The two assassins burst into laughter the moment Chen spoke.
One of them tilted his head with a mocking grin.
"Kid, you really think too highly of yourself. Did fear already make you insane? Not that it matters… you're dying tonight."
Twin daggers materialized in his hands, gleaming coldly.
He vanished like wind.
Chen's instincts screamed.
He expanded his qi perception in every direction, letting the world slow around him. A faint distortion flickered behind him—
He moved.
Clash!
The assassin's strike stabbed into the ground instead, cracking the stone beneath.
The assassin chuckled darkly.
"So you can sense me. Impressive… but not enough to defeat me."
He blurred again, his speed doubling, attacks raining down like metallic shadows.
Chen blocked each strike with his sword, but the assassin's strength and precision were far beyond the earlier fighters. Every hit sent numbing force up Chen's arm.
Too strong… but manageable.
He wrapped dark qi around his sword and countered with a heavy strike.
BOOM!
The assassin was blasted back several steps, boots skidding across the ground.
A twisted smile crawled over his face.
"Kid… I underestimated you. You actually made my blood boil."
His aura flared.
He disappeared again — faster, wilder, almost manic.
But Chen had already learned his pattern.
He dodged, blocked, parried — every movement sharp and fluid.
His eyes grew colder.
His blood ran hotter.
For the first time in his new life… he was enjoying the fight.
His body absorbed spiritual qi greedily, feeding his strength in real time.
Enough. Time to end this.
The other assassin leaned lazily against the wall, speaking on the phone.
"…Relax. My partner will finish the kid in a minute. Yeah, the target is—"
Something rolled to his foot and tapped his shoe.
He frowned and glanced down.
His breath froze.
It was a head.
His partner's head.
Eyes wide open in terror.
He looked up slowly.
Chen walked toward him through the darkness, black sword dripping with dark aura like liquid night.
His presence felt like a demon crawling out of hell.
The assassin's legs shook violently.
Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run.
Run. Run. RUN!
But he couldn't move.
"D-Don't come closer!" he stammered. "You—you made a huge mistake! The Black Tiger Cult will never spare you! If they issue a kill order, your life becomes hell! No one survives the Tiger Cult!"
Chen's smile spread — slow, cold, predatory.
"Thanks for the information."
His eyes turned razor-sharp.
"And tell your cult… every person they send after me will die. Just like you."
A single slash ended him.
Chen dragged both corpses into a dumpster nearby, wiping his blade clean of their blood before dismissing it.
He walked home as though nothing happened.
Xiang was still awake, waiting on the sofa.
The moment Chen entered, she hurried over.
"Why are you so late, my child? You should have told me… I was waiting to eat with you."
Chen sat beside her, guilt softening his eyes.
"Mom, you didn't have to wait. I could've eaten alone."
She stroked his hair gently.
"No, my son. I wanted to eat with you. That's all."
Chen's eyes grew warm — almost teary.
This life… he wouldn't waste it.
They ate together, and later, he fell asleep in her arms.
He was older now, stronger, fiercer… but still, he couldn't sleep well unless he felt her warmth.
And Xiang held him like the most precious thing she had.
Next morning, Chen skipped college.
He needed resources, treasures — anything to accelerate his cultivation.
Yesterday, fighting Foundation-level assassins had shown him reality.
He was strong… but not strong enough.
He wandered through the market, scanning items with his Dark Void Eyes technique.
Most things were fake.
The rare genuine items were too low-grade to matter.
Then he saw it.
A ring.
Ordinary to every eye — except his.
From it leaked immense dark energy.
A hidden treasure.
Chen stepped to the shopkeeper.
"How much for this ring?"
The shopkeeper glanced at it carelessly.
"That old thing? Been lying there forever. Its history is… mysterious. Take it for a thousand dollars."
Chen almost laughed.
He knew instantly — the shopkeeper had no idea what the ring was.
"Three hundred," Chen said flatly. "Not a dollar more."
The shopkeeper clicked his tongue.
His bluff had failed.
"Fine, fine—"
Before he could finish, a boy stepped forward.
"I'll take it for two thousand!"