Chapter 27: Never Humiliate an Assassin

Xiao Kaitian showed no interest in answering the question. He grasped a bundle of fine threads, delicate as spider silk, completely ignoring the boy’s nervousness. “Your name. Or rather, your code name.”

Sweat the size of beans rolled down the boy’s forehead. His entire body was rigid; he realized that if he dared to lift a hand to wipe it away, his fate would be nothing short of death.

There was terror in his confusion—how had Xiao Kaitian seen through him so easily? Based on his past experience, his abilities allowed him to assassinate martial artists of the early and middle stages of the Profound Realm. His puppet technique was a secret art; not only ordinary people, but even martial artists from the Island Nation could rarely identify it at a glance. Yet, Xiao Kaitian had exposed him completely in a single exchange—this made no sense.

Moreover, there was no trace of martial energy or any such aura from Xiao Kaitian. Who was this man?

As an assassin, being caught and interrogated by his target was a disgrace. In such circumstances, suicide seemed preferable.

But the thread controlling his puppet was now in Xiao Kaitian’s hand, and his own body was being manipulated against him.

Could it be that Xiao Kaitian also knew the puppet arts of the Island Nation? Right now, his only option was to stall for time. He considered his answer carefully. “Egret.”

“A D-rank assassin,” Xiao Kaitian replied, echoing the information he had just learned from Red Carp. He tossed the thread back to Egret, his hands thrust casually into his pockets. “Tell me your organization. In exchange, I’ll spare your puppet.”

Egret’s young face turned even paler. To be countered by the target and forced to reveal information was a humiliation beyond compare. He gritted his teeth and managed to say, “Are you certain you want to know the name of my organization?”

“Let me remind you: once you’re up against the organization, it’s a fight to the death,” Egret warned, his words laced with threat, hoping to intimidate Xiao Kaitian.

Xiao Kaitian raised his right hand and gently pressed it against the back of the woman lying on the ground. Several flashes of silver shot from her back, causing Egret’s expression to change drastically. Xiao Kaitian then spoke lazily, “My patience is limited. I don’t mind destroying your toy.”

“Six Leaves,” Egret replied, his face dark as night. He was certain now that Xiao Kaitian understood the puppet arts; otherwise, how could he have forced the control needles out? Normally, only the practitioner could remove them—any outsider’s attempt would result in the death of the controlled victim. But Xiao Kaitian had succeeded. “Now I understand why Red Carp failed. I never expected you to be a martial artist.”

Yet doubt lingered in his heart. He could discern no signs of martial cultivation from Xiao Kaitian, nor did he seem like an assassin. This scion of the Han-Tang family—what was his true identity? Six Leaves’ intelligence had been so flawed; Egret regretted accepting this assignment so easily.

Xiao Kaitian didn’t answer Egret’s question directly. He was not a martial artist. Having obtained the name of Egret’s organization, he nodded with satisfaction. “Now, what else do you have that you’d trade for your life?”

Egret was dumbfounded. He had expected that revealing his organization’s name would pressure Xiao Kaitian, but the man was completely indifferent. The organization’s name only bought back his puppet; his own life was still at risk. His jaw trembled. “You dare to kill me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Xiao Kaitian flexed his fist. Egret was an assassin; even if he killed him, it would never reach the police. Six Leaves would undoubtedly clean up the mess. “Or do you think I can’t?”

Egret fell silent. This man before him had seen through his most prized assassination technique in an instant. Previously, with his puppet arts, he could slaughter martial artists below the Profound Realm as easily as chopping vegetables, but tonight he had met his match. He understood clearly that Xiao Kaitian’s words reflected contempt, not inability.

To Xiao Kaitian, Egret was nothing more than a slightly larger ant. Trouble did not bother him, but those close to him—Jiang Churan, Uncle Zhong, and others he cared for in this world—had no perfect protection yet.

He could kill Egret, but if Six Leaves continued to harass his family, he might not be able to handle it all. This shaped his approach—push them back, but do not corner them.

“My patience is limited.” Xiao Kaitian tugged at his collar, and to Egret, this gesture signaled impending action. He swallowed hard. “Wait!”

He set down his backpack, rummaged inside, and produced a small vial of blue liquid, which he tossed to Xiao Kaitian.

“I got it recently after assassinating a martial artist—Strength Water,” Egret pouted. What kind of situation was this? An assassin’s failure should mean death, not being threatened to barter for his life. Was he such a shameless killer? He had always remembered the assassin’s code, but in this extraordinary circumstance, who would want to die if survival was possible? “It’s useless to me; let it buy my life.”

Xiao Kaitian sneered. Strength Water was of little use to him; his divine source was already powerful, and his body could not withstand its full release. He accepted the tiny bottle, no larger than eyedrops, and as his divine source flowed, he let out a surprised sound.

From the vial, he could sense faint fluctuations of four-dimensional power. It signified that breakthroughs in dimension were possible in this world. He stared at Egret as one would at a delicious meal. “Where did you get this?”

“It’s a common cultivation resource among martial artists from the Island Nation,” Egret replied honestly, now devoid of resistance, eager only to escape. “Many sects have it, but for me, since my cultivation path differs, it’s not very useful.”

“What resources do you use for your cultivation?” Xiao Kaitian asked with a mocking smile.

Egret was lost for words. His main path was body refinement, drawing strength from physical training and assassination techniques, not from ingesting rare materials like martial artists. That was why martial artists generally surpassed assassins in power. Faced with Xiao Kaitian’s questioning, he could only shake his head to indicate he had nothing.

Xiao Kaitian did not press further. Assassins undertaking missions would never carry valuables. He put away the vial, resting his chin in his hand as he pondered. “It seems I should pay Six Leaves a visit sometime. Surely they have more things like this.”

Egret’s forehead was drenched with sweat. Was this man really planning to target Six Leaves? The martial artists of Han-Tang were truly despicable—killing was one thing, but humiliating an assassin was another.

“Um, Mr. Xiao, may I leave now?” At last, he gathered the courage to ask.

Seeing that Egret had nothing else worth taking, Xiao Kaitian lost interest. He waved his hand to dismiss Egret, lightly kicking the woman back toward him. Then he climbed into the driver’s seat, and as the window rose slowly, he uttered, “If I see you again, I’ll kill you without hesitation.”

To spare once did not mean to spare again; that was his principle. Flies may buzz, but if they buzz too loudly, it’s best to swat them dead.