Blowing Up The Covers

As the last of the Silver Scaled Dragon Gang members fled into the distance, Xiao Ming turned his sharp gaze toward the hostages.

His piercing eyes locked onto the purple-robed youth and the chubby elder, the air around them growing heavy with tension.

Zhou Mei and Xi Muyao remained as still as a calm lake, their expressions unreadable, but the hostages felt an oppressive weight pressing down on their chests, as if the very atmosphere had turned against them.

"Now that we've dealt with the Silver Scaled Gang members who were after you, you're free to leave," Xiao Ming said after a few moments, his voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of authority. "Unfortunately, we won't be seeing you off. We have other matters to attend to."

The hearts of the two hostages sank, their initial relief quickly replaced by a chilling dread. They had been certain that their cover had been blown, that Xiao Ming had seen through their carefully constructed facade.