460: Chapter 460 The Magic Mirror World

Han Jingyang narrowed his eyes.

Spreading rumors and slander? Trying to frame him? What was the point of that?

Did they really think such cheap tricks could make him yield?

Seven or eight security guards rushed into the restroom, wielding anti-riot forks, batons, shields, and truncheons. They shouted at Han Jingyang, who was carrying Liu Jing, "Put her down!"

"Let's talk this over calmly!"

"Don't do anything reckless!"

"We've already called the police."

"Young man, you have a long life ahead of you. Don't throw it all away because of a momentary impulse; it's not worth it."

The security guards chattered as they tried to persuade Han Jingyang, all the while closing in on him.

Han Jingyang didn't even spare them a glance. A group of ordinary men in their forties, fifties, and sixties posed no threat to him. He could stand perfectly still, and they wouldn't even be able to breach his defenses.

He was looking for the person who had just spoken. However, after glancing outward twice, he found nothing; the person had clearly hidden.

But could they really get away?

Han Jingyang calmly ordered the Bridal Gown Woman to pursue them.

The Bridal Gown Woman received the order, curtsied, and moved with eerie, graceful speed, passing between two security guards and exiting the restroom.

The two guards instinctively shuddered, not understanding why, but continued to close in on Han Jingyang.

Only then did Han Jingyang withdraw his gaze and fix it on the group of security guards, saying indifferently, "If I were you, I would turn around and leave. This has nothing to do with you. You have neither the qualifications nor the ability to meddle in this. People will die."

At this moment, the security guard holding the anti-riot baton roared, "Don't listen to his nonsense! This guy is so calm; he might be a repeat offender. People like this often have bounties on them—some from the authorities, some from victims' families. It could be anywhere from a hundred thousand to over a million. If we catch him, we'll be rich! Charge!"

Hmm?

Han Jingyang's gaze instantly locked onto the guard with the anti-riot baton.

These words... they were highly inflammatory!

Thinking this, he gently set Liu Jing down, rushed toward the guard with the baton in a single bound, swatted the baton away with his left hand, and grabbed the guard by the collar with his right, capturing him instantly.

The other security guards were terrified: "Let our captain go!"

"Don't do anything reckless."

"Murder is a crime, don't be impulsive!"

"Let's talk this over."

"Our captain is a good man; he still has a sixty-year-old mother and a teenage child to support."

"Take me instead, don't hurt our captain."

The guards clamored but hesitated to step forward. They weren't stupid; having seen the clean, efficient way Han Jingyang had subdued their captain, they realized he was not someone to be trifled with.

What if they pushed too hard and ended up captured too?

They had thought they could easily take down a murderer and make some extra cash by relying on their numbers.

They hadn't expected the culprit to be a martial artist.

This was not worth the risk. It would be a great achievement just to shout from the sidelines and keep the culprit from escaping.

Ignoring the guards entirely, Han Jingyang grabbed the security captain he was holding and slammed him against the vanity: "Tell me, who told you to do this?"

"I, I don't know what you are talk..."

"Smack!"

Han Jingyang punched down. It landed solidly on the sink right next to the security captain's head.

With that one punch, the tiles on the sink instantly shattered, revealing a small depression resembling an impact crater.

This punch made all the security guards take two steps back in unison. This was a vanity built from cement and bricks, covered in cement mortar and small white tiles—extremely sturdy. Even hitting it with a sledgehammer might not necessarily create such a crater.

A fist? Absolutely impossible!

But the stark, undeniable reality before them forced them to be shocked.

The security captain could feel the power of that punch even more intuitively. The moment the fist came down, he almost thought his head would be blown apart; he thought for sure he was going to die.

When the fist landed on the sink, the captain truly understood the meaning of the idiom "surviving a catastrophe." As his nerves relaxed, his crotch became warm and wet; he had been scared into wetting his pants.

Han Jingyang, however, kept his face cold and raised his fist again: "I'll give you one more chance. Answer my question."

The security captain, staring at the fist hovering in front of him, was instantly terrified: "I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything! It was our manager who told me to say that and do that. He also said he'd give me five thousand after it was done. I really don't know anything else!"

"Where is the manager?"

"In the office, using, using the walkie-talkie to give orders."

At this moment, the security captain's walkie-talkie crackled, and a young voice came through: "Han Jingyang, if I were you, I would do nothing and wait quietly for an hour. After an hour, nothing will happen, and you can go wherever you want. My orders were just to delay you for an hour, so if you stay in the restroom for an hour, everyone will be happy and we can avoid bad blood. Otherwise, if a real conflict breaks out, you might be fine, but your girlfriend might not be."

"Who are you?"

"You don't need to know who I am. After an hour, you go your way, and I'll go mine. We'll never see each other again. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'm sorry, but I'll have to let your girlfriend stay permanently in my Magic Mirror World."

"Magic Mirror World?"

"I'm not afraid to let you know, that is my dharma instrument. It can imprison souls, with no limit on quantity or time. In a sense, entering my Magic Mirror World is a form of eternal life, though the Magic Mirror World isn't exactly fun. Your girlfriend's soul will remain forever in her own little space, repeating in an endless cycle. She can't leave, and she can't die. Tsk tsk, I don't think your girlfriend would want that kind of eternal life."

Han Jingyang felt a chill in his heart.

If it were true, it would be too cruel.

To have one's soul permanently trapped in a space the size of a restroom, unable to communicate, unable to leave, and unable to even die—that was a torture a thousand times more cruel than solitary confinement. No one would want such an eternal life. No one!

He would absolutely not allow Liu Jing to suffer such a fate. Never!

But was what the young man on the other end of the walkie-talkie saying true?

Han Jingyang took a deep breath and steadied his tone: "If she is trapped, how can she still call me?"

"That's because I didn't want to go for the kill and didn't want to burn bridges with you. I haven't severed the connection between her soul and her body yet, so she still looks like a normal person," the young man sighed: "Han Jingyang, I am a genius, and you are even more of one. Your combat prowess strikes fear into the hearts of everyone in the martial arts world. If I didn't have to, I wouldn't want to make an enemy of you. So, you'd better consider my proposal. Wait patiently for an hour, and after an hour, I'll let you and your girlfriend leave. How about that?"

Han Jingyang slowly closed his eyes, his mind racing as he thought of a countermeasure.

Accept the other party's proposal? Or find another way?

Besides, was this person's word even trustworthy? If it were true, that would be fine. But what if it wasn't?

At this moment, the young man added: "Oh, I almost forgot to remind you. Your girlfriend's current state can only be maintained for fifteen minutes. There are only a little over two minutes left now. That means you have two minutes. Once the time is up, your girlfriend's soul will be completely locked inside. Han Jingyang, please make your choice quickly. The two-minute countdown begins!"