Chapter Nine: The Bounty Hunter

With his skills, Yang Jiekai would not be afraid even if the man held a grenade, but out of habit, he preferred to act in secluded places. As he watched the man board a bus, Yang Jiekai hurriedly followed.

If asked what had the largest capacity in China, he would surely answer: the city bus. It was rush hour, and Jiekai was pressed from both sides like a meat pie. The crowd only grew with each stop, yet the man showed no sign of getting off.

Jiekai began to lose patience. He decided that if the man didn’t get off at the next stop, he’d handle him right there on the bus, regardless of the crush—otherwise, he’d be squashed beyond recognition.

Just as Jiekai struggled a few steps closer, a figure blocked his path, accompanied by a delicate fragrance.

“Excuse me, could you make way…”

Jiekai’s intention was to ask the person to move aside, but halfway through, his words stalled.

Good heavens, a beauty!

He stared in astonishment at the woman before him, clad in tight jeans and a fitted T-shirt, her hair tied in a ponytail, features refined and delicate. Though her attire wasn’t particularly fashionable, she exuded an air of neat elegance.

At that moment, an electric scooter cut in front of the bus, the driver slammed on the brakes, and everyone lurched forward. The beauty collided into Jiekai’s arms.

“Oh!”

Jiekai deliberately let out a shrill cry and flung himself forward. Truthfully, with his skills, such theatrics were unnecessary—but with a beauty before him, exceptions could be made.

Due to this “external force,” Jiekai and the beauty were pressed together. He thought to take advantage and quickly retreat, but was surprised when the beauty wrapped a slender arm around his waist.

Even after the bus stabilized, she didn’t let go, instead burying her head in his chest, looking every bit the picture of tender reliance.

What’s going on? She’s coming on to me?

Jiekai was momentarily dumbfounded. Could it be that his handsome charm had captivated her?

That thought seemed reasonable to the self-assured Jiekai, who concluded she must have been bewitched by his looks and seized the chance to cozy up.

Always generous with beauties, Jiekai obligingly placed a hand around her slim waist, but she gently moved his hand away, casting him a meaningful glance.

That glance set his heart racing wildly. Knowing well the art of flirting, he responded with an equally suggestive look.

To Jiekai, this was a blatant signal.

With a stunning beauty by his side, the crowded bus suddenly seemed less oppressive, transformed instead into a world of springtime allure. He forgot all about the fugitive, pondering instead how he might soon enjoy an intimate encounter with this forward beauty.

Two stops later, the beauty gently took his arm and murmured, “We’ve arrived.”

Jiekai looked out and saw a hotel nearby. Swallowing hard, he nodded vigorously, “Yes, we certainly have.”

After getting off, Jiekai eagerly grabbed her hand and headed toward the hotel, but she slipped free and walked in the opposite direction.

“Hey, you’re going the wrong way! This way!” he called out, about to follow, when he saw her suddenly tackle the man with the black leather bag to the ground. “Don’t move, police!”

In an instant, she had the man’s hands twisted behind his back, pressing him to the pavement, leaving Jiekai utterly stunned.

So she was a police officer all along, and he’d been her human shield the whole time! Not only was his chance at a hotel rendezvous gone, but the fugitive had slipped away too.

As Jiekai sighed inwardly, the fugitive twisted fiercely, shoved the beauty aside, and bolted.

Damn, he’s trained!

Jiekai immediately recognized the move—a Wudang push-hands technique. Those who mastered it had exceptionally flexible joints; ordinary restraining techniques were useless.

The beauty grew anxious and quickly gave chase. Jiekai glanced around, saw no sign of a police ambush, sighed, then watched the fugitive’s direction before slipping into a nearby alley.

Wang Ying was no slowpoke. Back at the police academy, she had always matched the male trainees in speed and endurance. Against an ordinary criminal, her moves would have been more than enough.

Today, however, luck was not on her side. She faced a man who had trained for years on Wudang Mountain; he effortlessly escaped her grasp and navigated through the crowd with remarkable agility, soon vanishing from sight.

After shaking Wang Ying, the man ducked into an alley, leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. He checked his bag’s contents, all intact, and finally relaxed.

He cursed his ill fortune. He’d chosen the bus route with utmost caution, yet still caught the attention of a policewoman. Thankfully, his years learning from a Taoist master on Wudang Mountain paid off; otherwise, the contents of his bag would have been enough to warrant execution ten times over.

After scanning his surroundings and confirming he was alone, the man dialed a number. “Situation’s changed, I’ve been tailed. Change the transaction time and place… Yes… I’ll be there soon.”

He confirmed the new arrangements and was about to leave when a quiet voice sounded.

“Hey, I didn’t catch the time and place. Leaving already?”

Startled, the man looked around but saw no one. As he hesitated, he glanced upward and saw a young man, pale and slender, crouching atop the wall above his head!

He broke into a run, but the young man stood, shook his head with a sigh, and suddenly dashed along the wall like a bolt of lightning.

In seconds, the young man launched himself with a powerful kick from the wall, shooting forth like an arrow, taking the running man down with a flying kick.

He strode over and stomped hard on the man’s thigh. A cracking sound rang out, and the man howled in agony, powerless to rise. His Wudang push-hands could counter restraining techniques, but a broken thigh bone left him helpless.

“Who are you?” The man, hardened by a life of high-risk crime, instantly assessed that this young man was not a police officer—likely another criminal. “Let me go, and the goods in the bag are yours!”

The young man’s lips curled into an amused smile. He picked up the black bag, opened it, revealing seven or eight bricks wrapped in yellow oil paper. He weighed them gently in his hand. “On the black market, this haul would make someone rich for life.”

“All yours, just let me go!” the man pleaded, sensing hope.

The young man smiled and sighed from the heart. “Unfortunately, I’m not destined to enjoy such wealth. I’ll hand you over to the police and collect a small reward instead.”

It was a sincere declaration from Yang Jiekai. Since returning to China, he had sworn never to return to the worlds of assassins or mercenaries, and certainly not to dabble in drug trafficking.

Wang Ying, sweat beading on her forehead, was desperately worried. She had acted on her own initiative, stumbling upon the drug dealer by chance. The police had hunted him for ages—if he escaped, it would alert others and undo months of hard work.

After much deliberation, Wang Ying decided to call the authorities. Losing her badge would be a small price, but letting the dealer escape would endanger countless lives.

She dialed.

“Director Sun, I’m sorry, I made a mistake. Please immediately seal off—”

Before she finished, something heavy landed before her. She looked up in shock.

There stood a pale young man, flashing her a brilliant smile, swinging a black bag in his hand.

On the other end of the line, a deep, steady male voice demanded, “What’s going on? Hello, speak!”

Wang Ying stared for a long moment, then softly said, “It’s fine now.” She quickly hung up, pulled out her handcuffs, and secured the dealer.

“You caught him?” Wang Ying asked, incredulous, as she looked at the radiant young man before her.

When the dealer had escaped her grasp, she knew he was skilled. Her restraining techniques were renowned in the force; ordinary people couldn’t break free.

Yang Jiekai eyed Wang Ying’s graceful figure and licked his lips. “Beautiful lady, thank you for your care on the bus earlier.”

Wang Ying paused, then burst out laughing, remembering how she’d used him as a shield and now, unexpectedly, he had helped her enormously.

“Come with me to the station, I’ll buy you dinner later!”

After completing a statement and a few simple procedures, Yang Jiekai happily walked out with a twenty-thousand yuan reward.

“Wait a moment,” Wang Ying called after him from the station.

Yang Jiekai, pocket bulging with cash, grinned and said, “What is it, still want to buy me dinner? No need, let’s just work together again sometime.”

Wang Ying chuckled. “Even if I wanted to buy you dinner, I haven’t the time today. My name is Wang Ying, and thank you for your help.”

Yang Jiekai patted his bulging pocket and laughed, “No need for thanks. I’m more interested in the reward. I’ll be off now—my wife’s waiting for me at home for dinner!”