Around five in the evening, two Indian men emerged from the station exit. One was nearly six feet tall, possessing a gentle smile that was disarmingly warm. Strangely, his neck was as thick as his head, and a long braid hung down his back. The other Indian man stood almost seven feet tall, bald, and utterly expressionless.

“Gentlemen, visiting Yangzhou?” A short-haired youth approached them, speaking in English. “We are from the Left Hand Travel Agency.”

“Mmm.”

The two Indians nodded.

They followed the youth to a seemingly ordinary taxi waiting near the road just outside the station.

“It took over a month just to track down Lone Wolf. Your organization, the Dark Hand, is truly inefficient,” the taller, cold-faced Indian snorted, his English fluent.

The short-haired youth could only offer a strained smile. “That Flying Dagger Lone Wolf was likely injured after his fight with ‘Sharpshooter’ and ‘Body Crusher,’ which is why he’s been in hiding. Besides, we face significant restrictions here in China, and our manpower is limited. That’s why we only located his trace yesterday.”

“Injured fighting those two brats, Sun Ze and Dolgotrov? Brother, it seems killing that Flying Dagger Lone Wolf won't be much of a challenge. I can handle it easily by myself,” the tall Indian remarked. The three supreme leaders of the world’s foremost organization, ‘Divine Kingdom,’ were known respectively as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Though their statuses were equal, Vishnu was the eldest and thus considered the elder brother. Brahma and Shiva were notoriously aggressive, while Vishnu tended to be more amicable.

“Indeed, but we still shouldn’t be careless,” the gentle-smiling, braided Indian man stated.

The two heavyweights of the Divine Kingdom organization boarded the taxi and headed into the city.

...

Roughly an hour after the two Indians departed, around six in the evening, another group appeared at the Yangzhou Railway Station. This group had traveled all day by train from Tianjin, arriving in the late afternoon.

“Boss Shen, let’s get in.” Two Volkswagen Passats pulled up to ferry the four individuals away.

In the first Passat, seated in the back was a lean man wearing a travel cap and casual clothes. Next to him sat a middle-aged man with a large gut and a fleshy, imposing face.

“Your boss, and the assassin he hired, are both dead?” the lean man frowned.

“Yes. Shortly after that assassin died, the boss passed away. He died in the secret passage of his study. It wasn’t until the servants were cleaning two days later and smelled the odor that the boss’s body was found,” the fleshy-faced man sighed, shaking his head. “None of us know who actually did it.”

The lean man’s brow furrowed deeper. “It couldn’t have been Qin Hong.”

Qin Hong, a member of the Special Operations Group, never left a body behind; he would have cleaned up the scene impeccably.

“Boss Shen, this whole incident is bizarre. The boss died without a sound while under our heavy protection. Killing Qin Hong isn’t an immediate necessity, so why take the risk and come here personally, Boss Shen?” the fleshy-faced man tried to reason.

“Hmph. What do you know,” the lean man sneered, instantly silencing the middle-aged man. After all, the man before him was a well-known figure from the North—Shen Yangming of Shenyang.

Even if I die, I must avenge him, Shen Yangming thought silently. Generally, when assassins form a partnership, they trust each other with their lives; their bond runs deep. Like the old ‘Wolf and Cat’ duo—Teng Qingshan and his wife—they were practically married. Cat’s death had driven Teng Qingshan into a frenzy, leading him to attack the entire organization’s base. Similarly, after Sun Ze died, Dolgotrov went mad with rage and attacked Teng Qingshan like a berserker. Any assassin pair must share an extraordinary connection.

Of the ‘Two Tigers of the Northeast,’ ‘Wang Qing’ had been attacked by elites from the Special Operations Group years ago and was killed by Qin Hong. Wang Qing died ultimately to help his younger brother, Shen Yangming, survive and escape.

Shen Yangming could never forget his enemy, ‘Qin Hong.’ He had intended to use others to kill Qin Hong, but it seemed it wouldn't be so easy. For the sake of his elder brother, Shen Yangming was prepared to come to Yangzhou personally, sparing no expense.

Qin Hong, you are certainly doomed, Shen Yangming mused internally, then ordered, “Stop at the hotel entrance ahead. Your involvement ends there.” Naturally, Shen Yangming wouldn't entrust the surveillance of Qin Hong to common thugs. This time, he had paid a considerable sum to hire help from the ‘Dark Hand’ organization. Shen Yangming would stop at nothing to kill Qin Hong.

...

Just after seven in the evening, Teng Qingshan was eating dinner at a small, rustic farmhouse restaurant.

His phone vibrated.

“Hmm?” Teng Qingshan sounded slightly surprised. He didn't expect anyone to call him.

“Hello.” Teng Qingshan pressed the answer key.

“Teng Qingshan, this is Lin Qing,” an excited voice came through the receiver. “Are you free? I have an urgent matter to discuss.”

Teng Qingshan currently had nothing pressing; his entire focus was immersed in the martial path.

“Urgent matter?” Teng Qingshan asked, a touch confused.

“Yes, extremely urgent. Can you come over? I’m near Mingyue Lake in the West District,” Lin Qing pressed.

Teng Qingshan considered it briefly, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll be right there.”

He immediately hailed a taxi and rushed toward Mingyue Lake in the West District, his mind filled with questions. In the few interactions I’ve had with Lin Qing, she always seemed like a very calm person. She’s never sounded this anxious. But listening to her voice, it doesn’t sound like she’s in danger. Unable to figure out what Lin Qing needed, he decided to go anyway, given their history of interactions.

...

It was completely dark now. Only the dim streetlights illuminated Mingyue Lake in the West District; very few people were around at this hour. A silver Audi A4 was parked quietly beside the lake, a woman sitting in the driver’s seat—it was Lin Qing.

Screeech—

After the taxi stopped, Teng Qingshan paid the fare and got out, walking directly toward the lakeside.

“Teng Qingshan!” Lin Qing immediately got out of the car and waved excitedly.

“Mmm?”

Teng Qingshan looked around carefully. There was no one else besides Lin Qing, and he approached with suspicion.

“Teng Qingshan!” Lin Qing ran toward him.

“You called me over so urgently, what is it?” Teng Qingshan inquired.

“Hahaha…” Lin Qing couldn't help but laugh. “I am so happy, incredibly happy, so I just wanted to find you.” At that moment, Lin Qing’s smile was brilliant, her eyes crinkling with mirth—a joy that sprang from the very bottom of her heart, pure and utterly unrestrained.

The lake breeze swept past, lifting strands of her hair across her face. The sight of her laughing wildly possessed a unique charm.

“That happy?” Teng Qingshan smiled lightly.

“Yes! I have to tell you, Li Mingshan is dead!” Lin Qing was beside herself with excitement. “He’s dead! That demon is finally dead! I am so thrilled, I have never been this happy. Hahahaha…”

Teng Qingshan froze.

Li Mingshan?

Could it be the Li Mingshan he had killed?

“Who is Li Mingshan?” Teng Qingshan asked.

“Li Mingshan of the Mingshan Group. You’re not from Yangzhou, so you probably wouldn't know,” Lin Qing replied.

Teng Qingshan then confirmed it was the cunning middle-aged man he had dealt with.

Lin Qing clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly, her eyes flashing with fierce light. “I dreamt of someone killing that bastard. So many people wanted him dead, but he never died. I had even lost hope, only wishing he would contract some fatal illness someday. But I never expected him to die in the secret passage of his own study.” She laughed with bitter satisfaction. “Good riddance! It’s too good that he died.”

“He seems to have a deep feud with you,” Teng Qingshan observed.

“A deep feud?” Lin Qing gave a cold laugh. “Or perhaps, he was actually kind to me!”

Teng Qingshan frowned. Kind?

Lin Qing continued: “Actually, my family background was very poor. My mother fell seriously ill and died when I was little. My father worked far away and accidentally fell from a height, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. I had to work hard to take care of my younger brother and send him to school. You understand, as a girl with only average education, what options did I have?”

“Li Mingshan kept me,” Lin Qing said coldly.

Teng Qingshan’s composure did not waver. He had witnessed too much misery; having struggled in piles of dead bodies since he was seven, he had seen every kind of suffering. He held no prejudice against being kept. Every family has its own burdens, and every person their own hardship.

“I used the money I got from him to care for my brother and my bedridden father. The arrangement was supposed to last a year. I started a small business with some of the money, and my business grew bigger and bigger; I didn't need to rely on him anymore. But I couldn't shake him off. Because his power was absolute. He had connections in both the underworld and the authorities; crushing me would have been easier than crushing an ant. I still had my brother, and my father… I had to endure.”

“In front of him, I was nothing more than a slave.”

“I lived in constant dread and panic. Don't let my glamorous exterior fool you; the reality was…”

Lin Qing looked at Teng Qingshan. “It was that time, Teng Qingshan, when you carried me for those twenty li. Resting on your back, I felt a tranquility in my heart. It was the first time I felt safe.”

Teng Qingshan understood that feeling. During his training in the Siberian camp, he, too, lived in terror, never daring to relax for a moment, knowing death could strike anytime. Only after becoming a disciple of Master Teng Bolei did he find peace.

“Now I am free. Without Li Mingshan, the clique he commanded has already fallen apart,” Lin Qing felt an unprecedented release. The anxiety that had plagued her for years could finally dissipate. “I never have to live like that again, never again. I am so happy, and I wanted to share this feeling with someone—and you were the first person I thought of!”