Chapter 22: Taking in a Young Girl as a Follower

After all, breaking through two realms had consumed a great deal of energy. Lin Qiye was famished now, and momentarily paid no mind to the girl.

So, Lin Qiye’s gaze fell upon the food. Out of caution, he spent a walking point to check if the food was poisoned. No poison. Lin Qiye immediately ate heartily.

After satisfying his hunger, Lin Qiye wiped his mouth clean with a wet napkin. His cold eyes fixed upon Blood Whirlwind. “I’ve heard… in River City, you’re something of a notorious tyrant?”

Blood Whirlwind broke out in a cold sweat, stammering and struggling as if constipated, forcing out a few words with difficulty, “N-no… it’s not like that…”

“Heh, let’s hear it. What have you done? Best not to hide anything, or else—I'll twist your head off.” Lin Qiye threatened nonchalantly.

Blood Whirlwind trembled violently, sprawling on the floor. “I just… robbed some women…”

“Oh! And drove families to ruin… gave out usurious loans, tormented boys and infant girls, tortured female assassins… and, in front of husbands, with their wives…”

Blood Whirlwind confessed his past crimes in broken fragments. Each one was heinous, unforgivable. Even Lin Qiye felt the urge to tear him limb from limb.

Yet Lin Qiye remained seated, his gaze drifting toward the window.

“The girl hiding behind the vase under the curtain—aren’t you coming out?” Lin Qiye’s voice was clear and forceful, as if whispering right in the girl’s ear.

The carefully hidden girl’s heart stopped abruptly. Her face turned pale in an instant.

Yet, her training as a professional assassin kept her motionless. She was like a statue, concealing her breath entirely; only her bright eyes watched for danger.

Lin Qiye smiled.

“Still hiding? Bodyguard, move the vase.”

Under Lin Qiye’s order, the girl, unwilling to reveal herself, sighed and crawled out from the narrow space that was nearly impossible for anyone to hide in.

She was a tall, short-haired girl. Her eyes were particularly expressive—like autumn waters, cold stars, precious gems, two black pearls floating in pure mercury.

Confused, she stared at Lin Qiye. “My concealment skills are the best among assassins. How did you notice?”

She tried to see through Lin Qiye, but his inscrutable nature left her despairing.

Blood Whirlwind’s face changed sharply upon seeing the girl. He immediately pointed at her, shouting angrily, “You dare to assassinate my master? Courting death!”

Undoubtedly, Blood Whirlwind was subtly trying to shift the blame.

As expected, the girl’s gaze turned fierce as she glared at Lin Qiye, ready for a desperate fight.

But Lin Qiye was relaxed, tapping his fingers on the table, sneering indifferently, “Well done, Blood Whirlwind. Playing tricks before me? Your whole family will die for this.”

Blood Whirlwind’s face turned ashen, his body trembling with fear.

In River City, he had stood above all, trampling dignity, killing at will. But when someone threatened to kill him as easily as grass, he was as terrified as a mouse facing a cat.

Blood Whirlwind crawled to Lin Qiye’s feet.

“Master, I am your servant, your slave. How can you kill your slave?”

“You? Fit to be my slave?” Lin Qiye said with disgust, kicking Blood Whirlwind several meters away.

Blood Whirlwind crashed into the villa’s wooden door like a dead dog, then rolled on the floor, convulsing.

The girl’s expression turned grave.

Just now, at the instant Lin Qiye kicked Blood Whirlwind away, her top-tier assassin’s instincts caused the hairs on her body to stand upright. A strong sense of crisis twisted her heart, stopping her breath and making her break out in a cold sweat.

She realized that before Lin Qiye, her status as the number one assassin was as feeble as a chick. Lin Qiye could kill her with a single gesture.

Thinking of this, she swallowed hard and instinctively stepped back, wanting to leap out the window.

“You want to escape through the window, right? It’s useless. You can’t get away.” Lin Qiye’s lips curled up.

His confident demeanor made every rebellious thought vanish from the girl’s mind.

The handsome youth before her possessed a strength beyond her comprehension; she had no ability to resist, no matter what. All she could do was stand there, frustrated.

“Big brother, you… you won’t kill me, right?”

Lin Qiye chuckled softly. “You’ve come to eliminate evil, haven’t you?”

The girl gritted her teeth. “Yes, I want to kill this beast. He ruined my friend!”

Lin Qiye nodded. “Is it that girl, the second-ranked assassin?”

The girl’s face clouded with sadness, tears nearly spilling. Her genuine grief moved even Lin Qiye.

“You can wipe out Blood Whirlwind’s whole family—avenge your friend. I’ll deal with the bodyguards. But I want some information from you.”

The girl arched her brows. “What information?”

Lin Qiye spoke slowly and gently, “Do you know why I sensed your presence?”

The girl shook her head in confusion.

“There’s a scent on you that doesn’t belong to you. It comes from a certain extraordinary herb.”

Hearing this, the girl subconsciously held her breath, struggling to steady her racing heart.

Lin Qiye noticed her reaction but continued speaking.

“You have a secret base, home to a miraculous herb. Thanks to it, your strength has soared. Am I right?”

“Tell me where your secret base is, and I’ll give you something in return.”

The girl bit her lip, denying it outright. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand…”

But Lin Qiye’s piercing gaze made her uneasy and flustered.

“I don’t want to tell you. That’s my trump card. If I give it up, what will I have?”

Lin Qiye looked at her calmly. “I can take you as my subordinate. Becoming my follower comes with endless benefits.”

She pouted. “Why should I be your subordinate? I’m the top assassin! Don’t I have my own pride?”

Lin Qiye sneered contemptuously. “The top assassin? You think that’s worth being proud of?”

With that, Lin Qiye conjured a sword of spiritual energy in his hand and struck through the air.

In an instant, half the villa vanished into smoke.

Silvery moonlight shone straight onto Lin Qiye’s features, making him strikingly handsome.

Seeing him destroy half the villa with a single strike, the girl’s lips parted in shock, her eyes wide, a bitter smile forced onto her face.

“This… this… I really don’t want to be a subordinate… I’m the top assassin, I…”

“Big brother!”

She finally gave in, quickly bowed, lowered her head, and obediently called him brother.

After uttering this, she felt a strange electric thrill inside. It seemed… the experience wasn’t so bad?

After all, the youth before her was indeed handsome and heroic. He had even saved her life.

She couldn’t help but wonder how he had trained—his strength was monstrous.

Ji Qinghuan was filled with curiosity.

Seeing her submission, Lin Qiye nodded in satisfaction.

“You’re sensible. I can only say, following me won’t be a loss.”

“Now, your brother has a gift for you.”

With that, Lin Qiye handed her the first page of the ‘Qi Refinement Formula.’

“This is my cultivation method. Practice it, and you’ll gain power like mine.”

The girl was stunned, her eyes brimming with shock and disbelief. “Really? Is this…?”

“Of course. You can try it now.”

She immediately began to read. As she read, she felt her internal energy, accumulated from years of assassin training, stirred and began circulating rapidly through her body.

The medicinal energy she’d absorbed from the herb all surged forth, gathering in her organs and limbs, refined by the ‘Qi Refinement Formula’ into pure spiritual power.

Soon, her brows relaxed, and she exhaled a mouthful of white mist.

“It’s real! It’s real! My strength has multiplied three or four times!”

She was overjoyed, hands trembling, breathing rapid. The golden page in her hand revealed the extraordinary nature of the ‘Qi Refinement Formula,’ leaving her shocked.

“If I master it, I can completely ignore modern weapons! Is this cultivation? Incredible!”

She took a deep breath, her gaze toward Lin Qiye filled with awe.

“To give such a precious thing to a subordinate…”

Her heart warmed, and thinking of her best friend, she was moved with sorrow.

“If only you’d appeared sooner…”

Her lips quivered, eyes moist and shining with tears.

“Ah, it’s fate… Let me keep fighting evil for you!”

A conviction grew in her heart as she raised her head, smiling brightly at Lin Qiye.

“Brother Ye, thank you, truly. Ji Qinghuan will follow you from now on. I’ll take you to see the herb!”

Now, she was genuinely convinced, openly leading Lin Qiye toward her secret base.

And as Lin Qiye prepared to claim the miraculous herb, his lips curved in a gentle smile.

“A century-old herb will let my strength soar again!”

“And Ji Qinghuan will become part of my power. The stronger my allies, the greater my influence. When spiritual energy returns and the gods descend, I’ll have the confidence to face them!”

So thought Lin Qiye.