This has become a deadlock.

And besides, they weren't willing to kill him just like that.

They saw it clearly—with King Guilong having lost his mind, stirring up the waters of the Great River, surging forward, yet all along the way, it was through desolate wilderness. They really couldn't bring themselves to deliver a killing blow.

Their unwillingness to make an enemy of the West River Water System was secondary; more so, if they killed King Guilong today, their own state of mind would never find peace—they'd be tormented by it day after day.

On the other side, Cai Qidong was starting to feel numb as well.

He glanced at the time, dialed another number, and got the automated message: the phone was switched off.

Things were getting troublesome, racing madly in the worst direction—now, it was completely out of control.

Looking at the distance displayed on the map, he knew it was entirely out of their hands now.

...

Wen Yan listened to the voice over the phone, flooring the gas pedal almost through the engine. He usually didn't even like driving, but now he didn't care about any of that.

He sped to the area near Crouching Tiger Mountain, rushed up a hillside, and looked into the distance as the flood rolled in, shrouded in clouds and mist; he shouted in a hoarse voice.

"King Guilong, don't fall for it! He's trying to use you—think about your mother!"

Within the swirling mist, King Guilong's eyes emerged, burning with green flames. His gaze no longer seemed so furious, instead shining with an icy calm.

Thunderbolts crashed down from the sky, like rain, striking into the thick clouds below.

King Guilong ignored the lightning striking him, locking eyes with Wen Yan, who looked desperate, trying to stop him. He could tell Wen Yan truly meant well for him.

"He has always acted as he speaks. If I don't come, he'll definitely go through with it.

Whatever he's planning, I must be here.

He's pushing me so hard—why should I fear death?

Before I die, I'll send him to hell first!"

King Guilong swept along giant waves, summoning bolts of thunder, using his body as bait, charging forward with fierce, desperate resolve, knowing there was no turning back.

Wen Yan remained where he stood, unable to speak—finally only able to curse, "Fuck."

He wasn't afraid of King Guilong losing control in a rage—he was truly scared now that King Guilong was calm.

That meant things had reached the point of no return.

That Big Cat really was an asshole, having King Guilong totally under his thumb—King Guilong didn't dare gamble at all.

But what choice did King Guilong have?

That bastard took down the plaque today; tomorrow he'd dare do something even worse.

Wen Yan could only double-check if all the nearby roads around Crouching Tiger Mountain were blocked off, and whether all the villagers in the area had been evacuated to safety.

Looking into the distance, Wen Yan saw a car passing along the highway, headlights blazing.

He frowned, and from afar saw the Mountain Lord wave his severed arm—instantly, that car, which might have crossed his path, went tumbling down the cliff.

His face darkened—this bastard really had gone insane, caring about nothing any longer.

He immediately equipped the Temporary Ability, jumped in his car, and sped straight to the incident site—any later, and the flood would hit.

Slamming the accelerator the entire way, he arrived at the foot of the hill just before the waters surged in.

Throwing open the car door, he saw the driver inside, soaked in blood, airbags already deployed. Even so, the driver's leg and arm were clearly broken—who knew if ribs were fractured or what damage there was to internal organs.

Wen Yan reached over and pressed the driver's neck—there was still a pulse; the person was alive.

He rummaged through his pockets, found a mint, pried open the man's mouth, shoved it in, and slapped the guy's face repeatedly.

"Wake up!"

The bloodied driver struggled to turn his head, looked at Wen Yan in a daze.

Seeing his face, Wen Yan was instantly shocked.

"Xiao Zhang? What the hell are you doing out here this late?"

But before he could think any further, he yelled immediately,

"Quick—call Grandmother."

"Grandmother?"

At the same time, Wen Yan's Temporary Ability "Grandmother" began to take effect.

"Anything Grandmother has nurtured shall not die."

Once it was confirmed active, Wen Yan didn't care about causing secondary injuries—he yanked the guy out of the car, feeling the ground starting to tremble as the flood drew close.

He hauled the man onto his shoulders and dashed off, not caring if the guy's mouth kept bleeding, if his leg, swinging like there was no bone left, was spurting blood—shards of bone had even punctured the skin.

He carried him up to higher ground, laid him down, and patted himself down—only half a bar of chocolate and a small box of mints left.

He stuffed a mint into the man's mouth, then a small piece of chocolate.

"If you don't want to die, swallow it."

The man, dazed, obeyed. Confirming he wouldn't die, Wen Yan left him be, turning his eyes to Crouching Tiger Mountain in the distance.

...

The Mountain Lord's prosthetic body was on the verge of total collapse—both arms mostly lost, one leg already turning to cinders.

He reached the foot of Crouching Tiger Mountain, standing where the mountain had been half excavated, looking on with some regret.

What a pity—the Scorching Sun Department had been far too cautious. Having found only some remains, they stopped digging entirely, withdrew all staff, and showed no sign of continuing.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to appear in person. But he had underestimated this era, and now he was totally exposed.

Even if this worked, he might not be able to show his face for a long time, unable to do anything else.

Step by step, he approached the excavated Stone Mountain. Suddenly, the mountain trembled, and as he walked, it began to crack open, revealing a massive crevice leading downward.

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