Chapter 33: The Mysterious Disappearance

The person who had arrived was none other than Yang Rui’s best friend, Xie Tingfeng! Nearly six feet three inches tall with broad shoulders and a thick back, he wore a simple athletic tank top that revealed bulging muscles, knotted like the roots of an ancient tree, radiating explosive power. He wore his hair in a short, military-style buzz cut. His thick eyebrows framed eyes that were currently burning with a mixture of shock and rage. He had simply been passing by when he noticed the security door to Yang Rui’s building was left ajar. Hearing faint, unusual noises from upstairs, he had rushed up out of concern, only to stumble upon this perilous scene!

The masked killer’s movements were as swift as a ghost, but Xie Tingfeng’s appearance and his thunderous roar were like a massive boulder cast into a still pond, instantly shattering the killer’s machine-like rhythm of slaughter. The trajectory of the poisoned blade faltered with a subtle, almost imperceptible hesitation due to this sudden, massive interference.

And that was all it took!

Who was Xie Tingfeng? A former provincial-level 90-kilogram class boxer! The instinct to spot an opponent’s momentary opening in the ring had long been etched into his very bones. He didn’t need to see who the intruder was; the poisoned blade aimed at Yang Rui and the eerie mask were enough for him to identify the man as a lethal thug.

"Get down!" Xie Tingfeng roared, his voice shaking the building as he pushed off the ground, his legs acting like coiled springs. He launched himself like a heavy shell fired from a cannon. Using the momentum from sprinting up the stairs, he tightened his right fist, the muscles in his arm tensing into steel. He delivered a textbook-perfect, professional-grade rear cross, channeling every ounce of his strength into the blow. It tore through the air with a terrifying whistle, striking with the force of a thunderbolt toward the masked killer’s temple!

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

The timing, the angle, and the power of this punch were exquisite, hitting the exact ten-thousandth-of-a-second opening in the killer’s strike just as his focus was broken.

The masked killer clearly had not expected such a powerhouse to suddenly emerge from downstairs. His attack had been a forward-leaning lunge with his center of gravity committed; faced with a sudden, viciously angled, and violent heavy punch from the side, he had no time to adjust or evade.

"BANG!"

A dull, heavy sound—like a sledgehammer striking a sandbag—exploded in the narrow hallway!

Xie Tingfeng’s iron-like fist, the size of a mortar, landed squarely and squarely against the left temple of the masked killer.

The killer’s lunging body was sent flying sideways as if struck by a speeding truck. His pale silicone mask distorted and shattered under the immense impact. A short, inhuman grunt seemed to emit from beneath the mask. The poisoned blade flew from his hand, clattering away into the distance. His body, like a broken sack, slammed hard against the wall opposite the stairs with a heavy thud, then slid limply to the floor, curling into a ball and remaining motionless. Blood began to seep slowly from the edges of the shattered mask and from his ears and nose.

The entire hallway fell into a deathly silence.

Yang Rui leaned against the wall, gasping for air. The wound on his back had reopened due to the intense movement and tension, soaking his clothes in blood, but he ignored it, staring at the scene before him in disbelief.

Xie Tingfeng remained in his punching stance, his chest heaving, his breath visible as white mist in the cold air. He glanced at the masked man on the ground, whose fate was uncertain, then snapped his head toward the pale, swaying Yang Rui. The rage in his eyes was instantly replaced by worry. "Old Yang! Are you alright?! Where are you hurt?!"

"I... I'm fine..." Yang Rui’s voice was hoarse as he forced himself to gesture toward the masked killer. "Tingfeng... be careful... this person... is dangerous..."

Only then did Xie Tingfeng look vigilantly at the strange figure on the floor. He walked over and cautiously nudged the man’s arm with the toe of his shoe; there was no reaction. He crouched down and gingerly checked the man’s carotid artery, his brows furrowed. "He’s knocked out cold! What is this guy’s deal? Dressed like he’s in a sci-fi movie! And this blade..." He looked at the poisoned knife, which glowed with a faint blue luster, and gasped. "That is damnably venomous!"

"Su Jin! Su Jin!" Yang Rui suddenly remembered that Su Jin was still in the kitchen and called out urgently.

Su Jin poked her head out from the kitchen doorway, her face deathly pale. Seeing the unconscious killer and the tower-like figure of Xie Tingfeng, her tightly wound nerves finally loosened, and her legs gave way, nearly causing her to collapse to the floor.

"Quick! Tingfeng! Take Su Jin and let’s leave this place immediately! There is someone behind this man!" Yang Rui said urgently, knowing that a cleaner would never act alone.

"Understood!" Without a second word, Xie Tingfeng hauled the unconscious masked killer onto his shoulder like a sack of grain. With his other hand, he supported the weak Yang Rui and shouted to Su Jin, "Miss, follow me closely!"

The three of them quickly headed downstairs. Even while carrying the killer, Xie Tingfeng moved with agility. He used his own body to shield Yang Rui and Su Jin, scanning the dark alleys with vigilance. Once he confirmed they were temporarily safe, he plunged deep into the labyrinthine alleys of the old district with his companions, soon vanishing into the shadows.

Less than ten minutes after they left, the piercing wail of sirens tore through the night sky. Several police cars screeched to a halt downstairs. Zhao Zhigang led a team of fully armed officers up to the third floor.

However, aside from shattered window glass, a few drops of Yang Rui’s blood on the floor, and signs of a struggle, the space was empty.

The unconscious masked killer, along with his strange, poisoned blade, had vanished into thin air, as if he had evaporated from the world.

The police conducted a carpet search and reviewed all available surveillance footage from the area, but they found nothing. The mysterious killer, along with any trace of his arrival or departure, seemed as though he had never existed.

In a private hospital room, the wound on Yang Rui’s back had been re-dressed. Though still pale, his spirits were holding up. Su Jin kept watch by his side, still shaken. Xie Tingfeng stood at the door like a guardian, his arms folded and his expression grave.

Zhao Zhigang pushed the door open, his face looking exceptionally grim. "We’ve inspected the scene. Besides the signs of a struggle and your blood, there are no valuable clues, and certainly no evidence of a third party. The surveillance... it was either a blind spot or just static. Yang Rui, Professor Su, are you certain... there really was a masked killer?"

Su Jin said urgently, "Captain Zhao! It’s the absolute truth! The mask, the knife, and Tingfeng knocked him out! We saw it with our own eyes!"

Xie Tingfeng added in a muffled, heavy voice, "That’s right, Captain Zhao! That guy was evil! He had immense strength and speed! If I hadn't landed that punch with enough force and accuracy, Old Yang would be dead! I personally knocked him out and carried him downstairs! But... when we got to the alley entrance, I put him down to tie him up while waiting for you. I turned around to look at Old Yang, and when I turned back... he was gone! Like a ghost! He didn't even leave a drop of blood on the ground!"

Zhao Zhigang’s brow knotted tightly. He knew Xie Tingfeng’s background well—a former provincial boxing champion, a straightforward man who wouldn't lie about such a thing. Yang Rui and Su Jin’s descriptions were also perfectly consistent. But the scene and the surveillance... there was no evidence to support their claims. It was too bizarre!

"I understand," Zhao Zhigang took a deep breath, his eyes sharp. "I will continue to investigate this matter. As for Baishi, we are also intensifying our efforts to gather evidence. Yang Rui, focus on your recovery. Comrade Xie Tingfeng, Professor Su, you must also watch your safety and try not to be alone during this time." He paused, his tone heavy. "The opponent... is more cunning and dangerous than we imagined. This matter... I’m afraid it will have to be shelved for the time being."

Silence filled the hospital room. A heavy sense of helplessness and a deeper chill hung over everyone’s heart. The "venomous snake" released by Baishi had escaped while wounded, yet it had left behind a larger shadow and an even deadlier threat. Like a drop of ink, it had dissolved into the darkness of the city, waiting for the next strike.