Chapter 1986 Beheading Operation (5)
Yun Lintian emerged from the Land of Beyond Heaven with Lei Hao and Yang Wu in tow. The first thing he did was to scan the current situation with his spiritual sense.
"Interesting," Yun Lintian smirked faintly upon learning about Zhu Ding's predicament. "They've already made their move."
"Cai Yaoyao?" he muttered, the name of an intern he'd met long ago surfacing in his mind. It seemed she'd been an agent of the Hell Church all along.
"What's going on, Boss?" Lei Hao inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"The Hell Church has activated its agents," Yun Lintian explained. "They're attempting to eliminate the Zhu family."
"A beheading operation, huh?" Lei Hao chuckled. "Funny enough. They actually fear Zhu Tianlong exposing them."
Usually, the Hell Church displayed extreme arrogance and rarely showed fear of anything. Their sudden fear of exposure struck Lei Hao as odd.
"Of course, they wouldn't give up easily," Yun Lintian agreed with a smile. "Zhu Tianlong is their most valuable pawn here, holding a treasure trove of secrets. If he decided to flip sides, their entire network in this nation would be exposed, forcing them to rebuild from scratch."
"Did he give in?" Lei Hao asked, genuinely curious. In his mind, Zhu Tianlong was cornered with no other option.
"He wouldn't dare," Yun Lintian said calmly. "He's aware of a Hell Church agent lurking within his inner circle."
"Oh?" Lei Hao's surprise was evident. "Their reach must be deeper than I imagined." Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Suddenly, he asked, "Have you identified their leaders, Boss? Who are these people?"
The Hell Church's leadership had always been shrouded in mystery. They remained out of sight from the beginning.
"They're a group of global capitalists," Yun Lintian revealed. "Essentially, they're the true puppet masters of the world."
"That explains it all," Lei Hao realized with a sudden flash of understanding. He had always wondered about the Hell Church's immense power and seemingly unfettered access to every nation.
"So, what's the plan, Boss?" he queried.
Instinctively, she reached for the gun at her waist and spun around, aiming at the unseen figure. However, her movements were abruptly frozen. More accurately, an unseen force prevented her from taking another step.
Her eyes widened in confusion as she locked eyes with the man behind her. It was Yun Lintian.
"You..." she forced out, her voice laced with a chilling calmness. "I knew it. You're not dead."
Her mind raced, desperately trying to understand how Yun Lintian had restrained her. Psychic powers?
Yun Lintian walked to her side and leaned against the railing, observing the vibrant city shrinking in the distance. "While it's true you were mistreated by your father and stepmother, that's no justification for your current path."
He had already scanned her memories, piecing together her entire story. He learned of her mother's passing at a young age, her father's remarriage, and the relentless abuse she endured from her stepmother and stepsiblings.
Driven by desperation, she had sold herself to a human trafficker, requesting the deaths of her tormentors. The Hell Church, impressed by her unwavering resolve, had taken her in and turned her into one of their agents.
Cai Yaoyao's expression hardened. Rage welled up in her eyes. "Don't pretend to understand," she spat. "How could someone raised in a loving family like yours ever truly understand what I've been through?"
"Since when did I claim to understand your pain?" Yun Lintian chuckled, a hint of amusement laced with seriousness. "I'm simply offering an observation. After all, aren't you doing the same by assuming you know my life?"
Cai Yaoyao's lips trembled, unable to form a retort. "Just kill me then," she choked out. "The moment I framed Sister Ye, I knew you would come after me."
Yun Lintian reached out, taking the gun from her grasp and playing with it. "Killing you? Do you truly believe you'd be standing here, conversing with me, if that were my intention?"
He tossed the gun to Lei Hao, his gaze flickering to Cai Yaoyao. "Why do you think Zhu Tianlong and Zhu Ding are still breathing?"
Cai Yaoyao's facade faltered slightly. With Yun Lintian's apparent psychic abilities, eliminating Zhu Tianlong and Zhu Ding would have been effortless. The only logical explanation was that he wanted them to suffer.
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice laced with defiance. "Don't think that I'll cooperate."
Yun Lintian offered a smile. "We'll see about that."
Immediately, he vanished with Cai Yaoyao and Lei Hao.