Chapter 108 Partners

"I'd like to see how tough you really are." The man turned around and picked up the rusty iron bucket, suspicious flocculent matter floating on the surface of the murky liquid.

As the polluted water mixed with coarse salt poured down, Ji Xian's taut back slammed against the rack.

A hoarse gasp escaped from his throat.

The man admired Ji Xian's convulsing fingers: "You only need to answer three questions for me, and I'll stop, and our Jiaxing base will welcome you to join us."

Ji Xian didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

The man suddenly leaned down, the ring digging heavily into Ji Xian's open wound: "A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on..."

Blood dripped from the ring: "Why not stay at our Chiayi City base instead of following those nameless nobodies?"

Ji Xian suddenly chuckled, the chains rattling as he leaned forward: "Alright..."

The next second, a sharp earthen spike erupted from Ji Xian's palm, piercing straight into the man's temple, while another earthen spike shot out, heading straight for his eardrum!

The man was prepared. He retreated rapidly, and golden light flashed in his palm, forming a barrier that forcefully blocked the earth spikes.

The soil clods crumbled, and debris fell to the ground in a flurry.

"A piece of trash with only level one superpower, trying to sneak up on me?" The man sneered.

A short knife appeared in his palm: "You ungrateful bastard!"

The short knife plunged deep into Ji Xian's shoulder blade, the tip slowly twisting against the bone, blood gushing out from the groove.

The man leaned closer, his voice chilling: "Now, have you thought it through?"

Ji Xian's muscles tensed with pain, cold sweat mixed with blood dripping down his face, but he still managed to twitch the corner of his mouth, lift his eyelids and glance at the man, before suddenly spitting out a mouthful of bloody foam that landed right on the man's face.

"Damn it!" The man roared in fury, his short knife flashing coldly as he thrust it straight at Ji Xian's heart.

Two burly men rushed up from the doorway. One grabbed his wrist, which was holding the knife, while the other held him down firmly on the shoulder.

"Brother Chun! We can't kill him now!"

"Yes, Brother Chun, the higher-ups said we have to spare his life!"

Chun Ge's temple veins throbbed as he was about to shake off the two men—

"Bang!" The door to the torture chamber was violently kicked open.

"Someone's come to rescue him!" the short man gasped. "The boss ordered us to take him out immediately!"

The short man's gaze swept over the bloodied and mangled Ji Xian: "Brother Chun, this..."

Chun Ge: "What's the panic? They're just a bunch of trash. We can just kill them all in a bit..."

"They brought crystal cores," the short man suddenly interrupted Chun Ge, "a full five hundred."

Chun Ge's anger slowly twisted into disbelief: "Bullshit! What kind of madman would trade five hundred crystal cores for a piece of trash with only level one superpower?"

"Our people inspected the goods themselves, and Mr. Ding Feng was also present." The short man swallowed hard. "They're right at the entrance to the red-label zone..."

The two burly men had already nimbly unlocked the shackles.

Ji Xian's limp body was lifted up on either side, leaving a winding trail of blood on the ground as he was dragged.

Chun Ge stared at the bloodstains, then suddenly kicked over the rack: "Damn it! Let's go! I want to see where this bunch of idiots came from, so extravagant!"

......

Meanwhile, He Zhuo and the other two had just recovered from their injuries. After recounting what had happened, they all went out.

They stored all supplies—including the vehicle—into their storage space.

Everyone prepared for the worst: if they couldn't win, they would grab the person and run!

Since that night in Quzhou, Ji Xian has not left the sewers—some things need not be mentioned again.

Just like now, no one cares about the value of five hundred crystal cores, and no one discusses the dangers of the red-marked zone.

In this crumbling world, as long as you don't betray someone, you're a partner.

The boys each carried a rather heavy bag, which together contained five hundred level-one crystal cores.

At the boundary between the red and blue zones, a rusty steel gate stands majestically.

"Only those with level two or higher superpowers are allowed to enter the red-marked zone," the guard at the entrance said.

Chi Yanzhou and Lu Xici raised their wrists at the same time.

The guard's attitude softened noticeably: "You look unfamiliar. Do you have any passes for entering or exiting the red-label area?"

"Someone told us to bring five hundred crystal cores to ransom someone," Lu Xici said coldly.

The guard's expression subtly shifted, his respect now tinged with scrutiny: "Wait."