Chapter 4960

Seeing this, Li Tianbao was overjoyed. Enduring the pain, he struggled to walk toward the spy holding Niu Ben hostage.

“Gadfly, you didn’t expect this, did you? Heaven always leaves a way out.” Li Tianbao sneered coldly. “Step aside and let us go, or your son will die.”

Gadfly’s expression shifted uncertainly as he met his son’s terrified gaze.

As a city lord, he couldn’t allow Feihu City’s spies to escape so easily—but that was his son. How could he watch him fall into danger?

“Don’t act impulsively.”

Kai stepped forward and whispered, “Let them leave for now. We’ll make a long-term plan.”

Gadfly gritted his teeth, then slowly deactivated the formation.

“You can leave. But know this—what Feihu City did today, Rhino City will remember. We will settle this debt!”

Li Tianbao grinned smugly and motioned for his men to retreat slowly.

“Gadfly, until next time. I hope you’re still standing strong when we meet again.”

As the spies from Feihu City disappeared into the distance, Gadfly clenched his fists tightly. His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood that dripped to the ground.

“Father!” Niu Li rushed out of the room. When she saw her brother being taken hostage, tears filled her eyes. “I must save my brother!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring Ben’er back.” Gadfly’s eyes burned with resolve. “Feihu City dares act so arrogantly on my territory? They’ll pay a heavy price!”

After speaking, Gadfly turned to the City Lord’s Mansion guards and shouted, “Who was on gate duty today? How did these people get inside?”

Access to the City Lord’s Mansion required a verified token. Yet so many Feihu City spies had entered undetected. The guards had failed to stop them, leaving Gadfly deeply troubled.

He now suspected a mole within the mansion. If even the trusted shopkeeper of Tianbao Pavilion turned out to be a Feihu City spy, then who could he truly trust?
“City Lord, we were on duty today. These Flying Tiger City spies entered using tokens, and the tokens were verified as genuine, so we let them in,” a guard stepped forward and explained cautiously.

“How did they get the tokens?” Gadfly asked, confused.

At that moment, Kai seemed to recall something and spoke with slight embarrassment, “The tokens were probably the ones I pawned…”

He remembered pawning the tokens at Tianbao Pavilion.

“You?” Gadfly was stunned. “Brother, why do you have a token from our City Lord’s Mansion?”

Before Kai could respond, Niu Li suddenly recognized him and exclaimed in surprise, “Why is it you? Did you pawn my token?”

After hearing Kai’s words, Niu Li quickly pieced it together.

Kai nodded awkwardly. “I was short on immortal coins at the time and had no choice but to pawn the token at Tianbao Pavilion…”

Gadfly glanced back and forth between Niu Li and Kai, clearly puzzled about how his daughter had come to know Kai.

“No wonder I couldn’t trace the token’s location when I tried to find you!” Niu Li complained.

“I’m really sorry!” Kai apologized again, then explained to Gadfly how he had received the token.

After listening, Gadfly didn’t press the matter. After all, he didn’t dare say much to Kai—Kai was now his elder brother.

“Brother, you couldn’t have predicted this. It’s not your fault. I was the one who misjudged the wrong person. I never imagined Li Tianbao was actually a spy from Feihu City.”

Thinking about the shopkeeper of Tianbao Pavilion, Gadfly’s face darkened with rage. He looked as if he wanted to tear Li Tianbao apart.