Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 103 - Robbery at the Station

“Can you not leave?” Chen Shuran lifted her head, looking at Tang Jie with a heartbroken expression.

Tang Jie gazed at her, pondering for a moment. “I can’t.” His words were firm. After all, his relationship with Chen Shuran was still strictly professional. Besides, even though he liked her, he had his own goals: regaining his freedom and improving his inner strength.

“Alright, then tonight, you must stay with me.”

Bang! Tang Jie’s heart skipped a beat. Miss Chen truly couldn’t bear to let him go. Tonight, she’d come back home just for this… such an ambiguous-sounding request.

“Sure, but this time I get to sleep on the inside,” Tang Jie replied with a smile. Last time, he’d slept on the edge and nearly fallen off.

Spending the night with a beauty? It sounded fine-as long as she didn’t try anything funny.

“Okay.” Chen Shuran sniffled as she spoke, a faint sense of heartbreak in her voice that felt almost like a farewell to life itself. Tang Jie furrowed his brows slightly, wondering why it felt like the two of them were parting forever.

The blissful night passed quickly. Early in the morning, Tang Jie got up as usual. Uncle Zhao arrived right on time to take Chen Shuran to school. Tang Jie also had his own plans-he needed to head to H City, where Wang Qianya was and where the ancient martial arts tournament was being held.

“Tang Jie, come here for a moment!”

Just as he was about to head out, Chen Shuran emerged from her room and called him over.

Tang Jie didn’t think much of it, assuming she simply wanted him to leave with her. Following her to the door, he was caught off guard when, just as they were reaching it, she suddenly turned around and grabbed his shirt.

Tang Jie was dressed neatly-a crisp white shirt underneath a casual jacket, freshly changed that morning.

Before he could open the door, Chen Shuran unexpectedly wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in close. Tang Jie froze as he realized what was happening. His body stiffened, and his mind went blank for half a second. Oh, dear heavens-he was still innocent…

“Alright, that’s it. You can go now.” Tang Jie stared at Chen Shuran in a daze. So, she hadn’t been trying to kiss him after all. But just now, it seemed like her face had lingered near his neck. Wait-what exactly had she done?

Tang Jie noticed the mischievous smile on Chen Shuran’s face. Her rosy lips looked particularly alluring-redder than usual. He glanced down immediately and discovered a bright red lipstick mark imprinted on the collar of his crisp white shirt. It was obviously Chen Shuran’s handiwork just moments ago.

Tang Jie looked at it, caught between laughter and frustration. Was she… marking him, afraid he’d get lost? That bold red lip print stood out jarringly against the snowy white of his shirt collar. But what could he do? Should he go back and change?

Tang Jie glanced at Chen Shuran, knowing full well she wouldn’t let him change even if he wanted to. With no other choice, he resigned himself to leaving with her. Oh well. Thinking back to how Chen Shuran had tossed and turned all night, seemingly unable to sleep well, he decided to let it slide this time. If accommodating Miss Chen’s possessiveness made her happy, then so be it. After all, he couldn’t deny he felt a little sweetness in his own heart too.

After finally seeing Chen Shuran off, Tang Jie headed to the station to buy a ticket to H City. However, upon arriving at the station, he got the distinct feeling that someone was following him.

Tang Jie scanned the crowd outside the bus doors, watching as throngs of people moved back and forth. He quickly slipped into the ticket hall and ducked behind a large informational display. Sure enough, the moment he hid, two men wearing white jackets walked in, their eyes scanning the room as if searching for someone.

From their posture and the way they carried themselves, Tang Jie could instantly tell these were skilled masters. It must have been them tailing him earlier. Remaining hidden, Tang Jie observed them until they turned and left. Only then did he step out and silently follow.

Trailing them to a secluded alley next to the station, Tang Jie watched as the two men disappeared the moment they rounded a corner. He hurried to the spot but suddenly felt someone behind him. Spinning around, he came face-to-face with someone he knew all too well.

“It’s you.” Tang Jie’s expression darkened as he stared at Chen Nan, standing there with the two men who had been following him.

“Surprised you’re still alive.” Chen Nan’s voice was cold and mocking.

His words struck a nerve. If not for Chen Nan, Tang Jie wouldn’t have fallen from the Heaven-Man Realm back to the Innate Great Perfection level. But now that Chen Nan was here, it was the perfect opportunity to settle scores. Though Tang Jie’s inner strength had regressed, he felt no fear. This time, he would make sure vengeance was served.

“What’s the matter? Planning to attend the ancient martial arts tournament? With your current abilities, you can’t even beat me. What’s the point-looking to embarrass yourself?” Chen Nan sneered, his words dripping with disdain as derisive laughter echoed in the narrow alley.

Tang Jie’s pupils narrowed sharply as he stared at Chen Nan. “Even if that’s the case, you won’t be able to stop me. If you’ve got the guts, come over and see if it’ll be as easy for you as last time.”

Chen Nan let out a cold snort, his tone dripping with disdain. “Easy? If it weren’t for that old man showing up, you wouldn’t even be alive right now.”

“Then why waste time talking? Make your move,” Tang Jie shot back, his face calm but his heart brimming with irritation. Chen Nan’s condescending attitude was grating. Even if Chen Nan’s current realm was higher, Tang Jie had no intention of running.

“You two, teach this kid a lesson. He’s not even worth my time anymore,” Chen Nan said with a sneer, dismissively gesturing toward his two subordinates. As his words fell, the two men burst into action, their movements as swift as lightning.

Seeing their fierce advance, Tang Jie immediately began channeling the true qi within his body. He narrowly dodged a strike that swept dangerously close, the palm wind brushing past him. In a flash, he countered with an attack of his own, aiming for the man on his right. However, the man managed to evade his strike with ease.

“Ha! Didn’t I tell you? You’re nothing but a waste of space now. You can’t even handle my men. You might as well give up and accept your fate,” Chen Nan taunted, his voice echoing through the alley. His words only made Tang Jie’s expression grow colder. Without panic or hesitation, Tang Jie concentrated all the true qi within his body, focusing it on the task at hand. Locking onto one of the attackers, he surged forward with renewed determination.

After exchanging several rapid moves, Tang Jie quickly discerned that while these two were indeed formidable, their strength was not beyond his own. It became apparent that neither had reached the Heaven-Man Realm; at most, they were at the same level as him-the Innate Great Perfection realm.

However, Tang Jie once stood at the Heaven-Man Realm. His prior mastery gave him an edge over opponents like these, who had only just reached the peak of the Innate realm. Dealing with them wouldn’t be impossible.

The two attacked in sync, pressing Tang Jie from both sides with fierce and precise strikes. Tang Jie, however, kept his composure, skillfully evading their blows while observing for an opening in their techniques. Timing his move with pinpoint precision, he suddenly struck the man on his left like a gale-force wind. The man, overly focused on delivering what he believed would be a deadly blow to Tang Jie, fell for Tang Jie’s feint and exposed a critical opening. Seizing the moment, Tang Jie’s palm sliced through the air and slammed into the man’s chest with brutal force.

“Urgh!” The man spat out a mouthful of blood as he staggered backward uncontrollably, his body crashing against the brick wall of the alley, where he collapsed weakly.

With one taken out, the remaining opponent was far easier to handle. Within just two moves, Tang Jie identified his weakness. As the man lunged to strike, Tang Jie swiftly leaned back, narrowly dodging the attack. Then, with the speed of lightning, he grabbed the man’s wrist and yanked him off balance, breaking his attack. Capitalizing on this, Tang Jie drove his free hand toward the man’s armpit in a decisive strike. The force sent the man flying, his body landing heavily on the ground with a sickening thud. His injuries rendered him unable to fight any further.

In a matter of moments, both of Chen Nan’s subordinates had been thoroughly dealt with. The alley now seemed quieter, save for Chen Nan’s cold gaze boring into Tang Jie.

“Hmph! I didn’t expect you to have some skill, but no matter. Even if you defeated them, I’ll still take your life today,” Chen Nan sneered as he flashed toward Tang Jie. Tang Jie felt a surge of intense palm wind; the overwhelming power behind it far exceeded his current strength. However, having faced Chen Nan in combat before, Tang Jie was already on guard. Though he couldn’t immediately find an opening in Chen Nan’s moves, he skillfully evaded each deadly strike, retreating step by step to avoid the onslaught.

“What’s the matter? Can’t beat me, so all you can do is dodge?” Chen Nan mocked as he attacked, his voice dripping with ridicule. Tang Jie knew this was an intentional attempt to disrupt his focus, so he ignored the taunt entirely and continued concentrating on defense, slowly retreating deeper into the alley.

As they neared the turn, Chen Nan struck again, his palm slicing through the air with tremendous force. In a swift, agile maneuver, Tang Jie pivoted sharply, planting his feet against the wall of the alley. Pushing off with explosive force, he leaped into the air, propelling himself behind Chen Nan. Before landing, he channeled his true qi into a powerful strike aimed squarely at Chen Nan’s back.

Chen Nan managed to dodge at the last moment, but the edge of the palm wind struck him, forcing him back two steps. A sinister gleam flickered in his eyes as he sneered darkly.

“Not bad. Looks like you’re capable of entertaining me for a little while longer,” he said with a cruel smile. As he spoke, Chen Nan brought both palms together, focusing all of his strength into his next move. With a thunderous explosion of force, he thrust out a devastating palm strike at Tang Jie.

Tang Jie attempted to dodge using the same strategy as before, but this time, the sheer force of the palm wind created a powerful vacuum that ensnared him. His body froze mid-movement, immobilized by the violent pull of the attack. Helplessly caught, Tang Jie could only watch as Chen Nan gathered more power into his hands-another strike was coming his way. He tried to evade, but it was already too late.

“Bang!” Chen Nan’s unrelenting palm wind slammed into Tang Jie’s chest. A wave of heat surged through Tang Jie’s body, his head spinning as a coppery taste flooded his mouth. He collapsed onto the ground, struggling to breathe, his strength rapidly draining.

“Ha! Foolish boy. Overestimating yourself like this-you really thought you could contend with me? I’ll give you a quick death today,” Chen Nan said, laughing as he strode menacingly toward Tang Jie.

Tang Jie tried to force himself up, but the energy within his body had gone berserk, his true qi in complete disarray. His limbs refused to obey him. Meanwhile, Chen Nan’s footsteps grew closer with each passing second. A chilling despair crept into Tang Jie’s heart. Was this really where he would meet his end?

No! He couldn’t give up. He bit down hard, summoning every ounce of willpower to rise, but the chaotic flow of qi inside his body made it impossible. Seeing Tang Jie’s futile struggle, Chen Nan abruptly stopped in his tracks, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

“If you want to live,” Chen Nan said with contempt, “crawl through my legs like a dog!”

Tang Jie’s teeth clenched as he struggled to push himself upright, his eyes locked onto Chen Nan’s face. The sinister grin on Chen Nan’s lips only added fuel to the flames of fury burning in Tang Jie’s heart. His fists slowly tightened, veins bulging with frustration and anger.

“Oh, come on, stop putting on this act. I know you can’t even control your own body right now,” Chen Nan jeered. “The true qi inside you has already been severed by my strike. Be obedient for once-crawl on the ground like the dog you are, pass between my legs, and call me ‘Grandfather’ three times. Maybe then I’ll consider sparing your pathetic life.”

Chen Nan didn’t truly intend to let Tang Jie go; he merely wanted to humiliate him. It was exactly what the person who had tasked him with dealing with Tang Jie would have wanted. And nothing gave Chen Nan more pleasure than stomping on others when they were down.