Chapter 104: Don’t Force Me to Kill You

Qin Tian never imagined that these two so-called experts would be so fragile; he had braced himself for a real fight for nothing.

Qiu Yindang swallowed hard and turned to run. Seeing this, the thugs discarded their iron bars and scattered. In an instant, the scene fell empty, leaving only the two so-called experts lying on the ground, half-dead.

"This guy." Qin Tian rubbed his chin, abandoning the idea of giving chase. Someone like Qiu Yindang was merely a dim-witted, pampered heir—hardly worth worrying about.

Qin Tian pulled out his phone to let Jiang Yingying and the others know he was safe. He learned that they hadn't gone far and were just a short distance ahead. After walking for a while, he spotted the van parked by the roadside.

Qin Tian opened the door and climbed in. Jiang Yingying looked him over, and upon seeing he was uninjured, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Who were they?" Shen Xiaoqing asked curiously.

"Qiu Yindang. Remember him? The idiot who harassed you at the party," Qin Tian replied.

"So it was him," Shen Xiaoqing realized.

Afterward, the six of them finished their late-night snack and headed home. Before parting ways, Mi Xue invited Shen Xiaoqing to her next concert. However, Mi Xue’s next performance was overseas, and Wu City was the final stop within the country. Although Shen Xiaoqing wanted to go, time did not permit it as the new school semester was about to begin.

Qin Tian parked at the Jiang residence, and Shen Xiaoqing, humming one of Mi Xue’s songs, stepped out of the car with Jiang Yingying.

Jiang Yingying felt a flicker of doubt. Why was her front door open? It was past midnight; could her father, Jiang Tianxiang, have just returned? But there were no lights on inside—could he have forgotten to lock up? She mused that it was possible; Jiang Tianxiang did sometimes forget to close the door when returning home intoxicated from business dinners.

Jiang Yingying felt for the light switch and flipped it on. Expecting to see Jiang Tianxiang sprawled on the sofa, snoring away in a drunken stupor, she found nothing of the sort. Had he gone upstairs? But his slippers were still downstairs; he hadn't changed into them, which was strange.

Qin Tian parked the car and emerged from the garage. He caught a glimpse of the flowerbed and noticed something amiss. He stepped closer and saw that several flower stems had been snapped. Looking up, he noticed traces of dirt on the windowsill.

Qin Tian’s expression shifted. Had someone broken into the Jiang home?

He rushed inside, only to find Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing still in the living room, safe and sound. He let out a breath of relief.

"You two need to leave right now; there might be an intruder," Qin Tian said in a low voice.

"An intruder?" Jiang Yingying’s eyes widened.

"Yes. I saw the stems in the flowerbed were trampled; someone must have climbed in through the window." As he spoke, a throwing dart whistled toward him.

Qin Tian caught it in mid-air. He looked toward the second floor, where a silhouette stood by the railing.

"Get out of here!" Qin Tian shoved Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing toward the door. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they didn't hesitate and fled the house.

"Who are you?" Qin Tian narrowed his eyes.

"To be able to take down my junior brother, you aren't half bad," the figure on the second floor rasped.

"Your junior brother?" Qin Tian was puzzled. Who was this man’s brother?

"Surrender quietly," the figure commanded. This person had been dispatched by the mysterious man in black; he was one of the twelve disciples, the third-ranked assassin known as 'Chicken,' and the senior brother of the assassin 'Rat.'

"Who sent you?" Fury flared in Qin Tian’s chest. The person behind the scenes kept sending assassins after him, and he had reached his limit. Once, twice—but a third time was inexcusable!

"You don't need to know. Surrender!" Chicken looked down at Qin Tian from his vantage point.

"I'll surrender your grandfather!" Qin Tian grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at Chicken. It was made of solid rosewood with a thick marble slab inlaid in the seat—it weighed at least two hundred pounds! Yet, Qin Tian had tossed it with a single hand.

Chicken ducked, and the chair slammed into the wall with a thunderous crash, leaving a deep crater in the plaster. Chicken narrowed his eyes; he hadn't expected Qin Tian to be this capable. No wonder his junior brother had fallen at his hands.

"It seems I'll have to drag you back myself!" Chicken sneered and leaped down from the second floor.

During his descent, Chicken threw three darts in rapid succession. Qin Tian dodged left and right, evading them all. The darts struck glassware, shattering them into a heap of shards.

Qin Tian pushed off the floor and leaped into the air, gripping a chandelier. Using the momentum, he swung his leg out in a powerful kick toward Chicken. Chicken blocked with both arms, but the force sent him stumbling back three large paces. He felt a jolt of shock—he hadn't expected such immense strength. Had he not protected his head, he might have been knocked unconscious instantly!

"You've triggered my murderous intent. I'll give you one chance: tell me who wants me dead," Qin Tian said coldly after landing.

"You want to know? Why don't you come back with me and find out?" Chicken smirked, producing more darts.

Qin Tian observed them; it seemed Chicken favored long-range attacks. He spotted a curtain rod under the dining table—left over from when the curtains had been replaced recently. Qin Tian hooked it with his foot and snatched it up. The men with black leopard tattoos had rendered him helpless before, but this 'Chicken' was nowhere near that level. Qin Tian was confident he could turn the tables.

However, to his surprise, Chicken sheathed his darts and pulled out a gun.

"Damn it!" Qin Tian cursed. Talk about playing dirty!

Without hesitation, Chicken fired. The gunshot echoing through the house filled Jiang Yingying and Shen Xiaoqing, hiding outside, with unbearable dread.

Qin Tian flipped the dining table to use as cover, racking his brain for a way to disarm the gunman. He squinted; he could see a shadow moving on the ground—Chicken was closing in. Qin Tian glanced at the overhead light and, judging by the length of his own shadow, estimated Chicken’s position.

Seizing the opportunity, Qin Tian lashed out, striking Chicken’s lower leg with the rod. Chicken gasped in pain, his teeth gritted; the blow had nearly shattered his shin.

In that momentary lapse, Qin Tian lunged upward, striking Chicken’s arm. The gun flew from his hand. Before Chicken could react, the rod was pressed firmly against his throat.

"I don't like killing, and I've never killed anyone, but you keep pushing me!"

"Tell me! Who is the mastermind behind this?"

"I'll give you ten seconds to think. Don't force me to kill you! My patience is thin," Qin Tian said, his face dark and menacing.

Chicken felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss; he could see the profound murderous intent in Qin Tian’s eyes.