"Professional assassins?" Hearing those four words, Fatty Lin and the other two couldn't help but flinch. They all knew that 'assassin' and 'professional assassin' were not the same concept. An assassin was just an individual, but a professional assassin was organized—those so-called 'Assassin Guilds.' Had Yang Yi suddenly become a target for them?

"Boss, won't this cause trouble? I heard that once a bounty is placed on someone in the assassin world, it means endless trouble. If it’s domestic, it’s fine; just find the person who issued the bounty and make them lift it. But if it’s worldwide, that could be truly problematic." Ye Xiaohou's expression turned very serious, as if he were quite knowledgeable about these matters.

"Domestic, worldwide, lift it?" Yang Yi was already confused, let alone Fatty Lin.

But Xu Ming also seemed to realize the severity of the situation, though he cut straight to the chase: "Boss, you're still safe here right now, and you know it’s a professional assassin coming for you. That means you must also know how much the bounty is, right?"

"I know!" Yang Yi replied.

"How much?" Ye Xiaohou asked.

"Ten million." Yang Yi seemed to wonder if the other two were overthinking things.

"Ten million?" Xu Ming and Ye Xiaohou's faces suddenly shifted—not to seriousness, but as if a great weight had been lifted.

"What? You two looked so tense. Is there something wrong with that?" Yang Yi asked, puzzled.

"Sigh," Ye Xiaohou let out a long breath and said, "Boss, you're actually a bit lucky this time. It’s good that it hasn't crossed the threshold into a worldwide hit; otherwise, it would have been truly dangerous."

"Yeah, if those assassin guilds targeted you, even with your current strength, Boss, you’d probably be in danger," Xu Ming said lightly.

"Damn it, you two, can you just say everything at once? What the hell!" Fatty Lin glared at them and roared. He had been worried sick hearing that Yang Yi would be in danger if targeted by any assassin guild.

"Second Brother, let me tell you, the world is vast. I admit, among the people I’ve met, whose lineage I could trace back through generations, the Boss's strength is considerable. However, the world is huge, and there are many masters, especially that assassin guild I heard about in England. Those people from the Assassin Guild are monsters, comparable to our Huaxia's Dragon Ranking!" Ye Xiaohou seemed to sense something, paused, and then asked, "Right, Boss, do you know about the Dragon Ranking?"

"The Dragon Ranking? I've heard a little." Yang Yi said thoughtfully. That was from many years ago, something he’d heard from his grandfather—that Huaxia had a Dragon Ranking. Anyone who made it onto the Dragon Ranking had reached the state of Three Flowers Converging at the Crown (San Hua Ju Ding) or above; in modern terms, even those above the level of Junior Grandmaster might not qualify. This was because the masters on the Dragon Ranking were either Grandmasters or Great Grandmasters.

"Since you know, I'll be direct. The Dragon Ranking has existed in Huaxia for many years; I heard all this from my elders. The Dragon Ranking is divided into tiers based on characters, and it only accommodates ten people. The roster changes once every decade. If you can defeat the tenth-ranked character on the Dragon Ranking, you can claim a spot. Of course, you could also directly defeat the number one master, taking the top position. But I doubt they would come after you for just ten million," Ye Xiaohou explained.

"Is the Dragon Ranking really that formidable?" Fatty Lin felt Ye Xiaohou was perhaps exaggerating things a bit.

"No, Second Brother, the Dragon Ranking cannot be described by 'formidable.' They are simply the most mysterious existence in Huaxia, comparable to gods," Xu Ming said, knitting his brows.

Yang Yi listened to everything they said clearly. A strange, captivating aura flickered in his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking at that moment. A faint smile still played on his lips as he said, "Heh, I don't think anything will happen for now. After all, it’s only a ten-million bounty. If the masters on that Dragon Ranking are as legendary as Fourth Brother claims, they certainly won't surface for such a small sum."

"Indeed. They are monsters, after all, and after years of cultivation, they've probably grown weary of the world's superficial distractions," Ye Xiaohou also replied with a slight smile, though he remained somewhat worried internally.

"Alright, alright, we seem to have drifted off topic," Xu Ming said diplomatically.

Yang Yi and Fatty Lin remained silent, both wearing smiles, but who knew what was truly brewing in their minds.

"Right, Boss, who did you offend to have yourself placed on a bounty in the assassin world?" Xu Ming asked.

"Heh, I don't know. I suppose I've offended too many people," Yang Yi replied with a knowing look.

"It seems we'll have to investigate thoroughly. Otherwise, the troubles will only keep piling up!" Ye Xiaohou remarked.

Yang Yi clearly understood the distinction they drew between an ordinary assassin and a professional one. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, though he spoke with an air of amusement: "Believe me, fish cannot leave the water. When the water becomes murky, they will naturally jump out!"

Fatty Lin, Xu Ming, and Ye Xiaohou exchanged glances, suddenly feeling bewildered, as if they hadn't understood a word he meant.

#########

"Can you determine if that explosion was man-made?" At this moment, Director Ling Shan sat at his desk, his face grave, his eyes filled with sorrow, as he asked.

"Reporting to the Director, due to the large area affected by the explosion, we cannot definitively determine if it was deliberate or accidental..."

"Enough! I don't want to hear any more excuses. Use whatever means necessary, but find out how my son died," Ling Shan suddenly snapped, standing up and addressing the police captains.

"Yes, Director." The police captains felt the case was peculiar and recognized their sworn duty as police officers to uncover the truth.

"Go on, you can leave now." Ling Shan waved his hand, looking profoundly desolate in his grief.

Once the police captains had filed out, Ling Shan settled back into his chair, his expression deep. He turned his back to the room, gazing out at the view from the window. After a long moment, a surge of resentment flashed in his eyes. "Bin'er, rest assured. Father will find the murderer and avenge you. Just wait. I will send someone down to keep you company in the Yellow Springs so you won't be alone."

A father burying his son—such grief is often immense. Yet, if Ling Bin had lived, countless people in the world might have suffered injustice and bullying. But now that he was dead, his father, Ling Shan, was perpetuating his own sins, his own hatred. Perhaps this was the continuation of his nightmare...