Chapter 24: Beauty in His Arms, The Grandmaster Approaches

"Alright! Follow me!" Linghu Xin, seeing that Jiang Chen was willing to help her mother, nodded in pleasant surprise, stood up, and led the way.

"Wait!" Chu Yan hurriedly called out to Jiang Chen, her pretty face etched with worry. "Jiang Chen, don't be impulsive!"

Although she hadn't clearly seen how Jiang Chen had fought earlier, she assumed he had only won by picking up the pieces and taking advantage of the situation. The tall, burly man had been severely injured after Linghu Xin blinded him, and the other three had been bleeding from wounds inflicted by Linghu Xin, Lü Ying, and Yao Bing. Otherwise, given Jiang Chen’s meager martial arts skills, it would have been impossible for him to defeat them. The tall man had explicitly stated that the leader of their Blood Scale Mercenary Group was a Martial Arts Grandmaster who had already gone to kill the Black Widow, the head of the Linghu Sect. It was even less likely that Jiang Chen could capitalize on the situation again; he might even lose his life in the process!

"Yanyan, if he wants to go and die, let him. This guy is a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong. When he sees enemies with weapons, he runs away, but when he sees enemies who are injured and bleeding, he jumps out to play the hero!" Yao Bing, thinking she had seen through Jiang Chen’s petty motives, sneered with disdain. "Even if a Martial Arts Grandmaster and an opponent fight to mutual destruction, it’s not something a loser like him can exploit! A simple release of internal energy would be enough to kill him without a trace!"

Yao Bing was confident that once Jiang Chen heard how terrifying a Martial Arts Grandmaster was, he wouldn't dare show off in front of Linghu Xin anymore.

"Miss Linghu, let's hurry," Jiang Chen said, filtering out Yao Bing's nonsense and urging Linghu Xin onward. If the leader of the Blood Scale Mercenary Group killed the Black Widow and escaped, there would be even more trouble later.

Linghu Xin didn't know what internal conflicts existed between Jiang Chen, Chu Yan, and Yao Bing. Her priority was helping her mother, so she led Jiang Chen out of the private room and headed straight for the top floor.

"Jiang Chen!" Chu Yan shouted anxiously as she watched him leave.

"Yanyan, this guy is a coward. He’s just putting on a show for us. I guarantee that once he’s out of this room, he’ll be the first to run!" Yao Bing stated confidently. She didn't believe Jiang Chen would throw his life away just to look cool.

On the top floor of the Linghu Clubhouse, the once-luxurious conference room was in shambles. The conference table was riddled with holes, and the walls were cracked, a testament to the ferocity of the battle. Cao Moling, the "Black Widow" and head of the Linghu Sect, stood in the center of the broken room with Blood Scale, the leader of the Blood Scale Mercenary Group. The clash between the two Martial Arts Grandmasters had already been decided.

Cao Moling’s beautiful face was devoid of color. Her shoulders, arms, and waist were covered in bloody claw marks, and fresh blood dripped from her trembling hands onto the floor. She looked wretched. Opposite her, Blood Scale’s hands were stained with her blood. His iron-tower-like physique showed no injuries, save for blood-smeared prints on his clothes and dust-covered footprints.

"Black Widow, I have to admit, your combat power is truly impressive. With your strength as an early-stage Martial Arts Grandmaster, to have held out against a mid-stage Martial Arts Grandmaster for this long—even in death, you should be proud!" Blood Scale looked at the blood on his hands and sneered at Cao Moling.

"Even if I die, I will tear a piece of flesh off you!" Cao Moling said with a fierce expression, showing no fear of death.

"Hahaha, such character. I like it!" Blood Scale laughed instead of getting angry. "Black Widow, I’ve changed my mind. If you submit to me and become my woman, I can spare your life and leave the Linghu Sect intact!"

The clothes on Cao Moling’s shoulders, arms, and waist were shredded, exposing her fair, tender skin, which contrasted sharply with the long, bloody claw marks. This sight filled Blood Scale with a sadistic thrill and a desire for conquest.

"You want me to become your plaything? Does a stray dog like you even deserve that?" Cao Moling looked down on him with the disdain of a queen.

The smile on Blood Scale’s face froze, and his expression turned ferocious. "You ungrateful wretch!" he hissed. "When I strip you bare and pin you down, I’ll see if your mouth is still so sharp!"

"Boom!" Before he finished speaking, Blood Scale lunged at Cao Moling. His right hand, wrapped in internal energy, tore through the air as his five fingers clawed toward her neck.

Cao Moling had very little internal energy left. Her speed and strength were inferior to Blood Scale's, so she didn't waste her energy dodging prematurely. She prepared to use stillness to counter motion, waiting for a chance to strike back. As his hand reached her, she dodged violently to the left. His hand missed, the whistling wind from the strike whipping her hair into a frenzy. She suddenly raised her right leg, gathering her remaining internal energy into her foot, and delivered a vicious kick toward his crotch.

"Bang!" Blood Scale had anticipated this. He slapped her calf away with his left hand and used his right hand like a blade, slashing into the wound on her right shoulder.

"Ah..." Cao Moling groaned in pain, stumbling backward.

"Bang! Splat!" Blood Scale pressed his advantage, kicking her in the stomach. Cao Moling was sent flying, crashing into the conference room door as she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Just as Linghu Xin arrived at the door with Jiang Chen, she saw her mother come flying toward them, spitting blood.

"Mother!" Linghu Xin screamed in terror. She tried to rush forward to catch her, but the movement aggravated her own wounds, forcing her to her knees.

Jiang Chen instinctively reached out. Cao Moling crashed into his arms. As he neutralized the kinetic force from her impact, he felt a strange, willow-like resilience. Cao Moling had braced herself for a secondary impact, but she found herself caught in a strong, firm embrace that gave her an unusual sense of security.

When Linghu Xin saw Jiang Chen catch her mother and set her down, her eyes were filled with gratitude, but seeing her mother covered in wounds filled her with heartache and worry.

"Young man, thank you!" Cao Moling, a person who clearly distinguished between friends and enemies, thanked Jiang Chen.

"No need for thanks. I’ll kill this brat in a moment and show you the price of not submitting to me!" Blood Scale interrupted, his voice dripping with murderous intent.

"Are you the leader of the Blood Scale Mercenary Group?" Jiang Chen asked, confirming his identity.

"Hm? Kid, do you know me?" Blood Scale’s eyes narrowed as he re-examined Jiang Chen.

"I only have one question: who hired the Blood Scale Mercenary Group to deal with Chu Yan?" Jiang Chen asked directly.

"Chu Yan? So you’re a man hired by the Chu family? But why should I tell you?" Blood Scale chuckled.

"Because your life is in my hands. Speak, or die," Jiang Chen said coldly, as if discussing something trivial.

"Hahaha... interesting! Even the Black Widow wouldn't dare say such things. What kind of low-life are you to speak to me like that?" Blood Scale roared with laughter, already treating Jiang Chen like a corpse.

"Xin'er, what is this young man's strength?" Cao Moling took the opportunity to whisper to Linghu Xin, knowing this would determine whether they fought or fled.

"Mother, he is a high-stage Martial Arts Master!" Linghu Xin replied, stating her guess.

"Run! The opponent is a mid-stage Martial Arts Grandmaster!" Cao Moling exclaimed.

"What?! A mid-stage Martial Arts Grandmaster?!" Linghu Xin turned deathly pale. The three of them combined wouldn't be a match for him!

"Only now finding out? Too late! Kid, I’m taking your life!" Blood Scale grinned, his body lunging forward like a cannonball, his fist enveloped in internal energy as he struck toward Jiang Chen.