The area fell dead silent.
Ji Lianhai glanced from the unscathed Zhao Yuan to Ji Lianshan, who had been shot in the stomach. He simply couldn't believe this was happening.
"I was aiming for that kid! How could I have hit you, big brother?" Ji Lianhai muttered. Refusing to believe it, he aimed at Zhao Yuan and fired twice more. BANG! BANG!
Everyone saw it with perfect clarity. In the split second before Ji Lianhai pulled the trigger, his gun suddenly swerved to aim at Ji Lianshan.
And so, both shots struck Ji Lianshan.
One bullet hit Ji Lianshan's right leg, the other his arm.
"AARGHβ" Ji Lianshan screamed again, his body slumping to the ground.
Seeing this, the bodyguards and driver who had come with the Ji Family Brothers were utterly dumbfounded. They had drawn their guns but had no idea who to point them at.
'What the hell is going on? Why would the younger brother shoot his big brother? Could this all be a trap set by Ji Lianhai to eliminate Ji Lianshan and become the true boss himself?'
The bewildered bodyguards and drivers let their imaginations run wild, concocting a whole drama of palace intrigue and a fight for succession.
But the tied-up thugs found the scene unfolding before them incredibly familiar. 'Didn't Hu Zi and Da Biao also inexplicably shoot their own guys? Back then, we couldn't figure out why. Now we get it. This is all Zhao Yuan's doing!'
'It's that kid! He's the one who made us point our guns at our own men! He can control our bodies? What is he, human or a demon?!' The thugs' gazes, now fixed on Zhao Yuan, were filled with terror and dread.
The effects of the Enchanting Talisman faded, and Ji Lianhai's senses returned. When he saw the two new, bloody holes in Ji Lianshan's body, he almost lost his mind. "Big brother, how did you get shot again? Was it me? Why is this happening?"
He whirled around, glaring at Zhao Yuan like a ravenous wolf, and roared, "You! This must be your doing!"
Zhao Yuan nodded, admitting it readily. "That's right. I made you shoot your brother. So what?"
"I'll fucking kill you!" Ji Lianhai raised his gun and aimed at Zhao Yuan again, but before he could pull the trigger, a terrified Ji Lianshan shrieked, "Stop! Don't shoot! Are you fucking trying to kill me?"
Ji Lianshan was genuinely terrified. All three bullets Ji Lianhai had fired so far had hit him. A few more shots like that, and he'd be a dead man for sure.
Ji Lianhai froze for a second. Then, he simply tossed his gun aside and charged at Zhao Yuan with a roar.
"Even without a gun, I can still finish you!" He was very confident in his fighting ability.
Zhao Yuan let out a cold laugh, got to his feet, and ran to meet his charge.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them clashed.
Ji Lianhai threw a vicious hook at Zhao Yuan's head.
Just as his fist was about to connect, Zhao Yuan vanished into thin air.
"Where is he? Where'd he go?" After his punch met only air, Ji Lianhai frantically scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of Zhao Yuan.
"I'm behind you."
Zhao Yuan's voice echoed from behind him. Before Ji Lianhai could turn, a swift, hard kick to his rear sent him sprawling. The coal miners, who had been waiting for their chance, surged forward and tied him up securely.
Having dealt with Ji Lianhai, Zhao Yuan charged toward the bodyguards and the driver like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.
Though the men were skilled fighters, they were nothing before Zhao Yuan, who was practically cheating. He took them down in short order, and the miners promptly tied them up with ropes.
At this point, Ji Lianshan's bravado completely crumbled. He began to plead for mercy. "Friend, I'll give you money. Tell me how much you want, and it's yours. Just let my brother and me go!"
"You will be paying up," Zhao Yuan said coldly, "but not to me. You'll be paying these coal miners. I know you don't want to, but that's fine. I have ways of making you agree."
He resorted to his old trick, inserting two Golden Needles into the bodies of the Ji Family Brothers. It didn't take long for the two of them to experience a fate worse than death.
Under the torment of an intense, crawling itch, the Ji Family Brothers didn't last long. They obediently gave up the combination to the mine's safe and the PINs for all their bank cards. They also wrote a full confession of their many crimes and signed their names to it.
Watching the once-invincible Ji Family Brothers groveling on the ground like dogs, begging for mercy, was deeply satisfying for the long-suffering miners. The resentment and fury that had been pent up in their hearts for so long began to dissipate.
Next, Zhao Yuan opened the safe and took out all the cash inside, distributing it among the miners without keeping a single cent for himself. He then took two bank cards he'd found on the Ji Family Brothers and handed them to Li Qingbo, along with the PINs.
"Uncle Li, take the money out of these two cards and split it among everyone. Consider it compensation from the Ji Family Brothers for your medical bills and recovery."
"Thank you, son, thank you!" Li Qingbo said, wiping away tears as he thanked Zhao Yuan. The rest of the miners did the same.
These simple, earnest men from the mountains were so overcome with emotion they didn't know how to express their gratitude. In unison, they all dropped to their knees and began to kowtow to Zhao Yuan.
"Quick, get up! Uncles, please don't do this! I don't deserve this honor!"
Startled, Zhao Yuan rushed to help them back to their feet one by one.
Once back on his feet, Li Qingbo said, "Son, you are our great benefactor! From now on, if you ever need anything, just say the word. We'd go through hell and high water for you, no questions asked!"
"Uncle Li's right! You're our great benefactor!"
"Just ask if you need anything from us!"
"Son, we're so grateful to you!"
The miners all spoke at once, their voices overlapping. With their words, streams of Wish Power flowed from them and into Zhao Yuan's body.
After calming the miners, Zhao Yuan took out his phone and called Xian Hong, giving him a brief and concise summary of the situation.
Xian Hong was stunned to hear about the Ji Family Brothers' extensive list of crimes. "Keep the scene secure," he said hurriedly. "I'm on my way with backup!"
By the time he finished the call, it was lunchtime. At Li Qingbo's direction, a few miners headed down to the village. Before long, large groups of people were seen heading up to the mine, carrying baskets and containers of food on their shoulders and in their hands.
The newcomers were the miners' families. Overjoyed to hear what had happened at the Ji Family Coal Mine, they had brought out their best ingredients and cooked up their signature dishes, all to ensure their benefactor, Zhao Yuan, could eat to his heart's content.
Thanks to the warm hospitality of the miners and their families, Zhao Yuan ate until he was stuffed.
This was the first time it had happened since he'd begun his cultivation and his appetite had increased.
While Zhao Yuan ate his fill, the Ji Family Brothers and their thugs weren't so lucky. They could only stare and swallow their own drool. They couldn't even get a mouthful of air, as their mouths were still tightly gagged with sweaty rags.