As the voice sounded, more than a dozen burly men wielding cleavers, with fierce and menacing expressions, leaped out from the dense forest.
Liu Ruyan also understood, her face turning pale as she exclaimed, "Brother Xiao, what do we do? It seems we've been set up and fallen into an ambush!"
"Don't worry, with me here, they won't be able to harm a single hair on your head!"
Xiao Yunlong gently patted her head, "Stay in the car and remember to pull down the curtains!"
With that, he pushed open the door and stepped out. Thirteen strong and imposing men instantly surrounded him.
Xiao Yunlong glanced at these people indifferently and lost interest. He had initially thought that some supreme powers from the capital had sent their top experts to confront him, but he soon realized he was overthinking.
The caliber of these individuals was low. Only the one-eyed leader was a Grandmaster of Inner Strength. The rest weren't even at the Outer Strength level, likely possessing only rudimentary skills, utterly insignificant.
The one-eyed leader gripped his cleaver, baring his yellow teeth, and said, "So it's just a kid who hasn't even grown all his hair. Get that pretty young lady inside to come down!"
Xiao Yunlong coldly questioned, "Speak, who sent you?"
"Who sent us? What nonsense are you spouting, can't you see what we're here for?"
The one-eyed leader sneered and gestured to a subordinate beside him, "You tell him what we're here for!"
That subordinate immediately grunted, "Listen up, kid, we're here to rob you!"
"Robbery? What era is this? Can you be more civilized, kid? We're just collecting tolls!"
The one-eyed leader gave the subordinate a rap on the head, then glared at Xiao Yunlong and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Tell that pretty lady in the car to come down, and prepare a hundred million!"
"A hundred million in tolls? You might as well just rob us!"
Xiao Yunlong grinned mockingly. He could tell that the toll was just a pretense; their real objective was likely to take his life.
The subordinate who had received the rap on the head immediately blurted out, "Kid, can't you tell? We're just robbing you..."
But he stopped himself mid-sentence, realizing his mistake, and quickly shut his mouth, covering his head.
The one-eyed leader glanced at Liu Ruyan inside through the windshield and chuckled, "Kid, it's alright if you don't have a hundred million. Just hand over that pretty lady in the car and let us have our fun. Maybe if we're happy, we won't need the toll!"
Xiao Yunlong's expression slowly darkened, and he coldly snorted, "I don't think you're after any tolls, but rather our heads, aren't you?"
The one-eyed leader chuckled, "This kid, he's not that stupid. We originally planned to toy with you a bit, but since you've seen through it, there's no need for pleasantries. Brothers, see that pretty lady in the car? Whoever takes this kid down first gets to have her!"
At these words, the more than a dozen thugs present had their eyes gleam with greed, their weapons tightening in their grips.
"A bunch of fools who court death. I was going to spare your lives if you told me who sent you. Now, all of you die!"
Xiao Yunlong's killing intent flared. He stomped his foot and instantly shot forward like thunder.
"Brothers, charge! Take him down!" the one-eyed leader roared.
The dozen thugs swarmed forward, but at that moment, Xiao Yunlong's body vanished before their eyes.
Of course, Xiao Yunlong didn't disappear into thin air for no reason.
The reason these dozen thugs couldn't see him was that Xiao Yunlong's speed was too great, exceeding the limits of their visual perception.
Bang bang bang!
A series of thudding sounds echoed as one thug after another was sent flying. They lay on the ground, all dead.
In less than ten seconds, the dozen thugs were eliminated. The leader, the one-eyed man, was so terrified he went numb. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and his left eye showed a look of profound horror.
With a flash, Xiao Yunlong appeared before him.
"Are... are you human or ghost?" The one-eyed leader was so scared he collapsed onto the ground, his pants even becoming soiled.
Xiao Yunlong looked down at him from above, "Speak, who ordered you to ambush and murder us?"
"No... no one, really no one ordered us. We... we were just robbing the road..."
Before the one-eyed leader could finish, Xiao Yunlong kicked and broke his right leg.
"You don't have to speak, but if you don't, I'll skin you alive, then cover your entire body with honey. I'm sure there are plenty of bees and ants in this area. I guarantee you'll be in so much pain, you'll wish you were dead," Xiao Yunlong sneered.
"I'll... I'll talk, but I have a condition. If I tell you, you have to let me go!" the one-eyed leader said in terror.
"Do you think you have the right to negotiate with me?" Xiao Yunlong reached out his right hand and grabbed a steel knife from the ground.
Faced with such a display, the one-eyed leader dared not speak any further. He quickly said, "I'll tell you, it was Liu Jianmin, he ordered me to do this!"
"Liu Jianmin, which Liu Jianmin?" Xiao Yunlong demanded.
"Naturally, the one from the Liu family in Sucheng, the second uncle of that pretty lady in the car. Who else would want your lives? Three days ago, he suddenly contacted me, gave me three million, and instructed me to wait here today. He promised another three million after the job was done!"
The one-eyed leader finished in one breath, then pleaded, "I've told you everything now, can you..."
But before he could finish, the gleaming white light of the steel knife flashed, slicing across his neck. The one-eyed leader's remaining eye widened, and he slowly slumped to the ground.
Xiao Yunlong turned and left, not bothering to look back.
Getting into the car, Liu Ruyan asked, "Brother Xiao, was it really my second uncle who hired them?"
Xiao Yunlong didn't answer, instead asking, "Did you hear everything?"
Liu Ruyan also didn't answer, merely asking, "Brother Xiao, what are you planning to do next? Are you going to deal with my second uncle and them..."
Liu Ruyan couldn't finish her sentence. Her heart felt terrible and chaotic.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Let's go pay respects to your parents first. We'll discuss it after we get back!"
Xiao Yunlong said, starting the car, turning it around, and heading straight down the mountain.
All the way, Liu Ruyan remained silent, clearly not knowing what to say. She suddenly thought of her parents, wondering if her second uncle and his family were truly responsible for their deaths.
About an hour later, the car finally drove out of the winding mountain path and reached the foot of the mountain, arriving at a three-way intersection.
At this point, Liu Ruyan said, "I remember this place. The dirt road to the left leads to the public cemetery."
Xiao Yunlong nodded, turned the steering wheel, and headed left.
They arrived at the public cemetery in the afternoon. After paying their respects, they drove down the mountain. By the time they returned to the Liu family manor, the sun was setting, painting half the sky a blood-red hue, creating an indescribably oppressive atmosphere.
In the old villa, Liu Jianmin's family was basking in the sun in the courtyard, their moods seemingly quite good.
"Dad, it's almost dark. That useless son-in-law named Xiao and that slutty bastard Liu Ruyan haven't returned. It looks like they won't be coming back, right?"
Liu Guohao suddenly asked, a hint of excitement on his face.
Liu Jianmin reclined in his chair, leisurely smoking, "Of course. If I don't act, I don't act, but when I do, I'll ensure that brat dies a death with no burial place. A live-in good-for-nothing son-in-law, trying to ride over me? Is that even possible!"
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Feiyan suddenly looked towards the main gate. She saw an off-road vehicle covered in mud roaring into the manor.
"Whose car is this? How dare they be so reckless, crashing into the manor like this? I'll teach them a lesson..."
As Liu Feiyan spoke, she suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh no, Dad! That useless son-in-law Xiao Yunlong and that little slut Liu Ruyan are back!"
"What did you say, they're back? That's impossible!" Although he said it, Liu Jianmin still sprang up from his chair.
"It's true, Dad! That's the car they left in, they're back!" Liu Feiyan said.
"Is it possible that the driver just drove the car back?" Huang Tingting asked.
"There's a possibility. Quickly call a servant to check the situation at the main building!" Liu Jianmin, though trying his best to remain calm, was still sweating profusely on his forehead.
The off-road vehicle, covered in mud, drove directly into the courtyard of the main villa. As soon as it stopped, Xiao Yunlong jumped out from the passenger seat.
Liu Hongguo was watering flowers in the courtyard and said with a smile, "I didn't expect the car to be in such a state. You must be tired after being gone for so long, right?"
Xiao Yunlong walked directly up to him and said, "Old Master, I want to show you something. But before I do, I hope you're mentally prepared."
Liu Hongguo was taken aback and asked, "Before I see it, can I ask what it's about?"
"Liu Jianmin!" Xiao Yunlong said.
Liu Hongguo's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, shook his head, and said with a wry smile, "If it's about him, then I've been mentally prepared for a long time. Go ahead."
Xiao Yunlong then took out his phone and played a recording of a conversation – the part where the one-eyed leader confessed about Liu Jianmin.
It appeared Xiao Yunlong had secretly recorded it at the time.
Liu Hongguo's face turned ashen. Although he had been mentally prepared, he was still furious.
"Someone, go and summon Liu Jianmin immediately! No, drag him here!" Liu Hongguo roared.