Chapter 76: Overstepping the Line

At that moment, Hao Wenlong also returned. The famed assassin Shadow was even worse off, his leg shattered, dragging himself back all the way.

“Young master, I have not failed you; I’ve brought this man back for you,” he said, and threw Shadow onto the ground.

Coughing violently, Shadow spat out a mouthful of blood and forced a bitter smile. He never imagined this mission would be the end for him. In his heart, he was cursing the higher-ups of the Assassin Alliance. Xiao Yang’s own strength might not be much, but his bodyguard was a Martial Marquis. Assassinate, my ass! He had already hurled a string of curses at the Alliance’s leadership. The intelligence was so hopelessly wrong.

“Do as you wish—kill me or torture me!” Shadow raised his head and looked at Xiao Yang, his smile indifferent.

“I won’t kill you,” Xiao Yang replied directly.

He had already thought things through—just rob the man and be done with it; there was no need to kill and make enemies. Besides, Xiao Yang was already planning to squeeze him for more money later. If possible, he’d even “cultivate” this man as his own cash cow, cutting him down for profits every so often. That way, his own rate of leveling up would increase.

“Hmph! Just say whatever you have to say.” Shadow gave a cold snort, refusing to believe Xiao Yang’s nonsense. He was a gold-ranked assassin, after all; he’d seen it all. In a flash, he guessed that Xiao Yang was up to something.

“Don’t be so quick to refuse. Hear me out first,” Xiao Yang said, unfazed, seeing potential in the man.

“Two hundred thousand taels. I’ll let you go if you pay that,” he offered, thinking that was the absolute minimum—it would be enough for him to level up once.

“I don’t have it,” Shadow refused without hesitation. The assassin trade was lucrative, but assassins were martial artists too, and cultivation required resources. Their path was even harder, demanding more of those resources. Add in the constant risk of death, and most assassins kept only enough for living expenses. The rest was all spent on training—so they’d have some hope of survival, or at least run faster if a job went wrong.

“In that case, Wenlong, just kill him,” Xiao Yang said, sighing at Shadow’s poverty—he didn’t even have two hundred thousand. He prepared to finish him off.

“Are you serious about what you said?” Shadow called out as Hao Wenlong approached.

“Of course. Hand over two hundred thousand, and I’ll let you live.”

Shadow fell silent, then after a long while, finally spoke. “I don’t have that much right now. Give me some time, and I’ll get it for you.”

“Fine!” To Shadow’s surprise, Xiao Yang agreed without hesitation.

“But I have a condition—two hundred twenty thousand taels, to be repaid within a month.” The extra twenty thousand was a small price for survival.

“I agree. I’ll pay twenty thousand in interest,” Shadow replied.

Xiao Yang knew better than to trust empty promises. If the man defaulted, there’d be no way to find him. With a thought, he made a purchase from his system’s marketplace—a Mother-Child Talisman.

Name: Mother-Child Talisman
Grade: High-grade Yellow Spiritual Talisman
Description: After swallowing the child talisman, the bearer’s life is bound to the mother talisman.

“Swallow the child talisman, and you can go,” Xiao Yang said.

This time, however, Shadow hesitated. He clearly knew of the talisman’s reputation and its deadly nature. If he ever went against Xiao Yang, even dying would be hard.

“I won’t ask much of you. But when it comes time to pay, if you try to deny your debt, believe me, you’ll wish for death long before I’m done with you,” Xiao Yang said with a smile.

In the end, Shadow gritted his teeth, swallowed the talisman, and limped away.

Watching his receding figure, Xiao Yang revealed a sly grin. Of course, he wasn’t about to let the man go. Even if he paid, that wouldn’t be enough. He intended to use this “ghost” to try and locate the Assassin Alliance’s headquarters. Two hundred thousand? That wouldn’t satisfy Xiao Yang’s appetite. He wanted to play a bigger game. Once his strength grew, he’d stroll into the Alliance himself and ask about the attempt on his life. By then, the rewards would be in the hundreds of thousands, at least. In truth, Shadow was nothing more than a pawn to Xiao Yang. Two hundred thousand might be enough to raise his cultivation by a level, but it would not change the larger situation.

Just as he was about to return inside, he saw two figures running toward him.

“Senior brother, are you alright?” One of them anxiously looked him over for injuries—it was Zhou Yan, who had been missing for a whole day. If she hadn’t returned soon, Xiao Yang was about to ask Jin Buhuan to help search for her.

“Really, you’re only coming back now?” he scolded, feigning annoyance.

The girl knew she was late, and stuck out her tongue but didn’t argue.

“Come on, confess. Where have you been all day?” Xiao Yang asked, pulling her inside the Fortune Pavilion.

A whole day with no word—if she hadn’t returned, he would have scoured the whole city for her.

Zhou Yan glanced at her senior brother, seeing that he was truly upset, and spoke slowly.

“I went out with some close friends today. We had so much fun that…” She sneaked a look at Xiao Yang.

“Heh, and then you lost track of time,” he finished coldly.

Her head dropped.

“Senior brother, I’m sorry. I’ll come home on time from now on.” Though she felt a bit aggrieved, her heart was sweet. She knew this was Xiao Yang’s way of caring for her.

“See that you do,” he said, unable to truly scold her. He knew life in the Giant Spirit Sect was dull, with little chance for fun. If she’d let loose and played too long today, what harm was there?

“Thank you, senior brother!” The girl cheered, throwing her arms around him in a big hug.

Just then, a mysterious figure in a bamboo hat passed by the Fortune Pavilion. The Hao brothers frowned, finding the person odd, but couldn’t muster the will to stop him. They simply watched as he disappeared down the street.

The man left the bustling avenue and slipped into an alley. He looked around, and once he was sure no one was near, he tapped on the wall.

Moments later, a hidden entrance appeared on the ground—pitch black beyond the threshold. Anyone else would have balked at entering.

The man in the bamboo hat descended without hesitation. Instantly, the ground closed behind him.

“It’s been over twenty years since I came back. Couldn’t they change things up a bit? It’s called the Assassin Alliance, but they make it look like a mausoleum,” he muttered, complaining softly as he walked.

Suddenly, two beams of light appeared and the sound of footsteps echoed from afar. Soon, two silver-ranked assassins, torches in hand, came patrolling.

Strangely, they acted as though they didn’t see him, passing by shoulder to shoulder.

After the man turned a corner, one of the silver assassins asked in confusion, “Did you get the feeling just now, like someone brushed past us?”

His companion immediately clapped a hand over his mouth and whispered in his ear.