Take Me Away, My Love - Chapter 20 - The Showdown
“Madam Li is waiting for you on the rooftop balcony.”
As soon as Li Minchun appeared at the door, she was notified. Looking at the woman clad in tight black clothes with a cold expression, Li Minchun warily asked, “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”
A slight smile appeared on the corner of the cold woman’s mouth as she proudly said, “You’re not qualified to know who I am.”
After saying this, she arrogantly walked past Li Minchun.
In this place, no one had ever dared to treat Li Minchun with such insolence.
Her expression turned icy as her right hand reached for her waist. However, Xian Cheng beside her placed his hand on the back of hers, saying, “I don’t recognize these people either. It seems they might be the new mercenaries that Madam Li is training.”
“New mercenaries?” Li Minchun seemed to have realized something.
Just before Jian Yiqing’s incident, they had received information that Madam Li was secretly training a new batch of mercenaries. Moreover, the quantity and quality this time far surpassed that of Li Minchun and her current team.
It seemed that a lot had happened during her absence.
She took a step forward and headed straight upstairs.
Everything seemed to be just as it was before, without much change.
Especially on the top floor, where Madam Li was still sitting quietly in a chair, lost in thought as she gazed at the distant scenery.
Over the years, this habit of hers had never changed, and people remained puzzled about her fondness for watching the scenery from the balcony.
“Madam Li, I’m back.”
Facing that familiar silhouette, Li Minchun called out. Despite having prepared herself mentally countless times, she still felt nervous.
By now, Madam Li must already know about her situation.
She couldn’t help but think of Bing She’s fate, recalling the infatuated woman and everything she endured for love.
Would her own outcome be the same as hers?
Li Minchun dared not think further.
“You’ve finally returned.”
Madam Li’s voice was cold, lacking much emotion, yet her authority naturally emanated from her. It was so overwhelming that it made even breathing seem difficult for those around her.
No one quite understood what kind of energy Madam Li possessed, but anyone who met her could genuinely feel the immense power of her commanding presence.
“Li Minchun has disappointed your nurturing,” Li Minchun said as she knelt down with a thud. Although her back was ramrod straight, her head hung low.
“Li Minchun, do you realize how much hope I placed in you? How could you do this and completely betray my expectations?”
Madam Li’s anger was palpable, and it seemed as if the air around them turned cold, chilling Li Minchun to the bone.
“Madam Li…”
Li Minchun softly called out, bracing herself for the impending punishment.
She had been prepared for this outcome even before she returned, knowing that this might be a journey with no return. Therefore, despite the intense aura, she did not feel overly frightened.
“Ah…” Contrary to what she expected, the typically strong Madam Li softened her tone, saying helplessly, “It’s hard to keep a grown daughter from leaving. You know, I wanted to groom you as my successor. Who would have thought you…”
“Madam Li…”
Li Minchun’s voice began to tremble.
Raised by Madam Li since childhood, even though she had endured many terrifying and tragic experiences under her care, she ultimately felt a familial dependence on this place and this person.
Never knowing who her real family was, Li Minchun only knew that without Madam Li, she might still be wandering the streets with no idea where her future lay.
For the first time, Li Minchun saw a hint of emotion behind Madam Li’s mask. Her eyes, usually devoid of warmth, now revealed a touch of genuine feeling. They were no longer as cold and imposing, showing instead a long-desired hint of humanity they had never witnessed before.
“Alright, get up. Since you know you’re wrong and have returned, I will allow you one mistake. As long as you correct it, I’ll continue to treat you well in the future,” Madam Li said wearily.
Li Minchun still did not dare to rise.
Gathering immense courage, she forced herself to speak, “Madam Li, I want to grow old with Jian Yiqing and live a normal life with my child. Thank you for all your hopes and nurturing over the years.”
With that, Li Minchun heavily knocked her head against the ground.
“Bang!”
The sound echoed.
“Whoosh!”
She didn’t see how Madam Li moved, but suddenly felt a fierce wind sweeping towards her. She wanted to dodge, but the overwhelming force engulfed her completely.
It felt as if hidden daggers and steel blades slashed across her body in the whirlwind. Even one as strong as Li Minchun found herself unable to resist.
She could only kneel there, seeming as helpless as a lamb to the slaughter, pitiful and desolate.
“Madam Li.” Seeing this, Xian Cheng took a step forward to intervene, but the sharp look in Madam Li’s eyes silenced him immediately.
By the time Li Minchun endured the wave of assault, she was almost unrecognizable. Wounds covered her body, making her look as if she’d just been through a brutal torture.
Her flesh was torn, obscuring her original appearance.
“Ugh!”
Unable to bear it, she spat out a mouthful of blood, worsening her injuries.
She looked up, striving to meet Madam Li’s gaze. The cold, piercing eyes of Madam Li only strengthened her resolve.
Now she understood why Bing She, despite facing such terrifying punishment, could remain silent and hold fast. If Bing She could do it, so could Li Minchun.
“Li Minchun, do you know what you’re saying?” Madam Li’s innate authority radiated from her, pressing down on Li Minchun so intensely that she could hardly breathe.
“I know. I know the consequences of defying your orders.”
Li Minchun forced herself to speak.
“You know, yet you still do it?”
“What if I trade you the chip?” Li Minchun spoke firmly.
“What did you say?” Madam Li’s voice grew even colder. Was this woman actually daring to negotiate with her? But Li Minchun stood unfazed, straightening her back, as she slowly got to her feet and said, “I said, what if I exchange the chip for my freedom? One chip for the freedom of my remaining life.”
As she finished speaking, Li Minchun stood up from the ground.
She faced Madam Li directly.
“Li Minchun, are you insane?” Xian Cheng, who witnessed this scene, nearly lost his composure.
Having also grown up by Madam Li’s side, Xian Cheng knew very well that few in this world could negotiate with Madam Li, and Li Minchun certainly didn’t seem qualified.
If Madam Li was in a bad mood, she could easily crush her like an ant.
Yet here was Li Minchun, daring to openly challenge Madam Li, defying her.
Xian Cheng could already envision the consequences.
He knew he had to do something; he couldn’t just stand by and watch as Li Minchun was destroyed.
“I’m not insane. After living in the organization for so many years, apart from knowing how to kill and complete tasks, what else do we know? It’s like being a soulless shell, a mindless killing machine. I’ve had enough of this life,” Li Minchun shouted at Madam Li.
In response, Madam Li narrowed her eyes and looked at her. “So?”
Madam Li wasn’t in a hurry to respond to Li Minchun’s defiance. As Xian Cheng had thought, disposing of Li Minchun would be quite easy. If she wished, Madam Li could even dispose of Jian Yiqing and their child together. However, what Madam Li truly wanted to know right now was what exactly Li Minchun intended to say.
“So, I’m using the chip to barter for the rest of my life,” Li Minchun said, her eyes fixed firmly on Madam Li. This time, there was no fear, only relentless courage.
“Haha, do you really think your life is worth as much as the chip? Or perhaps that chip isn’t as important as you think,” Madam Li taunted.
A slight smile played on Li Minchun’s lips. With her face smeared in red, her smile appeared almost devilish.
“I’m taking a gamble, and I bet I can win,” she declared softly but powerfully.
At that moment, Madam Li began reassessing the woman before her. Indeed, she was the right choice for a successor-courageous and strategic.
“This is something you’ve been planning for a long time, isn’t it?” Madam Li asked.
“Since I found out I was pregnant. I had to think about my future. If you agree to my request to leave, I assure you that I will fulfill my promise and retrieve the chip for you,” Li Minchun replied.
As she continued her standoff with Madam Li, the next moment, she suddenly felt herself plummeting. Without warning, she was falling rapidly downward.
A glance below caused her heart to leap into her throat.
Beneath her were crocodiles, mouths wide open.
Sensing the blood on Li Minchun, the crocodiles grew excited. These ravenous creatures were eager to tear her apart.
Her body continued to fall swiftly, and to make matters worse, she had been stripped of all her weapons earlier when she entered the building.
That was the rule.
Seeing herself about to fall into the crocodile’s jaws, Li Minchun’s mind raced to come up with a solution.
Using the momentum of her descent, she forcefully stomped on the snout of one crocodile.
With a loud “thud,” she drove the crocodile into the ground, crushing it into several others below.
As the leader faltered, the other crocodiles, unwilling to miss their opportunity, surged forward, their stark white teeth snapping at Li Minchun’s legs.
The stench, akin to a cesspool, was so overpowering it nearly caused her to gag.
Li Minchun twisted mid-air, a full 180 degrees, and plummeted head-first once more.
With one hand forming a blade, she clapped the massive jaws of a crocodile shut.
“Bang.”
The force was so great that the crocodile almost shattered its own teeth.
But the pain Li Minchun inflicted didn’t end there. She swiftly felt along its hard scales, grabbed its tail, and began to swing.
Like a meteoric flail, the huge crocodile was spun by Li Minchun, crashing into and sending the surrounding crocodiles flying. They slammed against the slick walls before falling back down.
The unfortunate one in her grasp was even more disoriented by the successive blows, nearly losing consciousness.
