Maneuvering and Reinforcements

Definitely an enemy. If it were an ally, they would have come to see him directly long ago. A flurry of thoughts flashed through Ye Huan's mind. Until he met the other party face-to-face, he had no way of knowing what would happen. The entire situation was out of his control. —Even life and death were beyond his control. Yet the other party had already begun pressing him, and escape was impossible. In that case— Ye Huan took out his phone and dialed Song Fushan's number. "Hello?" "Section Chief, I'd like to request backup." "Backup? What's the situation?" Song Fushan asked. "Do we have personnel in the mining area?" "Of course. The investigation in the mining area isn't over yet; in fact, it's expanded." —Just as Xia Li had said! "I'm at the mining residential quarters right now. A martial artist upstairs is inviting me up. If I don't move, they'll probably come down any second," Ye Huan said rapidly. "Is there enough time?" Song Fushan asked. "There should be," Ye Huan replied. "Your location." "Mining residential complex, Building 3, Unit 1, fifth floor, Apartment 501. The enemy is on the rooftop." "Understood. Hang in there. I'll call Old Xu, the head of the Bureau's special investigation team." Song Fushan hung up immediately. Ye Huan lowered his phone and exhaled softly. Objectively speaking, he still didn't know whether they were friend or foe. However, even if he made a false report, all he had to do was apologize. What if he was right? Just as he was thinking this, the vibrations suddenly ceased. The door was kicked open. A figure clad in black walked into the room. Just as Ye Huan was about to strike, a line of small text appeared on his phone: "Captain Xu is on his way back from the depths of the mine. Hang in there!" It was from Song Fushan. Good. That would do. Ye Huan suddenly darted out the window and leaped outside, scaling the apartment building's rooftop as nimbly as an agile mountain ape. The figure in black immediately gave chase, trailing right behind him and lashing out with a strike. Mid-air, even though he could no longer execute Three Skims of the Flying Swallow, Ye Huan relied on his battle experience to whip around and unleash a full-powered palm strike. Iron Hand Force! A sound like a thunderclap erupted in mid-air. Borrowing the force of his opponent's blow, Ye Huan retreated swiftly onto the rooftop. The figure in black paused for a fraction of a second, then immediately caught up, leaping onto the rooftop to land opposite Ye Huan. Not far behind him sat another person. Two people in total. Both clad in black. "You were looking for me?" Ye Huan asked. The figure in black stepped back to the seated person's side, lowering his head slightly and standing respectfully without uttering a word. Looking closely now, the figure in black was actually a youth of fifteen or sixteen. The other person, seated nearby, had greying temples and looked to be around fifty years old. He wore sunglasses and had his hands clasped behind his back as he appraised Ye Huan from head to toe. "You made a mistake, so we had to make a special trip here," the middle-aged man said. "What mistake?" Ye Huan asked. The man said slowly, "The hundred-odd people at Night Owl's place were originally gathered from the surrounding counties, towns, and villages—thirty-nine locations in total. Every single one had blood on their hands; they were all promising prospects worth grooming. Yet you sacrificed them to that master of yours." "I express my deepest regrets regarding this matter, and my profound condolences for the deceased assassins. I am willing to join hands with you to build a comprehensive strategic partnership between our cult and your assassin syndicate," Ye Huan said. This man was clearly no ordinary figure. Don't provoke him. Reinforcements were still deep in the mine; he needed to buy a little time! The two opposite him fell silent. "Forget it, no need for further words," the man said, shaking his head. "Among you cultists, the probability of being a lunatic is exceptionally high. Go ahead. Use him for practice." "Yes," the black-clad youth answered. "Wait! How much did An Qi pay you?" Ye Huan shouted. "Commercial secrets cannot be disclosed lightly. Besides, this isn't a matter of money," the middle-aged man said. The black-clad youth rolled his shoulders and flexed his wrists, slowly walking toward Ye Huan. Ye Huan sighed and asked again, "Are you two going to come at me together?" The black-clad youth chuckled and said, "Don't think so highly of yourself. Killing a wet-behind-the-ears kid like you doesn't require my master to lift a finger. He's at the Jiuyao level." Ye Huan's expression shifted. The man behind him was at the Jiuyao level! Gifting that perfume... the effect really had been excessively potent. There was no helping it... "You're at the Shidu level? I'm at Shidu too," Ye Huan said. "I've opened ten acupoints. Killing you is child's play," the black-clad youth teased playfully. —This kid was an extraordinary monster as well. "Come on, then." Ye Huan assumed a boxing stance. "Fine!" The black-clad youth advanced toward him step by step. Suddenly— "You can't touch me. I'm a disciple of the Taiyin Sect. Right now, I'm only stationed in Lantie City by my master for experiential training." Ye Huan lowered his hands again. The black-clad youth froze, involuntarily glancing back at the middle-aged man. The Taiyin Sect! Those three words seemed to possess magic, freezing him from making another move. The man's expression turned grave. He pondered for a moment and asked, "When and where did you enter the sect, and under which master did you apprentice?" "I entered the sect eight years ago. My esteemed master's name cannot be mentioned," Ye Huan said. "You're lying!" the black-clad youth barked. "The reason my cultivation is currently sealed is that I acted on my own authority and committed a grave mistake during the All-Life Spectrum Evolution Rite, forcing me to serve my punishment here," Ye Huan said. "But if you dare touch a hair on my head, I guarantee your entire assassin syndicate will be buried alongside me." The black-clad youth gave a sinister grin and was about to strike, but the middle-aged man held him back. "Eight years ago..." A look of reminiscence crossed the middle-aged man's face, and he asked, "Who passed the entrance test that year? What were their rankings? You can at least share that much, right?" "Xia Luoning was first, Zhang Beisheng second, Zhao Yougang third..." Ye Huan reeled off more than twenty names in a single breath. "You just looked up records and memorized some facts," the black-clad youth shouted. "Matters of our Taiyin Sect have always been confidential. If you've got the ability, go look them up and show me," Ye Huan said with utter disdain. "After entering the sect, your fellow disciples surely apprenticed under masters on the spot. Would you care to shed some light on that?" the middle-aged man asked again. "Stop trying to trick me," Ye Huan sneered. "After entering the sect, we underwent three months of rigorous cultivation, followed by a succession of martial tests, ability tests, and exploration tests. Only after that could we be chosen by the various masters to become their disciples." As if reciting from memory, he described the Taiyin Sect martial artists he had seen during those first few months—their names, appearances, temperaments, and even their martial specialties. Finally, he added, "—I remember that in one exploration test, Xia Luoning was still first, and only after that did she successfully take a master." The black-clad youth glanced back. The middle-aged man's expression grew increasingly solemn, even slightly pale. This fight was no longer an option. "Sealing one's cultivation... is an extremely perilous matter..." the middle-aged man murmured. "There was no choice. I have to dissolve my existing rite, reconnect with the Ether, and overwrite the original protocol with a higher rite before I can have a chance at rebirth," Ye Huan sighed despondently. He spoke with absolute professional authority. Had it not been for a prodigy like Luosha, such issues would never have surfaced in the first place. Nor would Xia Li and Song Fushan have explained things belonging far ahead at the Daozang Baji realm so early on. Ye Huan just happened to have been involved and just happened to know, making his explanation sound completely convincing. The middle-aged man nodded slightly, cupping his hands. "That is indeed true. However, over a hundred of our men died..." Ye Huan smiled and said, "The responsibility falls into three parts: first, your intelligence was unprofessional enough that you picked a fight with my Taiyin Sect; second, An Qi deceived you; and third, I was indeed a bit heavy-handed. I can provide one-third of the compensation. Draw up a list for me to look over, and we'll call it even." "...Very well," the middle-aged man said. Yet the black-clad youth beside him spoke up: "Who would have thought that after that incident, not only did Xia Luoning vanish, but even disciples like you were demoted to this imperial frontier." His tone was still dripping with malice. "Given her pedigree and family background, you hardly need to worry about her," Ye Huan said playfully. "Family pedigree is the most hypocritical, interest-driven thing of all. Her end might not be pretty," the youth retorted. Ye Huan paused for a moment, then murmured softly, "A provincial assassin from the borderlands like you pays that much attention to her? Could she be your real target?" The middle-aged man remained expressionless. The black-clad youth, however, reacted as though struck, staggering back two steps involuntarily. Ye Huan stared at him and suddenly said, "Wait..." "Do you really dare target her?" "We wouldn't dare. Little friend, you're mistaken—completely mistaken!" the middle-aged man said hurriedly. Too fast! This kid's deduction and intuition were razor-sharp! The middle-aged man felt a chill in his heart. At that very instant— Without uttering a single word, Ye Huan spun around and sprinted at top speed— He hurled himself forward and leaped high into the air, jumping straight off the rooftop. Was he jumping to his death? No—he seemed to have a clear destination. He was leaping toward the mine entrance! Originally, he could have continued playing for time. However, the other party's apprentice clearly lacked experience, which was why his master was accompanying him on the job. And he had slipped up. If they even dared go after Xia Luoning, and he had accidentally stumbled upon their secret, he was far better off making a run for it before they could make up their minds! Behind him, a gust of fierce wind swept toward him. The black-clad youth had attacked, and it was evidently a strike of tremendous power! Ye Huan twisted around abruptly, thrusting out a palm against the gusting gale. Boom— A thunderous roar detonated in mid-air. Heart-Shattering Palm! The might of this technique was countless times stronger than Iron Hand Force! Ye Huan's arm went numb and throbbing with pain, but he gritted his teeth and used the momentum of the blow to accelerate his retreat toward the mining area. "He really is a disciple of the Taiyin Sect," the black-clad youth exclaimed in surprise. He had opened ten acupoints and was on the verge of reaching the Jiuyao level. Even though it had only been a probing strike, it should have been more than enough to overwhelm a martial artist with three opened acupoints! Yet the boy had actually blocked it! The middle-aged man also called out in a low, grim voice, "That wasn't Iron Hand—even I haven't seen that technique before. It must be a secret heritage of the Taiyin Sect." "Are we just going to let him go like this?" the black-clad youth asked urgently, a trace of dismay on his face. Complications had arisen. It was all his fault; a single slip of the tongue had allowed that Taiyin Sect disciple to seize upon a flaw. If he truly discovered their plan— "Let me test him with one more move." The middle-aged man rose to his feet and vanished from where he stood. Gliding through mid-air, Ye Huan suddenly felt a sharp pang of danger. Such speed! He could only catch the afterimage left behind as the man vanished. ...This wouldn't do. He had to use a movement technique. He had to dump all his skill points into Three Skims of the Flying Swallow! Deploying Three Skims of the Flying Swallow had three consequences: Evasion on the fly, deterrence through identity, and immediate exposure. Exposing this movement technique would prove he was a Taiyin Sect disciple— Perhaps he wouldn't have to die right now. Even if he were investigated later, it was better than dying on the spot! Ye Huan gritted his teeth, about to convert his skill points and execute the Flying Swallow technique. Sudden change erupted— "Stop!" Accompanied by a furious roar, a blurred silhouette swept over from the direction of the mining area, intercepting the gale and swatting it away with a wave of a hand. Reinforcements! An expert dispatched to the mining area by the Bureau of Investigation!