"Ha! To think I had to personally make this trip here just for this little monk. You're pretty big shot, aren't you." A sinister-looking man dressed in lavish clothes glared at the little monk. As he scrutinized the little monk's pristine and good-looking face, a dark thought swept across his eyes.
Looking from a distance, the little monk's refined and exquisite demeanor was quite distinct. But the well-dressed man didn't expect the little monk to look even more handsome and flawless when seen up close, he was just like a painting. In particular, the little monk's eyes were clear and sparkling bright, so pure and untainted by evil in the world. The well-dressed man could not help but be moved by such remarkable beauty.
Tang Ning glanced up and saw the middle-aged man who was previously tailing her, now standing behind the well-dressed man. In addition to these two, there also seemed to be another tough-looking bodyguard lingering in the shadows.
She swiftly ignored the blatant audacity and vileness in the eyes of the well-dressed man, and spoke with a smile, "Benefactor, how may I help you?"
Looking at the innocent smile on the little monk's face, the well-dressed man shifted his gaze awkwardly. He quickly steadied himself and let out a soft but menacing chuckle. In a flash, he stepped forward and extended his hand to grab the little monk.
"What a treasure!"
At that moment, the middle-aged man standing behind noticed a subtle smirk on the little monk's face. Knowing that something was not right, he shouted, "Second Master, watch out!"
Just as the Second Master's hand reached for Tang Ning, a dagger hidden in Tang Ning's sleeve slipped out and fell neatly into her hand. In a split second, she slightly shifted her foot, raised her hand in a flash, and slashed downwards forcefully with the dagger. A hissing sound of a blade slicing through flesh was heard.
"Hisss!"
The Second Master suffered a deep gash on his arm. It was a swift and firm slash across the wrist, cutting into his arteries.
Scarlet-red blood dripped profusely, and the smell of blood soon began to permeate the alley.
Tang Ning did not give them time to react. Immediately after slashing Second Master's wrist, she kicked him hard behind his knee, causing him to buckle and kneel down on one knee. Before he could realize, Tang Ning was already holding the dagger against his neck.
At the same time, the middle-aged man and the bodyguard in the shadows closed in on Tang Ning and intimidatingly towering over her.
"Don't move!" Tang Ning commanded.
She applied some pressure and thrust the dagger against the neck of her hostage, cutting into the first layer of his skin. Blood began to trickle out. She narrowed her eyes at the two men and shouted again, "Stand back, or I will kill him!"
Second Master, who was down on one knee and being held at a knife-point, looked at his limp and incapacitated hand. There was a menacing and vicious look in his eyes.
He had been too complacent.
Previously, he had not detected any trace of soul energy force from the little monk. Little did he expect that this young monk would be capable of such a vicious attack. Neither did he expect that someone who looked so docile and pure would have such impressive attacking skills.
Looking at the blood dripping from his hand, the man knew that his hand was disabled.
"Little monk, release our Master, and we'll let you go," the bodyguard with a lanky stature spoke as he was already out of the dark.
"Back off!" Tang Ning shouted as she glared at the two men. Their aura was overwhelming and suffocating her, causing turbulences in her vital energies. It felt as if her own aura was surging in her body, pushing against itself, and would burst out through her throat any time.
With one arm held behind his back, the other arm disabled, and a dagger pressed against his neck, the Second Master was unable to move. Hence, without turning around, the Second Master sneered and then ordered his bodyguards, "Stand back."
The two men looked at each other and obeyed the orders by retreating several meters away from their Master.
Tang Ning watched the two men intently. Unexpectedly, the man she was holding down seized this opportunity to struggle free. He slammed his body against Tang Ning, and when the dagger deviated away from his neck, he forcefully wrung his arm free from behind and jumped up. Gathering a visible energy force with his palm, he pushed it towards Tang Ning to hit her.