Starforce Warriors-Chapter 453: Smart Person

This boy was finished. The moment the bodyguard made his move, the same thought arose in everyone’s mind.

After all, the four bodyguards accompanying Qin Xiaotian were notorious killers, each forged in the brutal battles of the slum gangs. At minimum, they were experts at the peak of the Meridian Expanding Realm.

Thud!

Blood sprayed as a body fell. For a brief moment, stunned silence gripped the room, followed by the collective sound of gasps. The one who had fallen was the bodyguard, not Li Xiaofei.

The short blade, originally aimed at Li Xiaofei’s heart, was now buried to the hilt in the bodyguard’s own chest. The tip of the sword protruded from his back, glinting with crimson.

The bodyguard collapsed forward, blood gushing from his wound, soaking his clothes in a spreading stain that resembled a blooming crimson flower.

The eyes of the revelers widened in shock. Several of the busy bees shrieked in terror as they stumbled away from the booth. No one had seen how Li Xiaofei had moved. It was as if he hadn’t moved at all.

Even Nan Hua, the famed White Cloud Dancer, stopped in her tracks, turning back with an astonished expression.

"Come and drink water with me," Li Xiaofei said, patting the sofa beside him.

Nan Hua didn’t move. Instead, she turned to look at Vice Leader Qin.

Qin Xiaotian stared intently at Li Xiaofei/ “I don’t care who you are, who your father is, or which sect you belong to. Killing someone in the Imperial Palace means no one can save you.”

He gestured casually and the remaining three bodyguards bowed their heads in acknowledgment before simultaneously drawing the weapons at their waists. As their inner qi surged, blazing red energy blades ignited from the hilts, radiating an intense heat.

Power weapons. Even in the slums of Haijing City, gang members could wield such rare and deadly tools. The three men advanced on Li Xiaofei without a word.

They struck simultaneously, but when blades flashed, three figures fell. The energy blades had pierced through their bodies, burned through the metal floor beneath them, and sunk into the soil below, gradually flickering out.

Once again, no one saw how Li Xiaofei had moved. But the sound of gasps was louder than ever. For the first time, a trace of caution emerged in Qin Xiaotian’s heart.

A boy so young appearing without warning in the Imperial Palace, seizing his exclusive seat, and brazenly provoking me. What are the odds this is merely a coincidence?

Qin Xiaotian wasted no time as he turned and walked away without a word. Caution prolongs survival. There was no reason for Qin Xiaotian to take unnecessary risks here. Likewise, Li Xiaofei made no move to pursue him.

Instead, he turned back toward the stage and beckoned Nan Hua over, his tone calm yet commanding. "This is your last invitation. Come and drink water with me. Don’t refuse again, or there may be another corpse on the floor."

This time, Nan Hua didn’t hesitate. Her graceful steps revealed her slender, elegant figure as she moved with the ethereal beauty of a drifting white cloud. She sat down beside Li Xiaofei, her face adorned with a smile that mixed respect with cautious flattery. Her fair, delicate body leaned lightly against him, exuding both submission and gentleness.

"I thought you would refuse again," Li Xiaofei said as he picked up a glass of water, sipping it slowly.

Nan Hua pressed her lips together and replied, "I have no desire to die."

"You’re smart," Li Xiaofei remarked.

"Only smart people survive long in places like this," Nan Hua said softly.

Li Xiaofei studied the woman beside him. Up close, under the lights, Nan Hua’s skin was strikingly fair and smooth. It was the kind of natural beauty that wasn’t the result of expensive cosmetics or expert makeup artistry. Her age was an enigma.

Li Xiaofei chuckled and asked, "Do you think Qin Xiaotian is a smart man?"

Nan Hua pondered for a moment before answering, "Yes."

Li Xiaofei asked, "Why?"

Nan Hua replied, "His four bodyguards were all killed under the gaze of hundreds, but he chose to retreat without hesitation. Between pride and survival, he chose the latter. Even if he fought, his strength might not necessarily be inferior to yours."

Li Xiaofei shook his head. "What about me?"

Nan Hua shook her head as well. "No, you’re not."

Li Xiaofei took another sip of water. "Why not?"

Nan Hua said, "If I were you, the moment Qin Xiaotian left, I would’ve fled the Imperial Palace as fast as possible. I’d leave the slums entirely and vanish like a grain of sand blending into the desert."

Li Xiaofei raised an eyebrow. "You’re saying Qin Xiaotian will return with reinforcements, aren’t you?"

Nan Hua nodded.

Li Xiaofei asked, "If I leave now, do I still have time?"

Nan Hua shook her head.

Suddenly, Li Xiaofei laughed. It was a wild, arrogant laugh. He found the woman in front of him truly intriguing. She wasn’t pretending to play the role of a dancer. She was a dancer through and through.

From the strands of her hair to the tips of her toes, every part of her exuded the charm and essence of a performer. Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but feel curious.

Why would a woman like this join the Dragon Group?

He didn’t utter the secret code for their meeting. Instead, he decided to follow the plan he had just formed in his mind.

Under the incredulous stares of everyone around him, Li Xiaofei set his glass of water down and said, "Let’s make a bet."

Nan Hua looked at him. "What are we betting on?"

Li Xiaofei spread his arms, reclining lazily against the soft sofa. "We’ll bet that Qin Xiaotian is an idiot, and I am the real genius."

Nan Hua sighed lightly. "It seems I don’t have a choice but to bet. What’s the wager?"

Li Xiaofei slapped a white object, the size of a child’s fist, onto the table. Then, with a sly grin, he lifted the delicate, rosy chin of the famed dancer and said with a mischievous laugh, "If I lose, I die, and this is yours. If I win, you spend the night with me."

Nan Hua’s pupils contracted sharply. The white object was an Inscribed Treasure Bone. Judging by the energy waves emanating from it, it had likely been extracted from the body of a grade six star beast. It was a rare and priceless treasure.

The market value would be well over a billion star coins. The eyes of the patrons around them, watching from the dance floor, widened in astonishment. Their gazes seemed to be glued to the Treasure Bone on the table.

The patrons of the slum’s most luxurious nightclub in the Eastern District were no strangers to valuable artifacts. Many instantly recognized it as a genuine grade six Inscribed Treasure Bone. It was beyond valuable; it was practically unattainable. The room’s collective breath grew ragged, as the air became thick with greed and desire.

Whoosh.

A shadow darted across the room like a gust of wind, reaching for the Treasure Bone on the table. Someone cried out in alarm. But in the next instant, before the figure could get close to the throne, their body suddenly and silently split into four pieces, as if it had been sliced by invisible blades in the air. The mangled remains crashed heavily to the ground.

"The infamous thief, Star-Snatching Hand." Someone gasped, staring at the corpse on the ground.

The slain man was none other than the notorious thief from the Eastern District, known as the Star-Snatching Hand. He had risen to fame a year ago, committing burglary, robbery, abduction, and murder without hesitation. He killed for money, and sometimes without reason. He boasted an unparalleled movement technique as he made his escapes. Moreover, his strength was rumored to have reached the middle stage of the Five Spirits Realm.

Yet, for all his heinous crimes, he had never been caught. No one had expected this untouchable thief to fall so quickly at the hands of an unassuming young man.

When their gazes returned to the Inscribed Treasure Bone on the table, the crowd collectively shuddered with unease. The smarter ones began to piece things together.

Of course. If this young man didn’t possess supreme confidence, why would he so openly display such a priceless artifact under everyone’s watchful eyes?

And not just display it—casually slap it onto the table like it was nothing?

Cold sweat began to bead on foreheads as realization dawned. A person capable of tossing out a grade six Inscribed Treasure Bone so nonchalantly wasn’t ordinary. His background had to be extraordinary.

Could it be that this bold display tonight was specifically aimed at Qin Xiaotian of the Haisha Gang?

A storm was brewing, and the excitement was palpable. The crowd, sensing the unfolding drama, grew increasingly animated. Li Xiaofei, however, paid no mind to the buzzing excitement around him.

He only had eyes for Nan Hua. "Well? Are you betting or not?"

Nan Hua’s lips curled into a dazzling and radiant smile, like pear blossoms in full bloom. Her beauty shone through as she said, "Bet? Why not?"

"Good." Li Xiaofei laughed again, his arrogance filling the room.

At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from the entrance of the Imperial Palace. A wave of Haisha Gang elites who were armed to the teeth surged into the nightclub like a tide.

Qin Xiaotian had returned, clad in a soft alloy combat suit, a powered lightsaber hanging at his waist, and various mechanical weapons strapped across his body. He strode into the nightclub confidently.

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"You’re smart not to run," Qin said coldly, fixing his eyes on Li Xiaofei. His voice was laced with venom. "Since you stayed, only you will die. If you had run, every relative and friend you’ve ever had would have died."

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly as he rose slowly to his feet.