50. The Conditions

Alice, ever astute, immediately grasped Xiao Feng's intention the moment he hinted at it. She swiftly used her telekinesis to seize control of Kelly's gun-wielding hand. At the very instant her fingers froze, Xiao Feng moved like lightning, catching her wrist and applying just enough force to make her cry out in pain and release her grip. The automatic pistol slipped effortlessly into his hands.

It was sheer fortune that Alice was present—had she not been, Xiao Feng might very well be riddled with bullets by now.

With practiced ease, Xiao Feng bound Kelly with a bedsheet and tossed her onto a nearby hospital bed. Kelly did not resist. She knew full well that her electric abilities no longer posed any threat to him. Deprived of her powers, all she could rely on were firearms—and even those had failed her. Yet, in that fleeting moment, she had experienced an odd sensation, something she couldn't quite place.

Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Alice, lying quietly on the bed.

Noticing the look in her eyes, Xiao Feng approached with a chuckle, leaned in close, and whispered by her ear, "Don't you dare lay a hand on Alice. If you even think about it, I'll make you regret it in ways you can't imagine."

Kelly glared at him venomously. "I have one condition. Find my brother, and I'll disappear from your lives forever. I won't interfere again, and whatever happened between us—I'll consider it finished. Is that too much to ask?"

Xiao Feng froze, her words striking a deep and painful chord. Images from that grim night flashed through his mind—the blood, the crime he had committed. Though he loathed her, Kelly was still a woman, and what he had done… was unforgivable.

After a long pause, he nodded. "Fine. I'll agree to two conditions. First, I'll find your brother in exchange for Alice and White's safety. Second—anything else within my ability, consider it granted, as my apology for what happened. Deal?"

Kelly narrowed her eyes. "And if I asked you to die, would you do that too?"

He laughed softly. "Afraid that one's beyond my reach. So no, that's off the table."

From the bed, Alice suddenly burst into laughter. "Brother Xiao Feng, I never realized you could be so shameless!"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Xiao Feng said with a grin.

Kelly glanced at the joyful Alice, momentarily touched by the warmth of the moment. Then, in her coldest voice, she said, "Fine. I'll tell you my second condition when I think of it."

"Good. Then let's find your brother. But let me be clear—I'm only helping you locate him. What comes after isn't my problem."

Xiao Feng turned to Alice. "Alice, I'm heading out for a bit. Be good while I'm gone, alright?"

Alice teased, "You be good too! Or I'll tell Ivy you went off with another girl—let's see how she likes that!"

He tapped her cheek playfully. "I'm not scared. See you soon."

With that, Xiao Feng and Kelly exited the room. Alice's smile faded as she silently watched them leave.

Meanwhile, Kate continued to snore away on the couch.

At the scene of the incident, Xiao Feng retraced his mental map of Kerry's scent. A man like Kerry, so fastidiously groomed, would surely wear cologne—and not the cheap kind. High-grade colognes possess distinct aromas, easily traceable by a trained nose.

Xiao Feng inhaled deeply. There it was—the trail.

"Drive," he said. "I'll guide you. But take it slow."

Kelly shot him a skeptical look. "You sure you can handle this?"

"Heh. If I wasn't a man, you'd know it already—haven't you experienced that firsthand?"

Before he could finish the sentence, Kelly pressed the barrel of her pistol against his temple. "Mention that again, and I'll splatter your brains across the windshield."

Xiao Feng, unshaken, smirked. "Go ahead, shoot. But if I'm dead, who'll find your brother?"

"Scoundrel," she muttered, lowering the gun.

"Turn left ahead."

Kelly yanked the steering wheel with precision, yanked the handbrake, and sent the SUV drifting around the bend. Xiao Feng, unlucky as ever, slammed against the window with a painful thud.

They stopped in the overgrown lot of a derelict auto repair shop, surrounded by rusting vehicles overtaken by weeds. Among them sat the van from the surveillance footage.

Kelly turned to Xiao Feng, astonished. "I can't believe you actually found them! I'm starting to wonder if you're one of them."

"For the last time—I don't know those people. Alright? I've never met them. Once you see Kerry, I'm out."

"No. That man with the power who captured Kerry—he's strong. I'd guess he's already level five. I'm no match for him. I need your help to get Kerry out."

Xiao Feng frowned. "Is this your second condition?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. The second condition—save Kerry."

Xiao Feng chuckled. "What a waste. You could've used this favor to have me assassinate the president of the Hunter's Alliance, and I might've actually done it!"

He stepped out of the vehicle, slinging a black duffel over his shoulder. His revolver had been melted by Rice, but now he carried a silver automatic pistol—clearly modified. Its oversized barrel suggested it could fire 10mm rounds, powerful enough to pierce the hide of a Class F beast.

That was precisely why Xiao Feng had chosen it—despite the brutal recoil.

Kelly followed him toward the battered van.

"Anyone in there?" Xiao Feng called out, drawing his pistol and disengaging the safety. He peered through the window—no one inside—but the lingering scent of cologne confirmed Kerry had been there recently.

Xiao Feng leaned against the van, eyes scanning the decrepit building opposite.

Kerry's scent was unmistakably leading into the shadows beyond.