Feeling Lu Tianxing’s movement, Bai Zhiqing’s body gently trembled, and a blush unavoidably flew onto her pretty face, yet she didn’t avoid Lu Tianxing’s gesture, allowing him to affectionately wipe away the rice and oil stains from the corners of her mouth.
"Hmm, you were already tormenting me."
Bai Zhiqing cast a coquettish glance at Lu Tianxing and continued to eat her claypot rice, but her pace was no longer as voracious, instead becoming more elegant, which was comforting for onlookers to see.
Lu Tianxing smiled gently and began to eat as well, nodding to himself inwardly, "This claypot rice is indeed very authentic, no wonder visitors to Temple Street almost all want to try the delicacies; I have to say, the flavor here is truly very good."
While Lu Tianxing and Bai Zhiqing were enjoying the Temple Street cuisine, five men dressed in black suits appeared among the crowd, looking at Lu Tianxing and Bai Zhiqing with indifferent gazes.
"Confirm the targets, they are Lu Tianxing and Bai Zhiqing. Elder Chen said, ’Catch them alive and bring them all back.’ Also, be careful, the opponents are very strong, we must be fully alert, and make your moves swiftly, without attracting other people’s attention. Wait until a concealed place to start."
The leader was a hulking man in a black suit with an earpiece, his stature imposing, and his eyes as sharp as a falcon’s, giving off an extremely dangerous vibe.
Flanking him were four other men with similar builds, each with an expressionless face resembling a block of ice, a slight bulge at their waists indicating they were armed. Their eyes conveyed an indifference toward life.
By now, Lu Tianxing had stopped his actions and casually swept his gaze around the surroundings; upon noticing the group of men in black not far away, a sharp glint flashed through his eyes.
These people were good at masking their chill, but to a mercenary who dealt with death year-round, it was negligible.
Lu Tianxing casually picked up a napkin and dabbed the corners of his mouth before saying to Bai Zhiqing, "Wife, are you full? If so, how about we take a stroll? I hear there’s a Tianhou Temple behind Temple Street; let’s go there for a walk."
Bai Zhiqing was slightly taken aback when she heard this, about to say something but then she caught the frosty look in Lu Tianxing’s eyes. She immediately understood what was going on; unsurprisingly, it seemed someone had come looking for trouble again.
"Sure, I was actually planning to go to the Tianhou Temple to draw a fortune stick, and pray for our trip in Xiangjiang to be smooth sailing with no trouble at all," Bai Zhiqing, wiping the oil stains from her mouth, said with a smile.
The two stood up and made their way to the Tianhou Temple.
Lu Tianxing believed that if these people were here to trouble them, they would definitely follow.
As expected, upon seeing Bai Zhiqing and Lu Tianxing leave, the five men immediately followed.
Lu Tianxing, seemingly unaware of being followed, leisurely admired the scenery with Bai Zhiqing, occasionally buying some snacks to taste or sneaking a kiss on Bai Zhiqing, eliciting playful chiding and the pretense of pursuit from her, with no hint of the awareness of being trailed, they made their way towards a more secluded spot near the Tianhou Temple.
"Hmph, a bunch of ignorant fools. You two, cut them off from the side; the rest come with me."
The leading man saw Lu Tianxing heading towards a quiet location and a cold smile spread across his face; he had no doubts. In his mind, it was clear that Lu Tianxing and Bai Zhiqing couldn’t hold back any longer and were planning to go to a secluded place to do some adult activities.
This place was very secluded, almost no one in sight, starkly different from the bustling Temple Street not far away. The dim lights shone down, making it eerily quiet.
"Lu Tianxing, what’s wrong? Has something happened?" Bai Zhiqing couldn’t help but ask as she looked at Lu Tianxing.
"It’s nothing, just a few little mice that showed up. Let’s take care of them, and then we can continue shopping," he said casually as he lit a cigarette for himself.
"Come on out! You’ve followed us for quite a while, aren’t you tired? Hurry up and show yourselves. After dealing with you, I plan to continue shopping with my wife!" Lu Tianxing spoke slowly, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"You know we’ve been tracking you?"
No sooner had Lu Tianxing’s words fallen than a sinister voice sounded. Figures appeared from both front and back, with the leading man staring at Lu Tianxing with a sullen face.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Bai Zhiqing asked the leading man in a cold voice.
The other side didn’t answer but simply stepped forward towards Lu Tianxing and Bai Zhiqing, a silenced pistol appearing in hand, aimed at the two of them.
"You must be from the Peng Family!" Lu Tianxing said to the five men approaching him and Bai Zhiqing, his expression unchanged, his tone indifferent.
"Whether we are from the Peng Family or not, you’ll find out once you come with us."
Hearing Lu Tianxing’s words, the leading man let out a cold laugh and directly commanded, "Catch them all."
Seeing that the men were about to make their move, Lu Tianxing exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and spoke lightly, "Do you think you can handle me just like that? Sigh, never mind, you don’t need to know this anymore. Off you go! Don’t worry, you’re not the first one, and the entire Peng Family will go down to accompany you."
As his voice trailed off, a tremendous killing intent exploded from Lu Tianxing’s entire being. A terrifying killing intent spread from him, making the whole sky seem to darken, and an infinite menace descended.
Feeling the killing intent from Lu Tianxing, the five men’s complexions changed drastically as if struck by lightning, feeling as though they had suddenly fallen into a pit of blood, with the taste of fresh blood in their mouths and noses.
"Not good, the opponent is very strong. Leave no survivors—attack now! You two, catch Bai Zhiqing alive," commanded the leading man.
The leading man, who was the strongest, was the first to react and roared angrily. He aimed the gun at Lu Tianxing, ready to pull the trigger.
Unfortunately, his action, though swift, was not as fast as Lu Tianxing’s. With a flick of his finger, the cigarette butt, like a shooting star, tore through the air and struck directly on the muzzle.
In an instant, the pistol seemed as if it was twisted by a great force, torn to pieces by the True Qi-infused cigarette butt.
Not giving the man another chance to react, Lu Tianxing flashed like a specter, suddenly appearing beside the leading man, pressing a palm against his head.
The leading man’s body trembled, then froze in place. His eyes bloodshot at a visible pace, and under a single palm strike from Lu Tianxing, he bled from all seven orifices, dead beyond any doubt.