CHAPTER 15: AN AMBUSH

Tang Lin had never experienced so much stimulation at a time.

The air inside the car crackled with a tension that felt like she could cut through it with a knife.

Each passing second stretching into an eternity.

Tang Lin could not help but feel a wave of resentment rush into her heart.

Why was it that she had just met him and was very well about to lose half of her life?

Who could be the judge of this?

She had been living her life just fine, but now, just because she had gotten in contact with him and accepted his proposal to offer her services exclusively for a while, she was about to be sent to the King of Yama.

How was she supposed to not feel aggrieved?

Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of her seat. Any more pressure and the leather would probably break under her fingers.

The figures lurking in the shadows of the trees and bushes were no longer indistinct blurs; their forms became more vivid as they began to emerge from hiding.

A fear that was raw and primal clawed at Tang Lin's throat, snatching her breath.

Minutes ago, her mind was still swirling with thoughts of self-pity and accusations.

Yet now, it felt frighteningly blank, except for the insistent hammering of her heart against her ribcage.

She had no idea how this situation would pan out, but she knew for sure that she didn't want this to be it for her.

She didn't care!

She just had to live!

Hsu Jin, on the contrary, was looking terrifyingly calm.

At least on the surface, there was nothing that gave away any inner turmoil he was feeling.

The boiling fury that Tang Lin had glimpsed in his eyes earlier had now morphed into a glacial calm.

His movements were fluid, calculated and swift as he unbuckled his seatbelt, his eyes steadily trained on the approaching danger.

If the current situation was not so dangerous, she would have spared a moment or two to appreciate the lethal grace in his posture.

He moved like a cornered predator about to strike.

"Stay down. No matter what happens later, do not leave the car. I will try to hold them off as long as possible. Young Master Zhao should have already sent backup."

Before Tang Lin could even make sense of his words, the door of the driver seat opened with a soft click.

By then Hsu Jin was already halfway out of the car, decisively detaching himself from the relative safety of the vehicle.

The world outside seemed to become more perilous in an instant, the sounds of rustling leaves and distant birdsong now successfully drowned out by the persistent approach of their attackers.

Time seemed messy for a moment.

One moment, Hsu Jin was just beside the car; the next, he was a blur of motion, cutting off the first assailant who dared to break from the cover of the trees and charged towards the car.

Tang Lin watched, fairly surprised, as Hsu Jin moved with a speed she had never seen.

He made his, sending a ferocious chop towards the attacker's throat.

Tut tut tut… so suave.

For a moment, her mind drifted in the wrong direction again.

There was no hesitation, no wasted movement.

Every strike was lethal, and the first attacker staggered back, clutching at his throat.

A strangled gasp escaped his lips, right before he collapsed to the ground.

Then Hsu Jin was moving on to the next target.

The way he fought was like a beautifully choreographed dance in a hunt go blood.

Tang Lin could not help but think that he looked like a mighty army general, giving his all to protect his country from the enemy.

She could almost picture him on the battlefield, valiantly swinging his sword and leaving a sea of corpses in his wake.

More figures rushed forward, probably feeling emboldened by their numbers.

Tang Lin could hear the grunts of pain coming from the fighters, and could not help but wonder which ones belonged to Hsu Jin.

Perhaps understanding that Hsu Jin was like a sturdy wall that would take a while to breakthrough, they made a series of signs, after which one of them turned to head towards the car.

The sight of the man moving in her direction caused Tang Lin to snap out of her daze.

She was stunned, a corner of her mouth twitching.

Couldn't they just face him alone?

She was innocent in all these!

Yes, she was innocent. She did not know anything.

Did not know anything at all.

Seeing how close one of the men had gotten, Tang Lin as if on some adrenaline shot swiftly checked to see if the car doors were locked.

Great.

Hsu Jin had locked them before leaving.

Unfortunately, the man did not seem to be deterred by the locked doors as he quickly began to hit the window, intent on taking it down.

His hard work seemed to pay off because the window finally caved in.

Right at the moment he stretched out his hand to unlock the car door or attempt pulling Tang Lin out via the window, Hsu Jin showed up behind him.

He moved like a whirlwind and sent a ruthless kick to the man's knees, then another to his head.

Before long, a crude blade in the hand of one of the fighters came his way and he deflected it with his bare forearm, then countered with a lightning-fast kick of his own.

This sent his attacker sprawling.

Another one lunged with a heavy club, but Hsu Jin agilely sidestepped the blow, his hand snaking out to grab the attacker's wrist.