Chapter 86: Battle of Wits

Chapter 86: Battle of Wits.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yu retreated!

Even though he possessed the combat prowess of a ‘Combat Expert’, his fighting power was terrifying.

Not a single move could be made this moment.

And he couldn’t bring himself to harm those eight crazily charging… students!

Looking at the faces of those teenagers, barely eighteen or nineteen.

Ku Shi, a university professor, had appeared by his side.

It was clear—the students were innocent!

Facing the roaring sound wave generated by the shouting youth,

he could see how frenzied and irrational they had become.

While retreating, Xiao Yu’s mind raced.

When had he hypnotized these eight students?

Had he even used some kind of potion?

Was it during the escape?

There wasn’t even a trace of the students’ scent in the sewers.

Suddenly, Xiao Yu halted in his tracks.

Not harming them didn’t mean he couldn’t knock them out…

At that moment, Xiao Yu acted.

In an instant, he surged forward like a cheetah, swift as lightning.

“387” flashed before the eyes of one of the hypnotized students.

He raised his hand and slashed horizontally.

Boom!

A palm strike cut across the back of the student’s head.

The student staggered and collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile,

a flurry of hands and flashes of white teeth descended on Xiao Yu.

People were everywhere—from all directions—and he couldn’t resort to brutality.

What to do?

In a split second, Xiao Yu crouched down, both hands touching the ground.

Like a predatory leopard stretching out its limbs, he shot forward, darting through the crowd.

His speed was so incredible that he became nothing more than a streaking shadow to onlookers.

Breaking free from the encirclement, without a running start, he leapt into the air, his thighs swinging powerfully.

Boom!

His thigh slammed into a girl’s chin.

Had he put full force into that kick, her neck might have snapped.

But Xiao Yu used only a third of his power, applying perfect technique and targeting precisely.

The frenzied girl’s eyes rolled before she collapsed to the ground…

And immediately after,

Xiao Yu weaved around, unleashing punch after punch and kick after kick.

All eight students were soon sprawled out, immobilized.

It took him no more than a dozen seconds to subdue them.

Xiao Yu broke out in a cold sweat.

It was even more exhausting than beating down those muscle-bound brutes from before.

Because he was not facing criminals, but a group of deranged students.

There were too many considerations!

“Clap, clap, clap!” Applause erupted.

With a steely expression, Xiao Yu turned to see Ku Shi stepping out of the elevator, clapping as though enjoying a show.

“Brilliant.”

Ku Shi raised his hand, giving Xiao Yu a thumbs-up. “Impressive!”

“Then why didn’t you run?” Xiao Yu asked, his face set in a frown.

“Why run?” Ku Shi retorted.

A smile played in the eyes behind his glasses.

Xiao Yu felt as if his intelligence was being mocked.

When something is amiss, there’s always a hidden catch… What could it be?

“Do you think I have a backup plan?”

As if reading Xiao Yu’s thoughts, Ku Shi gave his glasses a little push on the bridge of his nose. “No need to guess. They were just meant to drain your energy. After that fight, you’ve lost at least a third of your stamina. And chasing me through the sewers for forty minutes took another third. When a person drains roughly 60% of his stamina, fatigue sets in.”

“So what are you trying to say?” Xiao Yu asked warily.

“Ever heard of psychology?”

Though Ku Shi smiled, his eyes glinted like those of a venomous snake. “As your stamina dwindles, so does your mental energy. That moment is perfect for hypnotizing someone.”

“Is that so?”

Xiao Yu sneered coldly. “If you want to hypnotize someone, you need to catch them off guard. How exactly do you plan to hypnotize me?”

“Hmm, no wonder He Yu was caught so quickly by your group. In my plan, she would have been delayed for at least two days. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in such a predicament.”

Ku Shi’s smile vanished as he glared coldly at Xiao Yu. “From the moment I saw you, a thought struck me—to kill you. I couldn’t rest easy until it was done. This is the first time I’ve ever felt such trepidation towards someone, only to have my plan thwarted by you!”

Xiao Yu remained silent.

“Are you stalling time?” Ku Shi sneered.

“Aren’t you?” Xiao Yu scoffed.

They scrutinized each other’s expressions, analyzing each other’s minds.

Why didn’t Xiao Yu just rush forward to grab him? Enough talk already!

Because that’s exactly what his opponent wanted.

He was serving as bait, waiting for Xiao Yu to come over.

Though he couldn’t figure out what trick Ku Shi had up his sleeve, his mind warned him.

Don’t go over, or you’ll regret it!

One minute, two minutes, three minutes… Suddenly, Ku Shi raised his hand.

Xiao Yu’s body tensed instantly, alert.

“Time’s almost up.”

Glancing at his watch, Ku Shi lowered his arms and gave Xiao Yu a mysterious smile.

A sense of mortal danger surged up from within Xiao Yu.

He felt as if he were back in his former life, moments before death.

He couldn’t let himself remember—it was a shadow that haunted his past!

Smack!

A coin bounced from Ku Shi’s hand, soaring into the air.

Don’t look… absolutely don’t… Xiao Yu’s inner cry went unheard as his gaze involuntarily fixed on the flying coin.

Xiao Yu’s body wavered as dizziness took over.

How could this be?

When did I get hypnotized? How did he do that… Xiao Yu didn’t even have a chance to change his expression.

His pupils dilated and he stood rooted in place with a vacant expression.

He looked exactly as he had when He Yu hypnotized him in the interrogation room!

“No matter how powerful you are, how can you possibly evade the techniques of a hypnosis master?”

Mockingly, Ku Shi stepped toward Xiao Yu.

With each step, several glimmering specks appeared on his clothes.

They were tiny sequins, smaller than a fingernail.

Arranged in an eerie, orderly pattern, they clung to Zhuang Yi’s chest.

Xiao Yu could fend off verbal hypnosis,

and even the hypnotic moves of his foe,

but he couldn’t guard against the hypnotic gadget!

Who would notice a few shiny specks on someone’s outfit?

As long as Xiao Yu’s eyes fell on Ku Shi,

those specks would inevitably fill his line of sight.

Because if you’re not paying attention, you wouldn’t see them change with Ku Shi’s subtle movements.

That was precisely why Ku Shi was stalling for time!

So what made Xiao Yu hesitate, feeling the looming danger and not daring to rush in to capture him?

Ku Shi reached the hypnotized Xiao Yu.

Bending down, he slipped off his shoe from his right foot.

“Did you really notice that?”

Ku Shi glanced at his shoe, puzzled.

The sole was remarkably thick—over an inch and a half.

At the front of the sole was a small, jet-black hole that shimmered ominously.

“I spent a fortune—100,000—on these shoes. Each pair is a gun. Just unlock the safety, stomp hard, control the direction, and bullets are fired. Unfortunately, the effective range is only five meters.”

Bending over to put his shoe back on, Ku Shi eyed a dazed Xiao Yu with deep suspicion. “It’s odd—you deliberately stayed out of that range. How did you pick up on that?”

Suddenly,

Xiao Yu’s hollow, lifeless eyes shifted as he stared at a visibly startled Ku Shi and grinned.

“I spotted it with an 8x scope!”

……