Ian Song figured it was the sudden appearance of Hans’s head that dulled his senses and let this blond man slip past his detection, but he didn’t underestimate the guy. In his heart, he vaguely guessed the man’s identity—a gold‑rank assassin from the Darkworld Syndicate.
What surprised him, though, was how the man had found Hans’s head—and how he’d tracked Ian down.
The blond man spoke slowly: “Judging by your reaction, I’d say you know Hans. And I’m guessing his death has something to do with you, doesn’t it, Ian Song?”
Even though the guy was a foreigner, his Mandarin was flawless.
Ian had already calmed down. He pulled up a chair, sat across from the blond man, and looked him in the eye. “You’re a gold‑rank assassin from Darkworld, aren’t you?”
“Didn’t expect you to know that. Looks like you’re pretty close with Blood Rose, which means I’m on the right track.” Lawrence smiled with satisfaction.
“So what do you plan to do next?” Ian smiled back. Gold‑rank assassins were tough, but he wasn’t weak either—this was a good chance to test his martial skills.
“Actually, I’ve already done it!” Lawrence’s grin widened. “Haven’t you noticed the weird smell in this room?”
“What do you mean?” Ian’s face darkened, a hint of caution rising in his heart.
“You’re really slow.” Lawrence shook his head in disappointment. “Try circulating your inner strength.”
With a thought, Ian tried to stir his true essence, but found it unusually sluggish. His face changed slightly.
“You feel it, right? Your inner strength isn’t working, is it? I burned a special Corpse Incense in this room—it’s made to suppress Chinese martial artists. When it burns, it gives off a smell like rotting flesh.” Lawrence glanced at Hans’s head as he spoke.
Ian was shocked—this gold‑rank assassin was no joke. So that’s why Hans’s head was on the table: partly to test him, partly to cover up the smell of the Corpse Incense.
Suddenly, Lawrence lost interest. “Alright, now I’ll ask, you’ll answer. If your answers satisfy me, I’ll give you a quick death. If not, I’ve got plenty of ways to make you suffer—and I don’t mind trying them out on you!”
“Go ahead, ask.” Ian smiled, regaining his composure.
Lawrence asked, “Where is Blood Rose?”
“She’s already left Xiangcheng.” Ian replied, then shot back, “How did you find Hans’s head, and how did you know I was connected to Blood Rose?”
“You’re a curious kid. But since you’re about to die, I’ll tell you. First, I planted a tracker in Hans’s head. Second, I hacked this city’s Skynet system and checked the records. That’s how I figured out you were linked to Hans’s death and probably to Blood Rose. Satisfied with my answer, kid?”
“Very satisfied.” Ian nodded.
Lawrence pressed on, “When exactly did Blood Rose leave Xiangcheng? Do you know where she went?”
"She left about two or three days ago. I don’t know her exact whereabouts. By the way, I’m curious—why did Blood Rose betray your Darkworld Syndicate?"
"Most people wouldn’t know the answer, but I do. Blood Rose found her family in China and wanted to leave the organization. Darkworld saw her potential—she could’ve become a gold‑rank assassin. To keep her from forming attachments, they sent someone to kill her family. I was the one who carried out the mission."
"Don’t you think that’s a bit too cruel?" Ian said, his voice heavy.
"Maybe it’s because we’re an assassin organization. A top assassin shouldn’t be swayed by emotions." Lawrence replied with a smile.
"Alright, kid. Thanks for cooperating! Time to say goodbye!" Lawrence’s voice was gentle, but in the next instant, his wrist flicked—a green dart shot toward Ian’s throat like lightning.
Whoosh!
Ian sprang sideways, dodging the dart by a foot. Instantly, a fierce aura erupted from him—like a tiger charging down a mountain. He surged forward, true essence roaring inside, and launched the first move of Raging Tidal Surge straight at Lawrence on the sofa.
While chatting with Lawrence, Ian had already used Radiance of Life to purge the toxin from his body and sealed his senses to avoid breathing in more Corpse Incense. Plus, he cultivated true essence, so the toxin didn’t affect him as much as Lawrence expected.
Raging Tidal Surge is a martial art he got from a yellow grid—seven moves in total—and it cost him 500,000 Fame Points to master. It’s insanely powerful. Even the first move distorted the air around Lawrence, making it thick and sticky, like he was trapped in a swamp.
There was no time to dodge. Lawrence had no choice but to hastily channel his power and block, all while wondering why Ian wasn’t affected—had the Corpse Incense failed?
Boom!
Their palms slammed together in midair.
Lawrence, along with the sofa, went flying and tumbling across the room.
Pfft!
Still airborne, Lawrence spat out a mouthful of blood. The instant they collided, he felt a surge of overwhelming true qi rampage through his body, nearly shattering his organs.
But even then, he forced his energy into action and hurled three darts.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The three darts shot straight at Ian. While Ian dodged, Lawrence slid two silver pistols from his sleeves.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A burst of gunshots echoed through the room.
With no other option, Ian retreated. Lawrence seized the moment, dashed into Ian’s bedroom, slammed the door, sprinted to the window, smashed the glass with a punch, yanked open the steel security bars, and leapt out.
By the time Ian got to the window and looked out, Lawrence was already a hundred meters away. After a few quick movements, he vanished.
Damn it!
Ian cursed under his breath but didn’t chase him—he knew a gold‑rank assassin could easily get away.
He went back to the living room and started tidying up.
The noise just now was way too loud—it would definitely attract attention. As Ian stowed Hans’s head and put the sofa back, a knock sounded at the door.
He opened the door and found the dorm supervisor standing there.
"Hey kid, what happened just now?" The supervisor glanced around the living room as he asked.
"Ah, it’s like this, sir—there was a mouse in the dorm, and I got a bit carried away chasing it. Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time." Ian quickly made up an excuse.
"Be more careful in the future. Don’t disturb others." The supervisor said sternly.
"Thanks for the reminder, sir. I’ll be careful." Ian replied politely.
After seeing the supervisor off, Ian let out a sigh of relief. Good thing that gold‑rank assassin used silenced pistols, and good thing the supervisor didn’t look at the wall by the outer door—otherwise, he’d never be able to explain the bullets embedded in the wall.