Chapter 109 – No Offense Taken Unless Offended First

Rais slammed his fist upon the table with a thunderous crash. "Damn it! I want them all dead!"

Old White, equally incensed, shouted, "That's right! They're monsters—showing no mercy even to women, children, and the elderly. They deserve nothing less than the noose, every last one of them!"

Xiao Feng paced slowly with his hands in his pockets, brows furrowed. "To be frank, these people aren't easy to handle. What's worse, we have no idea how many of them there actually are. Even Rayeye's intel doesn't provide a clear estimate of their numbers."

Rais sneered. "Those bastards nearly took my life. I'll see them all buried, even if it costs me mine. Hell, I'm still furious just thinking about it…"

As they spoke, Lin entered with Storm and Rayeye in tow, a faint grin on his lips as he approached Rais. "Boss Rais, I heard you nearly bit the dust. Thought I'd drop by to check in on you. But looking at you now—full of life—you seem just fine."

Rais shot him a glare. "If it had been you, you'd be long dead. Those bastards are terrifyingly well-equipped. Full-body armor. Your ice powers were practically useless against them."

Lin scoffed, "We'll see about that. Anyway, I've already contacted our headquarters in Lill. Our boss wants to seize this opportunity to annihilate the Cult of the Evil Dragon. Reinforcements will be arriving soon, and he hopes to coordinate with you to wipe them out."

Rais's expression brightened. "Excellent. If we team up, the Cult of the Evil Dragon won't stand a chance!"

Xiao Feng chuckled dryly. "Don't celebrate just yet. I've got a bad feeling about this lot. Something tells me they're far more formidable than they seem."

Ivy suddenly chimed in, "If this cult is truly so wicked, why hasn't the Alliance army destroyed them already?"

Lin glanced at her pretty face and replied, "Sweetheart, you're giving the Alliance too much credit. As long as they're not directly threatened, they won't lift a finger. Why waste resources on a crusade that doesn't benefit them?"

Old White nodded grimly. "He's right. Don't expect charity from them."

Lin stretched lazily. "Let's go take a look at the scum you've captured. Maybe we can loosen a few tongues."

Rais rose with a snarl. "Let's go. I'll skin them alive myself!"

The group exited the conference room, with Xiao Feng trailing at the rear, flanked by Alice and Ivy. Predictably, as soon as Xiao Feng returned to base, friction flared up between the two girls. Ivy leaned in closer to him, offering no courtesy to Alice.

Oddly enough, Xiao Feng was quite amused by their constant bickering, humming lightly as he watched the drama unfold.

They arrived at the holding area, where the captured cultists—over a dozen in number—were suspended by iron chains, stripped of their armor and left in their black undergarments. The grotesque tattoos on their faces varied, some bearing a lone evil dragon, others more elaborate patterns. The most inked one was the man whose mask Xiao Feng had previously torn off.

Xiao Feng approached him with a cold sneer. The dried blood caked around the man's nose and mouth made his face all the more grotesque. "Are you their leader?" Xiao Feng asked coolly.

Lin stepped forward. "That one's a Count in the Cult of the Evil Dragon. Above him is the Duke rank, and above that, the Evil Dragon King himself. The ones with half-face tattoos are Viscounts—high-level elites within their sect. I must say, taking down so many Viscounts is quite a feat. You two did well."

The Count's eyes widened in shock. He clearly hadn't expected Lin to possess such deep knowledge of their hierarchy. He glared at Lin with a venomous stare.

Without warning, Xiao Feng drove a savage kick into the Count's stomach. The man spat blood, helpless without his armor. "A Count, huh?" Xiao Feng scoffed. "Then I'll treat you accordingly. I just want one answer—where is your Evil Dragon King?"

The Count bared his teeth in a bloodied grin. "Ha! You fools will never get a single word about the cult out of me. I'd sooner die!"

Xiao Feng shook his head in mock pity and turned to Rais. "I'm not cut out for this kind of work. I'll leave it to you."

Rais flexed his knuckles and looked at Lin. "Your turn, or mine?"

Lin made a theatrical gesture of courtesy. "By nature, I'm a very gentle man."

"Bullshit," Rais muttered, igniting a ball of flame in his hand.

As Xiao Feng exited the room, a bloodcurdling scream echoed behind him—unexpectedly, a woman's voice. Alice came rushing after him, panting. "Uncle Rais is so cruel…"

"He was never one for kindness," Xiao Feng replied, slipping off his tailored suit jacket. A long tear marred the fine fabric, stained with dried blood. "What a shame… This was my best suit."

"Xiao Feng-gege," Alice said sweetly, "How about I go shopping with you for a new one? You look amazing in suits…"

Xiao Feng grinned. "You think so?"

"Of course! Come on, let's go to the city. I hardly get to spend time with you anymore…" Her voice grew wistful.

Xiao Feng laid a hand gently on her head. "Alright, little one. Let's go get you something beautiful too. Whatever dress you like, I'll buy it for you."

Alice beamed with joy, hugging his arm tightly. "You're the best, Xiao Feng-gege…"

Xiao Feng felt a slight, awkward pressure against his arm and cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed.

He opened the door of a nearby jeep, and Alice slid into the passenger seat. Just then, the white wolf pup—now visibly larger—leapt into her lap and nuzzled her affectionately.

"Stop it, Xiao Bai," she giggled. "Get in the back."

The pup licked her cherubic face, then obediently jumped to the rear seat.

Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow. "That beast actually listens to you?"

"Mhm! He's very well-behaved around me. But he eats like a monster! So much meat every meal… Thankfully, he hunts a lot on his own. Otherwise, I don't think I could afford to keep him."

Xiao Feng burst into laughter. "Don't worry. No matter how much he eats, I'll make sure he's fed."

He started the engine, and together with Alice, drove to Godo City. They spent the entire day in town—Xiao Feng bought himself a new suit and treated Alice to a snow-white, puffy dress that made her look every bit the fairytale princess.

Watching her twirl with happiness, Xiao Feng felt a deep yearning: If only life could always be this peaceful…

But reality waited, and fate—ever relentless—had other plans.