Chapter 386: Chapter 365: You Lost My Face
"You mean the doctor is just an identity?" This person named Xiao Lin is considered quite valuable among ordinary task levels, but it’s not easy to deal with, and everyone who took on the task has died.
"His woman is the daughter of the Xia Family, and a doctor who can invite Hua Muyun to make an appearance won’t be a simple character."
"The Underground City only deals in the trade of assassins, and does not get involved in national politics or personal grievances."
Lao Jiu opened his blood-red eyes, rarely showing a sense of helplessness.
That’s what they say, but how many can really do it? If they didn’t get involved, could the Underground City have survived until now? It’s just mutual exploitation; which employer isn’t a person of some reputation?
Whether to do it or not, it’s not up to them, and whether it succeeds or not is also not up to them. But even so, the Underground City, as a middleman, cannot escape blame. Being the City Lord isn’t that easy.
Being watched is an unpleasant feeling. Xiao Lin wandered around irritably.
In a place like this Underground City, surveillance is inevitable. Where is it? He couldn’t find it, but he could indeed feel that unfriendly gaze. It’s not sensitivity, but a kind of experience. Walking past his room, he didn’t go in but headed to the central area again.
"Do you think this person is also watching us?" Lao Jiu asked Lao Qing behind him again, suddenly having the impulse to rip off this person’s mask to see if he was really that average and unremarkable.
"Who cares!" Lao Qing showed no interest in Xiao Lin. He didn’t want to and was unwilling. It was as if his butt had grown roots into the chair and he refused to move.
"What? Do you expect me to get personally involved?"
Lao Jiu raised an eyebrow, the barely smiling expression hanging on his perfect face. Lao Qing hated being stared at by those bloody eyes, as if he were the feast in Lao Jiu’s mouth, ready to be devoured at any moment. He hated Lao Jiu calculating him with those eyes.
Lao Jiu was very satisfied with Lao Qing’s expression: "This person appeared at the duel yesterday, and left at the opening. He hasn’t left the room all night. From what it looks like now, there’s nothing suspicious. I can’t make a fuss over someone who hasn’t done anything wrong."
This reason was enough for Lao Qing to take action, so he got up. In both public and private matters, they were very clear. As long as there was enough reason, Lao Qing wouldn’t refuse.
Again with that kind of gaze, Xiao Lin furiously vented his anger in each step he took, deciding not to move any further but chose the spot from yesterday, sitting by the water pipe.
There’s no flow of time, yet there’s a sign of water flowing. He stared at the underground water merging from several places, isolating that small island at this central point, while the circulating water seemed calm but undoubtedly hid secrets beneath it.
Xiao Lin picked up a small stone and tossed it into the waterway, causing a splash before it sank. This time the gaze was more direct, and when he suddenly realized it, he let out a loud shout. A head hanging upside down appeared to his left, silent, with a finely fitted dark cyan mask.
"Not that impressive, huh?" The man flipped onto the ground. He felt Lao Jiu was overthinking it; this person had the slightest awareness a proper assassin should have. If he had wanted to kill him earlier, this person wouldn’t have stood a chance.
"State your number!"
Recovering from the shock, Xiao Lin patted his chubby chest with his hand. This man’s skills were unfathomable; there had indeed been a lapse just now.
"DOMO73895!"
"Hmph! You’re not worthy!" the man tossed down a sentence without saying anything more. He disliked doing unnecessary things and always acted directly on his intentions.
The figure charging directly at his face made Xiao Lin jump back a large step. His stiff right leg caused his actions to be slow. This was a bit inexplicable; every move was aimed at his face. He didn’t want to make wild speculations, but surely his body had some flaw.
"Excuse me, what does this mean?"
Stuttering a bit as he asked his inner doubts, Xiao Lin kept stepping back.
Trying his best to maintain some distance from this person, he didn’t want to create more trouble until he fully understood the situation, at least until he found another way out. The underground water before him was an option, but he couldn’t gauge its depth or the environment below.
The masked man kept his lips tightly closed. He raised his leg attacking his front, the flying leg bringing with it a gust that numbed his chest. Regulating his breathing, Xiao Lin didn’t dare to relax. After an agile turn, another flying kick came, flashing before his eyes. When the leg reached the center, a reverse move brought his left hand back to his face.
With two layers of added force, he slapped away the opponent’s hand, wanting to step sideways to the left, leaving a semicircular arc with his right foot on the ground, once again defusing the man’s attack.
His intention was not to take his life, but his face.
"Stop! I can’t beat you."
Lao Qing coldly snorted, using a sliding posture to pass by Xiao Lin’s back. The extended hand changed to a grabbing motion aimed at his head.
As if having eyes on the back of his head, Xiao Lin bent forward, swinging his crippled leg, just brushing past Lao Qing’s shoulder. The steel of his prosthetic leg tore a slit in the fabric.
"I... I didn’t mean to!" Xiao Lin hurriedly defended himself. But in the man’s eyes, this was undoubtedly a form of contempt, and he developed a murderous intent towards the fat man in front of him.
Under a cold gaze, a new round of attacks began. Xiao Lin was still only on defense, resolving every move of his opponent.
Trouble! Xiao Lin cradled his big belly, feeling it was a burden. With both hands, he blocked the opponent’s chain of kicks, using the force to propel himself into the air. A flash of silver, he extended a finger aiming at Lao Qing’s neck.
A whip lashed out, its tail coiling around Lao Qing’s waist, pulling him off the ground. Xiao Lin retracted his right foot and looked up, spotting a vivid shade of red standing not far away.
"Leave immediately!" The woman’s voice was particularly low, almost hoarse, which was beyond Xiao Lin’s imagination. There was a bit of disappointment in yesterday’s anticipation; in this world, nothing is perfect.
"I want to kill him!" the man roared, but he dared not go too far with the woman beside him.
"Leave immediately!" The woman again issued a warning to Xiao Lin below.
Stepping forward with his left foot, followed closely by his right. The warning in the woman’s tone was beyond refute, merely watching him walk away step by step without emotion.
"Why stop me?" Lao Qing was unwilling but also dared not say much in front of the woman.
"If I don’t stop you, should I watch you act foolishly?" Lao Jiu embraced the woman from behind, inhaling her fragrance: "You can’t kill that person."
"Impossible!" Lao Qing was unconvinced and followed behind Lao Jiu, while the woman vanished like a ghost before them. Lao Jiu was used to this disappearing act and sat back in front of the monitor.
"Just defending has already thrown you off balance; I don’t know what to say."
"I..." Lao Qing hadn’t realized this point and dejectedly lowered his head.
"You’ve embarrassed me!"
"I..."
"Let that person go!" Lao Jiu stared at the screen. If she hadn’t timely pulled Lao Qing away, the one hurt would have been Lao Qing.
"This is ’Black Crow’s decision."
Lao Qing turned his head away, saying nothing more.
The cross-headed key inserted into the lock had no effect; he couldn’t take away that gun. This was the message conveyed. Behind him was the boatman who brought him over, but now it had changed to an older woman holding a child, and this scene made him uncomfortable no matter how he looked at it.
Jumping onto the boat, the woman propelled it single-handedly. Such arm strength probably surpassed that of an average man. The baby didn’t cry, asleep, and quietly. While steering the boat, the woman’s gaze rested on the child, her eyes deathly cold.
"C-could I hold it for a moment?" His eyes met hers, so Xiao Lin said something to break the awkwardness.
The woman stared at him, then handed the baby to Xiao Lin.
The baby neither fussed nor cried because it was a dead infant. Its bluish skin had no stench, a result of being soaked in a special solution, with the insides removed and filled with mercury. Its round eyes were just two black holes, staring at them felt like having one’s soul sucked away.
Xiao Lin returned the infant to the woman and jumped ashore. He glanced back at the woman, only to hear her mechanical chuckle. Was she laughing? People here were filled with eeriness.
The mongrel dog ran back and forth, with a crack appearing on the wall. It stopped, tilting its head curiously at the wall, then quietly retreated a few steps.
A person struggled to squeeze out from the crack, and the mongrel suddenly barked at him, its panic drawing the old lady’s shouting.
"The smell of a corpse!" The old lady sniffed the air with her wrinkled face, then patted the mongrel’s head, heading towards the deepest part of the bridge.
The crack behind slowly closed. He looked back at the wall, then at the staggering figure heading deeper inside, stepping forward with his left foot.
The rain had ceased. Rainwater drawn from above turned the entrance into a small pond, submerging his entire foot. Even in high boots, he felt the cold seeping in. The snow melted into the water and would soon freeze, endlessly repeating the process, making the city’s weather detestable.
Xiao Lin climbed the stairs, dragging his heavy right foot with each step. The raincoat was left in that room; when they said to leave immediately, it really meant not needing to prepare anything.
The mongrel started barking at him again. In the light, it seemed to have a bit of a Shih Tzu’s shadow, yet it ultimately was a crossbreed, far from creating a new breed.
The underground city, he shouldn’t return here again, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be like this. Initially here, his facade was a mistake; he gained nothing, no one he sought nor information he needed. No, rather, this underground city presented no starting point. (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, you’re welcome to visit Qidian () to cast your recommended votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)