Those words alone struck Bai Yunfei like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen and dumbstruck on the spot.
"Young Master Yunfei! It's terrible! The Young Mistress has been taken by the Loong Family people!!" Xiao Ning's frantic voice snapped him back to reality. His face darkened as he pulled the distraught girl into a quieter corner nearby. "Exactly what happened? Tell me everything, and do it calmly! I'll go rescue Meng'er immediately!"
Xiao Ning wiped her tears, her voice hitching with sobs. "This afternoon... the Young Mistress saw you hadn't come to find her... so... so she took me out onto the streets to look for you..."
"We didn't expect... to run into those Loong brothers, Loong Tao and Loong Tao, again... They... they brought two other men from the Loong Family with them... They were so strong, stronger than the Young Mistress..."
"They captured her... and told me to find you, Young Master Yunfei... They said... they said you must go to the Hidden Pleasure Pavilion at the north corner of the city... or else... the Young Mistress would..."
Xiao Ning, a clever girl despite her panic, quickly summarized the events clearly in just a few sentences. She stared at Bai Yunfei, her face etched with desperate urgency. "Young Master Yunfei, what do we do now?? The Young Mistress has been gone for nearly two hours already! You have to save her quickly!!"
Bai Yunfei's expression was grave, his brow deeply furrowed. He tried to force himself to be calm, but the anxiety churning within him was impossible to suppress, rising no matter how hard he fought it down.
"You wait right here. I'm going now! No matter what, I will rescue Meng'er!" He left these words hanging in the air and immediately turned, sprinting at full speed towards the northern corner of the city.
The Hidden Pleasure Pavilion stood on a relatively quiet, less prosperous street nestled in the city's northern corner. Despite its location, the building itself was expansive and lavishly decorated. The reason it was situated in such an obscure spot was simple: it wasn't open to the general public. It served as an exclusive entertainment venue reserved solely for the wealthy nobles of Cui Liu City, and its true owner was none other than the Loong Family.
Within the pavilion's spacious main hall, four men sat around a table, seemingly at ease as they drank wine and picked at dishes. Two were the familiar faces of Loong Tao and Loong Tao. The other two looked to be in their late twenties. They shared strikingly similar features – thick, prominent eyebrows, large eyes, and faces naturally set in fierce, intimidating expressions.
In one corner of the hall, a young woman sat sideways on a large, ornately carved and undoubtedly expensive chair. It was Liu Meng!
Her face was outwardly calm as she watched the four men drinking and chatting. Though her hands and feet weren't bound by ropes, she remained utterly motionless. It was clear she lacked the strength to move; her body seemed completely limp. She had likely been drugged with a special substance, rendering her paralyzed and unable to exert any control over her limbs.
Yunfei, why haven't you come yet... Liu Meng sighed silently within her heart. Her gaze drifted involuntarily towards the main entrance, a complex mix of hope, worry, and something else entirely flickering in her eyes.
"Eldest Cousin, when is that bastard going to show up? We've been waiting two hours already!" Loong Tao stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth, chewing impatiently as he glared towards the still-empty doorway.
"What are you panicking for? He might not have gotten the message yet. He'll come eventually. Let's eat, drink, and wait comfortably." The man opposite him, addressed as 'Eldest Cousin', took a deliberate swig from his wine bowl and spoke in a dismissively calm tone.
"Eldest Cousin, why did you send all the underlings away? Wouldn't it look more impressive, show more strength, with more people here?" Loong Tao glanced around the near-empty hall, his expression puzzled.
Eldest Cousin frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance crossing his fierce features. "What use are those useless lumps? The opponent is a Soul Warrior confirmed to be at the mid-stage Soul Warrior realm. Even if we had a hundred more of those weaklings here, they wouldn't make any difference! Besides," his voice lowered slightly, "too many people would just complicate our plan..."
"Boom!!"
A thunderous crash, like an explosion, violently cut off his words. Splinters of wood flew inward like shrapnel, carried on a powerful shockwave that swept through the hall. The heavy, double-leafed main doors of the pavilion had been completely shattered into fragments from the outside!
Bai Yunfei stepped slowly into the room through the ruined doorway, his face grim and stormy. His eyes swept the interior swiftly, methodically, and immediately landed on Liu Meng in the corner. He visibly relaxed a fraction, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little upon seeing she appeared physically unharmed.
His gaze snapped to the four men who had now leaped up from their seats, watching him with wary alertness, their previous ease replaced by tension. Bai Yunfei clenched his right fist, subtly shifting his stance to the optimal position for both attack and defense. His eyes flickered back to Liu Meng for an instant. "Meng'er, are you alright?"
"Hmph!" Before Liu Meng could even open her mouth to answer, the man called Eldest Cousin snorted derisively, cutting her off. His tone was thick with mockery. "Kid, so you're the Bai Yunfei this woman keeps talking about? Hah, you do have some guts, I'll give you that. Daring to come alone to rescue her? No wonder she trusts you so much. Hah! But did you really think you could just waltz in here and take her away all by yourself?"
Bai Yunfei's brow furrowed slightly at the interruption, but before he could retort, Liu Meng's voice, weak but clear, reached him. "Yunfei, be careful! These two," she managed to gesture feebly towards the Eldest Cousin and the man beside him, "one is mid-stage Soul Warrior, the other is early-stage!"
Eldest Cousin turned his head to look at Liu Meng, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "Heh, not bad. Immediately feeding him the most crucial information. But so what if he knows? Even at the mid-stage, the best he can hope for is a draw against me. With my younger brother and Loong Tao here as well," he gestured dismissively at the two, "do you seriously think he can take on three of us?"
He swiveled back to face Bai Yunfei, his expression one of amused contempt. He didn't make a move, seeming content to wait and see Bai Yunfei's reaction.
Bai Yunfei remained silent, his frown deepening as he studied the man before him intently. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and controlled. "Who are you within the Loong Family?"
Loong Tao, positioned at the very back of the group since he was the only ordinary person present, puffed out his chest arrogantly at the question. "Hmph! What's the matter? Scared now? I told you before, you can't mess with the Loong Family! These two," he pointed with exaggerated deference, "are my eldest cousin, Loong Tao Jia, and my second cousin, Loong Tao Yi! They came specifically to deal with an ignorant Soul Warrior like you who dares to look down on our family!"
Bai Yunfei's cheek twitched slightly. Given the dire circumstances, he didn't have the mental space to dwell on the absurdity of the newly arrived cousins' names – Loong Tao Jia (Loong Set False) and Loong Tao Yi (Loong Set Remember). It seemed this Loong Family had an unusual, almost obsessive, dedication to the promising profession of 'cannon fodder'.
He remained silent for another beat, then spoke again, his tone unexpectedly conciliatory, almost like he was proposing a deal. "Regarding the incident a couple of days ago... I can apologize. Let me take her away, and we can all pretend this never happened. How about that?"
The man standing at the far left of the group, Loong Tao, stared at Bai Yunfei, his eyes bulging comically wide as if Bai Yunfei had suddenly sprouted a second head. A scornful laugh burst from him. "Are you joking?! Do you really think you're in any position to negotiate terms right now? I'm telling you..."
His gloating words were abruptly cut short. A flash of fierce intensity sparked in Bai Yunfei's eyes. His right hand shot out, and the Fiery Point Spear materialized instantly within his grasp. Simultaneously, he stomped his foot and launched an attack without the slightest warning!
Loong Tao hadn't even finished his sentence when a wave of searing heat slammed into his face. The crimson spear tip was already inches from his throat! Panic flared in his eyes as he instinctively tried to stumble backward.
"Look out!" Loong Tao Jia, positioned beside Loong Tao, reacted with startling speed. His shout of warning coincided with a swift movement of his leg. He hooked his foot under a nearby square stool and kicked it upwards with force, sending it spinning directly into the path of the oncoming spear.
Thunk! The spear tip sank deep into the wooden stool. In the same instant, Bai Yunfei's wrist flicked with a subtle, practiced twist. A burst of fiery light erupted from the spearhead, accompanied by a sharp crack! The sturdy stool exploded into a shower of flaming splinters and burning fragments, scattering violently across the floor!
The three Soul Warriors among the four reacted with impressive speed. The moment Loong Tao Jia kicked the stool, they had already begun retreating hastily. By the time the burning debris rained down, they were several meters away, their faces pale with shock and disbelief as they stared at the smoldering wreckage on the floor.
"Soul Armament!!" Loong Tao Jia gasped, his voice laced with sudden apprehension. His eyes were fixed on the Fiery Point Spear in Bai Yunfei's hand, filled with deep wariness.
Bai Yunfei, however, didn't press his advantage after the explosive strike. He held his ground, the spear leveled steadily. Internally, he felt a flicker of relief – the first strike using the Triple Thrust technique had unexpectedly triggered the spear's explosive effect. His face remained an impassive mask as he locked eyes with the four men. "I'll say it one last time. Let me take her away. We forget this ever happened."
Loong Tao Jia stared back, the wariness in his gaze intensifying. He waved his hand sharply, signaling the ordinary Loong Tao to retreat further into the background. Then, he exchanged a quick, meaningful glance with the other two Soul Warriors flanking him. A cold, predatory smile spread across his face as he addressed Bai Yunfei. "Hah! Think having a high-grade Soul Armament makes you invincible? Arrogant fool! Since you've walked through that door today, don't expect to walk out unscathed! Hand over that spear willingly, let us brothers teach you a proper lesson, and we might just let you crawl out of here alive."
He paused for a fraction of a second, as if considering, then added with a taunting lilt, "Or how about this? If you can somehow beat all three of us, then we'll admit defeat and leave you alone. What do you say?"
Bai Yunfei's brow furrowed deeper. His eyes narrowed slightly as he rapidly assessed the situation. Damn it! I can't kill them. If I do, the entire Loong Family will descend on me like a swarm. I can't handle that kind of power right now. What to do? The Fiery Point Spear is potent, but against three opponents simultaneously... I can't guarantee victory. And if I use it lethally... He watched the three Soul Warriors begin to fan out slowly, preparing to encircle him. No more time for hesitation. I have no choice!
He retracted the Fiery Point Spear in a fluid motion, storing it away. Simultaneously, he pushed off hard with his back foot, propelling himself forward like an arrow released from a bow, charging straight at Loong Tao Jia.
"You want a fight? Then let's fight!"