"Big Brother, may I come in?" Lynn's voice came from outside the door.
"Come in!" Evan Chu replied, a little surprised that this girl had come so early.
As soon as Lynn came in, she said, "The auction master asked me to give this to you. She said you must only use it when you face the greatest danger, and you can't open it now. If you open it, that's the same as activating it."
"What's actually inside?" Evan Chu asked, looking at the small green box in Lynn's hand.
"It's a kind of extremely powerful firearm. I don't know the exact details, but there's a button on the box—once you press it, the box will explode violently. Its power matches a full-force killing strike from a ninth-layer Heaven Martial expert.
This kind of firearm is extremely expensive—its value is no less than your Iceflame Crystal. You can see how much the auction master cares about you," Lynn said seriously.
"I really have to thank her! Next time I run into trouble, I'll just let them have a taste of this. If it doesn't blow them up, ha!" Evan Chu laughed.
"Let's go, Gavin is already waiting outside," Lynn said.
Evan Chu then left Valorcrest Auctions and saw Gavin Wei standing by a carriage, waiting for him.
"We're taking a carriage? That's a bit fancy!" Evan Chu laughed. It was his first time riding in a carriage, and he found it a little novel.
"Although the Royal Capital isn't far from here, for safety's sake we have to take the carriage—it's the best way to avoid those trying to hunt you down," Lynn said.
Evan Chu was puzzled. The carriage was obviously much slower and a bigger target—how could it help them avoid pursuit? He wanted to ask, but held back, not wanting Lynn to look down on him.
"Isn't your auction master coming to see me off?" Evan Chu joked.
"Big Brother, you're really full of yourself! The auction master is extremely busy—she doesn't have time for that. She's already left. Let's get going," Lynn said.
With that, Evan Chu, Lynn, and Gavin Wei boarded the carriage and headed straight out of the city toward the Royal Capital.
Near noon, Lynn told the coachman to stop the carriage. "Let's get out," she said, "and have the coachman keep driving the carriage ahead."
Gavin Wei was confused and immediately asked, "If we're not taking the carriage, are we supposed to walk the rest of the way?"
"Not exactly walking. We're going to find a place to rest for a while—and to deal with the people coming after you. Otherwise, even if you reach the Royal Capital, you'll still be in danger," Lynn said.
Evan Chu was still confused. Why deal with them on the road? The Four Great Killers were in Bastion City—it would be much easier to take them out in the city than wait here.
Seeing the confusion on Evan Chu's face, Lynn smiled. "Bastion City is a chaotic place. The Assassin Guild isn't as simple as it looks—the real top assassins aren't the Four Great Killers, but the Shadows. There are ten Shadows, and every one of them is at least fifth-layer Earth Martial Realm.
The first three Shadows may even have Divine Martial Realm strength. If we fought inside Bastion City, Valorcrest Auctions would never know peace."
Evan Chu was shocked. He hadn't expected the Assassin Guild to be so powerful—they even had Divine Martial Realm killers.
"What if they send a Divine Martial expert? Wouldn't we all be finished?" Gavin Wei couldn't help but ask.
"The Shadows aren't dispatched lightly—only with a secret order. Big Brother, even though you killed the Sea Dragon Kingdom's Third Prince and are being hunted, it's not enough for them to send the Shadows. Or rather, you're not 'qualified' yet," Lynn said.
"Not qualified—good! If I were, I'd be dead already," Evan Chu said.
"If you ever do qualify, it won't be me protecting you—it'll be Aunt Ruby herself. Time's almost up, we need to find a hidden spot. Big Brother, you must stay put here and no matter what happens, don't come out. Even if I die!" Lynn said seriously.
"Come on! If I see you die and don't come out, what kind of man would I be?" Evan Chu muttered, feeling embarrassed at being told to hide—especially in a dangerous situation.
"Big Brother, your life is worth a thousand times more than mine. The auction master gave strict orders—I must protect you at all costs and secretly eliminate those hunting you," Lynn said, her tone full of respect and obedience toward Selena.
"Damn! I get it—you can count on me!" Evan Chu already had a plan; if things got truly dangerous, he'd use the powerful weapon Selena had given him to turn the tables.
Suddenly, Evan Chu seemed to think of something and asked, "Those Four Great Killers are all Heaven Martial experts, flying fast in the air—how are you going to intercept and kill them here?"
"The Four Great Killers aren't fools. The tracks we left on the ground just now will tell them at a glance that we've gotten out of the carriage—they'll definitely come looking. If I'm right, they'll be here any moment," Lynn replied confidently.
Evan Chu looked around and said, "There's a grove not far away—how about we hide there?"
"The grove is the most dangerous place—never go in. It's bad for both escape and rescue, and it makes it even easier for the killers to hide. If you really want to hide, it's better to crouch behind that little mound up ahead."
Evan Chu thought it made sense and said to Gavin Wei, "Gavin, go hide first—I'll be right behind you."
Gavin Wei didn't say anything and went straight over, while Evan Chu found a patch of tall grass nearby to hide in. But it was hardly effective—he could easily see people approaching from a distance.
Just then, a rush of wind sounded overhead. "Not good, they're here—be careful, Big Brother!" Lynn shouted.
Evan Chu saw four figures descending from the sky, landing right where they'd left the carriage. One of them said, "Just as we thought—they got out of the carriage. They must be nearby."
"Big Brother, no need to look—they're right there. Can't believe they dared to stop here. Looks like they're ready for us," laughed a strikingly seductive woman.
Her chest was so exaggerated it nearly burst her clothes, the sight of it rising and falling was enough to make one feel sick.
"That's the auctioneer from Valorcrest Auctions—she's very strong. I'll team up with Second and Third to handle her. Fourth, you go kill that kid. Once he's dead, we leave immediately," said the middle-aged man called Big Brother.
The four of them rushed toward Lynn and Evan Chu at incredible speed, arriving in an instant.
Lynn immediately pulled out a soft whip over three meters long, smiled at the attackers, and said, "You're pretty fast! I just got out of the carriage and you showed up—let's see you all die together!" She swung her whip, sending a shadow lashing toward the nearest enemy.
The four killers didn't hold back, unleashing their most powerful martial skills against Lynn. The ground erupted as mud and weeds were swept up by their force, turning instantly into a cloud of dust.
Just then, one of them dodged Lynn's attack, leaving a phantom trail as he lunged toward Evan Chu's hiding spot. Lynn was shocked. "Big Brother, watch out—!"