As Zhong Feng was leaving the apartment, he got a call from his security team. He did not ignore it even though he knew where Hu Lei had gone. There were still too many threats and concerns. He picked the call and listened for a moment before instructing the other person to keep monitoring the situation.

His frustration rose as he entered his vehicle and drove out of the complex. Based on the message he had just received, it seemed like things were about to get more difficult in Supreme City. It seemed that the Shadow Brotherhood had come into town, and their mission was to capture Hu Lei.

Most mercenary organisations were not a threat to Hu Lei because they feared Zhong Feng and his power. However, the Shadow Brotherhood had always been at the top for major assassinations and high profile kidnappings. They did not hesitate even when dealing with powerful political figures.

Usually, most people in the underworld did not dare to hire them because their requirements for remuneration were too harsh. Moreover, if one failed to pay after hiring them, they would destroy that individual, company or even nation and take everything.

However, based on the rumours in the dark circles, they had never failed in accomplishing a mission. The source of their power was unknown, but it was said to be absolute.

Zhong Feng had not expected things to escalate to this stage. He knew that the organisation which was coming after Hu Lei was desperate. There was a hint of panic in his mind because he knew that, unlike other mercenaries that he had eliminated in Supreme, this one would not be easy.

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. He could not help but wonder what the Brotherhood had been promised to take on the mission. Based on his understanding, money would not be enough. Moreover, he was certain that he had crippled most of the organisation's resources.

His frown became tighter as he mulled over the problem.

After a few moments, he decided to focus on the main issue at hand. The priority was ensuring that Hu Lei was safe. Once he knew that she was alright, he would find a way to deal with the Shadow Brotherhood. Whatever their price, he would pay it.

He picked his phone and made two urgent phone calls before pulling into a green wooded area. He dimmed the headlights of the vehicle as he pulled into the property. A hint of nostalgia hit him as he looked at the house.

Azure Woods…

As he left the car and walked to the house, he felt both anticipation and apprehension. He wanted to see Hu Lei desperately, and he was concerned about her current condition. After all, she had been shot and he did not know how she was doing.

When he entered the house, he discovered that the motion sensors were disabled. He had installed those to activate lighting for energy efficiency and convenience. It seemed that Hu Lei had taken them out to avoid attracting attention.

He stopped at the manual switch, but after thinking for a short while, he decided not to turn on the light. The moon provided some illumination through the skylights, so the house was not completely dark.

"Xiao Lei…" He called out gently.

He did not want to spook her. He walked while looking around the ground floor, but he could not figure out where she was. When he was just about to go up the stairs, he felt her appear behind him. He did not see her shadow or hear any movement. She was like a phantom that had emerged from the darkness.

Before he could turn and look at her fully, she lifted her leg and attacked. He leapt out of the way, only feeling a gust of wind flow near him.

He faced her and tried to make out her features clearly, but it was too dark. The only thing that could be seen clearly was her eyes which seemed to glow more than usual. She seemed like a predator in the jungle in the night.

He tried to walk towards her, but she took a fighting stance and faced him with focussed, almost crazed eyes. It seemed like she could not comprehend who he was. He took another step towards her.

Immediately, she attacked him with quick punches and well-timed kicks. He had no option, but to dodge. He was not exceptionally talented as a fighter, but he had made efforts to train since Hu Lei had gone missing.

At the beginning of this altercation, he needed to be completely focused to avoid her vicious attacks. However, he realised that Hu Lei's kicks had become weaker, and her reaction time was slow. Moreover, she was panting as she moved.

Without wasting more time, he moved towards her fast as lightning and caught her wrists. He turned her body and held her back against his chest tightly, not permitting a single movement. The more she moved, the more energy she would waste.

She tried to fight him off, but she had no strength. He leaned over and looked at her face. He freed one of his hands and lifted her chin. Even in the dark, he could see her face was pale and covered in a sheen of cold sweat.

His heart ached. "Xiao Lei..."

Her clouded eyes seemed to clear up a little. ���Oh, it's you." She leaned more weight against him. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

There was a little smile on her face. "How did you know that I was here?"

Zhong Feng did not answer the question. He looked at her sagging little head and dull eyes and listened to her laboured breathing. She was not in a good state. "We should get out of here. You need a doctor to take a look at the wound."

Hu Lei's eyes sharpened at the mention of the word 'doctor'. With her honed killer instincts on overdrive after being attacked and shot, she felt that a hospital was the worst place that she could go. It would mean her exposure, and her pursuers would find her. She would not be safe.

Without hesitation, she used her head to knock Zhong Feng in his chest. While he was a little winded, she kicked his shin and tried to disentangle herself from him, fighting with all her remaining strength. Her clarity was completely gone. She was merely surviving on instincts.

Zhong Feng kept holding her by her waist even through the pain. He seemed to struggle internally for a moment before taking out a compact syringe gun from his pocket. He removed the protective cap with his teeth and injected the contents into Hu Lei's neck.

Her body began to lose strength almost immediately. She sagged in Zhong Feng's arms in exhaustion unable to struggle or fight any longer. She lifted her head and looked at the handsome worried face, and a small smile graced her exhausted face.

"Ah-Feng, I knew you would come."

Then, there was darkness.