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墨書 Inktalez
The sound of rock music surged in waves as Luo Yi rushed back into the room, but suddenly came to a halt upon entering.
The lights were on inside, and the room was empty and silent.
Luo Yi stood under the light, breathing heavily.
Zhou Yao was not there. The bed sheets were in disarray. However, it was impossible for someone to have been taken away in such a short amount of time.
Could it be that he was mistaken? Or had Zhou Yao grown impatient and gone out to have fun?
Luo Yi took out his phone, preparing to call Jiang Peng, when he suddenly sensed something was off. The lights were still on.
Zhou Yao hadn't left; he was still in this room.
A shadow slid across the carpet, the light behind him shifted, and the music grew quieter—someone had silently closed the door.
Someone was hiding behind the door!
Luo Yi immediately turned around, and two figures lunged at him with long daggers!
The thinner one moved incredibly fast; Luo Yi couldn't avoid it and instantly fell back onto the bed, rolling away while his gaze swept over the tightly closed wardrobe by the wall.
Zhou Yao is hiding!
He rolled to the opposite side and stood up, while the thin man stepped onto the bed and chased after him, swinging a knife directly at Luo Yi's throat. Luo Yi grabbed a coat from the coat rack by the bed, causing the rack to topple over, and the blade pierced through the windbreaker, rushing towards Luo Yi's nose.
Luo Yi seized the windbreaker and quickly wrapped it around the opponent's arm. The windbreaker enveloped the blade and arm, allowing Luo Yi to kick hard into the man's chest. The latter fell into the bed, with the rack entangled in the windbreaker, collapsing onto the bed as well.
Another burly man swung his knife toward him. The space by the bed was narrow, making it difficult for Luo Yi to maneuver. He barely managed to grab the coat rack to block a strike.
The blade scraped past the metal frame, producing a piercing sound.
The thin man pulled on the other end of the coat rack, straining to take it away, clearing the way for the burly man.
With nowhere to hide, Luo Yi charged directly into the opponent's chest! The sharp blade grazed Luo Yi's neck as he gripped the burly man's wrist tightly, pushing him out of the corridor beside the bed and crashing him against the wall with a loud thud.
Veins bulged on Luo Yi's forehead as he shouted towards that wall: “Lu Xu!!”
While holding onto the burly man's wrist, Luo Yi tried to loosen his grip on the knife. However, his opponent was incredibly strong, and they were locked in a fierce struggle with neither gaining an advantage.
“Lu Xu!!!” Luo Yi roared.
But there was no response from that side of the wall; Jiang Peng’s people were hundreds of meters away in a village. Outside, music blared loudly. Everyone was celebrating, unaware of what was happening here.
The thin man tore off his restrained clothing and jumped down from the bed with a knife in hand. With both of Luo Yi's hands occupied by the burly man, he quickly turned to dodge the thin man's blade and kicked him back onto the bed. However, he didn't expect that the burly man would seize this opportunity to drive his knee into Luo Yi's lower back. Cold sweat broke out on Luo Yi, who struggled to push back against the burly man and slammed him against the wall again, trying to keep him pinned down.
“Lu Xu!!!”
There was no response. Luo Yi thought it was bad. Zhou Yao hadn’t escaped; he was hiding in the tightly closed wardrobe.
The thin man noticed where Luo Yi was looking and attacked the wardrobe.
“Zhou Yao!” Luo Yi released his grip on the strong man and chased after the thin one.
But it was too late.
The thin man moved quickly, darting to the front of the wardrobe like a monkey, and thrust a long dagger into it.
“Zhou Yao!”
Luo Yi’s heart sank suddenly, forgetting about the strong man behind him, who slashed his back, blood flowing out. Luo Yi ignored it entirely and grabbed a coat rack to swing at the thin man's head.
The thin man fell to the ground, but the strong man stabbed Luo Yi in the side with a second blow. Luo Yi gritted his teeth, turned around, and used the coat rack to knock him over.
Luo Yi lunged to the side of the wardrobe and pulled open the damaged door: “Zhou Yao!”
The clothes inside swayed, but there was no one there.
Luo Yi’s heart dropped, then suddenly rose again. Could it be that Zhou Yao had already been captured?!
The thin man jumped up from the ground and attacked again. Luo Yi, feeling frustrated, caught his hand and with a single palm strike, sent the dagger clattering to the floor. Just as things were still unresolved here, the burly man charged in again. Luo Yi delivered a fierce kick to the thin man's shoulder while simultaneously yanking his arm hard, dislocating his shoulder. The thin man let out a terrible scream.
Luo Yi threw him aside and turned to face the burly man, but during the roll, the burly man seized the opportunity and pinned him down, aiming a sharp knife directly at his eyes.
Luo Yi gripped the blade tightly, blood flowing down from his palm. The burly man pressed down on his chest with all his strength, and the knife tip inched closer to Luo Yi's eyelashes.
In a moment of desperation, a small hand suddenly reached out from under the bed, grabbing the burly man's leg and yanking him violently towards the bed. In the next second, the blade pierced through his pants and skin.
"Ah!!" The burly man screamed and loosened his grip. Luo Yi immediately retracted his legs and kicked the burly man's chest with all his might. The kick was powerful and heavy. The burly man let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground.
There was some rustling under the bed, and soon Zhou Yao crawled out from the other side of the bed, covered in dust with her face still flushed: "Boss Luo, are you okay?"
Luo Yi stared at her, panting heavily.
Zhou Yao, still under the influence of alcohol, tilted her head slightly and said, "Why were you in such a hurry just now? How could I hide in the cupboard? Once the door opened, there would be nowhere to escape; there are three sides under the bed."
Luo Yi had been worried about her all along but was now irritated by her retort. His expression darkened as he saw the thin man rushing over. He turned around and swept his leg to knock him down before turning back to Zhou Yao and scolding sternly:
"When people come in, you should run outside! Why did you hide under the bed?!"
Zhou Yao felt wronged and immediately shouted back at him: "I needed to see what they were doing! If someone came to kill you and you didn't figure it out, you'd be clueless next time and get killed like an idiot!"
Luo Yi's brow twitched slightly.
"Why are you staring at me? If I hadn't hidden under the bed just now, you would have lost your eyeballs!"
Luo Yi gritted his teeth; they really hadn't considered one thing. Just as he was about to say something, the burly man got back up. Luo Yi, feeling extremely annoyed, didn't wait for the other to stand fully and kicked him in the face, sending him flying several meters away.
"What are you kicking this way for?!" Zhou Yao screamed in fright, hurriedly climbing onto the bed. She stumbled over and hid behind him, peeking out with her head. The bravado she had when arguing with him was completely gone.
Seeing her flustered and hiding behind him, Luo Yi's suppressed anger eased a little.
Zhou Yao handed him a knife, which was the one that had fallen on the ground: "I quickly grabbed it when it dropped. Here, take it as a weapon. They’re two against one and they have a knife; you’re at a disadvantage."
The handle of the knife was still wrapped in a snack packaging, probably to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Luo Yi took the knife and glanced at her, feeling a complex mix of emotions. This girl was quite sharp; his worries about her were unnecessary.
The burly man and the thin guy were quite resilient and quickly got back up, showing no signs of backing down.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
The four people inside froze simultaneously. Luo Yi and Zhou Yao were by the window while the other two were near the entrance.
Zhou Yao suddenly thought of Yan Lin and immediately tugged at Luo Yi's sleeve. As soon as Luo Yi saw her expression, he understood and shouted towards the door, "Thieves are coming!"
But the two men had already stepped forward to open the door. Luo Yi dashed toward them like lightning.
Yan Lin stood at the door, her eyes wide open upon seeing the person who had opened it.
Just as a burly man was about to grab Yan Lin by the neck, a loud shout rang out: "Get back!"
Yan Lin immediately stepped aside, and Luo Yi leaped up, kicking the burly man in the back of the head. The man fell to the ground with a thud. The thinner man was also struck in the face by Luo Yi's punch and sent flying.
After catching his breath, Luo Yi glanced at Yan Lin by the door. The woman smiled lightly, as if seeking praise: "I reacted quickly, didn't I?"
Zhou Yao stared blankly at the two of them, while Yan Lin swiftly moved, demonstrating an extraordinary level of coordination with Luo Yi.
Luo Yi had no time to pay attention to Yan Lin. He needed to capture the intruders alive for Lu Xu. If they managed to take a hostage and escape using them as a shield, all his efforts would be in vain.
"You're in such a hurry to save me, thank you—" Yan Lin was about to head into the inner room when Luo Yi coldly said, "Go back to your room!"
His expression was stern, each word deliberate: "I don't have time to argue with you right now."
Yan Lin looked at him in disbelief and then turned her gaze to Zhou Yao standing inside the room.
Luo Yi called out to Zhou Yao: "Get some rope."
Zhou Yao replied, "Rope?"
"Under the desk."
Zhou Yao moved closer and found a bundle of hemp rope, which Luo Yi had specially prepared. Zhou Yao quickly took it to tie up the person, but before she reached the door, six or seven big men rushed out from the other end of the corridor.
Luo Yi was taken aback and cursed under his breath about the endless trouble. He had no time to deal with the two outside; he pulled Yan Lin into the hallway and swiftly locked the door.
Zhou Yao, holding the hemp rope, collided with the two of them.
Luo Yi grabbed Zhou Yao's arm with one hand and tugged at Yan Lin's sleeve with the other, his face cold as he quickly walked to the window, commanding, "Climb out!"
"Oh." Without asking why, Zhou Yao climbed onto the windowsill. Luo Yi held her waist and lifted her legs up; Zhou Yao easily got onto the windowsill but lost her balance and leaned forward.
"Be careful!" Before Luo Yi finished speaking, Zhou Yao fell with a thud to the ground below. She quickly got up and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling: "It doesn't hurt."
Luo Yi jumped onto the windowsill in one step while pressing his phone and bending down to pull Yan Lin's wrist. Yan Lin instinctively pulled back but tightened her grip on his palm.
There was a loud banging on the door. Luo Yi immediately lifted her onto the windowsill and jumped down.
"Head towards the back mountain!" He couldn't return to the inn; he needed to capture one or two from this group for questioning.
Luo Yi felt it was quite troublesome; if he were alone at this moment, he could fight back, but with two women beside him, he felt restricted.
As soon as the three of them ran up the mountain, that group of men chased after them through the window.
Luo Yi knew that if this continued, they would be caught sooner or later. It was better to take a risk. Familiar with the terrain, he hid both women in a secluded thicket before their pursuers arrived.
As soon as the two of them hid, the pursuers behind them came charging with knives.
Fortunately, the long dagger that Zhou Yao had snatched for him was still in hand, and Luo Yi could barely fend off the blades coming at him. However, there were too many opponents, all armed, and no matter how skilled Luo Yi was, he could only manage to defend himself.
Moreover, after enduring a tough struggle and sustaining injuries, he gradually began to show signs of disadvantage. Suddenly, someone slashed his arm.
Zhou Yao's heart sank; she covered her mouth and nose and trembled uncontrollably, but quickly began to observe the surrounding terrain. At such a moment, Yan Lin was not particularly calm either; her face turned pale with worry, and she unconsciously reached for a cigarette and put it in her mouth.
Hearing movement beside her, Zhou Yao turned and yanked the cigarette from Yan Lin's mouth. Yan Lin shot her a cold glance, but Zhou Yao glared back angrily and whispered, "Are you trying to attract attention?"
Yan Lin felt guilty for her slip of tongue and pressed her lips tightly together.
The moonlight in the forest was bright and clear, while the people in the nearby inn continued to revel. The cold outdoors was biting, yet Zhou Yao was sweating anxiously; if this continued, Luo Yi would be in even greater danger.
The crisp sounds of blades clashing seemed to slice through her nerves.
Zhou Yao stood up and prepared to rush out.
Yan Lin coldly stopped her: "Don't go make things worse."
"You are the one making things worse." Zhou Yao had long been dissatisfied with her and seized the opportunity to vent her frustration. "You’ve been a nuisance from start to finish! If you hadn't come running over, those two would have been dealt with already."
Yan Lin's expression darkened; she seemed taken aback that Zhou Yao dared to retort. She sneered, "Don't be foolish, little girl. If you distract him, things will only get worse. I'm asking you not to hold him back. You'd better stay calm right now and trust that he can handle it!"
"Calmly?" Zhou Yao retorted, "The other side has seven people with knives. I think you're crazy to be calm. Can your calmness turn into heavenly soldiers to help him? Not even a knife can change that."
She rolled her eyes and ran off, clutching the rope.
Yan Lin's lips twitched as she crushed the cigarette in her hand. She watched coldly as Zhou Yao made the already dire situation even messier—however, Zhou Yao had disappeared somewhere.
After a while, her voice suddenly rang out, "Luo Boss, watch out on the left!"
Yan Lin looked over in surprise and saw her standing behind a low bush at the foot of the hill, hands cupped around her mouth: "Luo Boss, watch out behind you!"
Yan Lin was utterly speechless and cursed her for being an idiot, fearing that Luo Yi would be distracted. However, Luo Yi seemed to act as if he hadn't heard anything.
Three Knife-Wielders spotted Zhou Yao and charged toward her, yet Luo Yi showed no concern whatsoever.
"Help!" Zhou Yao screamed as she took off running, with the three Knife-Wielders hot on her heels. But just seven or eight meters away from Zhou Yao,
there was a loud crash, and the bushes shook; the three of them vanished collectively, as if they had fallen into a deep pit.
The "roots" of the trees swayed. Yan Lin then realized that it wasn't a low bush; it was the treetop of a eucalyptus tree. Judging by its shape and thickness, the tree was fully grown. Indeed, how could a mature eucalyptus tree be so short unless there was a big pit underneath?
Zhou Yao ran back and stood at the edge of the pit, peering down; the people inside had fallen quite hard.
The others were left dumbfounded and inevitably distracted. Seizing the opportunity, Luo Yi struck one of them on the shoulder with his knife; the latter clutched his wound and retreated to the side.
The opponent was enraged, and another Knife-Wielder came towards Zhou Yao. He had clearly seen the location of the pit and avoided it to pursue her.
Zhou Yao immediately ran away, circling behind a tree to pick up a piece of hemp rope from the ground. She stepped on the tree trunk with one foot, gripped the rope tightly with both hands, and pulled back with all her strength. A rope lifted off the ground, and Zhou Yao exerted every ounce of her strength to tighten it to the limit. The approaching Knife-Wielder tripped over the rope, injuring his face with the blade in his hand, while below him was a steep slope.
Both man and knife rolled down the hillside.
Zhou Yao gasped as she released the rope, her hands scraped and raw.
Having exhausted all her tricks, she quickly found a bush to hide in, only to realize that she was so scared that her hands and feet were trembling uncontrollably. She nervously observed Luo Yi's situation. Although he was injured, he was more than capable of handling the remaining two opponents and quickly regained the upper hand.
However, blades have no eyes, and Zhou Yao still trembled in fear, her legs shaking as if even the surrounding trees were quaking with her.
Trembling?!
There was no wind, yet there was rustling in the bushes.
Zhou Yao's breath caught in her throat, and she suddenly felt a tightness in her scalp. She turned around sharply!
The person who had just fallen was covered in blood and approached with a knife.
“Luo Boss!” Zhou Yao screamed, stumbling out of the bushes towards him.
At this sound, Luo Yi looked over.
Luo Yi instantly blocked the two people in front of him and swept down the hillside like the wind. Zhou Yao rushed towards him, and Luo Yi immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him for protection. He took her hand and placed it on the corner of his trench coat, tucking it into her palm. Blood and sweat mixed on Luo Yi’s forehead as he gasped in restraint, ordering, "Stay behind me, don’t run around.""If you run, I won’t be able to protect you.""Okay!" Zhou Yao gripped tightly onto the corner of his coat, her voice trembling, "I won’t run."Luo Yi’s eyes gleamed in the night as he stared at the opponent ahead, a trace of ruthless determination flashing through them. A man charged at him with a knife, and Luo Yi met the attack head-on, kicking the man away.In close combat, blades clashed. Zhou Yao clung tightly to his coat, moving swiftly with him. She stayed close to him, giving him space but never straying far. He kept her protected at all times, not letting anyone get within a step of her.He was kicked in the abdomen, forcing him to retreat several steps. Zhou Yao followed him back, her heart pounding like a drum.Someone on the right found an opening, raising a knife and slashing at Zhou Yao. Her heart clenched, but she held onto his coat tightly and didn’t run. With a loud clang, his long dagger blocked the descending blade. At the same time, another man attacked Luo Yi from the left.Zhou Yao cried out, "Watch out!"The blade came down towards Luo Yi’s head, but he caught it with his bare hands, gripping it tightly. The veins on his hand bulged, and blood gushed out.Zhou Yao's eyes instantly filled with tears.
Luo Yi did not let up for a moment, kicking the man on his right with all his might and swinging his knife towards the arm of the man on his left. The opponent immediately drew his knife, not expecting Luo Yi to grip the blade tightly without letting go. Caught off guard by Luo Yi's ferocity, he was struck in the arm, dropping his knife and retreating while clutching his wound.
The man on the right, determined to attack, suddenly found himself overwhelmed by several shadows as Knife-Wielder was taken down.
Jiang Peng's Brothers had arrived.
The situation reversed, sealing the outcome.
Luo Yi gasped for breath, turning to look at Jiang Peng who was approaching, a cold smile on his face. "You really came at the right time."
Jiang Peng chuckled. "As long as you’re alive. — At least I managed to play the negotiator for you." He gestured with his chin behind him, "Ran into this guy on the way."
Lu Xu walked over, calm in expression, and said to Luo Yi, "I thought about it; Jiang Peng is right. Even if you really are in cahoots with Dan Shan, you can still be useful to me now."
Luo Yi smirked at him but suddenly changed his expression and stepped forward to punch him hard.
Lu Xu covered his aching jaw and looked up. He did not retaliate. He had been watching from the sidelines without intervening, wanting to see if Luo Yi truly opposed Dan Shan or was merely acting.
Luo Yi was astute enough to see through his intentions. That punch was well-deserved.
Jiang Peng's Brothers tied up Knife-Wielder with rope and went to retrieve him from the pit.
Lu Xu rubbed his cheek and said, "I've already contacted my colleagues here; they'll be bringing them back for investigation soon. We must root out those behind this." He paused for half a second and added, "Wu Ming has been unreachable since yesterday, and Asang is already under surveillance."
Luo Yi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said nothing.
Zhou Yao finally had a chance to interject, whispering behind him, "Let's go to the hospital to treat your wounds. I just took a look, it's not very deep. — But your hand."
"It's fine." He coldly stared at the group of subdued individuals, his mind elsewhere.
"How can it be fine—" Zhou Yao's words were cut short as Brothers had tied everyone up and thrown them in front of Jiang Peng.
Luo Yi glanced at the people on the ground and suddenly said, "There's one missing."
Zhou Yao recalled that when she had lured three people into the pit, the one who had injured her shoulder was nowhere to be found.
Luo Yi frowned for half a second, then suddenly froze and ran towards the hiding spot where Zhou Yao and Yan Lin had been.
The bushes were empty.
"Zhou Yao," Luo Yi turned to her, "Where is Yan Lin?"
Zhou Yao momentarily panicked, "I—she was still there when I came out."
Luo Yi called Yan Lin, but instead, a glow from the grass revealed a phone screen displaying "My Man" as the caller ID.
Zhou Yao pressed her lips tightly together, remaining silent.
Lu Xu asked, "Another person was taken away?"
Luo Yi put down his phone and turned to Lu Xu, "They should still be in the mountains. I'll call for help to search immediately. Wu Ming knows about my relationship with Yan Lin; she is in danger now."
"Okay, I'll contact my colleagues right away." Lu Xu walked aside to make a phone call.
Luo Yi stood in place, his brow furrowed, and he remained silent for a long time.
Zhou Yao stood nearby, looking at his calm profile, and suddenly felt a wave of loneliness wash over her.
Although she understood that his worries were natural, she couldn't pretend not to care. Her heart ached as if she were watching him rush toward the door; when he shouted for Yan Lin to move aside, she quickly stepped out of the way; when he bent over the windowsill and Yan Lin grabbed his hand, it hurt just the same.
After Lu Xu finished the call, he returned and said that the first group of police officers they notified would arrive soon. Although Yan Lin's whereabouts were unknown, they could extract information from this group of people.
Luo Yi said, "I'll stay here with you—"
Just then, Zhou Yao turned and walked down the mountain. Luo Yi called out to her, "Where are you going?"
Zhou Yao replied normally, "Back to the inn."
"Wait a moment; let's go together."
"Forget it, it's not on the way," Zhou Yao said.
Luo Yi paused for a moment, took a few steps forward, and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards him. Zhou Yao looked up at him, her expression surprisingly normal.
Luo Yi quietly observed her for a moment and said, "I'll take you home."
"You’re busy, it’s fine." Zhou Yao gently pulled his hand away and turned to see Jiang Peng leaving the scene for his brothers, heading down the mountain. She immediately called out cheerfully, "Brother Jiang!"
Upon hearing her call, Luo Yi's brow twitched slightly.
"Take me with you," she said as she ran over like a little bird. "The mountain path is dark, and I’m a bit scared."
Jiang Peng was perceptive; he quickly understood the situation. He was delighted to see Luo Yi at a disadvantage and smiled slightly at Zhou Yao, exuding charm as he said, "Let’s go, little sister."
"By the way, Brother Jiang, there’s a party at the inn tonight. Thanks to you for saving me earlier, I’ll treat you to some drinks."
"Drinks? Perfect timing! What are we having?"
"Deep Water Bomb."
"Haha, not bad. Let’s go have a couple of shots."
Luo Yi watched as they bantered and walked away, gritting his teeth in frustration: "Zhou Yao."
No one paid attention to him as the two walked down the mountain.
"Zhou Yao!"
Zhou Yao stopped and turned to look at him. "What?"
Luo Yi pressed his lips together and licked his teeth, slowly saying, "Did you not hear me calling you?"
"I heard," Zhou Yao replied, raising her chin. "But I don't want to talk to you."
Luo Yi's eyes shone brightly in the darkness, his gaze putting pressure on her; however, this time it didn't work. Zhou Yao turned and walked away. Luo Yi stood there, staring at her back in silence.
Eventually, after taking a few steps, she stopped on her own.
As he expected, if he didn't stop her, she would halt. A hint of a relaxed smile flashed in his eyes.
Zhou Yao turned back,
This time, the indifference and calmness she had put on were completely gone.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, angry and furious. Luo Yi slowly smiled, wanting to say something, but he noticed a trace of sadness in her expression.
His mind went blank, leaving him momentarily speechless.
The moment of sadness quickly faded, transforming entirely into anger.
Zhou Yao's chest heaved as she glared at him, saying, "From now on, you are not allowed to call my name. If you do, I won't respond to you."
After a brief pause, still feeling aggrieved, she added, "And if you dare to kiss me casually again, you will be a stud horse—no, a pig, a breeding pig!"
Luo Yi: "..."
"If you kiss me again, you will be a breeding pig." She reiterated, as if saying this spell would ensure he would never dare to approach her again.
Lu Xu suppressed a laugh, his face turning red; Jiang Peng, on the other hand, laughed heartily.
"..."
Luo Yi puffed out her cheeks and fixed her dark eyes on Zhou Yao, saying nothing.
How could he possibly be moved by this childish girl who only knew how to insult by calling someone a pig?
Yet somehow, he was indeed angry.
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