Not daring to disobey, Marla spilled his guts, telling Guan Tong everything he knew.
He knew Guan Tong was after the fragment, so he first recounted how Ba Song had been tipped off and had stolen it from a few ordinary young people.
Guan Tong was somewhat surprised to hear this.
He had assumed Ba Song was the original owner, not that he had stolen it. So that explained why the fragment’s location had moved—it was after Ba Song had taken it.
After explaining about the fragment, Marla went on to talk about the estate, Ba Song’s men, Ba Song’s collusion with officials in the Andai Kingdom, and even the people imprisoned in the compound... Afraid of leaving out something Guan Tong wanted to hear, he told him absolutely everything.
After listening, Guan Tong had a comprehensive understanding of Ba Song’s situation.
"I’ve told you everything I know. So... you’ll let me live, right?" Marla asked, a hopeful look on his face. Guan Tong didn’t answer.
The next moment, a Shadow Thorn pierced Marla’s chest, ending his life.
Shortly after Guan Tong finished off Ba Song’s men, the phone in Marla’s pocket began to ring.
Guan Tong hadn’t left yet. He heard the ringing but made no move to answer the phone. After a few rings, it switched to voicemail.
After a few seconds of silence, a cold voice came from the phone. "There’s someone listening on that end, right?"
Guan Tong remained silent.
"Then you listen good. I don’t care who you are. Since you took care of Marla, you’re definitely coming for me next. Let me tell you something, I, Ba Song, will be waiting. Come if you’ve got the guts. I’ll be right here at the estate!"
BEEP.
The voicemail ended. Guan Tong thought for a moment, then turned and left.
...
"Fuck!"
Ba Song slammed his phone onto the ground and stomped on it until it was shattered. The few trusted men in the room were so terrified they didn’t dare breathe.
"B-Boss, maybe Marla isn’t..."
"Isn’t what? Isn’t dead?" Ba Song shot him a venomous glare. "If he wasn’t dead, would he have the balls not to answer my damn call?!"
"Yes, yes, Boss..." The man who had spoken quickly lowered his head.
It was true. Even as Ba Song’s trusted inner circle, they wouldn’t dare to be slow. Whether they were eating, sleeping, or even on the toilet, if a call came from Ba Song, they had to answer immediately, even if they shit their pants in the process.
Ba Song’s very first confidant had already demonstrated the consequences of failing to do so: a head bashed in with a cell phone.
"The enemy is definitely coming! Get everyone ready for me! And go to town to round up some more men. Give them guns and have them guard the gates for me!"
"Yes, Boss!"
The men hurried off to get busy, and Ba Song returned to his own room.
He took another phone from a drawer, made a call, spoke for a moment, and then hung up.
Then he lifted a floorboard under his bed, revealing the entrance to a secret passage.
Only Ba Song himself knew about this secret passage. He’d had all the men who dug it silenced after the job was done.
He entered the passage, which led to a large, specially excavated basement.
This basement was his panic room. It was stocked with all kinds of emergency supplies and, of course, no shortage of weapons on gun racks. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, and even sniper rifles—it had everything.
Ba Song took down a short-barreled shotgun, planning to keep it on him. But as he was examining the muzzle, the shiny finish reflected a blurry figure standing behind him.
Who?!
Startled, Ba Song spun around and fired.
BANG!
The shotgun was devastating at close range, but the figure he shot only took half a step back. It didn’t fall.
"Who are you?! How is this possible—"
Ba Song couldn’t believe it. Someone was hiding in his secret room! He was the only one who knew about this place! How did this person find out, and when did they get in?!
After a moment of shock, Ba Song calmed down and stared at the person opposite him. The figure was dressed head-to-toe in black, their face hidden. It was clear they were not here with good intentions.
"You’re the one who’s here to steal my fragment, aren’t you?"
"...Hand it over."
Ba Song found the person’s voice strange. It didn’t sound like someone speaking from a normal distance, but more like a voice coming from a phone.
But he couldn’t worry about that now. The best defense was a good offense!
A vicious glint flashed in Ba Song’s eyes as he repeatedly pulled the trigger.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The shotgun’s spray of pellets repeatedly slammed into the figure, forcing it back several steps, but it showed no sign of falling. There wasn’t even any blood, just a lot of holes torn in its clothes.
Through those holes, Ba Song could vaguely see that what was inside was the same color as the clothes on the outside—solid black!
What kind of monster was this thing?!
Ba Song threw the shotgun aside and didn’t bother grabbing another weapon from the rack. He raised his right hand, and a strange, brown Hand Cannon materialized where his fist had been.
Far away, Guan Tong, who was remotely controlling the Shadow, saw this and thought, ’That Hand Cannon must be Ba Song’s Psychic Power item. The power behind it must be considerable.’
"Don’t think you can scare me!" Ba Song raised his Hand Cannon and aimed it at the Shadow. "You must have some item that defends against normal weapons, but let’s see how you defend against my Psychic Power Hand Cannon!"
BOOM!
He fired. With a tremendous CRASH, the blast tore a huge hole in the basement wall. Rubble and dust flew everywhere, making Ba Song himself choke and cough.
He took a few steps back, his back against a wall, eyes fixed on the dust cloud ahead. Before long, the dust began to settle. When he saw the Shadow still standing, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"How is that possible?!"
"Ba Song, is this the best you can do?" The voice, still sounding like it was coming from a phone, spoke again. "To be honest, it’s not very impressive."
Guan Tong’s voice was coming from a phone on speaker that the Shadow was carrying. The taunt made Ba Song’s face turn livid with rage.
In fact, Guan Tong wasn’t wrong. The Hand Cannon was powerful, but for the Shadow, it was all too easy to evade. Whenever Ba Song fired, Guan Tong would have the Shadow dematerialize most of its body to avoid the damage, then solidify it again afterward.
This way, no matter how powerful Ba Song’s Hand Cannon was, it couldn’t harm the Shadow at all. Conversely, if Guan Tong had wanted to kill Ba Song, he could have done so long ago. He was only holding back because he hadn’t yet gotten his hands on the Puzzle Fragment.