Chapter 123: Robbers Annihilated!

Lin Xiao was unaware of what the women were thinking. He was sprinting toward another hostage location. Although his pace was swift, his footsteps were barely audible.

When he got close to where the hostages were held. He sneaked inside the store, waving through the clothing racks, and saw the two remaining robbers hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

However, the earlier screams had put them on guard. The gang leader furrowed his brows and said to his subordinate, “Old Second, go check what’s happening with Old Forth.”

“Boss, it’s probably just Old Forth getting carried away. There are a bunch of women there, after all, and you know how he gets. If you ask me, we should have grouped them together. Why separate them?” said the robber with a lecherous grin.

“Group them? Sixty hostages, do you think we’re dealing with ants? Even if it were sixty ants, it wouldn’t be easy to manage. What if they get the idea to rebel because they outnumber us? If even one or two escape and inform the police about the situation inside, we’ll be in big trouble,” the gang leader coldly snorted. “It doesn’t matter now anyway, we just need a handful of them to ensure ourselves a smooth journey. Now, go and check.”

“Alright, Boss,” Old Second nodded and left for the other hostage location.

Lin Xiao watched Old Second’s retreating figure and carefully followed him. As he passed a corner, stepping out of everyone’s line of sight, he reverted to his old tactics.

A hand suddenly shot out from a blind spot in Old Second’s field of vision, its fingers curved like hooks, grabbing hold of Old Second’s neck. Lin Xiao didn’t even give him a moment to react and crushed the criminal’s neck on the spot.

Just then, a sound made Lin Xiao’s body go rigid.

“Old Second, wait a moment. I have something else to take care of,” the gang leader shouted from a short distance as if he had suddenly remembered something.

But the only response was silence.

The gang leader didn’t rise to his position among a group of lawless thugs by luck alone.

When he didn’t hear a response from Old Second and recalled the earlier screams, his face suddenly changed. Without a second thought, he picked up his assault rifle and began firing wildly around the corner.

The muzzle assault rifle spat out dazzling flames, its bullets spraying the corner like a tempest.

The moment the gang leader opened fire, a figure dashed out from around the corner, heading straight for him.

Since he’d already been discovered, Lin Xiao decided to go all in, charging at the gang leader to finish him off.

“Die!”

There was indeed someone around the corner, and this person was even bold enough to charge toward him. A flash of ferocity crossed his face as he decisively aimed his gun at Lin Xiao and began to fire wildly.

At the moment he pulled the trigger, the robber leader even envisioned Lin Xiao’s body being riddled with bullets. At such a close distance, it would be impossible to dodge the bullets unless one was Superman.

But he miscalculated.

Just as the robber leader raised his gun, Lin Xiao already sensed what was about to happen. Without hesitation, he lunged forward, diving low, then rolled forward and sprang back up again.

This series of movements flowed smoothly, executed with such speed that it almost left afterimages behind.

The bullets aimed at Lin Xiao all missed, leaving a dense pattern of holes in the door and walls. Lin Xiao was already up to the gang leader, landing an upward punch directly into the robber leader’s chest.

The gang leader was taken aback by Lin Xiao’s astonishing speed, taking a sharp inhale and stepping back. In haste, he lowered the submachine gun he was holding, trying to block Lin Xiao’s punch.

Bang!

A dull sound, almost like the collision of steel, echoed as Lin Xiao’s punch broke the barrel of the assault rifle. Bullets and parts scattered in all directions, and the force of his punch, still carrying momentum, slammed into the chest of the criminal.

The gang leader staggered back three steps before regaining his balance, his face twisted beneath his mask.

However, even though Lin Xiao had landed a punch on him, he neither fell to the ground nor lost his combat capabilities.

“Huh?” Lin Xiao was somewhat surprised that his punch hadn’t knocked down the robber. “Bulletproof vest?”

As his fist made contact with the robber, he felt something off and realized the man was wearing a bulletproof vest. The vest significantly reduced the impact of Lin Xiao’s punch. Otherwise, even a single punch would have been enough to incapacitate the robber.

Gasping for breath and grimacing at the pain in his chest, the robber leader fixed his eyes on Lin Xiao, “Who are you?”

He pulled out a handgun and a dagger, adopting a stance as if facing a formidable opponent.

Lin Xiao was still dressed in the robbers’ clothes, with a mask on his face. However, the gang leader was no fool. He already suspected that his own men were in grave danger, possibly taken out by the man standing before him.

Yet, more than anger, what filled his heart was fear.

Yes, it was fear.

The man who had always considered himself fearless now found himself unnerved by Lin Xiao. He sensed a bone-chilling aura, a killing intent honed through innumerable life-or-death battles.

Though the gang leader himself exuded a lethal vibe, compared to Lin Xiao’s aura, it felt as insignificant as a firefly against the brilliance of the moon.

“Who are you, really?” The gang leader gritted his teeth and demanded. “You can’t be police. They don’t have people like you.”

“True, I’m not a cop. But who I am doesn’t concern you.”

Lin Xiao glanced around, seeing that the hostages were watching them in a daze. “What are you all still doing here? Get out. Now.”

Awakened from their stupor, one hostage took the lead and headed for the stairs. The others followed in a chaotic rush, jostling and even fighting amongst themselves.

At this point, the gang leader couldn’t care less about the hostages. All his focus was on Lin Xiao, his nerves stretched taut. He had a sinking feeling that the slightest mistake would be his end.

“What happened to my men?” he asked, struggling to maintain his composure while quickly thinking of strategies.

“They’re dead. And you’re next,” Lin Xiao answered, reading his thoughts. “Any last words? Your men didn’t get the chance to say theirs.”

“Hmph!” The gang leader snorted, tearing off his mask to reveal a face marred with scars. “I’ll admit you’re strong. But do you think you have me cornered?”

“It’s not a matter of opinion. It’s a fact. You have no chance of surviving this,” Lin Xiao retorted, also removing his mask. His eyes were icy, emotionless. “You shouldn’t be here, and you definitely shouldn’t be killing innocents.”

“Killing innocents?” The gang leader burst into scornful laughter. “You’re accusing me? I bet more people have died by your hand than mine.”

“Maybe so. But every life I’ve taken was deservedly forfeited. Like yours will be.”

Lin Xiao stood with his body slightly bent and his back arched, reminiscent of a leopard ready to pounce on its prey. “The police will be here soon. Would you rather die in a hail of bullets from them, or by my hand?”

“You’re the one who’s going to die!”

In an instant, the gang leader let out a fierce yell and quickly raised his gun, firing several rounds at Lin Xiao.

With a slight sway, Lin Xiao evaded the incoming bullets. Pushing off the ground with the tip of his toes, he lunged forward, his fingers curled to grab the wrist holding the gang leader’s gun.

But just as Lin Xiao seized his wrist, the gang leader thrust a dagger from his other hand, aiming it at Lin Xiao’s waist.

Crazed murder filled the eyes of the gang leader, his face twisted in ferocity. He was willing to sacrifice a broken wrist to inflict a critical stab wound on Lin Xiao. However, for Lin Xiao, the leader’s speed was laughably slow, as if he were moving in slow motion.

A smirk crossed Lin Xiao’s face. In a flash, his left leg shot up like a whip, kicking the dagger out of the gang leader’s other hand.

The gang leader couldn’t help but release a muffled groan of pain as the hand that Lin Xiao kicked contorted unnaturally, clearly broken by the impact.

Once Lin Xiao initiated his offensive, he did not relent. He quickly closed the distance and launched a pair of fists squarely into the gang leader’s chest, his blows radiating immense force.

The gang leader was no match for the power at the peak of Lin Xiao’s martial prowess.

The force of the punches shattered the gang leader’s chest, emitting a gruesome sound of breaking bones. His body was hurled back as if hit by a speeding car, finally crashing into a wall and creating a deep dent. Dust cascaded down as his body slumped to the ground, his will to fight completely extinguished.

Blood gushed from his mouth, and the once-fierce light in his eyes dimmed. A look of utter disbelief remained on his face as his life ebbed away.

He could hardly fathom that he had been unable to withstand even a single punch from Lin Xiao.

“Incre… incredible,” he managed to gasp out, before his head slumped to the side, devoid of life.