Chapter 144: Not in the Same League

He Tian’s car pulled up in front of the gate of the old, dilapidated building.

The gate was blocked by a flight of stairs, making it impossible for the car to continue any further. Moreover, the crowd gathered in front of the entrance made it entirely unnecessary for He Tian to drive inside.

"Hahaha, is that He Tian? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!" Meng Long looked physically imposing, his voice gruff and coarse. Yet, as he laughed, there was an indescribable air of arrogance about him.

Confidence? Mockery? Or perhaps disdain?

In Meng Long’s eyes, He Tian had delivered himself to his doorstep; this was nothing short of a death wish.

He Tian stepped out of the car.

Wukong remained perched on He Tian’s shoulder. Ugly, Lazy Cat, and Shen Feng also stepped out behind him.

"Quite a grand reception! You were prepared, weren't you?" He Tian looked at Meng Long and said, "You must be Meng Long?"

"My friends are too kind; it’s just a common nickname, not worth mentioning. Since you’ve all arrived, would you mind coming inside for a chat?" Meng Long smiled faintly.

"Do I have any other choice?" He Tian glanced at the group surrounding Meng Long, noting the bulges at their waists, then looked at the figures lurking in the shadows or standing in plain sight, and the glint of gun barrels. It seemed entirely possible for the four of them, along with Wukong, to be riddled with bullets.

He Tian was not at all surprised by the presence of firearms. Since internal martial arts experts had already appeared, why would the presence of guns be unexpected? It wouldn't. Absolutely not.

"Then please, follow me," Meng Long smiled slightly and gestured with a gentlemanly flourish.

He Tian smiled indifferently and stepped forward. Ugly, Lazy Cat, and Shen Feng followed closely behind him, their expressions calm.

The building looked ancient from the outside, but the interior decor was quite impressive, possessing a distinct and modern flair.

Meng Long greeted the four of them as if they were old friends, inviting them to sit in the main hall.

"Boss Meng Long... why did your Meng Long Gang target the Wang sisters?" He Tian went straight to the point, wasting no time.

"Oh? Does the Meng Long Gang need your permission to decide who to target?" Meng Long said with a grin.

"For others, no... but for the Wang sisters, you certainly do!" He Tian looked at Meng Long and suddenly laughed. "I’m here to settle accounts today! There’s no need to hide or hold back. Tell me why, and who ordered you to do this."

"Hahaha, what’s the matter? I just saw that the Wang family is quite wealthy and wanted to borrow some money. Is that not allowed?" Meng Long asked with a smirk.

"Allowed? Of course it is! If Boss Meng Long says he wants to borrow money, who would dare refuse? But isn't this method a bit too extreme?" He Tian smiled back. "Let’s skip the pleasantries. I’m already here! There’s no need to keep secrets anymore, is there?"

"It seems you truly have self-awareness! Then let me make your death swift... Young Master He said you would show up and walk right into the trap, and it seems he was absolutely right!" Meng Long snapped his fingers. A subordinate handed him a remote control. He pressed a button.

On the wall to the side, a large television screen flickered to life, showing a man’s face.

"Let me introduce myself. I am He Jianhong, He Jiansheng’s older brother... He Tian, you must be there, right? Otherwise, Ah Long wouldn't be showing you this. Well, I have no interest in the feud between you and Jiansheng. But you’ve gone too far... so today, you’ll be taught a lesson. I heard your strength is impressive... that you are a master! Then, let’s have your limbs crippled. Don't worry, I won't take your life. Jiansheng said he wants to return to Tianhai personally to see what you look like."

He Jianhong’s voice was deep and steady, without much fluctuation. Yet, the meaning behind his words was vicious.

Meng Long pressed the remote again, and the image of He Jianhong vanished.

"Know the reason now? You have quite a lot of nerve, daring to provoke Young Master He... I originally intended to capture the Wang sisters to lure you here, but we didn't succeed. However, it’s the same now. Our target was never the Wang sisters, but you, He Tian!" Meng Long said with a laugh. "No one will disturb us here, and don't bother trying to contact the outside. We live in a high-tech society now; look, even the underworld knows how to play with high-tech!"

"Are you certain you've won?" He Tian remained seated steadily. Even He Jianhong’s words hadn't caused the slightest change in his expression.

"Is there any reason I wouldn't win?" Meng Long chuckled.

"Then let’s find out!" He Tian smiled slightly. His body suddenly lunged forward, and in a single fluid motion, a series of cold glints shot from his hands!

But faster than He Tian was Ugly.

Ugly’s figure blurred into a shadow. Before Meng Long’s smile had even faded, he was already at his side. Then, the two large men standing directly in front of Meng Long were sent flying. Following that, Ugly’s pincer-like hand clamped around Meng Long’s throat.

Ugly lifted his arm slightly, and Meng Long was hoisted into the air.

Meng Long’s face turned deep red, blood rushing to his head. His hands instinctively clawed at Ugly’s grip, trying to pry it away, and his feet kicked wildly, but he couldn't reach Ugly. He looked like a man being hanged.

"I’d like to see who dares to move," Ugly said, his voice low and filled with killing intent.

Meng Long was their boss. Now that he had been captured, the men were momentarily stunned. They hadn't even clearly seen what happened before their leader was seized. They couldn't believe it.

What they found even harder to believe was that many of their companions around them had already collapsed—some with blades embedded in their foreheads, others in their temples or throats. Every single one was a lethal strike.

Seeing men who were alive just moments ago now dead caused a chill to run through them, even with guns in their hands. They felt no sense of security at all.

"What a letdown," Lazy Cat muttered.

He Tian and Ugly had struck simultaneously. By the time Ugly had secured Meng Long, He Tian’s flying daggers had already ended the lives of six men—all of whom, unsurprisingly, had sensed the shift in atmosphere and were the first to reach for their guns.

Lazy Cat had been ready to move, but when Ugly roared, the group actually obeyed and stopped. Under such circumstances, it wouldn't have been right for Lazy Cat to continue, would it?

Ugly lowered Meng Long. If he hadn't, Meng Long would have likely suffocated to death.

Shen Feng’s small handgun, which had appeared out of nowhere, vanished back into his clothing.

As for Wukong, the scent of blood seemed to excite it. Its monkey eyes scanned the room constantly; at Wukong’s speed, it was certain that if anyone dared to move, it would pounce instantly.

Meng Long coughed loudly, gasping for air.

"Everyone back off... get out!" Ugly, not relaxing his vigilance, roared.

Firearms... to someone like Ugly, who was at the fifth level of internal energy, they were still a threat.

"Didn't you hear him? Get out..." Meng Long finally caught his breath and immediately shouted.

Meng Long could sense that if he didn't comply with the wishes of this hideously ugly man, his life would certainly end here. Absolutely.

All the men present were Meng Long’s subordinates. Upon hearing his order, they didn't dare to delay and retreated immediately. However, looking closely, one could see that as they retreated, they were all seeking cover, preparing to fire at any moment. More men, having heard of the situation, were quickly rushing toward the scene.

Meng Long looked at He Tian with a complex expression. He had never expected such a turn of events. They were clearly under his complete control... yet in an instant, he had been captured, and the entire situation had changed drastically. Even a veteran of the underworld like Meng Long was deeply shaken.

"Boss Meng Long, I told you that victory wasn't entirely in your control. Do you believe me now?" He Tian smiled faintly and sat back down.

"He Tian... look outside. With one order from me, you’ll all become human sieves... you’d best let me go!" Meng Long was, after all, an underworld boss, one of the true heavyweights in Tianhai. He still possessed that much composure.

He couldn't show weakness now. If he did, he would never be able to regain his footing. He had to remain tough; that was his only chance for survival.

"Boss Meng Long... I really don't want to kill the innocent! Really..." He Tian looked at Meng Long indifferently, then waved his hand casually. Shen Feng leaped up, followed by three consecutive *pop-pop-pop* sounds of gunfire. Outside, three screams rang out.

Although Shen Feng was a thief, his marksmanship was excellent. The wrists of three men holding guns outside had been pierced, but not fatally.

He Tian was not a man who enjoyed unnecessary killing, especially while still in the country. As for earlier... that was a situation where they risked being overwhelmed and losing their lives, so He Tian hadn't bothered to consider whether it was "unnecessary killing" or not.

Meng Long’s expression shifted.

"Everyone get out! Didn't you hear my order? Hurry up and get them medical help!" Meng Long shouted.

The many subordinates in the courtyard retreated one by one.

"He Tian, what do you want?" Meng Long realized that He Tian and his group were by no means ordinary people. The experts who had previously helped kidnap Wang Xinrou had already left; those were He Jianhong’s men, not his.

Meng Long had originally thought that with his subordinates and firearms, dealing with He Tian would be easy. But now, he saw he was wrong—terribly, catastrophically wrong.

These people were just like the experts He Jianhong had sent. Damn it... they were on an entirely different level.

Meng Long realized he no longer had any chance of winning.

"What do I want? You followed He Jianhong’s orders... you did all this. Did you ever think about what the consequences would be?" He Tian looked at Meng Long, his voice low, his eyes erupting with intense killing intent.