Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 116 - The Assassination Plot

At this moment, more than twenty people stood respectfully inside the school gate, neatly forming two rows. The students behind them were too scared to enter, and Security Uncle just stared at them wide-eyed, not daring to step out and scold them.

Tang Jie looked at the scene and smiled.

“Go back to class right now. Who told you to come out like this? Don’t ever do this again,” he said, walking toward the teaching building with Chen Shuran by his side. Although part of him enjoyed the admiration, his main goal was to protect Chen Shuran. He didn’t want to draw too much attention-what had happened that day had just been an impulsive, half-joking act.

As soon as Tang Jie gave the order, Zhang Jie gestured for the others to leave. However, instead of dispersing, they followed behind Tang Jie toward the teaching building. Only after Tang Jie and Chen Shuran entered did they head back to their classrooms.

“You’re so popular-it’s really surprising,” Chen Shuran said, half-jokingly, as she looked at Tang Jie.

“Why? Doesn’t that give you some extra status too? Maybe I’ll even have them escort you to school every day-wouldn’t that be impressive?” Tang Jie replied with a laugh as he sat down at his desk.

“No way. Isn’t it enough that you’re watching me every day?” Chen Shuran teased, her tone full of sweetness.

As they spoke, Li Feifei walked in. The moment Tang Jie saw her, she quickly lowered her head. Her face flushed red, clearly embarrassed, but her overall complexion looked much healthier.

“What are you looking at?” Chen Shuran asked when she noticed Tang Jie glancing at Li Feifei, pinching him discreetly. Tang Jie winced in pain and immediately turned away.

“I wasn’t looking at anything-I was looking at the blackboard.”

“Don’t make excuses. The teacher isn’t even here yet, so what could you possibly be looking at?” The two of them started teasing and bantering again. Tang Jie noticed that Li Feifei’s gaze toward him had changed. It wasn’t as cold as it used to be-it had become warmer.

That evening, after school, Tang Jie and Chen Shuran walked to the school gate. To his surprise, he noticed that Li Feifei had been following him at a certain distance, as if she had something to say. She didn’t approach them, though; it wasn’t until Tang Jie and Chen Shuran got into a cab together that she turned and left.

When Tang Jie returned to the villa, he realized that he had forgotten to ask for Li Feifei’s phone number. Perhaps she had already received instructions from the person behind the scenes and had something she wanted to tell him.

Tang Jie thought about it for a moment. Taking advantage of the fact that Chen Shuran was in the shower, he stepped out of the villa to check if Li Feifei had followed him back. As he reached the villa gate, he noticed Li Feifei’s car parked by the roadside, just as he had suspected. Feeling a flicker of joy, he walked toward her car. Li Feifei saw him coming and quickly got out of the car.

“Let’s talk in the car,” Tang Jie said, aware that every move Li Feifei made was likely being monitored. As he spoke, he deliberately wrapped an arm around her, playing the part of a sweet and affectionate lover. Li Feifei didn’t resist, though her expression showed some embarrassment.

“He came to see me again yesterday,” Li Feifei said as soon as they got into the car.

“What did he say?” Tang Jie had already anticipated this but wanted to know exactly what those people were instructing Li Feifei to do.

“They told me to find a chance to-take action against you.”

“Take action?” Tang Jie looked at her, not fully understanding what she meant. Li Feifei continued, “They want me to do what I did last time-spike your drink.”

“Spike my drink?” Tang Jie froze for a moment, his expression instantly turning cold. He knew this time they weren’t talking about slipping him an aphrodisiac to ignite romantic feelings; it was likely something far deadlier.

“What kind of drug? Did they give it to you?” Tang Jie asked, staring at Li Feifei.

“No, they said they would hand it to me once I lured you to the designated location.”

Tang Jie gave a cold snort internally. This was indeed a meticulous plan. They clearly didn’t trust Li Feifei and planned to wait until after he was poisoned to make their actual move.

“When and where?” he asked calmly.

“The day after tomorrow. They want me to take you to the suburb,” Li Feifei answered truthfully. Tang Jie fell into thought upon hearing this.

“Just tell them I’ve agreed. And take down my phone number,” he said. After reciting his number to her, he noted that it was about time for him to head back, as Chen Shuran had probably finished her shower by now. He decided not to tell Chen Shuran about Li Feifei for the time being, so as not to arouse her suspicion. He instructed Li Feifei to return first before reaching for the door handle to get out.

Li Feifei bit her lip as she watched him leave, as though there was something difficult she wanted to say.

“What’s wrong? Is there something else?” Tang Jie asked, noticing her hesitation and showing concern.

“My dad… his condition seems to have gotten worse,” Li Feifei said, lifting her head to look at Tang Jie with tears welling up in her eyes.

Tang Jie met her gaze, recalling that he had promised to help treat her father’s illness but had completely forgotten about it. After a moment’s thought, he told Li Feifei to go home and give him a call later in the evening.

Hearing this, Li Feifei nodded. Tang Jie got out of the car and walked back toward the villa as Li Feifei started her engine and drove away.

After returning to the villa, Chen Shuran had finished bathing and came out. Tang Jie stayed with her until midnight, when Chen Shuran reluctantly went to sleep. Once she was asleep, Tang Jie changed into a new set of clothes, donned a baseball cap, and waited while looking at his phone. Soon, Li Feifei called. After picking up, Tang Jie learned which hospital her father was in and told her to wait for him there, as he would be arriving shortly.

After hanging up the phone, Tang Jie checked all the doors and windows of the villa to ensure they were securely locked, then leapt out of a window, landing below. It was the early hours of the morning, quiet and still. Instead of exiting through the villa’s main entrance, Tang Jie used a small door at the back to make his exit.

Following the address Li Feifei had given him over the phone, he located the hospital and entered. Lowering the brim of his baseball cap, he took the stairs to the floor where Li Feifei’s father was hospitalized.

It was during the nurses’ shift change, so the area was deserted. Li Feifei was already waiting at the door to her father’s room. Seeing Tang Jie, she hurried over.

“How’s your dad?” Tang Jie asked quietly when he saw Li Feifei’s face light up with joy.

“The situation is not good. The nurses said he won’t last much longer,” Li Feifei replied, her tears starting to fall again.

Tang Jie looked down the hallway, knowing the night shift nurse would arrive soon. To avoid detection and not expose Li Feifei, he couldn’t spend time comforting her and went straight into the intensive care unit where her father was.

Li Feifei stood guard at the door as instructed by Tang Jie. She watched him approach her father’s bedside and examine him closely, frowning slightly. Then she saw Tang Jie holding her father’s hand, apparently doing something significant.

After evaluating Li Feifei’s father’s condition, Tang Jie realized that he wasn’t ill but had been severely injured by a master and poisoned. The medicine a mysterious person had given Li Feifei was supposed to be the antidote, but it seemed tampered with, causing her father’s condition to fluctuate with his injuries and lack of proper treatment, leading to a worsening state.

Tang Jie was now clear on the treatment approach. He infused true qi into Li Feifei’s father, dispelling the harmful qi that had been inflicted by his assailant. He decided to go back and prepare a proper antidote; once ready, he would have Li Feifei administer it to her father. With the right treatment, he believed her father could be discharged within a week.

Tang Jie spent less than ten minutes in the room. As he was leaving, the shift-changing nurse just arrived, ready to check the room with the duty log. Tang Jie quickly stepped aside, hiding in the nearby stairwell until the nurse had entered Li Feifei’s father’s room before he made his exit.

Tang Jie reminded Li Feifei to be extra cautious and not to reveal anything suspicious. He assured her that on the day after tomorrow, he would accompany her to the suburb to find out who the mysterious person was.

When Tang Jie returned to the villa, Chen Shuran was still asleep. Quietly, he went back to his room. Knowing that he might face a formidable opponent in two days, Tang Jie decided to prepare himself. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he entered a state of seated meditation, carefully practicing the cultivation techniques inscribed on the iron piece. The villa was silent, and soon Tang Jie found himself fully immersed. He could feel the heaven and earth spiritual energy around him being continuously absorbed into his dantian. The true qi within his body began to surge intensely, quickly reaching its peak-and yet it didn’t stop. That familiar feeling of impending explosion started to resurface.

A wave of exhilaration washed over Tang Jie. He could sense that he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Enduring the increasing pressure within his body, he held on tightly. As the true qi within him seemed to explode, his body felt like it might shatter apart. The intensity was indescribable, and just as he was about to lose control and cry out, a sudden realization struck him. He remembered a line of the heart method from the iron piece. Following its guidance, he immediately began to implement it, and a miraculous change ensued. Tang Jie was able to seize control of the overpowering true qi within him, gradually smoothing it out. The true qi in his dantian grew even purer as a result.

When Tang Jie opened his eyes, he was nearly certain that he had reached the Heaven Transformation Realm. However, since he’d never fought against a master at that level, he wasn’t completely sure. Regardless, he felt confident that, no matter who awaited him in the suburb, he could handle them.

With that thought in mind, Tang Jie enjoyed a peaceful and dreamless night of sleep.

The next two days passed uneventfully at school. On the evening of the third day, Tang Jie lied to Chen Shuran, telling her that Qin Haozhong had asked to meet him to resolve some trouble and that it might involve some danger. Chen Shuran believed him. She reminded him to return early and then let him go.

After leaving the villa, Tang Jie called Li Feifei and told her his location. Not long after, Li Feifei arrived in her car.

Once Tang Jie got in, Li Feifei handed him something-a vial of liquid she said had been given to her by the person threatening her. Opening it, Tang Jie immediately recognized it as poison-a potent toxin capable of destroying both inner strength and true qi. It was exceptionally lethal. A cold smirk appeared on Tang Jie’s face. It was abundantly clear that whoever was behind this truly intended to harm him. With this confirmation, Tang Jie was now almost certain that the person he would face tonight was somehow connected to the Chen family.