sinovels Chapter 20 Interception
Chapter 20 Interception
The handover site was set up in an inconspicuous stone chamber, with only an expressionless old man and two calm-looking guards.
Lin Mo handed over the number plate, and after the old man verified it, he handed him the antique sandalwood box without saying a word.
Lin Mo took the box, his fingertips touching the cool wood, and the dormant power within him seemed to stir slightly again.
He quietly slipped the box into his pocket, nodded slightly to the old man, and turned to leave the stone chamber.
Leaving the core area of the black market, we returned to the narrow passage leading to the surface.
The passageway was dimly lit, with only a few scattered oil lamps on the walls providing a faint light, casting long and short shadows that added to the eeriness.
Unlike when they arrived, the passage was now quite deserted, with only a few figures, also wearing masks and hurrying through, clearly unwilling to linger.
Lin Mo's steps remained steady, but all his senses had been heightened to their peak.
He caught every subtle sound behind him, and no unusual movement in the air escaped his perception.
He could clearly sense that at least three groups of people were following behind.
One group, some distance away, had mixed auras and seemed to be either onlookers or had ulterior motives. Another group, clearly hostile and greedy, walked with heavy steps, making no attempt to conceal their intention to pursue. They were the remaining subordinates of the bear-headed giant, and perhaps they had also gathered others who coveted the cultivation technique. But the group that made him most wary was the third. Their auras were extremely concealed, almost imperceptible, and they moved like ghosts in the shadows, carrying a cold killing intent that vaguely matched the feeling he had from the effeminate gaze at the auction earlier.
The light at the end of the passage was already in sight; it was the exit to the outside world.
Just as Lin Mo was about to step out of the passage, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out behind him!
Several cold, sharp stars, like the spitting tongues of venomous snakes, shot towards him from different angles, their targets aimed directly at his back, neck, and other vital points! They were poisoned hidden weapons!
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lin Mo slid to the left at the last second, like a teleportation, narrowly avoiding most of the hidden weapons.
At the same time, he reached for his waist with his right hand, and a flash of black light appeared. With a few crisp "clanging" sounds, he knocked the last two diamond-shaped darts, which were at the most tricky angles, to the ground.
Seeing that their hidden weapons had failed, they let out a shout, and seven or eight figures rushed out from the shadows on both sides, wielding weapons, and viciously attacked Lin Mo.
The leader, the only surviving henchman of the burly bear-headed man, the one wielding a dagger, now glared fiercely and roared, "Avenge Master Xiong! Seize the cultivation technique!"
Lin Mo's eyes turned cold; he knew he couldn't afford to linger in battle. If he were held back, the hidden, even more dangerous enemy behind him would surely seize the opportunity to launch an attack.
He held back no longer, and the inner force within him, which had combined the cultivation of two lifetimes, suddenly erupted, causing him to crash into the crowd like a ghost.
"Bang bang bang!"
The sounds of fists and feet clashing rang out like popping beans.
Lin Mo's moves were simple and sharp to the extreme, without any fancy moves, and every strike went straight for the vital points.
Whether it's a finger, a palm, an elbow, or a knee, every part of the body becomes a deadly weapon.
A man wielding a knife swung it, but before the blade could fall, Lin Mo's fingertip struck the Quchi acupoint on the man's arm. The man's entire arm went numb instantly, and the long knife clattered to the ground.
Lin Mo delivered a swift chop to the side of his neck, and the man collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.
Dodging the short gun thrusting from the side, Lin Mo wrapped his left arm around the gun barrel like an iron hoop, and with his right palm containing internal force, he slammed it hard into the chest of the gunman.
A cracking sound rang out, and the man coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing into the stone wall before sliding down without a sound.
He was like a tiger among sheep; wherever he went, people flew about, screaming in terror.
Seeing the situation was dire, the man with the dagger glared fiercely and thrust the dagger straight at Lin Mo's lower back. Lin Mo seemed oblivious until the very moment the dagger was about to reach him, at which point he suddenly delivered a spinning kick, his heel striking the man's wrist with pinpoint accuracy.
"what!"
The man screamed in agony as his wrist bones shattered and the dagger flew out of his hand.
Lin Mo continued his movements, his momentum still lingering, and lashed out with his other leg like a steel whip, striking the man's temple hard.
The man flew out like a puppet with its strings cut, crashed into the wall, and fell silent.
Within a few breaths, all seven or eight ambushers had fallen to the ground, some dead and some wounded.
Lin Mo didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground. His gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over the even deeper shadows, and he said coldly, "How long are you going to hide like this?"
From the shadows came a soft "Huh," seemingly surprised that Lin Mo could so quickly deal with the minions in front of him and accurately detect their presence.
Immediately, four figures emerged silently, like bats blending into the darkness.
They also wore masks and were dressed in uniform, almost like night-time camouflage. Their movements were coordinated and their breathing was synchronized, clearly indicating that they were well-trained, unlike the previous rabble.
The leader was tall and slender. Although he wore a mask, Lin Mo could feel that the eyes hidden behind the mask were locked on him like a venomous snake. It was the owner of that effeminate gaze.
"Impressive skills."
The effeminate man spoke, his voice still carrying that unsettlingly sticky quality, "Looks like the bear's fate in your hands is no surprise."
Lin Mo didn't speak, but just watched them quietly, his muscles slightly tense, his inner strength slowly flowing through his meridians, ready to be unleashed.
The pressure from these four people was far greater than that from the seven or eight people from before.
"Hand over the cultivation technique, and perhaps I can leave you with a whole corpse," the effeminate man said calmly, as if stating a given fact.
His three companions had spread out in a semi-circle, subtly blocking all possible escape routes for Lin Mo. Their intertwined energy formed an invisible net.
Lin Mo knew that words were superfluous.
He took a slow breath and tucked the sandalwood box deeper into his clothes to make sure it wouldn't fall out during the fight.
The moment his aura changed slightly, the four men in black moved!
Their movements were extremely fast and their coordination was excellent, launching their attacks almost simultaneously.
Two men brandished short swords, thrusting them at Lin Mo's left and right ribs. One of them leaped into the air, his legs twisting like scissors towards his neck. Meanwhile, the effeminate man appeared like a ghost, his five fingers forming claws, carrying a stench of poison, aiming straight for Lin Mo's face! The force of his fingers was fierce, clearly containing deadly poison!
The onslaught was overwhelming, instantly engulfing Lin Mo.
Faced with this seemingly inescapable trap, Lin Mo's eyes flashed with a cold light. He stomped his feet rapidly, his body twisting and dodging at incredible angles, like a withered lotus in the wind. At the same time, his hands became afterimages, striking, parrying, and drawing the opponent's movements.
"Sizzle!"
The short sword on his left grazed his clothes, kicking up a wisp of fabric.
He flicked the short sword on his right with his finger, producing a metallic clang.
He dodged the two legs that came strangling from above with a hair's breadth by ducking down, and at the same time, he thrust his elbow upward, forcing his opponent to hastily change his move.
Faced with the deadliest poison claw, Lin Mo did not take it head-on. Instead, he suddenly turned to the side, letting the poison claw pass by his chest. At the same time, he pointed his right hand like a sword and struck the Shenmen acupoint on the effeminate man's wrist with lightning speed!
The effeminate man seemed not to have expected Lin Mo's reaction to be so quick and his moves so cunning. His claw attack paused slightly, and he changed from a grab to a flick, aiming at Lin Mo's wrist.
"Snapped!"
The two touched wrists and separated instantly, each feeling a soft, feminine force invading their bodies.
Lin Mo's arm went slightly numb, while the effeminate man felt a burning yet deathly aura spreading upwards along the meridians of his wrist. Startled, he quickly circulated his internal energy to dispel it.
Missing their first attack, the four changed their tactics again, unleashing a barrage of sword light, leg shadows, and poisonous claws at Lin Mo once more, like a raging storm.
They were clearly skilled in combined attacks, their moves complementing each other, keeping Lin Mo firmly trapped in the battle.
Lin Mo's expression was solemn as he pushed his movement technique to its limit, dodging and weaving in the confined space, occasionally looking for an opening to counterattack.
His moves became increasingly ruthless, targeting vulnerable points such as joints and acupoints. Every strike was accompanied by a muffled groan or a retreat from his opponent.
However, the four opponents were no pushovers, and their teamwork was excellent. After a long battle, Lin Mo began to feel increasing pressure and his internal energy was being rapidly depleted.
The effeminate man, in particular, possessed profound skill and his claw techniques were bizarre and ruthless, posing the greatest threat.
"puff!"
In a moment of carelessness, Lin Mo's left arm was slashed open by the blade of a sword-wielding man in black, and blood immediately seeped out.
Seeing this, the effeminate man's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, and his attacks became even more ferocious.
Can't drag it any longer!
Lin Mo's mind raced. He had to finish this quickly, otherwise, if he were to run out of strength, or if he attracted the attention of the black market administrators or other forces, the consequences would be unimaginable.
A resolute glint flashed in his eyes. He bit his tongue sharply, and the intense pain stimulated him to forcefully unleash a trace of the mysterious power within him, which he had been carefully suppressing and which originated from the mass grave!
"Buzz—"
A chilling, deathly aura suddenly spread out from Lin Mo's center! The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the temperature plummeted.
The flame of the oil lamp flickered violently, burning uncertainly.
The four men in black were the first to be hit. They felt a chilling and evil aura rush towards them, penetrating to their very bones. Their internal energy flow froze for a moment, their movements slowed down, and their faces showed expressions of horror!
It's now!
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Lin Mo shot out like lightning! His target was the black-clad swordsman who had just injured him!
The man in black, intimidated by the deathly silence, reacted a fraction of a second too late, only managing to hold his short sword horizontally in front of his chest. Lin Mo neither dodged nor evaded, but instead struck the blade of the short sword with a palm imbued with that eerie power!
"Snap!"
The steel dagger snapped in two! The force of the palm strike, still strong, slammed into the black-clad man's chest.
"puff--"
The man in black was struck as if by a heavy blow; blood gushed out, his chest visibly caved in, and his body flew backward like a broken sack, crashing into the stone wall and falling silent.
One strike kills the enemy!
Without pausing, Lin Mo turned again and lunged at another black-clad man wielding a sword.
Seeing his companion die tragically, the man was terrified and his swordsmanship became chaotic. Lin Mo delivered a cunning hand chop to his throat, and he fell to the ground dead with his eyes wide open.
Two members were instantly eliminated, and the combined attack formation was broken!
The effeminate man and the black-clad man skilled in leg techniques were both shocked and furious.
The effeminate man let out a shrill cry, his poisonous claws flashing, conjuring several claw shadows that enveloped Lin Mo's vital points. Meanwhile, the black-clad man with powerful leg techniques unleashed his full strength, his legs spinning like windmills as he kicked repeatedly at Lin Mo's lower body.
After activating the power within Lin Mo's body, he experienced a slight feeling of weakness, but his aura surged to its peak.
He stopped dodging, let out a low shout, and struck out with both palms at the same time, one palm meeting the sky full of claw shadows, and the other palm striking the continuous leg shadows!
"boom!"
The clash of their energies produced a dull thud.
The effeminate man felt an overwhelming force surge towards him, mixed with a chilling, deathly aura that made his heart tremble. He staggered back several steps, felt a sweet taste in his throat, and forced himself to swallow a mouthful of blood. His gaze towards Lin Mo was filled with disbelief and fear.
The black-clad man with the leg technique fared even worse. The leg bone that clashed with Lin Mo's made a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound, clearly indicating that the bone was fractured. He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his leg and rolling around.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the effeminate man did not hesitate and suddenly threw a bullet.
"Bang!"
The projectile exploded, releasing a large amount of thick, acrid black smoke that instantly enveloped the area near the tunnel exit.
Lin Mo cautiously took a few steps back, holding his breath in case the smoke was toxic.
As the black smoke slowly dissipated, apart from the corpses and wounded lying on the ground, the figures of the effeminate man and the black-clad man with leg-skilling abilities had vanished from the passage.
Clearly, they escaped using the smoke as cover.
Lin Mo did not chase after him.
He stood there, slightly out of breath, trying to calm the churning blood and the restless, mysterious power within him. A sharp pain shot through the wound on his left arm, a reminder of the perilous battle he had just fought.
He glanced at the mess on the ground, then, without lingering, he vanished into the night outside the passage exit.
The sandalwood box in his arms seemed to be radiating even more warmth due to the force he had just exerted.
The night was dark and fraught with danger, but his steps were unusually firm.
This first step in establishing authority in the black market has been taken, and although it's stained with blood, it's enough to deter the wicked.
Next, it's time to find a safe place to properly study this martial arts technique that I risked my life for.