USWHC -Chapter 334 Tricked but Tricked Back (Part 4)

The night was hazy, everything seeming to sink into silence, with only the sound of heavy breathing faintly audible. In the darkness, it seemed as if someone was running—but also as if no one was.

She remained hidden in the shadows, her heartbeat thundering in her chest. The sound was so loud it felt like it might leap out of her body at any moment.

It had been far too long since she last ran. Just a single burst of sprinting left her unable to move further. Truly terrible.

At that moment, a loud shout rang out: “Y-you, go look over there! Go ahead and see!”

Hearing that voice, Zhu Jie’s heart almost leapt into her throat. No way… they’d found her so quickly?

This was far beyond her expectations. By her calculations, by the time they realized she was gone, she would have been long gone. Yet no sooner had she left Yingchun Tower than someone came chasing after her.

It wasn’t that Zhu Jie had miscalculated; it was just bad luck. She had just knocked out that burly man when someone happened to pass by, immediately reporting it to the Madam of the brothel. Pure coincidence—but it completely ruined Zhu Jie’s plan.

In the darkness, the sound of approaching footsteps grew steadily louder. Someone was coming, moving straight in her direction. Zhu Jie instinctively stepped back—but her back was already pressed against the wall, and there was nowhere left to retreat.

In the next instant, several figures appeared around the corner—it was the thugs from Yingchun Tower. Zhu Jie swallowed hard, the only sound in the darkness now her own nervous gulping.

“The one we saw just now seemed to run this way… where’d she go?” one thug asked in surprise.

“No worries. Our boss and the others are already blocking the way ahead! Even if she’s out of the alley, she still won’t get away!” another replied.

Listening to their conversation, Zhu Jie felt a chill run through her. Not good—she was surrounded! What should she do? Should she try to dash out?

The thugs were now walking down the alley, at least five or six of them. With so many, she wasn’t sure she could fight them off. Anxiety gripped her.

As she hesitated, the thugs rounded the corner. This was it—she was about to be caught! Her heart pounded in her chest. What now? There was nowhere left to hide. She was as good as dead.

The worst part? She had no weapon, while they were armed with steel knives. Bare hands against blades—close combat?

Zhu Jie frantically searched for anything she could use as a weapon. Damn it, what rotten luck! The alley was so clean there was nothing to grab but peeling wall plaster.

Her only option left was her belt. She gripped it tightly, the last shred of hope.

Just as she held the belt in one hand and a hairpin in the other, ready to “clean house” in the alley, another set of footsteps approached—this time perfectly synchronized. Who was coming? More pursuers? No way… could she be this unlucky?

Suddenly, the alley fell into an eerie silence. The footsteps stopped abruptly. What was going on?

Zhu Jie craned her neck to look outside—and froze. A group of men in black had appeared.

They seemed just as surprised. They hadn’t expected anyone in the alley. Both sides were caught off guard, neither daring to speak for a long moment.

These men were clearly not with Yingchun Tower, because Zhu Jie could sense the thugs’ tension. Had they run into robbers?

“What… what do you want?” one of the newcomers demanded, their presence imposing. There was not a single extraneous sound among them. If they weren’t so close, perhaps the thugs wouldn’t have even heard them approach. The Yingchun Tower men shivered in fear.

“Who are they?” one whispered.

“Looks like thugs from Yingchun Tower!” another quietly replied.

The lead man immediately fell silent. From a distance, he gave a subtle wave of his arm. With a whoosh, silently, the group surged forward without hesitation.

The Yingchun Tower thugs were stunned. Had they misunderstood? Why were they charging straight at them? Were these people here for revenge?