Chapter Twenty-One: Azure Dragon

“Haha…” Laughter echoed from a dimly lit room.

A masked man sat in a large black chair, his back to an enormous bookshelf packed tightly with books. He held several sheets of paper in his hand; his face was hidden beneath the mask, but the hand holding the papers was pale and delicate.

Before him stood a massive desk, also covered with books. Four subordinates, dressed in black and wearing masks, stood on either side below him.

The masked man seated above was none other than the Scholar, ranked second on the Assassin List.

One of the black-clad men, seeing the masked man laughing, stepped forward and asked, “Master, what has made you laugh so heartily?”

The word “Master” alone revealed his status among them, commanding such respect from all four.

The masked man set down the papers and swept his gaze over the four below. “There are two major events today. Each one stirs the blood.”

“Two events? Stirring the blood?” In their memories, their master rarely laughed; nothing ever seemed to amuse him this much. Even when they completed his tasks, he merely responded with indifference. Today was truly exceptional.

“I received reliable information—recently, Xing Tian and the Enchantress fought a fierce battle!” the masked man said solemnly.

“What?” All four were startled, their bodies trembling.

“Xing Tian is the most mysterious figure in our country; even we don’t know who he really is or what forces he belongs to. As for the Enchantress, she’s the top assassin—no one dares touch her. How could they have fought? What was the outcome?” one of them asked in astonishment.

“Indeed, even I have no idea what Xing Tian’s origins are. But the Enchantress’s strength is undeniable. I don’t know why they fought, or for what reason. I’m curious—how did the Enchantress, someone I can barely trace, manage to locate Xing Tian?” the masked man mused.

“What was the result? Who won?” the others pressed, eager to know who prevailed in such a tremendous clash.

“Xing Tian,” the masked man replied calmly, though a trace of apprehension lingered in his tone.

“Xing Tian?” The four were equally shocked. As assassins, rankings mattered most to them, and the top-ranked assassin failed to defeat Xing Tian. What kind of person was he?

“That’s right.”

“According to reliable sources, Xing Tian was seriously injured, but with proper recuperation, he’ll recover. As for the Enchantress, it seems she’s been ruined, a shadow of her former self,” the masked man said heavily. None could guess his thoughts, but unease was evident in his voice.

Another black-clad subordinate stepped forward, “Master, with the Enchantress defeated, doesn’t that make you the number one assassin?”

This ranking had always been a point of contention. In the assassin world, there was an unwritten rule: the top-ranked assassin could charge commissions in the hundreds of millions; the top twenty could reach tens of millions. Anyone who violated this would be hunted down by those above.

In other words, if he, ranked second, took on a task and demanded a commission in the hundreds of millions, the Enchantress would come for him. This privilege belonged exclusively to the top-ranked assassin—no one else dared encroach.

“Is ranking something one can claim for oneself?” the masked man snapped angrily. Though he spoke harshly, his heart had long coveted that seat—who wouldn’t want to be number one?

The black-clad man quickly apologized, “Master, your lesson is well taken! I was short-sighted. Please forgive me.”

“My greatest adversary has never been the Enchantress, but those whose backgrounds are entirely unknown. They are the ones I truly fear. Even now, our forces can’t uncover a shred of information on Xing Tian—he is the most terrifying of all,” the Scholar said with a hint of dread. “Everyone has a weakness, but those without any trace are the most dangerous.”

“Then why were you laughing earlier, Master?”

“As long as the Enchantress is eliminated, she’ll no longer be first, and I can take her place,” his voice grew sinister beneath the mask.

“We are ready, Master!” the four black-clad men declared in unison. Having served him for years, they knew he was about to act against the Enchantress.

“No rush. She won’t escape. Haha…” Another eerie laugh issued from beneath the mask.

“Master is wise! No one has ever escaped a task you’ve accepted,” one subordinate said, reflecting the trust they placed in him.

“Master, what is the second event?” another asked. The first was shocking enough; the second, surely, was no ordinary matter.

“The second event is business—a client is offering ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety thousand to take out a target,” the Scholar said, excitement in his voice.

This sum was not just a testament to his power, but a symbol of his status. The client, not breaking the hundred-million threshold, clearly understood the rules of their world. Though his skills were formidable, his commission could not exceed a hundred million—such was the rule.

“Master, once you eliminate the Enchantress, you can break through that limit!” a subordinate said.

“Congratulations, Master!” all four exclaimed together.

“Save your congratulations until the deed is done,” the Scholar replied. He was not one to bask prematurely in the glory of being number one; he would earn it.

“Who is the target this time?” one asked.

“The soon-to-be-appointed governor’s daughter—Chen Xinyi. The new governor is upright; someone wants to threaten him using his daughter.”

The Scholar paused, then waved his hand, “Xi, Shui, San, Hong—four top assassins, heed my command!”

“We are here!” All four stepped forward and knelt.

“Xi and Shui, go to kill the Enchantress! San and Hong, capture the girl!”

“Yes!”

“Xi and Shui, follow these instructions and make the Enchantress take the Divine Pill.” With a flick, he sent a pill and a sheet of paper flying, which Xi caught steadily.

At the mention of the Divine Pill, the four showed clear apprehension. There was no antidote for this pill—anyone who took it was doomed.

“Master, the Divine Pill is potent, but it acts slowly. The Enchantress is already finished, why not deal with her directly?” Xi asked, uncertain.

“Are you doubting the Divine Pill?” the Scholar’s tone grew angry.

“No! I only worry—she was number one, she may know unusual people…” Xi said anxiously.

“There will be no accidents. I repeat: my orders must never be doubted!” the Scholar’s anger sharpened.

“Yes!”

“San and Hong, follow the instructions on this.” Another sheet of paper flew to San’s hands.

“Read the instructions at once!”

Xi, Shui, San, and Hong unfolded the papers and read.

“Any questions?” the Scholar asked.

“Master!” Xi spoke, “Who is Ye Feng, and why must we avoid him?”

“He’s just an orphan, newly enrolled in university,” the Scholar replied.

“He’s just an ordinary person—why be so cautious? Master, are you being overly careful?” Xi questioned.

“When I say avoid him, you avoid him. No more questions!”

“Yes! I have no more doubts.”

“San, Hong, what about you?” the Scholar asked.

“Master, there are countless ways to travel from BJ to HB. Why would the girl take this route? Should we cover more paths?” San asked worriedly.

“If I say she’ll take that route, she’ll take it. If she doesn’t show up, you can have my seat,” the Scholar said confidently.

“I dare not! We have no more questions.”

With that, the papers turned to ash.

The Scholar rose from his chair. “Good. Listen closely—these two matters are crucial. The first determines whether I can claim the top spot on the Assassin List. The second proves if I have the power to hold it. This time, I’m sending my four direct disciples—Xi, Shui, San, Hong! The four of you are my finest assassins; if ranked, you'd never fall below the top ten. You should see how seriously I take these tasks. I have never failed a mission—I expect you not to disappoint me, or you know the consequences.”

“Yes!”

“Go!”

The four withdrew from the room. The Scholar removed his mask, revealing a youthful face.

“Enchantress, I’ve accounted for time, place, and people. If you survive, it truly means your time has not yet come,” the Scholar said coldly.

He reached for a book from the bookshelf behind him, gazed at it intently, then suddenly closed it.

“Ye Feng! Ye Feng…” the Scholar murmured repeatedly. “Why do I feel uneasy? I’ve checked his background—nothing special. Perhaps I’m overthinking.”

Outside, the four assassins exchanged glances. Xi spoke first, “I say Master is being too cautious—just dealing with a ruined person, and his instructions are full of warnings.”

“Ours are the same. And we’re just capturing a woman,” San remarked.

Hong listened and advised, “Master has always been meticulous, considering every detail. That’s why if we follow his instructions, we never make mistakes. The facts prove his worries are always justified. Every unexpected event in our previous missions was foreseen by him. That’s why the world says the Scholar has never failed a task!”

“Hong’s right. I follow the Master wholeheartedly for precisely that reason,” Xi replied with pride, grateful to serve such a formidable leader.

The four shadows flashed and vanished without a trace.