Chapter 90: Slaughter (3)

A cold, damp wind flooded into the room. The woman looked up and saw a man walk in, clad in a black cloak and mask, completely soaked.

"Welcome. How may I help you?"

Upon seeing him, the woman put on a professional smile, seemingly unfazed by his attire.

After all, while on the surface it was an ordinary milk tea shop with mediocre business, in reality, it was a front for taking contracts on people’s lives.

Anyone who became a killer was a desperado.

She had seen her share of eccentrically dressed people, so she paid him no mind.

"I have a big job for you, one you can’t handle. Get your manager out here."

The man’s gaze swept around the room as he spoke slowly, his voice muffled.

"Alright, sir. Please wait a moment!"

Hearing there was big business, the woman’s eyes brightened, and her tone became more respectful.

After all, she stood to earn a sizable commission from a lucrative job like this one.

However, just as she turned to go call for him in the break room, the manager, a skinny man, emerged from a side room.

"I’m the manager here. You can speak to me directly about whatever you need."

The skinny man ambled out, his eyes bleary with sleep. He looked over at the masked man.

"You’re the manager here?!" the masked man asked.

"Of course!" The skinny man offered a faint smile.

He loved sleeping on rainy days, so he was quite annoyed at being disturbed.

If his visitor hadn’t mentioned a big job, he wouldn’t have bothered to come out and deal with him.

He kept these thoughts to himself, of course, not letting any of his annoyance show on his face.

’Only an idiot wears their every thought and feeling on their face.’

’A thankless, idiotic thing to do.’

"That’s good!"

The masked man nodded.

BAM!

The next moment, without a shred of warning.

He stomped hard on the ground, and instantly—the wood-grain floorboards shattered as if from an unimaginable blow, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Propelled by the recoil, he instantly crossed the three or four meters, smashed through the wooden counter gate, and appeared before the two of them.

In a single motion, he raised his hand and slammed his palm into the woman’s face.

Under the unimaginable force, her head exploded with a wet SPLAT.

Her headless corpse crumpled to the floor.

His other hand, formed into a claw, tore through the air as he lunged for the skinny man’s face.

"Agh!"

It all happened too fast. By the time the skinny man reacted, his companion was already dead.

At such close range, the masked man’s powerful aura was fully revealed.

’Qi Blood Realm Perfection! Damn it!’

His expression twisted in horror, but his movements didn’t stop.

His reflexes were lightning-fast. He threw himself into an agile roll, dodging the claw by a hair’s breadth.

However, despite avoiding the fatal strike, the fierce pressure from the claw attack was like a physical blade. It tore a shocking wound across his body, and blood instantly soaked his shirt.

With no time to wonder why this man would dare attack them, he shot off like a nimble rabbit.

He was fast, but the masked man behind him was faster.

The violent wind of a punch closed in on the back of his head, sending a chill through the man’s heart.

He knew that if he kept running, death was certain.

He let out a low roar, veins bulging on his skin. He circulated his Qi and Blood, spun around, and crossed his arms in front of him to block the attack.

BAM!

CRACK!

Almost simultaneous to the sound of impact was the sickening crunch of breaking bones.

"—AAAAAGH!"

The masked man had shattered both of the skinny man’s arms.

The gap between them was too vast, like an egg hitting a stone—shattered in an instant.

But due to the force of the blow, the attacker’s mask shattered, revealing the scarred face of a middle-aged man.

At that moment, the intense pain made the skinny man’s eyes bulge, and he was about to let out a shrill scream.

But the cry had barely escaped his lips before the scar-faced man cut him off with an icy glare and tone.

"Make another sound, and I’ll kill you."

Hearing this, the skinny man’s face grew a shade paler.

"Don’t kill me! I’m a Disciple of the Holy Rain Sect. If you kill me, you’ll be hunted down by the experts of the Holy Rain Sect.

No matter how powerful your Ability, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, you won’t escape death.

Just let me go, and we’ll write off everything that happened today. What do you say...?"

The skinny man’s face was filled with terror.

"Shut up! Answer what I ask you. If I’m satisfied, I’ll let you live. Otherwise..."

The scar-faced man barked coldly.

"Yes, yes! Ask whatever you want."

Under the threat of death, the skinny man readily agreed, which was only natural.

After all, Ice Artifact was just a platform for assassins.

Could one really expect him to have any backbone?

For people like him, nothing was more important than their own miserable lives.

「A short while later.」

After getting the information he wanted, the scar-faced man swiftly and cleanly snapped the other’s neck.

...

「Ten-odd minutes later.」

Hu Qi emerged from a public restroom, his expression impassive.

The scar-faced man from before had been none other than him in a Disguise, all to find out who had backstabbed him.

He, Hu Qi, was no magnanimous, bleeding-heart saint. Anyone who dared to provoke him had to be ready to face his revenge.

’What a shame. Wouldn’t it be better to just live? Why did you have to seek death?’ he thought, his eyes darkening as he recalled what he’d learned from the interrogation.

It was just as he’d expected. The one who’d posted the bounty was Xie Guang.

He had also grilled him about the power behind the Ice Artifact assassin organization.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that Ice Artifact was actually backed by the Holy Rain Sect, one of the Seven Upper-tier Schools.

As one of the Seven Upper-tier Schools, its experts undoubtedly far surpassed those of the Shexin Sect.

That also explained why they dared to accept a bounty on a Shexin Sect student.

As long as the job didn’t involve the other six Upper-tier Schools, they would accept any mission and post the bounty, as long as the price was right.

’This is a problem,’ Hu Qi thought with a frown.

He did not, however, regret his actions.

...

In the inky-black sky, dark clouds roiled and churned like furious behemoths locked in combat.

The dim streetlights in the apartment complex swayed in the curtain of rain, their faint yellow glow struggling to pierce the downpour and illuminate the splashing water below.

Within one of the towering apartment buildings, a single window shone brightly.

Xie Guang stood motionless.

Before him was a memorial tablet, the photograph on it of Xie Fei.

"Son, rest easy. I’ll send that man to join you."

Xie Guang’s expression was grim. As he thought about what had happened, the killing intent in his heart grew even stronger.

In his heart, he knew that the man had little to do with Xie Fei’s death.

At the very least, according to the on-site investigation, the thing that had killed Xie Fei was merely the Blood Slave on the verge of its transformation.

But then again, with the other man’s power, why hadn’t he saved his son?

And he didn’t even show the slightest hint of guilt.

More importantly, the man’s aptitude was excellent. Now that a grudge had been formed,

he would become a threat if he came looking to settle scores later.

That being the case, it was better to go all the way and just hire someone to kill him.

To that end, he had spent more than half of his entire life’s savings.

However, more than a month had now passed, and there was still no news from Ice Artifact, which made him grow anxious.

KNOCK KNOCK!

Just then, a knock sounded at his door.

"Hello, your delivery is here!"

A man’s voice called from outside.

Xie Guang frowned. He didn’t open the door immediately but stood by it and peered through the peephole.

Unfortunately, due to the angle, he couldn’t see who it was.

"I didn’t order anything. You have the wrong place!"

Xie Guang frowned and was about to turn away.

But just then, the voice from outside sounded again.

"Wrong place? No, no, not at all. I’m here to send you on your way!"

The moment he finished speaking, a deafening CRASH echoed through the hallway, seeming to make the whole floor tremble.

Sparks flew as a huge gash was instantly rent in the security door, accompanied by the sharp, ear-piercing shriek of twisting metal.

A massive hole was torn straight through the sturdy security door. A blue blade thrust through, and the lock and frame, unable to bear the strain, shattered and went flying.