Chapter 110

Chapter 110

Xie Qingling watched Tang Yuanxiao for several days.

To learn his routines and habits, she even secretly followed him.

Of course, beneath this seemingly obsessive stalking lay a heartfelt desire to beat Tang Yuanxiao senseless.

She had to resort to this to find out how he spent his free time and where he often went, so she could exploit a loophole and give him a proper beating somewhere outside headquarters.

After all, the Director had said fighting was forbidden at headquarters.

That meant the place where she dealt with Tang Yuanxiao had to be outside headquarters.

After staking him out for four or five days, Xie Qingling finally understood his routine completely. Mainly, his life was very simple and easy to figure out. He spent most of each day wandering the streets of the East District, ready to reinforce Patrol Unit members at any moment. Occasionally, when people from the Eleventh Realm caused trouble, he would go to the scene too.

Apart from that, Tang Yuanxiao’s favorite place was the open-air tavern.

Whenever he had time, he would go there for a few drinks to relax.

Once she had confirmed this information, Xie Qingling knew what to do.

She decided to waylay Tang Yuanxiao near the tavern and beat him up.

The tavern drew all sorts of people, with plenty coming and going, especially at night. If she wore civilian clothes and covered her face, who would recognize her?

That evening, around nine.

After work and dinner, Xie Qingling told Ling Fang and Shen Huaizhou she was not feeling well and asked them not to disturb her unless necessary. Then she returned to her room and lay down.

About half an hour later, reckoning that Ling Fang should be asleep while Tang Yuanxiao was still having his last drink at the tavern, she immediately changed into civilian clothes: a long gray dress. An ordinary, commonplace style, nothing eye-catching.

To strengthen the disguise, she also found a scarf and wrapped it around herself, covering most of her face.

Only after completing all this and making sure she looked different from usual did Xie Qingling open the door to leave.

The door opened to reveal Shen Huaizhou standing outside.

“…”

Xie Qingling gave an awkward smile and immediately shut the door, committing fully to her role as someone unwell and refusing Shen Huaizhou’s visit.

No, wait.

If Shen Huaizhou had come to offer comfort, why was he wearing civilian clothes too?

Had the Director discovered her tailing Tang Yuanxiao? Unease stirred in Xie Qingling. She quietly opened the door a crack, poked out her head, and looked Shen Huaizhou up and down. He held a bundle of something she could not identify.

Just then, Shen Huaizhou raised the brown object in his hand. “I brought some equipment. It’ll make things easier. Let’s go.”

Xie Qingling: “…”

She dropped her guard, opened the door, and stared at what Shen Huaizhou held, not knowing what to say.

It was a very sturdy burlap sack.

He really was experienced!

“Let’s go?” She stepped beside Shen Huaizhou. “You know what I’m going to do?”

“You want to beat up Tang Yuanxiao, don’t you?”

“How did you know?”

“Your eyes have practically been glued to him these past two days.”

“What? You don’t think the Director noticed too?”

“Probably not,” Shen Huaizhou said uncertainly. “The Director doesn’t spend much time with you.”

Xie Qingling thought it over. True.

Apart from meals, the three members of their department had no time to see one another.

The Director could not be that sharp-eyed.

As for Shen Huaizhou… his experience really was excessive. Not only could he easily see what she intended, he even knew to bring equipment.

Reassured, Xie Qingling wrapped her scarf tighter, leaving only her smiling eyes exposed. “Then let’s hurry, while the Director’s asleep.”

They left headquarters quickly.

Wanting to stay discreet and concealed, they did not use a headquarters vehicle at all. Instead, they called a car and took it to the entrance of the open-air tavern.

The two hid in the darkness and looked searchingly into the tavern.

Tang Yuanxiao had a regular booth. He usually sat in the third booth to the left of the entrance, and tonight was no exception.

Judging by the glass on his table, his drink was almost finished.

The dark red liquid was called “Nightfall,” the tavern’s signature drink. Tang Yuanxiao ended every day with a glass of Nightfall.

“He’s about to leave,” Xie Qingling said quietly. “His motorcycle is in a paid parking lot across from the tavern. Parking costs five yuan. There’s no attendant.”

“Tang Yuanxiao will go to collect his bike in a moment. That’s where we’ll put the sack over him.” While laying out the plan, Xie Qingling reminded him, “There’s nobody in the lot, but there are surveillance cameras. We need to stay concealed when we act. Don’t give away who we are.”

“I’ve found a blind spot too. Try to drag him there.”

Shen Huaizhou nodded.

Then he took off his skirt, leaving only a close-fitting black outfit. He tied up his long hair and let it hang casually down his back.

After the change, his masculine qualities became a little more pronounced.

Xie Qingling stared at him blankly.

“There,” Shen Huaizhou said. “Now even the cameras won’t see me.”

Xie Qingling: “…” Impressive.

In some ways, Shen Huaizhou’s talent was quite useful and convenient.

Soon, Xie Qingling was the only person left in her hiding place – or so it appeared.

Shen Huaizhou still stood beside her. He simply no longer had any presence.
At last, Tang Yuanxiao rose from his booth, paid, and headed outside.

His destination was exactly the parking lot Xie Qingling had described.

“Ready…” Xie Qingling said softly. Then she adjusted the scarf covering her head, lowered her head, and hunched her shoulders as she walked beneath the camera and into the parking lot.

She came up behind Tang Yuanxiao and was about to use Flower Hidden Beneath the Leaves to kick the back of his knee when he seemed to sense something. He abruptly turned, staring warily at her.

“You -”

His instinct for danger, honed through years on the battlefield, made Tang Yuanxiao deeply wary of this woman who had appeared out of nowhere. He was about to question her, but before the words came out, he froze.

The features and figure of the person before him were gradually merging with someone in his memory.

Her skirt swayed in the wind, which whipped around them. She seemed very cold, huddled into a ball and unable even to straighten, yet she looked up at him.

As though the next moment, she would call to him in a wheedling voice, reach out, and ask to wear his coat.

“My little sister…” Tang Yuanxiao murmured.

It was his sister!

Tang Yuanxiao froze, then joy filled his heart.

He hurried toward the woman, stood before her in moments, and pulled away her scarf.

Beneath the scarf was indeed his sister’s face!

But Tang Yuanxiao’s ecstatic expression suddenly turned icy cold. He roared in fury, “Who the hell are you?! My sister died… died long ago!”

A miscalculation.

Flowers in a Mirror, Moon on the Water was not working at all.

Xie Qingling silently cursed. Before Tang Yuanxiao could recover, she lifted her skirt and began her attack.

Her broad skirt moved with her, concealing all her attacks and movements. The wildly swirling fabric was her best cover and weapon. Xie Qingling picked her targets and began kicking.

The first kick went for his knee. Tang Yuanxiao bent his knee and lifted his leg, blocking the first attack. The second went for his groin. Tang Yuanxiao used a groin-defense technique and blocked the second. Xie Qingling gave a soft snort and swept her skirt high to hide her body’s movements, then delivered a spinning whirlwind kick. Tang Yuanxiao tried to defend again, but the skirt covered his face. Everything went black. He could see nothing.

He was done for.

He was about to be hit!

The third kick went for his head.

Xie Qingling kicked him hard in the head.

And that was that.

The unpredictable, ever-changing kicking technique depended on striking and withdrawing quickly. Though Shen Huaizhou’s Flowers in a Mirror, Moon on the Water had not fooled Tang Yuanxiao successfully, it had thrown his mind into turmoil, letting Xie Qingling land her attack with ease.

Tang Yuanxiao grimaced from the beating. But being hit had also allowed him to figure out his opponent’s moves. Just as he was about to rise and retaliate, a burlap sack descended from above and covered him completely.

“Hit him -”

That was the last voice Tang Yuanxiao heard.

Then countless fists rained down on him.

The blows were not meant to kill, but they hurt badly. Tang Yuanxiao endured them without a sound.

Whoever was attacking him so underhandedly was vicious. Beating his body was not enough. Deliberately gripping his head through the sack, the attacker drove two hard punches into his eyes.

Tang Yuanxiao could not suppress a grunt. He probably had purple bruises around his eyes now!

His opponents attacked only with their fists and feet, using no divine abilities. Tang Yuanxiao could not be sure whether they were Spirit Wielders, so he could only endure the pain without using Blazing Stream to drive them away.

If they were ordinary people, one Blazing Stream punch might kill them.

Though Tang Yuanxiao longed to pin them to the ground and pummel them, as a core member of the Operations Department, he still kept the work rules firmly in mind at all times. Never use divine abilities on ordinary people unless there is absolutely no other choice.

After ten minutes or more of beating him, perhaps his attackers grew tired too. The rain of fists falling on Tang Yuanxiao finally stopped.

Through the sack, Tang Yuanxiao could hear only their footsteps running swiftly away.

“I’ll… I’ll kill you! Let me out!” Tang Yuanxiao struggled desperately and finally freed himself from the sack, panting with exhaustion.

But by then, where in the parking lot was any trace of those two?

They had long since fled.

Tang Yuanxiao’s face was thunderous. Holding the sack, he glared for a long while, then finally hurled it hard to the ground. “Aaaaaah!”

He would find those two bastards and give them a proper beating!

The next day, Xie Qingling woke feeling refreshed.

It was seven thirty in the morning. To make time to enjoy breakfast, she now got up early every day.

Last night had been so fulfilling that she had slept soundly and sweetly. Naturally, she was in excellent spirits today.

Leaving her room, she met Shen Huaizhou and Ling Fang and greeted them. “Morning, Director. Morning, Shen Huaizhou. Want to get breakfast together?”

Ling Fang nodded.

Shen Huaizhou nodded too.

Quite a few people were already eating in the cafeteria. The three got their breakfasts and chose a place to sit.

They were discussing the past three days’ work when an extremely displeased voice suddenly interrupted.

With a gloomy face, Tang Yuanxiao stood right in front of them. He must have sought treatment from the Medical Department, since he now looked completely unhurt, as though nothing had happened. The lack of bruising around his eyes made that clear.

Xie Qingling did not know what expression to wear. Tang Yuanxiao was sharp, she thought, finding them so quickly. She and Shen Huaizhou should not have given anything away last night.

She racked her brains for what to say in response to Tang Yuanxiao’s accusations. But he did not look at her, or at Shen Huaizhou. Instead, he fixed his gaze directly on Ling Fang and said coldly, with a sour face, “Flower Hidden Beneath the Leaves. I know it was you, Ling Fang.”

…Hm?