Ying Chen looked at his confidant with regret.
In fact, Ying Chen wanted to try a few more arcane techniques, such as the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique, which could create a hazy illusion, making the enemy believe they had hit Ying Chen, when in reality they had only struck an illusion.
Then there was the "Grasping the Void to Create Reality" technique, which could instantly compress and condense air, generating immense power.
If this power were crammed into a gun barrel, it was highly likely that the bullet's firing would cause the barrel to explode instantly, resulting in a blast.
All these methods could prevent his confidant from killing Ying Chen even if they were face to face.
Instead, they would slowly erode the confidant's morale, driving him into complete despair.
However, Ying Chen had ultimately overestimated his confidant's mental fortitude. Ying Chen had expected his confidant to break down after at least five or six attempts.
But it only took two, and the confidant had completely collapsed.
He had given up all pretense.
Meanwhile, He Chongxu, standing nearby, looked at the confidant with pity and sympathy.
He had experienced this feeling before.
At one point, he had been even more desperate and broken than the confidant.
If he hadn't wisely abandoned the dark side and turned to the light in time, he would probably be embracing the confidant now, weeping, and swearing brotherhood, becoming fellow sufferers.
"Are you sure you don't want to try anymore?"
Ying Chen glanced at the confidant lightly and asked for the last time.
The confidant stubbornly shook his head and said, "I won't try anymore! Do with me as you will, kill me or torture me, just don't disgust me here!"
"I'd rather die than be your plaything!"
Upon hearing this, Ying Chen couldn't help but laugh.
"Plaything?"
"I'm sorry, you're not worthy."
"My playthings must at least be on the level of the Chengying Dragon Breath Arrow."
As Ying Chen spoke, the Chengying Dragon Breath Arrow instantly hovered in the air, aimed at the confidant's brow.
Upon seeing the arrow, a flicker of terror flashed in the confidant's eyes.
He had personally witnessed how this arrow had wreaked havoc before, relentlessly pursuing and killing the two brothers, the Big Bastard and the Little Bastard!
Even the two brothers, with their profound cultivation, couldn't escape this arrow. How could he, a mere mortal, possibly do so?
"Dust to dust, earth to earth, everyone must die. I'm just taking a shortcut of a few decades compared to others."
"What is there to be afraid of?"
"Come on! If I flinch, I'm your grandson!"
After the initial terror, the confidant suddenly seemed to have a change of heart and said.
Ying Chen did not applaud or mock the confidant's seemingly enlightened words. Instead, he nodded lightly and said, "As you wish."
As his voice fell, the Chengying Dragon Breath Arrow instantly transformed into a faint glow, piercing through the confidant's head.
The confidant's entire head jolted violently, and he fell backward.
The light in his eyes flickered, as if saying, "So this is what death is like."
Thump!
The confidant collapsed to the ground, his breath gone.
He was utterly dead.
"Alas! In a way, he was a loyal and righteous person. It's a pity he was born in the wrong era and followed the wrong master."
He Chongxu sighed as he witnessed the scene.
In another era, such as the chaotic Three Kingdoms period, the confidant might have left behind a heroic tale for his actions.
But in this current era, where everything revolves around money and profit.
Loyalty and integrity are nothing but emptiness, disdained by all.
The confidant was destined to die silently and unknown, to become a pile of bones before being discovered.
And at most, he would occupy a small corner of a newspaper with a brief mention: Anonymous remains found in a certain location, identity unknown, cause of death unknown.
"Let's go."
Ying Chen put away the Chengying Dragon Breath Arrow and said expressionlessly.
He seemed utterly unaffected by the confidant's death.
For someone who had lived for over two thousand years, who had commanded armies on the battlefield two millennia ago, it was incredibly difficult to stir his heart because of someone's death.
Not to mention that Ying Chen was a cultivator.
He had long since seen through life and death.
"Yes, Master Ying." He Chongxu quickly followed Ying Chen's footsteps.
The two gradually walked away, heading towards the center of Hong Kong City, facing the rising sun.
...
Jianghai.
Min Ziqiong had not heard from Ying Chen for many days.
She could only keep abreast of the situation there through some news media in Hong Kong.
However, the news media reported things that were half true and half false. Especially the Hong Kong media, which always liked to fabricate gossip and rumors, making Min Ziqiong dare not believe them entirely.
But two events that occurred had shocked Min Ziqiong deeply, and the Hong Kong media certainly wouldn't dare to fabricate them.
Those were the deaths of Li Fengcheng and Huo Sheng.
Min Ziqiong vaguely suspected that these two incidents were related to Ying Chen, but she wasn't sure.
After all, the Li family and the Huo family were absolute power players in Hong Kong, even enjoying considerable prestige on the international stage.
Min Ziqiong knew Ying Chen was formidable, but she didn't believe he was so powerful as to control the lives and deaths of such high-profile figures.
Moreover, Ying Chen had only gone to Hong Kong to collect a debt from the Zheng family, and it was highly unlikely that he would get entangled with local powers like the Li and Huo families.
As far as Min Ziqiong knew, although the Zheng family had some influence in Hong Kong, they were still a considerable distance from the Li and Huo families.
It was unlikely to provoke both the Li and Huo families to target Ying Chen simultaneously.
But then... why hadn't Ying Chen returned for so long?
Even every time she called, the phone was unreachable.
Min Ziqiong did not know that Ying Chen, although he had brought the mobile phone bought for him by Min Ziqiong, had forgotten to bring the charger, a basic necessity.
As a result, after two days in Hong Kong, the phone simply turned off.
In the subsequent series of battles and skirmishes, Ying Chen had neither the opportunity nor the inclination to charge his phone.
What difference would charging it make?
Could it summon celestial soldiers and generals to help Ying Chen solve his problems?
Since it couldn't, he might as well just leave it.
And so, the phone lay dormant in Ying Chen's pocket, never seeing the light of day.
Not only could Min Ziqiong not reach Ying Chen, but even someone like He Chongxu, who followed Ying Chen closely, could only contact Ying Chen by meeting him in person.
"Is Min Ziqiong at home?"
Just as Min Ziqiong was trying to call Ying Chen's number again, a shout suddenly came from outside.
Min Ziqiong quickly went out to check.
She found several familiar faces.
They were the collaborators she had contacted in advance for the production of the mirage.
There was the construction contractor responsible for building the workshop, the supplier of production machinery, the designer responsible for the external appearance, and several other miscellaneous collaborators.
These businessmen had all come to Min Ziqiong's door today.
Judging by their expressions, their intentions seemed unfriendly.
"You all came here together. Did something happen?" Min Ziqiong asked, approaching them with a puzzled expression.
The group simultaneously let out a cold laugh: "Boss Min's ability to play dumb is first-class!"
"Whether Boss Min is pretending to be ignorant or genuinely doesn't know, this matter must be resolved today!"
"You drafted a cooperation contract with us half a month ago. We have been preparing goods and accelerating production for this contract for the past half month, all to ensure timely delivery. And the result? Today is the last day of the contract, and Boss Min seems to have completely forgotten about it, not even mentioning it?"
*Whoosh!*
Hearing this, Min Ziqiong's face instantly turned pale.
Damn, she had been so worried about Ying Chen that she had completely forgotten about this!