C20 The Suction Force of a Bloody Mouth

Zheng Hann, who had collapsed onto the muddy ground, turned around in shock to find that the men in black who had been propping him up had already retreated several steps in unison, leaving him alone and sprawled out in front.

Incredulous, Zheng Hann glared at the men in black now distanced from him and burst out in a furious tirade, "You worthless lot! I've paid you a fortune, and you dare abandon me as expendable bait at the first sign of trouble?"

The men in black, as if struck by a sudden realization that self-preservation trumps loyalty, especially when disaster looms, had scattered. After all, what good is a patron's wealth if one isn't alive to enjoy it?

Some of the men in black, unable to contain their frustration at Zheng Hann's menacing demeanor, stepped forward to confront him. "You think the pittance you paid us is worth our lives? You're delusional," one of them spat out.

"Yeah, that's right, Young Master Zheng. The job's done; it's time we report back," chimed in a few others, unable to resist backing up their comrade.

Watching the turncoats before him, Zheng Hann's anger surged. He was about to unleash a fresh wave of curses when a sensation like being ensnared by a slick, icy serpent abruptly halted his thoughts.

Amidst the heated exchange, they had all seemingly overlooked Ho Lee, who stood still and silent before them.

Ho Lee, listening to the cowards before him, felt a wave of disgust wash over him. He longed for nothing more than for these irritants to close their mouths for good.

In that instant, Ho Lee sensed a voice within him, insistently whispering, luring him with its siren call, "Swallow them all... Swallow them all..."

The voice, hypnotic in its cadence, seemed to bewitch Ho Lee, drowning out the cacophony around him as it swelled in intensity within his heart.

Amidst the quarrel between Zheng Hann and the men in black, Ho Lee was acutely aware that the persistent voice was the deep-seated yearning of the symbiotic dragon within.

Without a trace of internal conflict or displeasure, Ho Lee's heart harbored a burgeoning bloodlust. Observing the ongoing dispute between Zheng Hann and the men in black, he silently and deliberately advanced toward the raucous group.

In the midst of a heated argument with his black-clad henchman, Zheng Hann's peripheral vision caught Ho Lee steadily advancing toward them. Turning to face the smiling Ho Lee, Zheng Hann was struck by a foreboding sense of dread.

With a sudden surge of energy, Zheng Hann's previously weak legs propelled him into a desperate sprint toward the other side of the forest. Driven by what seemed to be an uncannily accurate sixth sense, his survival instincts kicked in, and he quickly put a considerable distance between himself and the danger, never once glancing back.

Ho Lee, closing in on the group, cast a chilling glance into the distance. He remained silent, making no move to pursue Zheng Hann, and continued his relentless approach toward the men in black.

Frozen in place, the men in black who had been bickering with Zheng Hann now stared at the formidable Ho Lee. A shiver ran down their spines, their eyes wide with horror. Some, sensing the impending threat, made a break for it.

Ho Lee, however, was not about to let the men in black off easily. Silently, he commanded, "Activate Dark Devouring."

No sooner had the words crossed his mind than a formidable Black Flood Dragon leapt out from behind him. The agile creature landed on the ground, and within moments, its gaping maw opened wide as pitch-black voids materialized before their eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the hollow space transformed into a massive black hole, unleashing a staggering suction force. The man in black, too slow to flee, was instantly swallowed by the void. Even the one who had turned to escape was relentlessly consumed by the overwhelming pull.

"What in the world is that?" cried a man in black, straining with all his might to escape. Despite his efforts, he found himself trapped within the grasp of the inexorable suction.

Then, in a fleeting moment of misstep, the man in black hesitated. That split-second pause was all it took for him to be devoured by the black hole.