Chapter 41
When Jiang Liu and the others returned to the Maze Hall, Chen Ping was waiting for them with a grim expression. Their group of ten had been whole when they started, but now only a few remained. Jiang Liu’s side was in good shape; apart from Yang Caisi, who had vanished midway, the other four, along with Zhu Yan, stood before Chen Ping in a neat line.
In contrast, Chen Ping himself, though disheveled, had no major injuries. The same couldn’t be said for the two behind him. It was unclear what they had encountered, but their calves were drenched in blood, a horrifying sight to behold. The sheer presence of Jiang Liu and her group gave them an immediate upper hand.
She assessed the injuries of the two men opposite her and let out a chuckle. “Mr. Chen, you’re quite capable. Even with a map in hand, you managed to lead two of your men to be disabled.”
As she spoke, she began to applaud, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Yet her eyes were bright and clear, as if she were offering genuine praise. Zhang Xiaochen, standing behind her, stifled a laugh, thoroughly impressed by Jiang Liu’s knack for taunting people.
Hearing this, Chen Ping flew into a rage, his face darkening as he glared at her. “What about Old Three and Xiao Ya? What did you do to them?”
He was likely referring to the two unlucky souls she had knocked unconscious. Jiang Liu shrugged nonchalantly, a half-smile playing on her lips. “What do you think?”
Chen Ping snorted, his eyes red with anger. He looked ready to roll up his sleeves and start a fight, which earned a derisive snort from Zhang Xiaochen.
Emboldened by Jiang Liu’s presence, he let loose a string of his usual reckless taunts and curses, even beckoning provocatively with his finger. “I’m not afraid of you. You’ve got the guts to play dirty, so why not have a proper fight!”
Chen Ping sneered, barely glancing at him as if he were beneath notice. He then turned to stare at Jiang Liu for a long moment before spinning around and re-entering the maze, presumably to rescue his teammates.
Zhang Xiaochen was incensed by his dismissive look. If Zhao Ziming hadn’t held him back, he would have rushed forward to trade a few blows.
“That’s enough. Getting some rest is more important,” Jiang Liu said, casting a cool glance his way. It wasn’t an order, but her single sentence was enough to make Zhang Xiaochen calm his anger and nod repeatedly.
“But…” Zhao Ziming scratched his head and leaned closer to Jiang Liu, whispering, “The look in that guy’s eyes was off. Do you think he has some trick up his sleeve waiting for us?”
Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow. “Whatever trick he has, it won’t be enough to stop me.”
They were arrogant words, yet they didn’t sound out of place coming from her. Her unnervingly calm expression made her strangely convincing. Zhao Ziming gave her a thumbs-up and was about to lead the way out when one of the injured men behind them suddenly shouted, not at him, but at Zhu Yan.
“Zhu Yan, you traitor! Brother Chen was trying to help you get points, and you just up and leave with someone else?”
The two men were clearly blinded by pain, their words exceptionally harsh. The silent Zhu Yan flinched, as if unsure how to face them.
Jiang Liu scoffed and turned back to look at them calmly. Her gaze drifted meaningfully to their injured calves, her tone less of a challenge and more like a piece of advice.
“Is someone who holds a map but doesn’t trust you enough to let you see it really worthy of your trust?”
Zhu Yan had already told them. Aside from Old Three and Xiao Ya, who were acting alone and had a copy, he and the other two had never even been allowed a glimpse of the map. If not for that, these two might not have been so badly injured.
The two men were visibly taken aback and opened their mouths as if to defend themselves, but Jiang Liu had already turned away and was striding off without a moment’s hesitation.
***
It was just past one in the morning when they left the arcade. The streets were sparsely populated, with most people still inside various establishments. Only the streetlights flickered intermittently, casting the road in a shifting pattern of light and shadow.
Contrary to their expectations, the journey back to the hotel was remarkably peaceful, with no sign of the ambush or pursuit they had anticipated. Xu Meng had been on edge the entire way, terrified of holding the others back. When she finally saw the familiar sign of the hotel in the distance, she let out a long sigh, her heart finally settling.
“We’re finally safe for the night,” she said, patting her dust-covered hair. She was about to ask Jiang Liu about their plans for the next day when a hand suddenly shot out from nowhere and gave her a hard shove.
Xu Meng cried out in alarm and whipped her head around, but her vision went black. The next thing she knew, her body was lifted into the air, and she was being carried off at a sprint, slung over someone’s shoulder.
The change happened in an instant. Jiang Liu, with her quick reflexes, reached out to grab her but was inadvertently tripped by Zhang Xiaochen, who had rushed forward to help. She stumbled, and by the time she regained her balance, Xu Meng had already been thrown into a sack and whisked away.
“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to!” Zhang Xiaochen looked ashen, not expecting to have caused such a problem for Jiang Liu, and quickly apologized.
Jiang Liu shook her head, her expression turning grave as she took off after the figure carrying Xu Meng. “Chase them.”
Xu Meng wasn’t like the two men with her. The girl was timid by nature, and if she ran into something she couldn’t handle, it would be disastrous. Jiang Liu pressed her lips together and quickened her pace.
The person who had taken Xu Meng was swift and agile. Judging by their running form, they had some kind of athletic background, perhaps in sports or track and field. They were very familiar with the area, avoiding the brightly lit main streets and instead ducking into unlit side alleys. Like a cat, they made a series of sharp turns and soon disappeared into a dark lane.
The area was pitch-black and seemed uninhabited. It was a stark contrast to the comfortable, modern hotel, feeling desolate with its simple, single-story houses that looked like they hadn’t seen a visitor in ages. The ground was littered with dead branches and leaves. Jiang Liu switched on her flashlight and scanned the area, understanding that this was aimed at her.
In a place like this, a person could die and not be discovered for weeks. She instinctively licked her dry lips, then whistled and called out, “I have the Team Kit. If you have the guts, come for me.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a soft rustling sound came from all around her. It was the sound of footsteps on fallen leaves, which for Jiang Liu, served as an excellent locator. She snorted, and just as someone approached, she spun around and kicked out, using their momentum against them.
The person grunted, clearly having taken a heavy fall, and then suddenly shouted, “Get her together!”
From the sound of it, there were four or five people. Jiang Liu cracked her knuckles and, instead of retreating, charged straight into the group.
Chen Ping’s men were baffled. “??????”
Who in their right mind would rush to get a beating?
Facing a target like Jiang Liu for the first time, they were caught completely off guard. By the time they reacted, she was already upon them, throwing punches at their faces without a word. The sound of fists meeting flesh filled the air. When Zhao Ziming and Zhu Yan arrived, dragging the latter along, they were met with the stunning sight of Jiang Liu taking on five opponents at once.
It was the first time Zhu Yan had witnessed Jiang Liu’s prowess. He was so shocked his mouth hung open, and he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.
Zhao Ziming slapped him on the back of the head. “Don’t just stand there gawking. Find a place to hide.”
With that, he happily ran to join the fray.
With two more joining the fight, the pressure on the other side mounted. Jiang Liu caught a glimpse of the person who had first abducted Xu Meng steadily retreating, likely planning to flee now that things had gone south. She raised an eyebrow, pushed off a nearby wall, and pinned the man to the ground.
“Where’s Xu Meng?”
The man’s face went white with pain. He pointed a trembling finger in one direction. “In the car. I’ll take you there.”
He hastily pressed a key fob, and the lights of a nearby parked car flashed twice. Jiang Liu hauled the man to his feet and headed straight for it.
Chen Ping just wanted to get the kit back and teach her a lesson; he wouldn’t go so far as to harm other players. Xu Meng was merely knocked out but otherwise fine. The thugs were preparing to retreat when Zhao Ziming shouted, “Sister Jiang, don’t let them go! We can report them to Brother Gao!”
Although such transactions were practically done in the open, it didn’t mean The System fully condoned them. As long as they could catch the culprits, reporting them would have an effect. Of course, it was rare for anyone to be able to turn the tables like this.
At the mention of being reported, the man in Jiang Liu’s grasp panicked and struggled to escape, but she held him firmly in place. He continued to struggle, and Jiang Liu frowned in annoyance when she suddenly heard a scream.
It came from Zhang Xiaochen’s direction.
Though he was a coward, he came from a rough background and wouldn’t cry out so shamefully. Jiang Liu’s heart tightened, and her grip on the man slackened for a moment. In that instant, the man on the ground seized his chance, scrambled to his feet, and fled.
Watching his pathetic escape, Jiang Liu pressed her lips together but ultimately decided not to give chase, instead rushing to Zhang Xiaochen’s side in a few quick steps.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes scanning him. Someone had pulled a knife, and a wound on Zhang Xiaochen’s arm was bleeding.
He was drenched in a cold sweat from the pain but managed a weak smile. “It’s a small wound. Nothing serious.”
“Too bad they got away,” Zhang Xiaochen sighed, sounding a little disappointed.
Jiang Liu didn’t think much of it. As long as everyone was safe, it didn’t matter if they escaped.
Zhang Xiaochen seemed embarrassed, clutching his injured arm and remaining silent. He even stopped Zhao Ziming when he tried to apply medicine. After all the commotion, it was nearly two-thirty in the morning by the time they got back to the hotel. Zhu Yan’s room was on the seventh floor, so he said his goodbyes and got off the elevator first. Zhao Ziming, carrying the sleeping Xu Meng, yawned.
“No rest even after leaving an instance. When will these days ever end?”
Normally, Zhang Xiaochen would have chimed in with a complaint or two, but tonight he was unusually silent, his head bowed in a daze, lost in thought. The elevator dinged softly and the doors opened. Jiang Liu took Xu Meng and helped her into her room. After making sure everything was settled, she turned off the light and left, surprised to see that Zhang Xiaochen next door hadn’t gone to bed yet, his door ajar.
The lights in his room were off. From her angle, she could only see him sitting on the bed, tapping away at his phone. The dim light from the screen illuminated his face, and his expression was grim.
Got injured and now his pride is wounded?
A flicker of doubt rose in Jiang Liu’s mind. This didn’t seem like Zhang Xiaochen’s usual character. But it was late, so she didn’t linger, turning and entering her own room.
Only after hearing the click of the lock did Zhang Xiaochen on the bed slowly toss his phone aside. He grabbed some gauze and haphazardly wrapped his wound, casting a subtle glance toward the door before closing it and preparing to rest.