Chapter 88: The Strongest and the Weakest

Attila's hand halted halfway, his gaze and that of his companions turning toward the source of the voice. Xie Liu had appeared behind them, unnoticed. “Who are you?” Attila, interrupted in his enjoyment, asked with evident displeasure, though his eyes gradually shifted from Xie Liu to the woman in his arms, Angela, and then to Franney behind her.

“What’s this? Do you want a taste of this woman as well?” Attila flashed a row of white teeth. “Give me the one in your arms, and I might consider an exchange.” Xie Liu’s expression flickered; he rarely grew angry, but this time, the urge to wring this man’s neck was strong. Behind him, the world was painted in vivid colors by the endless fireworks, yet here, in this cramped and shadowed corner, light could not reach.

It was not only the place that was dark, but the hearts of people.

The booming of fireworks behind gradually drowned out Attila’s words, rendering everything silent under the distant noise. Xie Liu’s gaze moved away from Attila, and he saw Ye Ling, disheveled on the ground. At last, he spoke, “Let her go, or I’ll break your hand.” With that, he handed the unconscious Angela to Franney.

Attila seemed taken aback by Xie Liu’s threat; after the initial shock, he burst into laughter. “Boy, who do you think you are?”

“Watch out!” Alexander, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. In the flash of exploding fireworks, he stepped forward and pulled Attila back. Even so, a bloody line appeared on Attila’s neck, at first a thin red streak, then seeping with crimson blood—a strange and chilling sight.

Attila finally realized he’d just walked the edge of death. Instinctively, he covered his neck, his terrified gaze turning to where Xie Liu had stood.

Ye Ling was now in Xie Liu’s arms; he wrapped her in his coat. Ye Ling seemed still in shock, staring at Xie Liu for several seconds before bursting into tears. Xie Liu gently patted her head. “It’s all right. I’m here now.”

“Who are you?” Attila now understood that the baby-faced man was not someone to be trifled with. Yet, as members of the Godslayer Squad, arrogance was in their bones; if others were hard to deal with, they would be harder still.

“You two, let’s surround him. Disable this pretty boy, and the three women are ours, one for each.” No sooner had Attila spoken than Hideyoshi Toyotomi stepped forward and slapped him across the face, leaving Attila bewildered. “Boss, why did you hit me?”

“Hurry and apologize to Miss Franney.” Though he spoke to Attila, Hideyoshi’s gaze never left Franney behind Xie Liu.

Attila, stunned by the slap and the demand for an apology, was about to protest, but then he noticed Franney behind Xie Liu. Suddenly, he fell silent, a flash of fear and panic in his eyes that Xie Liu caught.

“Go on, keep talking!” Franney smiled coldly. “Does it matter what I am? Or do you want to say I’m less than nothing?” She stared at Attila for a long time.

Attila, once arrogant, was now silent, unable to meet Franney’s gaze. Franney’s eyes were fixed on him, an invisible pressure as heavy as a mountain, nearly suffocating him.

Cold sweat seeped from his forehead. At first, he could resist Franney’s mental pressure, but after only a few seconds, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, veins bulging on his brow.

If Franney wished, in any second, he would become a corpse.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi suddenly stepped between Franney and Attila, and Attila felt the oppressive force vanish, replaced only by deep fear. Facing Franney, Hideyoshi forced himself to speak. “Miss Franney, you are a renowned figure in the city. There’s no need to concern yourself with insignificant people like us.”

Franney withdrew her mental pressure, and Hideyoshi breathed a slight sigh of relief, maintaining a smiling facade. “I don’t know what has offended you, Miss Franney. If Miss Angela was hurt, it was truly unintentional. I apologize here and now.” He glanced at Angela in Franney’s arms and bowed respectfully.

Franney frowned slightly; Hideyoshi had pointedly ignored Ye Ling’s situation, making it clear that Ye Ling was not a member of her Silver Flash Squad and hoping she would not interfere.

“This girl is my friend,” Franney said after some thought, pointing to Ye Ling still crying in Xie Liu’s arms. “Do not target her again. Next time, there will be no warning.”

Standing up for her own teammates, even injuring or killing the other squad’s members, was accepted among the city’s elite. But Ye Ling was unrelated to her; if Franney insisted on helping Xie Liu, the two Godslayer captains would welcome the trouble with the Silver Flash Squad. Franney herself was unafraid, but she needed to consider her sisters.

“Understood.” Hideyoshi released his grip, his palm slick with cold sweat. Had Franney acted, his side would have suffered greatly, and whether his leaders would intervene afterward was uncertain. Seeing Franney relent, he smiled slightly—at least the issue hadn’t escalated.

“Let’s go.” Hideyoshi signaled to Attila, who was still shaken, preparing to leave. At that moment, Xie Liu spoke, “Did I say you could leave?”

“You?” Hideyoshi froze as all three Godslayer Squad members turned to Xie Liu, who still held the crying Ye Ling, his eyes cold. Even Franney frowned; she didn’t want trouble, but Xie Liu seemed unwilling to let it go. “Fine, if it comes to chaos, I’ll go along with them.”

“Deadeye, what are you trying to do?” Alexander, who had turned to leave, spun back angrily at Xie Liu’s words. “Are you looking for trouble with us?”

If Franney stayed out of it, the three were not afraid of Xie Liu. But since Franney had spoken, they could not touch Xie Liu and his group—unless he sought them out himself.

“I’m asking, did you all see it just now?” Xie Liu referred to Attila’s attempt to tear Ye Ling’s clothes. “If so, leave your eyes behind.”

“What do you mean?” Even Hideyoshi, unable to suppress his anger, retorted. He had chosen not to trouble Xie Liu, but now was being confronted—did Xie Liu take them for lambs? “Deadeye, remember, we’re giving Miss Franney face. Who do you think you are?”

“The Misfortune Squad? Just a bunch of cowards hiding behind women.” Attila seemed to forget his earlier fear before Franney, now mocking Xie Liu. “The Misfortune Squad, a bunch of trash—aren’t you all about to be kicked out of the direct squads after this tournament? Trash among trash.”

“Why bother? Let’s just leave. When the tournament comes, we’ll cripple them all.” Alexander spoke matter-of-factly, but in the very next second, he screamed, as did Attila and Hideyoshi. All three clutched their eyes, blood streaming from between their fingers—Xie Liu had, in an instant, destroyed their sight!

“I told you to leave your eyes behind.” Xie Liu dropped his bloody left hand. Blinding them was nothing; with the technology of Fantasy City, their eyes could be restored, though it would take time. Still, they would miss the upcoming Hunter Tournament.

“Deadeye, how dare you!” Hideyoshi shouted, covering his eyes in disbelief. None of them had seen how Xie Liu struck, but Franney knew—Xie Liu must have used that mysterious power from earlier. Though brief, it had left her deeply unsettled.

“Leave.”

“Deadeye, our Godslayer Squad will never forgive you!” Attila yelled, covering his eyes. “You trash, mongrels—we’ll kick you out, drive you from the direct squads!” No matter how they threatened, Xie Liu remained unmoved, turning instead to the patrol officer who had not yet left. “Don’t you have something to say?”

The patrol officer, startled by Xie Liu’s question, suddenly remembered how those three had promised him a chance at glory earlier. He steeled himself. As for their claim that this man was a Misfortune Squad member, he didn’t care; Misfortune Squad had no reputation compared to Godslayer Squad. He didn’t know how Xie Liu blinded the three, perhaps just a special ability, but he quickly decided to side with Godslayer Squad. “You dare to injure people in public—come with me.”

Xie Liu was surprised by this, “I thought you people had it hard, and I’ve fought alongside city guards before, so I was going to let you go. But you…” Xie Liu shook his head. “You’re not fit to be a guard.” With that, he swung his bloody left hand; blood sprayed, and the patrol officer’s left arm fell to the ground, severed at the elbow!

“Ahhh…” The patrol officer screamed and collapsed. Xie Liu flicked his left hand, scattering the blood. No one saw how he struck—even Franney felt a chill in her soul.

“The three of you, go back and tell your captains.”

“We’ll see you at the tournament. We, the weakest, will challenge you, the strongest!”