Heavy air filled the atmosphere, the tension between Li Sheng and Jeferson grew as the latter finally made his first move.
"Guess you guys are too tired to speak. I will help you rest"
Jeferson smiled at them before waving his hand and willed the chains levitating infront of him to go wrap around the 5 rugrats. But before the chains could even wrap itself around Li Sheng and his group, Li Sheng kicked his subordinates out of the way and also used them as a foothold to push himself out of the way.
WHAM—
The chaina missed and when it hit the ground where Li Sheng and his subordinates, Hedin specifically, had stood previously...a small crack appeared on the ground.
"Goodness fuck! That could've killed us!"
Hedin exclaimed as Li Sheng and his other subordinates started moving.
Li Sheng got up from the ground and decide to run away, his subordinates also did the same despite him not telling them. They all split up to try and confuse The Blessed.
"Oh, cat and mouse game...I love this, we used to play this in The Academy. I will give you all a 5 seconds headstart"
Jeferson, despite being in a foul mood because of his subordinates failing, had decided to toy with his prey for now to at least ease up some of his mood.
"5...."
Li Sheng and Kel were together as they both swiftly tried to put a large distance between them and the Blessed.
"4...."
Hedin and Rast were together on the opposite direction where Clifford had run off to, despite their exhaustion and wounds they received from the battle earlier, they all moved pretty swiftly...desperate to get away.
"3....."
Clifford for some reason was out of breath so he took the route where he is not going to get caught easily, of course he is still close to Li Sheng and Kel's route but because of his size, only him could move freely in the tight alleyway.
"2...."
Now Jeferson was finally out of their sight, everyone had finally gotten away from Jeferson as they all tried their best to hide from him.
"1....ready or not here I come"
Jeferson looked around for a while and when he found that there was no one around. His smile widened as he rushed towards the direction where the most annoying one went. He was after Clifford first.
The tight alleyway strategy that Clifford used wasn't exactly that effective as Jeferson just easily climbed ontop of the building and caught up to Clifford's pace. Then when he saw Clifford down below, he just destroyed the obstacles obscuring him quite easily with the strength of his whip and when there was a space big enough for him to fit in, he jumped there and grabbed Clifford by the neck.
Clifford was the slowest one of all, for some reason despite being the one not that injured from the fight earlier because he was being protected, he was the one who was very exhausted.
"You're a slippery brat, but fortunately it seems like you are exhausted....hmm"
Jeferson squinted his eyes on Clifford's darkening veins as he felt that something was off, and while Clifford was struggling to break free from the blessed's grasp, he then felt a heat rising up to his chest then to his throat before he then started coughing out blood.
"Hahahahahaha what the heck?"
Jeferson laughed in amusement as he saw the condition of Clifford on his grasp. Judging from Clifford coughing out blood despite Jeferson not exerting that much force and his paling complexion, it seems like Clifford was experiencing some kind of poisoning from a drug that he had consumed.
"HAHAHAHAHA did you overdose on drugs or something? Why are you poisoned? Fuck, so that is why you were so slow HAHAHAHA"
Jeferson chuckled as Clifford was struggling for his life, constantly coughing out blood and felt his vision slowly slipping away.
Clifford was indeed poisoned, the sweet treat that Li Sheng had given to Clifford when they were planning the scouting was spiked with a slow acting poison by Li Sheng all because Li Sheng did not trust Clifford, and it seems like the poison is finally kicking in.
"B-boss....."
But Clifford has no way of knowing that Li Sheng was the one who poisoned him.
—————
By the other side, inside one of the rundown houses close to the commotion where Jeferson had caught Clifford.
Li Sheng and Kel hid desperately, praying that the gods would be merciful enough to not let them be seen by Jeferson.
"HAHAHAHAAHAH did you overdose on drugs or something?"
Listening to the conversation between Jeferson and Clifford, Li Sheng held it in as he stopped himself from jumping into that commotion. He wants to help Clifford so bad because he sounded like he was hurting from Jeferson's grasp, but by doing so he could endanger Kel's life as well. He has no other choice but to hope for Clifford's survival.
"Why are you poisoned? Fuck, so that is why you were so slow HAHAHAHA"
The chilling laughter and voice of Jeferson from outside then echoed throughout the alleyway. Li Sheng who heard it loud and clear felt chills running down to his body. He remembered what he did earlier when he met with Clifford. He distrusted Clifford so much that he even poisoned the bread that he offered to the kid. He forgot to provide the kid an antidote nor did he tell the kid about him being poisoned by the very guy that he chose to save.
A wave of nausea rushed through Li Sheng's head. He felt dizzy all of a sudden and disgusted even. He was already used to deceiving and betraying everyone in the slums but when he remembered Clifford's sincerity and innocent smile. He was disgusted. The kid decided to help him, he was sincere enough to help Li Sheng who was full of arrogance and spite.
And Li Sheng just...poisoned him. I mean it was fair since he didn't trust the kid, but that action of his, may have caused the kid's possible death. It disgusted him. Despite being a known ruthless gangster.....he was disgusted at his own actions as his conscience was eating him.
"Fuck"
Li Sheng cursed out loud which surprised Kel who was hiding with him.
"Sorry Kel, it seems like I need to ease up some of my guilt"
Those words of his confused Kel even further before Li Sheng then jumped out from the window and decide to attack Jeferson.
Before the cleaver on Li Sheng's hand could hit Jeferson who is currently holding Clifford within his grasp. The blessed turned his head to the direction where Li Sheng came from and seeing the figure of Li Sheng, Jeferson then raised his hand and willed the other ropes levitating infront of him to fly towards Li Sheng and when it did so...it then wrapped itself around Li Sheng, suspending him into the air.
"Oh look, a rat got caught in my trap"
Jeferson chuckled as Li Sheng struggled to break free from the rope binding him as it also started to tighten around his body...as if it was a boa constrictor trying to crush him with its grip.
"You thought"
Replying to the Blessed's remark, Li Sheng smiled before a barrel was soon then seen falling from above, and it seemed to he falling to Jeferson's spot. It seems like Kel provided back up for Li Sheng and he aimed to crush the Blessed.
Seeing that barrel falling to his head, Jeferson swiftly moved to the side to dodge it easily.
"What? That's it? Just a barrel?"
But the moment Jeferson moved to the side to dodge the incoming barrel from above, a bulky man then emerged from the other house and tackled Jeferson, pushing him towards the wall of this tight alley. It was Hedin who decided to help out upon seeing that Jeferson attacked the place where their boss was hiding.
Then the backup was not over yet as a shifty man also emerged from the shadows and removed Clifford out of the Blessed's grasp as Hedin was pinning him down. It was Rast who came with Hedin to help his boss out also.
At first they planned to escape together first and just believed in their boss' survival, but when they saw the Blessed attack the direction where their little savior Clifford was at, they both decided to go there and help out. They didn't expect their boss to also help out though, they thought it was very out of character of him but it seems like their boss was also a human with heart.
'This is exactly why I follow this man'
Rast smiled inside his heart as he held Clifford's small body in his hands. The kid was coughing out blood a lot.
"Hey Little Hero, stay with us."
Rast shook Clifford on his arms as he spoke in a hurried tone, he stared at Clifford's eyes who seemed to be on the verge of closing. Heaviness filled his heart as he shook Clifford harder to make him stay awake.
"Boss...."
Clifford mumbled as Rast slapped him lightly to snap him back to consciousness, but it was still in vain.
"I'm sorry....for...being...so...usel...ess"
"No No No. Stay with me stay with me"
His voice got stuck in his throat as he felt the kid's body losing its life in his hands.
"No no no no"
Rast's breathing turned rash as he shook the kid awake. Hedin who was pinning Jeferson to the wall also saw this scene and he felt tears rushing to his eyes. Kel from above watched this scene also and gritted his teeth.
Meanwhile, Li Sheng who had been freed from the rope's bindings and fell to the ground after Jeferson was tackled by Hedin...also watched that scene with a speechless expression. Heaviness filled his heart as a wave of nausea rushed to his head...he felt like gagging as guilt started to eat him.
Clifford had died. Li Sheng killed him.