Prison to Pinnacle: Ex-wife's Eternal Lament

"You've sucked in our Lockthroat Powder; it's time to meet your maker," came the ominous threat.

"I've got no beef with you guys. Why are you gunning for me?" Edward growled, his tone a mix of rage and bewilderment.

Right then, he felt the full force of the black mist he had inhaled earlier—it was lethal, tearing at his lungs and making each breath a struggle.

"We're just doing our job. You've made enemies you shouldn't have."

"You've gotten in the way of our boss's profits."

Edward quickly put the pieces together—these dozen men surrounding him were hitmen hired by someone he'd ticked off.

Two of them, one lanky and the other short, attacked from each side.

He saw the glint of daggers aiming straight for his heart.

Edward dodged just in the nick of time.

The Lockthroat Powder had indeed slowed him down, turning him tenfold clumsier than he usually was.

Otherwise, a dozen thugs like these wouldn't have stood a chance of getting within arm's reach.

"Wow, it looks like you're not bad at fighting," the tall masked man remarked with a sneer. "But the Lockthroat Powder you've inhaled will claim your life in half an hour."

"Yeah!" a stocky man added, "for now, let's have some fun with you."

With that, the stocky man stabbed at Edward's back with his dagger.

Though his reflexes were dulled, Edward lashed out with his leg, nailing the attacker in the belly without even turning to look.

"Oof!!'

The stocky men quickly collapsed to the ground.

"Damn it! This guy's a tough nut to crack. Let's take him down together," the tall man barked, urging the others to launch their attacks together.

Seeing himself outnumbered, Edward quickly gathered his remaining strength and unleashed a sweeping leg attack.

His legs moved like a high-speed twirling fan, connecting with the feet of those hitmen.

Caught off balance, they all crashed to the ground with a thud.

Edward knew he couldn't afford a drawn-out brawl. He needed to find a strategic position to divide all these people and then conquer them in groups.

Without wasting another second, he sprinted towards a high wall near Grandpa's grave.

"Stop him, buddies! He has no way to run away!" the tall masked man hollered.

By the time the hitmen were back on their feet, Edward had already reached the wall, his back tightly pressing against it.

This way, even if the cursed thugs charged him all at once, they could only launch their attacks from one direction.

Meanwhile, as they closed in, Edward swiftly reached into his pocket and produced a cyan vial.

It contained the Jade Dew Pills, an antidote he had concocted in the Forest of Death based on a recipe from that medical tome.

These pills could neutralize almost any poison, or at least suppress the spreading of the toxins for the time being.

He tipped three pills right into his mouth.

Once in his mouth, they dissolved into a sweet vapor.

And some black gas instantly issued from his nostrils—a clear sign that the pills were taking effect.

And in a second, Edward felt a surge of renewed vigor come back to him.

The hitmen stared in disbelief, baffled as to why black vapor was coming out of Edward.

"What the hell? Can he detox himself?"

"Lockthroat is the most potent poison we've got!"

"Finish him off, NOW!" the tall masked man barked.

They rushed at Edward in a swarm.

"Right on time! My fists were just starting to itch," Edward taunted with a hint of excitement.

As they lunged forward, Edward moved at lightning speed, landing precise blows on the vital parts of their bodies.

Soon, a chorus of agonized groans filled the air, with the attackers all writhing on the ground.

"How can you still be so powerful after inhaling our Lockthroat?" the tall masked man asked in surprise, lying on the ground, his eyes behind the mask showing a glimmer of great fear.

Edward sensed this man must be the leader of this rabble.

As he approached him slowly, the tall masked man simply scrambled back on the ground.

Unfortunately, Edward was much faster, stomping down on his back.

Ouch!

"Want to run, huh?" Edward sneered, "How dare you poison me, you punk. Now you've signed your death warrant. I'll skin you and then tear out all your tendons!"

Edward applied more pressure with his foot.

"No, please, sir. I'm nobody. Please spare me. I was simply doing my job. That's all!" the man pleaded.

His men all lay on the ground, not able to get to their feet.

"Tell me, who sent you to kill me? If you tell me the truth, probably I'll let you go now!' Edward demanded.

"We're just hired guns. Please, spare me. And I know nothing about our employer!" the man replied in a weak voice.

"Looks like you don't want to talk, huh? I'm not going to waste any time on you!"

Suddenly, Edward bent over and grabbed the man's hand, twisted, and snapped a finger.

The tall masked man quickly let out a terrible squeal.

"Say something now, or I'll snap your fingers one by one!" Edward threatened. "I can be as good as God, but I can also be as evil as Satan."

"Stop, please. I'll tell you everything I know. There's a phone number. Every time the person would call me by phone. The voice was magnified and altered. I have no idea whether it was a 'she' or 'he'. That's all I have, I swear!" the man whimpered.

"Okay, give me the number," Edward ordered.

The tall masked man fumbled with his other hand to pull out his phone and showed Edward a string of digits.

Suddenly, Edward sensed a swift movement in the air.