The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 306

Although Jiang Fei had encountered this Celestial Net organization many times and had even killed numerous powerful assassins sent by them, he still knew very little about its structure and scale.

He hadn’t even figured out the organization’s motive for targeting Traditional Chinese Medicine and targeting him personally!

“This… we don’t know that either! We’re only responsible for carrying out missions. We’re completely in the dark about anything deeper…” the black T-shirt man answered innocently.

These A-rank killers were merely the lowest-level members of the ‘Celestial Net’ organization, responsible only for accepting and executing missions. Their status was almost equivalent to temporary workers at a courier company. It wasn’t just them; even many external S-rank killers who took missions weren’t very familiar with the ‘Celestial Net’ organization either.

The ones who truly understood ‘Celestial Net’ were only certain special personnel within it, those who could receive detailed missions directly.

People like Du Ziliang, or the leader of the assassination squad at the hunting grounds last time.

Jiang Fei frowned upon hearing this. He carefully observed the expressions of the two killers. They didn’t seem to be lying; their status was likely just too low to know much about Celestial Net.

“It seems if I want to understand this assassin organization’s true intentions, I’ll have to go find that Du Ziliang,” Jiang Fei said, narrowing his eyes.

He didn’t feel much hatred for Du Ziliang at this point, unlike before when he wished nothing more than to send the Du family successor to hell. Now, he was more curious, wanting to figure out Du Ziliang’s true identity and the killer organization behind him.

Of course, regardless, Du Ziliang would certainly not be let off.

Unable to extract any more useful information, Jiang Fei kept his promise and did not execute the two Celestial Net kidnappers on the spot. Instead, he had them taken away by the special department personnel Ye Yuanyuan had waiting outside the alley.

These two A-rank Celestial Net killers were utterly helpless against Jiang Fei; a simple application of the “Grief-Dispelling Clear Breeze” had turned them all into sheep. But in the eyes of ordinary people, A-rank killers were incredibly formidable entities. There were very few people in the world they couldn’t successfully assassinate. So, while these two held no more value for Jiang Fei, they were still worth interrogating for many special departments.

Watching the relevant personnel take the two killers away and escort Min Dong’s wife and daughter to the police station to reunite with him, it was already past 1 a.m., deep into the night.

Ye Yuanyuan checked the time and asked, “When should we go find Du Ziliang?”

Initially, Ye Yuanyuan hadn’t been very interested in the internal strife within the TCM Association or this medical accident case; she disliked these endless battles over money andinterests. But who could have predicted that this small medical accident would eventually develop to this extent, actually pulling in the ‘Celestial Net’ organization, with Du Ziliang turning out to be an assassin within it!

Calculating carefully, Du Ziliang was connected to many previous incidents, such as the poisoning of Ye Yuanyuan’s grandfather, Old Master Ye Zhennan, back in Jincheng.

Therefore, this matter had exceeded expectations, and Ye Yuanyuan had become extremely serious about it.

“When?” Jiang Fei stepped out of the alley, glanced at the dim streetlights, and said with a strange smile, “Well, tonight is pretty much completely shot anyway. There’s hardly any time left to go back and sleep, and I probably wouldn’t sleep well either. Since that’s the case, let’s just settle this matter completely tonight.”

Ye Yuanyuan didn’t object, simply nodding in agreement.

With her inherently violent streak, she preferred doing things cleanly and efficiently. Finishing today’s business today was best.

Du Ziliang’s current residence in Beijing these past few days wasn’t a secret; Jiang Fei and Ye Yuanyuan had already found out, so they didn’t need to go through much trouble and headed straight there.

However, this time, the two were destined to find an empty nest.

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The news of Jiang Fei eliminating the five A-rank killers and effortlessly rescuing Min Dong’s wife and daughter was almost completely confidential, told to hardly anyone. Yet, less than half an hour after it happened, the mastermind behind this assassination attempt against Jiang Fei was preparing to relay the news to Du Ziliang via phone.

Late at night. The airport.

Du Ziliang was waiting in the lounge with his driver and bodyguard when his phone suddenly rang. Especially upon seeing the special caller ID display, his face changed slightly. He stood up and found a quiet place to answer.

“Why are you calling my mobile! Don’t you know how unsafe this is, how easily it could expose my identity?!” Du Ziliang hissed, his expression unpleasant.

In today’s society, communication was overly convenient, but also full of security risks. Even though Du Ziliang’s SIM card and phone were special, he couldn’t guarantee his calls were completely immune to eavesdropping.

Therefore, his contact with the Celestial Net organization was never via phone. The person currently calling him, the other person responsible for this operation, usually met with him in person to discuss matters, rarely communicating over the phone or online.

“Afraid of exposing your identity? Your identity is probably already exposed…” a cold laugh came from the other end.

“What do you mean? I don’t have time for jokes right now! The plane lands in a few minutes, and I need to prepare to meet someone!” Du Ziliang didn’t grasp the meaning behind the words and was eager to hang up.

“Min Dong’s wife and daughter have been safely rescued by Jiang Fei!” the person in charge of the operation said coldly, without beating around the bush.

“What!”

Hearing this, the usually unflappable Du Ziliang couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, the sound particularly piercing in the quiet late-night hall. It took him a moment to realize his overreaction, and he quickly lowered his voice. “That’s absolutely impossible!”

He had assigned a full five A-rank killers to guard Min Dong’s wife and daughter. He had even specifically instructed them beforehand to be extra cautious, strengthen their vigilance, stay sharp, and ensure no accidents occurred.

How could they possibly have been wiped out so quickly, allowing Jiang Fei to rescue Min Dong’s wife and daughter?

It was absolutely impossible!

Of course, if it were purely about combat power, the five A-rank killers he arranged were no match for Jiang Fei; there was no suspense there. After all, Jiang Fei was a monster who had wiped out eleven S-rank killers.

Forget five A-rank killers; even fifty A-rank killers laying an inescapable net probably couldn’t successfully kill Jiang Fei. For someone of his caliber, calling him a superman or a deity wasn’t an exaggeration. His combat power far exceeded ordinary imagination.

But these five A-rank killers weren’t meant to fight Jiang Fei head-on! They were only tasked with guarding a small compound and protecting the hostages inside!

No matter how powerful Jiang Fei was, even if he found the exact location, the five A-rank killers didn’t need to fight him; they just needed to hold the hostages.

If Jiang Fei wanted to keep the hostages alive, then they could make him comply and do nothing. Furthermore, if any situation arose, those five A-rank killers would definitely call him immediately.

He hadn’t received any news at all!

Could it be that Jiang Fei knew some invisibility technique, or could launch psychic attacks, taking lives from a thousand miles away, ignoring the hostages entirely, and instantly killing all five A-rank killers he assigned?

Therefore, in Du Ziliang’s view, even if Jiang Fei was beyond ordinary, capable of killing eleven S-rank assassins, it was absolutely impossible for him to rescue Min Dong’s wife and daughter so quickly, silently, without leaking any news.

“Still ‘absolutely impossible’?” the person in charge of the operation sneered. “If you think it’s impossible, then try contacting your men right now. See if you can still reach them! They’ve all been taken out by Jiang Fei in one go! And, if my information is correct, two of your five men were captured alive by Jiang Fei. Those useless, spineless cowards spilled everything they knew to save their own skins. That includes your identity, and the true purpose of our current operation!”

Du Ziliang was stunned, the muscles on his face twitching.

He could no longer worry about being noticed or acting suspicious. If what this person said was true, then he was truly in grave danger, and it would be difficult to get out of this unscathed.

Without hesitation, he hung up, his eyes wide, his face contorted almost viciously as he dialed the number of the five A-rank killers guarding the hostages. No one answered…

In their line of work, an unanswered call meant something serious had happened.

Those five had indeed been wiped out.

Countless thoughts flashed through Du Ziliang’s mind in an instant. His eyes shifted from anger to emptiness, as if he still couldn’t believe it was true.

“Bastard!” Du Ziliang could no longer suppress his emotions and cursed angrily. He quickly redialed the previous number.

“Well? Confirmed the news?” the same cold, mocking voice came through.

Previously, Du Ziliang had mocked him for arranging eleven S-rank killers, a seamless trap, and a large amount of advanced high-tech weaponry, yet failing to even scratch Jiang Fei while having all his men slaughtered mocking their incompetence.

Now, it was Du Ziliang’s turn to look like the fool.

So, besides feeling increasingly incredulous about Jiang Fei, he also felt a bit of schadenfreude. Although his own operation had failed, guaranteeing severe punishment from the organization upon his return, at least his identity hadn’t been exposed. He could still continue operating, still had a chance.

Moreover, once he successfully brought that Japanese strongest Swordmaster to China, he could atone for his failure by ultimately killing Jiang Fei!

Then everything would be fine.

But what about Du Ziliang? His identity was already exposed, his situation precarious. If he didn’t handle the next step correctly, the outcome likely wouldn’t just be mission failure.

The better outcome would be like Hua Handong after his failed operation last time: losing troops and generals, fleeing China in disgrace. If the outcome was worse, with a bit of bad luck, he might simply lose his life!

“What else do you know? Tell me everything, now!” Du Ziliang’s voice was hoarse.

He knew exactly what his current situation was and what结局 (outcome) he might face. So, even with his strong mental fortitude, he couldn’t help but feel a trace of panic.

“I also know that Jiang Fei and that woman Ye Yuanyuan are already heading to your place right now, intending to finish you off tonight. But since you’re not home, they’ll certainly come up empty for now. That’s all I know. You should think about what to do next yourself…”

After hanging up, Du Ziliang’s face was extremely grim, even uglier than when Jiang Fei had humiliated him at Old Master Cui’s birthday banquet.

Because last time, it was only about face. This time, it was a matter of life and death!

Thankfully, he had prepared in advance. After learning Min Dong had been captured, he had acted decisively and killed his younger brother Du Zikang, whom he had ‘cherished’ and ‘doted on’ for over a decade. That’s why he was now at the airport.

He hadn’t completely lost yet! There was still a sliver of hope!

Du Ziliang’s eyes turned sharp as he stared at the arrival gate. He took a few deep breaths, quickly adjusting his emotions, forcing himself to become calmer and more stable, betraying no other feelings.

After waiting about three more minutes, tired travelers slowly began emerging from the gate, carrying large and small bags.

Among the crowd, an old man with graying hair, dressed in a very古朴 (simple/classic) styled robe, leaning on a cane, walked out with an angry expression. A pretty young woman supported him.

Behind them was a large group, among whom a middle-aged couple walking half a step behind the old man were particularly noticeable.

The middle-aged man had features that seemed somewhat stern and bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Du Ziliang, making it obvious they were father and son. Next to the middle-aged man was a woman who looked to be in her early forties at most, with a very full figure—curvaceous in front and back—a still attractive, graceful young matron!

The young matron wore her hair in a high, noble-style bun, appearing very dignified and distinguished. But her face was now filled with grief, her eyes red and swollen from crying, tears still evident.

Du Ziliang hurried forward and immediately knelt down with a pained expression, weeping and sobbing, “Grandfather, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I failed to protect my younger brother, letting him meet such an end…”

This old man was precisely the Grand Elder of the Du family!

A pillar of the TCM world, as renowned as ‘Ghost Hand’ Old Master Cui!