At the same time, on the other side of the floating port, inside the most private VIP room of a luxurious casino, a golden chip spun rapidly on the table, crushing paper cards as it went, finally landing on a high pile of chips.
“Heh, I have a great hand this time. You’re all going to lose,” a cynical voice echoed.
“Stop talking nonsense, you already lost one round, and you’ve caused a lot of trouble for everyone,” another voice immediately retorted.
“Are you talking about the assassin business? Well, I never expected that,” the cynical voice turned a bit more violent.
“I’m clearly a Supreme VIP of the Assassin Alliance, and every year they’re supposed to send a few of their targets to me—”
“To treat a big client like me with such neglect, they actually sent an assassin who would leak employer information!”
“Hmph… when I take over, I’ll have everyone in the Assassin League killed.”
“All those lackeys can’t even get things done properly.”
He casually tossed a chip, and there was another clatter of chips falling onto the table.
“I’ll fold this round, consider it an apology to everyone.”
Folding meant he was giving up all the chips he had previously bet.
The chips would now go to the winner of the next round.
Perhaps his show of yielding made everyone feel a little better.
A calm voice then broke the silence:
“That Shen Ye has already arrived at Yunshan Port, and he’ll soon take the exam. Does anyone have any objections?”
“That’s way too easy,” someone responded.
“Go ahead,” the calm voice urged.
“Just talk to a few of the examiners and have him fail,” another voice suggested.
“Just fail him? That’s all? Are you going to make it that easy on him? You should know, I was scolded by the old master of the family himself,” another voice sounded reluctant.
“Don’t rush. This time, the incident has made the families look bad, and we’re being watched too. There’s no need to act too quickly.”
“As long as he fails, it’ll show that he’s just a worthless fake—he couldn’t even pass the three major high schools. He’s no good, and once he’s proven useless, the elders in the family won’t bother with him anymore.”
“Once he fails, he won’t even be qualified to come to Yunshan Port anymore.”
“After that, he won’t be able to make waves. The Mortal Martial Arts Group won’t put any effort into training him, and no one will pay attention to him.”
“By then, things will have settled down. Anyone can deal with him easily.”
“No matter how he dies, or how tragic his death may be—”
“It won’t concern us.”
The room fell silent.
No one spoke in objection.
Clearly, this was the best way to handle the situation.
The calm voice spoke again:
“Then let him fail.”
“However, there’s one more thing—”
“I want to ask the Assassin League people how they managed to mess up something like this.”
The cynical voice spoke again:
“I’ll call them now.”
“No, I’ll go in person,” the calm male voice replied.
He snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, a holographic projection appeared in the dimly lit room.
An elderly man with white hair, dressed in a proper black suit and black gloves, appeared. His expression was warm and courteous.
“Good evening, everyone.”
The elder’s image floated in mid-air as he bowed toward the group.
“Everyone here is the future pillar of the world, busy pushing the progress of civilization. You may not have had much chance to hear my humble and unnoticeable name.”
“People call me Old Gong, so please, just call me Gong Wu.”
“I am the head of the Assassin League.”
No one spoke.
Only the cynical voice spoke up:
“Uncle Gong, how did this happen? How could you let that assassin leak the video?”
“You’re really embarrassing me!”
The elder smiled and said, “Apologies. That assassin was originally the strongest in our alliance, but he was passionate about pursuing some grand and romantic art, so he often forgot about his tasks.”
“I’ve already killed him.”
“And I guarantee that there will be no more failed missions in the future.”
“What happens if there’s another failure?” the cynical voice asked.
“If there’s another mistake, I will personally sever my own head and deliver it to you as an apology,” the elder said.
After speaking, he bowed deeply.
Even the most picky people in the room were now satisfied with his attitude.
“Hmph, if that’s the case, then there’s nothing more to say,” a voice responded.
The hologram was switched off.
The calm male voice spoke once more:
“Someone from your family should send a powerful person to oversee this matter and ensure it is carried out smoothly.”
“I’ll do it. I’ll supervise those assassins. They’re too unreliable,” the cynical voice said.
“Who do you plan to send?”
“Our family’s great offering—he’s always favoured me. I’ll ask him to step in this time,” the voice replied.
The steady voice immediately became more relaxed:
“That guy? Then there’s no problem.”
The others didn’t speak.
It seemed that the Great Offering had indeed made everyone feel confident that there was no issue.
And with that, the matter was settled.
No one discussed what had just happened, and instead, they began to talk about the next round of the game.
—Everything for that boy had already been arranged.
Still at the same time.
At sea.
On the giant ship of the Assassin Leagues headquarters.
The elderly man who called himself Gong Wu let out a sigh and murmured softly:
“Really bad taste.”
The assassin, covered in injuries, was growing older, and his ailments were only worsening with time.
Naturally, the taste didn’t quite meet expectations.
It would have been different if he were a scion of a great family.
From birth, they bathed in special body-tempering fluids, cleansing the prenatal toxins from their bodies.
They ate the best food in the world, drank the finest beverages, and received secret massages every day. Even their breathing was guided by techniques, entirely different from ordinary people.
Through extensive training, their bodies became coordinated and flexible, leaving no trace of injury or illness.
Their flesh was tightly knit and flavorful—
If one could taste it in their lifetime, it would be a regretless experience.
Gong Wu lightly wiped his face, and in an instant, his entire appearance changed.
If Xiao Mengyu and Shen Ye were there, they would recognize him immediately.
—The Skinner!
He removed his wig and reverted to his elegant appearance, then knelt respectfully on the floor.
“Master.”
He muttered devoutly.
Countless shadows gathered from all directions, converging in front of him to form a girl.
“You made a promise to others just now?” Zhao Yibing asked.
The man hurriedly explained, “I was just speaking offhand. Besides you—”
“Don’t explain,” Zhao Yibing said, her tone lofty. “My followers must honour their promises, even when disguised as others. You must understand that only sincerity will bring out the true spirit of the task.”
“Yes, I will send this old man’s head to Yunshan Port immediately and fulfill our promise to them,” the man replied.
“Yunshan Port… yes, we’re going to Yunshan Port. You need to find a way to sneak into the exam site and join me in recovering the curse power of the King of the Fallen Evil Spirits,” Zhao Yibing said.
“And—”
She bent down and whispered in the man’s ear, “Do you want to eat those true descendants of great families?”
“Yes,” the man admitted honestly.
“Then go hunt at Yunshan Port. The flesh is yours, but the souls belong to me,” Zhao Yibing said.
The man’s hands twisted tightly together, so forcefully that they turned pale.
Desire, nervousness, fear, and sadness flashed across his face. He stuttered, saying:
“But… my strength isn’t enough to—”
“This hunt, I will also participate,” Zhao Yibing stated clearly.
The man stood frozen, slowly closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, his whole body trembling as if he had caught a chill.
The immense sense of happiness struck him, and he could already feel that unreachable bliss.
A true descendant of a great family.
Such people were the rulers of the world, considering themselves divine by controlling the lives of others.
Now, he could finally eat them.
Because—
The true god he believed in had sounded the horn of battle.
The true god had made a promise.
The flesh would be his, and the true god only wanted the souls of those humans pretending to be gods!
—What a grand and romantic hunt!
But—
“Why must you do it yourself? As a servant, I could take care of it…” the man cautiously suggested.
Zhao Yibing replied, “That boy who killed you—he not only has a wraith, but there’s also an figure beside him. I traveled from a distant universe, expending too much power.”
“I need to sacrifice some souls, draw strength from them, and then I’ll be able to recover.”
“—And then I can devour them.”
The man listened intently, tears flowing from his eyes. He knelt deeply on the ground, his voice heavy with emotion as he whispered:
“Great true god, I will always be by your side, heed your teachings, and assist you in completing the hunt—”
“—And walk your path upon this earth.”
Zhao Yibing didn’t say anything more.
She lowered her head, gently twirling the scarlet thread between her fingers.
