The Devil’s Cage

“Feng De!”

Kieran wasn’t loud, but the ragpicker hiding behind the door looked like was struck by thunder, shivers running throughout his body.

Then, while Eckart and the others cried in shock, a dagger appeared in the ragpicker’s hand and was thrusted at Kieran without a second thought as the ragpicker threw himself forward.

Huu!

Under the lights, the cold glaring dagger caused an air-breaking sound.

When Mei Huasheng had heard the name Feng De, she jolted. And when the ragpicker thrusted a dagger at Kieran, the ex-lady warrior was already reacting to the situation.

She quickly put herself in front of Kieran with her hands before her. She was in an alarmed state and ready to engage the armed ragpicker with her bare hands.

As for being hurt by the dagger?

She never thought about that.

When her instinct drove her in front of Kieran, she forgot everything else, even the fact of Kieran being a con-man in her eyes. Despite everything, she wasn’t just going to watch as Kieran got hurt or died.

A conflicting thought? No!

That was the reason why Kieran disliked working with people like her.

They were really hateful when they hated, but also very likable when they did good.

In conclusion: trouble.

For the likes of Kieran, who always disliked trouble, especially trouble that affected his plans, the dislike for Mei Huasheng in his heart reached a new height.

Of course, Kieran still wouldn’t allow her to be hurt in front of him.

It wasn’t mercy or compassion. It was just that if he allowed things to continue as they were, more trouble would follow.

Her identity destined her to be different.

Maybe Eckart would somehow be able to take care of the problem, but the wasted time was something Kieran couldn’t afford.

So Kieran grabbed the back of her collar with his left hand and pulled backwards while dishing a kick at the ragpicker.

Even without Transcendence [Hand-to-Hand Combat], the Musou [Hand-to-hand Combat] plus the derivative skill Master of Kick Combats wasn’t something a wanted criminal could withstand.

Pak!

Kieran’s right kick tapped against the ragpicker’s wrist that wielded the dagger. After a clear noise, the dagger was disarmed, and before the ragpicker could hold his wrist in pain, Kieran followed up with a left kick after retracting his right foot.

Bang!

A plain kick without any extra technique, it landed fiercely on the ragpicker’s chest, and he flew out as the sound came. The ragpicker landed on the floor of the room, twitching in pain.

Maybe Kieran was extremely weak, the majority of his skills and abilities sealed, but he was still at the peak level of a commoner; not just anyone could withstand his kick, at least not the wanted criminal Feng De.

Feng De fell to the ground without any movement. After Kieran’s left kick landed, he completed a 180 degree turn. His left hand, which held Mei Huasheng before, switched to holding her shoulder to support his movements.

Kieran lowered his head a little, and both of them locked gazes.

Kieran clearly saw the shock and sudden shyness on Mei Huasheng’s face.

She obviously didn’t expect Kieran, who she labeled as a con-man, to have such a good fighting technique.

Criminals could be categorized. Some were good at using their brains while others were good at resolving to violence.

When a criminal had high intellect, having good fighting capabilities would become relatively hard; therefore, the smarter ones solved problems with their planning and thinking.

Going from the same theory, those violent criminals instead relied on their strength to clear obstacles.

Habits were hard to change, but when brain and muscle converged…

Mei Huasheng’s heart skipped a beat when she thought of the possibility, then…

There was no ‘then’ after that.

Kieran removed his hand from Mei Huasheng, thus catching her off guard and sending her falling on the floor hard.

Bang!

Dust flew, and Kieran turned to Eckart.

“Call the police,” said Kieran.

“O-Okay!”

Eckart nodded in a dazed state before taking out his phone to dial the number.

Eckart wasn’t to blame because everything before his eyes happened too fast for him to comprehend anything.

The director never thought the urban myth that scared everyone would turn into a wanted criminal case in a matter of seconds.

Eckart didn’t react properly, and neither did the lighting man and cameraman. They looked at the scene blankly, and only after Eckart finished calling the police did the two of them finally stand up and adjust the lights and camera.

It was then that they realized Kieran was going up to the third floor without their knowing.

Isn’t it over?

Why is he still going up?

Confused, both the lighting man and cameraman chased Kieran.

Eckart also began to follow but was stopped by Mei Huasheng, who climbed up from the floor.

Frowning, Eckart looked at the officer with slight dissatisfaction.

Even though he admired her courage for standing in front of Kieran to block the dagger, it didn’t mean he would give up on his duty, even if… he was a temporary host.

“What’s wrong?” Eckart said with dissatisfaction.

“Call the ambulance,” Mei Huasheng replied in a similar tone.

No one would feel good when thrown to the ground.

That went for Mei Huasheng, as well, despite her battle instincts protecting her weak spots during the fall.

After raising Kieran’s danger level to a new height in her heart, she recalled the unnatural reaction just now. Obviously, the memories worsened her mood.

Huu, huu!

Her breaths ran faster, and her fists unconsciously clenched tighter.

“What are you trying to do?”

Eckart moved back after he felt the change in Mei Huasheng.

He knew the details regarding this woman before his eyes. She may look normal, but she had lingered around the verge of death many times.

Once he thought about the lives lost in her hands, Eckart couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“I don’t have a phone.” Mei Huasheng then ran up to the third floor.

Eckart was stunned again. He never thought Mei Huasheng would explain, and he also never thought that she wouldn’t have a phone.

“What are you, some cave woman? Who the hell doesn’t have a phone now a days…”

His rants stopped halfway when he thought of Kieran.

Kieran didn’t have a phone either.

Eckart then somehow also thought of that posture where Kieran held onto Mei Huasheng just now. His vast experience made him exclaim with the click of his tongue.

“Not a bad posture. Little packaging here and there, and boom goes the ratings again. Hmm. Need to work on the editing though.”

Eckart muttered to himself and took out his phone again.

After the call, Eckart surveyed the dark environment. Once he remembered that there was still a wanted criminal in the room, despite being half dead, it still scared him and he ran with lightning speed up the third floor.

Once he arrived at the third floor, he saw the lighting man and cameraman standing on the stairs.

While Kieran was walking from one end of the corridor to the other.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t it over?”

When Kieran walked past him, Eckart raised his microphone again.

“Over? We are far from over. Something in here tells me this is just the beginning.”

Kieran shook his head and looked at the stairs behind Eckart.

Gak Tsk, Gak Tsk.

Amidst the screech of the old stairs, a series of footsteps could be heard, coming closer.

Kieran curled his lips into a small grin when he saw the figure emerging from the darkness.

“I knew it was you.”