CHAPTER 727: CHAPTER 727: STABBING THE KNIFE

"Ah, what a foolish woman," Ye Shikai glanced around the empty room, gave a bitter smile, stood up feebly, and drank several shots of whisky. While others drank to drown their sorrows, he seemed to only add to his...

Lost in thought, Ye Shikai left the bar only to realize that he shouldn’t drive after drinking.

"Nevermind, let’s just walk back then." Ye Shikai put the car keys back into his pocket and walked towards the residential area, indeed feeling a bit dazed and tipsy. A cold wind might clear his head.

Huu, huu, it’s November in Yanjing, already quite chilly. The piercing cold wind was a sign of autumn, and even in a black coat, Ye Shikai still felt a bit cold.

All along the way, Ye Shikai’s mind was filled with disparate thoughts, the joy of the honeymoon gone, replaced by a hint of melancholy.

Suddenly, Ye Shikai felt a chill on his back, he sidestepped and a flying knife whizzed past his ear, embedding deeply into a stone wall nearby.

"Who’s there?" Ye Shikai spun around abruptly, only to see a masked woman in black standing twenty meters behind him. How could he forget her– it was she who had led the Mothman to kidnap Luo Shiqi on the wedding day.

"It’s you." Ye Shikai’s gaze sharpened, he slid back his right foot, assuming a defensive stance.

"The great Netherworld King, indeed has a good memory," the masked woman said through a voice changer, making her true voice unrecognizable to Ye Shikai.

"Of course I remember, how else would I get my revenge?" Ye Shikai’s fighting spirit surged, fueled further by the alcohol he had consumed, adrenaline coursing through his veins activating his aggression.

"How honored I am to have the Netherworld King strike at me," mocked the woman in black, stirring Ye Shikai’s rage to new heights as he lunged forward with a punch.

The force of the punch, akin to Breaking Sky Fist, was powerful enough to pierce heavy tank armor, and now it was aimed directly at the woman’s face.

Bang.

The woman in black dodged to the side, lightly tapping her toe and leaping onto a nearby telephone pole, while Ye Shikai’s punch demolished the wall behind her.

Ye Shikai was shocked; the woman’s speed was incredibly fast, even faster than Ji Qian by a third. This punch, precise in both angle and speed, was still effortlessly dodged by her.

"Again." Ye Shikai stepped back on the wall using the recoil to jump into the air, aiming a side kick at the woman, but she evaded it again.

The streetlamp shone on the woman’s palms, and Ye Shikai saw a flash reflection; the next second, he could clearly see - in the woman’s hands were two daggers.

"Damn." Ye Shikai quickly retreated, his body dropping fast, but he managed to dodge the FATAL STRIKE. His legs acted as a cushion as he landed on the ground, pulling out a metal sword from his Storage Ring. Just as he turned around, the woman in black’s combo move had already struck, forcing Ye Shikai to block with his sword across his chest.

Shshsh.

Two daggers clashed against the sword, sparking metallic fireworks. Ye Shikai swiftly pulled his sword out and counter-thrusted.

"Not bad," the woman in black moved like a shadow, unbelievably dodging his sword, and her daggers swiftly aimed for his stomach.

Ye Shikai concentrated his Inner Strength in his left hand, forming a protective shield that parried the daggers, breaking the woman’s offensive momentum.

"How could she be so formidable?" Ye Shikai’s expression changed. He had already reached the Kun Level, so why was the fight still so challenging, often even finding himself at a disadvantage? The woman’s speed was incredibly fast. Ye Shikai even thought that despite being renowned for his speed as the Netherworld King, he might still be slightly inferior. Thus, her moves could always dodge his attacks with her unbelievable movement technique, turning defense into attack, and she launched a FATAL STRIKE while Ye Shikai was fully engaged in offense.

"Receiving praise from Lord Netherworld King flatters me," she said, her voice altered by a device, but Ye Shikai could still clearly discern the teasing tone in her speech. She was actually toying with him.

Just as Ye Shikai was about to make a move, he suddenly paused. He had never met this woman before; why had she been provoking him repeatedly? Occupied with the fight, Ye Shikai had forgotten to consider the most fundamental thing — the motive. What and where was the motive?

The corners of Ye Shikai’s mouth slightly twitched up, and instead of continuing the attack, he started running towards another direction, wanting to test what the black-dressed woman’s true intention was.

As Ye Shikai fled abruptly, this action clearly took the woman in black by surprise. A second later, she reacted, her body swiftly pursuing right behind Ye Shikai.

Using his peripheral vision, Ye Shikai noticed—indeed, this woman was intending to attack him. He put on a panicked appearance, deliberately exposing several vulnerabilities in his movements.

Suddenly, he felt a chill from behind; the woman in black was merely a few meters away.

"Now is the time," Ye Shikai suddenly executed a diving move, and two daggers brushed past his scalp. In that instant, Ye Shikai thrust fiercely with his sword.

"Damn it," Ye Shikai had thought he could certainly wound her, but the tip of his sword only grazed over her shoulder, resulting in a draw between the two.

"Almost fell for it," the woman manoeuvred her daggers and charged forward again.

"Dodge." Ye Shikai forcefully kicked off the ground, his body sliding out several meters. A serious look flashed in his eyes, realizing that continuing in this manner would likely put him at a disadvantage. It might be better to retreat. As Ye Shikai turned to rush away, he felt his feet go soft, tumbling down to the ground.

"What’s going on," suddenly, Ye Shikai felt a numbing sensation starting from his legs and quickly spreading through his body, leaving him incredibly weak. His Inner Strength was failing him. The numbing speed was so fast that Ye Shikai couldn’t react in time, his body collapsed to the ground, supported briefly by his sword.

"Ha-ha, the effect of Soft Bone Powder is still quite good," the black-dressed woman pointed to a small, inconspicuous wound on Ye Shikai’s calf that was seeping blood.

"The blade was coated with Soft Bone Powder." Ye Shikai felt his lips numbing, the paralysis making his tongue unbearably heavy.

"Who would have thought, the mighty Netherworld King would fall for my trap," the woman in black slowly approached, sitting astride Ye Shikai’s waist, pressing a dagger against his cheek.

"Ah... Ah..." Ye Shikai tried to speak, but because of the Soft Bone Powder, he couldn’t utter a complete sentence.

"Actually, I personally didn’t want to kill you, but, when taking someone’s money, one must do their bidding." The black-dressed woman thrust her dagger into Ye Shikai’s abdomen, pulled it out forcefully, and blood immediately flowed out. Ye Shikai could only silently endure the pain. The knife did not hit his vital parts, but it was enough to cause him immense pain.