Chapter Thirty-Three: Another Invitation

Oda Shinichisuke looked at Zhao Bai and couldn’t help but laugh. “I say, kid, you should just give it up. Even if you have some strength—”

“Oh? Hey, do you dare hand my sword back?” Zhao Bai gritted his teeth, taking two slow steps forward. “Cut the nonsense. Let’s fight first! If I win, we take Momo with us.”

“Haha! Well, well, I didn’t expect to see such a gutsy young man.” Oda Shinichisuke chuckled and turned to Resentful Ghost. “And what do you think?”

Without a hint of respect, Resentful Ghost tossed the sword at Zhao Bai’s feet, sneering. “Come on, I’ll let you make the first move. Let’s see if your blade can even touch me!”

“You want to try? Fine! Stand still!” Zhao Bai snatched the straight sword from the ground and swung it in a horizontal arc.

Fueled by the enhancement serum, Zhao Bai’s physical prowess had already reached Class B.

With the strength and speed of a Class B, Zhao Bai’s movements were suddenly a different story in Resentful Ghost’s eyes. This kid felt nothing like before!

As only a few steps remained between them, Resentful Ghost seemed to realize the change—but with ease, he dodged Zhao Bai’s strike.

“That’s all you’ve got, kid?” Resentful Ghost blocked while chuckling.

Seeing Resentful Ghost’s demeanor, Zhao Bai immediately understood the gulf between their swordsmanship—far wider than he’d imagined. He pushed himself backward, preparing a devastating overhead chop. “Take this!”

Resentful Ghost snorted with disdain. “Is that it, boy?”

Thud!

A heavy blow landed. Resentful Ghost was stunned by a sudden hook punch from Zhao Bai!

Zhao Bai’s swing had only been a feint, and his punch was faster than Resentful Ghost anticipated.

Caught off guard, Resentful Ghost was left dazed as Zhao Bai tossed aside his sword and closed in with fists.

A flurry of punches rained down—combination after combination, ending with a heavy blow to the face.

Finally, with a loud crack, blood gushed from Resentful Ghost’s nose, his face a mess of crimson as he toppled backward.

Zhao Bai’s performance genuinely surprised Xiao Zhang. All those years of boxing hadn’t gone to waste. It made him wonder how he’d beaten Zhao Bai in the past. But what worried Xiao Zhang was that, despite being thoroughly beaten, Resentful Ghost hadn’t uttered a single cry.

Zhao Bai, however, was relentless, surging with adrenaline. Before Resentful Ghost could even hit the ground, Zhao Bai unleashed another barrage of blows.

The final whip kick landed squarely on Resentful Ghost’s head.

With a dull thud, Resentful Ghost’s head crashed into the ground, his face pressed intimately into the dirt.

He’d been utterly overwhelmed by Zhao Bai’s storm of attacks—a crushing victory.

When the dust settled, the same man who’d once pounded Zhao Bai into the ground now lay face-down in the dust.

Resentful Ghost raised his head, spat blood, and choked out, “You’re not the same guy as before!”

Zhao Bai clapped his hands, picked up the straight sword, and said coldly, “Cut the crap. I remember exactly who knocked out my teeth. You may have switched bodies, but your voice is unforgettable.”

…

Oda Shinichisuke clapped approvingly from the sidelines. “Excellent, truly excellent!”

Xiao Zhang was secretly amazed as well. In just a few exchanges, Zhao Bai had managed to KO Resentful Ghost! He’d thought Resentful Ghost was biding his time, but in fact, he’d been completely overwhelmed.

It seemed the enhancer really worked wonders. If they could get more of it and give it to the special ops guys at BD, how many super soldiers could they create?

Zhao Bai watched as Resentful Ghost slowly crawled up from the ground and snorted. “So, can we leave now?”

Oda Shinichisuke looked at Zhao Bai with growing interest, then glanced at Xiao Zhang. “I’m really curious which organization you belong to. You dare use enhancers on ordinary people. Aren’t you afraid of the system’s punishment?”

Resentful Ghost, struggling to his feet, gulped down a recovery serum. “Oda, enough games with these fools. Just kill them already!”

“Zhao Bai, over here!” Xiao Zhang ordered.

Whoosh!

Oda Shinichisuke suddenly flickered, blocking their escape route.

“You said if we beat him, we could leave!” Xiao Zhang said grimly.

“I said you could leave, but I didn’t say you could leave alive.” Oda Shinichisuke grinned smugly. “No matter what, Resentful Ghost is my comrade. As the deputy leader, I’d lose face if I let him be beaten up without consequence.”

“Knew you lot couldn’t be trusted.” With a snap, Xiao Zhang threw Mo Xiaoxiao over to Zhao Bai, then pulled out his wrench and kitchen knife. “Run!”

With those words, Xiao Zhang charged at Oda Shinichisuke, wielding his knife and wrench.

Yet, quick as Xiao Zhang was, Oda Shinichisuke moved with ghostly speed. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from Xiao Zhang’s sight, only to land a blow on Xiao Zhang’s back.

As Xiao Zhang turned, he saw Oda Shinichisuke holding a blood-stained dagger, already retreating to a safe distance.

So fast! Xiao Zhang could feel the stab wound in his waist, an odd sensation radiating from it.

He lunged again at Oda Shinichisuke, shouting, “Go!”

“Did you forget about me? Running won’t be so easy!” Resentful Ghost sneered, moving with uncanny agility to block Zhao Bai’s path.

“Get out of the way!” Zhao Bai, carrying Mo Xiaoxiao, tried to swerve past, but Resentful Ghost sidestepped and, before Zhao Bai could react, slashed his shoulder.

This guy is too fast, Zhao Bai thought, panic rising. There was no way he could escape with Mo Xiaoxiao in tow. He’d have to knock this guy down again.

“Dare for another round?” Zhao Bai gently set Mo Xiaoxiao on the ground.

“Fine, I’ll let you die with clarity!” Resentful Ghost licked the blade of his spider-cut dagger.

Zhao Bai charged with his straight sword. “Take this!”

Resentful Ghost seized the moment, spinning around to slash Zhao Bai’s back. Immediately, Zhao Bai’s shirt and skin split open, blood pouring out.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhang was locked in his own desperate struggle. Oda Shinichisuke’s knife was strange—usually, Xiao Zhang could heal faster than he bled, but this wound refused to close.

In the end, Xiao Zhang and Zhao Bai, both bloodied, stood together, facing off against Resentful Ghost and Oda Shinichisuke.

“Brother, did you get diarrhea too?” Xiao Zhang quipped.

Oda Shinichisuke laughed, eyeing Xiao Zhang. “Kid, have you considered joining our organization? All you have to do is kill that boy beside you.”