Chapter 414: If You Don’t Court Death, You Won’t Die!

Jiang Shiliu calmly nodded, stepped away from the crowd, cleared his throat to draw everyone’s attention, then pointed angrily at Lin Xiao and shouted:

“Lin Xiao, don’t you think you’ve gone too far? These masters had no enmity or grudge with you, why did you strike so viciously?”

Even with Lin Xiao’s calm temperament, hearing Jiang Shiliu reverse black and white with such shamelessness left him momentarily stunned.

“What did you say?”

“You know exactly what I said! Master Xin had already admitted defeat, and yet you still struck mercilessly and knocked him out. And Master Zhong, you broke both his legs, and he’s still unconscious. Master Shan and Master Li, one had his arm broken, the other had both hands destroyed. They’ll never be able to practice martial arts again. You’re a martial artist yourself, how could you do something so cruel?!”

Jiang Shiliu spoke with righteous indignation, full of moral outrage. He nearly moved himself to tears.

Wan Caixuan turned her head aside. Jiang Shiliu’s hypocritical display made her feel nauseated. She was afraid that if she looked any longer, she might throw up.

“Well said, Young Master Jiang!”

“Brother Jiang, you’re absolutely right!”

“Lin Xiao, how could you be so heartless as to harm these masters like that!”

Scattered voices of praise rose from the crowd.

Aside from a handful of Jiang Shiliu’s loyal followers, most of those present wore strange expressions and remained silent. Jiang Shiliu’s performance was far too fake. Anyone with eyes could see through it.

“I thought you were shameless enough already, but clearly, I underestimated you.” Faced with Jiang Shiliu’s questioning, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but laugh. “So? What now?”

“So I’m going to have you arrested and handed over to the police.” Jiang Shiliu’s eyes widened as he roared, “Guards, seize him! If he resists, shoot to kill!”

At his command, the surrounding bodyguards sprang into action. All of them were well-trained. Having witnessed Lin Xiao’s skill earlier, they knew hand-to-hand combat wouldn’t work. So, they each drew pistols from their waists, slowly tightening their encirclement.

The guests quickly backed away again, and soon there was no one left near Lin Xiao and Wan Caixuan.

Jiang Shiliu sneered with satisfaction. “Lin Xiao, I advise you not to resist. Bullets don’t have eyes; losing your life wouldn’t be worth it.”

“While I’m standing here, none of you will lay a hand on him!”

Wan Caixuan’s brows arched sharply, her clear eyes shooting cold light. Her exquisite face was frosted with chilling anger.

The bodyguards, knowing Wan Caixuan’s identity, looked toward Jiang Shiliu for instructions.

Jiang Shiliu had already decided to tear all pretense aside with Wan Caixuan. He forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and said, “Miss Wan, this is between us and Lin Xiao. It has nothing to do with you. Please stay out of it.”

“Us? Who exactly is us?” Wan Caixuan’s voice was icy but melodious, like celestial music even in anger.

“Miss Wan, Lin Xiao injured the masters hired by the Golden Blade Agency. We must settle this account with him,” Nangong Hao stepped forward coldly. “If you insist on protecting him, then you’re making an enemy of us all.”

Wu Donglai also stepped forward. Facing Wan Caixuan’s sharp gaze, he looked hesitant but forced himself to speak, “Miss Wan, we’re all people of status, and you, especially, are of noble lineage. We don’t wish to oppose you. Just hand him over to us, and we’ll apologize afterward. Why take his side?”

Li Chengkun chimed in, “Miss Wan, please step aside. Is it worth falling out with us over a mere bodyguard?”

“I’ve taken note of the four of you.” Wan Caixuan exchanged a glance with Lin Xiao, then slowly stepped back. “One day, you will all regret what you’ve done today.”

Seeing her retreat, Jiang Shiliu thought she was backing down. His confidence swelled. He clasped his hands behind his back, chin lifted arrogantly.

“Lin Xiao, if you kneel now and beg for forgiveness, I might go easy on you.”

Lin Xiao stood where he was, hands at his sides, fingers lightly flexing. His expression remained calm and composed. Jiang Shiliu’s threats seemed to fall on deaf ears.

But deep in Lin Xiao’s pupils, a cold, ruthless glint flickered.

At that moment, the bodyguards closing in on Lin Xiao numbered over twenty. Each one a trained gunman. Though they were moving, their grip on their weapons was rock steady, muzzles locked firmly on target.

The moment Lin Xiao moved, they would pull their triggers without hesitation and fill him with lead.

These guards were extremely cautious. Even though Lin Xiao was alone, they still approached him with the utmost care. The one leading them barked sharply:

“Get on your knees! Hands on your head or we shoot!”

“Is that so? Ever heard this saying, ‘If you don’t court death, you won’t die’?”

Lin Xiao tilted his head toward the one who had spoken. His gaze was unreadably calm—an indifferent chill only found in those who had seen too much death and killing.

“Since you’re so eager to die… go ahead. Pull the trigger.”

His eyes alone froze the guard in place.

Deep. Dark. Filled with killing intent and destruction. Only a demon who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood could possess such terrifying eyes.

No one knew how much time passed—maybe seconds, maybe just a blink—before the guard suddenly shuddered and snapped back to awareness.

But what he saw next filled him with horror.

Somehow, Lin Xiao was already standing right in front of him. From Lin Xiao’s pitch-black pupils, he could even see his own reflection.

The guard’s soul nearly left his body. His scalp went numb. He moved to aim, his finger tightening on the trigger—

Before he could even aim, Lin Xiao kicked him in the chest. The guard flew backward, chest caved in, seven or eight ribs shattered. No one knew where his bullet ended up.

“Open fire!”

“Shoot!”

“Kill him!”

The other guards shouted different commands, but their meaning was the same. In an instant, over a dozen pistols flashed with muzzle fire. Bullets screamed across the air, forming a metal storm sweeping toward Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao ducked low, one hand on the ground. With a powerful kick, he shot forward at a speed invisible to the naked eye. In the blink of an eye, he burst free from the hail of bullets and appeared in front of another guard. One punch sent him flying.

Gunfire roared like firecrackers. It was deafening. But every bullet missed, striking the ground around where Lin Xiao had just been. The area was riddled with holes, but not a single shot touched him.

Lin Xiao slapped a guard so hard he spun 360 degrees midair, teeth mixed with blood flying out. His figure didn’t stop—like a phantom, he darted behind another guard and slammed into him with a shoulder blow.

The guard let out a miserable cry, flying seven or eight meters before collapsing motionless on the ground.