Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 65 - First Encounter with the Soul Team
“Haha, I’ve fulfilled your wish. How does it feel? I’m not bad to you, am I?” Tang Jie said as he sheathed his sword. In fact, he was also tired of playing by this point.
Next came the slow, agonizing demise of Wang Dachao from excessive blood loss. Tang Jie wasn’t very interested in that; what intrigued him was the pained and furious expression on Wang Dachao’s face. The more intense Wang Dachao’s reactions, the more at ease Tang Jie felt inside.
In the evening, against the backdrop of a blood-red sunset, Tang Jie walked step by step toward Chen’s villa, leaving behind an anonymous corpse behind Wang Dachao’s villa, its face slashed beyond recognition.
As soon as he entered, Chen Shuran glared at Tang Jie in anger and said, “Where have you been?”
“What’s wrong? Did Miss Chen miss me?” Tang Jie chuckled, taking his time as he strolled upstairs.
On the upper floor, the two engaged in another earth-shattering battle.
In another corner of the city, Wang Shiwen frantically called his father’s number, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.
The call finally connected, but in his anxiety, Wang Shiwen’s hand trembled, causing him to drop the phone to the floor.
“Hello, Shiwen, speak up! What’s going on?” Wang Shiwen heard his father’s scolding as he picked up the phone. Initially, he was both anxious and scared; hearing his father’s rebuke now made tears well up in his eyes.
“Dad, I want to transfer schools. I’ll do it tomorrow. My cousin died, and it was terrible.”
“What? Why do you want to transfer?” Wang Shiwen’s father replied sharply.
“That guy named Tang Jie wants to kill me. I don’t want to go to that school anymore.” After a while, Wang Shiwen finally pulled himself together from his anger and fear, speaking in a calmer tone.
“Shiwen, why can’t you listen? Why did you provoke Tang Jie? Did you seek help from your cousin?!” Wang Shiwen’s father bombarded him with questions, but Wang Shiwen couldn’t give accurate answers.
For a full hour, Wang Shiwen endured his father’s scolding, breaking into tears intermittently.
The next day, Tang Jie and Chen Shuran went to school as usual. Early in the morning, their class teacher, Jin Yan, stood confidently at the podium.
“Is everyone here?” Jin Yan asked as she scanned the room.
Tang Jie glanced at the empty seat next to Wang Shiwen and curiously looked at Jin Yan. “Class teacher, Wang Shiwen isn’t here.”
“Ah, I was just about to address that. Wang Shiwen transferred schools last night, and it was quite sudden. I received the notification in the middle of the night,” Jin Yan said, her expression revealing a hint of concern.
Understanding dawned on Tang Jie, and after exchanging glances with Chen Shuran, Xiao Ran, and Wang Qianya, they all saw a knowing look in each other’s eyes.
From that moment, a rumor began to spread wildly throughout the campus.
“Wang Shiwen was defeated in his pursuit of the school beauty, Chen Shuran, by his rival, Tang Jie…”
“Wang Shiwen got kicked out of school by Tang Jie…”
Various rumors circulated, but Tang Jie didn’t have much interest in these matters.
In fact, upon hearing Wang Shiwen’s story that night, Wang Shiwen’s father furrowed his brows; that’s why he rushed to complete the transfer paperwork. Just thinking about the events of that night made it clear what had happened.
The next day, Tang Jie heard complaints and curses from some school leaders, and of course, he understood the situation. He just laughed it off, and they began to establish a new life free from Wang Shiwen’s harassment.
As for the rumors about Wang Shiwen, they fizzled out after a few days on campus.
For a while, life was peaceful. Without Wang Shiwen’s constant disruptions, Tang Jie and his friends turned their attention to each other. However, the relationships among Chen Shuran, Xiao Ran, Tang Jie, and Wang Qianya began to blur.
They often teased one another, sometimes feeling jealous and sometimes referring to each other as sisters, which left Tang Jie utterly confused. He pondered these situations countless times in private and even bought books on understanding women.
Yet, after reading those books, Tang Jie remained puzzled about women. Ultimately, in frustration, he resorted to cursing and started ignoring the others.
As Tang Jie felt the deadline for his task approaching, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. He walked along with a smile, taking in the scenery around him while playfully bantering with the few beauties by his side.
Of course, Wang Qianya couldn’t join them on their way home. She was a mysterious person, always rushing off as soon as school was over.
Suddenly, Tang Jie sensed something ominous. A chill ran down his spine, as if a pair of cold eyes were watching him from behind.
He turned around sharply and indeed spotted a strangely dressed person trailing behind the three of them. Seeing this, Tang Jie didn’t panic; he acted as if everything was normal, continuing to joke with his companions while keeping a close eye on the figure behind them.
After some time, the person continued to follow at a distance.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Shuran noticed Tang Jie seemed off and asked anxiously.
Tang Jie turned to her with a slight grin and said, “Nothing, just in a bit of a hurry.”
“Hmph! There’s a restroom over there, so go quickly and come back,” Chen Shuran scolded, pouting in a mock display of anger.
Tang Jie certainly didn’t need to use the restroom; he was just looking for an excuse to disengage. Looking at the restroom not far away, he apologized to the two of them and quickly dashed off.
Sure enough, after Tang Jie ran out, the person who had been following them turned quickly in Tang Jie’s direction. He had feared the person might be targeting Chen Shuran, but as he watched the mysterious figure approach, he felt his worries were now unfounded.
“Sir, what can I do for you?” Tang Jie suddenly emerged from a nearby alley as the mysterious person approached.
To his surprise, the figure’s expression shifted, and he looked at Tang Jie with some astonishment. “So the rumors are true. It seems your skills are not to be underestimated. Let me introduce myself; my name is Han Zhen.”
“I don’t know you,” Tang Jie replied.
“Tang Jie, nineteen years old, a student at No. 2 High School, residing at Chen’s villa, has recently been active in this city…” Han Zhen began to list details.
“Stop.” Hearing this strange person’s statements, Tang Jie quickly interrupted. He looked at Han Zhen with curiosity and asked, “You’ve been investigating me?”
“Don’t misunderstand, my friend. I’m the team leader of the Soul Team, and all the members of the Soul Team are ancient martial artists. We are part of an organization dedicated to us ancient martial artists,” Han Zhen explained slowly.
Tang Jie’s brow furrowed as he realized the purpose of the person before him. Before Han Zhen could speak, Tang Jie quickly raised his hand and said, “Stop, stop, stop! I know you want me to join the Soul Team, right?”
“Yes, that’s exactly my purpose for being here. The Soul Team is a vast organization with influence spread across the globe. You shouldn’t hesitate any longer,” Han Zhen replied.
“It’s not that simple, Team Leader Han. I currently have a task to complete, and I absolutely cannot join your organization. How about this: if you need anything, just come to Chen’s villa to find me. I will definitely do my best to help,” Tang Jie said boldly.
Han Zhen was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. “Since that’s the case, I won’t push you. However, the door to the Soul Team is always open for you. You can join whenever you want. And as your team leader, I promise that if you need anything, you can always count on me, Han Zhen.”
“Really?” Tang Jie said, casting a doubtful glance.
“Absolutely. People in the Soul Team always keep their word,” Han Zhen assured him.
“Alright then, I do have something I need help with,” Tang Jie said as a troubled expression crossed his face. He recalled a potential threat: Viper.
“There’s no need to be shy. Just tell me, and I’ll contact our members to investigate for you right away,” Han Zhen urged.
“I need you to look into an organization called Viper. They’ve had some past conflicts with me,” Tang Jie explained.
“Okay, wait for my news,” Han Zhen replied as he prepared to take his leave.
Suddenly, loud laughter echoed from deep within the alley.
“Haha… What do you want with me, Viper?” The voice emerged from the depths of the alley, fading in and out.
Tang Jie and Han Zhen exchanged worried glances, then quickly made their way toward the source of the voice, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs. After running for dozens of minutes, they arrived at an abandoned courtyard of a dilapidated house.
“Who’s there? Come out now!” Tang Jie shouted into the maze of deserted buildings.
“Whoosh!” A sharp arrow suddenly shot out, catching Tang Jie off guard. He quickly channeled his innate qi to block it, but the force behind the arrow was incredibly violent, stronger than Tang Jie himself.
