, weaving through the crowd. He didn't linger in battle; every move was precise and ruthless. He would either strike at an enemy's joints with a hand chop or skillfully use wind to deflect their force. Accompanied by the 'crunch' of breaking bones and the painful wails of his enemies, he forcibly tore open a gap in the encirclement.
Li Xinhu and Li Kui also swung their heavy broadswords and steel pipes, roaring as they fought the enemies, buying time for Xiao Han and Xiao Lei.
Xiao Lei, meanwhile, hid behind Xiao Han, his small face pale, clutching Xiao Han's clothes tightly, trying his best not to make a sound.
Ten-odd minutes later, bodies lay strewn across the ground, groans rising and falling, and the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood.
Xiao Han's chest rose and fell slightly. He flicked the blood beads from his hand, his eyes cold. "A bunch of nobodies, a waste of time."
He was about to signal Li Xinhu and the others to continue their retreat, clearing a path.
"Clap, clap, clap."
Clear applause came from the darkness not far away, sounding particularly abrupt in the silent ruins.
A thin figure slowly emerged. The moonlight outlined his sinister face, with a faint smile playing on the corners of his lips.
"Scorpion?!" Xiao Han's pupils constricted, and his heart sank sharply.
Shouldn't that guy be at One-Line Sky Canyon, ambushed by Lu Shiyan and his men? Why was he here?! Could it be…
Behind Scorpion, a dense crowd of people surged forward like a tide, far outnumbering the previous wave of attackers. They completely surrounded the four of them, leaving no escape.
Li Xinhu and Li Kui's expressions instantly turned incredibly grim. Their hands, holding their weapons, tightened involuntarily. They stood back to back, protecting Xiao Lei, forming a temporary defensive formation with Xiao Han.
"Xiao Han, long time no see." Scorpion bared his teeth, his smile sinister, his voice hoarse. "Your Wind Ability has improved quite a bit, hasn't it? Those few moves just now were quite lively."
Xiao Han snorted coldly. "Cut the crap! What do you want?" He secretly mobilized his ability, warily watching Scorpion.
"Nothing much." Scorpion spread his hands, slowly saying, "I just want to invite you all over as guests, to catch up."
"Be your mother's guest!" Xiao Han cursed, his Wind Ability beginning to gather again, air currents swirling around him.
Li Xinhu and Li Kui also took up their stances, ready to fight to the death.
Just as Xiao Han was about to unleash his ability again and strike first, a strange mental fluctuation suddenly, without warning, surged into his mind!
"Buzz!"
Xiao Han's body stiffened abruptly.
His brain felt as if countless steel needles were piercing it, or as if an invisible large hand was clutching it tightly, causing excruciating pain. The wind elements within him instantly became chaotic, and the attack he had just gathered dissipated.
"Ugh..." Xiao Han grunted, his eyes instantly becoming somewhat vacant. His body swayed, and his movements became sluggish.
His gaze suddenly lost focus, becoming somewhat empty and dazed. His body swayed violently, and his limbs felt as if they were filled with lead, every movement becoming incredibly heavy and sluggish.
Damn it! It's a mental ability user! And he's right next to me!
He struggled to turn his head, looking beside him.
He saw Xiao Lei with his head lowered, his small body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes "staring" fixedly at him. His gaze was unfocused but carried a powerful mental impact.
"Xiao Lei! You... what are you doing!" Xiao Han's voice held a hint of disbelieving hoarseness.
Li Xinhu and Li Kui almost simultaneously noticed Xiao Han's abnormality and Xiao Lei's strangeness.
"Xiao Lei! What the hell are you doing!" Li Xinhu's roar was filled with disbelieving rage and a hint of betrayal's pain.
Li Kui also roared, "Let Han Ge go! Are you crazy!"
Xiao Lei's lips trembled uncontrollably, and fine cold sweat seeped from his forehead. But those eerie deep purple eyes remained fixed on Xiao Han, his mental power like invisible shackles, firmly binding him.
Seeing this, Scorpion let out a shrill, piercing laugh. "Hahahahaha! Xiao Han, no matter how clever your schemes, you never expected this little thing to turn against you, did you?"
He deliberately drew out his words, filled with the mockery of a cat playing with a mouse. "Tsk tsk, raising a tiger to cause trouble, no, you raised a little ungrateful wolf! What truly touching camaraderie!"
He savored the complex expression of surprise, pain, and anger that flickered across Xiao Han's face, then waved his hand triumphantly. "Take him down! Dead or alive, just leave him with a breath! Don't hurt my 'guest'!"
The surrounding people, like hungry wolves smelling blood, howled and pounced.
"Roar!" Xiao Han suddenly threw his head back and let out an unwilling roar of fury. In his agonizing mind, his ability violently surged within his body.
He tried to forcibly break free from the mental restraint, and indeed, a faint vortex of air once again swirled around him, stirring up the dust on the ground.
"Pfft—"
Xiao Lei, standing beside him, suddenly hunched over, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood that splattered onto the cold ground, a shocking sight.
His small face instantly turned ashen, and his body swayed, almost collapsing, but his deep purple eyes grew even more profound, grimly maintaining his mental suppression over Xiao Han, his teeth clenched.
Xiao Han's body trembled, and the power he had just gathered dissipated again.
How could Xiao Lei's mental power completely control him?
In that instant of delay, several black-clad figures had already lunged forward. Xiao Han's head throbbed, his vision blurred in waves, and unable to mobilize his ability, he couldn't even exert three-tenths of his full strength.
He managed to parry the attacks of two people but was quickly swarmed by more. Cold gun muzzles were pressed hard against his temples, and brutal force pinned him to the ground, his cheek scraping against the rough gravel, burning with pain.
"Damn it, I'll fight you bastards!" Li Xinhu's eyes were bloodshot. He swung his heavy broadsword, forcing back the enemies in front of him, trying to rush towards Xiao Han.
Li Kui, meanwhile, constantly looked for weaknesses in the enemy.
The two stood back to back, roaring repeatedly, resisting with all their might. However, Scorpion had brought too many people. They surged forward like a tide, wave after wave, fearless of death, draining their stamina.
"Bang!" Li Xinhu couldn't block in time and took a heavy blow to his back. His throat sweetened, and he nearly knelt, his vision blurring.
"Bang! Bang!"
Several more heavy blows landed. Li Xinhu and Li Kui felt their vision go black. Their weapons could no longer be held and flew from their hands. They were instantly pinned to the ground by several people, cold blades pressed tightly against their necks, bringing bone-chilling coldness and despair.
Only then did Scorpion slowly stroll to Xiao Han's front, bending down with a fake smile, looking down at his disheveled state, his face showing undisguised triumph and cruelty.
"Xiao Han, oh Xiao Han, you have your day too!" He extended his foot and used the tip of his shoe to lightly tap Xiao Han's cheek. "No longer so glorious, are we? Hmm? Weren't you very good at fighting just now?"
Xiao Han spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, hitting Scorpion's pant leg squarely. "Pah! Scorpion, if you've got guts, let me go, and let's fight one-on-one! What kind of skill is it to use underhanded tricks from behind!"
"One-on-one?" Scorpion scoffed as if he had heard the biggest joke, then disgustedly wiped his pant leg with a handkerchief. "Do you, now, qualify?"