Chapter 182: Time to End This

After the explosion from the sewer, the scene was a complete mess. Dust, broken cement, and scattered debris were everywhere. Xiao Yu released the child, who was crying hysterically in his arms, and looked toward the elderly worker. She sat on the ground, looking completely terrified, as if he had been scared out of his wits.

Xiao Yu’s gaze shifted again, activating his Eagle’s Eye ability… but unfortunately, there was nothing.

Nothing unusual. No suspicious figures.

It was as if everything that had just happened was a mere coincidence, just an accident.

At the same time, a convoy of black SUVs came roaring toward the scene, like a pack of beasts. As the doors flung open, Wang Dong led a large group of security personnel, rushing over.

Xiao Yu lay on the ground, eyes closed.

‘It wasn’t a coincidence… someone is trying to kill me!’

“Did I step on someone’s tail?” Xiao Yu chuckled to himself, murmuring, “Are you guys afraid now?”

“How are you holding up?” Wang Dong’s concerned voice called out from above.

“Not dead yet.” 

Xiao Yu opened his eyes and sat up. Not only was he alive, but he was also virtually unscathed.

“But…” Glancing at the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, Xiao Yu grinned. “This one wasn’t a loss.”

‘What the hell do you mean, ‘not a loss’? Are you a middle schooler?’ 

Wang Dong stared at Xiao Yu, eyes wide. “It was them?”

“Yeah,” Xiao Yu nodded. “Who else could use accidents to kill people? It’s definitely them.”

Wang Dong glanced around the blast site. A shiver ran down his spine as his scalp tingled with fear. That kind of terrifying explosion—even a small bomb couldn’t have achieved it.

And yet… the little brother somehow survived this blast unharmed?

“How did you do it?” Wang Dong couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“Just lucky,” Xiao Yu shrugged. “At that moment, I had a sudden gut feeling and dodged.”

Wang Dong thought about it for a moment and nodded. Sixth sense wasn’t unheard of. Animals had a much stronger ability to sense danger than humans. Even he had experienced a few moments where he had bad feelings during dangerous situations.

“It’s time to show off my skills, like punching through a daycare in Beihai.” 

Xiao Yu slowly stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.

Wang Dong, “???”

Ever since he had met Xiao Yu, he felt like he was being dragged down a path of no return by his strange sense of humor.

“This is it,” Xiao Yu raised his hand, pointing at the orphanage ahead. “A bunch of orphans.”

He wasn’t insulting anyone.

Wang Dong narrowed his eyes. 

“They’re all orphans?”

“Yeah,” Xiao Yu nodded. “Pretty much. Let’s start investigating.”

When it came to national security officers conducting an investigation, things moved fast. Every child who had been in contact with the female assassin Guan Yue, as well as anyone connected to the orphanage, was immediately put under suspicion.

***

Night fell, and inside the orphanage, the team was bustling with activity as they conducted their investigation.

Outside the orphanage, though, Xiao Yu sat on the curb by the road. A cigarette hung from his mouth as he stared off into space, lost in thought.

How exactly did the killers pull this off?

Accidents, by their very nature, are tough to control. While it’s true that many accidents are caused by human error, controlling one? That’s nearly impossible.

But one thing was clear. The assassin group had their sights on him.

Take now, for instance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Yu noticed an elderly man hunched over, walking slowly with the help of a cane, shuffling closer and closer.

As the old man neared Xiao Yu, his cane lifted ever so slightly—seemingly innocuous, until the tip was suddenly thrust in Xiao Yu’s direction.

Click—the cane revealed a hidden blade.

“Heh,” Xiao Yu chuckled, shaking his head. 

He already stood before the attack landed.

Bam! His fist struck the old man squarely in the chest and abdomen.

“Ugh…” 

The elderly man bent over. He gasped for air, his mouth wide open in pain. But in his mouth were two rows of perfectly healthy, youthful teeth.

Crack! Xiao Yu’s hands shot forward. He gripped the old man’s face and jaw and gave a sharp twist. With a single motion, he dislocated the man’s jaw, leaving him unable to close his mouth.

In one swift move, Xiao Yu activated his Bear’s Strength. He lifted his leg and slammed it into the old man’s shin at an angle.

Snap! 

Both of the old man’s legs broke under the kick.

The man screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground. Xiao Yu grabbed him by both shoulders and gave them a hard twist.

Crack! 

Both of the old man’s arms were dislocated.

The man lay on the ground, completely immobilized.

Xiao Yu’s foot pressed down on the man’s neck. Not to crush it, but to pin him down and prevent him from moving.

At last, Xiao Yu crouched down, reaching into the old man’s mouth and fishing around.

He pulled out a fake tooth.

“Whew!” Xiao Yu exhaled deeply, a grin spreading across his face.

Finally, a live one.

He knew the assassin group was gunning for him. Did they really think he’d just sit around waiting for them to strike? Ever heard of fishing for a target?

“Do you have a death wish or something?” Wang Dong walked over with his team, giving his little brother a complicated look. 

His eyes were locked on the fake tooth in Xiao Yu’s hand. As for the “old man”—he wasn’t actually an old man at all, just a young guy in disguise. Two national security officers dragged him off like a dead dog.

No need to say it, they all knew what fate awaited him. As long as he was alive, if he knew anything, he’d spill it.

“I know.” Xiao Yu turned to Wang Dong, smirking. “It’s been almost half a month since I left. I miss my wife. I wanna get home soon.”

Wang Dong went silent. He knew exactly what was on Xiao Yu’s mind. After all, he’s a guy too. 

The pull of love… how many heroes throughout history have been ensnared by it, unable to escape until it led them to their end?

Seeing Wang Dong’s expression, Xiao Yu almost laughed. He knew his brother was misunderstanding. Sure, he missed his sister and his home, but Xiao Yu was the type of guy who, across both his lifetimes, hated being away from familiar places. He wasn’t a fan of wandering around aimlessly. Except for his time in police academy, this was his first time being away from home for half a month straight.

***

The fake tooth was sent for testing.

Inside, they found Belcher’s sea snake venom—definitely an assassin.

In just two hours, they got everything out of the killer—his identity and everything he knew.

That’s how efficient they were.

“Du Qinming, 25 years old, an orphan… code name ‘Card 8.’ According to his confession, he’s just a small fry in the killer group. From 2 to A, they’re all nobodies. Basically, they’re just tools trained by the Joker. The Little Joker… was the old head of the orphanage. As for the Big Joker… even they didn’t know who he was. Nobody’s ever seen him. And those so-called accidental deaths? They weren’t the work of the Little Joker… they were the Big Joker’s doing!

After Wang Dong finished speaking, he looked over at Xiao Yu.

“Well then…” Xiao Yu started walking toward a police car, “Let’s go meet this ‘Little King’.”

He was sick of playing the role of a pawn. 

It was time to put an end to this.