Ye Feng stepped forward instantly as Shen Yun Yao's voice faded, rushing forward and slamming his shoulder into the chest of the dark-scaled muscular man.
"Bang!"
"Crackling~ Crackling~"
A dull thudding sound mixed with the crisp crackling of breaking bones echoed.
The dark-scaled muscular man's chest caved in violently. A wave of force erupted from his back, tearing his t-shirt apart and delivering an immensely powerful impact.
"Pfft!~"
Almost simultaneously, the dark-scaled muscular man spat out a mouthful of blood mist, dyeing the air before him a large patch of red.
"You..."
Watching Ye Feng, who had retreated several meters, the dark-scaled muscular man only managed to utter one word before his body went limp, collapsing to the ground without a sound.
"Ye Feng, you... you didn't use Arcane Energy just now... you defeated a Silver-level Pangolin with just physical strength?!" Shen Yun Yao stared at Ye Feng in disbelief.
"Uh... I exercise regularly, and my body is still quite sturdy!" Ye Feng smiled, offering no further explanation. After all, he barely understood his own cultivation and it wasn't wise to reveal too much to Shen Yun Yao, whom he hadn't known for long.
"Hmph, I knew those 500 Arcane Yuan Coins weren't easy to get!" At this moment, Leopard Zheng, shirtless and wearing a leopard-print miniskirt, spoke up.
Before he could finish, Leopard Zheng had already lunged at Ye Feng. His right hand had grown into sharp claws, like a Nepalese combat knife, slashing directly at Ye Feng's carotid artery.
Seeing this, Ye Feng narrowed his eyes. Just as Leopard Zheng's sharp claws were about to reach his neck, he suddenly extended his left hand, instantly grabbing Leopard Zheng's right wrist and twisting it sharply.
"Crack!~"
A clear bone-snapping sound immediately rang out.
"Ah!~"
Leopard Zheng's shrill scream was abruptly cut short as Ye Feng punched him in the chest.
"Bang!~ Crack!~"
"Pfft!~"
Amidst the dull impact and the crisp crackling of breaking bones, Leopard Zheng spewed blood and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the ground. He struggled a few times before becoming still.
"Huh? What's going on?" Ye Feng was a bit surprised and quickly moved forward to check. He had only intended to beat Leopard Zheng half to death and hadn't meant to kill him. This Leopard Zheng seemed to be the more intelligent of the two assassins, and Ye Feng had hoped to extract some information from him.
"Damn it..." After a thorough examination, Ye Feng was speechless. Although his punch had deliberately avoided Leopard Zheng's vital organs and hadn't directly burst his heart, the broken ribs had pierced his heart, killing him instantly.
"Were these two really Silver-level assassins?" Ye Feng searched the dark-scaled muscular man and Leopard Zheng before standing up and looking at Shen Yun Yao.
"Uh..." Shen Yun Yao blinked, then came back to her senses, "If I remember correctly, these two are infamous mercenaries, 'Pangolin' and 'Leopard Zheng'!"
"One of them is surnamed Jia, and the other Zheng. Their real names are unknown," Shen Yun Yao continued, "Pangolin is someone who injected himself with armor-piercing serum, possessing immense strength. His dark scales are as tough as bulletproof vests, and he's skilled at digging tunnels."
"And Leopard Zheng injected himself with cheetah serum, known for his speed. The claws that grow from his hands can leave marks on steel!"
"These two would do anything for money. As long as the price is high enough, they would even attack people from major factions!"
"Furthermore, after eliminating their targets, they would flee far away and never linger in any one place!"
"Because of this, many major factions, though wanting to tear them limb from limb, were helpless against them... After all, the world is vast, and transportation and information are very inconvenient..." Shen Yun Yao clearly knew a lot about Pangolin and Leopard Zheng, explaining rapidly to Ye Feng.
"I didn't expect them to come to Mecha City this time and target you!" Shen Yun Yao paused, then added, "Ye Feng, have you offended someone? Pangolin and Leopard Zheng are genuine Silver-level mercenaries, their fees are very high, and it's generally difficult for ordinary people to contact them!"
"Uh..." Ye Feng scratched his head, looking troubled. Strictly speaking, he had offended quite a few people. However, he was constantly on the move, so even if someone hired assassins to kill him, it would be hard to find his location. It was most likely during his recent stay in Mecha City.
Ye Feng's mind quickly flashed through several names, finally settling on Wang Ba Tian. His expression immediately turned serious! From the moment he met Wang Ba Tian to encountering the assassination, only a few hours had passed, yet the man had managed to arrange Silver-level assassins in such a short time.
"I can't think of anyone suspicious. Could these two assassins be after you?" Ye Feng asked, "After all, you are from the Shen family in Mecha City!"
Ye Feng shook his head. "Do they look like they were after you just now?!" Shen Yun Yao retorted. Ye Feng was left speechless.
"Clang~ Clang~" At this moment, a noise came from the off-road vehicle not far away. The bruised and terrified driver climbed out. Shen Yun Yao quickly went over and exchanged a few words with him. The driver then scurried away, his face still showing lingering fear but unable to hide his joy.
Afterward, Shen Yun Yao used another Mirrored Arcane Yuan Coin to call for a car to take Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao to Mech Star. Besides inquiring about Li Gou Dan, she also had a task from the Secret Armor Academy: to send Ye Feng back as a senior student.
...
Half an hour later, Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao returned to the Mech Star Hotel to rest. Shen Yun Yao departed quickly by car. Although Ye Feng didn't change hotels, he did opt for a room facing the garden. This location was closest to the formation's secret passage, offered a clear view with no obstacles, and made observing the surroundings easy.
...
While Ye Feng was fast asleep, in Mecha City, within the Wang family's villa complex.
"Master, there was an accident. The mission failed!" A middle-aged man wearing a black feathered cloak, with a dark face and only a yellow mouth, spoke to Wang Ba Tian.
"Even two Silver-level individuals like Pangolin and Leopard Zheng couldn't handle that brat Ye Feng?" Wang Ba Tian asked, feigning surprise but showing no concern. "His Arcane Energy fluctuations are only at the Steel level!"
"Yes... Pangolin and Leopard Zheng did not arrive at the agreed time, so I..." the black-feathered, yellow-mouthed man quickly explained.
"Master, do you need me to step in? That brat is currently at the Mech Star Hotel!" the middle-aged man added at the end.
"No need!" Wang Ba Tian waved his hand lightly. "The Arcane Yuan Coins paid to Pangolin and Leopard Zheng earlier were routed through the Shen family, and they had the Shen family's emblem on them, correct?"
"Yes!" The black-feathered, yellow-mouthed man nodded.
"Good!" A cold smile flashed across Wang Ba Tian's lips.
...