Chapter 62: I Call the Shots!

Group Leader Guan’s entire arm was twisted into the shape of a dough twist.
The flesh and blood on his arm were mangled beyond recognition.
The tendons and muscles were completely torn apart.
Even his bones were wrung into the shape of a braided rope.
It was a truly horrific sight.

"Puff! Puff!"
Lying flat on the ground, Group Leader Guan opened and closed his mouth like a dying fish.
Bloody froth continuously spewed out.

"Hiss!"
Everyone present could not help but draw a sharp breath.
They could not fathom how Duan Lingxiao had managed to reduce Group Leader Guan to such a miserable state in a single move.

"So powerful! Stronger than many members of the Dragon Group!"
An Ruoqing's eyes widened as she stared incredulously at the scene before her.
Group Leader Guan was not considered weak in the outside world, nor was he considered strong within the Dragon Group.
Yet, for a Dragon Group member to defeat him, it would still require some effort.
And yet, Duan Lingxiao had defeated him with just a single move.
No, to call it a victory would be inaccurate; it was an utterly crushing defeat.
This was truly terrifying!

"Utterly pathetic!"
Duan Lingxiao dropped the words indifferently.
With that, he had no intention of paying these people any further heed and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Group Leader Guan let out a furious roar.
"Draw your guns! Capture him!"

Several members of the Special Operations Group immediately unholstered their handguns and took aim at Duan Lingxiao.
"Group Leader Guan, that's enough!"
"You lost, and a loss is a loss. Mr. Ling already showed mercy just now, don't push your luck!"
An Ruoqing rebuked sternly.
She had already witnessed firsthand how Duan Lingxiao remained unfazed by the Dragon Group’s specially manufactured firearms.
Let alone the standard issue sidearms of the Special Operations Group.
Their quality was inferior to the Dragon Group's custom gear, and she feared a single flick of Duan Lingxiao's finger would be enough to crush the weapons in their hands into powder.

"I am upholding the law and executing my duty, while he resists the law and commits violent assault against a law enforcement officer! This is a grave crime!"
With a pale face, Group Leader Guan roared in a hoarse, desperate voice.
He was furious.
He had never imagined that even after losing an entire arm, An Ruoqing not only failed to offer him words of comfort or encouragement,
but instead poured cold water on him at every turn and even stood on Duan Lingxiao's side.
How hateful!

"The ignorant are fearless, but you are truly beyond ignorant, aren't you?"
"Stop pointing those fireplace pokers at me. If I get angry, the consequences will be severe."
Duan Lingxiao’s expression remained detached, a fleeting trace of mocking amusement crossing his features.

"Group Leader Guan, stop this at once. Mr. Ling is immensely powerful; these few guns pose no threat to him whatsoever."
An Ruoqing gave a blunt warning.
Having been reminded to this extent, even a pig should have figured out the situation by now.
However, Group Leader Guan merely sneered coldly.

"Even a Heavenly Realm martial artist, at such close range and facing so many specialized rounds, how could he possibly dodge?"
"An Ruoqing, I see you are simply intent on shielding him!"
As Group Leader Guan’s voice trailed off, An Ruoqing froze.
*Damn it, he has the brain of a pig!*
An Ruoqing was completely defeated by Group Leader Guan's arrogance and conceit.

"How did an idiot like you ever become the leader of the Special Operations Group?"
"It must have been through family background and political connections."
Duan Lingxiao said speechlessly.

Hearing Duan Lingxiao's sarcastic jab, Group Leader Guan's complexion turned even more unsightly.
Lies were not terrifying; the truth was the sharpest blade.
Because he had indeed risen to his position purely through his family's connections.
Damn it!
In merely a few words, he had been utterly dismantled and stripped bare by Duan Lingxiao.

"Bang!"
Driven mad by shame and anger, Group Leader Guan fired the first shot.
The other members snapped back to their senses and quickly squeezed their triggers.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
A rapid succession of gunshots echoed through the air.

"Boring."
Duan Lingxiao waved his hand casually, and an energy shield formed instantly from his true qi.
Then, with a sudden twist and turn of his palm,
he actually intercepted every single bullet fired at him and guided them straight into his palm.
Immediately following that, he clenched his fist tightly!
All the bullets detonated within his palm.
In a matter of moments, they were reduced to a pile of discarded, useless shells.
Throughout the entire ordeal, Duan Lingxiao stood quietly, completely unharmed.

"What the hell! How is that possible?!"
"What kind of mutant superpower is this?"
The crowd was utterly dumbfounded.
They stared at Duan Lingxiao in sheer disbelief.
They had never encountered such a bizarre situation in all their lives!

While everyone stood frozen in a daze, Duan Lingxiao had already teleported instantly in front of Group Leader Guan.
He clamped a hand around his throat.
"Y-you, what are you trying to do? Don't do anything rash!"
"I am a member of the Guan family from the provincial capital, and a state cadre! If you touch me, you will die a horrific death!"
Group Leader Guan roared, putting up a fierce front while being cowardly at heart.

"I already said, I gave you a chance to live, but unfortunately you failed to grasp it."
Duan Lingxiao spoke indifferently.

"Mr. Ling, please spare his life! After all... no major damage was done, and since he has already lost an arm, he has paid the price he deserved."
An Ruoqing hurriedly chimed in with persuasion.
Naturally, since Group Leader Guan belonged to the Special Operations Group, she could not simply sit back and remain indifferent.

"That's right, exactly! Hurry up and let our group leader go!"
"This is an act of insubordination and the murder of a law enforcement officer! You cannot bear the consequences of this crime!"
Several team members also issued stern threats.

"Yes, yes, Ruoqing is right, I have already paid the price..."
Group Leader Guan echoed hastily.
In the depths of his heart, however, he recorded this debt against both Duan Lingxiao and An Ruoqing.
Once he managed to get away, he would definitely notify his clan. Not only would they kill this fellow surnamed Ling,
but he would also use his connections to strip An Ruoqing of her Dragon Group status and then toy with her ruthlessly!
That would be his revenge for today!

"The price?"
"Whether the appropriate price has been paid is up to me to decide—you lot... don't get to decide!"
With that,
*Snap!*
Duan Lingxiao directly crushed Group Leader Guan's neck.

"In your next life, be a bit smarter."
Duan Lingxiao stated flatly, then turned to address the remaining individuals:
"You have ten minutes to clean up this mess, and then get lost!"
"If you ever dare to come sniffing around my place again, this will be your fate."
Following that, he turned around and walked into the villa.

The remaining people turned deathly pale with fright, yet not a single one dared to utter another sound.
"Clean it up. Once you're done, get out of here immediately."
An Ruoqing looked at Group Leader Guan's corpse and shook her head.
The trouble stabbed into tonight was truly massive!
How she was going to report this to her superiors upon returning was going to be a major problem!
With a Special Operations Group leader killed, the higher-ups would undoubtedly attach utmost importance to the matter.
Even the Dragon Group would likely dispatch personnel to investigate.

"Alas, I told you the opponent was immensely strong, yet you insisted on fighting him head-on. Dying like this is nothing more than reaping what you've sown."
Suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her mind, An Ruoqing gave it no more thought.
Working together with the remaining Special Operations Group members to clean up the scene, they quickly departed.
The cleanup process took less than ten minutes.
They had been utterly terrified by Duan Lingxiao's ruthless methods!
If they exceeded the time limit and Duan Lingxiao happened to lose his temper again,
who among them could possibly withstand it?
In no time at all, the group came in a flurry and left in a hurry.
They came and went like the wind.

"Though a naive airhead, she's not entirely a lost cause."
Standing by the villa's window, Duan Lingxiao watched An Ruoqing's departing figure and murmured to himself.
"It seems I need to accelerate my pace as well. As a special state organization, the Dragon Group has already taken notice of me. If I wish to exact my revenge, I must speed things up."
"I must unearth all the clues regarding my enemies as quickly as possible and ensure they die without a burial place."
Various thoughts flashed through Duan Lingxiao's mind.

Meanwhile, at that very moment,
the six major families of Jiangnan City had gathered together in the top-tier presidential suite of the Tianfu Grand Hotel.
They were quietly awaiting the arrival of a truly formidable figure.