"Where could Fei Wu be?"

Tang Qi Hong was growing frustrated, but she clamped down her emotions and looked around. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath.

"And I hope Lian Rou and the others will be fine…"

"They will be," Zhu Jiao a.s.sured her. "Each of us has a s.e.xagenary of artificial qi. These demonic cultists don"t. In terms of sheer strength, we are definitely superior. We just need to be careful and not let our guard down."

An explosion from outside caused the two of them to jump. Gulping, Zhu Jiao glanced outside a nearby window.

"I hope Teacher Jiao will be all right."

"Yeah," Tang Qi Hong agreed worriedly. "That Chinese Parasol Tree Sect elder seemed pretty strong. Even if Teacher Jiao has several s.e.xagenaries of qi…"

Another tremendous clash sent extreme reverberations throughout the creaking structure of the decrepit warehouse. It was clear that the crumbling building wouldn"t be able to withstand the collision between two t.i.tanic forces for long.

Teacher Jiao and that Chinese Parasol Tree Sect elder are one thing, but we literally have two armies fighting outside…

"We have to hurry," Zhu Jiao told Tang Qi Hong. "Our job is to find Fei Wu and get him out of here as quickly as possible. Let"s hurry."

Tang Qi Hong frowned, but nodded. She wrung her hands anxiously.

"The sooner we achieve that objective, the faster we can meet up with everyone else. They all should be heading for the same destination."

"That"s right…"

The two of them rounded a corner and headed toward the stairs. From their intelligence after asking a captured demonic martial artist was that poor me had been imprisoned in some bas.e.m.e.nt that had been converted into a torture chamber. The last thing he had heard was that I was still alive, but his boss, Ba Yun, intended to devour my qi essence.

If they wanted to save me, they had to hurry.

"Downstairs!"

Zhu Jiao was about to sprint forward when the ceiling blew apart. Lightning crackled as someone surged into the s.p.a.ce, blasting the place apart and sending the two Wu Ling Academy students reeling back.

"I knew you would be here."

Qi Fu Ren grinned as he stepped into the broken corridor, occupying the staircase. Shaking his head in mock disappointment, he glanced at Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong, who were rising to their feet and getting ready to do battle.

"Boss!"

"Leader!"

A bunch of hooded Chinese Parasol Tree Sect underlings followed suit, dropping in behind Qi Fu Ren and flanking the bully. Qi Fu Ren waved them back impatiently without turning to face them, keeping his eyes on his former cla.s.smates instead.

"Zhu Jiao, Tang Qi Hong. It"s been a while, hasn"t it?"

"What are you doing here?" Zhu Jiao demanded. "Why are you…?"

"He…he"s part of the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect," Tang Qi Hong realized in dread. "The people behind him are part of the sect, and they"re calling him a leader…"

"Bingo!"

Qi Fu Ren clapped slowly, grinning brightly.

"Thanks to you guys causing my expulsion from both the White Tiger Sect and Wu Ling Academy, I was forced to throw everything in with this lot. But…I can"t say I hate it. In fact, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect fits me far more than Wu Ling Academy ever did!"

Both Zhu Jiao and Tang Qi Hong exchanged glances, but didn"t deny it. In fact, they rather agreed with Qi Fu Ren"s a.s.sessment. The bully was obviously far more at home in a demonic sect than an orthodox academy.

"Here, as long as I have the strength, I can do whatever I like! Ha ha ha ha!"

A chill ran down Tang Qi Hong"s back. "You…"

"Ah…yes. You must be here for that trash, Fei Wu. It"s too late."

Cackling madly, Qi Fu Ren charged forward and seized Tang Qi Hong by the throat. Lightning clashed with fire as Tang Qi Hong unleashed her Nine-Tailed Fire Fox technique to combat Qi Fu Ren"s Element of Thunder and Lightning. Okay, I stole that name from a Korean murim manhwa, I don"t know what the name of the White Tiger Sect"s lightning techniques were.

The two of them crashed through the wall, but Tang Qi Hong managed to free herself from his grip and kicked him in the chin. While Qi Fu Ren recoiled, she jumped back to widen the distance between them and then injured a flaming spear. Spinning the flaming spear around elegantly, Tang Qi Hong slashed at the retreating Qi Fu Ren.

"Hmph. You and I have a score to settle." An ugly grin was spreading over Qi Fu Ren"s roguish face. "If I recall correctly, you"re Fei Wu"s woman, aren"t you?"

"W…w…w…what the h.e.l.l are you talking about?!" Tang Qi Hong spluttered, and she overzealously struck at Qi Fu Ren as he jumped back with an amused laugh. "Where did you get such a weird idea from?!"

"It"s pretty obvious from the way you cling to him!"

"Was it?" Zhu Jiao, being the typical dense protagonist, didn"t seem to have noticed Tang Qi Hong"s affections at all. I couldn"t say I wasn"t aware, but I just wasn"t self-conscious enough to do something unless Tang Qi Hong actually took her own initiative and confirmed it herself. Because, you know, if everything was just me being overly self-conscious and delusional, then that would be one h.e.l.l of an embarra.s.sing mistake.

Everything would just become pretty awkward.

Besides, who said the guys had to make the first move? If the girl was interested, then she should take the initiative. Otherwise it was her loss. I was a firm advocate of gender equality, after all.

"And since it was both you and that trash who drove me out of Wu Ling Academy, I guess I"ll start with you first."

"!!"

Tang Qi Hong barely managed to block Qi Fu Ren"s Lightning Fist, his attack being so much more powerful than before because he had sucked two s.e.xagenaries" worth of qi from his former underlings. With triple the amount of qi she possessed, Qi Fu Ren was overwhelming her with brute strength alone.

"Tang Qi Hong!"

Zhu Jiao jumped forward to help, activating his Golden Kirin Armor, but Qi Fu Ren"s new underlings intervened, placing themselves firmly between him and their leader. Kicking and punching, they drove Zhu Jiao back in a frenzied a.s.sault that send shockwaves reverberating through the st.u.r.dy field of yang qi.

"Kuh!"

"You guys, keep him off my back for a bit. Kill him if you can, or at least delay him until I finish this b.i.t.c.h off."

"Yes, sir!"

The bunch of underlings crowded Zhu Jiao, cutting him off from reinforcing Tang Qi Hong. She was on her own for now.

However, that didn"t matter. Tang Qi Hong was determined to bring down Qi Fu Ren and finish him off once and for all, even if she had to do it on her own.

"Haaaaah!"

With a determined yell, Tang Qi Hong swung her blazing spear at Qi Fu Ren, but he blocked it with his arms that were wreathed in protective lightning before countering with a kick. Her reflexes honed to perfection, Tang Qi Hong elegantly dodged his next Lightning Punch, but Qi Fu Ren followed up with a ma.s.sive Lightning Flash that tore open a hole in both the wall and the ceiling.

"Aaaah!"

Crying out, Tang Qi Hong found herself hurled through the large gape in the ceiling as the shockwaves from Qi Fu Ren"s enormous attack battered her. Flipping herself in the air, she landed on the rooftop and skidded backward.

"Huff…!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Gripping the edges of the hole he had just carved into the ceiling, Qi Fu Ren hauled himself up and out onto the rooftop. His boots clacking against the crumbling concrete, he cracked his knuckles and drew closer to Tang Qi Hong.

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d…!"

Gritting her teeth, Tang Qi Hong stabbed her blazing spear into the ground and raised both of her hands. A golden, fiery bow materialized in her hands and she launched nine flaming arrows at Qi Fu Ren. The fiery projectiles slammed into him with unerring accuracy and exploded, enveloping the rooftop in a blinding conflagration.

"Kuh!"

Smoldering heavily, Qi Fu Ren stumbled out of the inferno with a hacking cough. His lips curling into a snarl, he glared murderously at Tang Qi Hong. Surprise flickered through his dark eyes as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

"Even with three times as much qi as you, I can still be hurt by your attacks? How shocking. I guess the decisive of a battle isn"t solely about the difference between the quant.i.ties of qi that the combatants have. I can"t afford to be careless."

Tang Qi Hong replied with another volley of nine flaming arrows. This time, Qi Fu Ren punched them with his Lightning Fist, detonating them before they could unleash their full destructive effects upon his body.

"!!"

Tang Qi Hong involuntarily took a step back. Qi Fu Ren grinned, and then vanished.

"?!"

Instinctively, Tang Qi Hong dropped her bow on reflex and grabbed her spear. Yanking it out of the ground, she just barely managed to parry Qi Fu Ren"s Lightning Punch in time, but the impact was so tremendous she was lifted off her feet and sent skidding across the ground. While she fought to regain her balance, Qi Fu Ren seized the chance to deliver a second Lightning Punch.

"Kuh!"

Tang Qi Hong had no choice but to block that strike as well. However, being off balance, she was unable to prevent Qi Fu Ren from punching the spear out of her hand. Spinning rapidly and helplessly through the air, the flaming spear struck the ground and slowly vanished from material existence.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Cackling madly, Qi Fu Ren threw a third punch. Without her weapons, Tang Qi Hong was forced to cross her arms to defend from the blow, gathering her inner qi for a spiritual defense. Unfortunately, Qi Fu Ren had antic.i.p.ated just that.

"Thunder Break!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Tang Qi Hong screamed as the lightning coursed through her body, overwhelming her defenses and electrocuting her. Her body going into spasms, she toppled onto the floor, jerking and writhing. Qi Fu Ren ruthlessly kicked her, sending her flying across the rooftop.

"It"s useless."

Tang Qi Hong looked up tearfully, unable to respond as pain and electricity continued to wrack her body.

"You see, Thunder Break is a technique that relies on purely yin qi, because opponents always use defensive yang qi to guard against Lightning Fist. So by only conjuring yin qi, I am able to counteract your yang qi completely, and with a direct hit, disrupt the flow of qi in your body and prevent you from using it for a while. Of course, the effects will differ depending on the user"s level of skill in using the technique, and the toughness of the opponent. But since I"ve perfected my skill and you"re three times weaker than me…"

Snickering cruelly, Qi Fu Ren delivered a barrage of Lightning Punches that sent destructive shockwaves throughout Tang Qi Hong"s curled body.

"AAAAH!"

"He he he he he!"

Giggling sinisterly, Qi Fu Ren bent down and straddled Tang Qi Hong, even as she tried to curl into a fetal position. Reaching out with both hands, he tore at her clothes, ripping the fabric and exposing some of her skin.

"Y…y…you…what are you doing?!"

Fear sketched across Tang Qi Hong"s face as she struggled futilely against his advances.

"What does it look like I"m doing?"

Qi Fu Ren licked his lips and chuckled hoa.r.s.ely.

"You"re Fei Wu"s girl, aren"t you?"

"I…I…I don"t know what you"re talking about!"

"No use being such a tsundere. Your feelings for him are as plain as day." Qi Fu Ren licked her cheek and she recoiled in horror. "I wonder, how would he feel when he realizes that I stole his girl from him?"

"S…steal?"

"You can"t possibly be that innocent, can you?!" Qi Fu Ren chortled as he tore at more of her clothes, trying to rip off her uniform jacket. The fabric, despite being made from material designed to withstand most martial artists" attacks, was beginning to give way under the a.s.sault of someone who possessed three s.e.xagenaries of qi.

"NO!"

Tang Qi Hong did understand the implications indeed and she kicked out desperately, trying to push Qi Fu Ren away. Unfortunately he was too strong. Never mind his physical prowess, he had three times the qi of hers.

"Don"t worry. I heard that it only hurts at first."

"NOOOO!!! Stop!"

Tang Qi Hong wailed as her resistance intensified, but Qi Fu Ren would not be stopped. He continued to nuzzle against her neck.

"I mean, it was that trash Fei Wu who caused me to lose my girl. He made me look like an idiot in front of my beloved Bai Ning Xue. Thanks to him, she"ll never look at me again. All because he humiliated me and made me look like a bad guy in front of her!"

Gripping the fabric of her uniform jacket, he tore the enchanted threads loose. His eyes darted around, crazed in l.u.s.t and vengeance.

"It"s only fitting that I steal his girl from him after he robbed me of mine!"

Tang Qi Hong looked up at him, astonished. "You"re blaming Fei Wu for your own atrocities and abuse?"

"The strong can do whatever they want!" Qi Fu Ren roared as he continued to strip away her ruined uniform jacket. "That"s the right of the strong! I am strong!"

Shaking her head incredulously, Tang Qi Hong realized that Qi Fu Ren had totally lost it. She gritted her teeth and kicked him in the crotch as hard as she could, eliciting a high-pitched howl from her a.s.sailant.

Clutching at his groin, Qi Fu Ren toppled over, shrieking. No matter how much more powerful he was than Tang Qi Hong, he was no match for a kick targeted right at one of his most vulnerable parts. Tang Qi Hong quickly seized the chance to crawl away.

"Huff…huff…"

She had to escape from that rapist and put as much distance between them as possible. Perhaps get to where Zhu Jiao was and team up with him…

"Where do you think you"re going?"

Despite the debilitating agony, Qi Fu Ren had recovered just enough to pounce on her again. Tang Qi Hong hit the ground and rolled away, but Qi Fu Ren kicked her. The wind knocked out of her, Tang Qi Hong staggered, only to be struck by another Thunder Break.

"AAAAH!"

As her body convulsed from the electricity and toppled over, Qi Fu Ren sat astride her once more, pinning her to the ground.

"You b.i.t.c.h…" he hissed. "After I make you mine, I"ll kill you. After I violate you to my heart"s content, I"ll f.u.c.king kill you! I"ll make sure that trash never reclaim you again."

"N…no…!"

Tang Qi Hong wept as she struggled, trying to kick at his groin again, but Qi Fu Ren pinned down her legs. She shuddered as she stared up at his l.u.s.tful, violent eyes, turning pale from fright.

Her former cla.s.smate no longer appeared human. He seemed more like a demon…a malevolent ent.i.ty wearing the shape of a teenage boy.

"W…what are you?" she whispered, tears glistening on her cheeks.

"Don"t worry, I"ll send you to join your beloved Fei Wu soon." Ignoring her question, Qi Fu Ren shook his head slowly as he straightened up. "Still, I"m amazed that you lot tried to save him. It"s useless. I gave him to Ba Yun. He might be quite an evil b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but he"s one of the best torturers in the world. His techniques of slowly tormenting a person and breaking him down are simply topnotch. And once he gets sick of his new toy, he"ll just drain them of their qi essence…and two weeks are more than enough for him to tire of that rubbish. By now, that trash is surely dead."

"You…!"

Gritting her teeth, Tang Qi Hong glared at him, only for Qi Fu Ren to throw his head back and roared in laughter.

"Don"t worry. I"ll send you to join him. You both can spend an eternity in h.e.l.l together. And after that I"ll send Zhu Jiao and the others to accompany you guys."

Guffawing in triumph, Qi Fu Ren threw down one last punch.

"Please…"

Tang Qi Hong squeezed her eyes tearfully and pleaded. Not to Qi Fu Ren, but to the heavens, to anyone.

"Someone…please save me…"

"No one"s going to save you!" Qi Fu Ren hollered as his devastating Lightning Punch drew closer to her.

His fist never reached her head.

My foot caught Qi Fu Ren in the face and I kicked him with all the strength I could muster by clashing the volatile pure innate qi in my body with the surrounding natural qi, causing an immense detonation that sent Qi Fu Ren spiraling helplessly in the air. Cartwheeling uncontrollably like a broken puppet, he crashed heavily onto the ground with a thunderous boom, carving a crater.

"I will," I replied as I stood between the fallen Qi Fu Ren and the weeping Tang Qi Hong, even as my foot smoldered from the impact.