Chapter 15: The battle

As the Leader of the Shadow Order, a notorious assassin group, paced back and forth in his hideout, his eyes never left the surveillance footage of Feng Yuansheng's movements. His team had been tracking the wealthy businessman for weeks, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

One of his henchmen approached him, holding a tablet displaying the live feed of Feng Yuansheng's convoy, followed by two SUVs. "Boss, the target is approaching us now," the henchman said, his voice low and steady.

"Excellent," the Leader replied, his voice cold and calculating. "Make sure they have no chance of escaping."

Meanwhile, Feng Yuansheng's men inside the SUVs had detected something off about their surroundings. They had been trained to remain alert at all times, and the feeling of being watched did not escape their notice.

"Sir, we have incoming vehicles from all sides," one of the bodyguards reported to Liang Hao, the head of the bodyguards, who was seated in the Black Covey, his voice strained with tension.

Liang Hao quickly gave the message to Feng Yuansheng, his boss. Despite the gravity of the situation, Feng Yuansheng remained composed as he assessed the circumstances. Ever since the incident in the village, he had known that Yun Cheng's life was in danger, but he never imagined the Shadow Order to be involved.

As the sun began to set, the Leader of the Shadow Order leaned against a nearby tree, watching intently as the Black Covey approached. He signalled to his team, and they moved swiftly to surround the vehicle, their weapons drawn and ready.

Suddenly, the Black Covey screeched to a halt, surrounded by a fleet of black SUVs. The Leader stepped out of the shadows; his face concealed by a black mask.

"Step out of the car, Third Master Feng," the Leader barked, his voice echoing through the deserted street.

As the Leader's voice continued to reverberate through the street, Feng Yuansheng remained seated in the backseat of the Black Covey, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. Half of the bodyguards quickly surrounded the Black Covey, prepared to protect their boss from any harm.

"I said, step out of the car!" the Leader repeated, his voice growing more impatient.

Feng Yuansheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto the Leader's masked face. "And if I refuse?" he replied, his tone icy.

The Leader let out a humourless laugh. "Then we'll have to make you," he said, signalling to his henchmen who began to approach the car with weapons drawn.

But Feng Yuansheng remained unfazed, his demeanour still cold and calculating. "You underestimate me and my people," he said, gesturing to the cars following behind them. "You'll regret it."

At that moment, Liang Hao, in the car behind them, spoke up. "We have the area surrounded," he declared with a resolute tone. "If you stand down now, no one needs to get hurt."

The Leader faltered, his gaze darting back and forth between Feng Yuansheng and the bodyguards. He realized that Feng Yuansheng's men had also encircled his own team. For a fleeting moment, it appeared as if he might indeed surrender. However, the assassins outnumbered them.

The leader of the Shadow Order let out a menacing chuckle. "You think you can intimidate us?" he said, gesturing to his henchmen. "Kill them all."

As the henchmen began to close in on the Black Covey, Feng's bodyguards sprang into action, guns drawn. A fierce gun battle erupted, the sound of gunfire ringing through the street.

As the two groups were engaged in the battle, Feng Yuansheng remained calm. He was seated in the back of the car, his eyes closed as if in meditation. He knew that he needed to find out who had ordered to kill Yun Cheng, and he had a feeling that the Leader held the key.

"Wait," he said suddenly, holding up a hand to stop his bodyguards. "I'll come out."

The bodyguards exchanged a worried glance, but they trusted their Boss. Slowly, Feng Yuansheng opened the car door and stepped out into the open.

The Leader's grin returned as he trained his gun on Feng Yuansheng. "That's better," he said. "Now let's talk business."

Feng Yuansheng stood tall and proud; his eyes locked on the Leader's. "Who ordered the hit on Yun Cheng?" he demanded.

The Leader's expression darkened. "You think I'm just going to hand over that information?" he sneered.

Feng Yuansheng didn't flinch. "I know you're the only one who can tell me", he said firmly.

The Leader's hand tightened on the gun. "And what makes you think I won't just kill you right now?" he growled.

"What do you want from me?" Feng Yuansheng asked again, his voice firm and unwavering.

The Leader sneered. "What do I want? I want your nephew dead, of course. And you too. You thought you could outsmart us, but you were wrong. Now you'll pay the price."

Feng Yuansheng's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. He knew that the Shadow Order was notorious for their brutality, but he was not one to back down from a fight.

Soon the battle raged on. The assassins moved with swift and deadly precision, quickly overpowering Feng Yuansheng's men. The last of his bodyguards fell to the ground, their hands tied tightly behind their backs, while the assassins stood tall and triumphant.

One of them stepped forward, a cold, hard glint in his eyes as he pointed his gun at Feng Yuansheng's head. The man remained unfazed; his expression unreadable as he faced his captors.

"I'll ask you one last time," Feng Yuansheng said calmly. "Who hired you to kill Yun Cheng?"

A sly grin spread across the leader of the assassins' face as he looked down at Feng Yuansheng. "I have to hand it to you, Third Master Feng," he said with a laugh. "Even in defeat, you still try to threaten me. Shall I call you brave or just plain stupid?"

Feng Yuansheng remained silent, his expression cool and collected.

Undeterred, the leader continued to taunt him. "Since you're so curious," he said, "Let me answer your question. We're very loyal to our clients, and we never reveal their identities. I'm afraid I can't tell you who hired us to do this job, Third Master Feng. You will have to die without knowing the truth."

As the leader of the assassins continued to mock Feng Yuansheng, a devilish smile suddenly spread across the Third Master's face. "Fine," he said with a shrug. "Then you have no use to me."

The leader's sneer quickly turned to confusion as the sound of helicopters grew louder in the distance. Within minutes, the area was swarmed by military personnel, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.

The assassins were caught off guard, their weapons no match for the firepower of the military. Before they knew it, they were being handcuffed and led away in disgrace.

The leader's face paled as he realized they had been set up. "How did you know?" he hissed, glaring at Feng Yuansheng with hatred in his eyes. It was utterly a shameful defeat.

"Let's just say that I had a few tricks up my sleeve," Feng Yuansheng replied without any emotion.

Despite being defeated, the leader refused to give up. The leader, on his last moment, signalled to a hidden assassin to blast the covey.

In a split second, the covey carrying Yun Cheng was engulfed in flames and smoke, hurtling towards the edge of a cliff. The leader laughed maniacally as he watched the vehicle plunge into the depths below.

"Mission accomplished," he muttered, a sinister glint in his eye.