Chapter 16 - We Owe Each Other Nothing

[Old Monk's Meditation Room, Hainuke Temple]

Connor was at his wits' end. His breaths were ragged, and his stamina was quickly depleting. He had fought many opponents in his life, but none had been as formidable as the old monk standing before him. The man was more than a match for him, a monster with the strength of ten men and the skill of a master.

Despite his exhaustion, Connor couldn't help but smirk as he spoke to the monk, trying to regain his composure. "Hey old man, how about we call this a draw and you let me off?" he said, hoping to convince the monk to end the fight and let him escape.

The monk's response was unexpected. "We do not take kindly upon intruders," he said calmly, his smile gentle but his eyes cold. "And while you may think it is fine to end this here…the authorities are already on their way."

Connor's heart sank. He had not planned for this turn of events. He had thought he could slip in and out of the temple unnoticed, but it seemed he had been caught. He felt a surge of panic rise within him, but he refused to show it.

He gritted his teeth and prepared to fight, but the monk seemed content to wait. He had no intention of winning the fight, only of buying time until the authorities arrived. Connor realized this too late, and he cursed himself for not being more prepared.

The battle had taken its toll on him, and he was seriously contemplating using Big Bad Wolf, his most powerful weapon. But he knew that he couldn't risk it. If he used it now, he might not be able to regroup with Yukie and the others.

The monk seemed to sense his hesitation, and he smiled again. "I take it this was not part of your plan…" he said, his voice soft and gentle.

Connor glared at him, his eyes burning with anger and frustration. "Tsk! Whatever old man. I'm getting out of here. There's no reason to drag on any longer!" he spat, pulling out a glowing purple bookmark from his jacket and ripping it in half, casting the bookmark into the air. The world around him began to flicker and fade as he began to disappear into the darkness.

"Not so fast, young man!!!" the old monk realized too late as he dashed forward and tried to grab Connor's hand before he would disappear but all he managed to grasp was the air, leaving the old monk standing alone in the temple.

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[Eastern Courtyard, Hainuke Temple]

Connor reappeared in a random courtyard of the temple, his body still shaking from the battle with the monk. He had utilized a precious emergency escape bookmark that Erik had crafted before the mission, and felt a little bitter he had to use one so early as they were limited in number. He knew he had to regroup with Yukie and the others, but he didn't know where to start.

He took a moment to catch his breath and gather his thoughts, trying to come up with a plan. The monks were searching the temple for them, and he knew he had to be careful.

"I gotta find a way to regroup with Yukie and the others…" he muttered to himself, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew he couldn't stay hidden forever, but he also knew he couldn't risk being caught. He needed a way to slip past the monks unnoticed, to find Yukie and regroup with the rest of their team.

With a deep breath, he began to move, his senses on high alert as he searched for a way out of the temple.

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[Old Monk's Meditation Room, Hainuke Temple]

The junior monks burst into the meditation chambers, their faces full of concern and worry for their senior brother Tie. The room was a scene of utter destruction, with shattered wood and broken furniture littering the ground, and the walls themselves bearing the marks of tremendous impact.

Senior brother Tie, however, appeared unperturbed by the chaos around him, his countenance as calm and collected as ever. "I am unharmed," he reassured the young monks with a reassuring smile. "And what of the others? Is anyone hurt?"

"No, senior brother Tie," replied one of the monks. "We were all drawn to the apparition of the Enlightened One, but quickly realized something was amiss when it did not emanate any dharmic aura."

"I see," said senior brother Tie, his expression pensive. "And what else do you have to report?"

"The Xinjiang authorities have been informed," another monk chimed in. "They are investigating a possible terrorist attack on the temple. The Eighteen Bronze Arhats have been destroyed, and a teapot from the great master's collection is missing. It appears that the culprits have already fled the scene."

Senior brother Tie closed his eyes briefly, contemplating the situation. "Perhaps this is divine providence," he said finally, a serene smile crossing his lips. "I am relieved that no one was harmed. Amitabha." The other monks joined him in bowing reverently to the universe, their faces a picture of gratitude and humility.

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Yukie's mind was a whirling vortex of thoughts and ideas, as she mentally plotted her escape from the temple with Connor. With practiced ease, she opened up a portal to her pocket dimension and carefully stowed away the precious teapot for safekeeping. She knew that Connor's survival instincts were keen enough to lead him to her, and she trusted him to do so.

Her fingers danced across her sleeve, feeling the silk fabric under her touch as she quickly calculated the nearest exit strategy. "The southwestern gate," she murmured to herself, calculating the fastest route. The southwestern gate was the most logical choice, and she decided to leave clues along the way to aid Connor in finding her.

Meanwhile, Connor was making his way through the temple with stealth and agility, his senses on high alert for any sign of danger. He pressed his back against a sturdy pillar, his ears pricked up to catch any conversation that might reveal his whereabouts.

The sound of hushed voices drifted towards him, and he leaned in to listen more closely.

"It seems someone destroyed the Eighteen Bronze Arhats formation we set up near the central treasure room…"

"Amitabha, indeed. Who would be reckless enough to do so? All for a mere trinket of a relic…"

As he pieced together the information he had gathered, Connor realized that Yukie had succeeded in retrieving the teapot relic. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her accomplishment, but there were more pressing matters at hand. He quickly recalled the blueprint of the temple that Ethan had shared earlier during the day, mapping out the safest and quickest route to the southwestern gate, just as Yukie had hoped.

Once the coast was clear, Connor began to move again, avoiding the attention of the monks. The memory of his earlier encounter with the old monk still haunted him, and he couldn't help but shudder at the thought of facing him again. The monk's serene and peaceful demeanor belied a deadly fighting style, and the memory of their battle still sent goosebumps down Connor's spine.

As he made his way through the temple, careful to avoid detection, Connor spotted a few clues that Yukie had left behind, leading him in the right direction. "She's been here," he thought to himself. "She's been leaving breadcrumbs for me to follow."

Finally, Yukie and Connor were able to reunite just outside the southwestern gate, where a scene of chaos was brewing with the authorities setting up a barricade. "I'm so glad you made it," Yukie said, relieved to see Connor.

"Let's bolt before we get noticed," Connor whispered to Yukie before extending her a fist bump and casually walking towards a police vehicle and calmly slipping past the common police officers who were too distracted trying to look for would be terrorists.

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[Triad's Den, Xinjiang]

*SLAM!*

"How could you? I thought we had a relationship built on mutual trust and respect?!" Jack was fuming as he screamed at Liang, pinning him against the wall. "You owe ME a favor! And we even decided to run this stupid errand for you!"

Jack couldn't believe that Liang would deceive him and his team in such a way, and his voice quavered with emotion as he confronted the man.

It was deadly silent in the room, with the scent of tobacco wafting through the air. Every single triad member in the room drew their weapons and their relics, ready to attack at any given moment. They would not stand idly by as their leader was assaulted, even if the person doing the assaulting was Jack.

Liang signaled for his underlings to hold their advances, shaking his head slightly. He know that he had betrayed the honor and trust that Jack had for them, plus Lady Enki was outside standing watch with the woman they called Professor Shiva. Starting a fight at this point would be foolish.

Liang tried to explain, his voice surprisingly calm despite the anger simmering in the room. "You have to understand, Jack. This was necessary. We needed the authorities' attention elsewhere. The triad wars in Xinjiang are reaching a boiling point, and we need to be able to control the situation without any interference."

Liang tried to explain, his voice low and smooth, but Jack wasn't having any of it. "No, no more explanations. You knew exactly what you were doing, and you betrayed us. You put our lives in danger for your own selfish reasons. I thought your group of triads was -better- than this, that you cherished -brotherhood-?"

The tension in the room was palpable, and some of the triad underlings began to stir restlessly. One of the younger triad members stepped forward, his voice filled with anger. "Wǒ cāo!!! Who are you to talk to our leader like that?"

Takamura, too, was visibly upset, his muscles tense as he glared at the interfering triad member. "Don't even f*cking think about it," he growled as his fists started glowing with a stirring energy. "We don't have time for your petty games."

Ethan remained silent, his eyes smoldering with anger. He didn't need to say anything - his clenched fists spoke for him. He was more concerned about Connor and Yukie's safety.

Meanwhile, Lady Enki and Professor Shiva were having a conversation outside the triad den, with Lady Enki huffing cigarettes and watching the chaos unfold.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Professor Shiva asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Lady Enki shrugged. "They're capable. They'll handle it." She knew they were capable of dealing with the fallout of the heist, no matter what happened.

Back in the room, Liang tried to reason with Jack one last time. "This was the only way, Jack. But I promise you, I will still provide safe passage to Hong Kong, regardless of what happens here."

Jack laughed bitterly. "Don't act like you did us a favor. Damn it! Safe passage? After what you've done? You think we owe you anything now, Liang? No, we're done! You will ready our safe passage...and we will no longer owe each other anything."

The room was silent for a moment as the weight of Jack's words sank in. Liang looked down, defeated, and the triad underlings backed off, recognizing that they had pushed their luck too far. Takamura and Ethan stood stoically, waiting for the next move.

It was a tense moment, but one thing was clear: there was no going back from this. Liang had betrayed their trust, and there was no mending that relationship. The triads may have won their territorial feud tonight, and gained uncontested control of Xinjiang...but they have lost an Enforcer as a friend, an ally - but worst of all, they might have made enemies with one of the strongest mercenary organizations on Earth. The consequences of this betrayal would be far reaching.