Book 7: Chapter 23: The Turning Point

The young man with the drooping eyes, whom Franklin called Feitan, looked at the two blood-soaked figures staggering in the center of the arena and shook his head faintly. “It seems there are still survivors?”

“You… who are you people?” A sturdy mafia boss gritted his teeth against the pain, struggling to prop up his upper body. His hateful gaze fell on Franklin and Feitan.

“It doesn’t matter… whoever they are, they’re… they’re dead!” A blood-drenched man swayed as he stood up behind the mafia boss, his wounds still gushing blood like a fountain. He staggered forward, raised his arm with great effort, and pointed at the three Troupe members.

“The mafia all over the world won’t let you get away… nor your families…”

Before the bloodied man could finish, he collapsed face down and moved no more. However, the mafia boss who was holding up his upper body continued where the other left off. “They will all… all be humiliated to death, cut into pieces… so you can taste hellish pain…”

Feitan raised a hand expressionlessly, fingers together. The edge of his palm gleamed with a metallic reflection. His figure flickered and vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already standing behind the mafia boss.

“Tch!” The mafia boss’s words cut off abruptly. A jet of blood shot from his thick neck, opening along a thin red line like a baby’s mouth. His head fell from his shoulders, the wound as smooth as a mirror, as if sliced by a sharp blade.

“Family? What’s that?” Feitan flicked his hand, shaking off the blood droplets from his hand-chop. He turned his head and revealed a sinister, eerie smile.

“Hey, watch out!” Just as Feitan relaxed his guard again, Franklin’s deep warning came from behind.

“Hmm?” Feitan stiffened slightly and immediately sensed a rush of wind coming from his right side. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a slender black shadow pouncing towards him.

“Not fast enough!” Feitan grinned, raised his right hand, and stabbed fiercely.

“Thump!” A spurt of filthy blood splashed onto Feitan’s face, making his smile even more terrifying.

A beautiful woman in a black strapless dress had been stabbed clean through the abdomen by the hand-chop and was now hung straight on Feitan’s arm. However, the woman showed no sign of pain on her face. Instead, she spread her limbs and wrapped around Feitan like an octopus.

At the same time, her chest swelled violently, inflating her body into a ball shape almost instantly. A spark of fire emerged from the cracks in her body.

“Not good!” The three members of the Phantom Troupe finally changed their expressions.

Franklin flashed and shielded Shizuku behind him, while Feitan erupted with a brilliant golden Nen aura from within his body.

In an instant, he transformed into a small sun.

…

“It’s about time!” Qin Lun operated the computer connected to the monitor and sent out the surveillance footage. Then he pulled out the memory card, stuffed it into his pocket, turned to undo Baise’s handcuffs, and carried her as he jumped into an open freezer, locking the door from the inside.

This large freezer was already in the room; he had just removed the alcohol and food inside to create a temporary small hideout for himself.

…

“Kurapika, though I couldn’t hear everything clearly, it’s very noisy inside the building!” Melody said softly with a grave expression.

“It seems something’s happened. I’ll contact Captain Dalzollene; you contact Basho and Rinshan at the back door!” Watching the mafia throngs at the auction entrance rushing into the building, Kurapika put down his binoculars and calmly picked up the phone.

“Boom!” Just as Kurapika and Melody finished their calls and were about to head from the rooftop to the auction site, a dazzling flash erupted from the Auction Building across from them, followed by a deafening explosion.

Fierce flames mixed with countless glass shards and rocks shot out from the building’s windows, converging into a massive fire mushroom cloud atop the structure. The crimson glow almost turned the night sky into day.

Kurapika and Melody felt a violent shake under their feet. Even though they were hundreds of meters away from the Auction Building, the rooftop was still affected by the blast. Their hair was blown back by the shockwave, and their pupils reflected the Auction Building, now a blazing bonfire.

They rushed back to the rooftop railing, stared at the devastation across from them, and saw a hint of horror in each other’s eyes.

No mafia thug near the building remained standing; they were all knocked to the ground. Those unlucky enough to be closer to the entrance were blown away or knocked unconscious by the shockwave, and then subjected to a rain of glass fragments and stones from above.

As for those who had already rushed inside the building, they could only pray for God’s protection now.

The massive explosion sound spread far through the night sky. Yorknew City was destined for a sleepless night tonight!

At this moment, over a hundred meters above the Auction Building, a huge hydrogen balloon floated. In the basket beneath the balloon, several people watched the Auction Building with concern.

“Those idiots made too big a mess!” Uvogin flexed his lion-like strong arm and excitedly pointed at the building, shouting, “Shalnark, lower it quickly! They haven’t come out yet.”

“Maybe it wasn’t them!” The sunny boy called Shalnark by Uvogin, holding a strange-looking phone, looked worriedly at the blazing Auction Building.

While the Troupe members in the hydrogen balloon were talking amongst themselves, a familiar face peeked out from the window of a large truck one block away from the Auction Building, squinting towards the building’s direction.

“Sounds like a cheap firecracker. No aesthetic sense at all!”

…

“Pah!” Qin Lun pushed open the freezer door, spat out the ice shards that had shaken into his mouth, and pulled Baise up. He casually untied the ropes binding the woman and pulled out the large silk cloth stuffed in her mouth.

“Cough, cough… you jerk!” Baise tugged at the ropes on her body while hitting Qin Lun’s chest with her delicate fists.

“Hey, hey, I saved your life!” Qin Lun spread his hands helplessly.

“That’s one thing, but why couldn’t you explain it clearly to me at the time? Did you have to use such violent methods?!” After venting, Baise finally sat down angrily, rubbing her limbs which were numb from being tied.

“If there’s a next chance, I’ll explain it to you slowly,” Qin Lun grinned.

“Next time?” Baise rolled her eyes at the young man irritably.

Actually, both she and Qin Lun knew that if the young man hadn’t used violent means, she probably wouldn’t have backed out temporarily. The Phantom Troupe’s strength and ferocity exceeded everyone’s expectations; they had thought they could escape safely even if they encountered danger.

“What do we do next?” Despite her annoyance, once she calmed down, Baise looked up and asked.

“What I do next, I can’t tell you. But you’d better leave Yorknew City now. It will soon become a battlefield for Nen users.” Qin Lun said with a smile.

“I’m a Nen user too!” Baise muttered under her breath. But in her heart, she knew her Nen Ability wasn’t suited for direct combat; getting caught in the war between the mafia and the Phantom Troupe would likely make her cannon fodder.

“Then… come with me!” Baise pondered for a long while, then looked up at Qin Lun, though a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes.

“I still have things to do.” Qin Lun shook his head faintly; he had seen the doubt in her eyes.

“Alright then, take care.” Baise hugged Qin Lun, pressed her lips lightly against his in a kiss, looked deeply at the young man for a moment, then quickly walked out of the hotel room.

Watching Baise’s relieved retreating figure, Qin Lun smiled silently. The woman’s kiss had lost the passion of previous days.

But he didn’t blame Baise. Joey’s earlier madness, and that pre-arranged explosion, had shown her his true nature, making her afraid to continue this relationship.

After Baise left, Qin Lun quickly glanced at the Death Notice, strode to the window, looked at the tottering Auction Building across the way, and slowly darkened his expression.

“Not a single one killed in the explosion. They’re frighteningly strong!”

“Buzz…” The phone’s vibration interrupted Qin Lun’s thoughts.

“Qin Lun, where are you now?” Liza’s concerned voice came from the other end of the phone, making Qin Lun smile.

“How’s the situation at the auction venue?” Qin Lun asked as he walked out of the hotel room. “Did you get the video I sent?”

“Yes! The auction items have been moved by the Ten Dons, but there were no bodies of those three Troupe members at the scene!” Liza paused, and Qin Lun could easily imagine her grim expression now. “They might still be alive…”

“What are your plans now?” Qin Lun asked calmly.

“We sent the video to the Ten Dons and their direct Shadow Beasts! The mafia immediately issued a high bounty and sent an assistance mission to the three of us…” Liza replied helplessly. “But Yin and I would like to hear your opinion!”

Liza and Yin wisely didn’t ask Qin Lun why he had the video, nor about the big explosion.

They clearly guessed it was Qin Lun’s doing. However, from the video, it was the Troupe members who killed the wealthy attendees and mafia bosses at the auction; the subsequent explosion was almost negligible.

“The Troupe members’ strength is beyond imagination. Fighting them head-on is suicide! I advise you not to get involved in this matter anymore.” Remembering their past intimacy, Qin Lun gave a rare warning.

“But, accept the assistance mission on my behalf. Tell the Ten Dons I’ll deliver at least one enemy corpse to them, but the payment must be made immediately!” Qin Lun slowly curled his lips. “I don’t want money; just a copy of advanced Nen application technique data…”

“You’re still staying?” There was silence on the other end for a moment, then Liza sounded surprised. “Alright then, we’ll leave Yorknew City soon. We owe you a favor this time!”

“In that case, how about doing me a favor?” Qin Lun narrowed his eyes slightly and grinned.