Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Forty-Nine: Accomplice

Wang Jue knew there was no hope of extracting any information from the bald brute, so he didn’t bother wasting any more words. He decided to find a ‘better’ spot to sit, to rest and wait for Lan Yiyi to arrive.

He had barely taken a step when he sensed someone lurking by his door. His expression grew grave as he barked, “Who’s there?”

“Oh? Big guy, didn’t expect you to be so useless!” The figure hiding in the darkness, realizing he’d been discovered, made no further effort to conceal himself.

In truth, both he and the wary Wang Jue understood the situation perfectly well. There was only this one corridor with nowhere to hide; it was perfectly natural for both sides to discover each other so quickly. Especially in a place like this, an ambush was all but impossible.

The next moment, Wang Jue saw the tall, thin figure step out from beyond the door. His voice was as gloomy as his appearance, and he couldn’t resist mocking the bald brute as he spoke.

“Ugh...” The bald brute, whether out of anger or desperation, struggled and thrashed like a fat pig bound for slaughter. The already messy floor only grew worse, and the ruckus was tremendous—the banging echoed like an earthquake.

There was no question that the commotion had woken everyone downstairs; they were probably scared out of their wits by now.

“Stay still! Don’t move an inch!” Wang Jue, watching the man’s endless flailing, grew impatient and kicked him again.

Bang! The sound rang out as though a heavy weight had struck flesh.

The bald brute grimaced in agony, sucking in cold air as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Wang Jue paid him no heed; instead, his gaze sharpened, fixed warily on the newly arrived adversary.

Another one? So, they really do have accomplices. Had this man been here the whole time, or had he arrived later?

As Wang Jue’s thoughts raced, the bald brute seemed to realize his predicament—especially after that kick exacerbated his injuries. He finally quieted down.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you—beaten so badly by a mere child.” The tall, thin man stared at the brute for a while, eyeing his bloody neck and broken leg before sneering. He then turned his attention to the vigilant Wang Jue, sighing, “Kid, I didn’t expect someone your age to be so ruthless. Are all children like this these days? How terrifying...”

He spoke of terror, but his face showed not a hint of concern. Clearly, this man was supremely confident in his own strength. Especially given what had happened to the bald brute, his nonchalance spoke volumes—there could only be two possibilities: either his strength was truly extraordinary, or he was a simpleton.

“Who are you people?” Wang Jue asked, subtly edging back a step. He wasn’t just probing for information—he was stalling for time. He’d already contacted Lan Yiyi; as long as she arrived, he’d be safe. There was no way these men were from the authorities.

“Who are we?” The tall, thin man smiled broadly as if he’d heard something hilarious. “We’re the good guys, of course!”

“Heh... Even you don’t believe that, do you?” Wang Jue’s expression twisted with disbelief. Was this man an escapee from a madhouse?

Faced with the overwhelming threat radiating from this stranger, Wang Jue kept his expression calm, though inwardly he was in turmoil. He wanted to strike first, but with the possibility of more enemies lurking, he suppressed the urge to act. More importantly, he sensed that this man’s strength far exceeded that of the bald brute—if he attacked now, he’d likely be defeated.

He knew all too well the importance of seizing the initiative, but he also understood one thing: against overwhelming strength, all scheming is futile. For now, buying time was the wisest course—when Lan Yiyi arrived, everything would change.

“Mmm, mmm...” At that moment, the bald brute on the floor began to grunt, as if trying to warn someone.

But the tall, thin man paid him no mind—in fact, he seemed to be deliberately ignoring him.

“Kid, judging by how you’re stalling, you must’ve called someone, haven’t you?” The man grinned playfully. He wasn’t a fool; he didn’t know exactly what had happened before, but the situation was odd enough to make him suspicious. As he’d spoken to Wang Jue, he’d been scanning their surroundings.

Wang Jue’s heart tightened—his odd behavior had given him away. Now, all he could do was pray that Lan Yiyi arrived soon, or he’d be in serious trouble.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Stalling for time, but not planning to leave? That must mean someone’s on their way.” The tall man spoke to himself at the edge of the corridor. “If you won’t answer, I’ll take that as confirmation.”

As he spoke, he bent down and drew a dagger from his trouser leg. He licked the blade, as if testing its sharpness. “How about a wager, kid?”

“What kind of wager?” Wang Jue watched his every move, tense as a drawn bow.

“Which will happen first—I capture you, or your backup arrives?” The man’s smile turned cold.

He didn’t wait for Wang Jue’s answer; his patience had clearly run out.

In an instant, the tall man lunged, dagger flashing as his hand shifted rapidly through a dazzling array of slashes and thrusts. Even without striking yet, the sheer speed and skill on display would have overwhelmed most opponents.

The dagger became a streak of black light, slicing through the air like a sword.

Luckily, Wang Jue’s reactions were sharp—he sidestepped smoothly, dodging the attack with ease.

The tall man showed no surprise at all; if Wang Jue hadn’t possessed such skill, he’d never have bested the bald brute.

With the practiced instincts of an expert, the tall man spun his dagger in a graceful arc.

The blade swept toward Wang Jue’s arm. Only his quick reflexes saved him; he jerked his arm back just in time. If not, it wouldn’t have been a mere scratch—the dagger would have severed his limb.

“Impressive reflexes,” the man remarked, licking a smear of blood from his blade and grinning with a feral air.

Wang Jue frowned, glancing at his torn sleeve and the blood welling from the wound. Though not life-threatening, it was an injury nonetheless.

Indeed, in close combat, cold steel trumped bare hands.

It seemed he ought to buy a sword for himself soon. Otherwise, fighting armed opponents empty-handed would always put him at a disadvantage.

As this thought flashed through his mind, the tall man gave him no chance to think further. Like a hunter zeroing in on his prey, he charged again, ignoring his helpless companion on the floor—at this moment, Wang Jue was the only one in his sights.

Feeling the pressure intensify, Wang Jue knew his foe was now fighting in earnest. If he could just hold out until Lan Yiyi arrived, he’d live; if not, he’d die.

There was no denying it—the tall man's full strength was terrifying: seasoned combat instincts, dazzling technique, and attacks so sharp and unpredictable they were nearly impossible to defend against.

Within moments, Wang Jue was hard-pressed, and this was only the beginning. The flashing dagger left him no opening; a single misstep would mean a blade through his body.

This was no game.

In less than three minutes, Wang Jue’s clothes were in tatters, his body covered in wounds large and small, nearly soaked in blood. None were fatal, but each sapped his strength. And when his strength ran out, the outcome was clear.

“Kid, aren’t you going to fight back?” The tall man sounded almost disappointed. “Or are you just waiting for an opening?”

He was waiting for Wang Jue to strike, so he could counter and finish him off—that was his plan all along.

He had overestimated himself, and underestimated Wang Jue’s caution—Wang Jue simply refused to take the bait. Despite their difference in physical strength, his nimbleness made him a tricky quarry.

Catching him without killing him outright was proving quite difficult.

“I’ll strike when the opportunity presents itself,” Wang Jue replied, forcing himself to stay calm under the mounting pressure. He knew his situation was dire, but there was no other option—he’d have to seize any chance that appeared.

As he forced himself to remain clear-headed, his gaze fell upon the bald brute, who was still watching them from the floor.

Perhaps that was the opening he needed.

“If you won’t give me a chance, I’ll create one myself,” Wang Jue thought.

The tall man’s patience was at its limit. His eyes narrowed; his body blurred as he lunged, dagger thrusting straight at Wang Jue with a speed that was truly frightening—far faster than Wang Jue’s own perfected footwork.

Wang Jue’s eyes widened as he barely ducked and rolled away from the deadly strike. If he’d remained in his previous position, he would have been caught in another barrage of attacks.

Keeping his distance was his best bet for now.

By sheer luck, that roll brought him close to where he wanted to be—right where he could put his plan into action...