326 Making a Clean Sweep ? (1/2)
A few minutes ago, the masked man had not been part of the crowd.
Previously, the contestants had been closing in on Zhao Yao, hoping to attack. At that point in time,the man had snuck away from the flat clearing.
”This should be it?” he thought, stopping by a tree with a large hollow in its trunk.
He then shouted, ”Hello! Is anyone here?”
As his voice echoed through the woods, a shadow wormed out of the tree hollow and landed behind him gracefully.
The masked man spun around and found himself face-to-face with an alarmingly muscular man.
It was the Butcher.
”Is it my turn to shine?” he asked, smiling sweetly.
After being defeated by the Headless Horseman, the Muscle Society had fallen into Inspector Ho's control.
He could have thrown them in jail, but that would be a waste. These apostles were remarkably strong and could be put to better use.
So, Inspector Ho handed them to the Cat King of the West.
Each of the four Cat Kings were masters in their own element.
The King of the South could control the seas and oceans. He could easily manipulate that to create natural disasters.
The King of the North enjoyed integrating himself seamlessly into human society. He observed people, acted like them, and could create all kinds of amazing things from thin air for them.
As for the King of the West, his power lay in reformation.
Under his wing, the Butcher's alliance and agenda became aligned to the government. He was now assisting Inspector Ho with the competition as a secret weapon.
The masked man removed his mask and handed his jacket to the Butcher, whom put them on briskly.
He cracked his neck, then spoke into his earpiece.
”Hello? What should I do now?”
Inspector Ho's voice was heard. It said, ”Help Yue Shan secure the sapphires. How you do it is entirely up to you.”
”Got it,” Butcher grinned.
He extended his foot to take one step, then another, his stride much wider than a normal person's. It almost felt like the earth's gravitational force was weaker for him. He disappeared into the green of the woods within seconds.
He did not launch an attack the moment he reached the landing. Instead, he quietly observed how Zhao Yao would appear, then disappear, and appear again elsewhere. He tried to discern a pattern in his behavior and tried to pick up his opponent's scent.
It did not take long for him to identify who the man in the black cloak was. He knew this scent and he recognized this impenetrable power.
”The Headless Horseman…”
The corners of his lips lifted.
The Butcher might have been reformed, but he did not forget his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Horseman. He was glad that he had an opportunity to get his rightful revenge.
He was not going to mess up this time.
He was patient. He watched each of Zhao Yao's movements and waited for a good time to strike. His chance came when Zhao Yao teleported before him.
”Now!”
The Butcher's hand was lightning fast. It darted forward and wrapped its fingers around Zhao Yao's neck.
”I've finally got you, Headless Horseman.”
Zhao Yao clutched the Butcher's wrist, trying to pry his hand away. It was not as easy as he assumed it would be. He found that he could not move it away even by an inch. His grip remained steadfast and firm, like a block of cement.
When he heard his assailant's voice, his pupils dilated in surprise.
”Butcher? He has escaped?” Zhao Yao thought.
He knew he was in trouble.
If he had detected his opponent's presence earlier, he would have had time to consider his options. Unfortunately, he was already stuck in his vice grip when he realized that the he was here.
This greatly reduced the ploys he could use against the Butcher.
”TimeFreeze is in cooldown.”
”That would mean that my only way out is to go into the belly.”
”But even if I resorted to that, it's not immediate. I need time.”