In an instant, a solemn expression appeared on Li Chonglou's face.
In recent years, society had become safer day by day, making it difficult for organized crime to thrive. Guns were strictly controlled contraband.
Only a handful of desperate outlaws would disregard the law.
He had initially assumed this person was a common assassin, only to discover he was carrying a gun.
Before he could even draw the firearm from its holster, Li Chonglou flicked his wrist. A screwdriver flew out, transforming into a streak of white light.
*Thwack!*
With a tearing sound, the screwdriver plunged into the assassin's left shoulder blade.
It went in up to the handle.
"Ahhhh—" the man screamed.
His attempt to draw his weapon was instantly interrupted.
Li Chonglou knew he was being tracked, so how could he not prepare? The moment he got out of the car, he had already gripped the screwdriver in his hand.
It was initially intended as a close-quarters weapon.
However, since the assassin had a gun, he had no choice but to throw it like he used to throw darts in his childhood.
He had to try something, anything. He had aimed for the right hand but hit the left shoulder instead.
He was surprised by the effectiveness. Supported by strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, even with less than perfect aim, the damage was considerable.
He wouldn't give the man any chance to recover.
With a step, he lunged forward, kicking the man in the chest mid-air and sending him crashing to the ground.
He bent down, retrieved the gun from the man's holster, and casually tossed it into the nearby river.
He then coldly asked, "Who sent you?"
"I will never betray my friends!" the man gritted his teeth, struggling to move. His forehead veins bulged, and his eyes burned with extreme venom.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, Li Chonglou's other foot stomped down hard on his right hand.
*Crack!*
A chilling bone-cracking sound echoed.
The man's entire right hand was instantly deformed.
The searing pain made him howl like a wolf, nearly causing him to lose consciousness.
"You have two hands, two feet, and… a male appendage, for a total of five chances," Li Chonglou stated, his expression unchanged. The calmness in his eyes sent a shiver of fear through the man.
Before the man could react, Li Chonglou's voice continued, "I don't know if being tough can feed you."
"But I do know that for people like you, if your limbs are crippled, you won't even be able to be a man. That would be a fate worse than death."
"Do you think I wouldn't dare, or do you believe I'm merciful?"
These bone-chilling words finally pulled the man back from the brink of losing consciousness amidst the excruciating pain.
He knew clearly that Li Chonglou was by no means a merciful person.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to crush his hand.
Since the first step had been taken, the rest would naturally follow.
If he refused again, even if he didn't die today, he would undoubtedly be rendered useless.
This deal was far too disadvantageous!
"Who sent you?" Li Chonglou repeated the question.
The next second, he received the answer: "Xu Tianhou. He promised me ten million!"
"Xu Tianhou? He's bankrupt. Where would he get ten million for you?" Li Chonglou was initially surprised, then chuckled and moved his foot away. "You've been tricked. The current Xu Tianhou probably can't even scrounge up a thousand yuan."
"He's counting on you not knowing about his bankruptcy to use you for free."
Xu Tianhou's name coming from the man's mouth did catch Li Chonglou slightly off guard.
Since Xu Tianhou was trying to have him killed, it meant he already knew he had been deceived and was penniless.
It seemed that even a sinking ship still had three pounds of nails. He had forgotten about Xu Tianhou's social connections. Despite being bankrupt, he could still be utilized in the short term.
Li Chonglou hadn't wanted to push things too far.
Although he had made Xu Tianhou bankrupt, he had at least spared his life.
But unexpectedly, Xu Tianhou's wicked intentions hadn't died.
Since that was the case, he would send him on his way!
"That's impossible, he's a big boss!" The man's contorted face instantly showed confusion as he shook his head in pain.
"The 'big boss' you speak of went bankrupt a few days ago and bought a fake ancient tomb from someone else, hoping to get rich by reselling those fakes," Li Chonglou calmly stated the facts. "He believes that tomb was set up by me, so he tricked you into killing me."
"You can choose not to believe me. That is your freedom."
"However, the dashcam in my car recorded everything that just happened."
"You have two choices. One is to be arrested. I believe the crimes you've committed are enough for you to die in prison."
Li Chonglou paused deliberately.
"And the other?" The man struggled to sit up, his body drenched in sweat, using his left hand to support his right wrist.
It was evident he still had some backbone; most people would have been sobbing uncontrollably by now.
"I can pretend that nothing happened today and even give you some medical expenses," Li Chonglou smiled. "However, as long as Xu Tianhou isn't dealt with, you'll always risk going to jail."
"Understood!" As soon as he finished speaking, the man responded with hatred, "You don't need to compensate me for this hand."
"The one who tricked me must die!"
People in the underworld weren't fools. He understood Li Chonglou's words clearly.
What Li Chonglou was essentially asking him to do was to betray and kill Xu Tianhou.
But he had no choice!
He had taken more than one life, and if caught, it would be a death sentence.
Conversely, killing Xu Tianhou would allow him to escape.
As for whether Xu Tianhou was truly bankrupt, it was easy to test.
"Then we'll go our separate ways." Li Chonglou said noncommittally and turned back to his car, driving away.
Watching the Hongqi car recede, the man's eyes were filled with apprehension and regret.
That bastard Xu Tianhou had made him cross paths with someone like Li Chonglou. Setting aside his extraordinary combat skills,
Just the implications in those few words were enough to ruin him.
This was clearly pushing him into a fire pit, trying to destroy him completely.
Looking at his fractured right hand, a dense, venomous glint appeared in the man's eyes. He roared, "Xu Tianhou, I'll see you dead!"
Li Chonglou, already far away, was not worried at all.
Aside from those who engaged in petty theft and disregarded rules, like those from the Hengmen sect, he had heard from his senior sister in his past life that truly reputable killers in the underworld were quite honorable.
It was extremely rare for them to accept money and then go to a hospital to kill a middle-aged woman.
If they did such a thing, they would no longer be able to establish themselves in the martial world.
Another reason was the prevalence of surveillance cameras everywhere. Committing murder in a hospital would make it difficult to escape.
This was also why his mother had not been harassed at the hospital since the last incident.
Since his mother was safe, what else was there to fear?
Once Xu Tianhou was completely dealt with, he could accompany his senior sister on her travels with peace of mind, effectively resolving a major concern.
However, this assassin had also sparked a new question in Li Chonglou's mind.
He had caused such significant losses for the boss of Xu Lie's underground fighting ring, so why hadn't that person come to seek revenge?
In fact, Li Chonglou had secretly prepared to deal with that individual, but he had been waiting for a long time without any sign of him, which was quite unexpected.
Meanwhile.
In the office of the underground fighting ring.
Li Duo’er sat with her legs crossed, her posture distinctly imperious.
Her fair, snow-like toes wiggled gently.
Looking at the information presented before her, a playful smile spread across her face.
The bald boss stood beside her, his posture erect and his expression one of reverence.
"This Chonglou Ge is too interesting. He actually created a tomb and drove that Xu guy to bankruptcy," Li Duo’er said with a childlike smile after reading the documents. "Lu Weishen chose to oppose him. This drama is really worth watching."