Chapter 36 – The Man Who Refused to Die
Xu Yanshang's words echoed in the warehouse, bouncing off the damp, rusted walls:
> "Then finish it."
Mo Chen's grip tightened on the gun. His expression was carved in stone, eyes dark and unreadable.
But he didn't pull the trigger.
"I don't kill unarmed men," Mo Chen said flatly.
Xu's smile returned, smug and dangerous. "That's always been your weakness."
Xueqing stepped between them, blade still hidden beneath her sleeve. "No, his weakness was mercy. But that's not the man he is anymore."
Xu cocked his head. "And you? Still playing judge and executioner?"
"I'm not here to play." Her voice cut sharper than steel. "I'm here to end a threat."
Suddenly, with a speed that betrayed his age and calm, Xu moved. His foot kicked a metal pipe from behind a crate—hidden, planned—and sent it flying toward Mo Chen. In the same motion, his hand darted into his coat.
Mo Chen twisted aside, dodging the pipe, but not before Xu pulled a small detonator from his inner pocket and pressed it.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Bombs!" Lin Nuo shouted over comms. "It's wired! Get out!"
Mo Chen surged forward, grabbing Xueqing by the waist and dragging her down behind a crate just as the far wall erupted into flames. The explosion rocked the warehouse, sending debris flying and filling the air with dust and smoke.
Sirens wailed in the distance—someone had heard.
Through the haze, Mo Chen scanned for Xu, but the man had vanished.
"He had a secondary exit," Mo Chen growled. "A rat's always ready to flee."
Xueqing coughed, wiping soot from her cheek. "He's gone, but not far."
Mo Chen looked at her. "He knows. About your bloodline. The relic. Everything."
She nodded, face calm but eyes blazing. "He won't stop."
"Neither will we."
---
By the time the authorities arrived, Mo Chen's team had scrubbed the surveillance feeds and erased any trace of their presence. Only the wreckage remained.
Back in the penthouse, Xueqing sat silently at the edge of her bed. Her mind churned—not just from the explosion, or the close call, but from Xu's words.
> "Even Mo Chen doesn't know..."
Mo Chen stepped in, freshly showered and still dressed in black. He walked over, kneeling in front of her.
"I know there's more," he said softly. "About you. About the past."
She met his eyes. "Are you asking me to tell you?"
"I'm asking if you trust me to know."
A beat passed. Then another.
Finally, Xueqing reached into her necklace—a hidden compartment—and pulled out a jade chip etched with phoenix patterns.
"Then I'll tell you everything," she whispered.