C8 The Battle Outside the City

Lin Hann was well aware that although Lau Ruyan never put on airs around him, always taking on the role of an older sister, the wrath of the Lau family was not something to be taken lightly if she were ever provoked.

That evening, Lau Ruyan entered Lin Hann's room, clad in tight-fitting black attire. Lin Hann couldn't help but express his curiosity, "Ms. Yan, what's this all about?" Lau Ruyan remained silent but tossed another set of black clothes to him.

Once Lin Hann had changed, Lau Ruyan's eyes twinkled with mischief as she said, "Hann, tonight I'm taking you to see something spectacular!"

Lau Ruyan then positioned herself by the window and launched a sturdy vine toward the opposite building. The vine coiled around the building's railing, and with a swift push from her feet, she swung across the gap. Lin Hann approached the window, hearing Lau Ruyan's voice still hanging in the air, "Hann, keep up!"

Without hesitation, Lin Hann followed suit. Such escapades had become commonplace during the past month's intensive training.

The two of them darted through the city, soon approaching the outskirts. Lau Ruyan retracted the vine and whispered, "Hann, we need to be quiet and move slowly from here on out. We're almost there."

Ten minutes later, Lin Hann and Lau Ruyan reached the crest of a small hill, overlooking an open area where about twenty individuals were searching for something. Lau Ruyan signaled for silence and murmured to Lin Hann, "Let's not alert them just yet. The real action hasn't started."

Lin Hann nodded in understanding. The group below consisted of paranormals, with two figures standing apart, overseeing the search. One of them, sporting distinctive gold-rimmed glasses, was none other than Zhou Mo, the head of the Zhou family.

Lin Hann wondered, "What could they be doing here at this late hour?" But seeing that Lau Ruyan had no intention of explaining, he settled in to wait.

After about thirty minutes, it became clear that they hadn't found what they were looking for, and Zhou Mo's and the young man's faces grew increasingly frustrated.

Liu Tianlin was not in good spirits. His family had dispatched him to Hui City to collaborate with the Zhou family on an important task. Clearly, it was a test from the family elders, and if he succeeded, he would return to the capital with no peers to challenge his standing in the younger generation.

"Uncle, are you sure the intelligence points to this location?" Liu Tianlin asked Zhou Mo, unable to contain his curiosity.

Zhou Mo, with a habitual push of his glasses, replied in a grave tone, "Absolutely, it's here. I've been in Hui City for two decades, tirelessly investigating this matter. There's no way I'd be mistaken about the location. Tianlin, have them extend the search area by another twenty meters."

As the search perimeter widened, a voice called out from the eastern sector, "Young Master, Mr. Zhou, we've got something!" Rushing to the scene, Zhou Mo and Liu Tianlin were greeted by a gaunt man who respectfully reported, "Young Master, take a look—there's an unusual Spiritual Energy Wave here. The key to the ruins must be nearby."

Indeed, as Zhou Mo and Liu Tianlin focused their senses, they detected the distinct Spiritual Energy Wave exactly where the man pointed. Liu Tianlin promptly declared, "Sixth Son, if this is indeed the key we've found, you'll be duly rewarded!"

As they prepared to excavate, a group of about a dozen individuals charged down from the opposite hillside.

"Zhou Mo, forsaking sleep to wander this desolate wilderness at night? You certainly know how to enjoy your free time," the group's leader called out.

"Lee Haoxuan! What are you doing here?" Zhou Mo asked, his composure slipping away.

With a shrug and a smirk, Lee Haoxuan retorted, "Why shouldn't I be here? Do you own this place? As for you, bringing a crowd here at this hour, you're clearly up to no good."

Realizing his lapse, Zhou Mo quickly regained his poise and issued commands to his associates, "Tianlin, take ten people and start digging immediately. I'll hold them off!" Liu Tianlin, the Liu family's eldest grandson, remained unflustered. Without hesitation, he led his team to begin the excavation.

Zhou Mo faced Lee Haoxuan with a steely gaze and challenged, "Lee, for years in Hui City, our Zhou family and your Lee family have managed to avoid conflict. Do you really want to risk mutual destruction today?"

Lee Haoxuan laughed nonchalantly, "Enough talk. Once I'm done with you, the Liu family's boy will be next." With that, he charged straight at Zhou Mo.

Upon hearing Lee Haoxuan's words, Zhou Mo was taken aback once more. "Does this lunatic actually know about the arrival of the Liu family's people?"

Given the nature of tonight's events, Zhou Mo had assembled a team skilled in search and detection rather than combat. He himself was a superhuman with enhanced mental abilities, not particularly adept at fighting.

As Lee Haoxuan charged towards him, Zhou Mo clenched his jaw and reluctantly pulled a golden steel ring from his pocket. Tossing it into the air, the ring slowly expanded, transforming into a massive ring of fire that encircled Lee Haoxuan and his group.

"How do you like the taste of my Golden Fire Ring, Lunatic Lee?" Zhou Mo boasted, yet he didn't lose focus and continued to press the excavation team to pick up the pace.

The frustrated outburst from Lee Haoxuan that Zhou Mo was expecting didn't come. Sensing trouble, he saw his nearby allies suddenly come under attack. Zhou Mo found himself in close combat with Lee Haoxuan.

Zhou Mo inwardly cursed his luck. The Golden Fire Ring, a powerful Spirit Weapon unique to the Liu family, was excellent for trapping foes but had two significant flaws. It drained an excessive amount of Spiritual Energy, and in an open field like this, it was ineffective against an Earth Department superhuman. Clearly, Lee Haoxuan's team included such an individual who had swiftly escaped the ring's confines underground.

As Liu Tianlin and his team made progress with their digging, Zhou Mo struggled increasingly to fend off Lee Haoxuan's relentless assault. Lee Haoxuan, a superhuman with augmented strength, lacked intricate abilities, but his heavy, forceful punches proved the adage 'sheer strength can overcome any technique.'

Meanwhile, on a nearby hillside, Lin Hann and Lau Ruyan were engrossed in the unfolding battle. While Lau Ruyan seemed unfazed, it was Lin Hann's first time witnessing such an intense display of mutant combat. Lau Ruyan had explained various powers to him, but her descriptions paled in comparison to the spectacle before them.

As he watched, Lin Hann inquired, "Ms Yan, how did you know there would be a conflict here tonight?"

Lau Ruyan chuckled and remarked, "It's not about how I knew, but rather that I was the one who orchestrated this whole scene!"

As it turned out, Lau Ruyan, through the Lau family's intelligence network, learned that the eldest son of the Liu family had arrived in Hui City to handle a significant matter. She covertly had the Zhou family followed and leaked the information to another prominent family in Hui City – the Lee family – setting the stage for tonight's events.

The Lee family, a native Hui City lineage, had a history in the underworld, but it was Lee Haoxuan's father who gradually legitimized the family business, transitioning to legitimate enterprises. Now, much like the Zhou family, they were the second most influential force in Hui City, just behind the Ye family.

Upon discovering the Zhou family's secret dealings with the Liu family from the capital, Lee Haoxuan could not simply stand by. With the existing friction in Hui City's development, the prospect of the Zhou family gaining more power was unacceptable. As the adage goes, what the enemy desires, one must never allow them to obtain. Thus, Lee Haoxuan arrived tonight with his men, ready for action.

The conflict between the two factions had escalated to a fever pitch, with Zhou Mo's side gradually showing signs of defeat. Although the numbers on each side were comparable, the disparity in strength was clear.

At the moment Zhou Mo's group was on the brink of collapse, Liu Tianlin's side erupted with a brilliant Spiritual Energy Wave. A beam of light pierced the sky, revealing a jade plate adorned with peculiar patterns. Liu Tianlin snatched the jade plate and swiftly withdrew.

Lee Haoxuan, witnessing this, immediately set off in pursuit but was entangled once again by Zhou Mo. Frustrated, Lee Haoxuan bellowed in anger, resolving to first dispatch Zhou Mo before continuing the chase.

Meanwhile, Liu Tianlin, with the jade plate in hand, was retreating towards the slope where Lin Hann was positioned.

Lau Ruyan, eyeing the approaching Liu Tianlin, quickly devised a plan and said to Lin Hann, "I'll intercept him shortly. While I'm engaging him, you seize the opportunity to snatch his jade plate."

Lin Hann gave a nod of agreement.

As Liu Tianlin ascended the hill, a figure leapt out from behind a massive boulder and launched an attack without hesitation. Liu Tianlin, already vexed by the night's misfortunes and the unresolved threat of Lee Haoxuan looming behind him, grimaced with determination. He prepared to settle the confrontation swiftly.

Liu Tianlin thrust his right hand forward, sending a basketball-sized fireball hurtling towards Lau Ruyan. Yet, when it was about a meter in front of her, the fireball split into ten slender fire pillars, assaulting Lau Ruyan from various angles. From behind, Liu Tianlin's face broke into a smug grin. This was a unique skill developed by the Liu family, designed to catch opponents off guard with its abrupt transformations.

But in the blink of an eye, Liu Tianlin's smile solidified. Lau Ruyan nimbly dodged left and right, miraculously evading all ten fire pillars!

"Impossible! Who are you? How are you so adept at countering my Liu family's techniques?" Liu Tianlin exclaimed in disbelief.

Lau Ruyan, not yet ready to disclose her identity to the Liu family, remained silent. She refrained from using her abilities as well. Had she unleashed her power in the moment of Liu Tianlin's astonishment, she might have inflicted serious harm. However, she was aware that such an outcome was highly unlikely; Liu Tianlin surely had a life-saving artifact provided by his family's elders. Her strategy was to engage him in a drawn-out battle.

In the midst of their standoff, Lin Hann emerged from Liu Tianlin's shadow and landed a punch in his abdomen. With his left hand, he swiftly grabbed the jade plate at Liu Tianlin's waist, duplicating Liu Tianlin's abilities. Then, with a swift movement, he vanished into Lau Ruyan's shadow.

Seeing Lin Hann's successful maneuver, Lau Ruyan gestured to Liu Tianlin and swiftly retreated into the shadows.

Regaining his senses, Liu Tianlin felt a searing pain in his lower abdomen. He saw Lee Haoxuan had already shaken off Zhou Mo and, without pursuing Lau Ruyan, he too vanished into the night.

Upon realizing that Liu Tianlin's jade plate had been snatched mid-conflict, Lee Haoxuan ceased his pursuit. Instead, he turned to confront Zhou Mo and his companions. With Liu Tianlin gone, Zhou Mo let out a disdainful snort, "Crazy Lee, you're in for it! Today's not over yet!"

Zhou Mo signaled to an ally, who caught on immediately. Crossing his arms, the ally released a dense black mist that enveloped the more than twenty people gathered there.

The fog cleared quickly, but Zhou Mo and his companions had vanished. Lee Haoxuan recognized that they had taken advantage of the cover provided by the black fog to make their escape. With no other choice, he resigned himself to the situation and led his men back to Hui City.