Infiltration (Part 2)

Tie Zhu's heart raced as he crouched in the shadows, his senses on high alert. His sharp hearing picked up the faint murmur of two guards conversing just outside the door, their voices muffled by the thick wood. He could feel the weight of the mission on his shoulders - the life of Tao Xuefeng, and perhaps even more, was at stake.

Carefully, Tie Zhu surveyed his surroundings, taking in every detail with his keen eyes. He had to be absolutely sure of his plan before making a move. With a sense of calm determination, he crept towards the closed door, his movements fluid and silent.

As he approached the entrance, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. He knew that the slightest noise could alert the guards and jeopardize the entire mission. In accordance with his plan, he created a spatial rift, allowing him to see through the door and into the corridor beyond.

His eyes aware as he saw the two guards standing just a few feet away, their backs turned to him. They were both burly men, their features obscured by the shadows, but Tie Zhu knew that these guards we only ordinary people so dealing with them should not be an issue. From his previous plan with Wang Yazhu, he had a rough estimation on the location of where the cultivators were within the mansion, where they would be located closer to the room where Tao Xuefeng was being held.

After scanning the corridor, he adjusted the location of his spatial rift, making sure it was positioned directly between the guards. With a quick tap on both of their shoulders, Tie Zhu caused the guards to turn and look at each other, confusion etched on their faces. But before they could even react, Tie Zhu had already made his move. He opened the door behind them, moving with the speed of lightning as he brought their heads together in a sickening thud. The guards crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Tie Zhu didn't waste any time as he moved swiftly down the corridor, his eyes scanning for any potential threats. His heart raced with anticipation as he drew closer to Tao Xuefeng's room, the sound of his own footsteps echoing in the silence. As Tie Zhu made his way through the mansion, his steps were calculated and precise, his senses heightened as he easily dispatched the remaining ordinary guards with ease.

However, as we was encroaching a spacious living room, he knew that his skills would be put to the test. The room was filled with multiple cultivators as well as tough looking gangsters with knives by their side ready to use on any intruder. Despite his efforts to remain hidden, it was only a matter of time before a confrontation would inevitably arise.

"Well, What are you waiting for? You're going to be found out eventually and you cant avoid fighting forever. Might as well start here." Wang Yazhu spoke before continuing "Aside for those ordinary gangsters there are two cultivators ranked at the third stage of Qi Gathering and one at the fourth Stage. Although you should not have too much issue facing one of them alone you shouldn't underestimate them." He cautioned.

Tie Zhu's heart raced as he prepared to face off against the four knife-wielding gangsters and three cultivators. He could feel his muscles tensing as he readied himself for the inevitable clash.

As Tie Zhu entered the room, the criminals turned their attention towards him, their eyes widening in surprise and anger. One of the cultivators spoke up, "Who the hell are you? How did you get in here?"

Tie Zhu responded with a smirk, "I'm just a concerned citizen, here to put an end to your little operation."

The criminals scoffed at his words, confident in their own abilities. "You're only at the Third step of Qi Gathering and you think you can escape alive? Do you know where you are? Get him and don't let him leave here alive!" One of the cultivators spat, sneering at Tie Zhu as if he were mentally challenged. From his perspective, what Tie Zhu was doing was akin to suicide. They alone should be able to handle him, let alone their boss.

The four knife-wielding gangsters rushed at him, their blades glinting in the dim light of the living room. Tie Zhu's reflexes were lightning-fast as he dodged the first attacker's slash, sidestepping to avoid the second one's thrust, and blocking the third attacker's swing with his forearm. He countered with a swift punch to the face, sending the third gangster flying.

Meanwhile, the three cultivators stood back, each preparing their unique abilities. The first cultivator, a muscular man with short hair, summoned a gust of wind that blasted towards Tie Zhu, threatening to knock him off balance. But Tie Zhu stood his ground, bracing himself against the force of the wind. The second cultivator, a tall and skinny man, muttered an incantation and summoned a ball of fire in his hand, hurling it towards Tie Zhu. But he dodged it easily, rolling to the side and springing back up in a somewhat clumsy motion.

The third cultivator was different, his technique was not as direct. He whispered a chant and the air around him began to ripple, causing Tie Zhu's vision to blur and his balance to falter. This gave the gangsters a chance to surround Tie Zhu once again, and he found himself ducking and weaving as blades slashed at him from all directions. Although these knife wielding individuals were ordinary people it seems their years of teamwork and experience had proved valuable. Compared to Tie Zhu, their movements were fluid and practiced, while Tie Zhu was mainly relying on his enhanced reaction speed he had recently obtained as this had been his first life threatening fight of his life.

"You should have never come here," one of the knife-wielding gangsters spat out. "You're going to regret this."

Tie Zhu didn't respond, instead choosing to focus on his opponents. As one of the cultivators launched another fireball towards him, Tie Zhu jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. However the muscular cultivator quickly followed up with a gust of wind, sending Tie Zhu off-balance.

The three cultivators moved in unison, each using their own unique abilities to attack Tie Zhu, while the knife-wielding gangsters circled around, their blades glinting as if thirsty for blood.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Tie Zhu taunted as he wiped some sweat off his brow. Seeing that he was slowly being pushed into a corner due their combined attacks he knew that it was not the time to be holding back any longer. 'Okay, lets see what your techniques are made of' Tie Zhu thought to himself.

With a swift motion, Tie Zhu activated his "Phantom Step" technique, allowing him to move at an incredible speed towards the unsuspecting gangster who had just uttered those words. The man's eyes widened with terror as he saw Tie Zhu coming towards him like a blur. With a thunderous boom, Tie Zhu delivered a devastating uppercut to the man's chin, lifting him off the ground and sending him flying through a nearby solid wall, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. The force of the impact caused the room to shake, and bits of debris rained down from the ceiling.

The other gangsters and cultivators in the room were taken aback by Tie Zhu's sudden attack, and some of them stumbled back in shock.