Chapter 106: Nearly Capsized in the Gutter

Damn it! Why did I ever underestimate someone? Even though this little old man wasn't much of a fighter, he possessed all sorts of sinister arts capable of bewitching the mind. He could still cast spells even with his key acupuncture point suppressed! If I had been just a little more careful, none of this would have happened.

Wang Zihao had been controlled by the old man’s dark sorcery, possessed by a frantic urge to leap from the twenty-ninth floor. With lightning reflexes, the moment he threw himself outward, I lunged and grabbed his arm.

Thud.

With a dull impact, I slammed onto the roof. Half of my body was already dangling over the edge, my feet barely hooking onto two welded steel pipes.

"Brother Hao! Wang Zihao!"

Veins bulged on my forehead as I gripped his arm with all my might. Wang Zihao’s face was blank; under the old man’s dark influence, he was completely oblivious to his own peril. He hung in mid-air, struggling desperately to break free from my grasp.

"Brother Hao! Stop struggling!"

I gritted my teeth, straining to pull him back up, but not only did he refuse to cooperate, he even dug his fingernails into the flesh on the back of my hand!

"Argh!"

My arm scraped against the concrete, numbing until I could no longer feel it, but I dared not let go. I desperately wished I had an extra arm so I could break the old man’s spell. But for now, I could only watch helplessly as Wang Zihao swung in the air like a pendulum.

The old man had risen to his feet and was now standing behind me. Although I couldn't see his face, I could imagine the smug expression on it with my eyes closed.

The old man cackled, pressing a foot onto my back. "You brat! This is the price for offending me! After you die, I will have your souls fed to the demons and ghouls! Hahaha!" He seemed delighted. "Trying to catch me? Why don't you look in a mirror and see what kind of pathetic creature you are!"

As he spoke, he pressed down harder on my back. Then, he planted a foot on the back of my head. "Weren't you so impressive earlier? Hitting my pressure point? Today, I’ll cripple you and make you watch as he dies right in front of you!"

With a sinister cold laugh, the old man produced a dagger from his robes as if by magic. He slowly leaned down, sliding the blade against the back of my head. I felt a jolt of alarm; I could clearly feel the edge grazing my scalp and even knew exactly how many hairs it had sliced through.

The old man chuckled wickedly, the dagger finally coming to rest against my wrist. My heart raced—if he brought that blade down, Wang Zihao would surely perish!

Just as the old man prepared to sever my tendons, his expression suddenly shifted, and a massive spray of blood erupted onto my back. I heard a loud *bang*—it sounded as if something had shattered.

"Jiang Huai? Damn! How did I get here? Pull me up, quick!"

Wang Zihao’s voice brought a sudden glimmer of hope; he had regained his senses at this very moment.

"Hold on! Don't you dare let go!"

"Argh!"

I summoned every ounce of strength I had, finally hauling Wang Zihao back up. He collapsed onto the ground, deathly pale; he was trembling so violently he likely couldn't even stand. I gritted my teeth and pulled myself up, shaking out my body and wrists. I looked over to see the old man curled on the ground, twitching uncontrollably. The four small wine jars that had been placed on the floor were shattered, and the clay figurines inside were snapped in two.

Seeing this, I immediately understood what had happened. Song Zhong had broken the old man’s spell, causing a backlash!

I let out a crooked grin. Damn, who would have thought that in a situation where we were sure to lose, Wang Zihao and I would end up being saved by a layman like Song Zhong!

I looked down at the old man and sneered, bending over to snatch the dagger from his hand. I crouched down, grabbed him by his thinning hair, and patted his cheek. "Let me tell you, evil deeds beget their own destruction. Do you know what’s about to happen to you?"

The old man shivered, unable to utter a single word.

"I’ll tell you right now."

With a swift motion, I covered the old man’s mouth and slashed down, severing the tendons in both of his hands. "A person like you... not cutting off your hands entirely is me being merciful."

Ignoring the old man, I helped Wang Zihao up. When I touched him, I realized he was soaked through with sweat.

"Are you okay?"

Wang Zihao shook his head weakly. "Aside from my legs feeling like jelly, I’m fine."

I smiled, stood up, pulled out a Red Square cigarette, lit it, and stuck one in Wang Zihao’s mouth.

"I owe you another life."

This time, I shook my head. "Don't. It really wasn't me this time. If Song Zhong hadn't broken this old man’s spell, both of us would have ended up in a watery grave."