"Oh, her attack is damn precise," This is Mark's first thought as he stared at the scene unfolded before his eyes.
As Fang Bao screamed in pain, the teammates took out their weapons to retaliate. There were three of them.
"Alina, knock them out but don't use energy daggers or skills. Use the shotgun as your main attack." Mark passed a quick order. He didn't take them much seriously considering they aren't a threat. However, he doesn't want others to interfere in his business and there's also his curiosity regarding Alina's gun handling.
In just a fraction of a second, Alina appeared before the adventurer team, surprising Liu Zhong and everyone else, and she started to fire the shotgun pellets one after another.
For a moment, Mark really felt amazed while watching how she managed to take a bunch of 4-circle realm experts with a shotgun.
In his eyes, she looked more graceful when using a firearm instead of a dagger, although her clothes didn't match with the weapon.
However, the shotgun could only hold 6 rounds inside. They weren't enough to knock them out and Alina might have to load the rounds.
Alina didn't want to give an opportunity for the targets to escape or fight back.
While they were still screaming in pain with the injuries at vulnerable spots, she knocked them out with a chop at the side of their necks.
Everyone except for Fang Bao was knocked while the leader of the team lost both of his eyes, kneeling at the spot and screaming for help.
"Tell him to stop screaming. It's too noisy." Mark gave an order while getting down from the carriage. Everyone around was staring at the scene in silence.
Loading the remaining four shotgun shells from the side saddle, she crouched before him and put the shotgun at his throat, "Shhh, my master doesn't like your voice. So, shut the fuck up or else, I will put this into your mouth and shoot, understand?"
Alina had a passive skill, influencing the target's minds with her words. The more the target is weaker than her, the more she can influence them.
So, when Fang Bao heard her words, he was intimidated to the core and started to shiver and nodded.
"Woah," Mark was surprised for a second. It was a different side of Alina that he saw today. Honestly, he prefers a badass woman like this. Too bad, she isn't a human.
Clearing his throat, Mark spoke, "don't misunderstand, Fang Bao. Just so you know, I'm not punishing you because you dare to threaten me, tried to harm my companion, or you eyed my servant. Well, I don't say that I'll keep quiet but the main reason isn't that. It's because of your relation to Mt. Hua Sect."
Fang Bao fell on his butt when he heard Mark's words. How could the stranger have known about it? No one in the guild knew of it.
Mark continued, "Now, I'll ask you three simple questions. Nod if yes. Shake your head if No. Are you in touch with your fellow sect members?"
Fang Bao nodded.
Mark then asked, "My first question. Are you close with any person in your sect that is stronger than you?
Fang Bai nodded once again.
Mark asked again, "My second question. If you die, will that person seek revenge?"
Fang Bao stayed silent for a while before Alina pressed the shotgun at his throat once again, "answer him."
Fang Bao nodded.
"What is that person's identity? How strong is he?" Mark asked his third question.
Fang Bao answered with great difficulty, "my maternal cousin is an elder. He is in the 6-circle realm."
"Oh, that's better." Mark let out a smile upon hearing a useful piece of information. A plan already formed in his mind. He decided to execute it, "I heard that you carry communication talisman with you all the time and communicate with your sect as long as you are in 1000 km range.
I'll allow you to use it to send it to your uncle in case you wanted revenge. In that case, tell him also that I don't intend to stay here for too long. He can only catch me before the dungeon clears.
So, do you want to take that option before you die or should I behead you, right away? I'll give you one minute to decide."
At that moment, Fang Bao had only one thought. To survive. Judging by how he was taken down, he felt like this man wouldn't show mercy if he plead with him.
So, Fang Bao tried to run away in some random direction at his maximum speed.
He suddenly rolled to the back and stood on his feet before trying to move away. But, will Mark let him do that?
*Bang* Bang* *Bang*
Three successive shots were fired by Alina. Interestingly, all three of them struck Fang Bao's lower part of the right leg and that too, at the same spot.
The first shot only injured him slightly because the shotgun pellet is only rank-3 but when the successive shots hit him at the same spot, the injury became bigger, effectively making him crash on the ground.
As he tried to drag his leg, Alina caught up with him and cruelly stepped on that leg without displaying any emotions on her face. "Sorry, but you don't have a way out."
Mark shook his head as he walked towards Fang Bao who was screaming and pleading for mercy. "Fang Bao, as I said before, your death is already sealed. You only had an option of being avenged. There are 50 seconds to go."
It was at that moment, a high pitch roar escaped from nearby. "Stop right there, you fiend."
Mark turned sideways to look at the one that disturbed him.
A teenager-looking boy landed a few meters away from him. Following that, four more experts landed behind him.
Out of desperation, Fang Bao pleaded with them, "please help me. I don't want to die."
Seeing the boy has this air of a noble around him, Mark didn't waste any time to inspect the boy with Sage's Eye. When he did that, he couldn't help but broke out into laughter.
Ji Guanli
Race: Human
Rank: 5-circle (advanced stage)
Description: The heir to the Ji Clan.
"I never expected my luck would turn out this well or else, why would I coincidentally meet a member of Mt. Hua Sect and now, the heir of Ji Clan?" Mark couldn't stop himself to laugh at the situation, earning a frown from the boy.
Ji Guanli spoke, "I don't know who you are or what kind of business you have with that man but killing is against the law. You cannot commit such a crime without getting away with it, no matter who you are when there are so many witnesses. For the sake of your future, leave him and get lost from here."
Mark's laugh became bigger in response before he replied, "it's too funny coming from you, whose father murdered hundreds of civilians to rule the Western Yan, Young lord Ji Guanli."
Ji Guanli's frown became deeper when he realized that this man recognized his face. "That was war, not some personal vendetta against an individual."
Mark returned with a swift response, "this is the same too, except that in my side, there wasn't any army on my side. I'm just a single individual. And this is a form of guerilla warfare tactic."
Ji Guanli didn't understand his words properly. He said, "I don't care what it is. Leave him alone. Since you know who I am, then, you should also know the consequences of going against the Ji Clan."
"You are contradicting by your own statement, Young Lord Ji. I don't understand why every noble turned out to be a hypocrite." Mark shook his head with a sigh before giving a cold gaze to the teenager, "This isn't Western Yan, young lord Ji. Don't go around showing off your identity. Who knows, some crazy man like me will take it as an offense and you might not return to home."
"How bold of you. I don't care what kind of background you have. Today, you will have to be taught a lesson." The teenager got angry and signaled to his guards.
"I don't mind people putting their noses in someone's business but I don't like it if that business is mine." Mark looked at Alina, ordered her to take them down while permitting her to use her full strength.
Alina let out a grin as she dismissed the shotgun and summoned the dark energy daggers.
Even though all of them are in the six-circle realm, the strongest one is only an intermediate stage.
None of them were strong enough to face Alina but with their teamwork, they managed to sustain light injuries.
Meanwhile, Mark took the advancement pill, temporarily raising his strength to 5-circle.
He didn't hesitate to summon the rank-5 Tundra Bear and rank-5 lightning wolf to take down the scion of the Ji Clan and capture him.
