Chi Xian's movements were swift. As she burst into the room, she saw the scene before her—
A woman clad in black combat attire had Kelsen by the throat.
The gun in Kelsen's hand was aimed at the woman's head.
The atmosphere was tense and frozen, on the verge of explosion.
Chi Xian's heart constricted abruptly, as if her breath had caught in her throat.
The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, the noise tremendous.
Kelsen shot a sideways glance, his azure eyes darkening. "The Chi... Patriarch!"
Kelsen recognized the patriarch of this reclusive Chinese family.
When he had successfully invited the Chi family patriarch, Kelsen had been smug, believing that if he could bring the Chi family patriarch into his fold, his underground forces would inevitably expand into global power.
China would surely become a prize for his underground empire!
He hadn't expected...
That the Chi family patriarch's arrival also had ulterior motives!
And...
The way the Chi family patriarch looked at the woman before him...
Was far from ordinary!
He definitely knew her!
Were they allies?
Kelsen tightened his grip on the gun, his finger pressing down on the trigger.
"Don't come any closer," he said, his voice cold and his gaze malevolent. "Everyone stay still, or... if anyone dies, we all die together!"
Chi Xian's dark eyes churned with deep, intense darkness.
Her clenched fists were so tight that veins bulged.
"Are you threatening me?" Ming Zheng, still holding him by the throat, gave a slight shake. Facing the dark muzzle of the gun, she didn't even bat an eyelid. "Do you really think a gun can threaten me?"
She leaned forward slightly, closing the distance to Kelsen's gun. Her expression was unruffled, even carrying a hint of provocation as she raised her meticulously drawn eyebrows. "Come on, shoot. Let's verify your curiosity."
Curiosity?
Kelsen instantly understood. She was referring to whether his gun would be faster, or her spiritual energy.
Verify?
Kelsen's face flushed with a mix of green and white, the blood seeping from his tightly clenched lips. He had studied psychology, believing he could control hearts and manipulate everything. Yet, on this woman's face, he saw no hint of fear. As she deliberately moved closer to his gun, her eyes were exceptionally calm, even carrying a trace of mocking amusement. It was as if she were toying with him, making a fool of him. This calm, unyielding arrogance was not a pretense of composure, but a wild, disdainful aura emanating from her very bones.
She truly wasn't afraid of him.
Kelsen's hand, gripping the gun, began to tremble lightly, his fingertip on the trigger, poised as if ready to pull it at any moment.
Ming Zheng's fiery red lips curved into a smile, growing even more captivating and bright. "What's wrong, Mr. Kelsen? Weren't you just confidently wanting to test who was faster, you or me? Why... why are you hesitating?"
The last six words were delivered with a slight uplift in Ming Zheng's tone, her playful mockery now completely unveiled.
Kelsen's azure eyes darted wildly. He wanted to conceal the panic in his heart, but he couldn't suppress the instinctive reactions of his body. In this fleeting moment of panic and shock, a cold gust of wind brushed past his cheek.
Kelsen felt as if his body were being disassembled and reassembled, a tearing pain surging through him. The gun slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor. The next second, he was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the wall.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Several figures blurred past. Then, several individuals clad in ancient martial arts attire had Kelsen subdued.
This sudden turn of events wasn't just a surprise to Kelsen; even Ming Zheng hadn't processed what had happened. Her hand had been around Kelsen's neck, teasing him, stirring the darkest depths of his heart. Then, Kelsen in front of her flew away. And then, her slender waist was tightly embraced, her head bumping into a broad, solid chest.
The scent of clear sandalwood enveloped her.
Ming Zheng: "?"
What was going on? What was this troublemaker up to now?
Ming Zheng's eyes widened as she watched Kelsen subdued by the martial artists, unable to move. She saw the surrounding congenital powerhouses helping Mr. Bobby up, then looking at her and the person clinging to her with vigilant expressions.
Ming Zheng's hands were bound. She struggled slightly, and the grip on her waist tightened.
Ming Zheng: "...Let go!"
Not only did the troublemaker not let go, but he proceeded to pick her up horizontally, cradling her in his arms. Ming Zheng's feet left the ground. Losing her balance, she instinctively reached out and hooked her arms around the man's neck. His face, capable of enchanting her heart, came into even closer view.
Ming Zheng: "..."
She couldn't bring herself to hit him. If she damaged that face, she would be the one heartbroken. But this behavior... could it be considered sexual harassment?
Ming Zheng freed one hand and touched her face. Apart from her makeup being smudged when she'd bumped into Chi Xian's embrace, her face was still there. It was still her disguised face. Could it be... the troublemaker liked women of this type? Did he have such a fetish? No wonder he had held onto her so tightly on the deck earlier!
Seeing her movements, Chi Xian understood what she was thinking. His obsidian eyes darkened slightly. With a sudden lift of his leg, his long strides carried him toward the door. As they passed the congenital powerhouses, they instinctively moved aside to let him pass, supporting Bobby, and their gazes towards Ming Zheng were filled with dread.
It was no joke. Bobby was their deputy hall master! Bobby, in that woman's hands, hadn't even had a chance to retaliate, let alone them! Moreover... that man was the Chi family patriarch. Even though they were members of the Star Hall, they dared not confront the Chi family directly!
Therefore, after Chi Xian, carrying Ming Zheng, stepped out the door, they weakly shouted, "If you dare harm our Star Hall's deputy hall master, the Star Hall will absolutely not let you go!"
After speaking, they "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" turned into afterimages, taking Bobby with them, and leaped into the water, disappearing.
These congenital powerhouses and Bobby, the so-called Star Hall, were likely the bodyguards Kelsen had hired with a large sum of money. That was why he dared to appear on the cruise ship so brazenly. Ming Zheng's target was the underground forces. By apprehending Kelsen, she could uncover the vast power behind him. Thus, Ming Zheng didn't bother pursuing the Star Hall's congenital powerhouses when they left.
Chi Xian didn't pursue them either. He carried her directly to the adjacent room. The door closed heavily. The room was dim, but the air was faintly mixed with a strange, sweet scent. Ming Zheng found the smell slightly unbearable and frowned, using both hands to grip his neck. "What exactly are you trying to do! Kidnapping a civilian?"
Of course, she wasn't applying any real force, just loosely grasping his neck. Beneath her palm, the man's prominent Adam's apple bobbed. Pressing against her palm, it brought a strange tickle, as if it tickled from her palm... all the way to her heart.