Chapter 426 - Encountering the Nemesis

Chapter 426: Chapter 433: Encountering the Nemesisfreeweɓnøvel.comAs the Third Tribute charged forward, Li Yifei lashed out with an elbow strike behind him. Even though Li Yifei’s speed wasn’t particularly fast, the attack was still incredibly rapid due to their relative motion. What’s more, the swiftness of his movement made it impossible for the Third Tribute to react in time, even though he had seen it coming.

However, being a real expert, the Third Tribute managed to make the smartest decision in such a short time span. He violently leaned back, sucking in air into his abdomen, and concentrated all his strength in his chest, ready to forcefully withstand Li Yifei’s blow since he couldn’t avoid it.

But to his surprise, Li Yifei’s elbow move was a feint. The real killer move was underfoot: his right foot pivoted, and his left foot swung out in a sweeping arc.

The Third Tribute’s strength was all focused on his chest, leaving his legs to charge forward out of inertia. Even when he realized what was happening, he could only scramble to redirect the strength from his chest to his legs.

Yet his reaction was too hasty. He couldn’t concentrate much power, and upon the collision of their legs, his felt as though struck by a massive hammer. Without any control over them, his feet left the ground, and his body suddenly lifted into the air.

At that moment, Li Yifei changed his elbow strike into a downward sweep, hitting the Third Tribute square in the chest.

These two moves were executed with incredible speed. The sounds they generated were almost simultaneous. And now, the Third Tribute lay on the ground with a leg fractured, three broken ribs, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and a fierce glare fixed on Li Yifei.

He accepted his defeat acknowledging that with his current state, he had no strength left to fight again.

But his defeat felt extremely humiliating. He hadn’t even managed to land a single blow on Li Yifei before the younger man deceitfully took him down.

"Kid, you’re very clever!" Although the Third Tribute was filled with rage, his tone remained calm. He now completely understood Li Yifei’s tactics, which involved feigning weakness to lower his guard and then striking unexpectedly. He also realized that Li Yifei, even if slightly weaker than him, was a formidable opponent that would’ve required considerable effort to defeat in a head-on confrontation.

Li Yifei chuckled at the Third Tribute and said, "Sorry about that. If we’d fought head-on, I’m afraid I would’ve been the one lying here. I hope you won’t take it too personally, old man."

The Third Tribute took a breath, causing a sharp stab of pain in his chest. He nearly coughed out loud but managed to suppress it, saying, "Since you’ve won, do as you please—kill me or let me be."

Li Yifei shook his head and replied, "We live in a society governed by laws now; how could I kill you? But you should find your own way to leave. I’ll be heading off first."

After speaking, he pulled Su Mengxin into the car and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Only then did the Third Tribute allow himself to cough, feeling incredibly frustrated. What vexed him the most was his helplessness; without a mobile phone and no one around, getting assistance was an ordeal.

He lay there for over an hour before someone finally arrived and found him. By then, the Third Tribute was not only in pain from his injuries but had also been scorched by the sun for more than an hour, nearly peeling a layer of skin off.

The Third Tribute was transported back to the Song Family household, causing everyone there to be utterly shocked. He might not have been the top fighter in the Song Family, but he was certainly one of the elite. Having been defeated so miserably made them realize just how formidable Li Yifei must be. No wonder Su Mengxin did not stop them from confronting Li Yifei directly.

Song Shucheng was furious, yet he managed to suppress his anger. The family’s guardians were precious assets, only to be deployed for serious matters. If they took a loss because of someone like Li Yifei, it wouldn’t be worth it. So, in the end, Song Shucheng chose not to send out any more guardians, and the matter was dropped there.

Li Yifei and Su Mengxin sat in the car. Suddenly, Su Mengxin laughed and said, "Yifei, that man is quite old. How could you sneak attack him like that?"

Li Yifei grinned and responded, "That old man is quite skilled. Dealing with him directly would have been so troublesome. The simplest method to knock him down was to conserve my energy. Besides, I’m just an ordinary person now. Getting too involved in trouble would be even more problematic."

Su Mengxin softly shook her head and replied, "You are not an ordinary person, even if you try to be one, it won’t be easy."

"Anyway, I quite like my life as it is now. I prefer not to get involved in these violent matters, unless someone deliberately provokes me."

Su Mengxin looked at Li Yifei but said nothing more. Instead, she proposed, "We still have time this afternoon. Come and help me buy some things. I need to bring gifts back for Yingying and the others. Since I borrowed their husband, I should at least show some gratitude."

Li Yifei readily agreed and drove to a large shopping mall with Su Mengxin.

With a light chuckle, Su Mengxin teased, "Wow, picking a place like this to buy things for your wife, aren’t you trying to fleece me?"

Li Yifei burst into laughter and said, "With all the money you have, a little fleecing won’t hurt you. It would be a shame not to."

"Heh, okay, today I’m going to splurge a bit and make you happy."

The two of them walked around inside, buying things, and Li Yifei didn’t stand on ceremony with Su Mengxin, allowing her to buy quite a few things. There were not only gifts for Xu Yingying and Xu Shanshan but also for Meng Xiaofei. Far from minding, Su Mengxin was actually very happy, enjoying the chance to shop with Li Yifei and live like an ordinary person for once. In fact, she found herself quite liking it.

"I’m going to the bathroom." When they reached the third floor’s bathroom, Su Mengxin entered.

Li Yifei waited outside, and a woman wearing oversized, tea-colored sunglasses emerged from the bathroom and bumped into Li Yifei. At the sight of this woman, Li Yifei jumped in shock and quickly turned his head away.

The woman brushed past Li Yifei and walked out. He sighed in relief, thinking that she hadn’t recognized him.

But before Li Yifei could enjoy his relief for a few seconds more, he suddenly realized that the woman had turned around and was heading straight back toward the bathroom. A sense of alarm flooded him; he knew she must have recognized him.

This woman was one of the females Li Yifei feared the most—Ning Xin’er, whom he had encountered at Wang Jiuzhe’s gathering. That time, Li Yifei had managed to avoid Ning Xin’er’s gaze. He never thought they could bump into each other in Mile City, let alone at a shopping mall. The world was indeed too small.

Ning Xin’er had just brushed past Li Yifei. She had glimpsed him briefly without much thought, but after walking a few steps, she suddenly remembered that detestable man. She halted, realizing that the man she just passed might be that bastard.

The more she thought about it, the faster she wheeled around and rushed to the bathroom entrance, only to find that Li Yifei was not there.

Ning Xin’er was very close to the bathroom entrance, and the bathroom itself was tucked away in a corner. For Li Yifei to leave, he would have to pass by her. Not seeing Li Yifei meant he had certainly gone into the bathroom.

"You bastard, I’ve finally caught you; let’s see where you can run now," Ning Xin’er muttered viciously to herself, clenching her small, pale hands into fists and staring intently at the men’s section.

However, after waiting a while and watching more than ten people come and go, she hadn’t caught sight of Li Yifei.

And a woman staring at the men’s bathroom door made the men coming in and out feel uncomfortable, prompting them to take a few extra looks at Ning Xin’er.

At this point, Ning Xin’er didn’t care anymore and just stared fixedly at the bathroom, "You bastard, I refuse to believe you can hold it in there forever."

But as she waited and waited, after more than ten minutes, she still hadn’t seen Li Yifei come out, which made Ning Xin’er start to doubt whether he had already slipped away.

Yet she had been watching the whole time and hadn’t seen Li Yifei leave at all.

Biting her lip in frustration, Ning Xin’er said to a man who had just entered, "Big brother, could you please keep watch for me? I’m looking for someone."

Even though Ning Xin’er was wearing large sunglasses that covered most of her face and had some makeup on, the man did not recognize her as a famous star. However, her beauty alone and her sweet voice was enough to make the man readily agree.

After blocking several men in this fashion, Ning Xin’er sent another man to check if there was anyone left inside. Shortly after, the man returned and reported, "There’s no one inside anymore."

Ning Xin’er was stunned; that was simply impossible. That bastard Li Yifei had definitely gone into the bathroom.

Unwilling to give up, Ning Xin’er barged into the men’s bathroom and pushed open every door, only to find that there indeed wasn’t a single soul inside. This left Ning Xin’er utterly baffled.

"Miss, have you finished looking? I’m in a hurry," called a man from the entrance at Ning Xin’er.

Embarrassed, Ning Xin’er hurried out, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and nearly fleeing the scene. But just as she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped and went straight into the women’s bathroom.

That bastard Li Yifei was exceedingly cunning. She had seen Li Yifei, and he must have seen her too. If he spotted her, he would naturally hide. He would have been found in the men’s bathroom, but perhaps he had run into the women’s bathroom.

Ning Xin’er had not paid any attention to the women’s bathroom before, but she was sure only women had been going in and out. So if Li Yifei had gone in there, he must not have come out yet.