Li Chonglou had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
There was no need for any words to convey the understanding between the two.
A single glance was enough.
His body instantly lowered, and he lay flat on the ground, dragging Yangla behind him down as well.
Zhao Nianbin finally reacted, his face drastically changing as he tried to turn and shoot, but it was too late.
*Crack!*
Xu Lie's speed was incredibly exaggerated, let alone the accumulated rage. He moved like a rocket, a side-kick directly hitting Zhao Nianbin's waist.
The immense force instantly contorted his entire body into a bizarre curve.
The sound of bone cracking exploded throughout the scene.
He was sent flying seven or eight meters away, crashing heavily onto the ground.
There was no need to look closely; his lumbar spine was undoubtedly broken.
Deprived of nerve control, he couldn't even fire his gun.
It was only now that his subordinates finally woke up, raising their guns to shoot at Xu Lie.
Unfortunately, their reaction was far inferior to Xu Lie's.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Lie had used the rebound from his side-kick to charge at one of the subordinates.
A hand chop to the neck cleanly knocked him unconscious.
Then, he smoothly snatched the subordinate's pistol and threw it like a dart, hitting another one.
His body, like a swallow returning to its nest, plunged directly beneath the third armed subordinate. He flipped over,挟住了他的手臂一拧, and twisted his arm.
*Crack…*
Another bone-cracking sound that made one's teeth ache rang out, accompanied by a scream.
The pistol was still fired.
*Bang!* The sound startled the surrounding people into instinctive screams.
But no one noticed that the bullet had precisely hit the chest of the last armed man.
It happened in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, including Zhao Nianbin, all five armed assailants were down.
Apart from Li Chonglou, no one could see Xu Lie's movements clearly. They only felt a blur, and these people had fallen.
The remaining subordinates’ eyes bulged, their faces filled with terror.
Their bodies trembled like sieves. Looking at the mess on the ground, it was a testament to their courage that they hadn't immediately collapsed.
Xu Lie stomped on the gun that had fallen to the ground, deforming it.
With four more stomps, the threat was completely eliminated.
Then, without looking at the thugs who were terrified out of their wits, he reached out to help Li Chonglou up and walked directly to the dying Zhao Nianbin.
He kicked him with his toe, flipping him over.
Zhao Nianbin's face was already twisted like a knot, his eyes filled with terror, his face ashen.
His lumbar spine was completely broken, and his lower body was numb. It didn't hurt, but he had lost the ability to move on his own.
One moment he was a powerful underground figure who ruled the ghost market.
Now he was a cripple unable to care for himself.
Such a reversal was truly spectacular.
"Here," Xu Lie pulled the blanket from his hand and threw it to Li Chonglou.
Then he said coldly, "Remember this in your next life: don't get greedy after you've gotten what you want."
"Otherwise, the consequences will be dire."
"What are you waiting for? Call the police, your boss is crippled." Li Chonglou refolded the blanket, picked up his bag, and reminded Zhao Nianbin's stunned subordinates.
After speaking, he beckoned to Xu Lie and, under everyone's gaze, walked away grandly.
Yangla immediately followed.
The man with the surname 'E' hurried to catch up, his eyes filled with shock.
He muttered to himself, "Perhaps... he can really get the Qingyan Shi..."
Meanwhile, Zhao Nianbin, who was half-paralyzed, watched the backs of the four as they left, his eyes filled with a palpable hatred.
He wished he could devour their flesh and roared, "Bastards, I'll make you wish you were dead!"
However, such threats were no longer taken seriously by Li Chonglou and Xu Lie.
They left the ghost market, and no one dared to stop them.
It wasn't until they had left that the man with the surname 'E' cautiously said, "My name is Ejim, you... you just killed people and left. The police will arrest you."
"Do you know about self-defense? There were so many witnesses. Besides, even if they arrest someone, it won't be you. Why are you worrying?" Li Chonglou didn't have time to explain; Fan Lei would help him sort out today's mess.
His mind fixed on the Qingyan Shi, he said, "You've taken the money, now lead the way!"
"If you don't get the Qingyan Shi, I'll make you spit out that five million."
Dealing with someone like Ejim, being polite would only make him treat you like a sheep to be fleeced.
You had to be stern.
"Alright, I'll take you, but whatever happens, it has nothing to do with me..." Ejim showed fear upon hearing this and nodded in agreement.
"Stop talking nonsense." Xu Lie glared at him.
This old fellow was a slowpoke and quite cunning.
Ejim dared not speak further, hailed a taxi, and said, "To Baohua Jingting..."
"Wow, that's the most luxurious rich district," the driver quipped.
Unfortunately, no one responded, so he chuckled awkwardly and fell silent.
Around eight o'clock, the car stopped in front of a domed building.
Next to the building was a villa area with exotic architecture.
Ejim spoke a few words in his dialect to the security guard and then led the three into the villa area.
Arriving at the gate of Building No. 8, he pointed to the door and said, "This is where our richest man in the West Sea, Su Yinchuan, lives. He has the Qingyan Shi."
"You can find him yourself, but don't tell him I said so, or I won't be able to make a living in the West Sea anymore..."
"I'll take Yangla..."
Before he could finish, Xu Lie grabbed him by the neck, cutting off his words.
"Is five million that easy to earn? What if you're tricking us?" Xu Lie had been displeased with this old man for a while and didn't tolerate him.
Ignoring his struggles, he carried him to the door with one hand.
He knocked a few times.
Soon, the surveillance screen on the door lit up, and a voice asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"We're here to see the richest man in the West Sea, Su Yinchuan." Li Chonglou stepped forward and spoke to the camera.
"I don't know you, and there's no need to meet. Please leave." Su Yinchuan's attitude was indifferent; he refused on the spot.
"We've come to find Qingyan Shi to save someone. Please give us a chance to talk, no matter what." Li Chonglou's attitude was humble.
His master's life was at stake, and he had to beg for help, so his attitude had to be good.
He also didn't know Su Yinchuan's temperament. If he displeased him, it would be a huge problem if there was no follow-up.
This was a society governed by law, and he couldn't just break in and steal.
"Who told you I have Qingyan Shi?" Su Yinchuan was clearly stunned for a moment.
Xu Lie pushed Ejim under the camera: "This old fellow."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then the gate unlocked with a *click*, and the screen dimmed.
Li Chonglou gestured for Xu Lie to release Ejim and led the way inside.
The heating inside the villa was very strong, immediately making everyone feel a bit hot.
The entire villa was decorated in a very retro style, with furniture made of precious rosewood, blending Eastern and Western styles and aesthetics.
Under countless glass domes, exquisite ornaments and antiques were displayed.
It was clear that this richest man, Su Yinchuan, had good taste.
Of course, judging by his name, he was unlikely to be a hermit.
*Tap, tap, tap…*
As everyone was looking around, the sound of slippers echoed from the solid wood staircase.
A middle-aged man, dressed in a silk Tang-style robe, descended with a wine glass in his hand.
He sized up Li Chonglou and Xu Lie.
His face was expressionless, but his small eyes sparkled with sharpness.
He came down the stairs and said coldly, "Ejim, I remember warning you not to appear before me again."
"Otherwise, I'll make you regret it. Did you take my words lightly?"
This remark, though not loud, was filled with immense authority.
Ejim trembled, his hands and feet felt weak, and he almost fell.
He quickly begged for mercy, "Mr. Su, they insisted on bringing me here. I'll leave now... I'll leave immediately..."
He looked like a mouse seeing a cat.
This made Li Chonglou curious as to why someone like Ejim would have any dealings with Su Yinchuan.
Moreover, it seemed he had offended Su Yinchuan for some reason.
No wonder he had been hostile earlier and was reluctant to enter at the door.
"Stop right there. You've brought trouble to my home and now you want to leave just like that? What do you think this place is? Kneel!" Su Yinchuan's voice turned cold.
*Thump.*
Ejim immediately knelt on the floor, lowering his head and not daring to look up.
Yangla's expression changed, and she looked somewhat scared.
Li Chonglou, however, remained calm.
He could see that this richest man was trying to put on a show of power.
He was using Ejim to establish his authority, making him and Xu Lie afraid to act rashly. This was a good tactic of killing the chicken to warn the monkey.
Unfortunately, even if Ejim was the chicken, they were not the monkeys.
"Mr. Su, I've stated my purpose. I want Qingyan Shi. Name your price." Li Chonglou got straight to the point, without any hesitation.
If it were usual, he might have taken the time to probe Su Yinchuan's background and try to negotiate.
But now time was of the essence, and lives were at stake.
He didn't have the patience.
"There's no price to name. Qingyan Shi was something I obtained at great cost. It's a life-saving item, and I have no intention of selling it to others." Su Yinchuan put down his wine glass and refused outright.
"Life-saving? I'm afraid it's life-taking."
Li Chonglou did not show disappointment. Instead, he sneered, "This thing saves lives for seriously ill people, but you must know its side effects, right?"
"A thing that exchanges life for life. Could it be that Mr. Su is terminally ill?"
These words were extremely impolite, causing Su Yinchuan's expression to change slightly, and a hint of displeasure rose in his eyes.
However, he did not flare up and coldly snorted, "It's not your place to manage how I use it."
"Alright, even if I were willing to transfer it, what would you offer in exchange?"
"Although the West Sea produces Qingyan Shi, I am the only one in the entire West Sea City who has this one. Its value is self-evident."
He was not as firm as he sounded. After all, Qingyan Shi was a double-edged sword.
It drained one's life, overstimulating potential.
Used well, it was a divine item that saved lives; used poorly, it was a death omen.
He had worked hard to obtain it in the past to save his daughter, but fate was unpredictable. It was too late.
And this delay was precisely because of the greedy scoundrel Ejim.
Therefore, his hatred for Ejim was immense.
Li Chonglou, though unaware of the inside story, could see that Su Yinchuan was not genuinely unwilling to transfer it, otherwise, he wouldn't have opened the door for them.
Since there were conditions to discuss, it would be manageable.
*Snap!*
Li Chonglou directly took out the Soil Gu Hun Gold Silk Snow Silkworm Blanket he had obtained from Ejim: "This blanket can trade for all the treasures in your living room. It's an item of the Tugu Hun royal family, priceless. Is it worth exchanging for your Qingyan Shi?"
Upon hearing this, Ejim's eyes widened.
He looked incredulous.
He had known the blanket was extraordinary at the ghost market, but he thought five million should be enough.
Who knew Li Chonglou would say it was priceless in front of him and wanted to trade it for Qingyan Shi?
This...
Hadn't he just struck it rich?
In an instant, Ejim's intestines turned green with regret. If he weren't afraid of Su Yinchuan, he probably would have jumped up to snatch it.
Su Yinchuan's gaze involuntarily fell on the blanket. After looking at it intently for a moment.
His eyes revealed undisguised shock.