"What? There's an assassin? Where?"
The dark guards immediately stopped fooling around and rushed toward Serena's location. The courtyard patrol guards also charged in at once. Hearing the commotion, Serena quickly got up, and in that instant, all of Feng Manor was brightly lit.
"Protect the young lady! Protect her at all costs!"
"Where's the assassin? Where did they go?"
Feng Manor sprang into action. Guards surrounded Serena's courtyard so tightly that not even water could get through, placing her in the center and making sure nothing could happen to her.
At that moment, no one noticed a socially awkward dark guard quietly slip into Serena's room, pick up the book she had discarded, and open it...
Boom... The awkward dark guard's face turned bright red, his heartbeat went wild, and he darted his eyes around to make sure no one saw. Flustered, he stuffed the book into his clothes—and that was that...
The dark guards and patrol guards searched for ages but couldn't find a trace of the assassin. However, on the rooftop they discovered several broken tiles and a few fresh footprints—clearly just left behind.
Seeing these clues, the awkward dark guard was instantly petrified.
Was there really an assassin? What a coincidence?
"The assassin escaped. You stay here and protect the young lady—we'll give chase!" The group split up: the patrol guards and dark guards each took action. Those left behind to guard Serena were on high alert, eyes wide, scanning every corner in case the assassin returned.
Serena herself grew anxious, a flicker of unease crossing her mind.
Who would still want her dead at a time like this? An assassin? But assassins don't enter the Capital—if not an assassin, then who?
Most importantly—where was Evan Shore, her secret protector?
The assassin had made it onto her rooftop—how did Evan not notice? Seriously, Evan always disappears right when she needs him most.
Annoyed, Serena muttered twice and sent people to check on Simon Sun and Zed. Those two absolutely couldn't be allowed to get hurt.
Even though the assassin hadn't been found, it looked like no one at Feng Manor would be getting any sleep tonight. After something like this, there had to be a thorough inspection to see if there were any security holes that let the assassin slip in.
At the same time, a black-clad figure who had just escaped from Feng Manor leaned against a big tree, panting, his right hand thumping his chest—clearly terrified.
"Feng Manor's dark guards are way tougher than I thought. The moment I got close, they sensed me. I figured only Evan was a real threat near Serena, so I waited six whole hours just for Evan to go to the latrine. If I'd known, I wouldn't have waited."
Muttering complaints, the black-clad figure searched for a way out. After looking around for ages, he realized every direction seemed the same. Without another word, he pulled a copper coin from his pouch and tossed it: "Heads, go left; tails, go right; if it lands upright, just stay put."
Smack—the copper coin landed in his palm. By moonlight, the black-clad figure checked the result, pocketed the coin, and decisively headed left. But after only two streets, someone blocked his way.
He stopped in his tracks, but didn't foolishly turn and run—because the person blocking him was none other than Evan Shore, the number one assassin in the world, whose escape skills were unmatched.
The black-clad figure stood his ground, glaring at Evan, silently cursing heaven for sending him straight down a dead end.
As he plotted his escape and kept an eye on Evan's every move, Evan seized the opening and closed the distance.
"Dougie, spill it—which old bastard sent you here?" Evan's voice was soft, with no hint of menace, but it made the black-clad man jump. "Call me Dougie one more time and I'll kill you! My name is Dorian Owen—I'm the assassin Dorian Owen!"
Dorian Owen—full name Dougie Owen—was the number two assassin, ranked just behind Evan. Even their masters were ranked one apart.
"Dougie, quit messing around." Evan frowned, looking at him like he was a disobedient kid.
"Screw you, Evan! You must have a death wish! I'm telling you again: don't call me Dougie! Call me Dougie one more time and I'll kill you!" The cool, rational assassin persona shattered in an instant—Dorian Owen was totally losing it, his temples throbbing.
These days, the only person who dared—and actually would—call him Dougie was Evan. No one else had such a twisted sense of humor; the rest were already six feet under.
"Go ahead, make your move." Evan was calm—so calm you'd think he didn't fear death. But Dorian Owen knew full well Evan was just putting on a show; if he actually attacked, he'd be the one in trouble.
"Fine, I won't fight—just don't call me Dougie." Dorian Owen didn't even reach for his blade; he knew from experience that he'd always end up losing.
"If you're not fighting, then tell me—why did you sneak into Feng Manor while I was gone?" Evan stayed wary, knowing Dorian wouldn't attack easily but never letting his guard down.
No one lets down their guard around an assassin. They're no gentlemen—whether it's Dorian or Evan, if given the chance, they'd use every dirty trick to take each other out. They're enemies, plain and simple.
"Why sneak into Feng Manor at night? To kill, obviously. Don't tell me you don't know how much Serena is worth." Dorian Owen looked at Evan with open contempt, as if Evan had disgraced the assassin world.
Seriously, a proper assassin turning into a bodyguard—it's a disgrace. Outsiders might think assassins can't make a living anymore.
"Kill Serena? The Alliance actually sent you? Are those old geezers getting desperate?" Evan mocked.
He'd known for a long time that with Serena's bounty and the chaos it caused, if she survived a year, the Alliance would have to send someone after her. The Alliance couldn't afford to lose face or that many assassins.
"Glad you get it. Evan, I'm warning you—don't go against the Alliance. Serena must die." If Serena lived, the Assassin Alliance's reputation would be ruined.
Because of Serena, in less than a year, the assassin world had lost almost a thousand people. The whole industry was on the brink because of her.
Assassins were dying off too fast—whole schools had been wiped out. If this kept up, the Alliance would collapse sooner or later. So Serena had to die, and soon.
"Hmph..." Evan was utterly unfazed by Dorian's threats. He pointed: "Go on, if you've got the guts—try killing her. I'll be waiting to collect your corpse."
"You..." Dorian was so furious his eyes turned bloodshot.
Evan knew perfectly well Dorian had just blown his cover—saying that was a deliberate slap in the face.
"If you can't do it, then stay out of my way. For your master's sake, I'll let you off this time. If there's a next time, don't blame me for what happens."
With that, Evan turned and walked away, leaving Dorian Owen stomping in frustration. And then... he realized he was lost again, wandering the alley for ages without finding a way out.