The Way of Restraint

Chapter 199: A Premonition of Misfortune Prevails

While sleeping, Su Jie’s spiritual senses were exceptionally active. Everything around him seemed vividly clear, and his mind and body were in a state of perfect harmony.

In medicine, this is considered a miracle; even cancer patients can recover remarkably well because the immune system is exceptionally strong in this state, making it easier for the body to kill cancer cells.

Suddenly, a sense of alarm rose within him.

Su Jie seemed to sense some kind of danger.

Like a wild beast hiding in a tree hollow, its fur trembles automatically before danger arrives.

He abruptly opened his eyes and “heard” faint, hurried footsteps approaching from the street outside. Though light, they carried a dangerous “killing intent.”

Whoosh! He silently rose, went upstairs, and reached a window facing the street. He leaped out, gripping the cracks in the brickwork, hanging like a gecko, ready to escape at any moment while using the angle to observe the situation at the building’s entrance and in the hallway.

Click!

The lock on the front door was broken silently with a tool.

Several dark figures darted in through the doorway, quickly taking up advantageous positions, like a well-trained army apprehending criminals. These men were all dressed in black, wearing hoods, obscuring their faces. They carried guns, daggers, and various protective gear, their professionalism frightening.

Bang!

The leader threw several tear gas canisters into the house, instantly filling it with smoke.

The dark figures, however, were unaffected by the smoke and began searching.

If Su Jie were still inside, he would be in grave danger.

“No.”

“Target not found!”

“Nothing found…”

The shadowy figures searched the house thoroughly, finding no trace of Su Jie. They then gathered in the main hall, speaking English.

“Impossible, I’ve been watching from this doorway the whole time, I didn’t see him leave.” The leader said, “What happened?”

“What do we do now?” one of the shadowy figures asked.

“Withdraw! Continue monitoring from a distance, clean this place up, don’t leave any clues.” The leader ordered, “Don’t let them know we were here.”

“Should we wait here for them to return?” another shadowy figure asked.

“We’re dealing with that Su Jie, not Zhang Manman. This is Zhang family territory. If we touch Zhang Manman, Zhang Hongqing will definitely not let us off easily.” The leader said, “On the contrary, if we kill or kidnap Su Jie, Zhang Hongqing will be extremely grateful to us.”

The group of shadowy figures quickly finished cleaning up and prepared to leave through the main entrance. But just then, a man appeared at the main entrance.

This man said calmly, “Gentlemen, since you’re here, make the best of it. You’ve come here in such a grand manner to deal with me, and I’m here too. Why not sit down and talk?”

This man was Su Jie.

He had clung to the wall and water pipes, observing the commotion inside, assessing the strength of the men, and calculating before appearing.

He now observed his surroundings, searching for a favorable position, always calm, observing people’s auras, analyzing in an instant, and making various correct judgments—his brain was like a computer.

Just now, his decision to escape through the window had also been made after a few seconds of deliberation.

Otherwise, under the attack of tear gas, he would have been in considerable trouble.

“Grab him!” Seeing Su Jie blocking the doorway with such audacity, the masked leader suddenly gave the order, and swish, swish, swish! The men pointed their guns at Su Jie, ready to fire.

But Su Jie had precisely anticipated and controlled this series of movements. He dodged the projectiles with a quick flash, his arm lashing out.

Bang bang bang bang…

The masked men fell to the ground, gaping wounds appearing in their bodies. They had been knocked unconscious by the hidden weapons.

The hidden weapons were pebbles, hard cobblestones, which Su Jie had casually picked up in the garden; they were almost as hard as iron bullets. Struck with Su Jie’s heavy hand, a single, powerful blow could even pierce a skull, killing instantly.

Of course, Su Jie hadn’t intended to kill them; otherwise, a shot to the temple or eye would have been fatal.

“Hidden weapon.” One of the masked men, struck, seemed to shudder momentarily, dissipating the force of the stone. He didn’t immediately lose consciousness, but his steps were unsteady, suggesting a broken bone.

Knowing he was no match for Su Jie at this point, he raised his gun and fired.

Unfortunately, Su Jie ducked and dodged, taking a quick step forward and appearing right in front of him. A slap to the face blinded him, his mask ripped off, and the gun in his hand was snatched away, tossed aside onto the table.

Before Su Jie advanced to the “Living Dead” realm, he would have been extremely cautious with these people. Even the best martial arts are vulnerable to a kitchen knife; even with invulnerability, a single shot could take you down.

Even a master like Liu Long could be killed by an armed thug.

But after reaching the “Living Dead” realm, his reactions and speed far surpassed those of ordinary people. He anticipated his opponent’s moves, and his mental fortitude was unwavering. He was decisive and ruthless; fear and hesitation were simply impossible to find in a “Living Dead.”

Even highly trained special agents couldn’t make such accurate judgments in dangerous situations.

Sometimes, it truly comes down to a split-second decision; victory or defeat is determined by chance, and individual skill has little to do with the outcome.

“Is this an Asian?” Su Jie watched as the masked leader’s mask was removed, revealing a face clearly of Asian descent. He poured cold water directly on the masked leader, and seeing that he was awake, asked immediately, “Who are you?”

Su Jie didn’t tie him up. The masked man could easily escape, but Su Jie was confident he couldn’t.

“Is this the realm of the living dead?” The masked leader seemed completely unafraid. He was a young man of about thirty, with stubble, triangular eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips; his features revealed a ruthless nature.

People with this kind of face have a gambler’s personality, an extremely adventurous spirit, and when they become ruthless, they don’t even recognize their own family.

“The realm of the living dead is indeed extraordinary. It seems I miscalculated,” the masked leader said. “So, what are you going to do with me next?”

“I asked you who you are,” Su Jie noticed the man was speaking Chinese. “If you keep beating around the bush, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

“Oh, so what kind of impolite method are you going to use?” The masked leader didn’t run away. He seemed to know he couldn’t escape, and instead became calm and fearless.

“Then let me give you a massage.” Su Jie suddenly made his move, pinching the masked leader’s shoulder.

Ah!

The masked leader screamed immediately, and then Su Jie continued pinching down.

The masked leader was completely powerless to resist, collapsing to the ground like a slug, drenched in sweat, as if he had just walked through hell. 

“How’s my massage technique?” Su Jie asked. “It’s very beneficial for you, but unfortunately, you can’t stand it.”

Su Jie had endured the massages from the Uncle Mang in his early days with great difficulty, demonstrating superhuman willpower. Even Zhou Chun, a national-level martial arts fighter, couldn’t withstand it back then.

Su Jie had long since mastered the Uncle Mang’s massage techniques. With his current strength, he could wield them even more powerfully than the Uncle Mang, capable of bringing life or death at will.

“Stop massaging,” the masked leader said, looking at Su Jie with fear in his eyes. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk, I’m from the Mao family. My name is Mao Liqiang.”

“The Mao family?” Su Jie searched his memory, and one name came to mind.

The master of “Southern Mao.”

The mysterious figure behind the Feng family.

The Feng family was said to have risen to power through “Southern Mao,” transforming a small company into a multi-billion dollar giant in just twenty years.

In China, Southern Mao, Northern Luo, and Central Ma formed a three-way balance of power. Master Luo and Master Ma were both academic professors, while Nan Mao practiced pure feudal superstition and didn’t tell fortunes for outsiders, specializing in divination and planning for the Feng family.

Such fortune tellers usually died alone, without descendants, but Master Ma told Su Jie that this “Master Mao” seemed to defy fate, with a large family of children and grandchildren all overseas, enjoying blessings of fortune, prosperity, and longevity—the reason for which remained a mystery.

“Why did you attack me this time?” Su Jie asked again.

“You’ve been targeted by the Zhang family. Our Mao family is cooperating with the Zhang family,” Mao Liqiang said, seemingly afraid of Su Jie. “I was merely bribed to see what you’re made of.”

“Not from the Feng family?” Su Jie asked. “Isn’t your Mao family dependent on the Feng family?”

“The Feng family only provides our Mao family with a lot of funds each year; we’re not dependent. However, in terms of destiny, our Mao and Feng families are bound together—we prosper together and suffer together,” Mao Liqiang honestly replied. 

“Which member of the Zhang family is it?” Su Jie asked.

“Zhang Manman’s older brother, Zhang Kaitai.” Mao Liqiang, seeing the suspicion in Su Jie’s eyes, immediately said, “I’m absolutely not trying to sow discord. You can investigate yourself. Zhang Kaitai is the most powerful among the younger generation of the Zhang family; his martial arts are unfathomable. Currently, our Mao family’s most outstanding member, Mao Xin, is cooperating with him.”

“Zhang Kaitai, Mao Xin?” Su Jie nodded upon hearing these names. “Alright, although you’ve come to deal with me, I won’t kill you. Now, leave quickly. You don’t need me to see you off, do you?”

“No need…” Mao Liqiang, hearing this, felt a sense of relief. He was cautious, fearing Su Jie would kill them. “You won’t kill us?”

“This is America. Murder is illegal here,” Su Jie said. “Of course, if you stay here, I don’t mind giving you another massage.”

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving, I’m leaving right now!” Mao Liqiang, terrified, quickly dragged the remaining people out one by one, then drove in a car, dragged them all in, and drove away.